MP Board Class 9th English Solutions Chapter 3 The Little Girl

Kezie’s father was a figure to be feared. But before going to work, he would come to her. He would gave her a casual kiss. Kezia would feel a great relief after he went.

In the evening Kezia’s father came home. Kezia would hear his loud voice calling for tea. Kezia’s mother would ask her to be a good girl to take off father’s shoes. But she was terrified of him. She would stutter due to fear. For Kezia, her father was like a giant.

On a Sunday afternoon grandmother asked Kezia to have a nice talk with her parents. But Kezia always found mother reading and father snoring. So she waited for father. She continued staring at father like an owl.

One day Kezia’s grandmother told her that her father’s birthday was next week. She told her to make him a pin-cushion of yellow silk. So Kezia made a pin-cushion for father. She gathered a few sheets of fine paper and put them into it. These sheets belonged to father. It was an important speech

Father asked Kezia to come to the drawing room. He was very angry. She was greatly frightened. Father asked Kezia if she had done that. She whispered. Father asked mother to go to Kezia room and fetch those torn papers. He beat her on her hands. He did so to teach her not to touch anythings that didn’t belong to her.

Hours later, her grandmother had wrapped kezia in shawl. She clung to her when she was being rocked in the rocking chair. Kezia sobbed, “What did God make fathers for?”

The Macdonalds were Kezia’s neighbours. They had five children. Father played with the children. Kezia thought that there were different fathers.

One day Kezia’s mother fell ill and was admitted to hospital. Kezia’s grandmather was with her. Kezia’s was all alone with the cook. Alice Kezia asked Alice what would happen if she had a nightmare. She told her not to Screan and not to wake up her father.

But Kezia had a nightmare. She saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. Dreaming this, She screamed and woke up father. He asked her what was the matter. After hearing her, he took Kezia with him.

केजिया का पिता उसके लिए भय की आकृति था। लेकिन काम पर जाने से पहले वह उसके पास आता और उसे एक औपचारिक चुम्बन दं देता। केजिया को उसके जाने के बाद काफी आराम का अनुभव होता।

शाम को केजिया का पिता घर आता। केजिया उसकी चाय के लिए ऊँची आवाज सुनती। केजिया की माँ उसे अपने पिता के जूते उतारने के लिए अच्छी लड़की बनने के लिए कहती। परन्तु वह उससे भयभीत थी। भय के कारण वह तुतला कर बोलती । केजिया के लिए उसका पिता दानव जैसा था।

एक इतवार की दोपहर बाद दादी ने केजिया को माता व पिता का साथ बातचीत करने के लिए कहा। परन्तु केजिया ने हमेशा माँ को पढ़ते और पिता को खर्राटे भरते हुए पाया। इसलिए वह पिता की प्रतीक्षा करती। वह पिता की तरफ घूरकर देखती रहती ।

एक दिन केजिया की दादी ने उसे बताया कि उसके पिता के जन्मदिन अगले सप्ताह था। उसके केजिया को सुझाव दिया कि वह उसके लिए पीली सिल्क का एक पिन – कुशन बनाए। इसलिए उसने पतले कागज की कुछ शीटें लीं और उन्हें उसमें भर दिया। ये शींटे उसके पिता की थीं। इनमें एक महत्वपुर्ण भाषण था।

पिता ने केजिया को ड्राइंग रूम में आने के लिए कहा। वह बहुत गुस्से में था। वह काफी भयभीत थी। केजिया से पूछा कि क्या उसने वह किया था। वह हल्की आवाज में बोली। पिता ने माँ को केजिया के कमरे में जाने के लिए और फटे हुए उन कागजों को लाने के लिए कहा। फिर पिता ने केजिया के हाथों पर पिटाई की यह सिखाने के लिए कि वह जो चीज उसकी नहीं है, उसे न छूए ।

घण्टों पश्चात् उसकी दादी ने उसे शॉल लिया था। वह उसके साथ चिपट गयी जब उसे रॉकिंग कुर्सी में झुलाया जा रहा था। केजिया ने सिसकी ली, “परमात्मा ने पिताओं को किस लिए बनाया ?”

मैक्डॉनल्ड केजिया के पड़ोसी थे अगले घर में रहते थे। उनके पाँच पिता बच्चों के साथ खेला करता था। केजिया ने सोचा कि पिता भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकार के होते हैं ।

एक दिन केजिया की माँ बीमार हो गयी और उसे दाखिल किया गया। केजिया की दादी उसके साथ थी। केजिया एलिस रसोइया के साथ अकेली थी। केजियां ने पुलिस से पुछा कि यदि उसे एक भयनाक स्वप्न आ जाये तो क्या होगा। उसने उसे न चिल्लाने के लिए कहा और अपने पिता को भी न जगाने की बात कहीं।

परन्तु केजिया को एक भयानक स्वप्न आया। असने एक कसाई को चाकु और एक रस्से के साथ देखा। वह चिल्लाई और पिता को जगा दिया। उसने उसे पुछा कि क्या बात है। उसे सुनने के बाद वह केजिया को अपने साथ ले गया।

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

Ans.        A                B

                1.              (iii)

                2.              (ii)

                3.              (iv)

II. Answer the following question 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 to her with love. He always found fault with her.

Q.2. Who were the people in kezia’s family?

Ans. Kezia’s grandmother, mother and father were in her family.

Q.3. What was kezia’s father’s routine

(i) before going to his office ?

(ii) after coming back from his office?

(iii) on Sundays ?

Ans. (i) He would give Kezia a casual kiss.

(ii) He would ask for the newspaper and tea.

(iii) On Sundays, he would stretch out on the sofa sleeping soundly and snoring.

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

Ans. She asked Kezia to make a gift of a pin-cushion on her father’s birthday.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraph each.

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

Ans. Kezia tried to please her father in various ways. When her father kezia would ask her to take off his shoes, he would ask her if she had been a good girl. Kezia would respectfully say that she did not know any thing but her father would imitate her voice. He would ask her not to stutter.

Once Kezia sat on a stool. She watched him. He was sleeping. Then he woke up and asked her not to look like that. She looked like a little brown owl. To give a birthday gift to her father, kezia stuffed her pin-cushion with papers. These papers were part attributes speech. These were very important. She said that she did not do that. He asked Kezia’s grandmother to put her to bed at once.

Q.2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonals, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?

Ans. Mr Macdonald was a different kind of father. He would play ‘tag’ with his children. He would put the baby Mao on his shoulders. He would run round and round the flower beds laughing. Once Kezia saw the boys turn the hose on him. He tried to catch them laughing. Kezia’s father never played with her. He always looked angry and harsh.

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

Ans. One night Kezia was alone in the house. At night she had a horrifying experience. She saw a buthcernight with a knife and a rope. He came towards her with a dreadful smile. She could not move but cried out. She saw her father standing near her when she woke up.

Kezia’s father made her sleep by his side. He asked her to rub her feet against his legs. It would make them warm. This thing changed Kezia’s perception towards her father. She thought that he had to work hard. So he was too tired to be like Mr. Macdonald. She heard his heart beat. She told her father that he had a big heart.

I. Look at the following 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 the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways.

Read the sentences below:

She was glad when the meeting was over.

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

Q.1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.

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

(ii) I was …….. to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

(iii) She was ……. at the birth of the granddaughter. (extremely happy)

(iv) The coach was ……. with his performance. (satisfied about)

(v) She was very ………  with her results. (happy about something that has happened)

Ans. (i) thrilled (ii) delighted (iii) overjoyed (iv) pleased (v) happy.

Q.2. Studytheuseofthewordbigin 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. The first one has been done for you.

(i) You are a big girl now. older

(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career…..

(iii) Their project is full of big ideas…..

(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country….

(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar……

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

(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear……

Ans. (ii) most important

(iii) great

(iv) very popular

(vi) great

(v) great

(vii) very affectionate/ large-hearted.

II. Verbs of Reporting:

Study the following sentences

“What!” screamed Mother.

“N-n-no”, she whispered.

“Sit up”, he ordered.

The italicised 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, questions, requests, apologies, manner of speaking and so on.

Q.1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.

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

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

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

(v) I wondered why he was screming.

(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.

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

Ans. (i) says,

(ii) mentioned,

(iii) told

(iv) answered

(v) wondered

(vi) told

(vi) apologised

(vii) apologised

Q.2. Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and in the blanks in the following sentences: Were complaining shouted eplied remarked ordered suggested

(i) “I am not afraid” …… the woman.

(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother …..

(iii) The children ……… that the roads were crowded and noisy.

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

(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground”, …….. the sports teacher.

(vi) The traffic police ……… all the passers-by to keep off the road.

Ans. (i) remarked,

(ii) Shouted,

(iii) Were complaining

(iv) replied

(v) suggested

(vi) ordewred.

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 parents’ behaviour vis-à-vis yours? Who has become more understanding? What steps would you like to take to build a relationship based on understanding? Write three or four paragraphs (150-200 words) discussing these issues from your own experience

Ans. For self-attempt.