Q. 1. What story did Jo want to hear the next day and why? What was father’s reaction to it? [SQP 2018-19]
Ans. Value Points :
— Jo wanted her father to tell the same story but change the ending-wizard would hit the mommy and give back the rose smell to Roger
— could not bear the thought of Roger with his foul smell and without any friends
— father angry with Jo for interfering in his storyrefused to change the ending-wants her to learn to respect parents and their decisions
Detailed Answer : Jo was not happy with the ending of the story narrated by her father. She wanted her, father to tell her the same story the next day but with a changed ending in which the wizard would hit the mommy and give back the smell to Roger. She wanted the story in this manner because she could not bear the thought of Roger Skunk’s friends not playing with him. But her father, Jack was angry with Jo for interfering in his story. He refused to change the ending. In fact, he wanted her to learn to respect parents and their decisions.
Q. 2. What was Roger Skunk’s problem ? What did he do to solve it? [Comptt., Outside Delhi Set-I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points : problem - foul smell solution- went to the wizard
Detailed Answer : Roger Skunk used to emanate foul smell so every one made fun of him. To solve the problem he, took the wise owl’s advice and went to the wizard who made him smell of roses.
Q. 3. How are Jack’s views on life different from those of Jo? [Comptt., Delhi Set-III, 2017]
Ans. Value Points : Jack views — mother knew best/ the authority of the parent should prevail/ Jo wanted mother be hit by wizard/ the young should have their way
Detailed Answer : Jack being a parent thought that the mother knew what was best for Roger Skunk, while Jo thought that Roger Skunk should also have a say in how he wished to smell. Since, he now smelled bad again, he would lose all his friends.
Q. 4. Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard?
Ans. Roger Skunk went in search of the wizard because everyone made fun of him as he emanated a bad smell. He was very upset about this as he wanted to play with the other little animals. He met the owl who advised him to go to the wizard who would help him and give him a pleasant smell.
Q. 5. How did the wizard help Roger Skunk?
Ans. Value Points : Removed his foul smell with the magic spell / gave him the pleasant smell of roses / helped him in having many friends.
Detailed Answer : Roger Skunk told the wizard his problem that all the little animals ran away from him because he smelled very bad. The wizard agreed to help him. He took a magic wand in his hand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like. Roger Skunk thought for a while, then said he wanted to smell like roses. The wizard used a magic spell. Suddenly, the wizard’s house was full of the smell of roses.
Q. 6. Why does Jo call the Skunk’s mommy stupid?
OR
Why did Jo want Roger Skunk’s mother to be punished for?
Ans. Value Points : Jo finds mum stupid :
– mum should not have spanked wizard
– wants Skunk to get back smell of roses
– mum to be punished
– as insensitive, cruel, unfair
Detailed Answer: Jo, being a child, considers Skunk’s mother to be stupid as she spanked the wizard for giving Skunk the smell of roses. Jo wants Skunk to get back the smell of roses and his mother to be punished as she thinks his mother to be insensitive, cruel and unfair.
Q. 7. Why does Jo want Wizard to hit Mommy? [Comptt., Outside Delhi Set-III, 2017]
OR
What did Jo want the wizard to do when Mommy Skunk approached him? [Delhi Set-I, II & III, 2013]
OR
Why did Jo insist that her father should tell her the story with a different ending? [Outside Delhi Set-I, II & III, 2013]
OR
How does Jo want the story to end and why? [Comptt., Delhi Set-I/II, 2017] [Comptt., Delhi 2015] (NCERT) [Outside Delhi Set-I, II & III, 2012, Delhi Comptt. Set-I, II & III, 2011]
Ans. Value Points : Mommy forced the wizard to return foul smell/angry with Mommy as Roger left without friends/to assert that the young also have an opinion.
Detailed Answer : Jo wanted the story to end with the wizard hitting Roger’s mommy with his magic wand for not understanding Roger’s feelings. The wizard should punish the mother. She wanted to dream of a magical and beautiful world devoid of ugliness and stink. She wants the baby Skunk to smell good, so that he can play with other animals. She doesn’t want Roger to feel sad and lonely for no fault of his.
Q. 8. How was the Skunk’s story different from the other stories narrated by Jack.
Ans. Value Points: Other stories had a happy ending, Skunk’s story did not / Jo (Jack’s daughter) had not opposed the ending of any story earlier / she had never challenged Jack’s authority / had not so much interrupted the narration earlier / Jack wanted to prove through this story that parents always know what is right / only story in which the animal visited the wizard twice / the story had a twist / the ending of the story remained unresolved.
Detailed Answer: Roger Skunk’s story was different from the other stories narrated by Jack because in all the other stories, the family lived happily after meeting the wizard. But in Skunk’s case, his mother was not satisfied with the change that the wizard had brought in him with his magic wand and she took him back to the wizard to get his usual smell back. Another difference was that Jo liked all the stories but she got a little upset after hearing this story and insisted that her father should change the story and tell that the wizard took a stick and hit the mommy.
Q. 9. How does Jo want the story to end?
Ans. Value Points : Jo wants the wizard to refuse to change the Skunk’s smell / to hit mommy on her head / a happy ending of the story / Roger Skunk enjoying the smell of the rose and being acceptable as a friend to all other animals.
Detailed Answer : Jo wants the wizard to hit mommy on her head and refuse to change Skunk’s smell of roses as then he would be accepted by his friends happily. Jo wanted a happy ending.
Q. 10. What do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunk’s story, Jo’s or her father’s? Why?
Ans. I think that her father’s ending is better. It is because one should be proud of one’s originality and not be ashamed of it. Our friends should also accept us the way we are rather than changing our basic characteristics and qualities. Keeping this in mind, Roger Skunk’s mommy was right in getting him with the way he was earlier.
Q. 11. What was the basic plot of each story told by Jack? [Delhi Set I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points :
— a small creature named Roger
— has a problem
— goes to the owl for solution
— directed to the wizard who solves problem for a fee
— sent to a well to get some pennies to pay the fee
— creature went home happy- family dinner
Detailed Answer : The basic plot of each story narrated by Jack was that a small animal, usually named Roger, with some problem went to the wise owl and the owl advised him to go to the wizard, who solved Roger’s problem.
Q. 12. What is mother Skunk’s role in the story? [Outside Delhi Set I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points : make Roger Skunk realise importance of originality/individuality /identity
— Roger Skunk should not be ashamed of his natural attributes
— role of a decisive and protective parent
Detailed Answer : Mother Skunk’s role in the story is to convince the reader about the narrator’s belief that we should never disobey our parents as they know what is best for us. Mother Skunk told Roger never to forget his distinct identity.
Q. 13. Having got rid of his stink, what problem did Roger Skunk face? [Delhi Set II, 2017]
Ans. Value Points :
— did not have the seven pennies that he had to pay as fee
— had to go to the well to get them
— had to face mother’s anger at his changed smell
— was taken by the mother back to the wizard to get his old smell back
Detailed Answer : Having got rid of his stink, Roger skunk now had his mother’s wrath to face. When she found out Roger smelt of roses, she scolded him badly. Mommy skunk told Roger to embrace himself as he was born and be happy with it. She dragged Roger skunk back to the wizard and forced the latter to give Roger his original stink back.
Q. 14. Give an example to show that Jo was a sensitive child. [Foreign Set I, 2017]
Ans. Value Points :
— she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends
— mother had hit wizard.
Detailed Answer : Jo was a very sensitive child because she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends. She also expressed her unhappiness when Skunk’s mother hit wizard for giving him the smell of roses.
Q. 15. Why did Roger Skunk go to see the owl?
Ans. Value Points : To get rid of his foul smell.
Detailed Answer : Roger Skunk was an animal who was avoided by his friends due to his bad smell. So he went to see the old owl, expecting that he might help him with the problem.
Q. 16. Why did Roger Skunk go to the owl? What advice did he get?
OR
Why did Roger Skunk visit the owl? What did the owl advise him?
Ans. Roger Skunk visited the wise owl to get some wise idea for help. The owl advised him to go to the wizard.
Q.17. Why did Roger Skunk want to change?
Ans. Roger Skunk used to smell very bad. Because of this, no animal would play with him and he had no friends. He, thus, wanted to change his smell.
