NCERT English Class 8 | Chapter 3 | The Selfish Giant | Question Answer |

COMPREHENSION CHECK I                                                       PAGE 20

1. Why is the Giant called selfish?

Answer: The Giant is called selfish because he banned children from playing in his garden. He built a wall too around his garden and put a notice board with the warning “trespassers will be prosecuted”.

2. On one occasion the children said: “How happy we are here!” Later they said: “How happy we were there!” What are they referring to in both cases?

Answer: “How happy we are here!” is referring to the Giant’s garden where the children used to come after school and played together.

“How happy we were there!” is also referring to the Giant’s garden, but they are talking about the past. How happy they were before the Giant came into the garden. So, we can say that they are referring to the Giant’s garden in both cases.

3. (i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here?

Answer: Here, the winter indicates a negative, lonely and lifeless environment. In this environment, trees and flowers don’t blossom, birds don’t sing and children don’t play. All these bring sadness and laziness.

    (ii) Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their  activities. Describe the story in your own words.

Answer: When the spring comes, the birds don’t sing because there are no children in the garden. Similarly, the trees don’t blossom, flowers go back into the grass after reading the notice board. They feel sad for the children. However, snow and frost are very happy. Snow has covered the grass and frost has fallen on the trees. They have invited north wind and hail as well to stay. The hail has rattled the roof of the castle every day for 3 hours until some of them start breaking. It runs all around the garden as fast as it can.

4. Was the Giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?

Answer: The Giant was extremely sad over the state of the garden. It was only snow, frost, north wind and hail left in his garden. He couldn’t understand the reason behind the delay in spring. Why the spring was too late to come to his garden.

5. What effect did the linnet’s song have over Hail and the North Wind?

Answer: Hearing the Linnet song the hail stopped dancing and the north wind stopped roaring. Also, he could smell a delicious perfume through the window.

 

COMPREHENSION CHECK II                                                     PAGE 24

1. (i) The Giant saw the most wonderful sight. What did he see?

Answer: He saw that the children had crept in the garden through a hole in the wall. They were playing and sitting on the braches of the trees. Trees were glad to have children back in the garden. They were covered with blossoms. Birds were flying and twittering. Flowers were laughing too.

    (ii) What did he realise on seeing it?

Answer: He realised how selfish he had been and why the spring had not come to the garden.  Since he had banned children from playing in his garden, the spring didn’t come in his garden.

2. Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?

Answer: It was still winter in the corner of the garden because it was untouched by the children. Although a little boy was standing in front of the tree, he couldn’t climb the branches of the tree.

3. Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the Giant.

Answer: The first meeting between them was underneath the tree where the little boy was not able to climb the tree. The tree was covered with snow and frost. The Giant took him gently in his hands and put him on the tree. The tree at once blossomed, birds came and sang on it. The boy stretched his arms, flung around the Gaint’s neck and kissed him.

4. Describe their second meeting after a long interval.

Answer: The second meeting was on one winter morning. The Giant saw a lovely tree with white blossoms in the corner of his garden. The little boy was standing under the tree. He was wounded. He had a print of two nails on his hands and feet. The Giant was very angry. He asked the boy to tell the name who had done that, he would slay the man. The boy answered that those were the wounds of love. “Who are you?” said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him. The child smiled and said, “You shall come with me to my garden, which is paradise.”

5. The Giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?

Answer: It indicates that the Giant was blessed to live paradise after his death. He was no longer selfish, so he was covered with white blossoms which is a symbol of peace. It means the Giant had a peaceful death.

 

EXERCISE                                                                                                PAGE 24

1. The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. Who does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your Answer.

Answer: The child reminds us of Jesus Christ. When the boy meets the Giant second time, the Giant notices the imprints of nails the palms and the feet of the little boy. We know that when Jesus Christ was crucified, nails were dug into his palms and feet. It reminds of similar imprints on the boy’s palm and feet. Also, Jesus Christ had sacrificed his life for humanity and forgiven who caused him such pains. Similarly, the little boy told the Giant those were the wounds of love.

2. Is there something like this garden near where you live? Would you like one (without the Giant perhaps) and why? What would you do to keep it in good shape?

Answer: Students are advised to do it by themselves.