Question and answer for lesson Princess September
Answers
The King and Queen of Siam had many daughters and had named them after names of the months of the year. Their youngest daughter was Princess September. So they had 9 daughters.
2. Why were they named after the months of the year?
The royal couple had many daughters so it was difficult for the queen to remember their names. So the King named them after months of the year.
3. The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?
The King had a strange habit of giving gifts on his birthday. It was called peculiar or strange because a birthday is a day when somebody receives gifts from their loved ones. But the king gave away gifts and not receive them.
4. (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?
i) The Princess burst into tears and her Maid of Honours tried their best to comfort her. But she was so sad that their any effort couldn't console her.
ii) The queen did not react on it much and said it is childish stuff and nonsense to cry over it. The princess must go to bed without supper if she wished.
iii) The Princess reaction on seeing her pet dead shows that she was a normal person who loved her pet and adored it. Seeing it dead made her sad and distressed, she better displayed her feelings. The queen's reaction shows cold feelings towards death or towards animals.
5. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?
The Princess was sad over the death of her pet parrot. She was crying and then a little bird hopped into her room and sang a very beautiful song about a lake in King's garden, trees and gold fish. This comforted her and took her out of her sadness.
6. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?
The Maids of Honour brought breakfast for the princess. The bird ate rice from her hand, took bath in the saucer and sang a very beautiful song. The princess happy and proud of it.
7. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?
The new bird sang different songs to the princess. It was free to fly wherever it felt like. The parrots of other princesses were taught to say 'God save the King' and also they could say 'Pretty Polly' in seven different oriental languages.
8. What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?
The King knew his councilors said everything in different languages and did not mean anything useful. He had the idea that they always tried to impress him and they did not know anything better than praising him only,
9. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it? (ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?
i) The eight Princesses offered to buy her a new green and yellow parrot out of their pocket money collected together.
ii) They were jealous of the bird Princess September had. The beautiful song sung by the bird got praise from everybody and their parrots said nothing new.
10. What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?
The Princesses advised her to keep her bird in the cage and never let it free as it could leave her, forget her anytime.
11. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet? (ii) How did the bird react to it?
i) The Princess took the bird to the cage, popped it in and shut the door.
ii) The bird was surprised when she locked it inside, it was shocked and did not know what to say.
12. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?
The Princess told him that she would take him out everyday. The bird refused and told that he wanted to be free, wanted to fly, see trees & lakes. It was very different to look at the same things through the bars of the cage.
13. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again? (ii) How did the bird react to it?
i) The bird was very sad inside the cage. It would not eat anything and did not sing song. The Princess was worried for it because it could die without eating anything.
ii) The bird said he would die without singing, he would always come back for her because he loved her. He shook his wings and flew away to the fields.
14. Princess September kept her window open day and night. (i) How did it help the bird? (ii) How did it help the Princess herself?
i)The bird was free to come and go whenever it felt like.
ii) The pet was happy and would fly, come and go whenever it felt like. It sang songs for her. This all made her cheerful and happy inside, she started becoming more beautiful.
15. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?
The other princesses grew ugly and ungrateful.
Answer:
Explanation:
1. How many daughters did the royal couple have?
The King and Queen of Siam had many daughters and had named them after names of the months of the year. Their youngest daughter was Princess September. So they had 9 daughters.
2. Why were they named after the months of the year?
The royal couple had many daughters so it was difficult for the queen to remember their names. So the King named them after months of the year.
3. The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?
The King had a strange habit of giving gifts on his birthday. It was called peculiar or strange because a birthday is a day when somebody receives gifts from their loved ones. But the king gave away gifts and not receive them.
4. (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?
i) The Princess burst into tears and her Maid of Honours tried their best to comfort her. But she was so sad that their any effort couldn't console her.
ii) The queen did not react on it much and said it is childish stuff and nonsense to cry over it. The princess must go to bed without supper if she wished.
iii) The Princess reaction on seeing her pet dead shows that she was a normal person who loved her pet and adored it. Seeing it dead made her sad and distressed, she better displayed her feelings. The queen's reaction shows cold feelings towards death or towards animals.
5. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?
The Princess was sad over the death of her pet parrot. She was crying and then a little bird hopped into her room and sang a very beautiful song about a lake in King's garden, trees and gold fish. This comforted her and took her out of her sadness.
6. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?
The Maids of Honour brought breakfast for the princess. The bird ate rice from her hand, took bath in the saucer and sang a very beautiful song. The princess happy and proud of it.
7. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?
The new bird sang different songs to the princess. It was free to fly wherever it felt like. The parrots of other princesses were taught to say 'God save the King' and also they could say 'Pretty Polly' in seven different oriental languages.
8. What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?
The King knew his councilors said everything in different languages and did not mean anything useful. He had the idea that they always tried to impress him and they did not know anything better than praising him only,
9. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it? (ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?
i) The eight Princesses offered to buy her a new green and yellow parrot out of their pocket money collected together.
ii) They were jealous of the bird Princess September had. The beautiful song sung by the bird got praise from everybody and their parrots said nothing new.
10. What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?
The Princesses advised her to keep her bird in the cage and never let it free as it could leave her, forget her anytime.
11. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet? (ii) How did the bird react to it?
i) The Princess took the bird to the cage, popped it in and shut the door.
ii) The bird was surprised when she locked it inside, it was shocked and did not know what to say.
12. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?
The Princess told him that she would take him out everyday. The bird refused and told that he wanted to be free, wanted to fly, see trees & lakes. It was very different to look at the same things through the bars of the cage.
13. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again? (ii) How did the bird react to it?
i) The bird was very sad inside the cage. It would not eat anything and did not sing song. The Princess was worried for it because it could die without eating anything.
ii) The bird said he would die without singing, he would always come back for her because he loved her. He shook his wings and flew away to the fields.
14. Princess September kept her window open day and night. (i) How did it help the bird? (ii) How did it help the Princess herself?
i)The bird was free to come and go whenever it felt like.
ii) The pet was happy and would fly, come and go whenever it felt like. It sang songs for her. This all made her cheerful and happy inside, she started becoming more beautiful.
15. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?
The other princesses grew ugly and ungrateful.