Jamnabai Narsee School

English Literature

Prose

The Gift of the King Std.VII

Ex.1. Answer the following questions with reference to the context.

Ref.I. “We are lucky.”

Q.1. Who said these words? Why were they lucky?

Ans. The old man said these words.

The old man said that they were lucky because just before dawn, on a full moon night,

the octopus dances a courtship dance and goes out to the sea in search of its mate. It is

the only time that a diver can try to get the pearls in the Forbidden Sea.

Q.2. What was the warning given?

Ans. The warning was that the dive had to be done almost in the dark and no diver had so far

been brave enough to try.

Q.3. Who tried to convince Abu to forget about the pearls? Why?

Ans. Omar tried to convince Abu to forget about the pearls by telling him that he was lucky

to have found some fine pearls. Omar timidly said that it was much too dangerous and

in the dark he may not even see the rocks, sharp objects or an octopus.

Q.4. How did Abu react?

Ans. Abu replied fiercely by saying that he must have the big shell and the pearl that he had

dreamed about. He said that he could not go back to his mother without finding it.

Q.5. What was Omar‟s objection? What did he finally decide to do?

Ans. Omar‟s reasonable objection was that Abu had not promised his mother that he would

bring back pearls. Since Abu persisted that he must go down before dawn the next day,

Omar looked at him sadly, held out his hand and gruffly told Abu that he would go

with him.

Q.6. What were Abu‟s thoughts as he lay on the sand outside his hut?

Ans. As Abu lay on the sand outside his hut and watched the big glowing ball in the sky he

wondered why so many things depended on the full moon – the tides, plants, seeds and

even people‟s feelings.

Q.7. Where did Omar come from? How had he reached there?

Ans. Omar came from Tunisia.

He had run away on a fishing boat and then come with camel drivers to Basra.

He then kept on.

Ref.II. „„My father tried to kill me.‟‟

Q.1. Who said these words and to whom?

Ans. Omar said these words to Abu.

Q.2. Why did his father try to kill him?

Ans. Omar‟s father was trying to arrange a marriage for Omar‟s sister‟s to a cruel,

vicious man. As Omar tried to stop him, he took a knife to kill him which left a scar on

him. So he ran away.

Q.3. How was the speaker comforted and what was his reply?

Ans. Abu comforted the speaker by putting his hand around Omar‟s shoulders, as he was

weeping bitterly. Abu requested Omar to accompany him back to Bombay so that they

could make a new home for him. To this Omar replied that he loved his mother and

sisters and that they did not know his whereabouts.

Q.4. What did Abu then tell the speaker in his excitement?

Ans. Abu excitedly told the speaker that if they did find the rare pearl, they could escape to

Bombay and sell it there with the others to the old man‟s friend, who was a pearl

merchant, the Arab who befriended Syed Bakr. They would then divide the money in

half.

Q.5. Why did Abu stop Omar abruptly?

Ans. Abu stopped Omar abruptly because he wanted to divide the money into three parts:

one for Omar, one for Syed Bakr and one for himself. He triumphantly continued to say

with that, Omar could go back to Tunisia.

Ref.III. „In a few hours they were all wide awake. The moon was still bright, though

waning.‟

Q.1. How did Abu feel?

Ans. Abu felt it was not going to be so dark under the water after all.

In great excitement they filled up the boat with fishing lines and a little food and

water. Abu confidently said that they could see quite clearly.

Q.2. What did they see as soon as they rowed out?

Ans. As soon as they rowed out, they saw the three sharp black rocks against the sky.

Abu‟s heart began to pound. The moon was now at an angle with the horizon.

Q.3. What could the boys see as they looked down into the dark water?

Ans. As the boys looked down into the dark water, they could see the outline of the great

rocky overhang below.

Q.4. Describe how they plunged in?

Ans. They plunged in, trailing their lines, the ends of which were fast in the old man‟s

trembling hands. They soon disappeared from sight.

Q.5. Why had Abu‟s fears disappeared?

Ans. Perhaps the excitement of changing Omar‟s sad life filled him. The pounding of his

heart had stopped now and his fear had gone.

Q.6. What did Abu hope to find?

Ans. On the sea-bed he grabbed several shells hoping that one was the loose one he had

dropped when the octopus snatched it.

Ref.IV. „„The legend must have been true.‟‟

Q.1. What was the legend?

Ans. The legend was that just before dawn on a full moon night, they say the octopus dances

a courtship dance and goes out in search of its mate. It is the only time a diver can try to

get the pearls in the Forbidden Sea.

Q.2. Why did Abu feel that the legend was true? As a result what did he suggest?

Ans. Abu felt that the legend was true because they could not see the octopus.

As a result, Abu suggested that they must keep going down till dawn breaks as they will

never get a chance like that.

Q.3. What was the old man‟s reaction on hearing the boys?

Ans. The old man marvelled at the courage of the boys. Grown men had never dared to dive

in this dangerous reef.

Q.4. Describe how Abu was adamant to find the shell that he had lost. What did Abu do

when he spotted a big shell?

Ans. Abu plunged as close to the place he had lost his big shell as he could remember. He

convinced himself that it had to be down there. But the sea-bed was littered with shells

and the time he could spend under water was short.

When Abu spotted a big shell, he grabbed it but it was stuck to the floor. Cutting swiftly

behind the shell, he gathered it up and another, before rushing upward again.

Q.5. Describe the scenery as the boys surfaced once more with their booty.

Ans. The moon was down and the orb of the sun pushed over the eastern horizon. It was flat

and pink, unlike the blazing ball they saw in the midday sky.

Q.6. a) Did Abu find the pearl he had dreamed about?

Ans. No, Abu did not find the prize pearl he had dreamed about.

b) Who dissuaded the boys from going back into the water?

Ans. Syed Bakr dissuaded the boys from going back into the water. The old man told the

boys thatthey had already made a big catch and now that the sun was up they should

take no more chances.

Ref. V. „„How will you have enough to go back to Tunisia?‟‟

Q.1. Who said these words? What did Omar do after hearing these words?

Ans. Abu said these words to Omar.

Trembling a little, Omar fell silent and got ready to dive. He went in a little after Abu,

whom he could see ahead of him deep in the water.

Q.2. Why was Omar in a panic?

Ans. Like a fish, Abu took a sharp twist under the overhang and when Omar reached there,

There was no sign of Abu. In a panic, he made no effort to go down for pearls, instead

he searched frantically for his friend.

Q.3. a) What was the extraordinary sight that Omar saw?

Ans. Omar suddenly saw a most extraordinary sight. In a sort of bay under the overhang, the

sunlight slowly revealed two octopuses. They rested with heir tentacles hanging down

like waterfalls from their soft shiny bodies.

One of them held a huge shell in one tentacle. Holding it aloft gently, the octopus

watched Abu who was treading lightly on the sea floor, almost dancing as he advanced

on the marine monsters.

b) How did Omar react to what he saw?

Ans. If Omar could have screamed, he would have done so. He thought that his friend must

be mad. All he could do was stand by hopelessly to watch Abu‟s certain death. A

desperate desire to save Abu overcame his fears and he swam with violent movements

towards him.

Q.4. Describe the unforgettable sight that Omar witnessed?

Ans. Advancing with slow dancing movements, Abu floated up and held out his hands for

the shell. Instead of attacking Abu, the octopus unfurled his tentacle and held the shell

out to him. The octopus gave a deep salaam, and as Abu took the prize, the octopus

stroked Abu‟s back with the tentacle and withdrew it fluidly. It was like a king giving a

gift and then a blessing.

Ref.VI. “Are you alright.”

Q.1. Who said these words?

Ans. The old man, Syed Bakr said these words.

Q.2. What was the speaker‟s reaction when Omar burst out with his tale?

Ans. When Omar burst out with his tale, the old man listened to him incredulously. He

looked disbelievingly at the huge shell in his hand and then at Abu‟s face. He was sure

they were trying to make fun of him.

Ref.VII. “Open the shell, Aam,” the boys cried. “Let‟s see what priceless gift we have

been given.”

Q.1. What did they see as the old man pried the shell open with his knife?

Ans. As the old man pried the shell open with his knife, there on the gleaming white bed of

mother-of-pearl, half hidden by the body of the oyster, was a huge black pearl.

Q.2. a) Describe the priceless gift?

Ans. The black pearl was large and lustrous and the morning sun‟s rays dancing on it gave it

curious shifting lights half green, half black, shot with gold.

b) Why was the gift „priceless‟?

Ans. The gift was „priceless‟ because of the manner in which Abu received it.

Q.3. What did the old man tell the boys?

Ans. The old man said, “No one will believe you. You could not sell this pearl. No one would

believe that two young boys had dived for it.”

Q.4. How did these words affect Abu? Why?

Ans. On hearing these words, Abu‟s face fell. His dream had come true but his prize would

be snatched away from him.

What the old man said was perfectly true. No one would believe the two boys. People

would think they had stolen the black pearl.

Q.5. What solution did they find to their problem?

Ans. Abu told Syed Bakr that he must come with them to Bombay. He said that the Arab

pearl merchant would believe him. Abu begged the old man to say yes and assured him

that he would have a home with the boys. Abu also said that he had not found his real

father and Syed Bakr had been a father to him. So his mother would want to thank him

and give him a home with them.

Q.6. Who is the king mentioned in the title of the story?

Ans. The octopus is referred to as the king in the title of the story.

JAMNABAI NARSEE SCHOOL

ENGLISH LITERATURE-POETRY

The Solitary Reaper STD 7 ( William Wordsworth)

Reference I:-

Behold her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.

Q1. Where did the poet meet the solitary reaper?

Ans:- In Scotland, while walking in the hills, the poet saw an ordinary Scottish girl,

single in the fields, reaping the crop and singing to herself. It sounded sad

and melancholic. The entire valley was echoing and overflowing with her song.

Q2. What were the poet‟s thoughts when he saw the solitary reaper?

Ans:- The poet was extremely moved by the reaper working all alone in the fields, singing

her song, that he felt the scene/moment should not be disturbed. The slightest noise

would be jarring. So he stood there quietly watching her at work.

Q3. Show how the sense of Solitude is conveyed in the first few lines of the poem.

Ans: In the first few lines of the poem the poet, William Wordsworth, tells us „Behold her,

single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass’, ‘Reaping and singing by

herself’, ‘Alone she cuts and binds the grain’, thus conveying that the reaper is

all by herself.

Q4. What effect does the song have on the poet?

Ans:- The reaper‟s song had such a great impact on the poet that he says that anyone passing

by should either stop there, or “gently pass” so as not to disturb the highland lass while

she worked. He carried the music with him, he felt the beauty of the song continue to

haunt his memory long after he had passed the valley.

Q5. What does the „ vale profound‟ refer to? Why was it filled with music?

Ans:- The words „ vale profound‟ refers to a deep valley.

The song was intense and melodious. The beauty of the girl‟s voice as she sang the

melancholy strain was so deep, that the entire deep valley echoed and was filled with

the song.

Reference II

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

Q1. Whom did the poet compare the song of the solitary reaper to? Why?

Ans:- The poet was deeply moved by the sweet melancholic song of the Highland lass. It was

so profound that he compared it with the nightingale and the cuckoo-bird.The

nightingale‟s song in the desert is an indication of an oasis nearby. The nightingale

sings to welcome the weary travellers in the Arabian desert. The maiden‟s singing is

compared to the soothing effect of the nightingale‟s singing on the travellers.Similarly

the cuckoo-bird‟s song announces the onset of spring in the far-off islands of Hebrides

and this singing is so pleasant that it breaks the silence of the gloomy winter, the

maiden‟s song too has the same effect on the poet. The entire valley was overflowing

with this music and the melody lingered on in the poet‟s ears long after she was heard

no more.

Reference III

Will no one tell me what she sings?

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?

Q1. Why does the poet ask the question in the first line? What is meant by

„plaintive numbers‟?

Ans:- The poet asks this question because he is unable to understand the meaning of the song

as the language in which the maiden was singing was not familiar to the poet.

„Plaintive numbers‟ refers to the sad, melancholic lines/ words of the song which flow

from the reaper‟s heart.

Q2. What according to the poet could have been the themes of the song? Ans:- The poet thought that the themes of the songs of the solitary reaper probably were

about old, unhappy events in her life or of battles and struggles fought long ago that

she must have experienced. It may be about some natural sorrow, loss or pain that may

have occurred once or may occur again.

Reference IV

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;--

I listened, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

Q1. Why does the poet say „Whate'er the theme’?

Ans:- The poet says ‘Whate'er the theme’ meaning that it does not matter what the

theme of the song was but the poet was simply thrilled to listen to the reaper‟s song.

Q2. What was the effect of the reaper‟s song on the poet?

Ans:- The poet expresses that whatever was the theme, the maiden sang as if her song could have no

ending. He had seen her singing while she was at work and bending over the sickle, busy

cutting and binding the grain. He listened enraptured, motionless and still. As he mounted up

the hill, the music lingered in his heart, long after it was heard no more. Though his ears could

not hear the song anymore, the sound of the Highland lass‟s music will forever be fresh in his

heart.

Q3. What does the poet intend to convey to us through this poem?

Ans:- The poet intends to arouse admiration for the way in which simple people go about their work

and share a moment of beauty that he had himself experienced, which had come from a very

simple, ordinary incident.

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JAMNABAI NARSEE SCHOOL

RAPID READER STD7

MACBETH

Reference to context:

I. “The battle started, and as it continued, news was brought to King Duncan

about its progress…………………………………………. Macbeth and

Banquo.”

Q.1. Who was Macbeth?

Ans. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, was a great Scottish nobleman who commanded the

army of Duncan, King of Scotland. He belonged to the same family as the king and was

loved by the people of Scotland.

Q.2. Why did the people love Macbeth?

Ans: Macbeth was loved by the people of Scotland as he was a brave, warlike leader.

Q.3. Why had the battle started?

Ans: A rebellion led by the Thane of Cawdor had broken out against King Duncan. The King

of Norway had landed with an army to help the rebels and Macbeth and Banquo had

been sent to fight a battle against them.

Q.4. How did the battle end?

Ans: After a terrible fight, the Thane of Cawdor was taken prisoner, the rebels were beaten,

and the King of Norway was forced to beg for peace.

Q.5. How did King Duncan reward Macbeth?

Ans. After the victorious battle, King Duncan rewarded Macbeth for his services and bravery

by making him the Thane of Cawdor in place of the rebel lord.

II. “Surprised at seeing these strange and awful figures, Macbeth asked who

they were and what they wanted.”

Q.1. Where and when did Macbeth see these strange and awful figures?

Ans: As the two generals, Macbeth and Banquo were returning from the battle and were

crossing a wild and lonely piece of the country, suddenly there appeared in front of the

them three evil – looking old women.

Q.2. Who were they and what answer did they give to Macbeth‟s questions?

Ans. They were three witches who stood still before the riders. Macbeth was surprised at

seeing these strange figures and asked them who they were and what they wanted. In

reply to his questions, the first witch cried out, „Welcome Macbeth! Welcome, Thane of

Glamis! The second cried, „Welcome Macbeth! Welcome, Thane of Cawdor! While the

third cried, „Welcome Macbeth! You are to be king!”

Q.3. What did they say to Banquo?

Ans: The witches turned to Banquo and said, „Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so

happy, yet much happier.‟ „Your children shall be kings though you shall not.‟ After

saying this they disappeared as suddenly as they had come.

III. “Then turning to Banquo, Macbeth said, „Do you not hope that your children

will become kings?”

Q.1. What answer does Banquo give to this question?

Ans: Banquo‟s answer to Macbeth‟s question was, “If we believed all that the witches said,

you might try to become king.” And he warned Macbeth not to trust the witches‟ words

too much.

Q.2. Why does King Duncan decide to visit Macbeth?

Ans: In those days if the king wished to honour any of his nobles, it was the custom for him

to pay a visit to that nobleman‟s castle. So after Macbeth‟s victory, King Duncan told

him that he wished to reward him for it, and said that he would shortly come to visit him

at his castle.

Q.3. What was written in the letter that Macbeth wrote to his wife?

Ans: Macbeth sent a private letter to his wife, in which he told her about the words of the

witches and how some of them had already come true. He asked his wife to notice

particularly that the witches had said that he would one day be king.

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