Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9 Previous Year Questions - The Tale of Custard the Dragon

Ans: Ink, the kitten, and Mustard, the dog, act brave and tease Custard for being timid. However, when the pirate appears, both run away in fear. Their actions create a contrast that highlights Custard’s unexpected courage when he saves everyone.

Ans: In The Tale of Custard the Dragon, Ogden Nash uses funny words like “realio, trulio” and exaggeration to make the poem light and playful. The biggest humour comes from the twist where the cowardly dragon turns out to be the hero. In The Proposal, Anton Chekhov creates humour through silly arguments and exaggerated emotions between Lomov and Natalya over small issues. Both works use irony — Custard’s bravery and the lovers’ constant quarrels — to make the audience laugh.

Ans: At first, Ink, Blink, and Mustard make fun of Custard for wanting a “nice safe cage.” But when Custard bravely kills the pirate, they celebrate his courage. Soon after, they go back to boasting about their own bravery, pretending they would have been braver.

Ans: The repetition shows how quickly the peaceful mood changes. It builds tension and surprise, making the pirate’s arrival feel sudden and shocking for both the characters and the readers.

Ans: Custard prefers a cage because it makes him feel safe. His fearfulness makes him want protection from danger. The cage represents comfort and security for him, which is ironic because he later becomes the bravest of them all.

Ans: Coward.
Unlike Ink, Blink, and Mustard, who act brave, Custard cries for a “nice safe cage.” This shows he is timid and scared of danger, which makes his later bravery even more surprising.

Ans: Hyperbole.
The first sentence, “Belinda lived in a little white house,” uses hyperbole implicitly through the context of the exaggerated, whimsical world Nash creates. While the sentence itself is simple, the exaggerated descriptions of pets and events in the poem amplify the humorous tone, characteristic of hyperbole.

Ans: Calling Custard “Percival,” after the brave knight of legend, is ironic because he is shown as a coward at first. The name suggests courage, but Custard keeps asking for a cage. The irony is resolved when he turns out to be the real hero.

Ans: Belinda is very harsh in teasing Custard. She does not spare him from constant mockery, which makes Custard feel worse about being afraid.

Ans: The poem is funny and entertaining. There is use of vivid description, rhyming names of the pets, light-hearted tone and imagination. The light hearted story becomes serious when a pirate enters the scene and then the truth of bravery versus cowardice is brought to light.

Ans: Even though he was braver and more courageous than other characters during the pirate attack episode, Custard the Dragon was revealed to be a character full of humility. Although Custard was known to be extremely timid and shy, the entire Belinda household witnessed his bravery and couldn’t believe their eyes.

Ans: The poem ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is not a traditional ballad as a ballad narrates the tale of courage and heroism and are usually not humorous. However, this poem is different as it is a humorous ballad that ends with a parody.

Ans: Fable is a fictitious narrative usually with animals, birds, etc. as characters. It also conveys a strong message. On the other hand, a ballad is a narrative verse that can be silly or heroic. The theme of a ballad is an adventure, bravery, romance etc. It is highly musical due to its rhyme scheme. The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a humorous and fictitious story of a dragon named Custard and how he bravely saved everyone from a pirate. The poem may have all the qualities of a ballad but it is a parody. Thus, it qualifies more as a fable than a ballad. 

Ans: Custard the Dragon is a character in the poem who is initially portrayed as a cowardly dragon. However, he later proves this tag to be untrue by displaying bravery and courage.

Ans: When a pirate appeared, everyone refused to attack except Custard. He faced the pirate courageously, jumping in front of him and making dangerous gestures. The pirate fired shots at Custard, but he managed to swallow the pirate whole, proving his bravery.

Ans: A ballad is a poem that tells a story. The theme of a ballad is an adventure, bravery, romance, etc. The ballad is highly musical due to its rhyme scheme. The Tale of Custard the Dragon has these qualities. But it is a parody of a ballad. The poet shows these qualities in a humorous way. 

Ans: 
HINTS:

• Custard was always teased as being the cowardly one, by all others.
• When the pirate arrived, others ran away to hide 
• Custard was the only one who stood up to fight with him/who attacked him.

Ans: (a) Custard the dragon was tickled by Belinda.
(b) She tickled him in order to tease or make fun of him.
(c) Ink is a black kitten, Blink is a little grey mouse, and Mustard is a dog.
(d) They all laughed at 'him' because they thought he was a coward. 

Ans: (a) Belinda is the little girl who is the owner of the cat, mouse, dog, and the dragon.
(b) Belinda and the other pets sat in a little red wagon and laughed at the dragon.
(c) The word that means the same as 'unkind' in this extract is 'rudely'.