Class 10 English Chapter 1 Question Answers - First Flight

Q.1. What do the elders of Goa remember nostalgically?
Ans. The elders of Goa are portrayed as nostalgic about the old Portuguese days. They long for the delicious loaves of bread that were baked in those times, and reminisce about the Portuguese culture and traditions that were once a part of their lives. The baker in the story represents a piece of Goa's colonial history and serves as a reminder of the cultural diversity that has shaped the region over the years.

Q.2. What are the time-tested things which still exist in Goa?
Ans. It is mentioned that the furnaces of the bakers of Goa are one of the time-tested things that still exist there. These furnaces have been used for generations and have become a part of Goa's cultural heritage. Despite modernization and changes in baking technology, the traditional furnaces have stood the test of time and continue to be used by bakers in Goa.

Q.3. When did the baker come daily?
Ans. The baker used to come twice a day - once in the morning when he set out for his selling and the other time after selling the bread. The narrator also mentioned that the baker was a familiar and important part of their daily routine.

Q.4. What was the baker’s place in Goa in the author’s childhood days?
Ans. In the author's childhood days in Goa, the baker held a significant place in the community. He was not only known for his delicious bread but also for his friendly nature. The baker was a companion who listened to people's problems and provided guidance. The author remembers him fondly as a friend and guide.

Q.5. What did the author and the other children do to look into the baker’s basket?
Ans. The author and the other children were curious to know what was inside the baker's basket. They would often climb a bench or the parapet to get a glimpse of the freshly baked loaves of bread. The sight of the delicious bread would leave them mesmerized, and they would long for a bite.

Q.6. What is the name of the dress worn by the baker in the olden days?
Ans. The traditional dress worn by the baker in the olden days was known as a kabai. It was a loose-fitting frock made out of a single piece of cloth. The kabai was an essential part of the baker's attire, which provided comfort and ease of movement during work.

Q.7. What is the baker called in Goa?
Ans.  In Goa, the baker is known as a 'pader'. The word 'pader' is derived from the Portuguese word 'padeiro', which means 'baker.' The baker or 'pader' has a significant place in the Goan community and is known for his delectable bread and sweet treats.

Q.8. What is the financial status of a baker of Goa?
Ans. The financial status of a baker in Goa is generally sound. The bakery business is lucrative, and the demand for fresh bread and other baked goods is always high. The baker's hard work and dedication to his craft ensure that he can provide for his family and lead a comfortable life.

Q.9. What is a kabai?
Ans. A kabai is a type of frock that was worn by bakers in Goa during the olden days. The kabai was made out of a single piece of cloth and was loose-fitting to provide comfort and ease of movement during work. The kabai was an essential part of the baker's attire, which distinguished him from others and symbolized his profession.

Q.10. What did the baker mean to the narrator during his childhood? How many times did he pay a visit?
Ans. The baker or pader was an important person in the author’s life. He was treated like a friend. He used to come twice a day, once in the morning to sell bread and then returning after emptying his basket. The author used to run to meet him to take the bread bangles. He chatted and gossiped with him.

Q.11. What was Kabai ? Give a brief description.
Or
What did the bakers wear — (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) When the author was young?
Ans. Kabai was a particular dress — a single-piece long frock reaching down the knees which the bakers used to wear in the old days. Later it was replaced by a shirt and trousers which were longer than the shorts and shorter than the full length.

Q.12.`Baking was, indeed, a profitable profession’. Justify the statement concerning the extract ‘A Baker from Goa’.
Or
Explain with examples that baking used to be a profitable profession.
Ans. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family, and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this.

Q.13. How did the baker attract the children?
Or
How does the writer know about the arrival of the baker? Why are they anxiously waiting for him?
Or
What role did the baker play in the childhood of the narrator?
Ans. The children would know about his arrival from the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his bamboo stick. They would run to meet and greet him. They tried to surround the basket but were pushed aside until the bread was delivered to the maid. Then they were allowed to choose their bread bangles.

Q.14. How did the baker make his entry?
Ans. The baker made his musical entry with the ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He would greet the lady of the house and then place the basket on the bamboo.

Q.15. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?
Ans. Bread is still an important part of Goan life. Marriage gifts are meaningless and a party or a feast loses its charm without bread. Sandwiches are important for a daughter’s engagement. That is what explains the fact that the breadmakers are still there.

Goan BreadsQ.16. What marks of the Portuguese way of life can still be seen in Goa?
Ans. Goa was once occupied by the Portuguese. They were famous for preparing the loaves of bread. They left Goa long ago. But the traditional work of the bakers can still be seen in Goa. The furnaces in which the bread was baked still exist there.

Q.17. What does the author recall about the visit of the baker to his village?
Ans. The author recalls that a baker used to visit the village twice a day. He used to be the author’s friend and guide. He used to carry a bamboo stick. The sound of this stick is used to wake up the author and others from sleep.

Q.18. How was the village baker very important for special occasions in the village?
Ans. The village baker was especially important for festive occasions. The villagers were much fond of the sweet bread known as ‘bol’. Marriage gifts were meaningless without these sweetbreads. Sandwiches, cakes, and Bolin has been a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. These were made with bread.

Q.19. Describe the bread-sellers dress.
Ans. The baker or the bread-seller wore a special, peculiar dress. It was known as the ‘Kaba. It was a single-piece long frock. It reached down to his knees. During the narrator’s childhood, Bakers wore trousers that were shorter than full-length and longer than half pants.

Q.20. When did the baker collect his bills? What showed that the bakers were prosperous?
Ans. The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. In the household, the baker’s monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable business in those days. Their families never starved. Their plump bodies showed that they were prosperous.

Q.21. What are the childhood memories described by the author in this extract?
Ans. The author passed his childhood days in Goa. In this extract, he remembers his old days in Goa when the village baker occupied an important place in life. Although, with time, people do not eat so much bread, the sillage bakers are still there.

Q.22. What do the elders reminisce about and why?
Ans. The elders reminisce nostalgically about the good old Portuguese days and the Portuguese loaves of bread. The loaves of bread were an integral part of Goan’s life. Marriages were meaningless without sweet bread. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches for her daughter’s engagement. Christmas and other festivals must have cakes and bolinhas. They still remember the jingling thud of the baker in the morning.

Q.23. How can you say that the makers of the famous Goan loaves are still there?
Ans. Many of those eaters of loaves might have died but their makers still exist. The mixers, moulders and those who bake the loaves are still there in Goa. The fire in the furnace has not yet been extinguished and the thud and jingle of the baker’s bamboo can still be heard in the morning in some places. These bakers, known as padres, exist in Goa even today. The family profession is still carried on.

Q.24. How did the baker make his musical entry on the scene in the morning?
Ans. The baker made his musical entry in the morning. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke up the people in the morning. He used to come at least twice a day. The children ran to meet and greet him. For children, it was not just for the love of the loaf but for the love of the jingling music.

Q.25. Why was the baker, the friend, companion and guide of the children?
Ans. For children, the very sight of the baker was quite exciting. He was their friend, companion and guide. The jingling thud of his bamboo put them in rapture. They ran to meet and greet him. It was not so much for the love of the loaf What they longed for were the bread-bangles. Sometimes they liked the sweet bread of special make.

Q.26. What importance did the baker’s furnace have in the village of Goa?
Ans. The loaves of bread had become an important and integral part of the lives of the people in Goa. Marriages were meaningless without the sweet bread or the bol. No party or feast was possible without bread. The lady of the house would prepare sandwiches for the engagement ceremony of her daughter. Cakes and sweetbreads were a must for Christmas and other festivals. The presence of the baker’s furnace was essential in the village.

Q.27. Describe the changes in the dress of the baker or the pader with time.
Ans. In the good old days during Portuguese rule, the baker or bread seller had a peculiar dress. It was known as `Isobar. It was asingle-piecee long frock reaching down to the knees. These days a paper wears a shirt and trousers which are shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.

Q.28. What was the attitude of the baker towards
(i) The lady of the house
(ii) the children
(iii) the maidservant?
Ans. (i) First of all, the baker would greet the lady of the house with “Good morning” and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo before her.
(ii)He would push aside the children with a mild rebuke.
(iii)The loaves were delivered to the maid-servant.

Q.29. How did the children behave when they have pushed aside with a mild rebuke by the player?
Ans. The baker would push aside the children with a mild rebuke. But the kids would not give up. They would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the basket. They longed for the bread bangles. The jingling thud of the baker or the pader fascinated them.

Q.30. Why would the children didn’t even care to brush their teeth or wash their mouths properly?
Ans. The jingling thud of the paper and his musical entry in the morning would wake up the children from their sleep.
They would run to greet and meet him. They didn’t even care to brush their teeth or wash their mouths. The tiger never brushed their teeth. There was no need of doing any such thing. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely, after all.