I Want Something in a Cage Class 7 Worksheet English An Alien Hand

Q.1. What did Mr. Purcell sell in his shop?
(a) Monkeys
(b) All of these
(c) Cats
(d) Dogs

Correct option is (b)
Mr. Purcell owned a pet shop and sold monkeys, birds, rats, and so on. He also dealt in fish food, birdseed, and prescribed remedies for ailing canaries.

Q.2. How much time did the man take to earn five dollars?
(a) Three years
(b) Ten years
(c) Twelve years
(d) Fifteen years 

Correct option is (b)
He worked hard for a period of ten years. The man had done hard labour to earn those five dollars with which he wished to purchase the birds. The man earned around fifty cents a year only.

Q.3. Which birds did the customer buy from Mr. Purcell's pet shop?
(a) Doves
(b) Parrots
(c) Peacocks
(d) Crows

Correct option is (a)
The customer pointed towards the two snowy birds and desired to purchase them.

Q.4. Describe the stranger who came to the pet shop. What did he want?

The stranger was a peculiar man who was wearing shiny shoes and cheap, ill-fitted but a new suit. He had a shuttling glance and close-cropped hair. He wanted something small, in a cage with wings.

Q.5. Why did it make Mr. Purcell feel vaguely insulted?

Mr. Purcell felt “vaguely insulted” as the man bought the doves from Purcell’s shop for five dollars and then went outside to set them free. It was Mr. Purcell who had kept these birds in a cage and restricted their freedom and the man spent his ten years income only to give the doves freedom, so he felt all the more insulted.

Q.6. Who said, "I want something in a cage"?
(a) The lady
(b) The child
(c) Mr. Purcell
(d) The customer

Correct option is (d)
The customer wanted something in a cage that was small and had wings.

Q.7. How did the two doves fly in the sky after being freed from their cage?
(a) Like a plane
(b) Like windblown balls
(c) Like a kite
(d) Like a balloon

Correct option is (b)
The two doves rose like windblown balls of fluff into the sky and were soon lost in the smoky grey of the wintry city.

Q.8. What was the profession of Mr. Purcell?

Mr. Purcell was a pet shopkeeper.

Q.9. Why did Mr. Purcell consider himself a professional man?

Mr. Purcell considered himself a professional man as he not only was a seller of the birds and animals but also dealt in their food. He prescribed remedies for the ailing canaries and displayed on his shelves long rows of ornate and gilded cages.

Q.10. Discuss the peculiarity about the customer who bought the doves.

The man purchased some birds from the shop and, after stepping out of the shop, he stared at his purchase for a few moments and then let loose both the doves. Mr. Purcell was quite stunned at this act as this was quite a peculiar act for him as he had never seen this before, as the man had bought them at a reduced price by showing his eagerness for them, but then he suddenly let them fly in the air.