Class-8 Supplementary Reader (It so happened….) Chapter-3, Children at work- Solution with Additional Exercises / NCERT/CBSE

         

The Selfish Giant

 

Exercises

 

Choose the correct answer:

 

1)   The Giant had been to visit his friend, the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for__________.

    a)   Seven months

    b)   Seven years (✓)

    c)    One year

    d)   One month

 

2)   What was written on the notice board of the Giant’s garden?

    a)   No walking on the lawn.

    b)   Pets are not allowed.

    c)    Children below 14 years are not allowed.

    d)   Trespassers will be prosecuted (✓)

 

3)   Who was pleased in the Giant’s garden?

    a)   snow

    b)   frost

    c)    both a and b (✓)

    d)   spring

 

4)   The Autumn gave golden_______ to every garden.

    a)   Leaves

    b)   Flowers

    c)    Fruits (✓)

    d)   Birds

 

5)   When the people were going to market at __________they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.

    a)   eight o’clock

    b)   nine o’clock

    c)    twelve o’clock (✓)

    d)   six o’clock

 

Match these words with their meanings:

A	B
gruff	weak
prosecuted	kill
feeble	tried in a court of law
stole up	rough
slay	no
nay	came quietly without being noticed

 

Ans-

A	B
gruff	Rough
prosecuted	tried in a court of law
feeble	Weak
stole up	came quietly without being noticed
slay	kill
nay	No

 

 

 Give one word:

    1.    Those who enter somebody’s land/property without his/her permission.

Trespassers

    2.    Who was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down.

North Wind

    3.    Who rattled on the roof of the castle every day for three hours.

Hail

 

Fill in the blanks with the words given.

danced about, blossoms of pink and pearl, silver, white, rich, rich fruit

 

    1.    The poor children had nowhere to play.

    2.    During springtime trees broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit.

    3.    The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver.

    4.    Snow danced about through the trees.   

 

State whether these statements are true or false:

    1.    There were twenty peach trees in the Giant’s garden. False

    2.    A beautiful flower slipped back into the ground again after reading the notice board. True

    3.    The hail was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice. True

    4.    Giant grew very old and feeble with time. True

 

Answer these questions:

1.   Why is the Giant called selfish?

Ans- The Giant is called selfish because he said that he would allow nobody to play in garden but himself.

 

2.   On one occasion the children said:  “How happy  we are here!” Later they said: “How happy we were there!” What are they referring to in both the cases?

Ans- Every afternoon while coming from school, children play in the Giant’s garden and said, “How happy we are here!”

Later when the Giant made a high wall all round the garden, the children said, “How happy we were there!”

 

3. (i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden.  What does winter stand for or indicate here?

Ans- When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. Here winter indicates the sad and gloomy time when there is no cheerfulness around.

 

(ii)  Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.

Ans-   Only snow and the frost were pleased during the winter. The Snow covered the grass with her great white cloak, while the Frost painted the trees silver. They invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, blowing the chimney pots down. Then the hail visited the garden. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice. He ran round and round the garden  as fast  as he could  go.

So Winter remained in the Giant’s garden, and the North Wind, Hail, Frost, and Snow danced among the trees.

 

4.   Was the Giant  happy  or sad over the state  of the garden?

Ans- The Giant was sad over the state of the garden and hoping for the change of weather.

 

5.   What effect did  the linnet’s song have over Hail  and  the North Wind?

Ans- When linnet sang, the Hail  stopped dancing over the garden and the North  Wind  ceased roaring.

 

6. (i)  The Giant  saw  a most wonderful sight.  What did he see? (ii)  What did he realise on seeing it?

Ans- The most wonderful sight he saw was that through a little hole in the wall the children had crept  in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that  he could see there was a little child. And the trees  were so glad to have the  children back  again  that  they  had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above  the  children’s heads.  The  birds   were  flying   about   and twittering with delight, and  the  flowers  were looking up  through the  green grass  and  laughing.

   On seeing it he realized how selfish he had been.

 

7.   Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?

Ans- It was still winter in one corner of the garden because a little boy who could not climb upon the branches of tree was standing there. Since this child was not happy, there were no flowers or birds in that corner.

 

8.   Describe the first  meeting of the little  boy and  the Giant.

Ans- Giant went near the little boy who was not able to climb up the tree. He took  him  gently  in  his  hands,  and  put him  up into  the tree. The tree broke into blossom and birds came and sang on it. the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them  round the Giant’s neck,   and  kissed   him.

 

9.   Describe their  second meeting  after  a long interval.

Ans- The Giant saw the same little boy in the farthest corner of the garden under a tree that was quite filled with beautiful white blossoms and silver fruit hung from its golden branches. He also noticed marks of two nails on his hands and marks of two nails on his little feet.

The giant told the boy that he would sly anyone who did that to the boy, but the boy said that those were the wounds of love. He knelt before the little child. Then the child said that since he let him play once in his garden, he would now take him to his garden which is paradise.

 

10.   The Giant lay dead,  all covered with white  blossoms.  What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?

Ans- The Giant lay dead, all covered with white  blossoms. This indicates that once selfish giant had turned into a generous and kind-hearted person who is even admired by angels.

 

Discuss the following topics in groups.

 

1.   The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails.  Who does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans- .   The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. This reminds me of Jesus Christ.  Nails were inserted his hands and feet to fix Jesus to the cross-beam of the cross on which he was crucified.

Giant told the boy that he would sly the person who dared to do that to the boy but the boy said that those were the wounds of love. He knelt before the little child.

 

2.   Is there something like this garden near where you live? Would you like one (without the Giant perhaps) and why? What would you do to keep it in good shape?

Ans- Yes, there is a beautiful garden near my home. This garden has lots of trees and flowering plants. Children come here to play on rides and gown-ups come to walk or jog. It has a musical fountain with colourful lights which entertains all those who come here.

We make sure to keep it clean and put garbage in designated bins only. We follow all the rules given on the signboard of garden like not walking on the lawn, brings pets inside etc. to keep it in good shape.

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