Working With the Text  (Page 11)

Answer the following questions of Class 6 English Chapter 1 (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

1. What did Patrick think his cat was playing with? What was it really? (2)
Ans: Patrick thought that his cat was playing with a little doll. It was, in fact, a very small-sized man, an elf.

2. Why did the little man grant Patrick a wish? (2)
Ans: Patrick had saved the tiny man’s life from the cat by not handing him back to the cat. So he promised to fulfil one wish of Patrick.

3. What was Patrick’s wish? (3)
Ans: Patrick hated doing homework. His greatest wish was that the little man should do all his homework till the end of the session.

4. In what subjects did the little man need help, to do Patrick’s homework? (5, 6)
Ans: The little man needed Patrick’s help in maths, English and history.

5. How did Patrick help him? (7)
Ans: Patrick sat beside the little man and guided him. He brought books from the library and read out to him.

6. Who do you think did Patrick’s homework – the little man, or Patrick himself? Give reasons for your answer. (9, 10)
Ans: It was Patrick himself who actually did all the homework. He had to help the elf again and again with guidance and books.

Working with Language

A.The pill in the blanks in the sentences below with the words or phrases from the box. (You may not know the meaning of all the words. Look such words up in a dictionary, or ask your teacher.)

  semester       between you and me                look up

1.  Some people find household__________________ a bore, but I like to help at home.
2. Who stole the diamond is still a_____________________ .

3. This_________________ we are going to have a class exhibition.
4. _______________ , the elf began to help Patrick.
5.Can you__________________ this word in the dictionary?
6.I started early to be on time, but I was_____________________ . There was a traffic jam!
7.She says she’s got a lot of books, but______________________ I think most of them are borrowed.
Ans. 1. chores     2. mystery              3. semester                4. True to his word

5. lookup out of luck          7. between you and me

B.Use the clues given below to complete this crossword puzzle.

Across
1.Very tired
2.had an angry look on the face
3.short trousers
4.a fault in a machine that prevents it from working properly
5.a small and naughty boy-fairy

Down

6. work that must be done every day, often boring
7. a basket with a lid
8. have a short, high-pitched cry

Speaking  (Page 13)

1. In the story, Patrick does difficult things he hates to do because the elf pre­tends he needs help. Have you ever done something difficult or frightening, by pretending about it in some way? Tell your classmates about it.
Or
Say what you feel about homework. (The words and phrases in the boxes may help you.) Do you think it is useful, even though you may not like it? Form pairs, and speak to each other.

For example:
You may say, “I am not fond of homework.”
Your partner may reply, “But my sister helps me with my lessons at home, and that gives a boost to my marks.”
                                 (not) be fond of       (not) take to                  (not) develop a liking for
                                (not) appeal to      (not) be keen on               (not) have a taste for
                                             support        assist         with the aid of
                                             help        be a boon             give a boost to

Ans:
1. I am not very fond of keeping my room clean and tidy.
2. But my sister does all this for me.
3. I have not developed a liking for non-veg.
4. But my elder brother does not support me.
5. I have taken to playing football.
6. I have developed a liking for chess also.
7. I appeal to my friends to play some game.
8. Sports can be a boon in career making.
9. They give a boost to my confidence.
10. My deskmate is keen on getting ‘A’ grade.
11. I hope he will assist me also in preparing my lessons.

Writing  (Page 13)
A. This story has a lot of rhyming words, as a poem does. Can you write out some parts of it like a poem, so that the rhymes come at the end of separate lines? For example:
Patrick never did homework. ‘Too boring”, he said.
He played baseball and Hockey and Nintendo instead.
Ans. The man of the tiniest size
was true to his word and wise
Patrick saved the elf from the cat
The elf promised to do all that
Patrick loved sports and hated homework
He wasted his time and studies shirk

B. Look at these sentences.
1.‘Too boring,” he said.
2. Cleaned his room, did his chores.
When we speak we often leave out words that can easily be guessed.
We do not do this when we write unless we are trying to write as we speak (as in the story).
So, if we were to write carefully, we would say:

• Homework is too boring, he said.
• He cleaned his room and did his chores.

C. Rewrite the following incomplete sentences carefully, so that the reader does not have to guess what is left out.
1.more and more books.
2.too difficult.
3.got up late, missed the bus.
4.solved the mystery.

Ans:
1. The writers and poets read more and more books.
2. This personal question is too difficult to answer.
3. When I got up late yesterday morning, I missed the school bus.
4. Lord Krishna solved the mystery of life after .death.

D. Look at this cartoon by R. K. Laxman. Read the sentence given below the cartoon. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

• What is it about?
• Do you find it funny? If so, why?
• Do you think a cartoon is a serious drawing? Why or why not?

Ans:

1. It is about a father’s concern for the betterment of his child.
2. Yes, the cartoon is really funny. Father orders the child to labour (to work hard) with his studies. But he forbids the boy to read the laws against child labour.
3. A cartoon is chiefly meant to make us laugh.
It is also a serious drawing in one sense.
It draws our attention to some problem that affects us all.

     MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I.SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What was Patrick’s chief interest?
Ans: Patrick’s chief interest was to play hockey, football and video games.

2. What warning did the teachers give to Patrick?
Ans: The teachers noticed that Patrick never did his homework. So they warned him that he would remain a fool, an illiterate person.

3. How did Patrick get his wish granted by the elf?
Ans: Patrick saved the life of the elf from a cat. So the elf promised to fulfil one wish of his saviour.      ‘

4. What made Patrick believe that he was lucky?
Ans: Patrick hated homework and loved sports. He called himself lucky when the tiny man agreed to do all his homework.

5. Why did the little man’s face wrinkle and frown?
Ans: The little man was an elf. He had not studied maths or English. So he was angry when called upon to do Patrick’s homework.

6. The little man kept his word. But there was one glitch. What was it?
Ans: The little man did not go back on his promise. But his problem was that he did not know maths, English or human history.

7. The little elf was a nag. How did it tell upon Patrick’s health?
Ans: The little elf agreed to do Patrick’s homework. But he had a problem. He was always seeking Patrick’s help. Overwork tired him and caused swelling in his eyes.

8. What changes came in Patrick’s behaviour in the end?
Ans: In the end, Patrick became a model boy. He cleaned his room, did all his daily work, became cheerful and polite.

II.LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Who did Patrick’s homework? Why and how?
Ans: Patrick had no interest in studies. He hated doing homework. He was lucky to get a helper. It was an elf. He had saved the elf from a cat and the elf promised to do all Patrick’s homework for 35 days. But the poor elf was blank in English. and maths. He sought Patrick’s help and guidance. Patrick brought books from the library and worked hard to solve all sums. He got good marks. Actually, it was Patrick himself who did all his homework.

2. How did Patrick get supernatural help? Was the elf intelligent enough to answer questions in all the subjects?
Ans: One day Patrick found his cat playing with a doll. He rescued the tiny doll, who in fact was an elf. He promised to grant his saviour one wish. Patrick told him to do all his homework for 35 days. The elf had to keep his word. But he was quite ignorant of language and maths and even other subjects. He called out to Patrick to come and guide him.

3. Give the characteristic features of the elf which helped Patrick.
Ans: Patrick saved a little doll from his cat. That doll was, in fact, a very small sized man, an elf. He was timid. He felt grateful to his saviour. In return, he prom­ised to grant Patrick a wish. He could not say ‘no’ to any of Patrick’s requests. He agreed to do Patrick’s homework. But he was illiterate. He sought Patrick’s guidance at eveiy step.