The Tale of Custard the Dragon Class 10 Questions and Answers
Textbook Questions
Thinking about the Poem :
Question 1.
Who are the characters in this poem ? List them with their pet names.
इस कविता में कौन-कौन से पात्र हैं ? उनकी सूची उनके पालतू नामों के साथ बनाओ।
Answer:
- Girl – Belinda
- Dragon – Custard
- kitten – Ink
- mouse – Blink
- dog – Mustard
Question 2.
Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon” ?
कस्टर्ड एक सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए क्यों रोता रहता था ? ड्रैगन को ‘कायर ड्रैगन’ क्यों कहा गया है ?
Answer:
He thought that the little white house in which he lived Belinda and her other animal friends was not safe so he always cried for a safe cage to live in. The dragon appeared to be a coward as he always cried for a safe cage so he was called a cowardly dragon.
Question 3.
“Belinda tickled him, she ticked him unmerciful”-Why ?
“बलिन्डा उसे गुदगुदी करती थी, वह उसे बेदर्दी से गुदगुदी करती थी।”-क्यों ?
Answer:
Because it amused her. She and her other friends laughed and laughed till they shook the whole house.
Question 4.
The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon”-the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
कवि ने कविता में बहुत से काव्य के तरीके अपनाये हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, “अपनी पूँछ को कोठरी में लोहे की तरह खड़खड़ाया”-जहाँ पर काव्य का तरीका तुलना है। क्या आप अपने साथी के साथ मिलकर इस प्रकार के कुछ और काव्य के तरीकों की सूचना बना det?
Answer:
- ‘Mouth like a fireplace’-(simile)
- as brave a barrel full of bears (simile)
- as brave as a tiger (simile)
- snorting like an engine (simile)
- like a robin at a worm (simile)
Question 5.
Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of a dragon.
तीसरा गद्यांश फिर से पढ़ो यह जानने के लिए कि कवि ने ड्रैगन की रूपरेखा का वर्णन कैसे किया है ?
Answer:
Custard the dragon has sharp teeth like that of a dog. On top it has spikes and scales underneath. Its mouth emits fire like a fireplace, smoke comes out of nose as if from a chimney. It has sharp edges like daggers on its toes.
Question 6.
Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem ?
क्या आप कविता के दो व तीन गद्यांशों की rhyme scheme बता सकते हो?
Answer:
Rhyming scheme of stanzas 1, 2 and 3 is as follows:
- stanza 1 : a a bb
- stabza 2 : a a bb
- stanza 3 : a a bb
Question 7.
Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
लेखक प्रायः बिना अपना वास्तविक अभिप्राय बताये शब्दों द्वारा चित्र व आकृति बनाते हैं क्या आप कविता में प्रयोग किये ऐसे चित्रों को ढूँढ सकते हो ?
Answer:
Some of the images used in the poem are as follows:
- Description of Dragon: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose.
- as a tiger in a rage
- Mustard growled
- Description of pirate : Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right, And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright His beard was black, on leg was wood’.
- snorting like an engine clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon, etc.
Question 8.
Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted poem ? Give reason to support your answer.
क्या आपको कस्टर्ड द ड्रैगन की कहानी गम्भीर लगती है अथवा हल्की फुल्की कविता ? अपने उत्तर की पुष्टि के लिए कारण दो।
Answer:
‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a lighthearted poem. The rhyming names like Ink and Blink; Mustard and Custard seem amusing. The humorous images in the poem-mouse and kitten. Chasing lions and dogs as brave as a tiger in rage-make you laugh. And when it comes to test their bravery, they all disappear. When the so called coward dragon faces the pirate bravely and kills him – all appear again, embrace and kiss the dragon but again start boasting of their bravery as before. The characters in the poem and their activities make you feel light-hearted.
Additional Questions
Short answer type Questions
Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words.
Question 1.
Give a brief description of the pirate in the poem ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’.
Answer:
The pirate entered from the window. He had pistols in his left and right hand. He held a bright cutlass in his teeth. His beard was black and one leg was wood.
Question 2.
Why did everyone make fun of the dragon ?
Answer:
Everyone in the house used to laugh at the dragon because he always cried for a safe cage whereas others used to boast about their bravery.
Question 3.
Belinda was a sweet little girl who lived in her sweet little white house. Who else lived with her in that house ?
Answer:
Belinda lived in a white house with Ink – a black kitten, Blink-a grey mouse, Mustard -a yellow dog, Custard a dragon and a red wagon.
Question 4.
‘Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears’ Identify two poetic devices used in the above line.
Answer:
- As brave as a barrel-Similie.
- Brave, barrel full of bears-Alliteration.
Question 5.
How did Belinda’s .pets other than Custard face the pirate?
Answer:
All the animals other than the dragon used to boast about their bravery and made fun of the dragon. But when the pirate entered the house, all got scared and ran away and disappeared except Custard, the dragon.
Question 6.
How did each of Belinda’s pets react at the sight of the pirate?
Answer:
Each of Belinda’s pets ran away and hid themselves. They were scared at the sight of the pirate.
Question 7.
Why did Belinda cry for help ? Who came to her help?
Answer:
- Belinda cried for help because she was afraid of the pirate who had attacked her.
- Custard came to her help.
Long answer type Questions
Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words:
Question 1.
‘But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.’
Why do you think Custard, the dragon was called a coward ? How was Custard able to save all his house-mates from the pirate? What values should Belinda have possessed so that Custard too could have been among her favourites ?
Answer:
The dragon appeared to be a coward as he always cried for a safe cage. So, he was called a cowardly dragon. Later, when the pirate entered the house with pistols in his left and right hand, everyone was scared and ran away and disappeared, except Custard who faced him boldly, attacked him, hit him hard with his forceful tail and gobbled every bit of him.
Belinda should have been nice to him. She should have made him feel comfortable and safe in the house instead of laughing and making fun of him with other pets. Belinda should have been protective towards him.
Question 2.
Describe the fight between the dragon and the pirate.
Answer:
The dragon had big sharp teeth, and spikes on top of him and scales underneath but everyone laughed at him as he always cried for a safe cage whereas everyone boasted about their bravery. But when the pirate entered, all were scared and ran away and disappeared except Custard who faced him boldly, attacked him, hit him hard with his forceful tail and gobbled every bit of him. All of them, later felt obliged to Custard for saving their lives.
Introduction :
The poem-‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a humorous ballad. In rhythmic verse it tells the story of custard, the dragon who lives with Belinda and her other animal friends a kitten-a mouse and a dog. His friends boast of their bravery but prove the other way round. Custard who appears to be a coward proves to be the bravest when it confronts a pirate, whom he fights and gobbles.
द टेल ऑफ कस्टर्ड द ड्रैगन एक हास्य-आल्हा है। लयबद्ध गद्य में यह कस्टर्ड की कहानी कहती है जो बेलिन्डा और उसके पशु मित्रों-एक बलूटा, चूहा और कुत्ते के साथ रहती है। उसके मित्र बहादुरी की डींगें मारते हैं परन्तु उससे उल्टी प्रमाणित होती हैं। कस्टर्ड जो कायर दिखता है सबसे अधिक बहादुर प्रमाणित होता है जब उसका सामना एक लुटेरे से होता है जिससे वह लड़ता है और उसे निगल जाता है।
Complete text with hindi translation and extract based short answer type questions :
Stanza – I
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.
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.
Vocabulary:
- Kitten (किटन) – young one of a cat (बिल्ली का बच्चा)
- Wagon (वैगन) – a heavy vehicle on four wheels used for carrying bulky things (चार पहिए की गाड़ी)
- Realio, trulio (रिलिओ, टूलियो) – Real, True.
अनुवाद – बेलिन्डा एक छोटे से घर में एक छोटे काले बिल्ली के बच्चे और एक छोटे सलेटी चूहे, और एक छोटे पीले कुत्ते और एक छोटी लाल वैगन गाड़ी और एक असली से, सच्चे से छोटे पालतू ड्रैगन के साथ रहती थी। अब उसके छोटे काले बिल्ली के बच्चे का नाम था इंक, और वह छोटे चूहे को बुलाती थी ब्लिन्क, और छोटा पीला कुत्ता बिल्कुल मस्टर्ड की तरह सुनहरा था, परन्तु वह ड्रैगन डरपोक था और वह उसे कस्टर्ड बुलाती थी।
Question i.
Which poem are these lines taken from and what is the poem about?
Answer:
These lines are taken from the poem, “The Tale of Custard the Dragon’. It is a humorous ballad that tells about Belinda and her pets. The poem is about ‘heroism’ of Custard the little dragon pet of Belinda. Custard, though a dragon, always lived in fear and cried for a safe cage.
Question ii.
Who were the inmates of Belinda’s house?
Answer:
Besides Belinda lived her pets, the little black kitten Ink, the grey mouse Blink, the little yellow dog called the Mustard, and the little dragon Custard.
Stanza -II
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.
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.
Vocabulary:
- Spikes (स्पाइक्स) – pointed, (नुकीला)
- Scales (स्केल्स) – a thorny layer on the skin of animals (चमड़ी की कड़ी परत)
- Underneath (अन्डरनीथ) – Below, downwards, (नीचे की ओर)
- Barrel (बैरल) – a long tube, (लम्बी नली)
- Rage (रेज) – furry (रोष, क्रोधान्माद):
- Dagger (डैगर) – knife (कटार)
अनुवाद – कस्टर्ड, ड्रेगन के तीखे बड़े-बड़े दाँत थे उसके ऊपर की तरफ नुकीले कांटे थे और नीचे की ओर कडी चमडी की परत थी। मुँह अग्नि स्थल के समान था, नाक एक चिमनी थी और उसके बेलिन्डा बहादुर थी जैसे भालुओं से भरी एक नली हो और इंक और ब्लिन्क सीढ़ियों के नीचे तक शेरों का पीछा करते थे। मस्टर्ड एक गुस्सैल चीते की भाँति बहादुर था परन्तु कस्टर्ड एक अच्छे सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए रोता था।
Question i.
Who were the others with whom Custard was living?
Answer:
Custard was living with Ink, a little black kitten, Blink, the little grey mouse, Mustard the little yellow dog. They were all living with Belinda.
Question ii.
Custard had enough features to be the bravest of Belinda’s pets. Justify.
Answer:
Custard was a dragon, in the first place. He had big sharp teeth, and had spikes. Then he had a nose from where he emitted fire. His toes were also sharp like daggers.
Stanza – III
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.
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.
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.
Vocabulary :
- Tickled (किल्ड) – pleasing (गुदगुदी करना)
- Unmerciful (अनमरसीफुल) – without showing any pity, (निर्दयता से)
- Percival (परसीवल) – (एक नाम)
- Pirate (पाइरेट) – Robbers of the ocean
- Nasty (नेस्टी) – filthy foul, obscene, (गन्दी/अभद्र)
- Winda (विन्डा) – here it means window (खिड़की)
हिन्दी अनुवाद – बलिन्दा ने उसे गुदगुदाया, उसने उसे निर्दयता से गुदगुदाया। इंक, ब्लिन्क और मस्टर्ड, सभी ने उसे असभ्य तरीके से ‘परसीवल’ बुलाया। वे सभी अपनी छोटी लाल वैगन गाड़ी में बैठ कर उस असली, सच्चे बुजदिल ड्रैगन पर हँस रहे थे। बेलिन्डा तब तक हँसती रही जब तक उसने सारा घर नहीं हिला दिया और ब्लिन्क ने कहा, ओह! कौन एक चूहे के लिए हँस रहा है।
इंक और मस्टर्ड ने असभ्यता से उसकी उम्र पूछी जब कस्टर्ड एक अच्छे सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए रो रहा था। अचानक, अचानक उन्होंने एक गन्दी। अभद्र सी आवाज सुनी और मस्टर्ड गुर्राया और वे सभी चारों ओर देखने लगे। म्याऊ! इंक चिल्लाई, और बेलिन्डा बोली, ओह! क्योंकि एक समुद्री डाकू खिड़की में चढ़ रहा था।
Question i.
Why did Belinda tickled the dragon unmerciful?
Answer:
Belinda tickled the dragon unmerciful because it was very scared and cried for a safe cage. They all laughed at it as it was a coward.
Question ii.
How did they react when they heard a nasty sound ?
Answer:
Suddenly, Belinda and her pets heard a nasty sound. They were highly surprised. Mustard growled and Ink mewed. Belinda, itself gave a cry of disbelief. Actually, it was the sound of a pirate climbing through the window.
Stanza – IV
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.
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.
Vocabulary :
- Cutlass (कटलास) – Sword (तलवार)
- Yelp (येल्प) – sharp (cry of a pup when hurt) (रिरियाना)
- Strategically (स्ट्रेटिजिकली) – skilfully (चतुराई या कौशलता)
अनुवाद – बंदूक थी उसके उल्टे हाथ में और बंदूक थी उसके सीधे हाथ में और उसने अपने दाँतों में एक चमकती हुई तलवार पकड़ रखी थी। उसकी दाढ़ी काली थी और एक टाँग लकड़ी की थी। यह स्पष्ट था कि वह समुद्री डाकू अच्छा नहीं था। बेलिन्डा पीली पड़ गई और चिल्लाई, बचाओ! बचाओ! परंतु मस्टर्ड एक रिरियाने के साथ भाग गया। इंक घर के निचले हिस्से में घुस गई और छोटा चूहा ब्लिन्क कुशलता से अपने बिल में घुस गया।
Question i.
Who is being described here? What was his intention?
Answer:
The pirate is being described in these lines. He had come to Belinda’s house. He had come there perhaps to rob the house.
Question ii.
How did the pirate look?
Answer:
The pirate had a black.beard. One of his legs was wooden. He was holding a pistol in both his hands . Besides, he had a bright cutlass which he held in his teeth.
Question iii.
Which situation is described in these lines?
Answer:
Suddenly, a pirate with pistols in both his hands and a cutlass in his teeth landed up at Belinda’s house. Seeing his, all the inmates started panicking. Mustard, Ink and Blink who were all seemingly brave ran away to save themselves, leaving Belinda with Custard.
Question iv.
How did the arrival of a pirate proved the actual nature of Belinda’s pets?
Answer:
On the arrival of the pirate with pistols and cutlass, all of Belinda’s pets – Ink, Blink and Mustard, who were thought to be brave by her , ran away to save themselves. It was Custard the dragon who finally saved her by gobbling up the pirate.
Stanza – V
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.
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.
Vocabulary :
- Snorting (स्नोटिंग) – pass air violently through nose (नाक से फुकारते हुए)
- Dungeon (डंगीओन) – Basement (तहखाना)
- Clatter (क्लेटर) – Knocking sound (खड़खड़ाना)
- Clang (क्लैंग) – akind of sound (टनटन)
- Jangling squirm (जैगलिंग कुइर्म) – Producing noise (खड़खड़ाना, फड़फड़ाना
- Robin (रॉबिन) – akind of bird (छोटी चिड़िया)
- Grog (योग) – Alcohol (शराब)
- Flagon (फ्लैगान) – a thin necked pot (सुराही)
- Gobbled (गॉबल्ड) – Gulping (निगलना)
अनुवाद – परंतु कस्टर्ड ऊपर की ओर एक फुकारते हुए रेल इंजन की तरह कूदा, तहखाने की सलाखों की तरह अपनी पूंछ से विरोध करते हुए, खड़खड़ाते, टनटनाते और फड़फड़ाते हुए वह समुद्री डाकू की ओर इस प्रकार बढ़ा जैसे एक चिड़िया एक कीड़े की ओर बढ़ती हैं समुद्री डाकू ने बेलिन्डा के ड्रैगन से दूरी बनाई और अपनी जेब की सुराही से शराब निकाल कर पी ली। उसने दो गोलियाँ चलाई परंतु वे दोनों ही नहीं लगीं और कस्टर्ड प्रत्येक टुकड़े को निगल गया।
Question i.
How did the pirate encounter the dragon?
Answer:
The pirate looked at the dragon casually, and then gulped some grog from his pocket. Then he fired two bullets which did not hit Custard. Finally the dragon gobbled up every bit of the pirate.
Question ii.
Though equipped, the pirate could not fight the dragon. Why?
Answer:
The pirate was well equipped with pistols and cutlass. However, Custard the dragon, had all natural weapons within him. He could snort like an engine and fire. He had sharp teeth and toes and spikes on top of him. Above all, he was big enough to gobble up the pirate.
Stanza – VI
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. 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
Vocabulary :
- Mourned (मोन्डं) – Grieved (शोक मनाया)
- Gyrate (जायरेट) – To move in rounds (घूमना, चक्कर खाना)
- Flustered (फ्लस्टर्ड) – Tensed (घबराना)
अनुवाद – बेलिन्डा ने उसे गले लगाया, मस्टर्ड ने उसे चाटा, किसी ने उसके समुद्री डाकू वाले शिकार के लिए शोक प्रकट नहीं किया। इंक और ब्लिन्क खुशी के मारे उस ड्रैगन के चारों ओर चक्कर काटने लगे जिसने उस समुद्री डाकू को खा लिया था। परंतु अब छोटा कुत्ता मस्टर्ड बोला मैं इससे दुगना बहादुर होता यदि मैं घबराया नहीं होता। और उसके ऊपर इंक बोला और फिर ऊपर ब्लिन्क बोला। हमें लगता है कि हम लगभग तीन गुना बहादुर होते और कस्टर्ड बोला, मैं बिल्कुल सहमत हूँ।
Question i.
Why did Belinda and others react the way described in these lines?
Answer:
Belinda and others reacted thus because they understood that Custard the dragon was the bravest of them all. The dragon had saved them all by gobbling up the pirate.
Question ii.
How did Belinda and her other pets express their thanks to Custard for his brave act?
Answer:
Belinda embraced Custard, while Mustard licked him. Ink and Blink went round and round the Custard dancing with a glee.
Stanza – VII
That everybody is braver than me. 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.
Vocabulary :
- Chase (चेस) – pursue (पीछा करना)।
अनुवाद – कि हर कोई मुझसे ज्यादा बहादुर हैं बेलिन्डा अभी भी अपने छोटे सफेद घर में अपनी छोटे काले बिल्ली के बच्चे और अपने छोटे सलेटी चूहे और अपने छोटे पीले कुत्ते और अपनी छोटी लाल वैगन कार और अपने असली सच्चे छोटे पालतू ड्रैगन के साथ रहती थी। बेलिन्डा एक भालुओं से भरी नली की तरह बहादर है और इंक और ब्लिन्क सीढ़ियों के नीचे शेरों का पीछा करते हैं। मस्टर्ड एक गुस्सैल चीते की भाँति बहादुर है परन्तु कस्टर्ड लगातार एक अच्छे सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए रोता रहता है।
Question i.
Why did the dragon always cry for a nice safe cage ?
Answer:
The dragon did not possess the strength of character. He lacked courage. He was not the courage of his real strength and always begged for a nice safe cage for his protection.
Question ii.
Did custard accept his cowardice and their bravery ?
Answer:
Yes, custard seemed like a really humble animal as even after killing the pirate he accepted that he is a coward and everyone else is braver than him.