Class 7 English An Alien Hand Question Answers - Short & Long Question with Solutions: I Want Something in a Cage

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Ques 1: What was Purcell’s source of earning?
Ans: Mr. Purcell ran a pet shop. He sold cats, dogs, monkeys, and birds. He also sold fish food and bird seed. He also prescribed remedies for the sick animals. In this way, he earned his living.

Ques 2: Describe Mr Purcell’s daily routine at the shop.
Ans: Mr Purcell opened his shop and sat on a high stool every morning. He unfolded the newspaper and read through it. He attended the customer if there was any. It was his daily routine.

Ques 3: What surprised Mr Purcell one day?
Ans: Mr Purcell had hung a bell at the door of his shop. It began to ring on the arrival of a customer. That day it failed to ring. Mr Purcell was surprised. He felt that the customer appeared out of the air.

Ques 4: Why did the customer hate Mr. Purcell?
Ans: The customer noticed that Mr. Purcell had imprisoned birds and animals to earn money. He had robbed them of their freedom. The customer loved freedom. So he hated Mr.Purcell.

Ques 5: Why did the customer free the imprisoned doves?
Ans: The customer had suffered the pains of prison life. He was a jailbird a short while ago. So he tossed the doves into the air and freed them from their imprisonmant.

Ques 6: How did the customer feel after freeing the doves?
Ans: The customer had freed two doves from their prison (cage). He had utilised his hard earned money. He longed to teach Mr.Purcell a good lesson. Therefore, he felt happy about his action.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Ques 1: What type of a shopkeeper was Mr. Purcell ?
Ans: Mr. Purcell sold pets at his shop. They included both animals and birds. He displayed his birds (pet) in golden and beautiful cages. He also sold fish food and bird seed. He prescribed medicines for them. He knew how to treat the sick birds and animals. He advised his customer what to feed the birds on and how to look after the animals. He appeared to know everything about birds and animals. He was a wise man. His behaviour with the customers was like that of a professional. He never thought about the value and importance of freedom. He deprived the birds of their freedom to gain money.

Ques 2: Bring out a contrast between Mr. Purcell and the customer.
Ans: Purcell did not give much importance to freedom. He sold pets in cages and earned money. He  took pleasure in encaging birds and animals. He was crazy about gaining money. But the customer was built of different stuff. His prison life had made him realise the value and meaning of freedom. He bought a pair of doves with the money he had earned in the jail. He drew out the doves from the cages and tossed them into the air. He took pleasure in freeing the encaged birds. Thus, we can say that both Mr. Purcell and the customer were shortly different from each other.