Comprehension Check (Page 38):

1. Question: How many daughters did the royal couple have?

Answer: The royal couple had nine daughters.

2. Question: Why were they named after the months of the year?

Answer: The King found it difficult to remember so many names, so he named his
daughters after the months to avoid confusion.

3. Question: The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?

Answer: The King's peculiar habit was giving gifts on his own birthday instead of
receiving them. It's called peculiar because, traditionally, one receives gifts on their
birthday rather than giving them.

4. Question: (i) What was Princess September’s reaction to the loss of her parrot? (ii)
What was her mother’s reaction to it? (iii) What do the reactions indicate about the
nature and temperament of each?

Answer: (i) Princess September was heartbroken and wept continuously when she
found her parrot dead. (ii) Her mother dismissed the incident, stating that crying
wouldn't bring the parrot back, and sent the Princess to bed without supper. (iii) These
reactions indicate that Princess September was sensitive and deeply attached to her
pet, while her mother was more pragmatic and less emotionally expressive.

5. Question: What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?

Answer: A little songbird flew into her room and sang beautifully, which lifted
Princess September's spirits and pulled her out of her gloom.

6. Question: How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird
had become intimate friends?

Answer: The Maids of Honour noticed that the little bird ate out of Princess
September's hand and took a bath in her saucer, indicating their close bond.

7. Question: The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated
themselves. What did they say?

Answer: The old parrots repeatedly said, "God save the King" and "Pretty Polly" in
seven different languages.

8. Question: What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that
opinion?

Answer: The King remarked that his Councillors said the same thing in seven
different ways and meant nothing, similar to the parrots' repetitive chatter. He formed
 this opinion because, like the parrots, his Councillors lacked originality and substance
in their speech.

Comprehension Check (Page 43):

1. Question: In the following sentence elaborate the parts given in italics: "Under the
circumstances, it was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make."

Answer: Under the circumstances refers to Princess September's growing fear of

losing the bird, influenced by her sisters' advice to keep it caged for its safety. A very
unfortunate remark pertains to the bird mentioning it might not return because its
father-in-law was hosting a party, which intensified the Princess's anxiety about the
bird's potential absence.

2. Question: (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet? (ii)
How did the bird react to it?

Answer: (i) To ensure her pet's safety, Princess September placed the bird in a cage,
believing this would prevent it from flying away and getting harmed. (ii) The bird
reacted negatively; it was shocked, became silent, and refused to sing, expressing its
unhappiness with the confinement.

3. Question: Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?

Answer: The bird refused to be taken out in the cage because it valued its freedom
and couldn't sing joyfully while being confined. It preferred to be free, even if it
meant facing dangers, rather than live safely in captivity.

4. Question: (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?
(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Answer: (i) Princess September was persuaded to release the bird after observing its
declining health and hearing it say that it couldn't sing inside the cage and might die if
kept confined. (ii) Upon being freed, the bird immediately revived, sang beautifully,
and promised to return to the Princess daily, showcasing its gratitude and joy.

5. Question: Princess September kept her window open day and night. (i) How did it
help the bird? (ii) How did it help the Princess herself?

Answer: (i) Keeping the window open allowed the bird to enter and leave freely,
ensuring it could live naturally and continue singing. (ii) For the Princess, the open
window brought fresh air and sunlight, improving her health and mood, and
symbolized her trust in the bird's return, strengthening their bond.

6. Question: The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?

Answer: Keeping their windows shut resulted in the eight sisters becoming pale and
unattractive due to the lack of fresh air and sunlight. Their closed-mindedness and
jealousy contrasted with Princess September's openness and trust, leading to their
unhappiness and poor health.
Comprehension Check (Page 49):

1. Question: In what way is the forest pool different from the one which Ranji knew in
the Rajputana desert?

Answer: The forest pool was clean, cold, and inviting, surrounded by lush greenery.
In contrast, the pools in the Rajputana desert were sticky, muddy, and often used by
buffaloes and for washing clothes, making them less suitable for swimming.

2. Question: The other boy asked Ranji to 'explain' himself. (i) What did he expect
Ranji to say? (ii) Was he, in your opinion, right or wrong to ask this question?

Answer: (i) The other boy, Suraj, expected Ranji to apologize for using the pool
without his permission and to leave immediately. (ii) Suraj was wrong to ask this
question because the pool was a natural resource, not owned by anyone, and thus free
for everyone to use.

3. Question: Between Ranji and the other boy, who is trying to start a quarrel? Give a
reason for your answer.

Answer: Suraj is trying to start a quarrel. He confronts Ranji aggressively,

questioning his presence at the pool and asserting dominance, which initiates the
conflict between them.

4. Question: "Then we will have to continue the fight," said the other. (i) What made
him say that? (ii) Did the fight continue? If not, why not?

Answer: (i) Suraj said this because neither he nor Ranji conceded defeat after their
initial fight, and both were determined to claim the pool as their own. (ii) No, the fight
did not continue. When they met the next day, their confrontation turned into a
display of swimming skills, leading to mutual admiration and the beginning of a
friendship.

Comprehension Check (Page 53):

1. Question: What is it that Ranji finds difficult to explain at home?

Answer: Ranji finds it difficult to explain the cuts and bruises on his face and body,
resulting from his fight with Suraj, to his family.

2. Question: Ranji sees his adversary in the bazaar. (i) What does he wish to do? (ii)
What does he actually do, and why?

Answer: (i) Ranji initially wishes to ignore Suraj to avoid another confrontation. (ii)
However, Suraj approaches him, and instead of fighting, they engage in a
conversation, leading to a challenge to showcase their swimming abilities, which
diffuses the tension between them.

3. Question: Ranji is not at all eager for a second fight. Why does he go back to the
pool, then?
 Answer: Ranji returns to the pool because he doesn't want to be perceived as a
coward. Avoiding the pool would mean conceding defeat, so he goes back to assert
his right to be there.

4. Question: Who was the better swimmer? How do you know it?

Answer: Ranji was the better swimmer. This is evident when Suraj is impressed by
Ranji's underwater swimming and diving skills, leading him to ask Ranji to teach him
how to dive.

5. Question: What surprises the warrior?

Answer: Suraj, the self-proclaimed warrior, is surprised by Ranji's exceptional

swimming and diving abilities, which surpass his own skills.

6. Question: Now that they are at the pool, why don't they continue the fight?

Answer: Instead of continuing the fight, both boys become engrossed in swimming
and teaching each other new skills. Their shared interest in swimming leads to mutual
respect and the development of a friendship.

7. Question: Ranji's superiority over the other boy is obvious in the following: physical
strength, good diving, his being a fighter, sense of humour, swimming under water,
making a good point, willingness to help. Underline the relevant phrases.

Answer: The relevant phrases are: good diving, swimming under water, willingness
to help.

8. Question: What, according to you, makes the two adversaries turn into good friends
in a matter of minutes? Explain it as you have understood it.

Answer: The transformation from adversaries to friends occurs due to their shared
passion for swimming. When they recognize each other's skills and decide to learn
from one another—Suraj learning diving from Ranji and Ranji learning wrestling
from Suraj—their mutual respect grows, leading to a quick and strong friendship.

📖 Princess September (By W. Somerset Maugham)

Summary:
Princess September, the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Siam, receives a talking
bird as a gift after her pet parrot dies. The bird sings beautiful songs for her, making her
extremely happy. Her eight jealous sisters advise her to keep the bird in a cage so it won’t fly
away. She follows their advice, but the bird becomes sad and stops singing. Realizing that the
bird values its freedom more than safety, Princess September lets it go. The bird returns to
her willingly every day, and as a result, the Princess remains happy and healthy, unlike her
sisters who grow pale and unattractive.

Moral:
True love and happiness come from freedom and trust, not control and confinement.
📖 The Fight (By Ruskin Bond)

Summary:
Ranji, a boy new to Rajpur, discovers a secluded pool in the forest and starts swimming there.
One day, he meets Suraj, a local boy who claims the pool as his own. Their argument leads to
a fight, but neither boy emerges victorious. Despite their differences, they meet again the next
day, but instead of continuing the fight, they talk and eventually become friends. Suraj even
offers to teach Ranji how to wrestle, and Ranji promises to teach Suraj how to swim.

Moral:
Conflicts can be resolved through understanding and friendship. Even rivals can become
friends with mutual respect.