Important Questions for Class 8 English - The Selfish Giant

Q1: Write the word’s meaning.
Crept
Ans: crawled

Q2: Who is the writer of the story?
Ans: Oscar Wilde is the writer of the story.

Q3: Who was Cornish Ogre?
Ans: Cornish Ogre was a monster who lived in Cornwall in the UK.

Q4: Write the word’s meaning.
Wicked
Ans: Evil

Q5: Where did the giant go?
Ans: The giant went to live with his friend Cornish Ogre.

Q6: How long did the giant live with his friend?
Ans: The giant lived for seven years with his friends.

Q7: Why was the giant called selfish?
Ans: The giant went to live with his friend. When he returned, he saw children playing in his beautiful garden. He got angry and said that no one except him could enter his garden. So, he built walls so that no kid could come to play in his garden. So, he was called a selfish giant.

Q8: Mention how snow and frost occupied the giant’s garden.
Ans: Snow and frost loved the giant’s garden because spring had forgotten his garden. The snow covered the ground with his white cover while the frost made the trees look grey with his mist.

Q9: Why did spring forget the giant’s garden?
Ans: The giant isolated his garden from children. He built high walls so that no one could enter his garden. It saddened the spring, as there were no children; it did not enter the giant’s garden. With time, it forgot the giant’s garden while bringing flowers to the whole country.

Q10: How did the giant prevent the children from entering his garden?
Ans: The giant was very selfish. He built a high wall around the garden and held a notice before the gate saying any trace passer would be punished. Thus, he prevented children from entering his garden.

Q11: Describe the giant’s garden.
Ans: The giant had a beautiful garden. It was full of soft grass and little flowers. It had twelve peach trees which were the main attraction of the garden. They were full of flowers in spring, and in autumn, they gave beautiful fruits.

Q12: Was the giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?
Ans: The giant was not happy with the state of the garden. He loved his garden very much, but the spring avoided his garden, and frost and cold stayed there. He got sad and hoped the weather would change soon.

Q13: Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?
Ans: There was still winter in one corner because a little boy could not climb a tree. The tree was asking him to climb, but he could not, and his eyes were full of tears.

Q14: Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the giant.
Ans: The little boy was struggling to get on a tree and crying. The giant approached him, took him in his arms, and slowly put him on the tree. The child became happy, and he kissed the giant.

Q15: Describe their second meeting after a long interval.
Ans: The giant met with the child on a wintery morning after a long time. He ran to the boy and found that he had wounds on his palm and feet. The giant became furious, but the boy said those were the signs of love, and he came here to take him with the eternal garden- the paradise.

Q16: On one occasion, the children said: “How happy we are here!” Later they said: “How happy we were there!” What are they referring to in both cases?
Ans: In both cases, the children were referring to the garden. When they were playing in the garden, they felt it to be the happiest moment in their lives. So, they exclaimed they were very happy. But when the giant returned, he got angry and prevented all the children from entering his garden. It made them sad. Whenever they passed by the garden, they would remember their memories and say that they had been very happy in the garden.

Q17: The giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish giant?
Ans: The giant, in the beginning, was very selfish. He hated the kids and isolated his garden. But with time, he understood the importance of love and kindness. The spring, which brought happiness, forgot him because he was too selfish. A change came to him, and when he saw the children playing in his garden again, he was happy. He demolished the walls and spread love among the innocent kids. Thus, the once selfish giant became a kind and loving giant. So, God became pleased with him, and after his death, he went to God’s garden- paradise.

Q18: Describe how love changed the giant.
Ans: The giant was once very selfish. He even did not like kids. But with time, a big change came to him. He spent many years in isolation and with cold and frost. Spring forgot him because he was too selfish and did not experience any happiness. But one day, the children snuck into his garden, and spring returned. Jesus, as a child, came to play in his garden, and the giant helped him. In return, he got a kiss. Thus, his heart got full of love, and he kept spreading the love. He demolished the walls of the garden for the children. Therefore, once very selfish, the giant turned into a kind and loving giant.

Q19: The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. Who does the child remind you of?
Ans: The little child whom the giant loved most had wounds of nails on his palms and feet. He reminds me of Jesus Christ. He spread the lesson of love and humanity. To change the giant’s heart, he came to his garden in the form of a child. The giant showed his kindness and, in return, got a kiss. Thus, the child imprinted the language of love in the giant’s soul. The giant remembered him, too, and on his last day, he was taken by Jesus to God’s eternal garden – paradise.

Q20: The giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see? What did he realize on seeing it?
Ans: The giant saw that children entered his garden through a hole in the wall. They played in the garden, and each tree had a child on them. The trees were full of flowers and caressing the children with their branches. The birds were flying around and singing beautiful songs. Spring returned to his garden. He realized that love could be the only happiness in life. He understood he did not get happy because he was even selfish with the innocent kids. So, he demolished the walls and opened the garden for kids.