NCERT Solutions Class 8 English (It So Happened)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 8 English (It So Happened) Chapter – 5 Princess September has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English (It So Happened)
- Chapter – 1 : How the Camel Got His Hump
- Chapter – 2 : Children at Work
- Chapter – 3 : The Selfish Giant
- Chapter – 4 : The Treasure Within
- Chapter – 6 : The Fight
- Chapter – 7 : The Open Window
- Chapter – 8 : Jalebis
- Chapter – 9 : The Comet 1
- Chapter – 10 : The Comet 2
- Chapter – 11 : Ancient Education System of India
Chapter – 5 (Princess September)
Comprehension Check
1. How many daughters did the royal couple have?
Answer – The royal couple had nine daughters.
2. Why were they named after the months of the year?
Answer – Because of large number of daughters they found it convenient to name them after the months of the year.
3. The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?
Answer – The King’s peculiar habit was that instead of receiving gifts on his birthday, he gave them. It is called peculiar because usually, people receive gifts on their birthdays.
4. (i) What was Princess September’s reaction to the loss of her parrot?
Answer – Princess September burst into a flood of tears at the loss of her parrot. She kept crying and nothing comforted her.
(ii) What was her mother’s reaction to it?
Answer – Her mother declared it as nonsense, and said that she should go to bed without any supper.
(iii) What do the reactions indicate about the nature and temperament of each?
Answer – The princess September’s behaviour indicate that she was a sensitive, sentimental and kind hearted girl. The queen behaviour is little harsh. She did not understand her daughter’s grief and console her.
5. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?
Answer – The arrival of the little bird and its pleasant song lifted the princess out of gloom.
6. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?
Answer – When the Maids of Honour brought breakfast, they saw the bird eating rice from princess’ hands. After savouring the rice the bird sang a beautiful song. This was enough for the Maids of Honour to know about the new friendship of the princess and the little bird.
7. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?
Answer – All the old parrots said the same things, God save the king, and Pretty Polly in seven different languages.
8. What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?
Answer – The King said that his councillors said the same thing in several different ways which confused the matter.
9. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it?
Answer – The eight princesses offered to buy a lovely green and yellow parrot for Princess September by putting in all their pocket money.
(ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?
Answer – They did so because they were distressed by the fact that everybody was praising Princess September’s bird, which could sing. Their parrots looked sad and repeated the same things. They wanted her to have the same pet as they had.
10. What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?
Answer – The sisters advised the Princess to pop her bird into a cage when he came back from his father-in-law’s.
Comprehension Check
1. In the following sentence elaborate the parts given in bold. Under the circumstances it was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.
Answer – Under the circumstances – After Princess September’s sisters advised her about the singing bird, she was really worried about him. She feared that the little bird might forget her and start liking someone else and that she might lose her little lovely pet.
A very unfortunate remark – On returning, the bird said that it very nearly did not come back that night as its father-in-law was giving a party and had wanted it to stay. This was the last thing that the princess wanted to hear as it only confirmed her fears.
2. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet?
Answer – To ensure the safety of her pet, Princess September put it in the cage.
(ii) How did the bird react to it?
Answer – The bird didn’t like being trapped in a cage and felt like he was imprisoned. He felt that he had lost his freedom and gradually stopped singing and eating.
3. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?
Answer – The bird refused to be taken out in her cage because it was not the same thing as flying. It said that the rice fields, the lake and the willow trees looked quite different when seen through the bars of a cage.
4. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?
Answer – Princess September felt very bad when she saw her little pet lie lifeless inside the cage as he had stopped singing and eating too. This persuaded the Princess to let the little bird enjoy his freedom in the open air. Otherwise, she feared that he would die in captivity.
(ii) How did the bird react to it?
Answer – The bird said that it would come back because it loved her. It would sing the loveliest of songs for her. It would go far away, but would always come back and shall never forget her. Then, it flew away into the sky.
5. Princess September kept her window open day and night.
(i) How did it help the bird?
Answer – Princess September kept her window open day and night. This helped the little bird to come into her room and leave whenever he wanted.
(ii) How did it help the Princess herself?
Answer – Sleeping with the window open proved to be very good for the princess as she grew extremely beautiful because of this reason.
6. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?
Answer – The eight sisters grew extremely ugly and disagreeable. This was because they kept their windows shut.
Exercise
Discuss the following questions in small groups. Write their answers later.
1. Are the sisters unkind and cruel? Find evidence in the text to support your idea.
Answer – Yes, the sisters were unkind and cruel. When they saw that Princess September’s bird could sing and their parrots could only repeat two lines, they became distressed. They even offered to buy a green and yellow parrot for her. When she denied their offer, they talked her into putting her bird in the cage. After she had put the bird into the cage, it stopped eating and singing. When she consulted her sisters, they said it would soon get used to the cage. They even said that she should be firm, and if it died, then it would be very ungrateful of it. If it was obstinate and died, then it would serve it right. When she set the bird free, they mocked her and said that the bird would never return. All these instances show that they were very unkind and cruel.
2. Which, to you, is the most important idea in this story, and why?
(i) importance of music
(ii) value of freedom
(iii) beauty of nature
Answer – (ii) value of freedom – This is the most important idea of the entire story. It is known to all that freedom is the birthright of every living creature, and nobody should be denied it. Likewise, in the story, when the little bird is denied freedom, he loses his charm and always remains sad in captivity. He stopped eating and singing too. This indicates that the beauty of life lies in being free and not being in captivity. Hence, in a closed environment, any living creature tends to lose its charm and creativity.
