Question

‘Journey by Night’ by Norah Burke

Answer 1

Norah Burke’s ‘Journey by Night” is a thrilling and suspenseful story about a young boy named Sher Singh who lives in a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas. An important part of the story is a dangerous mission that requires a child to show the bravery and strength of an adult.

Kunwar, Sher Singh’s younger brother, gets a sudden and dangerous stomach illness that makes him very sick. This starts the crisis. There is no medical help in their remote jungle village, and it becomes clear that Kunwar will die if he doesn't get immediate care at the faraway hospital in Kalaghat. The young Sher Singh has to save his brother on his own because their father is on a hunting trip and their mother can't make the arduous trek.

It’s clear to Sher Singh that he has to carry his brother on his back and make the trip by himself. He walks through the thick, dark jungle, which is scary enough during the day, let alone at night. His only tool is a small axe and his own determination. He has to find his way through rough terrain, deep gorges, and unsafe, makeshift bridges over rivers. The story emphasises how hard the journey is on the body: Sher Singh’s muscles ache, his breath comes in short gasps, and his brother’s weight grows heavier with each mile.

As the jungle comes to life around him, the tension grows. Sher Singh hears and sees wild animals, including a tiger that stalks the jungle paths. He has to fight the urge to run away with the need to keep his brother alive, which means he has to stay completely still and quiet. He keeps telling himself that he can’t fail because his brother’s life depends on him continuing to move forward, even though he is scared and tired.

Sher Singh finally gets to the hospital in Kalaghat early in the morning, after a long and dangerous walk that tests his mind and body to their limits. The fact that he arrives so quietly, almost like a ghost, shows how far he has travelled. When he brings Kunwar to the doctors, they are shocked to hear about the journey the boy has been on. At the end of the story, he quietly wins because he has done his job and shown that people can be determined to face the worst things in the wilderness, even when the odds are against them. It’s a powerful look at love between siblings, grit, and the amazing strength that can be found in the strangest places.