NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 5 Princess September

Latest Updated : May 2024

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Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter 5 Princess September

Textbook Question Answers

Comprehension Check – Page 38

1. How many daughters did the royal couple have?

Answer – The Royal couple had nine daughters.

2. Why were they named after the months of the year?

Answer – The Queen of Siam was worried about remembering so many names, so the king decided to name their daughters January, February and so on until he named the youngest September.

3. The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?

Answer – The King had a peculiar habit for his birthday : instead of receiving gifts like everyone else, he liked to give gifts to others. This habit was peculiar because typically, people get gifts on their birthdays rather than giving them away.

3. (i) What was Princess September’s reaction to the loss of her parrot?
(ii) What was her mother’s reaction to it?
(iii) What do the reactions indicate about the nature and temperament of each?

Answer – (i) When Princess September discovered that her parrot had died in the golden cage her father had given her, she locked herself in her room and burst into tears. Despite the attempts of her Maids of Honour to comfort her, she couldn’t stop crying. She cried so much that her Maids of Honour, unsure of what to do, decided to inform the Queen about it.

(ii) On hearing the news, the Queen dismissed Princess September’s tears as as mere nonsense and heartlessly instructed the Maids of Honour to put the girl to bed without supper.

(iii) Princess September’s emotional reaction to her parrot’s loss showed her youthfulness, sensitivity, and deep affection for her pet. Her sudden burst of tears demonstrated the depth of her love and care for the bird. However, the Queen’s response appeared somewhat insensitive as she failed to console her distressed daughter. Her indifference suggested that she was unconcerned about her daughter’s grief over the parrot’s death.

4. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?

Answer – The Princess was very sad and couldn’t stop crying when her parrot died suddenly. As she lay in bed crying, she saw a small bird hop into her room. She wiped away her tears and listened to the bird sing a lovely song. This pulled the Princess out of her gloom.

5. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?

Answer – When the Maids of Honour brought the Princess her breakfast, they noticed that the bird ate rice from her hand and bathed in her saucer. This made them realize that the bird and the Princess had become intimate friends.

6. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?

Answer – The little bird sang a new and different song each time. Whereas, the old parrots were only taught two phrases – ‘God save the King’ and ‘Pretty Polly’ in seven different Oriental languages.

7. What is the King’s opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?

Answer – The King compared his daughter’s parrots, who could say ‘Pretty Polly’ in seven different languages, to his Councillors. He felt that just like the parrots, his Councillors would say the same thing in different ways, but it didn’t make sense. He thought his Councillors were like parrots, repeating things without understanding their meaning.

8. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it?
(ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?

Answer – (i) The eight Princesses felt jealous of Princess September’s singing bird. So, they decided to put their pocket money together to buy her a beautiful green and yellow parrot as a gift.

(ii) The eight Princesses felt annoyed because everyone admired Princess September’s singing bird, while their own parrots could only repeat a few words they taught them. They decided to give September a new parrot to distract her from the singing bird. This way, everyone would have the same kind of pet bird.

9. What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?

Answer – The sisters were extremely jealous of Princess September’s singing bird. They gave her deceitful advice, telling her to keep the bird in a cage, or else it would fly away and never return.

Comprehension Check – Page 43

1. In the following sentence elaborate the parts given in bold. Under the circumstances it was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.

Answer –

Under the circumstances – After Princess September’s sisters gave her advice about the singing bird, she became very anxious. She was afraid that the bird might forget about her and become fond of someone else, causing her to lose her beloved pet.

Very unfortunate remark – When the little bird came back, he mentioned that he almost didn’t return that night because his father-in-law was hosting a party, and everyone wanted him to stay. However, he decided to return because he was worried that the Princess might be anxious if he didn’t come back on time.

2. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet?
(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Answer – (i) To keep her pet safe and prevent the chance of losing him, Princess September put the bird in a golden cage and locked it.

(ii) The bird didn’t enjoy being stuck in a cage. He felt like he was in prison and lost his freedom. Over time, he stopped singing and eating.

3. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?

Answer – Princess September wanted to take the bird out in a cage every day, but the bird refused. He said it wasn’t the same because everything looked different when seen through the bars of a cage, like the rice fields, the lake, and the willow trees.

4. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?
(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Answer – (i) Princess September was already concerned because the little bird had stopped singing and eating. The next day, when she greeted him and he didn’t respond. Seeing him lay down lifeless, she feared she had almost lost him. Realizing that the bird couldn’t sing in a cage and might die if he didn’t, the Princess decided to set him free again.

(ii) The bird felt overjoyed when the Princess set him free from the golden cage. He spread his wings and flew away into the distant blue sky. Before leaving, he promised the Princess that he would return whenever she wished and sing songs for her.

5. Princess September kept her window open day and night.
(i) How did it help the bird?
(ii) How did it help the Princess herself?

Answer – (i) Princess September kept her window open day and night. This allowed the little bird to come and go from her room whenever he pleased.

(ii) Leaving the window open all day and night gave Princess September fresh air and sunlight, making her more beautiful by letting her enjoy the wonderful things nature has to offer.

6. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?

Answer – The eight sisters who always kept their windows closed grew up to be very unattractive and unpleasant. They were eventually married to the King’s Councillors with a pound of tea and a Siamese cat.

Exercise Questions

1. Are the sisters unkind and cruel? Find evidence in the text to support your idea.

Answer – The eight sisters of Princess September were mean and jealous. They envied the fact that her little pet could sing beautifully, unlike their own parrots. So, they even offered their pocket money to buy her a green and yellow parrot. They told her to keep the little bird in a cage so it couldn’t leave her. Princess September followed their advice and kept her pet in a golden cage. They mocked her, saying the bird wouldn’t come back if she let it go.

2. Which, to you, is the most important idea in this story, and why?
(i) importance of music
(ii) value of freedom
(iii) beauty of nature

Answer – The most significant idea in the story is the importance of freedom. It’s widely understood that every living being has the right to freedom, and denying it can lead to unhappiness. When the little bird was locked up, he became sad and lost his energy. He stopped eating and singing because he was not happy. This shows that being free is what makes life beautiful and exciting. When creatures are kept locked up, they lose their happiness and energy.

Summary

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