Class 10 Eng. First Flight P-10 The Tale Of The Custard The Dragon, Questions and answers

Ch-10

The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash

Annotations:

1- Spikes - a pointed piece of metal/wood

2-Daggers- a small knife or sword

3-Chased- run after

4- Tickle - slightly tough to cause discomfort

5-Giggle- laugh lightly

6-Cutlas- a short sword

7-Snort- explosive sound

8-Grog- drink by sailor

9-Gobbled- eat noisily

10- Embrace - hug/ hold closely in one's arm

11- Mourned- feel sorry

12-Gyrate- move around/dance

13- Flustered- Make confused

Theme

The theme of the poem is that everyone has his own capabilities and should never be judged on the basis of his appearance. In the poem, Belinda and all pets she owns boast about their bravery.sometimes even a timid person comes out to be the actual hero in the most challenging situations that life throws at you just like Custard came out and saved everyone's lives and proved his bravery to all of them.

Central Idea:

Often we underestimate talented persons but they prove themselves by their wits and right actions. We should never look down upon other. Moreover, right and timely actions are always beneficial. In other words a stitch in time saves nine, is also the nucleus of the poem.

Questions And answers 

Q1. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.

Answer:

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.

Kitten, pet name ink, A mouse pet name blink, a dog pet name mustard and a dragon pet name Custard

Q2:Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?

Answer:

Custard cried for a nice safe cage because it was a coward and was scared very easily. It is called “cowardly dragon” because everyone else in the house is very brave while the dragon is the only one, who fears a lot and looks for a nice safe cage for himself. 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.

Q3.Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?

Answer:Belinda tickled him unmerciful because Custard the dragon was a coward. He always demanded a safe cage. That is why all of them made fun of him.

Question 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?
Answer:
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.                  Alliteration where the words that begin with the same letter, Onomatopoeia wherever the sound of animals, week, meowch, clatter etc. 

Q5:Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.      Ans. The looks of the dragon are explained in a way that it has big sharp teeth and spikes on top. This means its skin has pointed things on the top. On the lower part it has scales which are bony plates meant to protect the skin. His mouth has been compared to a fireplace because it is assumed that the dragons can release fire from the mouth. Even his nose is compared to a chimney which is used to pass out the smoke. His feet are like a sharp knife i.e. a dagger.                                       Q6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?                                 Ans. The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is aabb, second stanza is ccdd and third stanza is eeff.

Q8. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.                                      Ans. The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a light-hearted, humourous poem. All the characters have names which are rhyming with each other and they have been described in a funny way. They all are defined to be very brave in their own way including Belinda except Custard the dragon. But in reality, when the adverse situation arises and they are attacked by a pirate only the dragon proves to be the real hero. The dragon gulps him. Though all the other characters were not brave enough to handle the pirate.

Q9. Where did Belinda live and with whom?

Ans. Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets and a wagon. She had a black kitten named Ink, a grey mouse named Blink, a yellow dog named Mustard and a coward dragon named Custard.                       

    Q10. What did Custard look like?   Ans. Custard looked really dangerous with spikes on his top and scales underneath. His mouth was like a fireplace and nose like a chimney. His toes looked like daggers.                                   

 Q11. Describe the bravery of everyone in the house.        

 Ans.Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink were brave enough to chase lions away. Mustard's bravery was like a tiger's rage. It was only Custard, who was a coward, everyone else was very brave.

Q12. Describe "The Tale of Custard the Dragon' as a light-hearted poem.                   Ans. The Tale of Custard the Dragon' is a light-hearted and humorous poem because the behavioural attributes displayed by the characters of the poem are quite contrary to their appearance as well as their innate nature.  

Q13. How did Belinda's pets other than Custard face the pirate?       Ans.All the other animals except the dragon ran away after seeing the fierce pirate. They all displayed cowardice for which they used to blame the dragon. All their false claims of bravery vanished away on facing the adverse situation only the dragon faced the pirate fearlessly and saved everybody.                     Q14. How did Custard face the pirate?                             Ans:Custard like a brave saviour jumped in front of the pirate to fight him. The pirate fired two bullets at him but missed both of them. Then Custard gobbled whole of the pirate and left no trace of him.                          

    Q15. Describe the dreadful appearance of the pirate.          Ans. The pirate looked quite dreadful and fearsome. He  carried two pistols in both his hands. He held a shining  dagger in his teeth. His beard was black and one of his legs from was of wood. He was drinking grog from a pocket flask. It appeared that his intentions were horrific.

Students open this link Given below to get more study Materials 

[2/24, 4:50 AM] CL GAUTAM: https://youtu.be/Ls-zrtRlvIE?si=FZVpJS_JWkuRWSHL

[2/24, 4:54 AM] CL GAUTAM: https://youtu.be/-JFliYVTnAQ?si=8EXfWxBj4rv89Ucu

[2/24, 5:08 AM] CL GAUTAM: https://youtu.be/j_xVIF7Yitc?si=nOr-K2ABkkM0UWJe

[2/24, 5:09 AM] CL GAUTAM: https://youtu.be/crPzFH4jGHU?si=De4JxCQ2QVzRu8Rp

        CL Gautam

PGT  English Confluence 

      PGT ENGLISH