Poem - The Duck and the Kangaroo NCERT Solutions - Class 8 PDF Download

Working With the Poem (Page 99) 

Q1. Taking words that come at the end of lines, write five pairs of rhyming words. Read each pair aloud.
 For example, pond — beyond

Ans. Kangaroo — too;  
 hop — stop back — quack;
 pond — beyond; duck — luck.;

Q2. Complete the dialogue.
Duck : Dear Kangaroo! Why don't you
  ______________________________
 Kangaroo : With pleasure, my dear Duck, though
 ______________________________
 Duck : That won't be a problem. I will
 ______________________________

Ans. Duck: Dear Kangaroo, why don’t you plan a world tour with–with me.
 Kangaroo: With pleasure,my dear Duck though I am afraid your webbed feet would trouble me.
 Duck: That won’t be a problem. I will cover them with woollen socks.

Q3. The Kangaroo does not want to catch 'rheumatism. Spot this word in stanza 3 and say why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?

Ans. roo — Matiz = rheumatism
 The word ‘roo’ rhymes with the Kangaroo.
 The other word ‘Matiz’ refers subtly to rheumatism. The word 'rheumatism' has been split in two parts for the sake of rhyme and a disease.

Q4. Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines that make you laugh.
 Ans. Yes, the poem is humorous. Take for example:
 “But quite at the end of my tail.”
 “And every day a cigar I'll smoke”.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED

Q1. Narrate the story of the Duck and the Kangaroo in about 50‑60 words.
 Ans. The Duck and the Kangaroo were good friends. The Duck was feeling bored there in her pond. She wanted to see the world beyond. She requested the Kangaroo to let her ride on his back. She promised to sit still and silent on his tail-end. She also bought woollen socks and smoked cigar to keep her body warm. The two toured the world happily.

Q2. What conditions did the Kangaroo lay down for giving his friend a ride? How did the Duck fulfil them?
 Ans. The Kangaroo agreed to take the Duck on world tour on his back. But he was afraid that his friend’s cold, wet-feet would make him sick. The Duck promised to sit still and silent on the Kangroo’s tail. She bought woollen socks to cover her wet-feet with. She also smoked a cigar to keep the cold out.