Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 Question Answers - A Gift of Chappals

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: Who is Mridu and with whom did Mridu go to Rukku Manni’s place?
Ans: Mridu is a young girl who went to Rukku Manni’s place along with her Tapi.

Ques 2: Why was Ravi dragging Mridu towards the backyard?
Ans: Ravi was dragging Mridu to the backyard to show her the newly found cat.

Ques 3: Why were the red chillies kept in the backyard?
Ans: Red chillies were kept in the backyard for drying.

Ques 4: The beggar was leaning against what in Ravi’s garden?
Ans: The beggar was leaning against the trunk of the neem tree in Ravi’s garden.

Ques 5: Mridu had noticed in front of Meena’s house a pair of chappals. Whom did they belong to?
Ans: The pair of chappals that Mridu had seen in front of Meena’s house belonged to the music teacher.

Ques 6: Who used to give away everything he had, which even included his gold earrings?
Ans:  Karna from Mahabharata used to give away everything he had, which even included his gold earrings.

Ques 7: With whom did the music teacher compare Ravi with?
Ans: The music teacher compared Ravi with the lord Hanuman and called him a Hanuman incarnate.

Short Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: What was in the cat’s name that pleased Mridu?
Ans: Ravi had named the kitten Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai, MP Poonai in short. They were calling him Mahendran. Mridu liked the name because it sounded real to her and was different from the usual cute names kept for cats in general.

Ques 2: How did Ravi link his cat with the Pallava kings?
Ans: Ravi felt that his cat was a descendant of the Rishi Cat of Mahabalipuram. He claimed that during his class trip to Mahabalipuram, he had seen a statue of a cat there which he believed was an ancestor of this cat. He felt that the lion in the emblem of the Pallava king was a close relative of his cat.

Ques 3: What made Ravi feel that Lalli would never learn to play the violin?
Ans: Ravi felt that Lalli would never learn to play violin. The music teacher used to play the perfect notes, but she kept on going off track.
It was like her train getting derailed again and again while the teacher’s was running smoothly on the track.

Ques 4: Why did Rukku Manni ask Ravi to send away the beggar?
Ans: Rukku Manni was fed up with the beggar coming to her place daily for over a week now. She was tired of giving him food and other items. She wanted him to find another house and stop coming to their place. So she asked Ravi to send him away.

Ques 5: What did the beggar feel about the ladies of the household?
Ans: The beggar felt that the ladies of the household were very kind. They have enabled him to survive for a week by giving him food to eat. He called them generous and found it hard to believe that they wanted to send him away.

Long Answer Type Questions

Ques 1: Describe Ravi’s character in the story.
Ans: Ravi was an intelligent child. He had good observation skills and possessed sound knowledge of history. He was playful, but had a good sense of humour. He managed to get milk for the kitten right under Paati’s eyes. He also applied his intelligence and gave the music teacher’s chappals to the beggar. He was kind and generous and remembered the story of Kama which Rukku Manni had told him.

Ques 2: Compare how the music teacher played the violin with that of Lalli’s.
Ans: The music teacher played the violin smoothly. His notes seemed to float up and then settled down perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody. His hand moved the violin’s stem effortlessly and produced a melodious sound. Lalli on the other hand seemed to struggle with the violin. The instrument appeared unhappy and helpless in her hands. She kept on missing the tracks and produced a kind of noise which even scared Mahendran.

Ques 3: Why was Ravi upset with the elders?
Ans: Ravi was upset with the elders because he had always been told by them to be kind towards animals, but whenever he had tried to do so, he had received screaming in return.
He had found the same elders calling these animals’ dirty creatures. Rukku Manni had told him about Karna who would give away everything he had to help others. Ravi had tried to help the beggar by giving away the music teacher’s chappals to him, but still Rukku Manni was angry with him.

Value Based Questions

Ques 1: Ravi and Meena gave away the chappals to the beggar. What does this teach us about kindness and generosity?

Ans: Kindness and generosity mean helping others without expecting anything in return. In the story, Ravi and Meena saw that the beggar had blisters on his feet and gave him a pair of chappals. This teaches us that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life. Helping those in need brings happiness and makes the world a better place.

Ques 2: The children gave away slippers without thinking about the consequences. Why is it important to balance kindness with responsibility?

Ans: While helping others is important, we should also consider the consequences of our actions. The children did a kind act, but they did not think about what would happen when the missing slippers were noticed. This teaches us that before making decisions, we should think carefully, be responsible, and ensure that our help does not create problems for others.

Ques 3: The beggar was grateful to receive the slippers. How does gratitude help in building strong relationships?

Ans: Gratitude helps in building strong and positive relationships by making people feel valued and appreciated. When we show thankfulness, it encourages more kindness and strengthens bonds between people. In the story, the beggar’s gratitude made the children feel happy about their act of kindness, showing that being thankful brings joy to both the giver and the receiver.

Ques 4: The children were scolded for giving away slippers, but they believed they did the right thing. Why is it important to stand by our good deeds?

Ans: Doing the right thing is not always easy, and sometimes people may not understand our intentions. However, if our actions are based on kindness and honesty, we should stand by them. In the story, the children did not regret helping the beggar because they knew they had done something good. This teaches us that we should always follow our values and do what we believe is right, even if others disagree.

Ques 5: The story highlights both kindness and unintended consequences. How can we learn to make thoughtful decisions while helping others?

Ans: Helping others is important, but we should also think about the possible effects of our actions. The children acted out of kindness, but they did not consider the consequences. This teaches us that before making decisions, we should think logically, find the best way to help, and ensure that our actions do not create trouble for anyone. Being thoughtful while helping ensures that kindness benefits everyone involved.