The Selfish Giant

 

EXERCISES
Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Where did the children use to play?
Answer: The children used to play in the Giant’s garden which was so beautiful and lovely.

b. What did the Snow and the Frost do to the garden?
Answer: The Snow covered up the grass with the great white cloak and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then, they invited the North Wind to stay with them.

c. What did the giant hear when he was lying awake in bed?
Answer: The Giant heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet when he was lying awake in bed.

d. Why do you think spring season never came to the Giant’s garden?
Answer: I think spring season never came to the Giant’s garden because he didn’t permit the children to play and enjoy in his garden.

e. How did the Giant realize his mistake?
Answer: The Giant realized his mistake by finding out the unusual changes in his garden. He learnt that without the presence of the children the garden couldn’t be lovely and the garden didn’t get the chance to experience the spring season.

Reference to the context

A. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

a. “How happy we were there!” they said to each other.

i. Where does ‘there’ refer to?
Answer: ‘There’ refers to the Giant’s garden.

ii. What does ‘they’ refer to?
Answer: ‘They’ refers to the children.

iii. Why are they saying so?
Answer: They are saying so because the Giant didn’t let them play in his garden where they used to play happily after school.

b. “I have many beautiful flowers,” he said; “but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.”

i. Who is the speaker?
Answer: The Giant is the speaker.

ii. Who is he speaking to?
Answer: He is speaking to himself praising his garden.

iii. Who are ‘the children’ that the speaker is referring to?
Answer: The children that the speaker is referring to are the small and innocent children who play in the Giant’s garden after school.

c. The children did not come. The garden became winter for them.

i. Who are the children?
Answer: The children are the small, innocent and poor children from the Giant’s town. They play in the Giant’s garden.

ii. Why did they not come?
Answer: They did not come because the Giant drove them away from his garden, where they used to play every day. He didn’t allow them to play in his garden.

iii. What is the meaning of ‘winter’ here?
Answer: The meaning of ‘winter’ here is that the Giant’s garden is not nice and warm like summer for the children, who used to play in the Giant’s garden, where they played after school.