Textbook Solutions: Five Children and It | Gul Mohar Class 5: Book Solutions, Summaries & Worksheets PDF Download

Understanding the Text 

(A)
1.
Ans: The children were exploring and came across a hole in the ground where they found the sand-fairy.

2.
Ans: The sand-fairy's name is Psammead. It is a fat, furry brown creature about the size of a large cat. It has arms, legs, feet, and hands like a monkey, long whiskers, pointed ears like a bat, and eyes on stalks like a snail's horns. It can stretch or shorten its eyes.

3.
Ans: Yes, the children were happy when their second wish came true. They wished to be very beautiful, and the Psammead granted their wish. However, they were surprised by their transformed appearances and found it strange to look at each other with their new faces.

4.
Ans: Martha did not believe the children because they looked completely different after their wish to be beautiful was granted by the Psammead. She thought they were strangers pretending to be her children. When Martha sent them away, they tried to explain and even banged at the door and rang the bell, but she still did not believe them.

5.
Ans: Martha let the children into the house again after they returned to their normal appearances at sunset. She saw that they were indeed her own children and not strangers. Additionally, they were hungry, thirsty, and tired, which likely made her feel sorry for them.

(B)
1. “Afraid!” repeated the creature indignantly. “Me? Don’t you know a Psammead when you see one?” 
(a).
Ans: The Psammead is speaking to Anthea.

(b).
Ans: It sounds annoyed because it is offended that Anthea mistook it for something else and did not recognize it as a Psammead.

2. The Psammead’s head and whiskers drooped.
(a).
Ans: This sentence means that the Psammead's head and whiskers hung down in a sad or disappointed manner.

(b).
Ans: It happened because the Psammead felt sad when it talked about how the children used to build castles for them, but the moats would let in the nasty sea water, causing harm to the Psammeads. The Psammead is feeling sorrowful and nostalgic about the past.

3. “Oh! Please can we have another one?" 
(a).
Ans: Jane says this line to the Psammead.

(b).
Ans: The speaker is asking for another wish. It is not something children normally get, as having wishes granted by magical creatures is a fantastical and unusual occurrence. It shows the extraordinary nature of their encounter with the Psammead.

4. “And you two girls look like silly greeting cards” 
(a).
Ans: Robert says this to Anthea and Jane.

(b).
Ans: The speaker means that Anthea and Jane look overly beautiful and perfect, like the images on greeting cards. He finds their transformed appearances to be somewhat unnatural and not fitting with their usual selves.

5. “They were horrible. They stopped us from coming home until now. We only just got away and we’re starving." 
(a).
Ans: Anthea says this to Martha.

(b).
Ans: The speaker is talking about the strange, transformed versions of themselves that they became after making the wish. Anthea says this to explain why they look so different and why they were delayed in returning home. They were hungry because they had not been able to eat while they were in their transformed state.

Appreciating the Text 

1.
Ans: 
(c) kind
(d) friendly
(e) lonely
(f) pleasant

2.
Ans: (b)