Textbook Exercise with Solutions :The Storyteller | Oxford English for Class 4 PDF Download

Comprehension

Q1. Answer the following questions.

a.

Ans: The stories were told to the children at the end of the day, after they were bathed, fed, and tucked into bed.

b.

Ans: The poem says the children "cuddled in bed," which suggests they were comfortable and at ease.

c.

Ans: The poem says the children listened "with their eyes open wide" and "in awe," indicating they were captivated by the stories.

d.

Ans: "Fables of yore" are old stories, often with a moral lesson. "Yore" means a long time ago.

e.

Ans: The shadows would creep and phantoms would appear while the children slept, especially if they hadn't prayed.

f.

Ans: The children, now grown up, tell the stories to their own children and grandchildren.

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.(HOTS)

g.

Ans: The clues are given below which tell us the stories were really good ones:

1. The children listened with "eyes open wide" and "in awe," suggesting they were fully engaged.
2. Despite being a little frightening, the children "repeat them still" to the next generation, indicating the stories made a lasting impression.
3. The stories are referred to as "stories of gold," implying they are valuable and treasured.

h.

Ans: Yes, the stories were likely a little frightening because they involved "shadows that crept" and "phantoms that played." The poem also mentions the children feeling "a chill" when remembering the stories.

i.

Ans: Yes, the storyteller was probably a good storyteller. The children were clearly fascinated by the stories, listening with wide eyes and awe. Even as adults, they continued to share the stories, suggesting the storyteller had a gift for engaging his audience and making the stories memorable.

Q2. More questions!

a.

Ans: The difference between a story and a fable:

1. A story is a narrative account of real or imagined events.
2. A fable is a short story, typically featuring animals as characters, that conveys a moral lesson.

b.

Ans: Some words that describe actions in the poem include: told, cuddled, played, crept, slept, prayed, feel, repeat.

c.

Ans: Many words in the poem rhyme. Here are a few examples:

1. day, play
2. fed, bed
3. wide, side
4. yore, awe
5. crept, slept
6. played, prayed
7. chill, still
8. old, gold

Q3. Answer the questions about this line from the poem.

If first they'd not prayed!

a.

Ans: "They" refers to the children listening to the stories.

b.

Ans: The poem suggests that if the children didn't pray, the shadows and phantoms might come and play around them.

c.

Ans: The phrase "feel a chill" reminds us of the potentially frightening consequences of not praying.

Q4. Working with Words.

a.

Ans: bold - told, old, gold

b.

Ans: tables - fables

c.

Ans: red - bed, fed

d.

Ans: peel - chill

e.

Ans: fired - side, wide

f.

Ans: defeat - crept, slept

g.

Ans: stayed - played, prayed

h.

Ans: muddled - cuddled