UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 9 – The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Poetry)
UP Board Class 10 English Chapter 9 – The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Poetry)
UP Board Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 9 – The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Poetry)
Stanza-Wise Explanation of the Poem
1. Belinda lived in a little white house,
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
Explanation Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets — a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog and a little dragon. She also had a little red wagon. In the last line of the stanza, ‘realio’ and ‘trulio’ are used by the poet as an expression for the little dragon meaning ‘really’ and ‘truly’ respectively.
व्याख्या बेलिण्डा एक छोटे सफ़ेद घर में चार पालतुओं के साथ रहती थी – एक छोटा-सा काला बिल्ली का बच्चा, एक छोटा भूरा चूहा, एक छोटा-सा पीला कुत्ता और एक छोटा अजगर । उसके पास एक छोटी सी लाल गाड़ी भी थी। पद्य आखिरी पंक्ति में, रियलियो एवं ‘टूलिओ’ छोटे अजगर के लिए कवि द्वारा प्रयुक्त किए गए हैं जिनका अर्थ क्रमशः ‘वास्तव’ में एवं ‘सच’ में है।
2. Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
Explanation The name of the little black kitten was Ink and the name of the little grey mouse was Blink. The name of the little dog was Mustard because its colour was sharp and yellow like mustard. The dragon was a coward and Belinda called him Custard.
व्याख्या छोटे काले बिल्ली के बच्चे का नाम इंक था, और छोटे भूरे चूहे का नाम ब्लिंक था। छोटे कुत्ते का नाम मस्टर्ड था क्योंकि उसका रंग सरसों की भाँति गहरा और पीला था। अजगर कायर था और बेलिण्डा उसे कस्टर्ड बुलाती थी ।
3. Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.
Explanation Custard, the dragon, has big sharp teeth, spikes on his top and scales on his stomach. His mouth has been compared to a fireplace because it has been assumed by the poet that dragons can release fire from their mouth. His nose is compared to a chimney from which smoke comes out. His toes are so pointed and sharp that they could cut through anything like a dagger.
व्याख्या कस्टर्ड, अजगर, के बड़े तीखे दाँत हैं, उसके ऊपरी भाग पर कीलें हैं और पेट पर त्वचा के छोटे, कड़क टुकड़े हैं। उसके मुँह की तुलना अँगीठी से की गई है क्योंकि कवि का यह अनुमान है कि अजगर उनके मुँह से आग उगलते हैं। उसकी नाक की तुलना चिमनी से की गई है जिससे धुआँ बाहर आता है। उसके पंजे इतने नुकीले एवं तीखे हैं कि वे खंजर की भाँति किसी भी चीज़ को काट सकते हैं।
4. Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Explanation In these lines, the poet compares the bravery of all the characters of the poem.
Belinda’s bravery has been compared to the bravery of a group of bears. Ink and Blink, despite being so small in size, have the power to chase away lions down the stairs. Mustard’s bravery has been compared to that of an angry tiger. But, Custard is completely opposite to all of them. He was a coward who always demanded a safe cage.
व्याख्या इन पंक्तियों में, कवि ने कविता के सभी पात्रों की वीरता की तुलना की है। बेलिण्डा की बहादुरी की तुलना भालुओं के एक समूह की बहादुरी से की गई है। इंक एवं ब्लिंक, आकार में इतने छोटे होने के बावजूद, शेरों को सीढ़ियों से नीचे खदेड़ने की शक्ति रखते हैं। मस्टर्ड की वीरता की तुलना एक क्रोधित बाघ से की गई है। लेकिन, कस्टर्ड इन सभी से बिल्कुल विपरीत है। वह एक कायर है जो हमेश एक सुरक्षित पिंजरे की माँग करता था।
5. Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.
Explanation Belinda used to tickle Custard cruely. Ink, Blink and Mustard made fun of Custard by comparing him to Percival. Percival was one of the best knights of King Arthur’s court who was known for his courage and bravery. All of them sat together in the little red wagon and made fun of Custard. They laughed at his cowardice (lack of bravery).
व्याख्या बेलिण्डा कस्टर्ड को क्रूरता से गुदगुदी करती थी। इंक, ब्लिक एवं मस्टर्ड उसकी पर्सिवल से तुलना करके उसका मज़ाक उड़ाते थे। पर्सिवल सम्राट आर्थर के दरबार का एक श्रेष्ठ शूरवीर था जो अपने साहस एवं वीरता के लिए जाना जाता था। वे सब छोटी लाल गाड़ी में बैठ जाते थे और कस्टर्ड का मज़ाक उड़ाते थे। वह उसकी कायरता पर हँसते थे।
6. Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Weeck!, which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Explanation Belinda laughed a lot at the dragon. She laughed so hard that it seemed that the house was shaking due to her laughter. Blink, the mouse, used to laugh and make a sound of ‘weeck’. Ink and Mustard rudely asked the dragon’s age to make fun of him while the dragon cried for a nice safe cage for himself.
व्याख्या बेलिण्डा अजगर पर बहुत हँसती थी। वह इतनी जोर से हँसती थी कि ऐसा प्रतीत होता था कि पूरा घर उसकी हँसी के कारण हिल रहा है। ब्लिक भी चूहा, . हँसता था और ‘वीक’… की आवाज़ निकालता था। मस्टर्ड एवं इंक मज़ाक उड़ाने के लिए अजगर की उम्र पूछते थे, जबकि इस दौरान अजगर स्वयं के लिए एक अच्छे सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए विलाप करता रहता था।
7. Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and Ooh! cried Belinda,
For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Explanation While all of them were busy making fun of the dragon, they heard an unpleasant sound from the house. Mustard started growling and they all looked around. Ink cried ‘Meowch’ and Belinda cried ‘Ooh’ as they saw a pirate climbing the window of the house.
व्याख्या जब वे सभी अजगर का मज़ाक उड़ाने में व्यस्त थे, उस दौरान उन्होंने घर से एक अप्रिय आवाज सुनी। मस्टर्ड ने गुर्राना शुरू कर दिया और वे सभी चारों ओर देखने लगे। जब उन्होंने एक चोर को घर की खिड़की पर चढ़ते देखा, तो इंक चिल्लाया ‘म्याऊँच’ तथा बेलिण्डा चिल्लाई ‘ओह ! ‘
8. Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.
Explanation The appearance of the pirate seemed very dangerous. He was carrying pistols’ in both hands and he was carrying a small sword between his teeth. He had black beard and his one leg was of wood. His looks made it very clear to the housemates that the pirate meant to harm the people and pets living there.
व्याख्या चोर का स्वरूप बहुत खतरनाक प्रतीत हो रहा था। उसके दोनों हाथों में पिस्तौलें थी एवं दाँतों के बीच में उसने एक छोटी-सी तलवार दबा रखी थी। उसकी दाढ़ी काली थीं और उसका एक पैर लकड़ी का था । उसके रूप से घरवालों को बिल्कुल स्पष्ट हो गया कि चोर वहाँ रहने वाले लोगों एवं पालतू पशुओं को नुकसान पहुँचाना चाहता था ।
9. Belinda paled, and she cried, Help! Help!
But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,
Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.
Explanation Belinda became pale with fear after seeing the pirate and cried for help, All her brave pets could not help her and everyone ran away from there. Mustard made a huge cry and ran away. Ink ran down towards the bottom of the house and Blink very smartly ran into his hole.
व्याख्या चोर को देखकर बेलिण्डा डर से पीली पड़ गई और मदद के लिए चिल्लाई। उसके सभी बहादुर पालतू उसकी सहायता नहीं कर पाए और सभी वहाँ से भाग गए। मस्टर्ड बहुत जोर से चिल्लाया और भाग गया। इंक घर के तल की ओर भागा और ब्लिक बहुत चतुरता से उसके बिल में भाग गया।
10. But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,
Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm
He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.
Explanation When everyone ran away on seeing the pirate, it was the coward dragon, Custard, who came to rescue Belinda and fought the pirate bravely.
He jumped in front of the pirate and made a loud and angry sound through his nose like an engine. He started to move his tail powerfully, producing a sound like iron or metals striking in a dungeon ( prison). With all these dangerous sounds, he followed the pirate like a bird follows a worm.
व्याख्या जब हर कोई चोर को देखकर भाग गया तो वह कायर कस्टर्ड ही था जो बेलिण्डा का बचाव करने आया एवं बहादुरी से चोर से लड़ा।
वह चोर के सामने कूद गया और अपनी नाक से इंजन जैसी एक तेज़ एवं क्रोधित आवाज़ निकाली। वह उसकी पूँछ तेज़ी से हिलाने लगा जिससे ऐसी ध्वनि उत्पन्न हुई जैसे किसी जेल से धातु अथवा लोहा टकरा रहा हो। इन सब खतरनाक आवाज़ों के साथ, उसने चोर का उस प्रकार पीछा किया जिस प्रकार एक चिड़िया किसी केंचुए का करती है।
11. The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon,
And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon,
He fired two bullets but they didn’t hit,
And Custard gobbled him, every bit.
Explanation The pirate was shocked by the dragon’s reaction. He stared at Belinda’s dragon with his mouth open. He drank some wine from a container that he carried in his pocket. The pirate then took out his pistol and fired two bullets at Custard. But he failed to hit him. Finally, Custard swallowed the pirate.
व्याख्या चोर अजगर की प्रतिक्रिया देखकर सदमें में आ गया। वह अपना मुँह खोलकर बेलिण्डा के अजगर की ओर घूरता रहा। उसने जेब में रखे पात्र से थोड़ी शराब पी। फिर चोर ने अपनी पिस्तौल निकाली एवं कस्टर्ड पर दो गोलियाँ चला दीं। किन्तु वह उसे मारने में नाकामयाब हो गया । अन्ततः कस्टर्ड चोर को निगल गया ।
12. Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,
No one mourned for his pirate victim
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate
Around the dragon that ate the pirate.
Explanation Everyone celebrated the death of the pirate. Belinda hugged Custard and Mustard licked him affectionally. No one felt sorrow for the pirate’s death. Ink and Blink started dancing in joy around the dragon who had eaten the pirate.
व्याख्या सभी ने चोर की मृत्यु का उत्सव मनाया। बेलिण्डा ने कस्टर्ड को गले लगा लिया एवं मस्टर्ड ने उसे प्यार से चाटा । किसी को भी चोर की मृत्यु का अफ़सोस नहीं हुआ। इंक और ब्लिंक उस अजगर के चारों ओर खुशी से नाचने लगे जिसने चोर को खा लिया था।
13. But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,
I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered.
And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,
We’d have been three times as brave, we think,
And Custard said, I quite agree
That everybody is braver than me
Explanation The incident clarifies who is coward and who is brave. Mustard said that he would have been twice as brave as Custard if he had not been nervous. After this, Ink and Blink said that they would have been thrice as brave as Custard. Custard agreed and said that everybody there was braver than him.
व्याख्या इस घटना ने स्पष्ट कर दिया कि कौन कायर है एवं कौन बहादुर । मस्टर्ड कहता है कि वह कस्टर्ड से दो गुना बहादुर होता अगर वह घबराता नहीं। इसके पश्चात्, इंक एवं ब्लिंक कहते हैं कि वे कस्टर्ड से तीन गुना ज्यादा बहादुर होते । कस्टर्ड सहमति प्रकट करता है और कहता है कि वहाँ पर हर कोई उससे बहादुर है।
14-15. Belinda still lives in her little white house,
with her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio little pet dragon.
Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.
Explanation Stanza 14 and 15 are an almost repetition of Stanza 1 and 4. There is only one difference that Stanza 1 and 4 present the condition of the housemates in the past and Stanza 14 and 15 present their condition after the pirate incident. The situation has not changed at all. Everything has gone back to normal with Belinda and her three ‘brave’ pets making fun of the “cowardly” pet dragon.
व्याख्या पद्य 14 एवं 15 में पद्य 1 एवं 4 को लगभग दोहराया हुआ हैं। यहाँ केवल यह अन्तर है कि पद्य 1 एवं 4 घर में रहने वालों की पूर्व परिस्थिति प्रस्तुत करते हैं और छन्द 14 व 15 चोर वाली घटना के बाद की स्थिति प्रस्तुत करते हैं। यह परिस्थिति बिल्कुल भी नहीं बदली है। बेलिण्डा तथा उसके तीन ‘बहादुर’ पालतु जानवरों के ‘कायर’ पालतू अजगर का मज़ाक उड़ाने के साथ ही सबकुछ वापस सामान्य हो गया है।
Central Idea of the Poem
परीक्षा में Poetry भाग की किन्हीं भी तीन Poems के नाम दिए जाते हैं, जिनमें से किसी एक Poem का Central Idea लिखना होता है।
The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a funny poem (ballad) that tells the story of a girl named Belinda and her four pets, The central character in the story is Belinda’s pet dragon, Custard. The poet says that all the other pets are very brave but the dragon is very timid. However, when a real danger comes, all the pets run away except Custard. Custard shows bravery and courage at the right moment and saves everyone’s life. In this poem, the poet has tried to say that sometimes a timid person is the actual hero in the toughest situations of life.
“The Tale of Custard the Dragon” एक हास्यपूर्ण कविता ( गाथागीत) है, जो एक लड़की बेलिण्डा एवं उसके चार पालतू जानवरों की कहानी बताती है। कहानी का मुख्य किरदार बेलिण्डा का पालतू अजगर, कस्टर्ड है। कवि कहता है कि अन्य सभी पालतू जानवर बहुत बहादुर हैं, किन्तु अजगर बहुत डरपोक है। हालाँकि, जब वास्तविक खतरा आता है तो कस्टर्ड के अलावा अन्य सभी जानवर भाग जाते हैं। कस्टर्ड सही समय पर बहादुरी एवं साहस दिखाता है तथा सबकी जान बचा लेता है। इस कविता में कवि ने यह कहने का प्रयास किया है कि कभी-कभी एक कायर मनुष्य ही जीवन की विषम परिस्थितियों में वास्तविक योद्धा (वीर) होता है।
Part A Objective Questions
Extract Based Questions
परीक्षा में पाठ्य पुस्तक से किसी भी Poern का एक अंश (Stanza) दिया जाता है तथा उस पर आधारित 2 प्रश्नों के उत्तर देने होते हैं। यहाँ पर Stanza के साथ 2 से अधिक Questions दिए गए हैं, जो केवल विद्यार्थियों के सम्पूर्ण अभ्यास के लिए हैं। परीक्षा में 1-1 अंकों के 2 ही Questions पूछे जाएँगे।
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1. Belinda lived in a little white house,
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
Questions
Q. 1. Where did Belinda live?
बेलिण्डा कहाँ रहती थी?
(a) In a big white house
(b) In a little white house
(c) In a big black house
(d) In a little black house
Ans. (b) In a little white house
Q. 2. How many pets did Belinda have?
बेलिण्डा के पास कितने पालतू जानवर थे?
(a) One pet
(b) Two pets
(c) Three pets
(d) Four pets
Ans. (d) Four pets
Q. 3. What animals did Belinda have as pets?
बेलिण्डा के पास पालतु जानवरों के रूप में कौन-से जानवर थे?
(a) A kitten
(b) A mouse
(c) A dog
(d) All of these
Ans. (d) All of these
2. Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio, daggers on his toes.
Questions
Q. 1. How were the teeth of Custard the dragon?
अजगर कस्टर्ड के दाँत कैसे थे?
(a) Big teeth
(b) Sharp teeth
(c) Small teeth
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Ans. (d) Both (a) and (b)
Q. 2. What was on top and under the dragon?
अजगर के ऊपर एवं नीचे क्या था?
(a) Spikes on top and scales underneath
(b) Spikes underneath and scales on top
(c) Spikes both on top and underneath
(d) Scales both on top and underneath
Ans. (a) Spikes on top and scales underneath
Q. 3. Why was the dragon’s mouth like a fireplace?
अजगर का मुँह अँगीठी जैसा क्यों था?
(a) Because it releases smoke from its mouth
(b) Because it releases fire from its mouth
(c) Because it creates fire in its nose
(d) Because it creates smoke in its nose
Ans. (b) Because it releases fire from its mouth
3. Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.
Questions
Q. 1. Whom did Belinda tickle?
बेलिण्डा किसे गुदगुदाती थी?
(a) Ink
(b) Blink
(c) Custard
(d) Mustard
Ans. (c) Custard
Q. 2. What was Custard called by Ink, Blink and Mustard?
इंक, ब्लिंक एवं मस्टर्ड द्वारा कस्टर्ड को क्या कहा जाता था?
(a) Custard the coward
(b) Custard the dragon
(c) Custard the cowardly dragon
(d) All of the above
Ans. (c) Custard the cowardly dragon
Q. 3. Who is called cowardly?
कायर किसे कहा गया है?
(a) Blink
(b) Mustard
(c) Ink
(d) Custard
Ans. (d) Custard
Part B Descriptive Type Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q. 1. Where did Belinda live and with whom?
बेलिण्डा कहाँ और किसके साथ रहती थी ?
Ans. Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets and a red wagon. She had a black kitten named Ink, a grey mouse named Blink, a yellow dog named Mustard and a coward dragon named Custard.
Q. 2. Did Custard match his physical appearance?
क्या कस्टर्ड अपनी शारीरिक बनावट से मेल खाता था ?
Ans. No, Custard did not match his appearance as he looked dangerous but actually was a coward. He always cried for a nice and safe cage while everyone laughed at him for his cowardice.
Q. 3. Describe the bravery of everyone in the house.
घर में सभी की बहादुरी का वर्णन कीजिए।
Ans. In the poem, everyone in the house except the dragon was brave. Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink were brave enough to chase lions away. Even Mustard was as brave as an angry tiger. It was only Custard who was a coward.
Q. 4. But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.’ Who is Custard? Why did he cry for a ‘nice safe cage’?
‘But Custard cried for a nice safe cage. ‘ कस्टर्ड कौन है? वह सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए क्यों रोया था?
Ans. Custard was Belinda’s pet dragon. He cried for peace and safety of a cage because of his quiet, shy and cowardly nature.
Q. 5. What did everyone do when the pirate came?
जब चोर आया, तो सबने क्या किया था?
Ans. When the pirate came, Belinda cried for help and became pale with fear.
Mustard ran away with a terrified cry and Ink hid himself at the bottom of the house, while Blink disappeared in his hole. It was only Custard who jumped in front of the pirate to fight him and showed the courage to face the pirate.
Q. 6. How did Custard face the pirate?
कस्टर्ड ने चोर का सामना कैसे किया था ?
Ans. When the pirate came in Belinda’s house, Custard jumped in front of the pirate to fight him. He even clashed his tail.
During this fight, the pirate shot two bullets at him but missed the aim. Finally, Custard ate him and left no trace of him.
Q. 7. How did everyone react after Custard ate the pirate?
जब कस्टर्ड ने चोर को खा लिया तो सबने कैसी प्रतिक्रिया दी ?
Ans. After Custard ate the pirate, there was joy all around the house. No one mourned for the pirate and everyone was grateful to the dragon.
Belinda hugged Custard while Mustard licked him. Even Ink and Blink started dancing around Custard.
Q. 8. How did the other three pets boast of their bravery?
तीन पालतू जानवर किस प्रकार अपनी बहादुरी की डींग मारते थे ?
Ans. When the pirate had been killed by the dragon Custard, all the other pets of Belinda started making excuses for their cowardice. Mustard said that if he had not been nervous he would have been twice as brave as Custard. Ink and Blink boasted that they would have been thrice as brave as Custard.
Q. 9. Was everyone really as brave as they claimed?
क्या सब उतने ही बहादूर थे जितना कि वे दावा करते थे?
Ans. Belinda and her three pets, excluding Custard, were very proud of their bravery but they were not really brave. It was only Custard who had the courage to face the pirate and fight him. So, among all, only Custard was brave.
Q. 10. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names. [NCERT]
कविता में कौन से पात्र हैं? उनके पालतू नामों के साथ उनकी सूची बनाइए ।
Ans. There are six characters in the poem. These include Belinda and her four pets, and a pirate. Her pets are
(i) A little black kitten, Ink
(ii) A little grey mouse, Blink
(iii) A yellow dog, Mustard
(iv) A dragon, Custard
Q. 11. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called ‘cowardly dragon”? [NCERT]
कस्टर्ड एक अच्छे सुरिक्षत पिंजरे के लिए क्यों रोया था? अजगर को ‘कायर अजगर’ क्यों कहा गया है?
Ans. Custard is called a ‘cowardly dragon’ because apart from him, all other pets are described as very brave. Belinda is as brave as a big group of bears, Ink and Blink can chase lions and Mustard is like an angry tiger. Compared to all of them, the dragon demanded a nice, safe cage.
Q. 12. “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why? [NCERT]
“बेलिण्डा उसे गुदगुदाती थी, वह क्रूरता से उसे गुदगुदाती थी” क्यों?
Ans. Belinda tickled her pet dragon, Custard, quite cruelly. She did so because she wanted to excite Custard as he was a lazy dragon. In addition, it amused her. She along with her other pets, laughed at the dragon’s weakness (cowardice).