cl 9 beehive ch 3

Thinking about the Text

I.Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.

 Answer:

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences 

Q1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father because he seemed like a figure to be feared and avoided. He would speak to her in a loud voice and she was terrified of his stern look, especially when he looked at her over his spectacles. She even stuttered when she spoke to him because she tried so hard to say the words properly.

Q2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer: The people in Kezia’s family were her father, her mother, and her grandmother.

Q3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine

(i) before going to his office?
Answer: Before going to his office, Kezia’s father would come into her room and give her a casual kiss.

(ii) after coming back from his office?
Answer: After coming back from his office, he would call for his tea and newspaper, and ask Kezia to take off his boots .

(iii) on Sundays?
Answer: On Sundays, Kezia’s father would be stretched out on the sofa with a handkerchief over his face, sleeping soundly and snoring.

Q4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer: Kezia’s grandmother would send her down to the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons to have a “nice talk with Father and Mother”. She also suggested that Kezia make a pin-cushion for her father’s birthday to show her love for him.

III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

Q1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer: Kezia’s grandmother suggested that she make a pin-cushion for her father’s birthday. To stuff the pin-cushion, Kezia, with a lot of effort, looked for scraps in her mother’s bedroom. On the bed-table, she found a great many sheets of fine paper, which she gathered up, tore into tiny pieces, and stuffed her pin-cushion with. However, these papers were her father’s important speech for the Port Authority. The loss of the speech caused a huge hue and cry in the house. When Kezia’s father found out what she had done, he was so angry that he beat her pink palms with a ruler as a punishment, which deeply frightened and upset her.

Q2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer: Kezia decides there are “different sorts of fathers” after observing her next-door neighbor, Mr Macdonald. She saw him playing happily with his five children in the evening. He was gentle and fun-loving, running around the flower-beds with his baby, Mao, on his shoulders, while the other girls hung on to his coat pockets. He even laughed when the boys turned a hose on him.

This was a stark contrast to Kezia’s own father, whom she saw as a figure to be feared. Her father was strict, loud, and constantly busy or tired. He did not play with her and even beat her for tearing his important speech. Kezia’s father’s affection was shown in a hard and undemonstrative way, unlike the loving and playful behavior of Mr Macdonald.

Q3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer: Kezia begins to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy after her mother becomes ill and is taken to the hospital. One night, Kezia has a nightmare and wakes up shivering. Her father comes to her room, and after hearing her scream about a butcher, he blows out the candle, catches her up in his arms, and carries her to his own bed9. He puts away his newspaper and cigar and carefully tucks her up beside him10. Tired out, he falls asleep before her. Kezia realizes that he is not so big after all and that he works hard every day. She hears his heart beating and realizes he has a “big heart”11. This experience helps her to understand him better and feel sympathy for him.

Thinking about Language

I. Look at the following sentence.

There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter…

Here, glad means happy about something. Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms (words or expressions that have the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways.

Read the sentences below:

• She was glad when the meeting was over.
• The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.

Q1. Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.

(i) She was ……………… by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)

(ii) I was ………………to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

(iii) She was ………………at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)

(iv) The coach was ………………with his performance. (satisfied about)

(v) She was very ………………that has happened. (happy about something
Answer:

(i) She was delighted by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)

(ii) I was thrilled to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)

(iii) She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)

(iv) The coach was pleased with his performance. (satisfied about)

(v) She was very glad that has happened. (happy about something

Q2. Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.

 He was so big – his hands and his neck, especially his mouth…

Here, big means large in size.

Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following sentences.

(i) You are a big girl now. ………………….

(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. ………………….

(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. ………………….

(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. ………………….

(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar………………….

(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. ………………….

(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. ………………….
Answer:

(i) You are a big girl now.  older

(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. most important

(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. great/ambitious

(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. popular

(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar.  a great

(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater.  greedy

(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. generous/kind

II. Verbs of Reporting

Study the following sentences.

• “What! ” screamed Mother.
• “N-n-no”, she whispered.
• “Sit up”, he ordered.

The italicised words are verbs of reporting. We quote or report what someone has said or thought by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting verb. For example:

• He promised to help in my project.
• “How are you doing?” Seema asked. We use verbs of reporting to advise, order, report statements, thoughts, intentions, questions, requests, apologise, manner of speaking and so on.

Q1. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.

(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.

(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.

(iv) He answered that the price would go up.

(v) I wondered why he was screaming.

(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.

(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Answer:

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.

 Q2. Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks in the following sentences.

(were complaining / shouted / replied / remarked / ordered / suggested)

 (i) “I am not afraid,” ……………… the woman.

(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother ……………….

(iii) The children …………………………. that the roads were crowded and noisy.

(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the master.

(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” …………………the sports teacher.

(vi) The traffic police ……………..all the passers-by to keep off the road.
Answer:

(i) “I am not afraid,” replied the woman.

(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother shouted.

(iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.

(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” remarked the master.

(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” suggested the sports teacher.

(vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.

 III. Speaking

 Form pairs or groups and discuss the following questions.

1. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?
2. Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?

Answers to Question 1:

Yes, the family dynamics portrayed in the story are relatable to many homes in our country. The stern, hard-working father who is not overtly affectionate, the mother who acts as a mediator, and the doting grandmother are common figures in Indian households. The communication gap between the parent and the child, and the child’s fear of the parent’s authority, is also a very real scenario.

Answers to Question 2:

Kezia’s father was not right to punish her by beating her with a ruler. While her action of tearing up the important papers was a mistake, it was born out of love and a desire to please him. The punishment was harsh and created more fear than understanding. He was a hard-working, short-tempered, and undemonstrative person who fulfilled his responsible role as a provider but failed to connect emotionally with his daughter. He was a strict disciplinarian who did not take the time to understand his daughter’s intentions, which led to a strained relationship.

Writing

Has your life been different from or similar to that of Kezia when you were a child? Has your perception about your parents changed now? Do you find any change in your parents’ behaviour vis-à-vis yours? Who has become more understanding? What steps would you like to take to build a relationship based on understanding?

Write three or four paragraphs (150-200 words) discussing these issues from your own experience.
Answer:

This is a personal response question and will vary from student to student. A sample answer might be:

My childhood, in some ways, was similar to Kezia’s, though perhaps not as extreme. I remember my father being a stern and disciplined figure. He worked long hours, and our interactions were often formal. While I was not afraid of him to the extent Kezia was, I was certainly intimidated by his presence and careful about what I said and did around him. My mother, much like Kezia’s, was the more affectionate parent who was always there to comfort me.

However, as I have grown older, my perception of my parents has changed dramatically. I now understand that my father’s sternness was not a lack of love, but a reflection of his own hardworking nature and the responsibilities he bore. He showed his love through his actions of providing for the family, rather than through emotional gestures. My parents’ behaviour towards me has also changed. We have become more open and understanding with each other. They now listen to my opinions, and I, in turn, have developed a greater appreciation for their perspective and sacrifices.

I believe both my parents and I have become more understanding over the years. I have learned to see things from their point of view, and they have become more receptive to mine. To further strengthen our relationship, I would like to take some steps. I plan to spend more quality time with them, engaging in conversations about their lives and not just mine. I also want to express my appreciation for all they do more often. Open communication and a conscious effort to listen to each other will be key to building a relationship based on mutual understanding and love.