Class 6 English Chapter 8 Question Answers - A Pact with the Sun

Short Answer Type Questions

The two birds were brothers. But they got separated when a storm blew. One came down near a cave where robbers lived. The other landed outside a rishis ashram. The former learnt the language of the robbers. The latter learnt to welcome the strangers sweetly. Thus, their company shaped their behaviour.

Q2: What amazed the king as he stood near the cave?

The king heard a big brown bird on the tree, calling out to the robbers to come and loot the stranger.

Q3: How did the other bird greet the king?

The other bird welcomed the king to the ashram. Gently he requested the king to make himself comfortable in the ashram.

Q4: What happened during the storm?

During the storm, the thunder, lighting, rain, and wind blew down many trees. The tree in which the bird with her babies lived also came down, and then a big, heavy branch hit the nest and the mother bird was put to death.

The storm carries the two birds away 

Q5: Where did the mother bird live and with whom?

The mother bird made her nest in a tall and shady tree in the forest. She lived with her two new born baby birds whom she took care day night.

Q6: Where did each of the baby birds land?

Due to the strong wind blowing, one of the bird came down near a cave where a gang of robbers lived. At the same time, the other bird landed outside the ashram where a rishi lived. Thus, both of birds were separated from each other.

Q7: What happened when the king of the country came to the forest to hunt?

The king got lost in the forest and sat down under a tree near a cave. He heard a voice from the bird on the tree warning the robbers about his presence, so he quickly rode away.

Q8: How did the king feel when he reached the Rishi's ashram?

The king felt amazed when he saw another bird in the tree at the ashram. He noticed the resemblance between the two birds and mentioned it out loud.

Q9: What did the bird in the ashram tell the king about its brother?

The bird in the ashram told the king that its brother had made friends with robbers and started imitating their talk. He no longer talked to the bird in the ashram.

Q10: What did the king learn from his experience in the forest?

The king learned that the forest is full of surprises and that the behavior of individuals can be influenced by the company they keep.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1: Narrate the tale of two birds in your own words.

Once there lived a mother bird in a forest. She had two new-born chicks. One day a storm came with thunder and lightning. The mother bird was killed. But the baby birds were blown away to the other end of the forest. One lived in the company of robbers. The other stayed with a rishi. One day a king heard them speak. The one asked the robbers to loot and kill the king. The other noble bird welcomed him sweetly in the ashram. They behaved differently because of the company they kept.

Q2: How did the king reach the Rishi’s ashram? Why did the two birds behave with the king differently?

The king came to the forest to hunt a deer. He rode after the game and lost his way. Tired, he stood near a cave. One bird informed the robbers to rob the traveller of his jewels and his horse. The king sensed danger and rode away. Soon he came to a rishi’s ashram. He sat down in a tree’s shade. He was amazed to hear another bird’s voice. It requested him to enter the ashram and rest. The two birds were real brothers, but one became crook in the company of robbers. The other became gentle in the company of the rishi. The holy man told the king that one’s good or bad company makes one noble or wicked.

Q3: "One is known by the company one keeps." What did the rishi mean by this line? 

Both the birds got separated due to a huge storm on the other side of the forest one of them landed near a cave where the robbers lived, whereas the other one landed outside the rishis ashram. However, the king faced both the birds with a different behaviour and so the rishi explained him that one of them copied the way that he heard from the robbers, while the other had repeated the words that he always heard in the ashram. Therefore, it results the difference of behaviour of the two birds where they lived in. 

Q4: Do you agree that a person is known by the company he keeps? Give reasons to support your answer.

Yes, a person is known by the company he keeps. In the story, the two birds got separated due to a strong wind and one lived with robbers and the other stayed outside an ashram. The first bird imitated the robbers as it learnt bad things from them. It talked about robbing and harming people. The second bird repeated what it learnt at the ashram and talked about helping people. It welcomed the king and offered him water and requested him to take rest. Both of them behaved differently though they looked the same due to difference in their upbringing.