WBBSE 10th Class English Solutions Chapter 5 Our Runaway Kite
West Bengal Board 10th Class English Solutions Chapter 5 Our Runaway Kite
WBBSE 10th Class English Solutions
Introduction
About the Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery (18741942 ) was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning in 1908 with ‘Anne of Green Gables’. She wrote numerous essays, poems and short stories. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, Canada on November 30, 1874. Montgomery worked as a teacher in various island schools. Montgomery did not enjoy her teaching career. She was, however, content with it because it offered her time write. to Beginning in 1897, she began to have her short stories published in various magazines and newspapers. A prolific talent, Montgomery had over 100 stories published from 1897 to 1907. In 1908, Montgomery published her first book, Anne of Green Gables’, which was an immediate success. During her lifetime, Montgomery published 20 novels, over 500 short stories, an autobiography, and a book of poetry.
Montgomery died on April 24, 1942. The L.M. Montgomery Institute, founded in 1993, at the University of Prince Edward Island, promotes scholarly enquiry into life, works, culture, and influence of L.M. Montgomery and co-ordinates most of the research and conferences surrounding her work. Her major collections are archived at the University of Guelph. The story Our Runaway Kite’ was anthologised in Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories: 1902 to 1903.
SUMMARY AND CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE STORY
The short story is about a brother and sister living on an isolated island with their father who through a series of incidents got reunited with their long-lost relatives. It is a touching tale that teaches us the value of relationships.
Big Half Moon is the island where the brother and sister lived with their father. Isolation was an essential part of their lives. In extreme frosty winter they had to go to the mainland for some warmth. There the children would find a world where most of the people lived with their relatives. Seeing this, the children would become morose as they had no other relative, as told by their father. So on the island they were not only physically isolated, but also emotionally bankrupt.
They could never imagine that a mere kite could give them back the warmth of relationships. It was fortunately a kite bearing their address. Still more fortunately it reached the long lost sister of their father. So it was a real joy for everyone. Their father got back his sister and the children got relatives and company.
The lost kite of two children led them to long-lost family members.
The story bears the message of human needs and warmth of human relationships. In our present world we are gradually becoming isolated and selfish. We have forgotten the joy of sharing happiness. The story gives us that lesson.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE
Since a lost kite brought a separated family together, the story is titled ‘Our Runaway Kite’. Since the kite had flown far away, the family could come together. The story reveals feelings of sadness caused by separation, and the joy of being united again. As the kite plays an important role in the construction of the plot, the title is contextual and apt.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. The keeper of the Big Half Moon lighthouse is-
A. Aunt Esther
B. Father
C. Claude
D. Dick
2. The family moved over to the mainland in –
A. summer
B. spring [
C. monsoon
D. winter
3. When asked about relations, Father looked –
A. happy
B. angry
C. sorrowful
D. irritated
4. Claude is the narrator’s —
A. cousin
B. younger sister
C. elder brother
D. friend
5. The age of the narrator is —
A. eleven
B. ten
C. twelve
D. thirteen
6. The age of Claude is –
A. twelve
B. twenty
C. thirty
D. twenty-one
7. The narrator and her family would sail back to their dear island with the arrival of –
A. winter
B. monsoon
C. spring
D. summer
8. People considered the narrator and her family to be –
A. happy
B. bothered
C. quarrelsome
D. lonesome
9. On the mainland, the narrator had –
A. relatives
B. no relations
C. two relatives
D. only one relative
10. The person who looked sorrowful was-
A. the narrator
B. the narrator’s father
C. Claude
D. aunt
11. According to the narrator, to have an uncle or someone like that would be so-
A. jolly
B. fearful
C. absurd
D. surprising
True or False
1. People felt that Claude and the narrator were lonesome on the Island.
Ans. True
2. Claude and the narrator quarrelled.
Ans. False
3. Nobody on the mainland had relations.
Ans. False
4. Claude and the narrator never felt the absence of any companion.
Ans. False
5. The writer’s father established relations with others.
Ans. False
6. The narrator understood each and every word of her
Ans. False
7. The harbour is frozen in winter.
Ans. True
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. We live on the Big Half Moon island. ‘We’ are ………….
Ans. We live on the Big Half Moon island. ‘We’ are Father and Claude and I and Aunt Esther and Mimi and Dick.
2. The narrator and Claude had to make …………..
Ans. The narrator and Claude had to make the most of each other.
3. …………… used to puzzle Claude and the narrator.
Ans. That father didn’t seem to have any relations, used to puzzle Claude and the narrator.
4. Father is the keeper of ……………
Ans. Father is the keeper of the lighthouse of the Big Half Moon.
5. In winter the family of the narrator had to move over ………….
Ans. In winter the family of the narrator had to move over to the mainland.
6. The narrator and Claude liked to play the game of …………..
Ans. The narrator and Claude liked to play the game of pirate caves.
7. Their return drew………………..
Ans. Their return drew pity for them among the mainland people.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is the ‘Big Half Moon’ in the story?
Ans. It is a small lonely island.
2. Primarily who lived on the Big Half Moon?
Ans. The narrator her father and her brother Claude lived on the Big Half Moon.
3. Why did the people feel pity for them?
Ans. People pitied the narrator’s family for their loneliness.
4. Who are the new members on the Big Half Moon island with the narrator?
Ans. The new members are Aunt Esther, Mimi and Dick.
5. Who were the cousins of the narrator?
Ans. The cousins of the narrator were Mimi and Dick.
6. What is the thing that was responsible for the reunion between the narrator’s family and her aunt’s ?
Ans. The kite was responsible for the reunion between the narrator’s family and her aunt’s.
7. What is the narrator’s father?
Ans. The narrator’s father is the keeper of the Big Half Moon lighthouse.
8. What was their father’s condition when they asked him about relatives?
Ans. When they asked their father about relatives, he looked very sorrowful.
9. What was their father’s remark about their not having any relative?
Ans. According to their father, it was all his fault.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. In summer, the Big Half Moon is always-
A. lovely
B. unpleasant
C. boring
D. dull
2. Back on the island, Claude and the narrator made plenty of –
A. puppets
B. masks
C. kites
D. envelopes
3. The kite was patched with a –
A. newspaper
B. letter
C. envelope
D. card
4. The Big Half Moon looked lovely during –
A. spring
B. summer
C. autumn
D. winter
5. The narrator and his playmates pretended to be –
A. robbers
B. adventurers
C. mountaineers
D. shipwrecked mariners
6. The narrator of the text is –
A. Dick
B. Mimi
C. Philippa
D. Claude
7. To play shipwrecked mariners, Claude used to go to –
A. the harbour
B. the other side of the island
C. top of Big Half Moon
D. the mainland
8. Claude and the narrator made plenty of kites when they were in the –
A. mainland
B. Big Half Moon
C. house of Dick and Mimi
D. lighthouse
9. Claude learnt to make kites from-
A. his father
B. the narrator
C. a boy on the island
D. a boy on the mainland
10. The narrator fell over the rocks while bringing the kite from the —
A. mainland
B. house
C. ship
D. cave
11. The kite was covered with lovely-
A. blue paper
B. red paper
C. yellow paper
D. green paper
12. The part of the narrator’s body that went through the kite was his —
A. elbow
B. ankle
C. knee
D. fingers
13. The kite was mended with a –
A. red paper
B. letter
C. leaflet
D. newspaper
Complete the following sentences with Information from the text:
1. A boy on the mainland showed ……………..
Ans. A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make kites.
2. On the kite Claude and the narrator pasted ……………..
Ans. On the kite Claude and the narrator pasted gold tinsel stars.
3. Claude was standing with ……………..
Ans. Claude was standing with a bit of cord in his hand, looking foolish.
4. The visitors of the island last summer were ……………..
Ans. The visitors of the island last summer were Dick and Mimi.
5. The name of the lighthouse was ……………..
Ans. The name of the lighthouse was Big Half Moon lighthouse.
6. When it is fine, the harbour is ……………..
Ans. When it is fine, the harbour is blue and calm, with little wind and ripples.
7. Claude and the narrator would play ……………..
Ans. Claude and the narrator would play shipwrecked mariners signalling to each other with kites.
8. One day, there was a grand wind for ……………..
Ans. One day, there was a grand wind for kite-flying.
9. They rushed into the lighthouse ……………..
Ans. They rushed into the lighthouse to get some paper. [তারা তাড়াহুড়ো করে বাতিঘরে ঢুকেছিল কিছু কাগজের জন্য।]
10. As there was no red paper ……………..
Ans. As there was no red paper they took the first thing that came handy-an old letter lying on the bookcase in the sitting room.
11. They hurried to fix the kite because ……………..
Ans. They hurried to fix the kite because the wind might fall.
12. The kite went up like ……………..
Ans. The kite went up like a bird.
13. The kite soared on the wind which was ……………..
Ans. The kite soared on the wind which was glorious.
True or False
1. In summer the island is rough and windy.
Ans. False
2. They collected plenty of kites from the mainland.
Ans. False
3. The big kite was red in colour.
Ans. True
4. A big hole was created in the kite while the author was running with it.
Ans. False
5. The names of Claude and Philippa were written on the kite.
Ans. True
Answer the following questions:
1. How is the harbour described by the narrator in summer?
Ans. In summer, the harbour is fine, blue and calm, with little wind and ripples.
2. Who were crazy about kites?
Ans. The last summer before Mimi and Dick came the narrator and Claude were crazy about kites.
3. Who taught Claude how to make kites?
Ans. A boy on the mainland taught Claude how to make kites.
4. What was the address written on the red kite?
Ans. The address written there was of Big Half Moon lighthouse.
5. With what did they patch the kite up?
Ans. They patched the kite up with an old letter.
6. What game did they play with the kite?
Ans. The narrator and Claude would go to opposite sides of the island and would play shipwrecked mariners signalling to each other with kites.
7. How did the narrator tear the kite?
Ans. While bringing the kite from the house, the narrator tripped and fell over the rocks. Her elbow went clear through the kite, making a big hole.
8. How was the kite fixed by the author and Claude?
Ans. Claude and the narrator patched the kite with an old letter, pasting a sheet on each side. Then they dried it by the fire.
9. How did the kite fly after it had been mended?
Ans. After the kite had been mended it went up like a bird. The wind was glorious and the kite soared.
10. Why did Claude stand there looking foolish?
Ans. Claude was standing there looking foolish as the kite had sailed away over to the mainland.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
1. A letter came for Father after a —
A. day
B. week
C. fortnight
D. month
2. Father left home after quarrelling with his—
A. brother
B. sister
C. aunt
D. uncle
3. Dick and Mimi discovered the kite on the top of a —
A. roof
B. tree
C. lighthouse
D. light post
4. Aunt Esther turned pale –
A. as she was timid in nature
B. when she found her children
C. when she saw the kite patched with the letter
D. as she saw her brother after a long time
5. Aunt Esther had—
A. three children
B. one child
C. two children
D. no child
6. “She knew who we must be.” – Here we refers to-
A. the narrator and her father
B. the narrator and her brother
C. Aunt Esther and her brother
D. none of them
7. The letter that came for Father made him —
A. sad
B. happy
C. angry
D. repentant
8. Dick and Mimi were the narrator’s —
A. friend
B. cousins
C. neighbours
D. playmates
9. Father went back home after —
A. years
B. months
C. weeks
D. days
10. It was the very letter Aunt Esther had written to —
A. Claude
B. the narrator
C. Dick and Mimi
D. the narrator’s father
11. Father received a letter from his —
A. brother
B. sister
C. mother
D. aunt
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. When Father read the letter, ……………….
Ans. When Father read the letter, his eyes looked as if he had been crying.
2. Father went back and brought ……………….
Ans. Father went back and brought his sister Esther, Dick and Mimi.
3. Aunt Esther lived ……………….
Ans. Aunt Esther lived hundreds of miles inland.
4. Dick and Mimi discovered the kite on the top of a tree when ……………….
Ans. Dick and Mimi discovered the kite on the top of a tree when they were out in the woods.
5. The narrator’s brother was named after her ……………….
Ans. The narrator’s brother was named after her grandfather.
6. The names of Aunt Esther’s parents were ……………….
Ans. The names of Aunt Esther’s parents were Philippa and Claude.
7. The narrator’s father felt sorry for……………….
Ans. The narrator’s father felt sorry for quarrelling with his brother and leaving home.
8. When Aunt Esther saw the letter, she ……………….
Ans. When Aunt Esther saw the letter, she turned pale.
9. The best of it all is ……………….
Ans. The best of it all is that the narrator and her family have relations.
True or False
1. The narrator’s father told them a fairy tale.
Ans. False
2. The narrator’s father had a brother and two sisters.
Ans. False
3. Father had quarrelled with his sister.
Ans. False
4. Years afterward, Father went back to find his brother dead.
Ans. True
5. Dick and Mimi were Aunt Esther’s parents.
Ans. False
6. The kite was discovered on top of a lighthouse.
Ans. False
7. The kite was patched with the letter written by Aunt Esther years ago.
Ans. False
8. Now Aunt Esther permanently lives in Big Half Moon island.
Ans. True
9. The narrator and her family have relations now.
Ans. True
Answer the following questions very briefly:
1. What did Father find when he went back home years afterward?
Ans. Father found that his brother had died and his sister was missing.
2. Where did Aunt Esther live?
Ans. Aunt Esther lived hundreds of miles inland.
3. Why did Aunt Esther turn pale ?
Ans. Aunt Esther turned pale seeing the letter stuck on the kite. It was the same letter she had once written to her brother, and the names Claude and Philippa were those of her parents.
4. What was the condition of the narrator’s father after reading the letter?
Ans. After reading the letter, the narrator’s father was crying.
5. How did Dick and Mimi find the kite?
Ans. They discovered the kite on top of a tree in the woods.
6. Why did the narrator’s father leave home?
Ans. The narrator’s father left home after quarrelling with his brother.
7. Which story did the narrator’s father tell the narrator and her brother?
Ans. Father had a brother and a sister. He had quarrelled with his brother and left home. Years afterward, he felt sorry, and when he went back, he found that his brother had died and his sister was lost.
8. How did Dick and Mimi get the kite?
Ans. One day Dick and Mimi were out in the woods. There they discovered the kite on top of a tree and carried it home.