Q1. [5]
Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Weeck! Which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Read the given extract and answer the questions.
- I What inference can be drawn from the repetition of 'suddenly, suddenly' in the above extract? [1]
- A The scene shook the house
- B It highlights the swift assault
- C It emphasises that an unexpected noise was heard
- D It directs our notice to Mustard's growling
- II Despite its symbolism of captivity, what leads Custard to have a preference for staying in a cage? [2]
- III Select the option that applies the same rhyme scheme as the lines of the first four lines of the given extract: [1]
- A Through the telescope she saw a star / which she thought was very far / She stretched her hand / and felt the crumple of the sand.
- B Through the telescope she saw a star / She stretched her hand / As it was very far / But felt the crumple of the sand.
- C Through the telescope she saw a star / Which she thought was very far / Her hand she stretched / But felt the crumple of the sand.
- D Through the telescope she saw a star / Which she thought was very far / Her hand she stretched afar / But felt the crumple of the sand.
- IV In the given extract, The difference between the other animals and Custard is that Custard behaves like a ________ (coward / dragon). [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 2/4/1 Q7.A
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:16 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
I. C — It emphasises that an unexpected noise was heard.
II. Custard, the dragon, is mocked and ridiculed by Belinda and the other pets for being cowardly. Since he is never taken seriously, he longs for the safety and security that a cage provides. A cage, though a symbol of captivity, offers him protection from ridicule and danger. His desire shows how deeply the teasing affects him — he prefers imprisonment to the shame of being called a coward.
III. A — Through the telescope she saw a star / which she thought was very far / She stretched her hand / and felt the crumple of the sand.
(Rhyme scheme: AABB — star/far, hand/sand — matching house/mouse, age/cage.)
IV. Custard behaves like a coward.
Source: The Tale of Custard the Dragon, Stanza 2
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Explanation
- Sub-question I: "Suddenly, suddenly" stresses the abruptness/unexpectedness of the sound — option C is the best fit.
- Sub-question II (2 marks): Needs two points — (1) he is mocked, (2) so craves safety/security. Keep it focused on his emotional state, not general cage symbolism.
- Sub-question III: The first four lines rhyme AABB (house/mouse, age/cage). Option A gives star/far (AA) and hand/sand (BB) — the only exact AABB match.
- Sub-question IV: The extract directly shows the contrast — others laugh/growl boldly; Custard cries for a cage, making him the "coward."
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