The Snake Trying

 

Introduction

In the poem, the poet says that the snake tries to escape from being hit by the stick held by a person who is trying to kill it. The poet wants to say that all snakes are not harmful. Humans have a notion that snakes are dangerous and try to kill them as soon as they spot one but this is not true.

Meanings

cursing: chasing, following

curvings:  twistings

glides: moves

stroke: hitting of the stick

reeds: water or marsh plants with thick stems

vanishes: disappears

Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme is absent. The poem is written in free verse.

2. Transferred epithet: the adjective used with a noun refers to a noun other than the one with which it is used.

Pursuing stick - pursuing refers to the person who is holding the stick and not the stick itself.

3. Alliteration: the repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more consecutive words.

He is harmless - ‘h’

Summary

In this poem, a harmless green-colored snake tries to save itself from being hit by a person who is chasing it with a stick to kill it. The poet says that the snake is harmless even to children. People fear snakes and when they see one, they try to kill it with a stick. The snake tries to save itself and hides behind the green-colored bushes of marshy plants growing in the water. It hides in the ripples of the water body in order to save itself. The snake disappears behind the marshy plants.

Thinking about the poem (Page 125)

1. What is the snake trying to escape from?

The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Human beings try their level best to kill the snake. They take it for granted that the snake is poisonous and harmful.

2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

No, it is not a harmful snake. Its colour is green.

3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

The poet uses the following words to convey the beauty of the snake: beautiful and graceful, small and green.

4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

The poet wishes that the snake should be allowed to go. It should not be killed by the perusing man.

5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?

The snake was away from its secure area. It was basking in the sun along the sand. Finally, it disappears in the reeds.

The Last Leaf

Introduction

The last leaf is a touching story of how a painter inspires a girl to live and in the process, loses his life.

Summary

Two friends Sue and Johnsy live together in a rented apartment. Johnsy contracts pneumonia and loses her desire to live. She announces that she would die when the last leaf fell off the ivy creeper that could be seen from the room’s window. When the last leaf falls off, their neighbour, Mr. Behrman goes out in the storm to paint one. This gives hope to Johnsy. On the other hand, Mr. Behrman contracts pneumonia and dies.

Meanings

Pneumonia: a disease caused due to the infection of the lungs

Gazing: looking

Feeble: weak

janitor= caretaker of a building

Think about it (Page 48)

1. What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?

Johnsy, a young artist, was ill. She was suffering from pneumonia. Later on she got a misconception that she would die as soon as the last leaf on the creeper falls down. In this situation, the medicine had no effect on her. Her willingness to live could cure her.

2. Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?

Yes, I think that the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers. Teenagers have several misconceptions and self-doubts. If anything goes against their wish, they lose hope and feel depressed. Teenagers have to take things positively and get over their depression.

3. Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?

Behrman had a dream to paint a masterpiece in his life. He had been waiting for the opportunity to make his dream a reality. Yes, he could make his dream come true when he painted the last leaf of the ivy creeper on the wall.

4. What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?

Behrman’s painting of the ivy leaf on the wall was his masterpiece. He risked his life in paining it. It was so natural that Johnsy thought it to be a real leaf. That concept saved the life of Johnsy. The painter saved the life of another painter by painting a life-like leaf. That is why Sue called it as Behrman’s masterpiece.

Talk about it (Page 48)

1. Have you ever felt depressed and dejected? How did you overcome such feelings? Share your experience with your classmates.

Yes. I felt depressed and dejected when I could not score good marks in the final examination of Class VIII. I was one of the top-ranking students. I was sure that I would get the highest marks in the class. Unfortunately, a month before the final examination, I suffered from severe typhoid. It continued for 15 days. I became weak and could not prepare properly for the exam. As a result, I got the lowest marks in the class. But my parents and teachers consoled me and gave me courage to face the reality. They told me that it can happen to anyone. I came out of the depression with the help of my friends, teachers and parents.

Packing

Summary:

The narrator of the story, Jerome, was proud of his packing skills. He was supposed to go on a trip with his friends George and Harris. He told them to leave the whole matter of packing to himself, to which they readily agreed. George sat on the easy chair and Harris cocked his legs on the table and watched Jerome do the packing. But this wasn’t what Jerome wanted. When he said that he wanted to do all the packing himself, he meant that he was willing to be in charge of everything and direct his friends to work efficiently under his supervision.

When Jerome packed the bag, Harris pointed out that Jerome had forgotten to pack the boots. So, he had to open the bag again and pack his boots in, and just he was going to close it, he doubted if he had packed his toothbrush. Whenever he would be about to travel, he would get nightmares of forgetting to pack his toothbrush. Then he would wake up and go on to hunt for it. Then, in the morning, he would pack it before he used it and then he had to unpack again to get it and would repack, forgetting to put the toothbrush in again. Then, he had to rush upstairs to fetch it.

As usual, Jerome had to search the whole bag. He found George’s and Harris’s toothbrushes eighteen times over but he couldn’t find his own toothbrush. At last, he found it inside a boot and he had to repack once more. After he was done, George asked him if the soap was in but Jerome was so exhausted that he just didn’t seem to care. But after he strapped the bag again, he noticed that he had packed his spectacles inside and he had to open the bag again. Finally, he finished packing at 10:05 pm and then George and Harris decided to pack the food hampers.

Jerome was excited to see how they would proceed. As he anticipated, they started with breaking a cup. Then, Harris accidentally squashed a tomato by placing strawberry jam on top of it and then he had to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon. Moreover, George stepped on the butter. Now it was Jerome’s turn to sit back and watch them which irritated them. They stepped on things, put things behind them, and then they were unable to find them when they needed them. They put the pies at the bottom and put heavy things on top of it, which ended up ruining the pies.

George got the butter stuck to his slippers. After he got it off his slippers, they attempted to put it in the kettle but it wouldn’t go in. It was put down on a chair on which Harris sat. The butter stuck to his back. Then they went around looking for it. After a lot of searching, George discovered that it was at the back of Harris the whole time and finally they packed it in the teapot.

And then their pet dog, Montmorency, came into the scene only to add to the commotion. Montmorency was a naughty dog whose aim in life was to create hurdles and get scolded. It was only when he was screamed at that he felt that his day had not been wasted. So, just when things were ready to be packed, he came into the room and sat on them. Whenever Harris or George extended their hand for anything, Montmorency made it a point that they reach for his nose. He put his leg into the jam, disorganized the teaspoons and hampered the lemons.

After uncountable obstacles and tremendous efforts, finally, the packing was done at 12:50 and Harris sat on the hamper hoping that nothing was broken. George consoled himself and Harris by saying that if anything was found broken then it would be because it was already broken.

They all were ready for bed and decided to wake up at half past six. George was already asleep by then. So, George and Jerome placed the bath where he could tumble into on getting up in the morning and went to bed themselves.

Meanings:

pride myself on= I am proud of

fell into= (here) accepted

Uncanny= strange, unusual

cocked his legs= bent the legs on the knee as he sat

intended= planned, meant

potter about= do some unimportant things

loll on the sofa= to recline or lean in a relaxed manner

messing about= to waste time doing something without a particular purpose

sit still= sit without doing anything

superintend= supervise, manage

strapped it= closed it

wild= mad with anger

haunts= to give trouble repeatedly

misery= sad

cold perspiration= sweat

hunt= search

mortal thing= ordinary thing

rummaged= searched in a hurried or careless way

chaos= confusion

reigned= ruled

didn’t care a hang= showed no concern or interest

slammed= shut the lid forcefully and loudly

hampers= baskets used to carry food, utensils, etc.

light-hearted spirit= to be cheerful, happy

evidently= clearly, obviously

exception= a person or thing that does not follow the general rule

squashed= crush or squeeze something with force so that it becomes flat, soft, or out of shape

trod on= stepped on

upset= overturned

scrape= drag or pull

oath= to swear upon something, to use offensive language

indignantly= in a manner indicating anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair

sworn at= get scolded

squirm= to wriggle or twist one’s body

nuisance= to cause inconvenience or annoyance

stumble= to trip over a hurdle

curse= scold

conceit= here, his pride in himself

worried= disturbed

pretended= to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not

land him= hit or punch someone

reflection= thought

tossed= throw something somewhere lightly or casually

a bit of a row= an argument

split the difference= take the average of two proposed ideas like time, amount etc.

tumble= to fall quickly and without control

Thinking about the text (Page 89)

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph. (30-40 words)

1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).

There are four characters in the narrative including the dog. They are the narrator, George, Harris and the fourth is the dog named Montmorency.

2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?

The narrator felt that he knew more about packing than any other person living. Moreover, he would get an opportunity to boss the job and George and Harris would do the job under his directions.

3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?

George and Harris accepted the narrator’s suggestion readily. But Jerome did not like it.

4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?

Jerome’s real intention was to boss the job. He wanted that Harris and George should work under his guidance and instructions. But they accepted the proposal and sat idle on the chairs comfortably.

5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?

Harris asked the narrator to put the boots in the bag after strapping the bag. He did it with an intention to irritate the narrator.

6. What ‘horrible idea’ occurred to Jerome a little later?

Jerome was going to close the bag after putting the boots in it. He suddenly thought of his toothbrush. He was not sure whether he packed it. Now he had to search for it in the bag.

7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?

Jerome tried his best to find the toothbrush. He unpacked the bag but could not find it. He put the things back one by one, and held everything up and shook it. At last, he found it inside a boot.

8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?

Jerome packed his spectacles in the bag. So he had to reopen the packed bag.

9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?

George and Harris offered to pack hamper because they wanted Jerome to take some rest. They decided to pack the rest of things themselves.

10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick (ü) the statements that are true.

(i) They started with breaking a cup.

(ii) They also broke a plate.

(iii) They squashed a tomato.

(iv) They trod on the butter.

(v) They stepped on a banana.

(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.

(vii) They stepped on things.

(viii)They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.

(ix) They upset almost everything.

(x) They were very good at packing.

Answer:

(i) They started with breaking a cup. ü

(ii) They also broke a plate.

(iii) They squashed a tomato. ü

(iv) They trod on the butter. ü

(v) They stepped on a banana.

(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them. ü

(vii) They stepped on things. ü

(viii)They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.

(ix) They upset almost everything. ü

(x) They were very good at packing. ü

II. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?

Montmorency’s ambition in life is to interfere with others and be abused. He wants to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. If things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been wasted. To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an hour is his highest aim and object. He came and sat on things, just when they were going to be packed. He put his leg into the jam and worried the teaspoons and pretended that lemons were rats and got into the hamper and killed three of them.

It is the natural, original sin that is born in him that makes him do things like that.

III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs.

1. Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.

Of the three, Harris is the worst packer in this world. But none of them is the perfect packer. All of them are confused and do not know what is to be placed and where. So far as Jerome is concerned he unpacked the bag to find his toothbrush in a boot. He also packs his spectacles in the bag. Harris and George start their work in a light hearted spirit. There are piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes and tomatoes. They break a cup. Harris packs the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashes it. They have to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon. George treads on the butter. He gets it off from his slipper and puts it in the kettle. He puts it down on a chair and Harris sits on it. It sticks to him and then they look for it all over the room. In this way they created chaos in the room.

2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?

Montmorency’s contribution to the packing cannot be forgotten. His ambition in life was to disturb others and be abused by them. He came and sat on things, just when they were going to be packed and he put his leg into the jam. He disturbed everything. He pretended the lemons to be rats and got into the hamper and killed three of them.

Montmorency wanted to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. If things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been wasted. To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an hour was his highest aim and objective.

3.Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it? (Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)

The story is really humorous and funny. Jerome’s episode of packing, Harris’s and George’s way of packing and Montmorency’s contribution have made the story funny and interesting. Jerome was confused about his toothbrush and found it in a boot. He also packed his spectacles in the bag. The incident of butter makes the reader laugh. George treads on the butter and it sticks to his slipper. Later he puts it on the chair. Harris sits on the chair and it sticks to his bottom. They squash the tomatoes by putting the strawberry jam on them.

Montmorency’s pretence for the lemons to be rats is also fascinating and funny.

These incidents are described in an orderly and perfect way.

The Necklace

 About the Author

Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a French writer. He is known as a master of the short story form.

Introduction

The story is about a lady named Matilda, who is unsatisfied with her life. She wants a wealthy husband. As her family is unable to give dowry she is married to an ordinary clerk. She wants to lead a luxurious life.

Meanings

Error= a mistake.

Clerk= a person employed in an office or bank to keep records, accounts, and undertake other routine administrative duties

Dowry= an amount of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

Petty= of little importance; trivial

Incessantly= without interruption; constantly

Delicacies= fineness or intricacy of texture or structure

Shabby= in poor condition through long use or lack of care

Tureen= a deep covered dish

Pot pie= a savory pie baked in a deep dish

Elegant= graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.

Exquisite= extremely beautiful and delicate.

Marvellous= causing great wonder

Convent= a school attached to and run by a convent

Elated= make (someone) ecstatically happy

M.= Mr. in French

Mme.= Mrs. in French

Delighted= feeling or showing great pleasure.

Spitefully= showing or caused by malice.

Murmuring= a low or indistinct continuous sound.

Stammered= speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of words.

Stupefy= make (someone) unable to think or feel properly

Dismay= concern and distress caused by something unexpected

Weeping= shedding tears.

Vexation= the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried

Affair= an event or sequence of events of a specified kind

Colleague= a person with whom one works in a profession or business.

Grieve= feel intense sorrow.

Francs= the basic monetary unit of France

Pale= light in colour or shade; containing little colour or pigment.

Larks= a bird

Anxious= feeling or showing worry, nervousness

Vexed= annoyed, frustrated, or worried

Adorn= decorate, make more beautiful or attractive

Stricken= seriously affected by an undesirable condition or unpleasant feeling.

Chic= elegantly and stylishly fashionable.

Shabby= in poor condition through long use or lack of care.

Midst= in between

Admirable= arousing or deserving respect and approval.

Satin= a smooth, glossy fabric, usually of silk, produced by a weave in which the threads of the warp are caught and looped by the weft only at certain intervals.

Ecstatic= feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.

Embraced= hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection.

Elegant= graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.

Enthusiasm= intense and eager, interest

Admiration= respect

Salons= a reception room in a large house.

Furs= the short, fine, soft hair of certain animals used in garment making

Detain= keep (someone) from proceeding

Descend= move or fall downwards.

Coachmen= a driver of a horse-drawn carriage.

Shivering= shaking slightly and uncontrollably as a result of being cold, frightened, or excited.

Nightfall= the onset of night; dusk.

Wearily= with extreme tiredness.

Cloak= a sleeveless outdoor coat like garment that hangs loosely from the shoulders.

Cast down= sad or worried

Gown= a long elegant dress worn on formal occasions

Bewilderment= a feeling of being perplexed and confused

Frightful= very unpleasant, serious, or shocking

Clasp= grasp (something) tightly with one's hand

Dictate= state or order authoritatively

Chaplet= a garland or circlet for a person's head.

Ruinous= disastrous or destructive

Usurers= a person who lends money at unreasonably high rates of interest

Frigid= stiff or formal (in behavior or style)

Perceive= become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand.

Substitution= the action of replacing someone or something with another person or thing.

Necessity= the state or fact of being required.

Frightful= very unpleasant, serious, or shocking.

Lodgings= temporary accommodation.

Attic= a space or room inside or partly inside the roof of a building.

Odious= extremely unpleasant; repulsive.

Haggling= dispute or bargain persistently, especially over the cost of something.

Sous= small value coin in France

Crude= in a natural or raw state; not yet processed or refined.

Awry= out of the normal or correct position

Pails= a bucket.

Flattered= lavish praise and compliments on (someone)

Singular= denoting or referring to just one person or thing.

Astonished= greatly surprised or impressed; amazed.

Personage= a person (used to express importance or elevated status)

Recall= bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind; remember.

Loan= lend (a sum of money or item of property).

Decently= in a way that conforms with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behavior.

Content= being in a state of peaceful happiness

Summary

Mme. Matilda Loisel lived in an apartment with her husband M. Loisel and was very unhappy with what life had given her. She was sad with the apartment’s shabby walls and the worn-out furniture. She dreamt of royal dinners served in exquisite silver dishes. They were neither rich nor poor. She had to marry a clerk in the office of the board of education just because her family couldn't afford to give her dowry. She also hated visiting her old friend Mme. Jeanne Forestier as she was a rich lady and Matilda envied her.

One day her husband got an invitation to a party at the house of minister of public instruction. Contrary to his expectation, Matilda was irritated and angry and threw the card away. She was upset because she didn't have anything to wear at such an extravagant party. Her husband gave her 400 francs to buy a new dress, that he had been saving to buy a gun so that he could go hunting with his friends. After buying the dress she was worried because she did not have jewelry. Upon her husband’s suggestion, she borrowed a necklace from her friend Mme. Forestier.

They went to the minister’s party and all the men admired her as she was looking gorgeous in her new dress and necklace. They returned at 4 in the morning in a carriage. Matilda realized that she did not have the necklace. Her husband went out to search the railway tracks for the necklace. He also went to the police station, cab offices and also gave an advertisement announcing a reward to the person who returned the necklace. Finally, they decided to replace it with a similar one. They found a similar necklace priced at 36000 francs. They had to take loans to pay for it.

It took them ten years to repay the loans.  They moved to a smaller apartment. She did all the household chores herself. Her husband did multiple jobs to repay the borrowed money. In these years, Mme. Loisel started looking much older. One day she met her friend Jeanne with a child and decided to tell her the truth and explained how she was indirectly responsible for her aged looks and her living conditions. She explained how she lost the borrowed necklace and had to take a loan for replacing it. On hearing this, Jeanne told Matilda that the necklace that she had borrowed was a fake one and was not worth more than 500 francs.

Textual Questions and Answers [Short Answer Questions - Word count around 30]

1. What kind of a person is Mme Loisel — why is she always unhappy?

Mme Loisel is an unhappy and unsatisfied person. She keeps on dreaming about how her life would have been if she were born in a rich house, married in a rich house. [33 words]

2. What kind of a person is M. Loisel?

M. Loisel is a caring and a loving man. He appreciates the little things of life. He wants to make his wife happy and ready to sacrifice his own needs. [31 words]

3. What fresh problem now disturbs Mme Loisel?

Mme Lionel’s husband agrees to buy her a dress worth 400 francs. Now she has a fresh problem as she is not having any jewelry to match her new dress. [30 words]

4. How is the problem solved?

Mme Loisel does not agree to wear flowers to the party. Then her husband suggests that she should try to borrow the jewelry from her rich friend Mme Forestier. [29 words]

5. What do M. and Mme Loisel do after losing the necklace?

M and Mme. Loisel make a lot of efforts to find the necklace. But they could not find the necklace. So they finally decide to replace the necklace with another similar looking necklace.  [33 words]

 6. How do they replace the necklace?

They buy a necklace from a shop for 36000 francs. They have only 18000 francs with them. They borrow the rest of the money by taking loans from a lot of lenders. [32 words]

Think About It (Answers to the questions given on Page 46)

1. The course of Loisel’s life changed due to the necklace. Comment.

It took Loisels a decade to pay back the money they borrowed to buy the necklace. They had to move to the poorest quarters of the city. With no maids or assistance, Matilda had to do all the work to save money. The husband worked overtime. Like this, their life changed. (51 words)

2. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?

Matilda’s pride and false prestige had paved the way for her ruin. She could have avoided it by accepting her situation and being content with what she had. (28 words)

3. What would have happened to Matilda if she had confessed to her friend that she had lost her necklace?

Truth and honesty would have saved Matilda from her doom. If only she has been courageous enough to confess to her friend the truth of the necklace, she would have come to know that it was a fake one that cost a mere five hundred francs. Ten long years of crushing poverty, misery, and hard work would have been avoided.

4. If you were caught in a situation like this, how would you have dealt with it?

I would have avoided the trap of false prestige. If I was caught in such a situation, I would have been honest by telling the truth. (26 words)

The Tale of Custard the Dragon

 

About the Poet:

This poem is written by an American poet, Ogden Nash (1902-1971). He was famous for his light verse and humorous poetry.

Introduction:

This poem is about a little girl Belinda. Belinda has a black kitten named ink, a grey mouse named blink, a yellow dog named mustard, and a coward dragon named custard. All the pets and Belinda are described as brave except the dragon. Custard, the dragon is a coward. Their true character is revealed when a pirate attacks Belinda’s house. No one dares to face the pirate. It is the dragon that kills the pirate. All the characters are relieved and happy because they are saved by the dragon. However, they soon change their minds and convince themselves to be more daring and stronger. They blame the situation and say that it confused them.

Summary:

This poem tells us the tale of custard the dragon is a ballad. It is a humorous poem about a cowardly dragon named custard. Custard is a pet of Belinda, a little girl who lives in a little white house with her other pets. She had a black kitten named ink, a grey mouse named blink, a yellow dog mustard, and a cowardly dragon custard.

The poet says that all of them are very brave except the dragon. Others are described as brave. They are compared with animals like bear, tiger or lion. The dragon is very timid. He always asks for a safe place for himself. All the other characters make fun of him for his cowardice.

But one night they are shocked by the entry of a pirate in the house. All of them are afraid and start hiding here and there. But to everyone’s surprise, the dragon not only tackles the pirate but also eats him up. As all of them are saved by custard, they thank him. Soon they realized that till now, they are making fun of the dragon. So, they start saying that they are braver and could have handled the situation in a much better way. Here the poet has tried to say that sometimes a timid person is the actual hero in the toughest situations of life.

Meanings:

Wagon: a vehicle used for transporting goods or another specified purpose

Mustard: a yellow coloured flower

Coward: weakling

Spikes: thin pointed surfaces

Scales: Thin bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles

Underneath: situated directly below

Fire place: a structure of brick, stone or metal for an open fire

Dagger: A sharp knife

Barrel: drum

Chased: hunt, follow

Rage: anger

Tickled: stroke, here it means to tease

Unmerciful: cruel, without mercy

Percival: A knight in King Arthur’s court

Giggled: to laugh

Weeck: a sound made by a mouse

Nasty: bad or unpleasant

Growled: bark

Pirate: A person who robs ship in the sea

Winda: a term for window

Pistol: a handgun

Cutlass: a short sword with a curved blade.

Paled: turn yellow due to fear

Yelp: a short sharp cry

Trickle: to flow, to run

Strategically: planned

Mouseholed:  here it is the hole where the mouse lives

Snorting: make a sudden explosive sound through one’s nose

Clashed: fought

Dungeon: underground prison

Clatter Clank, Jangling squirm: the sound of hard objects falling on each other

Robin: A bird

Gaped: stared with mouth wide open

Gulped: swallowed

Grog: a drink

Flagon: a container made of silver in which drink is stored, a flask

Gobbled: swallowed hurriedly

Embraced: to hug

Mourned: feel sorrow for the death of someone

Victim: sufferer

Glee: delight

Gyrate: danced

Flustered: upset or confused

Stanza	Meaning/Literary Devices
Stanza 1 Belinda lived in a little white house,                           With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse, And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon, And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.	A girl named Belinda lived in a little white house. She lived with some creatures who were her pets. They were a black kitten, a grey mouse, a yellow dog, a little red wagon, and a dragon.   Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (house-mouse, wagon-dragon) Repetition: use of the word ‘little’ oxymoron: use of two words with opposite meanings “pet dragon” Anaphora: repeated use of word at the start of two consecutive lines. (And a little ….And a realio) Refrain: Repetition of a sentence again and again (And a realio, trulio,) poetic license: realio, trulio for real, true. The spellings have been changed to create a musical effect.
Stanza 2 Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink, And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink, And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard, But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.	The name of all the animals that are tamed by Belinda. He says that the name of black kitten is ink. The name of grey mouse is blink. The little yellow dog had yellow colour and so she calls him mustard and the dragon, a coward was called custard. Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (ink-blink, mustard-custard) simile: dog compared to mustard “And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard” Alliteration: “coward, and she called him Custard” - “c” sound Anaphora: repeated use of word at the start of two consecutive lines (And the little grey…And the little yellow) Repetition: use of word little
Stanza 3 Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.	The dragon had big sharp teeth and spikes on top. On the lower part it had scales. His mouth was compared to a fireplace and his nose was compared to a chimney.  His feet were like sharp knives.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (teeth-underneath, nose-toes) Simile: Dragon’s mouth is compared with fireplace (mouth like a fireplace) Refrain: Repetition of a sentence again and again (And a realio, trulio,) Metaphor: “chimney for a nose”. The nose is like a chimney.
Stanza 4 Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears, And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs, Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage, But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.	Belinda was as brave as a group of bears and ink and blink were so brave that they could hunt lions. The dog was also very brave just like an angry tiger. Custard, the dragon was not brave. He was so afraid of everything that he always demanded a safe cage.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (bears-stairs, rage-cage) Alliteration: Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears “b” sound is repeated Simile: Belinda’s bravery is compared to that of a barrel full of bears (as a barrel full of bears), Mustard’s bravery is compared to that of an angry tiger (Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage) Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘a’ (Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears)
Stanza 5 Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful, Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival, They all sat laughing in the little red wagon      At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.	Belinda used to tease the dragon without mercy.  Ink, blink and mustard made fun of him by comparing him to a knight named Percival who was thought to be brave but ran away due to lack of courage. They used to tease the dragon while sitting in their little red wagon.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (unmerciful-Percival, wagon-dragon) Refrain: Repetition of a sentence again and again (And a realio, trulio,) Repetition: use of the word ‘tickled him’ Allusion: reference to any person or place (Percival) Personification: Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival
Stanza 6 Belinda giggled till she shook the house, And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse, Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,            When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.	The poet says that Belinda used to laugh so loudly that her voice echoed in the house. Blink, the mouse used to laugh and make a sound of weeck. On the other hand, ink and mustard would tease him by asking the dragon his age whenever he used to demand for a nice safe cage.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (house-mouse, rage-cage) Onomatopoeia:  usage of sound words to create a dramatic effect (giggled, weeck) Repetition: Custard cried for a nice safe cage (used in stanza 4)
Stanza 7 Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound, And Mustard growled, and they all looked around. Meowch! cried Ink, and ooh! cried Belinda, For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda	Suddenly, they heard a sound of someone entering the house. They saw a pirate climbing up the wall. The dog barked at him and the kitten meowed to him. Belinda cried ‘ooh’ because all of them were scared of the pirate.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (sound-around, Belinda-winda) Consonance: use of consonant sound ‘s’ (Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound) Onomatopoeia:  usage of sound words to create a dramatic effect (Mustard growled, Meowch, cried ink) Poetic license: window is written as ‘winda’ to create rhyme. Repetition: suddenly
Stanza 8 Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right, And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,              His beard was black, one leg was wood; It was clear that the pirate meant no good   .	The pirate was holding handguns in both his hands and had a little sword too. He was holding his sword with his teeth. He had a black beard and his one leg was made of wood. It was clear that his intentions were not good.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (right- bright, wood- good) Alliteration: beard was black “b”, he held his “h” Imagery: An image is created about the appearance of the pirate.
Stanza 9 Belinda paled, and she cried Help! Help! But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp, Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household, And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed	All of them were frightened. Belinda was so frightened that she turned yellow due to fear and started crying for help. Mustard the dog started crying for help too. The kitten ink ran down towards the bottom of the house. The mouse Bink ran into his little mouse hole.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (help-yelp, household – mousehold) transferred epithet: terrified yelp Repetition: help help Poetic license: use of the word mousehold to rhyme with household
Stanza 10 But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine, dragon Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon, With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm, He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.	The dragon jumped onto the pirate and made such a strong sound with his nose as if an engine was producing a sound. He hit his tail on the ground with great force that it made a heavy metallic sound made in an underground prison. He attacked the pirate just like robin bird that attacks the worms.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (engine-dungeon, squirm-worm) Simile: sound of dragon is compared with sound of engine (snorting like an engine), Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon, dragon’s attack on pirate is compared to robin bird (like a robin at a worm) Onomatopoeia:  usage of sound words to create a dramatic effect (clatter, clank, jangling) Imagery: The attack by the dragon is expressed in a way to make an image in our minds.
Stanza 11 The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon, And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon, He fired two bullets, but they didn’t hit, And Custard gobbled him, every bit.	The pirate opened his mouth wide with shock. To gather some strength, he drank some alcohol from a container in his pocket. After gathering some courage, he fired two bullets on the dragon but missed it. Custard the dragon ate every bit of this fierce looking pirate.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (dragon-flagon, hit-bit) alliteration: gulped some grog “g” Imagery: They have shown the reaction and actions made by the pirate on seeing the dragon.
Stanza 12 Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him, No one mourned for his pirate victim. Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate Around the dragon that ate the pirate.	When the pirate was dead, Belinda hugged the dragon and mustard licked him. No one was sad for the death of the pirate, they all were happy. Both ink and blink were running around the dragon in happiness.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (him-victim, gyrate-pirate) alliteration: glee did gyrate “g” Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (no one mourned for), use of vowel sound ‘I’ (ink and blink in glee did), use of vowel sound ‘a’ (that ate the pirate)
Stanza 13 But presently up spoke little dog Mustard, I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered. And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink, We’d have been three times as brave, we think, And Custard said, I quite agree That everybody is braver than me.	After they thanked and showed their love towards the dragon, they changed their mind. Soon, the dog said that it was just because of some confusion that he wasn’t able to do anything otherwise he would have been twice as brave as custard. Both ink and blink also said that they would have been three times braver than custard. To this, the dragon said that he fully agreed to this that all of them were more powerful and braver than him.  Literary Devices: Rhyme scheme: aabb (mustard-flustered, blink-ink, agree-me)
Stanza 14 Belinda still lives in her little white house, With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse, And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon, And her realio, trulio little pet dragon. Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears, And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs, Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage, But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage	At last, the poet used the same lines again to show that after this terrific episode in which the dragon was the hero where all the other characters still undermined him by saying that they were more powerful than him and could have handled the situation in a much better way. Belinda still lives in that little white house with ink, blink, mustard and custard and all of them are very brave whereas the dragon is still a coward who always wants to stay safe in his cage.  Literary Devices Refrain: Repetition of a sentence again and again (And a realio, trulio) Repetition: stanza has been repeated

Thinking about the poem (132)

1. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.

The characters in this poem are Belinda, a little girl, and her pets: a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog, a little pet dragon and a pirate. The names are as follow: kitten - Ink, mouse - Blink, dog - Mustard and dragon - Custard.

2. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?

Custard cried for a nice safe cage he wanted to be safe. He was a coward and was scared very easily. He was called “cowardly dragon” as everyone else in the house was very brave and he was the only one, who feared a lot. Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears, Ink and Blink can chase lions and Mustard is as brave as an angry tiger.

3. “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?

Tickling always works on people, who are a little softer. So, Belinda tickled the dragon unmerciful as it worked a lot on him. Despite being a dragon, a tickling could disturb him and this showed his cowardice on which everyone laughed.

4. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example, “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” – the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?

In the poem, ‘The tale of Custard, the Dragon’, the poet has used a lot of poetic devices. Following are the devices used

1. Simile: mouth like a fireplace

2. Repetition: the repetitive use of the word ‘little’ in stanza 1.

5. Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.

Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,

And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,

Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,

And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.

6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ‘aabb’.

7. Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?

Writers always use such phrases and words that do not tell us directly about what they mean but always give us an indication of the meaning. Such words or phrases are used to trigger our own imagination in painting the picture that they mean. Use of such images in the poem is the following: ‘mouth like a fireplace’, ‘chimney for a nose’, ‘brave as a barrel full of bears’, ‘brave as a tiger in a rage’, ‘went at the pirate like a robin at a worm’, etc.

8. Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.

‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a very light and funny poem meant to be enjoyed by everyone. The way the poem has been written with a fix rhyme scheme, makes it very easy and enjoyable to read. The poet has even used wrong spelling to maintain the rhyme scheme. The features of Belinda and her pets described in the poem make it quite funny. All the tiny creatures such as the kitten and the mouse have been shown as brave. The biggest of them all, the dragon is the only one, who has been shown as a coward and soft being, who looks for a cage for himself. It is very ironic and makes the poem funny.