1. How many daughters did the royal couple have?
Ans:- The royal couple had nine daughters only.
2. Why were they named after the months of the year?
Ans:-They were named after the months of the year so that the queen could remember their names easily.
3. The king had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?
Ans:- The king had a peculiar habit of offering gifts on his birthday instead of receiving them. In general, the kings receive gifts on their birthday but the king of Siam used to offer gifts on his birthday. That is why it is called peculiar.
4. (i) What was Princess September's reaction to the loss of her parrot?
Ans:- Princess September went on weeping for her parrot. She was not comfortable without her parrot because she loved the bird very much. She was made to sleep without having supper.
(ii) What was her mother's reaction to it?
Ans:- Her mother said that her weeping was useless. She ordered the royal maids to make her sleep without having supper.
(iii) What do the reactions indicate about the nature and temperament of each?
Ans:- Princess September shows her child-like nature whereas the queen being experienced did not express any sympathy about the death of the bird. She said that the Weeping of Princess for the dead bird is nonsense.
5. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?
Ans:- The arrival of a little bird in her room pulled the Princess out of her gloom.
6. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?
Ans:- The Maids of Honour were the witness of the bird-eating from the Princess’s hands. Princess allowed the bird to take bath in her saucer. Princess September used to get pleasure by listening to the singing of the bird. This is how they came to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends.
7. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?
Ans:- The parrots used to repeat, “God save the king” and “Pretty Polly”.
8. What is the king's opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?
Ans:- The Councillors were not in a good book of the king because they used to recite almost all the time like parrots. They were able to express their views differently but the views were proved useless.
9. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it?
Ans:- The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September to purchase another parrot with the help of their pocket money.
(ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?
Ans:- The eight princesses were jealous of Princess September. She had got a little bird. She was very happy with the bird. The eight princesses wanted the bird to be removed from her room forever. So they planned to buy another parrot so that the little one would leave the room.
10. What did the sister's advise the Princess to do about her bird?
Ans:- The sisters wanted her to put the bird in the cage and so they advised her to do so.
Comprehension Check (page-43)
1. In the following sentences elaborate on the parts given in bold. Under the circumstances, it was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.
Ans:- One day the little bird went to pay a visit to its father-in-law’s house because he was holding a party. The bird was not able to come that day. Now the Princess was anxious for the bird. It was only a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.
2. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet?
Ans:- The bird was put into the cage by Princess September to ensure the safety of her pet.
(ii) How did the bird react to it?
Ans:- The bird did not want to be caged at all. The bird said that it would not sing until it was freed from the cage. If it did not sing it would die.
3. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?
Ans:- The bird refused to be taken out in her cage because he would not view the world properly from inside the bars of the cage.
4. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?
Ans:- The bird put a condition that it would not sing until it was freed from the cage. Also, the bird promised to return back to her room for her pleasure and love. The very condition persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again.
(ii) How did the bird react to it?
Ans:- The bird happily flew away promising that it would come again and again.
5. Princess September kept her window open day and night.
(i) How did it help the bird?
Ans:- Princess September kept her window open day and night to ensure the bird’s freedom. The bird was allowed to enjoy its choices.
(ii) How did it help the Princess herself?
Ans:- The Princes became so beautiful that she was married to the King of Cambodia.
6. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?
Ans:- They did not grow beautiful so they were married to the Councillors.
Discuss the following questions in small groups. Write their answers later.
1. Are the sisters unkind and cruel? Find evidence in the text to support your idea.
Ans:- Yes, they were unkind and cruel. When the parrot of Princess September died she was upset and worried. In the meantime, a little bird appeared in her room singing sweet songs. The Princess got up and loved the bird very much. She forgot the parrot. The Princess and the bird became intimate friends. Their intimacy made the sisters unkind and cruel. They wanted the bird to leave her forever. So they made a plan to buy another parrot. But the proposal of buying the parrot was rejected by Princess September.
2. Which, to you, is the most important idea in this story, and why?
(i) importance of music
(ii) value of freedom
(iii) beauty of nature.
Ans:- Value of freedom. It is important because life without freedom is no life at all. Death is better than “life without freedom”. Life should not be used as a machine.
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