Very Short Answer Questions: Feathered Friend | English Poorvi Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

Q1: Who was Claribel?
Ans: Claribel was a small yellow canary smuggled aboard the space station, later adored by everyone and saving the crew’s lives.

Q2: Who smuggled Claribel into space?
Ans: Sven Olsen, a wiry space construction worker, smuggled Claribel aboard out of scientific curiosity and companionship during his duty.

Q3: Why did Sven bring Claribel to the station?
Ans: Sven wanted to test scientifically how a bird would fly and survive in zero gravity, besides enjoying her cheerful company.

Q4: Why was Claribel suitable as a pet in space?
Ans: Claribel weighed little, needed very little food, and didn’t get troubled by zero gravity, unlike most other animals would.

Q5: Where did the narrator first meet Claribel?
Ans: He first saw her floating inside his cubbyhole office after mistaking her melodious whistle for an intercom announcement.

Q6: How did Claribel move in zero gravity?
Ans: Claribel floated gracefully, performed backward loops, and quickly learned not to waste effort, unlike earthbound birds used to gravity.

Q7: Why was Claribel sometimes difficult to hide?
Ans: Claribel made loud whistles when upset, confusing officials during visits, so the crew had to invent excuses for unusual sounds.

Q8: Who examined Claribel when she fainted?
Ans: Jock Duncan, the cook-doctor-dietitian, carefully listened for her heartbeat though he wasn’t sure about canary physiology in space.

Q9: How was Claribel revived the first time?
Ans: She was placed inside an emergency oxygen mask, which acted like a tiny oxygen tent, reviving her almost immediately.

Q10: What happened after Claribel revived briefly?
Ans: Claribel chirped cheerfully on Sven’s finger, then collapsed again, making the crew realize something was wrong with their air.

Q11: What realization struck the narrator suddenly?
Ans: He remembered coal miners once used canaries as gas detectors, realizing Claribel’s fainting signaled dangerous air inside the station.

Q12: What was wrong with the air supply?
Ans: The purifier froze during an eclipse, lowering oxygen levels, while the second alarm circuit wasn’t connected, leaving everyone vulnerable.

Q13: Why did the alarm system fail to warn the crew?
Ans: Only one alarm circuit worked; when it failed, the disconnected backup left the crew without any life-saving warning.

Q14: What caused the purifier to freeze?
Ans: A rare eclipse by Earth’s shadow froze part of the air purifier, disrupting oxygen purification and creating dangerous conditions.

Q15: How did Claribel actually save the crew?
Ans: By fainting before the humans, Claribel alerted the crew to oxygen shortage, giving them time to repair the purifier quickly.

Q16: What did the crew do while waiting for repairs?
Ans: They passed the emergency oxygen bottle among themselves “like a pipe of peace,” ensuring survival until normal air returned.

Q17: How did the crew’s opinion of Claribel change?
Ans: Initially Sven’s secret pet, Claribel soon became loved by all, and later respected as the tiny bird who saved them.

Q18: What lesson from miners helped solve the mystery?
Ans: The narrator recalled miners carried canaries underground to detect poisonous gas, which explained Claribel’s collapse and saved the crew.

Q19: What makes the story both humorous and serious?
Ans: It mixes humour—hiding Claribel and her whistles—with serious science fiction themes like survival in space and oxygen failures.

Q20: What is the main message of “Feathered Friend”?
Ans: Even tiny creatures can make a huge difference. Claribel symbolises how curiosity, science, and nature together safeguard human survival.