NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 1 The Ant and the Cricket are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 1 The Ant and the Cricket.
| Board | CBSE |
| Textbook | NCERT |
| Class | Class 8 |
| Subject | English Honeydew (Poem) |
| Chapter | Chapter 1 |
| Chapter Name | The Ant and the Cricket |
| Category | NCERT Solutions |
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew (Poem) Chapter 1 The Ant and the Cricket
STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow each :
I. A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come. (Page 21)
हिंदी अनुवाद-एक मूर्ख युवा झींगुर था। गर्मी और बसंत के धुपहले महीनों को गाते हुए बिता देना उसकी आदत थी। जब सर्दी का मौसम आया तो वह दु:खी हो उठा। खाने के लिए कुछ न था। घर पर उसका भंडार खाली था।
Paraphrase. Once there was a foolish young cricket. It was his habit to pass the sunny months of summer and spring in singing. When winter came, he began to grumble. There was nothing to eat. His cupboard at his home was empty.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The passage is taken from
(a) Geography Lesson
(b) On the Grasshopper and Cricket
(c) The Ant and the Cricket
(d) The Duck and the Kangaroo.
2. The two qualities of the Cricket described here are
(a) foolish and a singer
(b) wise and a singer
(c) foolish and a writer
(d) intelligent and a speaker.
3. The weather in the poem is
(a) warm and gay
(b) cold and dry
(c) rainy and stormy
(d) hot and sunny.
4. ‘Accustomed to’ means
(a) happy
(b) unhappy
(c) used to
(d) irritated.
Answers
1. (c) The Ant and the Cricket
2. (a) foolish and a singer
3. (b) cold and dry
4. (c) used to
II. Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says the cricket, “of me ?” (Page 21)
हिंदी अनुवाद-झींगुर को सर्दी में भोजन नहीं मिला। हर जगह बर्फ ही बर्फ थी। न कोई फूल और न ही किसी पेड़ पर कोई पत्ती दिखाई देती थी। झींगुर चिंता में बोल उठा ‘मेरा क्या होगा ?’
Paraphrase. The cricket did not find any food in winter. There was ice everywhere. Neither a flower nor a leaf on a tree could be seen. The cricket wondered aloud what would become of him.
Questions
1. Who was looking for the crumbs ?
2. What did the Cricket usually do ?
3. Why was the Cricket worried ?
Answers
1. The Cricket was looking for the crumbs.
2. Usually the Cricket sang.
3. The Cricket was worried because he had no food.
III. At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant (Page 21)
हिंदी अनुवाद-झींगुर मरने लगा। वह भूख से मर रहा था। अतः उसने हिम्मत जुटायी। वर्षा से भीगता और ठंड से कांपता वह एक कंजूस चींटी के पास पहुँचा। उसने जानना चाहा कि क्या चींटी जिंदा रहने में उसकी सहायता करेगी।
Paraphrase. The cricket came on the verge of death. He was dying of hunger. So he took courage. Wet with rain and shivering with cold, he went to a miserly ant. He wanted to know if the ant would help him keep alive.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who was suffering from starvation and famine ?
(a) the Ant
(b) the Cricket
(c) the poet
(d) a man.
2. Why was he dripping with wet ?
(a) It was raining hard.
(b) He had dived in a pond.
(c) He had no shelter.
(d) He had taken a bath.
3. What did he expect to get from the miserly ant ?
(a) good advice
(b) food
(c) shelter
(d) food and shelter.
4. What does the word ‘grant mean?
(a) kind
(b) generous
(c) take
(d) give.
Answers
1. (b) the Cricket
2. (c) He had no shelter
3. (d) food and shelter
4. (d) give
IV. Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow. (Page 21)
हिंदी अनुवाद-झींगुर ने चींटी से निवेदन किया कि वह उसे वर्षा से बचाये। वह थोड़ा सा अन्न भी चाहता था। उसका इरादा था कि वह इस कर्ज को शीघ्र ही उतार देगा। वह बोला कि अगर चींटी ने दया नहीं की तो वह मर जायेगा।
Paraphrase. The cricket requested the ant to give him protection from rain. He also wanted a small quantity of food. His intention was to repay the debt soon. He said that if the ant was not kind, he would die.
Questions
1. Who is ‘him’ in the first line ?
2. What did he want?
3. From whom did he hope to borrow ?
4. Give the opposite of the word ‘borrow’.
Answers
1. ‘Him’ refers to the Cricket.
2. He wanted food and shelter.
3. He hoped to borrow from the ant.
4. lend.
V. Says the ant to the
cricket, “I’m your servant
and friend,
But we ants never
borrow; we ants never
lend.
But tell me, dear cricket,
did you lay nothing by
When the weather was
warm ?” Quoth the cricket,
“Not I! (Page 22)
हिंदी अनुवाद- चींटी झींगुर से बोली, “मैं आपकी सेवक और मित्र हूँ। पर हमारा सिद्धांत है कि हम ने उधार देते हैं और न उधार लेते हैं। पर प्रिय झींगुर, क्या गर्मी के मौसम में तुमने सर्दी के लिए कुछ बचाकर नहीं रखा ?” झींगुर ने उत्तर दिया “नहीं।”
Paraphrase. The ant said to the cricket. “I am your servant and friend. However, it is our principle that we neither borrow nor lend. But, dear cricket, did you not save anything for the bad weather during the warm days ?” The cricket said that he didn’t.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What do you think that of the ant’s behaviour ? What was it like?
(a) a servant
(b) a friend
(c) both
(d) neither
2. What do the ants not do according to the passage ?
(a) don’t borrow
(b) neither borrow nor lend
(c) don’t lend
(d) don’t help.
3. The ant scolded the Cricket because
(a) he never lent
(b) he never borrowed
(c) he never saved
(d) he was foolish.
4. The word ‘Quoth’ means
(a) wept
(b) laughed
(c) said
(d) asked.
Answers
1. (d) neither
2. (b) neither borrow nor lend
3. (c) he never saved
4. (c) said
VI. My heart , was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.”
“You sang, Sir, you say ?
Go then,” says the ant, “and dance the winter away.” (Page 22)
हिंदी अनुवाद-“मेरा दिल ऐसा खुश था कि मैं दिन-रात गाता ही रहा। सारी प्रकृति प्रसन्न दिखाई दे रही थी”, (झींगुर बोला)। चींटी ने कहा, “ श्रीमन्, अगर आपने गर्मियाँ गाकर बिता दीं, तो जाओ सर्दियँ नाच कर बिता दो।”
Paraphrase. “I felt so light at heart that I sang and sang all through the day and night. Every object of nature seemed very happy”, (said the cricket). The ant said, “Sir, if you passed the summer in singing, pass the winter in dancing”.
Questions
1. Whose heart was it ? How did it feel ?
2. What did he do ?
3. How was the weather ?
4. Who questions the wisdom of his action ?
Answers
1. It was Cricket’s heart. It felt very happy.
2. He sang day and night.
3. The weather was fine.
4. The ant questions the wisdom of his action.
VII. Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true :
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.
हिंदी अनुवाद-ऐसा कह कर चींटी ने दरवाजा बंद कर दिया। इस प्रकार बेचारा युवा झींगुर चींटी के घर के बाहर निकला। लोग कहते हैं कि यह एक नीति-कथा है। कवि का विश्वास है कि यह सच्ची बात है। वह कहता है कि संसार में दो पैरों वाले ऐसे लोग हैं जो कहानी के चार पैरों वाले युवा झींगुर की तरह व्यवहार करते हैं।
Paraphrase. So saying he (the ant) closed the door. So the poor young cricket came out of the ant’s house. People say that it’s a story with a moral. The poet believes it’s true. He says that there are people in the world who behave like that cricket of the story.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who lifted the wicket?
(a) the Ant
(b) the Cricket
(c) the poet
(d) a man.
2. Why did he lift the wicket?
(a) because it was so light.
(b) because he was tired.
(c) because he wanted his visitor to go.
(d) because it was cold.
3. What does the poet mean when he says that ‘some crickets have two legs’ ?
(a) These are some strange crickets with two legs.
(b) The poet dislikes all crickets.
(c) The poet is referring to people who do not save for a rainy day.
(d) All men are crickets with two legs.
4. The word ‘fable’ here means
(a) able
(b) poem
(c) epilogue
(d) story with a moral.
Answers
1. (a) the Ant
2. (c) because he wanted his visitor to go
3. (c) The poet is referring to people who do not save for a rainy day.
4. (d) story with a moral
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
WORKING WITH THE POEM (Page 23)
Question. 1.
The cricket says, “Oh ! what will become of me ?” When does he say it, and why ?
Answer:
The cricket speaks these words on the arrival of winter. He says so because he finds that there is no food for him in his house.
Question. 2.
(i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ (Shakespeare).
(ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles ?
Answer:
(i) The line is :
“We ants never borrow ; we ants never lend.”
(ii) I do not agree with the ant’s principle. On the other hand, I believe that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Question. 3.
The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here ? If so, why ?
Answer:
Yes the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here. It is so because the cricket had spoken of his love of singing. Singing and dancing go together.
Question. 4.
(i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment ? Read them aloud.
(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
Answer:
(i) The lines are :
“Folks call this a fable ; I’ll warrant it true.
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.”
(ii) People say that this is a short story with a moral. However it is true. There are people in this world who spend all their earnings. They do not save anything for the future. In the moments of crisis or in their old age they come to grief. They find they have no money to depend upon. Such people, says the poet, are like the cricket of the story.
Question. 5.
If you know a fable in your own language, narrate it to your classmates.
Answer:
Once there was an old man. He had four sons. These sons always quarrelled with one another. So the old man was sad. When he was about to die, he called them all. He asked them to bring four sticks. Then he asked them to tie them in a bundle. After that he asked each of them to break the bundle. No one could do it. Then he untied the bundle and gave a stick to each of them. They easily broke them. Thus, the old man explained them the value of unity. He told his sons that if they remained united no one would ever harm them.
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