Chapter 3 – The Selfish Giant Solutions

Content Structure

  • 1. About the author – (Oscar Wilde)
  • 2. Theme
  • 3. Summary
  • 4. Unit wise explanation
    • Unit – I
    • Unit – II
  • 5. Word meanings
  • 6. Comprehension Check
    • Unit – I
    • Unit – II
  • 7. Exercise questions & answers
  • 8. Additional questions & answers
    • Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)
      • Unit – I
      • Unit – II
    • Fill in the blanks
    • True or false
    • Match the following
    • Short-type questions & answers
      • Unit – I
      • Unit – II
    • Long-type questions & answers

1. About the author – (Oscar Wilde)

Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish writer who lived in the 19th century. He was known for his unique style, elegant dress, bold personality, clever jokes, and sharp sense of humor. He wrote many famous books, plays, and stories, like An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance, and The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

2. Theme

  • First, the story shows that being selfish can make us lonely.
  • Second, it teaches that kindness builds a good heart and brings happiness.
  • Third, the author shows that sharing with others makes them happy.

3. Summary

In this story, Oscar Wilde wants to teach us that when we don’t share and only think about ourselves, we can become lonely and sad. The story is about a selfish giant who did not want any children to play in his beautiful garden. He built a big wall around it and put up a signboard that said, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” Because of this, no children came, and the giant became lonely. His beautiful garden turned cold and quiet. Snow, frost, and the cold north wind stayed in the garden all the time and the giant felt very unhappy. One day, the giant saw some children coming through a small hole in the wall. They were climbing a tree. Suddenly, he noticed that spring had come back to the garden. Flowers bloomed, and birds began to sing again. The giant understood that he had been selfish. He felt guilty and decided to allow all the children to play in his garden. Many years later, on a cold winter morning, the children came to the garden and saw the giant lying peacefully under a tree, covered with soft white flowers. The tree was shining with silver and gold. It looked beautiful and magical.

The story teaches us that if we do not share with others, we can become lonely. But when we share and care, it brings happiness to others and also to ourselves.

4. Unit wise explanation

Unit – I

Every afternoon, children happily played in a beautiful garden filled with soft green grass, colorful flowers, and tall peach trees. One day, the selfish giant returned home after visiting his friend, the Churlish Ogre. When he saw the children playing in his garden, he angrily told them to leave. He built a wall around the garden and put up a signboard that said, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” The children felt sad because the road outside the garden was covered with stones, making it difficult for them to play happily. After some days, spring and summer arrived everywhere, but the giant’s garden was still in winter. The garden was always covered with a thick blanket of snow. The trees and flowers never bloomed, birds never sat on the trees to sing, and the north wind and hail always stayed in the garden. After a long time, one day, the giant heard a beautiful birdsong.

Unit – II

One day, the giant looked out of the window and saw that his garden was divided into two parts—one part was in spring, but the other part was still in winter. He noticed that wherever the children played in the trees, the trees were blooming, but the rest of the garden remained frozen in winter. While the children, all were happily playing and climbing trees, except for one small boy who was too little to climb a tree. He stood crying because he couldn’t reach the branches. At that moment, the giant realized how selfish he had been and understood his mistake. So, he went over and gently helped the small child climb the tree. Then, spring returned to his whole garden, and the trees bloomed beautifully. Many years passed, and the giant grew old. One winter morning, he saw a special kind of winter covering all the trees with silver and gold. Then, he noticed a little boy standing sadly under a tree. The giant felt worried and walked over to the boy to ask, “Who hurt you?” The little boy smiled and said kindly, “These are the marks of love.” Then he gently said, “Come with me to my garden. It is called paradise.” Later that afternoon, when the other children came to play in the giant’s garden, they saw the giant lying peacefully under the tree. His body was covered with soft white flowers. He looked calm and happy, as if he were resting forever.

5. Word meanings

Word Meaning
DelicateSoft and easy to break
GruffRough and unfriendly
OgreA big, scary monster
TrespassersPeople who enter without permission
ProsecutedPunished for breaking rules
PleasedFeeling happy
CloakA long, loose coat
Wrapped in fursCovered in soft fur to stay warm
HailSmall ice balls falling from the sky
RattledMade a shaking sound
Linnet:A small singing bird
CasementA window that opens like a door
Ceased roaringStopped making noise
TwitteringSoft bird sounds
BitterlyIn a very sad way
BentNot straight
Stole upMoved quietly
FeebleVery weak
AdmiredLiked a lot
MerelyJust
slayTo kill
ParadiseA perfect place

6. Comprehension Check

Unit – I

1. Why is the Giant called selfish?
Ans: The Giant was called selfish because he did not want to share his garden with the children. So, he built a big wall to keep them out. He wanted the whole garden just for himself.

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 the cases?
Ans: In the first line, the children are talking about the time when they were playing in the giant’s garden. They felt very happy because the garden was big, beautiful, and full of flowers and trees.
In the second line, they are remembering the happy times they had in the garden in the past. They could not play there anymore, so they felt sad and missed those fun days. Both lines show that the children really enjoyed playing in the garden and now they miss it because time has passed.

3. (i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here?
(ii) Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.
Ans:
(i) Winter stands for the giant’s loneliness and sadness. He did not allow the children to play in his garden. So, even when it was spring in other places, his garden stayed cold and quiet. This shows that being selfish can make us feel lonely and unhappy.
(ii) In the story, Winter is shown as if it is alive. The snow covered the ground, the frost painted the trees white, the north wind blew loudly, and the hail knocked on the roof. The garden stayed cold and quiet. But when the children came back, the winter characters left, and spring returned with flowers, sunshine, and happiness.

4. Was the Giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?
Ans: The Giant was sad because his beautiful garden was covered with snow. The birds were not singing and there were no flowers. All the other gardens were full of life and blooming but his garden stayed cold and frozen.

5. What effect did the linnet’s song have over Hail and the North Wind?
Ans: The linnet’s song brought warmth and joy to the garden. When the bird started singing, hail stopped falling, and the north wind became quiet. They understood that spring had come and it was time for them to leave.

Unit – II

1. (i) The Giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see?
(ii) What did he realise on seeing it?
Ans:
(i) The giant saw a very beautiful and surprising sight. His garden was divided into two parts. In one part, where the children were playing, it was spring. The trees had flowers, the grass was green, and birds were singing. But the other part, where no children were playing, was still in winter. It was cold and covered with snow.
(ii) When the giant saw this, he understood that it was all his fault. He had been selfish because he did not allow the children to play in his garden, so winter stayed for a long time.

2. Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?
Ans: One corner of the Giant’s garden was still in winter because no children were playing there. The author shows that the presence and joy of children bring warmth and beauty, just like spring.

3. Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the giant.
Ans: The giant first saw the little boy in his garden when he realized his mistake. The boy was crying because he was too small to climb a tree. Seeing this, the kind giant went over and gently helped him climb up.

4. Describe their second meeting after a long interval.
Ans: The giant met the little boy again after many years. It was a cold winter morning and the boy was standing under a tree in the garden. The giant saw marks on the boy’s hands and feet and felt worried. But the boy smiled and told him that those were the wounds of love. Then the boy gently said, “Come with me to my garden. It is called Paradise.” The giant understood that the boy had come to take him to a peaceful and happy place forever.

5. The Giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?
Ans: This sentence shows that the once selfish giant had changed and become kind. Earlier, he did not allow the children to play in his garden. But after he realized his mistake, he welcomed them and became a kind and loving person. The white blossoms on him show his goodness and a pure heart.

7. Exercise questions & answers

Discuss the following topics in groups.

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.
Ans: The child reminds us of Jesus Christ because Jesus also had nail marks on his hands and feet. In the story, the child is shown as a symbol of love, beauty, and happiness.

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?
Ans: A garden like this is not near my home, but I would love to have one. A garden is a peaceful and joyful place where children can play. The roads around here are full of dust and stones, making them unsafe for children to play on.

8. Additional questions & answers

Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

Unit – I

1. How many peach trees were there?
(a) Fifteen
(b) Eighteen
(c) Twelve
(d) Twenty

Ans: (c) Twelve

2. What grew on the peach trees in spring?
(a) Apples
(b) Pink and pearl flowers
(c) Bananas
(d) Grapes

Ans: (b) Pink and pearl flowers

3. Why was the road bad?
(a) Too dark
(b) Too dusty
(c) Too small
(d) Always raining

Ans: (b) Too dusty

4. What season came everywhere except the Giant’s garden?
(a) Summer
(b) Winter
(c) Spring
(d) Autumn

Ans: (c) Spring

5. What happened to a flower when it saw the notice board?
(a) It grew taller
(b) It hid back in the ground
(c) It turned into a tree
(d) It flew away

Ans: (b) It hid back in the ground

6. What did the frost do to the trees?
(a) Broke them
(b) Painted them silver
(c) Made them grow faster
(d) Burned them

Ans: (b) Painted them silver

7. Who did the North Wind invite to the garden?
(a) The Rain
(b) The Sun
(c) The Hail
(d) The Flowers

Ans: (c) The Hail

8. What did the Autumn give to every garden except the Giant’s?
(a) Trees
(b) Flowers
(c) Snow
(d) Golden fruit

Ans: (d) Golden fruit

9. What did the Hail do?
(a) Warmed the castle
(b) Broke the roof
(c) Painted it
(d) Made flowers grow

Ans: (b) Broke the roof

10. Why did Autumn not give fruit to the Giant’s garden?
(a) The Giant was too selfish
(b) The children were not there
(c) The trees were too small
(d) The birds flew away

Ans: (a) The Giant was too selfish

11. What happened after the bird sang?
(a) The Hail stopped
(b) The North Wind became quiet
(c) Flowers bloomed into the garden
(d) All of the above

Ans: (d) All of the above

12. What did the Giant do when he thought Spring had come?
(a) He went back to sleep
(b) He jumped out of bed
(c) He closed the windows
(d) He shouted at the children

Ans: (b) He jumped out of bed

Unit – II

1. How did the children enter the garden?
(a) Through the gate
(b) Through a hole in the wall
(c) Over the roof
(d) Through the river

Ans: (b) Through a hole in the wall

2. Where did the boy invite the giant?
(a) The castle
(b) Paradise
(c) The village
(d) The sky

Ans: (b) Paradise

3. What did the giant see on the boy’s hands?
(a) Nail marks
(b) Rings
(c) Flowers
(d) A crown

Ans: (a) Nail marks

4. What did the boy call his wounds?
(a) Wounds of war
(b) Wounds of Love
(c) Magic wounds
(d) Tiny scratches

Ans: (b) Wounds of Love

5. What covered the Giant’s body?
(a) Snow
(b) Flowers
(c) Leaves
(d) White blossoms

Ans: (d) White blossoms

Fill in the blanks

1. The trees were happy because the ________________ had returned. (children)
2. The giant heard beautiful _______________ one morning. (birds sing)
3. The sign on the wall said, “_______________ will be prosecuted.” (Trespassers)
4. The children had nowhere to play except the __________________. (road)
5. The children loved to play in the _______________. (garden)
6. The Snow and the Frost were _________________ in the garden. (happy)
7. The giant helped the boy climb into the _________________. (tree)
8. The giant grew old and sat in a big ________________ watching the children play. (armchair)
9. The little boy stretched out his arms and _________________ the giant. (hugged)
10. The giant became ______________ and let the children play in his garden. (kind)

True or false

1. In the end, the little boy took the Giant to paradise. (True)

2. The giant never changed until the end. (False)

3. The children loved the giant. (False)

4. The giant’s garden is always still in winter when the children do not come. (True)

5. The giant did not help the little boy to climb the tree. (False)

6. The giant loved the linnet bird’s music. (True)

7. At the end of the story, the little boy was Jesus. (True)

8. The giant goes with the little boy at the hail. (False)

9. The notice board in the garden said, “Welcome only children.” (False)

10. The giant opened the garden for her selfishness. (False)

Match the following

Column AColumn B
(i) The Giant’s gardena) Went to paradise with the little boy
(ii) In the end, the Giantb) Had nail marks on his hands and feet
(iii) Spring did not comec) To let the children play
(iv) The Giant broke the walld) Stayed in the garden all year
(v) The little boye) Because the Giant was selfish
(vi) The Snow and Frostf) Had no children, so it was always winter

Ans:

Column AColumn B
(i) The Giant’s gardenf) Had no children, so it was always winter
(ii) In the end, the Gianta) Went to paradise with the little boy
(iii) Spring did not comee) Because the Giant was selfish
(iv) The Giant broke the wallc) To let the children play
(v) The little boyb) Had nail marks on his hands and feet
(vi) The Snow and Frostd) Stayed in the garden all year

Short-type questions & answers

Unit – I

1. Describe the character of the giant.
Ans: At the beginning of the story, the giant was selfish. He did not want to share his beautiful garden with the children so he built a big wall to keep them out. But by the end of the story the giant realized that being selfish only made him unhappy. He changed and became kind and He allowed the children to play in his garden.

2. Describe the beauty of the giant’s garden when children played in it.
Ans: When the children played in the giant’s garden, it became a magical place. The soft green grass spread out everywhere, and colorful flowers bloomed all around shining like stars. There were twelve tall peach trees that grew sweet, juicy fruit. Birds flew around and sang beautiful songs making the garden feel peaceful and happy.

3. Describe the winter beauty of the giant’s garden.
Ans: In winter the giant’s garden looked cold and empty. The ground was covered with a thick layer of snow, and frost covered everything. The trees had no leaves, and the flowers were hidden under the snow. The garden was very quiet because there were no birds singing.

4. Why were the children sad?
Ans: The children were sad because the giant did not allow them to play in his beautiful garden. They had no other safe and fun place to play so they had to play on the dusty road which was full of sharp stones. It made them feel unhappy.

5. How did spring return to the giant’s garden?
Ans: Spring returned to the giant’s garden when the children arrived and began playing. Flowers bloomed, the grass turned soft and green, and birds came back to sing in the trees. The garden became bright.

Unit – II

1. Why did the giant break down the wall?
Ans: The giant realized that sharing brings happiness so he broke down the wall and allowed the children to play in his garden every afternoon.

2. Where did the giant go at the end of the story and why?
Ans: At the end of the story, the giant met a little boy who had nail marks on his hands and feet. The boy took the giant to a beautiful place called Paradise as a reward for the giant’s kindness and for allowing the children to play in his garden. This was the giant’s reward for changing from being selfish to being kind.

3. “I have many beautiful flowers.” – What does “flowers” mean here?
Ans: In this line the giant is talking about the children. He calls them “flowers” because, like flowers in a garden the children brought beauty, happiness and life to it. When the children played in the garden, they made it joyful and bright.

Long-type questions & answers

1. What lesson does the story “The Selfish Giant” teach us?
Ans: In the story “The Selfish Giant,” Oscar Wilde teaches us that sharing brings happiness and makes others happy too. The story is about a selfish giant who did not want to share his garden with the children. As a result, his garden lost its beauty and he felt lonely. He did not realize that the beauty of the garden came from the children’s happiness. But when the children returned, the garden became beautiful again and the giant realized that he had been selfish. He changed his ways and started enjoying time with the children. This story teaches us that when we share with others, we bring happiness to both them and ourselves.

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