Q1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
Once upon a time a frog Croaked away in Bingle Bog. Every night from dusk to dawn He croaked awn and awn and awn. Other creatures loathed his voice, But, alas, they had no choice.
(a) What does 'Bingle Bog' refers to?
(b) What does the phrase 'dusk to dawn' mean?
(c) The other creatures had no choice. Why?
Ans: (a) 'Bingle Bog' refers to a marshy land where the frog and the other creatures live.
(b) It means that the frog sang from 'evening to morning'.
(c) They had no choice because the frog would not stop singing.
Q2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
And the crass cacophony Blared out from the sumac tree At whose foot the frog each night Minstrelled on till morning light
(a) What does the poet mean by the word 'Crass'?
(b) The other creatures hate the frog's song. Why?
(c) Which word from the passage means the same as 'sang'?
Ans: (a) The poet means that the song was 'stupid'.
(b) They hated his song because he had a very unpleasant and jarring voice.
(c) The word which is synonymous to sang is 'Minstrelled'.
Q3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks, Insults or complaints or bricks Stilled the frog's determination To display his heart's elation
(a) Give the ryhme scheme of the stage.
(b) What idea do you get about the frog from the above lines?
(c) What is the synonym of 'elation'?
Ans: (a) The ryhme scheme is 'aabb'.
(b) It shows that the frog was stubborn.
(c) The synonym of elation is 'joy'.
Q4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
But one night a nightingale In the moonlight cold and pale Perched upon the sumac tree Casting forth her melody
(a) What change took place in the bog?
(b) Where did the nightingale pearch?
(c) What is the synonym of 'pale'?
Ans: (a) A nightingale came and sang in a melodious voice.
(b) She perched upon the sumac tree.
(c) The synonym of pale is 'Whitish'.
Q5. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.
Day by day the nightingale Grew more sorrowful and pale Night on night her tired song Zipped and trilled and bounced along Till the birds and beasts grew tired At a voice so uninspired
(a) What made the nightingale sorrowful and pale?
(b) What does the word 'trilled' mean?
(c) Why did the birds and beasts grow tired?
Ans: (a) Too much singing and humiliation by the frog made the nightingale sorrowful and pale.
(b) Trilled means a repeated high sound.
(c) They grew tired of the nightingale's uninspired song.
Q6. "The frog proudly countered the nightingale." Comment.
Ans: The frog introduced himself as the owner of the sumac tree. He also praised his singing and said he was famous for his fine hollow sound. He boasted that in the capacity of a music critic he was a columnist in 'Bog Trumpet'.
Q7. " To display his heart's elation." What do you understand by these words?
Ans: The frog was a singer with a jarring voice and he croaked every night. The creatures of the bog did not wish to listen to his unpleasant and stupid sound. But the frog's croaking to show his heart's joy couldn't be silenced by stones, prayers, sticks, insults, complaints or bricks.
Q8. What happened when a nightingale came and sang, sitting on the sumac tree?
Ans: One night a nightingale came and sat on the sumac tree in the cold and pale moonlight. She began to sing melodiously. All the creatures admired her song. Everybody was pleasantly surprised to hear such a melodious voice. The frog was shocked and surprised to hear her sweet voice.
Q9. How did the creatures of Bingle bog react to the nightingale's singing?
Ans: All the creatures of Bingle bog appreciated her singing. They cheered and clapped her songs. Creatures from long distances gathered to enjoy the melodous song in her sweet voice.
Q10. What are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?
Ans: He told the nightingale that he was a great singer and the owner of the sumac tree. He showed himself as an expert singer and also an author. He also informed her that he could give her training to sing better. He tried to prove that she was a beginner.
Q11. Why is the frog's joy both sweet and bitter?
Ans: The frog's joy was sweet because he was earning money due to the song of the nightingale. His joy was bitter because the night ingle had broken his supremacy in the bog.
Q12. Why was the frog angry?
Ans: The nightingale's tired song became quick and unsteady. The cash receipts fell greatly. Hence, the frog got angry with her.
Q13. How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?
Ans: He exploited the nightingale to the extent of causing her death. He made her sing day and night and in rain. Consequently, one of her veins burst and she died. In this way, the frog became the unrivalled king of the bog again.
Q14. Explain the line, "But-of, well-at least it's mine" into your own words.
Ans: The frog criticised the nightingale's song by telling that it was not too bad but it was too much long. The technique was excellent, but the song lacked. The nightingale humbly told him that she thought her song was not divine, but it was as least hers.
Q15. How was the frog benefited in two ways?
Ans: He made a lot of money from the nightingale's concerts. Also, he got rid of his rival by putting her to physical and mental torture.
Q16. The frog claims to be the best trainer in the field of music. Do you agree? Justify your answer.
Ans: It is absolutely wrong to say that the frog was a good trainer of music. The way he treats the poor bird reveals that his claim is baseless. Six hours singing in the rain, his constantly rebuking the nightingale and exploiting her mentally and financially proves that he was a bad trainer who slowly but surely drove an innocent trainee to a miserable death.
Q17. The frog judged the nightingale's song critically. Do you think he was fair in his judgment? Justify your answer.
Ans: Going through the poem, I can say that the frog was not fair in his judgement. He was jealous of the nightingale's talent of singing and wanted to demoralize her. He intentionally criticised the nightingale's song by calling it 'too long and lacking a certain force'.
Q18. "You still owe me sixty shillings." Who said these words and to whom? What does the speaker mean here?
Ans: The frog spoke these words to the nightingale. He asked the nightingale that she must make the public happier by giving them something sharp and thrilling. They must aim at increasing the money. He also reminded her that she still owed him sixty shillings as fees for the coaching he had given her.
Q19. What made the nightingale sad and sorrowful?
Ans: Excessive singing and harsh behaviour of the frog made the nightingale sad and sorrowful. She had to sing for long hours, which made her throat harsh and rough. She lost the charm of her singing and listeners lost interest in her songs. All this threw her into an unpleasant situation.
Q20. "And the frog observed them glitter with a joy both sweet and bitter." Comment.
Ans: The poet describes that at night, distinguished personalities from the royalty came to attend the nightingale's concert. The owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent and even royal ladies wearing crowns talked excitedly and looked forward to listening to her songs. The frog was happy that he was going to earn more that day. On the other hand, he was bitter because he was jealous of the nightingale's popularity among the listeners.
Q21. "Puffed up, burst a vein and died." Who died here and why?
Ans. The frog asks the nightingale to be passionate about her singing. She is in tears and bears all insults of the frog. He gives some instructions to her. Following his instructions, she puts in more force in her song. Fatigued, humiliated, exploited and sleep, deprived, the nightingale bursts a vein and dies.
Q22. "Trembling, terrified to fail, Blind with tears, the nightingale Heard him out in silence, tried, Puffed up, burst a vein and died." The frog got angry and asked the nightingale to puff out her lungs with passion. The nightingale puffed up, but she burst a vein and died. Write an article considering that the frog indirectly caused the death of the nightingale.
Ans: The Frog Indirectly Causes the Death of the Nightingale The frog shows himself as if he is the king of Bingle Bog. He does not want to see anybody receiving respect and praise from the other creatures of the bog. He sings with an unpleasant and harsh voice every night and everybody in Bingle Bog is unhappy with his singing. One night, a nightingale comes and sits on the sumac tree.
Then she starts singing beautifully. All the creatures admire her song. The frog introduces himself before the nightingale as is a scholar of music and that he writes songs for the Bog Trumpet. He convinces the nightingale to take training for singing better from hina. Now the nightingale is inspired by him. Flushed with . confidence and fired with art and adoration, she sings so beautifully that from far away people flock towards the magical sound of the nightingale. But later on, he starts scolding and teasing her and makes her sing so much that she dies due her vein bursting, The frog does not kill her directly, but it is true that he indirectly causes the death of the nightingale.
Q23. Well, poor bird-she should have known that your song must be your own. That's why I sing with panache. Though an excellent and naturally talented singer the nightingale is, she is called a poor singer and stupid animal by the frog. Write a paragraph on the topic "The nightingale lacks worldly Wisdom."
Ans: 'The Nightingale Lacks Worldly Wisdom' In today's world, it is required to have worldly wisdom, otherwise a person has to face the circumstances as the nightingale faces. She is a sweet creature. She sings beautifully, but she easily comes under the influence of the stupid frog. Due to lack of worldly wisdom, she is easily befooled by a creature like the frog, who doesn't possess any singing talent.
Gullible as the nightingale is, she believed that the frog seem to be a great authority on music. She does not use her mind and works only according to the instructions of the frog, who earns money by her talent. He starts torturing her and the nightingale becomes sorrowful and pale. Had she shown a better sense of self-confidence she would not have been exploited by the dominating frog and her life could have been saved.
Q24. "In today's manipulative world, it does not work to have talent only, you also need to understand how to utilise it properly". Comment.
Ans: By reading the poem "The Frog and the Nightingale', it is clear that the nightingale is full of the natural talent of singing. She is simple hearted and has good behaviour also. On the other hand, the frog is a domineering creature and does not have the talent of singing. All the creatures in the bog applause when the nightingale sings.
When the frog discusses her song and talent, the nightingale feels greatly flattered and impressed. She rightly assesses her song as having no divinity, but an element of originality, thus, exhibiting her critical acumen. She has a good understanding of music, whereas the frog knows the art of showing off the talent that he does not have.
He knows how to earn money and takes control on the nightingale. She is a talented singer, but does not know how to exploit her talent in a correct manner. She is scolded and tortured by the heartless and cruel trainer, who asks her to puff out her lungs with passion to follow the latest fashion of the stage. The nightingale does puff up and she bursts a vein. and dies. The statement 'In today's manipulative world, it does not work to have talent only, you also need to understand how to utilize it properly' is true.
Q25. Describe the first meeting of the frog and the nightingale.
Ans: One night, the nightingale perched on the sumac tree and started to sing with her melodious voice. As the creatures of the Bingle Bog were sick of the harsh voice of the frog, they felt happy with the song of the nightingale. They admired the song of the nightingale and clapped. Then the frog came there and introduced himself as the owner of the sumac tree and a popular singer with a baritone and a columnist in 'Bog Trumpet'.
The nightingale asked him how he liked her song. He replied that the technique was fine but it lacked force. It was suggested by the frog that she required training to improve her singing. Then she started to perform under his instructions.
Q26. In spite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?
Ans: The nightingale is a simple-hearted innocent and unsuspecting creature. She personifies the real human qualities and has no ill-will against anybody. Also she doesn't suspect anyone of evil. She respects all and thinks that all are like her. That's why she is easily deceived by the sly and wily frog. She gets 'training' to give more pleasure to her audience. But she does't suspect that the frog intends to kill her.
So she easily gives in and follows his commandments in the name of training. She doesn't resist and dies like a martyr to the cause of singing. She focuses only to sing in an excellent manner and wishes to make her listeners happy. Initially, she gets success in it. But the greatest weakness of her personality is that she is unable to understand the intension of the cruel frog, who can't bear her progress.
He plans to destroy her and works accordingly. He organises concerts and makes money. Later on, he takes more and more work and loses her melodious voice and becomes unhealthy and finally dies. She is really responsible for her own downfall as she does not oppose the cunning frog.
