Fable Poem Additional Questions and Answers

Content Structure

Additional Questions and Answers
- A. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)
- B. Fill in the blanks
- C. True or false
- D. Questions & answers
Grammar
- Sentence Splitting
- Sentence transformations

Additional Questions and Answers

A. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs) [1 mark each]

1. What is meant by ‘bun’?
(a) Mountain
(b) Cat
(c) Rabbit
(d) Squirrel

Ans: (d) Squirrel

2. Who is referred to as “very big” in the poem?
(a) Mountain
(b) Cat
(c) Rabbit
(d) Squirrel

Ans: (a) Mountain

3. Who was not ashamed to occupy his place?
(a) Mountain
(b) Cat
(c) Rabbit
(d) Squirrel

Ans: (d) Squirrel

4. Who cannot crack a nut?
(a) Mountain
(b) Cat
(c) Rabbit
(d) Squirrel

Ans: (a) Mountain

5. What is the form of the poem based on?
(a) Narration
(b) Description
(c) A conversation
(d) Storytelling

Ans: (c) A conversation

6. Who are the two characters involved in the quarrel in the poem?
(a) Talent and wisdom
(b) A nut and the squirrel
(c) The forest and the squirrel
(d) The mountain and the squirrel

Ans: (d) The mountain and the squirrel

7. In “And the former called the latter ‘Little Prig’.“ the word ‘former’ refers to
(a) The mountain
(b) The squirrel
(c) Both a/b
(d) Neither/nor

Ans: (a) The mountain

8. According to the squirrel, all the weather together makes
(a) The earth
(b) The year
(c) The nature
(d) All of these

Ans: (b) The year

9. Who is shown to be smaller in size compared to the other in the poem?
(a) Mountain
(b) Tree
(c) Forest
(d) Sphere

Ans: (a) Mountain

10. The word ‘spry’ suggests that the squirrel is
(a) Lively
(b) Small
(c) Large
(d) Intelligent

Ans: (a) Lively

11. Who is the poet of the poem?
(a) John Keats
(b) John Clare
(c) Judith Wright
(d) Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ans: (d) Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. What is the tone of the poem?
(a) Humorous
(b) Critical
(c) Funny
(d) Funny

Ans: (a) Humorous

13. What is Bun not ashamed to do in the poem?
(a) Occupy its place
(b) Occupy a tree
(c) Occupy a whole mountain
(d) Be called Bun

Ans: (a) Occupy its place

14. What differs from one person to another?
(a) Size
(b) Shape
(c) Appearance
(d) Talents

Ans: (d) Talents

15. Who is referred to as “spry” in the poem?
(a) Mountain
(b) Squirrel
(c) Nut
(d) Forest

Ans: (b) Squirrel

B. Fill in the blanks [1 mark each]

1. The mountain is as small as the ________________. (squirrel)
2. The mountain called the squirrel ______________. (a little prig)
3. Bun replied, “You are __________________ very big.” (doubtless)
4. ________________ make a pretty track for a squirrel. (Talent)
5. The squirrel is not as large as __________________. (a mountain)
6. To occupy my place, I think it no _____________. (disgrace)
7. _______________ carries the forests on his back. (the mountain)
8. The mountain and the squirrel had a _________________. (quarrel)
9. All _________________ of things and weather must be taken together. (sorts)
10. The mountain makes _____________ tracks for squirrels. (pretty)

C. True or false [1 mark each]

1. The mountain and the squirrel were good friends. (False)
S/S: The mountain and the squirrel quarreled, not a friendship.

2. The squirrel is not as large as a mountain. (True)
S/S: The squirrel is not as large as the mountain.

3. Talents are the same; all is unwell and wisely put. (False)
S/S: Talents differ; all is well and wisely put.

4. The mountain is very small compared to a squirrel. (False)
S/S: The mountain is not as small as a squirrel.

5. The mountain carries the forest on its back. (True)
S/S: The mountain can carry the forest on its back.

6. The mountain called the squirrel “little bat.” (False)
S/S: The mountain called the squirrel “little prig.”

D. Questions & answers [2 marks each]

1. What is a fable?
Ans: A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson. It usually shows animals acting and speaking like humans to make the story more interesting and meaningful. Fables help both children and adults learn important values in a fun way.

2. “You are doubtless very big.” Who said this to whom?
Ans: The squirrel said this line to the mountain during their quarrel. The mountain was proud of being big; the squirrel agreed but said that size by itself doesn’t mean everything.

3. What is it that the squirrel doesn’t deny?
Ans: The squirrel agrees that the mountain is large and it creates a beautiful track for it to run on.

4. “And the former called the latter” – Who are referred to here as ‘The former ’and ‘the latter’?
Ans: The former refers to the mountain, and the latter refers to the squirrel. This line shows that the mountain called the squirrel a “little prig” during their argument in the poem.

5. What is the theme of the poem ‘Fable’?
Ans: The poem focuses on the idea that everyone has their own strengths and values, no matter how big or small they are. It reminds us that differences make the world interesting, and every individual has something meaningful to offer.

6. “Talents differ, all is well and wisely put”—what did the poet want to say by this line?
Ans: The poet meant that people have different talents. Everything in the world is well-balanced and wisely arranged. Every person has an important role to play in the world.

7. What does the squirrel say is not a disgrace, and why?
Ans: The squirrel said that being small or having a different role than the mountain was not a disgrace. It is believed that every creature has its own talent and strength, whether it is small or big.

8. Which adjective does the poet use to describe the squirrel’s mountain track?
Ans: The poet uses the adjective “light” to describe the mountain track for the squirrel. In the context, light means easy, gentle, and not heavy, showing that the path is comfortable for the squirrel to run.

9. What is needed to complete a year or a sphere?
Ans: The squirrel said that a variety of things, like different weather, seasons, and twelve months are all needed to make a year or to complete a sphere.

10. Why did the mountain call the squirrel a ‘little prig’?
Ans: The mountain called the squirrel a “little prig” because the squirrel said that, although the mountain was big and strong, it couldn’t do everything. For example, the mountain couldn’t crack a nut like the squirrel. The mountain didn’t like this and made fun of the squirrel by calling it a “little prig,” which means someone who acts a bit too proud or full of themselves.

11. What does Bun say about ‘talents’?
Ans: Bun says that everyone has different talents and these differences are both important and natural. The squirrel explains that it can not carry a forest on its back and in the same way, a mountain can not crack a hard nut. These differences show that everyone has their own role and all are important in their own way.

12. What is the squirrel’s opinion about itself?
Ans: The squirrel has a positive and self-assured opinion about itself. It is very confident in its skills, like cracking nuts, and believes it has a valuable role to play in the world. It also believes that all creatures, including itself, offer something essential to the balance of nature.

Grammar

Sentence Splitting [1 mark each]

1. Bun was small but very quick.
Ans: Bun was small. He was very quick.

2. The squirrel ran up the tree and hid.
Ans: The squirrel ran up the tree. He hid there.

3. Bun replied wisely and calmly.
Ans: Bun replied wisely. He replied calmly.

4. Bun was quick and very clever.
Ans: Bun was quick. He was also very clever.

5. Bun cannot carry forests but can crack nuts.
Ans: Bun cannot carry forests. He can crack nuts.

6. Bun ran through the trees and hid quickly.
Ans: Bun ran through the trees. He hid quickly.

7. Bun climbed the tree quickly and safely.
Ans: Bun climbed the tree quickly. He climbed safely.

Sentence transformations [1 mark each]

1. The Mountain roared loudly. Bun replied calmly. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: While the Mountain roared loudly, Bun replied calmly.

2. The Mountain boasted. Bun replied. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: The Mountain boasted, but Bun replied.

3. Bun is clever. He is not strong. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: Bun is clever, but he is not strong.

4. Bun is spry. The Mountain is not spry. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: Bun is spry, whereas the Mountain is not spry.

5. The Mountain is very big. He is not very clever. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: Although the Mountain is very big, he is not very clever.

6. Bun cannot carry forests. He can crack nuts. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: Bun cannot carry forests, yet he can crack nuts.

7. The Mountain shouted. Bun stayed calm. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: While the Mountain shouted, Bun stayed calm.

8. The Mountain is strong. He cannot crack nuts. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: Although the Mountain is strong, he cannot crack nuts.

9. Bun is small. He is clever. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: Although Bun is small, he is clever.

10. Bun ran quickly. He was safe. (Simple → Complex)
Ans: Bun ran quickly so that he was safe.

11. Bun replied wisely. He proved his point. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: Bun replied wisely and proved his point.

12. The Mountain roared. The squirrel hid. (Simple → Compound)
Ans: The Mountain roared, and the squirrel hid.