Question Answers Class 9 Chapter 4.2 Kumarbharati English Maharashtra Board

The Storyteller

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. From the story (Part I and Part II), find 4 words that begin with the prefix ‘un-‘ and write their opposites.

Answer:

• Unsympathetic – Sympathetic
• Unenterprising – Enterprising
• Uninteresting – Interesting
• Unhappy – Happy Note: These words are taken directly from the story and show how the prefix ‘un-‘ makes them negative, with their opposites removing the prefix or changing the meaning.

2. Find one example of the following punctuation marks from the story and copy the sentence in which they are used –

(a) Colon

Answer: “Bertha walked up and down and enjoyed herself immensely, and thought to herself: ‘If I were not so extraordinarily good I should not have been allowed to come into this beautiful park and enjoy all that there is to be seen in it,’ and her three medals clinked against one another as she walked and helped to remind her how very good she really was.”

(b) Semi-colon

Answer: “The wolf was just moving away, when he heard the sound of the medals clinking and stopped to listen; they clinked again in a bush quite near him.” Note: The colon introduces Bertha’s thoughts, and the semi-colon separates two related but independent actions of the wolf.

3. Read the following pieces from the story and suggest a title for each as shown in the 1st one.

Answer:

1. From: “It was a hot afternoon”
2. Up to: “said the aunt weakly.”
3. Title: “Children Pester their Aunt” (given)

1. From: “The smaller girl created a diversion”
2. Up to: “likely to lose his bet.”
3. Title: “The Annoying Chant”

1. From: “In a low confidential voice”
2. Up to: “it was so stupid,” said Cyril.”
3. Title: “A Dull Tale Rejected”

1. From: “She (Bertha) did all that she was told”
2. Up to: “must be an extra good child.”
3. Title: “Bertha’s Perfect Goodness”

1. From: “The storyteller paused to let”
2. Up to: “popular tunes of the day.”
3. Title: “Treasures of the Park”

1. From: “Bertha was trembling very much”
2. Up to: “the three medals for goodness”
3. Title: “The Fatal Clinking”

Note: Each title captures the main idea of the section in a short, catchy way.

4. Write your opinion, in your own words:-

(a) Why do you think the children dislike their aunt’s story?

Answer: The children dislike the aunt’s story because it’s boring and predictable. It’s just about a good girl who gets saved, with no excitement or surprises. They call it “stupid” since it lacks fun and doesn’t grab their attention like a real adventure.

(b) Why did they appreciate and praise the stranger’s story?

Answer:  They liked the stranger’s story because it was different and thrilling. Bertha being “horribly good” and then eaten by a wolf was unexpected and exciting, not just another dull good-ending tale. It felt real and kept them hooked.

(c) Do you think Bertha should have met such a gory end to her life? Justify your answer.

Answer: I don’t think Bertha deserved such a gory end. She was good and didn’t harm anyone, so dying because of her medals clinking seems unfair. But it made the story interesting and showed that even goodness can have a twist, which is why the kids loved it.

(d) What did the aunt fail to realise in Bertha’s story?

Answer: The aunt didn’t realize that kids don’t just want boring, moral stories. She thought goodness alone would impress them, but they wanted excitement and something unusual, like the wolf eating Bertha, which she saw as “improper.”

(e) What is that one vice which nullifies all virtues that a person has?

Answer:  Pride is the vice that can ruin all virtues. Bertha’s pride in her goodness-shown by her medals-led to her death, as they gave her away. Being too proud cancels out good traits by making you careless or annoying.

(f) Write down two or three proverbs/axioms that suit the message in Bertha’s story.

Answer:

1. “Pride goes before a fall.”
2. “Too much of a good thing can be bad.”
3. “All that glitters is not gold.” Note: These fit because Bertha’s pride and excessive goodness led to her downfall.

5. Write 3 to 5 sentences about each of the following characters.

The Aunt:

• The aunt is a strict, tired woman traveling with her nieces and nephew. She tries to control them with “Don’t” but struggles to answer their questions, like why the grass is better. Her storytelling is dull, about a good girl saved by goodness, which the kids hate. She gets annoyed when the bachelor’s wild tale wins them over.

The Bachelor:

• The bachelor is a quiet, clever man who watches the noisy family in the train. He’s annoyed by the kids at first but tells a thrilling story about Bertha to keep them quiet. His tale is dark and exciting, ending with Bertha eaten by a wolf, which the kids love. He enjoys outsmarting the aunt and leaves feeling smug.

Cyril:

• Cyril is a curious, bold boy who asks lots of “Why?” questions, like about the sheep and grass. He’s not afraid to call his aunt’s story “stupid” and loves the bachelor’s tale instead. He’s active, smacking cushions, and adds to the train’s chaos with his energy.

Bertha:

• Bertha is the girl in the bachelor’s story, known for being “horribly good.” She wins medals for obedience, punctuality, and good behavior, which she wears proudly. She gets to visit the Prince’s park as a reward, but her goodness leads to her death when a wolf hears her medals and eats her.

6. Say whether you agree or disagree.

(a) The children would have behaved well in the train if their aunt had scolded them harshly.

Answer: Disagree. Harsh scolding might have made them quieter for a bit, but they’d still be bored and restless, asking “Why?” or misbehaving later.

(b) The youngest child was most irritating.

Answer: Agree. The smaller girl’s endless repeating of “On the Road to Mandalay” annoyed the bachelor the most, driving him to tell a story to stop her.

(c) Being a bachelor, the stranger had no patience with children.

Answer: Disagree. He was annoyed at first, but he had enough patience to tell a long, clever story that kept them quiet, showing he could handle them.

(d) The children showed disinterest even in the bachelor’s story-telling, throughout.

Answer: Disagree. They started losing interest when it seemed like another good-girl tale, but got excited when it turned “horrible” and ended with the wolf.

(e) Bertha was very good but very proud too.

Answer: Agree. She was obedient and well-behaved, but her medals and thoughts about her goodness show she was proud, which led to her fate.

(f) The prince had rare, uncommon likes and dislikes.

Answer: Agree. Choosing animals over flowers in his park was unusual, and the kids liked that he didn’t pick the obvious choice like most people.

(g) The wolf could not trace Bertha because she was behind a myrtle bush.

Answer: Disagree. The myrtle hid her scent and sight at first, but the wolf found her when her medals clinked, not because of the bush alone.

(h) The bachelor had narrated an improper story to the children.

Answer: Agree. The aunt thought a good girl getting eaten was wrong for kids, and it wasn’t a typical moral tale, but it worked for them.

7. ‘The Storyteller’ has a story within a story. Search from the Internet or your library books for other stories which have another story within. List at least 3 to 5 of them.

Answer:

• “The Arabian Nights” (e.g., Scheherazade tells stories like “Aladdin” within her tale)
• “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer (pilgrims tell stories within the journey)
• “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley (the monster’s story is told within Victor’s narrative)
• “The Book of One Thousand and One Nights” (similar to Arabian Nights, nested tales)
• “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë (Nelly narrates the main story within Lockwood’s frame) Note: These are classics with nested narratives, easy to find in libraries or online.

8. List all the verbs related to the verb ‘say’ or ‘tell’ from the story. Note where they occur. Rewrite at least 3 of the speeches near which they occur using indirect speech.

Answer:

• Verbs: said, exclaimed, asked, protested, suggested, demanded, persisted, quoted, resumed, observed, retorted
• Occurrences (examples):

“Said” – “I expect they are being driven to another field,” said the aunt weakly.

“Exclaimed” – “Oh, look at those cows!” exclaimed the aunt.

“Asked” – “Why are those sheep being driven out of that field?” he asked.

“Demanded” – “Tell us a story,” demanded the bigger of the small girls.

Rewritten in indirect speech (3 examples):

1. Original: “I expect they are being driven to another field,” said the aunt weakly.

• • Indirect: The aunt weakly said that she expected they were being driven to another field.

2. Original: “Why are those sheep being driven out of that field?” he asked.

• • Indirect: He asked why those sheep were being driven out of that field.

3. Original: “Tell us a story,” demanded the bigger of the small girls.

• • Indirect: The bigger of the small girls demanded that he tell them a story.