NCERT Solutions: A Gift of Chappals

Comprehension Check

Q1. What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?
Ans: A kitten inside a torn football filled with sand was hidden behind a thick bitter berry bush in the backyard. This was the secret that Meena shared with Mridu.

Q2. How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Ans: Ravi got milk for the kitten from the kitchen. When his grandmother saw him holding the glass of milk, he told her that he was hungry. In order to avoid suspicion, he had to even drink most of the milk. When she asked for the tumbler, he told her that he would wash it himself. Then, he ran and poured the milk into a coconut shell. Before his grandmother could get really suspicious, he ran back to the kitchen, washed the tumbler and put it back.

Q3. Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?
Ans: Ravi says that the kitten’s ancestor was the Pallava Lion, an emblem of the Pallava dynasty.
No, I don’t believe him.

Q4. Ravi has a lot to say about M.P. Poonai. This shows that
(i) he is merely trying to impress Mridu.
(ii) his knowledge of history is sound.
(iii) he has a rich imagination.
(iv) he is an intelligent child.
Which of these statements do you agree/disagree to?
Ans: Ravi has a lot to say about M.P. Poonai. This shows that he has a rich imagination.

Q5. What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran?
Ans: The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was an unusual sound, a ‘kreech’. This ‘kreeching’ was actually Lalli’s attempt at learning to play the violin.

Comprehension Check

 

Q1. The music master is making lovely music. Read aloud the sentence in the text that expresses this idea.
Ans: ‘The music master’s notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody’. This sentence shows that the music master was making lovely music.

Q2. Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: No, the beggar had to not come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time. When the beggar arrived, she asked Ravi to send him away. The beggar, she said, had been coming to their house daily from the week before. She said it was time he found another house to beg from.

Q3. “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” What does it suggest to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?
Ans: A sharp V-shaped line between the eyebrows refers to a frown. This suggests that Rukku Manni was in an angry mood.

Working with the Text

Q1. Complete the following sentences.
(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to _____
Ans: Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to the derailing of a train of melody.

(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran ___
Ans: Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran tipped a few chillies over himself.

(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli ____
Ans: The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli stumbled behind him on her violin, which looked helpless and unhappy in her hands.

(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household _______
Ans: The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household were very generous, and because of this, he was able to keep his body and soul together for a whole week.

(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if ______
Ans: After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if she had seen his chappals. 

Q2. Describe the music teacher, as seen from the window.
Ans: As seen from the window, the bony figure of the music master, with most of his back to the window, could be seen sitting in front of Lalli. He had a mostly bald head with a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears and an old-fashioned tuft. A gold chain gleamed around his leathery neck and a diamond ring glittered on his hand as it glided up and down the stem of the violin. A large foot stuck out from beneath his gold-bordered veshti edge. He was beating time on the floor with the scrawny big toe.

Q3. (i) What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals?
Ans: When Mridu saw the blistered feet of the beggar, she concluded that he did not have any money to buy slippers.

(ii) What does she suggest to show her concern?
Ans: Mridu asked Ravi if he had any pair of old slippers that they could give to the beggar. Her eyes filled with tears on seeing the unfairness of the situation in which the beggar was, and she suggested that he needed something on his feet.

Q4: “Have you children…” she began, and then, seeing they were curiously quite, went on more slowly, “seen anyone lurking around the verandah?”

(i) What do you think Rukka Manni really wanted to ask?
Ans: Rukku Manni actually wanted to ask the children if they had seen the music master’s slippers.
(ii) Why did she change her question?
Ans: She changed her question, seeing that they were curiously quiet. She suspected that they had something to do with the absence of the slippers.
(iii) What did she think had happened?
Ans: She probably thought that the children had purposely hidden the music master’s slippers or done something with it.

Q5. On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look too happy. Why?
Ans: Gopu Mama’s slippers were new, while the ones that the children gave away to the beggar were quite old and shabby-looking. Still, the music master lied that his slippers had been brand new. He was quite happy to get new slippers in return for his old ones. However, he tried not to look too happy as he wanted to show his disappointment at what the children had done. Even though his eyes lit up when he saw the new pair of slippers, he pretended as if he would have to somehow manage with it.

Q6. On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute. Why was he in such a hurry to leave?
Ans: When the beggar was asked to leave, he raised his eyes and looked fearfully at the road, which was gleaming in the afternoon heat. He knew his feet would burn again. However, when the children got him a pair of slippers, the beggar stared at them in amazement. He hurriedly flung his towel over his shoulder. Then, he pushed his feet into them and left, muttering a blessing to the children. In a minute, he had vanished around the corner of the street. He was tired and his feet were worn out. Since he could not have got anything better and Rukku Manni wanted him out of the house, he left in a hurry.

Q7. Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Ans: The thought about what she would say to Gopu Mama about the chappals when he asked about them. She wondered what his reaction would be when he got to know that those chappals were given to the music master.

Working with Language

Q1. Read the following sentences.
(a) If she knows we have a cat, Paati will leave the house.
(b) She won’t be so upset if she knows about the poor beggar with sores on his feet. 
(c) If the chappals do fit, will you really not mind?
Notice that each sentence consists of two parts. The first part begins with ‘if ’. It is known as if-clause.
Rewrite each of the following pairs of sentences as a single sentence. Use ‘if’ at the beginning of the sentence. E.g.
(a) Walk fast. You’ll catch the bus. If you walk fast, you’ll catch the bus. E.g.
(b) Don’t spit on the road. You’ll be fined. If you spit on the road, you’ll be fined.

(i) Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.
Ans: If you tire yourself now, you won’t be able to work in the evening.

(ii) Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.
Ans: If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.

(iii) Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in the first division.
Ans: If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in the first division.

(iv) Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.
Ans: If you are polite to people, they’ll also be polite to you.

(v) Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.
Ans: If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.

Q2. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.
Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I ___________ (go) out, I ___________(miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I ___________ (stay) for lunch, I ___________ (miss) the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.
Ans: Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I go out, I will miss the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I stay for lunch, I will miss the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.

Q3. Complete each sentence below by appropriately using any one of the following: if you want to/ if you don’t want to/ if you want him to

(i) Don’t go to the theatre _________
Ans: Don’t go to the theatre if you don’t want to.

(ii) He’ll post your letter ____________
Ans: He’ll post your letter if you want him to.

(iii) Please use my pen _____________
Ans: Please use my pen if you want to. 

(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella ___________
Ans: He’ll lend you his umbrella if you want him to.

(v) My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor __________
Ans: My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor if you want him to.

(vi) Don’t eat it ___________
Ans: Don’t eat it if you don’t want to. 

Speaking and Writing

Q1. Discuss in small groups

• If you want to give away something of your own to the needy, would it be better to ask your elders first?
• Is there someone of your age in the family who is very talkative? Do you find her/him interesting and impressive or otherwise? Share your ideas with others in the group. 
• Has Rukku Manni done exactly the same as the children? In your opinion, then, is it right for one party to blame the other?

Ans:

• Yes, it will be better to ask my elders first if I want to give away something of my own to the needy.
• Yes, my sister is a very talkative person. Yes, I find her interesting and impressive. 
• Yes, Rukku Manni also gave away someone else’s belongings. Then, it is not right for her to blame the children. But she had to save her family from the embarrassing situation, and that’s why she had to make the decision without discussing it with Gopu Mama.

Q2. Read the following.

• A group of children in your class are going to live in a hostel.
• They have been asked to choose a person in the group to share a room with.
• They are asking each other questions to decide who they would like to share a room with.

Ask one another questions about likes/dislikes/preferences/hobbies/personal characteristics. Use the following questions and sentence openings.

(i) What do you enjoy doing after school?
I enjoy…
Ans: I enjoy reading comic books after school.

(ii) What do you like in general?
I like…
Ans: I like to read comic books and listen to music.

(iii) Do you play any game?
I don’t like…
Ans: I don’t like playing games, especially the outdoor games. But it is fun to play video games and chess.

(iv) Would you mind if I listened to music after dinner?
I wouldn’t…
Ans: I wouldn’t mind if you listened to music after dinner. In fact, even I would like to join you.

(v) Will it be all right if I…?
It’s fine with me…
Ans: It’s fine with me if you keep the lights on for some time after 10.

(vi) Is there anything you dislike, particularly?
Well, I can’t share…
Ans: Well, I can’t share my towel, bedsheet and pillow with anyone.

(vii) Do you like to attend parties?
Oh, I…
Ans: Oh, I am fond of attending parties!

(viii) Would you say you are…?
I think…
Ans: I think, yes, I am a person who can adjust.