Summary: The Duck and the Kangaroo | English Class 4 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

"The Duck and the Kangaroo" is a delightful poem written by Edward Lear, a famous poet known for his funny and imaginative writing. This poem tells a charming story of a duck who is tired of its boring life in a pond and dreams of exploring the world. It meets a kangaroo and asks for help to make its dream come true. The poem takes us through their conversation and a fun adventure, teaching us about friendship and teamwork in a simple and playful way, perfect for young readers.

Key Points of the Poem

• The poem is a fun story about a duck and a kangaroo who decide to travel together.
• It shows how the duck feels bored in its pond and wants to explore new places.
• The kangaroo helps the duck by letting it ride on its back for a big adventure.
• They travel around the world and enjoy their time together happily.
• The poem is written by Edward Lear, who is known for his funny and imaginative poems.

Summary

Stanza 1

Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
'Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!'
Said the Duck to the Kangarooо.

In this stanza, the duck watches the kangaroo hopping over fields and water with amazement. It feels very bored and unhappy living in its dirty pond. The duck wishes it could leave the pond and see the world outside. It also wants to hop like the kangaroo because it looks so fun.

Stanza 2

'Please give me a ride on your back!'
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
'I would sit quite still, and say nothing but "Quack",
The whole of the long day through!
Please take me a ride! O do!'
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

In this stanza, the duck politely asks the kangaroo for a ride on its back. It promises to sit very still and only make a "quack" sound all day long. The duck begs the kangaroo to take it on this exciting ride to see new places.

Stanza 3

Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
'This requires some little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if you'll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz!' said the Kangaroo.

In this stanza, the kangaroo takes some time to think about the duck’s request. It feels this might bring good luck, but it has one worry. The kangaroo is concerned that the duck’s wet and cold feet might make it sick with a painful joint disease.

Stanza 4

Said the Duck, 'As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.

In this stanza, the duck explains that it has already thought about the problem while sitting on the rocks. To solve it, the duck bought four pairs of warm woolen socks that fit its webbed feet perfectly, keeping them dry and warm.

Stanza 5

Said the Kangaroo, I'm ready!
All in the moonlight pale;
But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!
And quite at the end of my tail!'
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy - O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?

In this stanza, the kangaroo agrees to start their journey under the pale moonlight. It asks the duck to sit steadily at the end of its tail to keep balance. Together, they hop and leap around the whole world three times. Both the duck and the kangaroo feel very happy during their adventure.

Message

The poem teaches us about the joy of friendship and how helping each other can lead to exciting and happy adventures. It also shows that with a little planning, friends can overcome problems and have fun together.

New Words with Meanings

• Gracious: A way to show surprise, disappointment, or shock.
• Bore: A situation that is very dull or not interesting.
• Nasty: Something that is unpleasant or not nice.
• Long: To have a strong desire or wish for something.
• Reflection: The act of thinking carefully about something.
• Objection: A reason for disagreeing or not liking something.
• Roo-matiz: A sickness that causes pain in the joints.
• Worsted: Made of wool, often used for warm clothing.
• Bound: A big jump or leap.