Short & Long Questions: The Frog and the Nightingale | Short & Long Answer Questions for Class 10 PDF Download

Short Answer Type
Q1: Bring out the irony in the frog’s statement—“Your song must be your own.”
Ans: The irony in the statement is that the frog was the one who tried to teach the nightingale to sing differently. He did not let her song be her own.

Q2: Do you think the end is justified?
Ans: Yes, the nightingale met a fitting end as she was truly brainless. She believed the frog and came under his influence even though the other creatures appreciated her song and came to hear her sing in large numbers. Moreover, she had no proof of the frog’s talent except for what he himself said.

Q3: Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: The nightingale was fooled by the frog. She took the frog at his word and followed him blindly and changed her song. She did not realise she had an appreciative audience even before the frog began to train her. She did not have the brains to realise the extent of her own talent.

Q4: 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 was fooled by the frog because she did not realise she had an appreciative audience even before the frog began to train her. She did not have the brains to realise the enormity of her talent even when the audience stopped coming to hear her sing. In fact, she was so under the frog’s influence that she lost her life.

Q5: Do you agree with the frog’s inference of the nightingale’s character? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: Yes, she asks the frog (who claims to be a music critic) his opinion of her song despite having an appreciative audience the previous night; does not show much faith in her own ability. She is gullible and easily influenced.

Long Answer Type
Q6: Bring out the character of the frog.
Ans: He is thick-skinned and impervious to insults. In spite of the creatures throwing stones, sticks and bricks at him, begging him to stop singing, insulting him and complaining about him, he refuses to comply. He is jealous of the nightingale and plots to get rid of her. He is presumptuous and offers to give training to the nightingale. He is possessive and territorial and proclaims that he owns the sumac tree. He is greedy and he exploits the nightingale. He is dismissive and condescending and treats the nightingale as a stupid creature.

Q7: Bring out the character of the nightingale.
Ans: She is nervous as she asks the frog (who claims to be a music critic) his opinion of her song despite having an appreciative audience. She is modest and does not consider her song to be of much merit despite the applause. She lacks in confidence. Despite having an appreciative audience she listens blindly to the frog and does not show much faith in her own ability. She is easily influenced and listens to the frog and believes him despite having no proof of his talent.

Q8: To some extent the nightingale was herself responsible for her downfall and death. Comment.
Ans: She is carried away by appreciation and could not understand that she was being fooled by the frog’s greed to gain recognition and fame. She left herself open to exploitation. She felt honoured to be singled out by the frog for appreciation and recognition. She did not see to through him. Despite having an appreciative audience, she did not have much faith in her ability and did not have the brains to realise the enojmity of her talent even when the audience stopped coming.

Q9: What is the moral of the poem?
Ans: We learn that one should exercise one’s individuality and reasoning without letting others lead one blindly. One should realise one’s limitations and capabilities and not leave oneself open for exploitation.

Q10: “Far too nervous, far too tense,
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird—she should have known
That your song must be your own.”
Do you agree with the frog’s statement? Justify your answer.
Ans: The nightingale came under the influence of the frog despite having an appreciative audience. She was completely controlled by him and did not have much faith in her ability and did not have the brains to realise the enormity of her talent. She was carried away by the dream of fame that the frog held out. She could not guess that she was being fooled by his greed to gain recognition and fame. This left her open to exploitation as she felt honoured to be singled out by the frog who was a music critic. She practised day and night in all sorts of weather and lost her melody, thereby losing her audience and eventually she died.