NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl and select need one. NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl Question Answers Download PDF. NCERT English Class 9 Solutions.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl

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Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 9 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl and After, NCERT Class 9 English Textbook of Beehive and Supplementary Reader (Moments). for All Chapters, You can practice these here.

The Little Girl

Chapter: 3

BEEHIVE – PROSE

PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION

Passage: 1

To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with “Goodbye, Father”. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road !

Questions 

1. Identify ‘he’ in these lines:

(a) Father. 

(b) Mac Donalds. 

(c) a spirit.

(d) a ghost.

Ans: (a) Father.

2. He was to be avoided on the point that:

(a) He was ugly.

(b) He was troublesome.

(c) He was tearful.

(d) He was bitter. 

Ans: (c) He was tearful.

3. How was the response given to the father?

(a) With Good-bye.

(b) Some lip smile. 

(c) Casual kiss.

(d) With a glass of water.

Ans: (a) With Good-bye. 

4. The little girl used to get relief on:

(a) Knowing her father was gone far. 

(b) Hearing the carriage noise fainter and fainter.

(c) Closing the door.

(d) Sweet kiss by mother.

Ans: (b) Hearing the carriage noise fainter and fainter.

5. Who is the little girl’ in these lines.

(a) Margie.

(b) Elline.

(c) Kezia.

(d) Evelyn.

Ans: (c) Kezia.

Passage: 2

In the evening when he came home she stood near the staircase and heard his loud voice in the hall. “Bring my tea into the drawing-room … Hasn’t the paper come yet? Mother, go and see if my paper’s out there – and bring me my slippers.”

Questions

1. When did the father return home:

(a) At night.

(b) In the evening.

(c) At dusk.

(d) In the dark. 

Ans: (b) In the evening.

2. What used to be his first demand?

(a) Paper. 

(b) Tea.

(c) Slippers. 

(d) Glass of water.

Ans: (b) Tea.

3. Where used ‘she’ to stand?

(a) In the drawing room.

(b) Near the staircase. 

(c) In the bedroom.

(d) At the gate of the house. 

Ans: (b) Near the staircase.

4. Her father used to call ________ in the hall.

(a) Sweetly.

(b) Bitterly.

(c) Noisily.

(d) Loudly. 

Ans: (d) Loudly.

5. What do these lines show about the person mentioned above?

(a) Irritating.

(b) Commanding.  

(c) Polite.

(d) Demanding. 

Ans: (b) Commanding.

Passage: 3

On Sunday afternoons Grandmother sent her down to the drawing-room to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother”. But the little girl always found Mother reading and Father stretched out on the sofa, his handkerchief on his face, his feet on one of the best cushions, sleeping soundly and snoring.

Questions

1. Who used to send the girl down- stairs?

(a) Maternal uncle.

(b) Mother.

(c) Grandfather. 

(d) Grandmother.

Ans: (c) Grandmother.

2. The girl was sent down to the drawing room to:

(a) Have a nice talk with the parents. 

(b) Enjoy their company.

(c) Have breakfast with them. 

(d) Have affection and play.

Ans: (a) Have a nice talk with the parents. 

3. She always found her mother:

(a) Busy in the kitchen.

(b) Reading the paper.

(c) Talking with the father.

(d) Listening the news. 

Ans: (b) Reading the paper.

4. Her father was seen by her in a ________ mood.

(a) Sleepy.

(b) Talkative.

(c) Sweet.

(d) Snoring.

Ans: (a) Both (a) and (d).

5. Why Kezia was afraid of her father?

(a) Rude.

(b) Always discourage Kezia.

(c) Both (a) and (d). 

(d) Giant.

Ans: (c) Both (a) and (d).

Passage: 4

One day, when she was kept indoors with a cold, her grandmother told her that father’s birthday was next week, and suggested she would make him a pin-cushion for a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. Laboriously with a double cotton the girl stitched three sides. But what to fill it with? That was the question.

Questions

1. Kezia was kept indoors because:

(a) She had a fever.

(b) She had cold.

(c) She was hurt. 

(d) She was unwell. 

Ans: (b) She had cold.

2. What was to be given on the father’s birthday? 

(a) A beautiful gift.

(b) A costly pen set.

(c) Yellow silken pin-cushion.

(d) A golden chain.

Ans: (c) Yellow silken pin-cushion. 

3. The pin-cushion was made from a:

(a) Cotton.

(b) Cloth.

(c) Yellow silk.

(d) Bits of paper.

Ans: (c) Yellow silk. 

4. The birthday was to be celebrated:

(a) On Sunday.

(b) In the evening.

(c) The next week.

(d) On 1st March.

Ans: (c) The next week.

5. From which lesson these lines has been taken?

(a) The Fun They had.

(b) The Sound of Music.

(c) The Little Girl. 

(d) Packing.

Ans: (c) The Little Girl.

Passage: 5

Laboriously with double cotton, the little girl stitched three sides. But what to fill it with? That was the question. The grandmother was out in the garden, and she wandered into mother’s bedroom to look for scraps. On the bed-table she discovered a great many sheets of fine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces, and stuffed her case, then sewed up the fourth side.

Questions

1. The pin-cushion was prepared with:

(a) Single cotton.

(b) Double cotton.

(c) Silk cloth. 

(d) Coarse cloth.

Ans: (b) Double cotton. 

2. Where was Kezia looking for the scrape?

(a) Bedroom.

(b) Drawing room.

(c) Garden.

(d) Mother’s room.

Ans: (d) Mother’s room.

3. The world laboriously’ can be replaced with:

(a) With great labour. 

(b) With hard work.

(c) With great efforts. 

(d) With determination.

Ans: (a) With great labour.

4. The sheets of fine paper were important since they had:

(a) Father’s port speech.

(b) Father’s will.

(c) Come address. 

(d) Father’s maiden speech.

Ans: (a) Father’s port speech.

5. Who is the author of this chapter.

(a) Issac Asimov.

(b) Katherine Mansfield.

(c) Coates Kinney. 

(d) Gieve Patel.

Ans: (b) Katherine Mansfield.

Passage: 6

“But it was for your b-b-birthday.” 

Down came the ruler on her little, pink palms.

Hours later, when Grandmother had wrapped her in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, the child clung to her soft body. “What did God make fathers for?” She robbed.

Questions

1. Identify the responder in the first line.

(a) Kezia.

(b) Mother of kezia.

(c) Grandmother of kezia.

(d) None all of these.

Ans: (a) kezia.

2. What made kezias father angry?

(a) Kezia had torn the speech. 

(b) Mother had destroyed his papers.

(c) Grandmother had thrown there in the dustbin.

(d) They have blown in the air.

Ans: (a) Kezia had torn the speech.

3. Kezia sobbed because:

(a) She was slapped.

(b) She was beaten with a ruler.

(c) She was scolded.

(d) The had high fever.

Ans: (b) She was beaten with a ruler. 

4. The grandmother showered her affection on the little girl: 

(a) Clung to her soft body.

(b) Wrapped her in a shawl.

(c) Rocked her in the rocking chair.

(d) All of these.

Ans: (d) All of these.

5. How did the father conduct?

(a) Became angry.

(b) Give her a kiss. 

(c) Beat her with ruler.

(d) Both (a) and (c).

Ans: (d) Both (a) and (c).

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column-A to the items in Column-B.

Ans: 

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences: 

Q.1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Ans: Kezia was afraid of her father because he never spoke kindly to her. She did not understand him and looked upon him as a terrible person to be avoided. 

Q.2. Who was the people in Kezia’s family?

Ans: There were five members in the family. The father of Kezia, his wife, daughter, grandmother and the cook Alice.

Q.3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine: 

(a) before going to his office?

Ans: Before going to office he came into Kezia’s room and gave her a casual goodbye kiss.

(b) after coming back from his office?

Ans: After coming back home he would have his boots taken off. He demanded his tea, slippers and paper.

(c) on Sundays? 

Ans: On Sundays he stretched on the sofa, covered his face with a handkerchief, and went to sleep.

Q.4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better? 

Ans: On Sunday afternoons, the Grandmother encouraged Kezia. Shel sent her down to the drawing room to have a nice talk with him.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write your answer down in two or three paragraphs each:

Q.1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen? 

Ans: Kezia was kept indoors due to severe cold. Her grandmother told her that her father’s birthday was next week. She suggested to make a pin-cushion for him. Kezia was happy at the idea. She took yellow cloth and stitched its three sides. She filled the pin-cushion with important papers of his father.

There was a lot of chaos as the speech for the Port Authority had been torn. On being questioned Kezia told that she had torn the papers. Father got very angry and there fell a ruler on her pink hands. He asked why she had touched them and Kezia replied that these were for his birthday. In his way all the pleasure turned into displeasure.

Q.2. Kezia decides that there are different kinds of fathers. What kind of father was Macdonald and how was he different from Kezia’s father?

Ans: In the neighbourhood of Kezia there lived Macdonalds. Macdonalds had five children. Kezia was surprised to find fathers like Macdonald. He saw the children playing ‘tag’ with their father. The little boy ‘Mao’ was his shoulders. Two were hanging on his coat’s pockets. The whole place was filled with laughter. She saw the boys turning hose on the father. Mr. Macdonald was laughing all the time. Kezia decided that there were all sorts of father.

Kezia’s father was very different from Macdonald. Even her grandmother used to send her for a nice talk with father. Kezia’s father always talked in a harsh manner to her and said that she looked like an owl. He even beat her with a ruler. Kezia even went to the extent of uttering ‘What did God make fathers for’.

Q.3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as human being who needs her sympathy? 

Ans: Once Kezia’s mother was hospitalised and grannie had to stay with her. At night Kezia had had to sleep all alone in her room without the protective company of her grannie. 

At night she had the same old nightmare of a butcher coming towards her with a rope and a knife and a vicious (dreadful) smile on his face and she could not move. She cried for her grannie. When she opened her eyes she saw her father standing with a candle in his hand. He blew off the candle and took her to his room. There he put away the newspaper from his bed, threw the half smoked cigar in the fire, tucked Kezia properly and lay beside her. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs for warmth.

Snuggled under her father’s protective arms she got rid of his fear. She changed her opinion about her father. Perhaps her father became too tired after day’s work to be Mr. MacDonald. She liked the nice hardness of her father. She even realised that it was her mistake to tear his important paper that made him so angry. Now she understand that her father loved her but could not play with her. He was too tired after the day’s work. He needed her sympathy.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

I. Look at these sentences: 

There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter. Here glad means happy about something. 

Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms. (Words or expressions that have same or nearly the same meaning) However they express happiness in certain ways.

Synonyms: A synonym is a word or an expression that has nearly the same meaning e.g., wonder, surprise, amaze, astonish. 

Read the sentences below:

• She was glad when the meeting was over. 

• The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.

1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Some cues are given in brackets:

(a) She was ________ by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)

Ans: Overjoyed. 

(b) I was ________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

Ans: Delighted. 

(c) She was ________ at the birth of granddaughter. (extremely happy)

Ans: Glad. 

(d) The coach was ________ with his performance. (satisfied about) 

Ans: Pleased. 

(e) She was very ________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened)

Ans: Thrilled.

2. Study the use of word ‘big’ in the following sentence: 

He was so big … his hands and his neck, especially his mouth. 

Here, big means large in size.

Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of ‘big’ in the following sentences. One has been done for you. You are a big girl now. older

(a) Today you are going to take the biggest decisions of your career _________.

Ans: Resolution determination.

(b) Their project is full of big ideas. ________.

Ans: Idealistic. 

(c) Cricket is a big game in our country ________.

Ans: Biggest. 

(d) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar ________.

Ans: Lover (Fanatic).

(e) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater ________.

Ans: Glutton. 

(f) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear ________.

Ans: Heartful, heartier.

II. Verbs of Reporting:

Study the following sentences: 

• “What!” screamed Mother.

• “N-n-no”, she whispered. 

• “Sit up,” he ordered.

The Italics words are verbs of reporting. We quote or report what someone has said or thought by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting verb. For example: 

• He promised to help in my project.

• “How are you doing?” Seema asked. We use verbs of reporting to advise, order, report statements, thoughts, intentions, So questions, requests, apologise manner of sad speaking and so on. 

Naveen asked seema serve the food.

1. Now underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences:

(a) He says she will enjoy the ride.

Ans: Says.

(b) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

Ans: Mentioned.

(c) No one told us that the shop was closed.

Ans: Told.

(d) He answered that the price would go up.

Ans: Answered.

(e) I wondered why he was screaming.

Ans: Wondered.

(f) Ben told her to wake him up.

Ans: Told.

(g) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.

Ans: Apologised.

2. Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs for the following sentences.

(a) “I am not afraid,”_______ the woman.

Ans: Replied. 

(b) “Leave me alone,” my mother _______.

Ans: Snarled. 

(c) The children ________  that the roads were crowded and noisy.

Ans: Were complaining. 

(d) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” ________ the master.

Ans: Remarked. 

(e) Let’s go and look at the school ground.” ________the sports teacher.

Ans: Suggested. 

(f) The traffic police ________ all the passers by to keep off the road.

Ans: Ordered.

SPEAKING

Form pairs of groups and discuss these questions:

1. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like this in our own country?

Ans: Of course there are many parents like the father of Kezia in India.

2. Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?

You might find some of these words useful in describing him:- 

undemonstrative, loving, strict, hard alworking, responsible, unkind, disciplinarian, short tempered, affectionate, caring, indifferent.

Ans: Kezia’s father could not contain himself. In reality he was not right in punishing his daughter. His method created nothing but fear. He should have resorted to some other methods. Kezia was a sensitive girl and could understand every thing properly.

He was a man of: 

Short tempered, strict, hardworking, responsible, disciplinarian, caring, loving and affectionate.

WRITING

Has your life been different from or similar to that of Kezia when you were a child? Has your perception about your parents changed now? Do you find any change in your parent’s behaviour vis-a-vis yours? Who has become more under-standing? What steps would you like to take to build a relationship based on understanding? Write three or four paragraphs (about 150- 200 words) discussing these issues from your experience. 

Ans: Life is full of troubles, stress and anxieties. There comes a time in the history of a family when the head of the family or some other responsible person remains busy. He even fails to think for his own interests. Such is the case with the father of Kezia.

(a) But the writer has asked about me. As a child I have been given utmost affection by my parents, grandparents and other members of the family. So my life is quite different from that of Kezia.

(b) My perception about my parents are quite praiseworthy and there is no changes in them. Though I am coming out of age.

(c) I do not find any kind of change either in my parents’, behaviour or mine rather there has arrived a better understanding. Innocence of ia childhood has gone.

(d) I have become more understanding. 

(e) On the basis of understanding I have developed a sense of more respect, care, faithfulness and sympathy for them. I can analyse between right and wrong. I have keen faith in them.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each:

Q.1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Ans: Kezia was a little sensitive girl. Her father was aggressive and always spoke loudly. He was always scolding and commanding her. He used to beat her. He never played with her. He never showed his love for her. This made her afraid of her father. 

Q.2. What made Kezia’s father punish her? Was he right to do so? 

Or

Why was Kezia punished by her father?

Ans: Kezia needed some papers to put into a pin-cushion. She had made this pin-cushion for her father on his birthday. She put her father’s paper into the pin- cushion. So she was punished by her father.

Father was not right to punish Kezia. He should have made Kezia understand everything with love.

Q.3. Did Granny also think that the father was cruel and unkind? 

Ans: Granny did not think that the father was cruel and unkind. She realized that the father worked very hard for the family. He came in the evening very tired. He wanted help that was not possible. So, his being rude was natural. But Granny loved Kezia from the core of her heart. 

Q.4. What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald?

Ans: Mr. Macdonald was Kezia’s neighbour. He had five children. He I loved them all. He played with them. He shared their laughter, if anyone made any mistake, he was never angry with them rather, he laughed. it away. He was a very kind father.

Q.5. How was Kezia’s father different from Mr. Macdonald?

Ans: Mr. MacDonald was a different father. He was unlike Kezia’s father. He played with his children. The girls would hang on to his coat. They would laugh together. But Kezia’s father had no time for such things. He really worked very hard for the family.

Q.6. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

Ans: Grandmother was very sensible. She always encouraged her to get to know her father better. On Sunday afternoons she sent her down to drawing room to have talk with father and mother. Even when it was father’s birthday, she encouraged him to make a gift for father.

Q.7. Who were the people in Kezia’s family? Who did support her? 

Ans: In the Kezia’s family there were mainly three people viz. father, mother and grandmother. Even they had a cook named Alice. She was supported mainly by her grandmother. Kezia was must afraid of her father and even blamed God for making such fathers.

Q.8. What happened when Kezia had a nightmare?

Or

What did Kezia’s father do when she had the nightmare? 

Ans: When Kezia had a nightmare, she couldn’t stay in the dark. In the nightmare she saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. She cried, “Grandma, Grandma.” Her father came running. He picked her up into his arms and pressed lovingly, Kezia went to sleep.

Q.9. What were Kezia’s feelings about her father at the end of the story? 

Ans: Kezia’s feelings about her father totally changed at the end of the story. He was hard. But Kezia found ow this hardness nicer. He worked very hard everyday. Due to that, he couldn’t like Mr. Macdonald. Kezia started loving and appreciating her father. She now knew he was not to be feared and avoided. 

Q.10. Write a short character-sketch of Kezia’s father.

Ans: Kezia’s father was not unkind and unsympathetic as Kezia thought him to be. In fact, his hard work had made him. So he had little time to spend with Kezia. His responsibilities made him harsh. But at heart he was not so.

Q.11. For the little girl, who was a figure to be feared and why?

Ans: To the little girl her father was a figure to be feared. It was because he always looked at her, rudely. He gave her sometimes warnings that if she didn’t behave like a good girl, he would ask her mother to take her to the doctor. So, Kezia avoided him.

Q.12. Why did Kezia stutter in her father’s presence?

Ans: Kezia did not stutter when she was with other people. But she was so afraid of her father that she could hardly speak. When he asked her if she had been a good girl, she could only stutter her answer: ‘I don’t know’. 

Q.13. How did Kezia’s father spend his Sunday afternoon?

Ans. Kezia’s father would take full rest on Sundays. He would read and stretch out on the sofa. He would put his handkerchief on his face. He would Can put his feet on the sofa. Then he slept and snored.

Q.14. Why was Kezia making a pin- cushion?

Ans: One day Kezia had cold. She was kept indoors. Her grandmother suggested that she should make a pin-cushion as a birthday surprise for her father. So Kezia was making a pin-cushion out of a piece of yellow silk.

Q.15. The little girl sobbed, “What did God make fathers for?” What does it imply? (M. Imp.)

Ans: When father beat his daughter with a ruler, she cried. She clung to her grandmother. Sobbing, she asked as to what for were fathers made by God. This simple but significant question tells us the girl’s great fear of her father. She thought that the duty of a father is to beat the little daughters and not take care of their welfare. It was a wrong impression in her mind.

Q.16. Did Kezia change opinion about her father? How?

Ans: At the end of the story Kezia changed her opinion. When she was alone at home with her father, she had a nightmare. She was very scared when her father took her to his room to make her comfortable. This aroused the feeling of trust and love in her heart. 

Q.17. What funny feelings did Kezia have about her father when he was asleep?

Ans: Kezia felt about her father in a funny way. She felt that he was not so big. There was no one to look after him. He was harder but it was a nice hardness. He had to work every day. He could not be Mr. Macdonald. After all it was she who had torn off all his beautiful writings. She breathed heavily. Her head lay on his heart.

Q.18. How was Kezia punished for tearing some important papers of her father?

Ans: Kezia had torn her father’s important papers unknowingly. It was an innocent mistake but her father neither listened nor tried to understand her. Her gave her exemplary punishment with a ruler to teach her not to touch what did not belong to her without permission.

Q.19. Why did the little girl stammer in front of her father?

Ans: Kezia’s father wanted her to speak flawlessly, with perfection. Kezia tried hard to say the words properly but De stuttered due nervousness and fear of Bob her father. She never stuttered before  anyone else.

Q.20. What did Kezia to give to her father on his birthday?

Ans: As suggested by her grandmother, Kezia decided to make a pin-cushion out of yellow silk. She wanted to give this pin-cushion to her father as a surprise gift on his birthday. 

Q.21. What did Kezia decide to give to her father on his birthday?

Ans: Kezia on suggestion of the grandmother decided to make a pin cushion as a gift out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk.

THOUGHT PROVOKING MODULE 

Study the following Questions: 

Q.1. Do you think father of Kezia was really harsh? How would you react if your father was like father of Kezia?

Ans: Kezia used to fear her father in the beginning of the story. She considered him a figure to be avoided. She was unable to understand her father. But actually father of Kezia was not harsh. When Kezia was alone he worked for his comfort and Kezia began loving her father.

Q.2. Kezia made a pincushion out yellow silk and stuffed it with important papers. Father did not consider her feelings but rather acted harshly. Justify reaction of father.

Ans: Kezia decided to make a pin-cushion for her father. She stuffed it with the important papers of her father. Father was very angry with Kezia. Father beat her very hard with a ruler on her little pink palms. This harsh action of the father made Kezia very upset.

I think that her father should have been considerate and at least talked to Kezia politely. He should have found out truth behind Kezia’s doings. I am not at all satisfied with father’s behaviour.

Q.3. Kezia’s grandmother is true embodiment of selfless love. Justify.

Ans: Kezia’s grandmother always stood by her side and guided Kezia very much. She guided her in every way and even wanted Kezia to be close to her father. She always encouraged Kezia to sit by side of parents in the evenings and Sundays.

If one has grandmother like Kezia things would be different. one would never be devoid of love and blessings of grandparents. We all wish to have grandmother like Kezia’s.

Q.4. In the chapter “The Little Girl’, we meet two different kinds of fathers-one is Me Donald and brother is Kezia’s father. Whom do bing you prefer more and why?

Ans: Both the fathers we meet are distinct from each other. Each has quality of its own kind. We find Me Donald to be carefree and enjoys life to the maximum. Kezia’s father is strict, disciplined and wants his children to be organized. But when it comes to help, he does his best to help Kezia. I think that persons like Kezia’s father are more responsible and are able to take their children to heights.

LONG ANSWERS TYPE QUESTIONS

Answer the questions in about 100-150  words each:

Q.1. What made Kezia’s father punish her? Was he right to do so? 

Or

Why did Kezia’s father beat her? (M. Imp.)

Ans: On her father’s birthday, Kezia wanted to give him a present. She decided to make a pin-cushion. She used a beautiful piece of yellow silk to make it. She stitched it on three sides. Now, she went into her father’s drawing room. There, she found so many sheets of fine paper lying on the table. She picked these sheets up and tore them into pieces. It was her father’s important speech for the Port Authority. Then she stuffed them into the pin-cushion and sewed its fourth side. In the evening, her father came to know everything. He was very upset. Every body in the house was asked. He picked up a ruler and beat her. He told her not to touch anything that did not belong to her. She was very upset. She disliked and avoided her father.

Obviously, he was not right in punishing her. He should have realized that children are ignorant by nature. They need to be warned and told of the importance of certain things.

Q.2. When and how does the little girl come to know about her father’s real self? does she appreciate and understand the compassion her father has for her? Explain.

Ans: Kezia’s father was a disciplinarian, who  was not of demonstrative kind. Being reserve and serious, such people do not express their feelings outwardly. Du to this stern and harsh nature. Kezia was scared of him. She was so afraid of him that she would stutter before him.

But in the end of the story, she saw her father as a human being who needs her sympathy. Kezia’s mother. and grandmother had gone to the hospital because her mother was not feeling well. She was left alone with Alice, the cook. While Alice was putting her to bed, Kezia asked her as to what she would do if she had a night-mare. After Kezia slept, the same old nightmare came- the butcher with a knife and a rope who came nearer and nearer. She cried out, ‘Grandma!’ She wroke shivering to see her father beside her bed. He took her to his bedroom and lay down beside her. He tried to make her comfortable and warm with his loving care. She changed her opinion about him. She finds him very soft-hearted, kind and generous. She realize that everyday he had to work so hard and was too tired to play like Mr. MacDonalds. She telled him, “What a big heart you’ve got!” 

Q.3. “She never stuttered with other people-had quite given it up – but only with father…” Why did Kezia stutter only with her father? What feeling did she have about her father?

Or 

What feeling did Kezia nurse in her mind about her father? Why was she so nervous in his presence? Was he really cruel. and indifferent to her? (M. Imp.)

Ans: Kezia, the little girl was afraid of her father. Unlike other fathers he never played with her. He never showed his love and affection for her. He found faults with her too often. 

She tried very hard to speak properly while talking to her father. It resulted in her stuttering before him. She did not stutter in the presence of other people.

Once her father became very angry with her. He beat her. This was too much for the little girl. She began to hate him. In fact he was not really cruel to her. He also loved his daughter like any other father. Yet he never showed his love. Kezia realized this at the end of the story.

Q.4. The little girl sobbed, “What did God make fathers for”? What does it imply?

Ans: Kezia was a little girl. Her father was aggressive and always spoke loudly. He gave commands and scolded Kezia. He never played with her. He never showed his love and affection to her. Out of fear, she stuttered in his presence. She avoided him as he was a figure to be feared. For presenting a birthday gift, she prepared a pin-cushion. She tore up the important papers of her father. Her father came to know about it. So he beat her with a ruler, she cried. She clung to her grandmother. Sobbing, she asked as to what for were the fathers made by God.

This simple but significant question tells us the girl’s great fear for her father. She thought that the duty of a father is to beat the little daughters and not to take care of their welfare. It was a wrong impression in her mind. She had seen Macdonalds with his children. But her father never had a chance for this.

Q.5. Write a character sketch of Kezia.

Ans: Kezia was a lovely little girl. But she was scared of her father. She tried to avoid him. She did not stutter with others but when she was with her father she became nervous and stuttered. Her father was very formal but she needed a lot of parental affection. The only affection she got was from her grandmother. Innocently she tore her father’s speech and filled it in the pin-cushion. It was only to please her father. She readily confessed her fault but her father beat her. She thought MacDonald was a a better father. He always played with his children in the evenings. He went on laughing with them while playing. This gave a birth to form a wrong impression about her father. But finally she realised that her father loved her and he had a big heart. It was when she had a nightmare. He brought her and put beside him. He He asked to rub her feet against him for warmth. She felt that her father worked hard. He could not be Macdonald.

Q.6. What happened when Kezia had a nightmare?

Or

Describe how Kezia spent the night with her father.

Ans: One day Kezia’s mother was ill. So she and her Granny had to go to the hospital and stay there. She was put to bed by the cook Alice. She was alone in her room. She needed her grandmother. She told who would help her when she had a nightmare but the cook made her sleep. She had the nightmare again-a butcher, with a knife and a rope in his hands.

She cried with fear. Her father came and comforted her. He took her to his bed and made her lie beside him. He made her rub her feet against his feet. She saw his love for the first time. She felt that her father was a great man. He was too busy to play with her. His harshness had tenderness. It was a real but nice harshness. Her heart changed. She started loving her father.

Q.7. Why does Kezia decide that there were different sorts of father?

Ans: Little girl, Kezia was afraid of her father. She stuttered before him due to nervousness and fear. Her father was strict, harsh and a disciplinarian. He beat her cruelly for tearing his Port Authority speech to stuff them in the pin-cushion. She thought all fathers were cruel and harsh like her father. That was why she asked, “Why had God made fathers for?”

Then, one day she saw Mr. MacDonald his neighbour, laughing and playing with his children. He did not scold his children for throwing water on him. Then she thought there were different sorts of fathers.

When she had the nightmare the way her father also cared for, she changed her opinion about her own father. She understood that her father cared and loved her. Though he was strict but then, it was for her own good. He wanted perfection in her behaviour and speech. Also, it was her mistake to tear his important papers.