NCERT SolutionsClass 10For Anne Gregory Class 10 English Poem – NCERT Questions & Answers with Hindi Translation
For Anne Gregory by W. B. Yeats is a poem from the Class 10 English First Flight textbook.…
The Tale of Custard the Dragon Class 10 English Poem – NCERT Questions & Answers with Hindi Translation
The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash is a humorous poem from the Class 10 English First Flight textbook. The poem tells the story of Belinda and her unusual pets and shows how appearances can sometimes be misleading. Although Custard is considered a coward by the others, he proves his real courage when a pirate appears. This page provides easy and exam-oriented NCERT question answers, Hindi translation, simple explanations, central idea, theme, message and important poetic devices to help students prepare effectively for their Class 10 English examination
Question 1: Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
Answer:
The main characters and their pet names are:
- Belinda – a young girl
- Ink – her black kitten
- Blink – her grey mouse
- Mustard – her yellow dog
- Custard – her pet dragon
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कविता के मुख्य पात्र और उनके नाम इस प्रकार हैं:
- Belinda – एक छोटी लड़की
- Ink – उसकी काली बिल्ली
- Blink – उसका धूसर चूहा
- Mustard – उसका पीला कुत्ता
- Custard – उसका पालतू ड्रैगन
Question 2: Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?
Answer:
Custard wanted a safe cage because he was afraid of danger and preferred to stay protected. The other animals called him a “cowardly dragon” because he always asked for safety and did not show the bravery they claimed to have.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कस्टर्ड एक सुरक्षित पिंजरा चाहता था क्योंकि वह खतरे से डरता था और सुरक्षित रहना पसंद करता था। दूसरे जानवर उसे “कायर ड्रैगन” कहते थे क्योंकि वह हमेशा सुरक्षा चाहता था और उनके अनुसार बहादुरी नहीं दिखाता था।
Question 3: “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful...” Why? Or Why did Belinda tickle the dragon?
Answer:
Belinda tickled Custard because she wanted to tease him and make fun of his fearful nature. She and the other pets often laughed at him for being afraid.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
बेलिंडा कस्टर्ड को इसलिए गुदगुदाती थी क्योंकि वह उसे चिढ़ाना और उसके डरपोक स्वभाव का मज़ाक उड़ाना चाहती थी। वह और दूसरे पालतू जानवर उसके डरने पर अक्सर उसका मज़ाक उड़ाते थे।
Question 4: The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example, “Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile. Can you list some more poetic devices used in this poem?
Answer:
Some important poetic devices used in the poem are:
- Simile: “Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon”
- Alliteration: “Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears”
- Repetition: “Suddenly, suddenly”
- Onomatopoeia: “Clash”, “growled”, “snorting”
- Personification: The animals are given human qualities and behaviour.
- Hyperbole: The characters make exaggerated claims about their bravery.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कविता में प्रयोग किए गए कुछ प्रमुख काव्य उपकरण हैं:
- उपमा (Simile): “Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon”
- अनुप्रास (Alliteration): “Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears”
- पुनरावृत्ति (Repetition): “Suddenly, suddenly”
- ध्वनि-अनुकरण (Onomatopoeia): “Clash”, “growled”, “snorting”
- मानवीकरण (Personification): जानवरों को मनुष्यों जैसी भावनाएँ और व्यवहार दिए गए हैं।
- अतिशयोक्ति (Hyperbole): पात्र अपनी बहादुरी को बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर बताते हैं।
Question 5: Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
Answer:
The dragon is described as a large and frightening creature. He has sharp teeth, big claws, a scaly body and a fierce appearance. His appearance makes him look dangerous and powerful.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
ड्रैगन को एक बड़े और डरावने जीव के रूप में बताया गया है। उसके तेज दाँत, बड़े पंजे, शल्कों से ढका शरीर और भयानक रूप है। उसका रूप उसे खतरनाक और शक्तिशाली दिखाता है।
Question 6: Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
Answer:
The poem mainly follows the rhyme scheme AABB in its stanzas. For example, the ending words of the first stanza follow a pattern where the first two lines rhyme and the next two lines rhyme.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कविता के अधिकांश पदों में AABB तुक योजना दिखाई देती है। उदाहरण के लिए, पहले दो वाक्यों के अंतिम शब्द आपस में तुक मिलाते हैं और अगले दो वाक्य भी आपस में तुक मिलाते हैं।
Question 7: Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Answer:
The poem creates many clear images, such as:
- A large and frightening dragon with sharp teeth and claws.
- A pirate entering the house with weapons.
- Custard facing the pirate bravely.
- The pirate running away in fear.
- Custard making frightening sounds and moving towards the pirate.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कविता में कई स्पष्ट चित्रात्मक दृश्य बनाए गए हैं, जैसे:
- तेज दाँतों और पंजों वाला बड़ा और डरावना ड्रैगन।
- हथियारों के साथ घर में प्रवेश करता हुआ समुद्री डाकू।
- कस्टर्ड का बहादुरी से समुद्री डाकू का सामना करना।
- डरकर भागता हुआ समुद्री डाकू।
- कस्टर्ड की डरावनी आवाज़ें और समुद्री डाकू की ओर बढ़ना।
Question 8: Do you find “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
The poem is light-hearted and humorous. The funny names of the characters, their exaggerated claims of bravery and the unexpected actions of Custard make the poem entertaining. The poem also gives the message that true courage is shown through actions, not words.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
यह कविता हास्यपूर्ण और मनोरंजक है। पात्रों के मजेदार नाम, उनकी बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर कही गई बहादुरी और कस्टर्ड के अचानक किए गए साहसी कार्य कविता को मनोरंजक बनाते हैं। कविता यह संदेश भी देती है कि सच्ची बहादुरी बातों से नहीं, बल्कि कार्यों से दिखाई देती है।
What is the central idea of the poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”?
Answer:
The poem shows that true courage is proved by actions, not by words. Custard is called a coward because he is afraid of danger, but when the pirate appears, he bravely faces him. The poem also teaches us not to judge others only by their appearance or claims.
हिंदी अनुवाद:
कविता बताती है कि सच्ची बहादुरी बातों से नहीं, बल्कि कार्यों से साबित होती है। कस्टर्ड को डरपोक कहा जाता है, लेकिन जब समुद्री डाकू आता है, तो वह साहस के साथ उसका सामना करता है। कविता यह भी सिखाती है कि हमें किसी व्यक्ति को केवल उसके रूप या बातों के आधार पर नहीं परखना चाहिए।