Tamilnadu State Board Class 9 English Solutions Supplementary Chapter 1 The Envious Neighbour
A. Identify the character or speaker of the following lines.
Question 1.
They gathered the treasure.
Answer:
The honest old couple
Question 2.
The pine tree under which, I am hurried, to be cut down and made into a mortar.
Answer:
The dog to the good old man
Question 3.
They dug, and found nothing but a quantity of dirt and nasty offal.
Answer:
The envious neighbours
Question 4.
He had not to wait long before he was called into the prince’s palace, and ordered to exhibit his power.
Answer:
The envious old man
Question 5.
BOW, WOW, WOW!
Answer:
The dog
Identify The Character / Speaker – Additional
Question 1.
They seized the dog and killed him.
Answer:
The Wicked old couple
B. Based on your understanding of the story choose the right answers from the given options.
Question 1.
The old farmer and his wife loved the dog
(a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work.
(b) as if it was their own baby.
(c) as they were kind to all living beings.
Answer:
(b) as if it was their own baby
Question 2.
When the old couple became rich, they
(a) gave the dog better food.
(b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.
(c) lived a comfortable life and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
Answer:
(c) lived a comfortable life and were generous towards their poor neighbours
Question 3.
The greedy couple borrowed the mortar to make
(a) rich pastry and bean sauce.
(b) magic ash to win rewards.
(c) a pile of gold.
Answer:
(c) a pile of gold
MCQs – Additional
Complete the following by choosing the correct answer from the options given:
Question 1.
In the old, old days, there lived a / an ______________ man with his wife.
(a) clever
(b) cunning
(c) honest
(d) rich
Answer:
(c) honest
Question 2.
The place was full of gold pieces and ______________
(a) copper
(b) silver
(c) bronze
(d) rupees
Answer:
(b) silver
Question 3.
Now in the neighbouring house, there dwelt a covetous and ______________ old couple.
(a) generous
(b) wealthy
(c) ignorant
(d) stingy
Answer:
(d) stingy
Question 4.
At last, the dog stopped at a certain spot and began to ______________
(a) watch
(b) sniff
(c) bark
(d) shout
Answer:
(b) sniff
Question 5.
______________ at being disappointed, the wicked old couple seized the dog.
(a) Furious
(b) Happy
(c) Placid
(d) Sad
Answer:
(a) Furious
Question 6.
The good old man with a ______________ heart went to the spot.
(a) bad
(b) slender
(c) pleasant
(d) heavy
Answer:
(d) heavy
Question 7.
In a fit of ______________ they broke the mortar and burnt it.
(a) happiness
(b) rage
(c) peace
(d) calm
Answer:
(b) rage
Question 8.
The dog appeared to him again in a ______________
(a) house
(b) dream
(c) street
(d) room
Answer:
(b) dream
Question 9.
The prince’s retainers seized the old man and ______________ him.
(a) helped
(b) protected
(c) beat
(d) ceded
Answer:
(c) beat
Question 10.
The wicked old people ______________ their ways and led a good and virtuous life.
(a) damaged
(b) mended
(c) smashed
(d) deformed
Answer:
(b) mended
C. Answer the following questions in a paragraph of about 80 to 100 words.
Question 1.
The old farmer was a kind person. Justify the statement with suitable examples from the story.
Answer:
The old farmer was a kind man. He helped the poor and the needy with what he had. He had a pet dog, which they used to feed with fish and tit-bit from their kitchen. One day, when their dog helped them in getting wealth, they did not take all for themselves. But gave alms to the poor and then bought for themselves rice fields and corn-fields. When his neighbour killed his dog, he did not scold him. He just wept for his pet, kept some food, burnt incense and adorned its grave with flowers. He also showed his kindness to his envious neighbours, as they were distressed, by giving them a share of his own riches.
Question 2.
How did the dog help the farmer even after its death?
Answer:
The dog appeared in his dream, and told him to cut the pine tree, make it into a mortar and use it, thinking of it, as if it were the dog itself. Old man did as was told. When he ground his rice in it, each grain turned into some rich treasure.
Question 3.
Why did the Prince reward the farmer but punish the neighbour for the same act?
Answer:
The prince rewarded the farmer because he made all the withered plum and cherry trees in the palace to shoot out and put forth flowers. So the prince was happy with his magical powers and sent him home rejoicing with plenty of presents. Where as the neighbour of the good old man was punished because he couldn’t perform the act of reviving the trees, after scattering the ashes on them. The ashes flew into the prince’s eyes and mouth, blinding and choking him. So the guards caught him and beat him almost to death.
Question 4.
Bring out the difference between two neighbours with suitable examples to support your view.
Answer:
The old farmer was an honest and a kind person. He showed kindness to everyone and helped the needy at all times. But his neighbour was an envious person. He was covetous and a stingy old man. These qualities of the two neighbours were clearly shown in the story, when they nursed the dog. The good old man fed it with fish and tit-bit from his own kitchen. But when the dog was borrowed for a few days by his neighbour, he prepared a great feast for it not out of concern but to flatter it to show them the place of wealth.
Earlier, the dog had received nothing but cuffs and kicks from this wicked man. When the dog did not help the wicked man, he killed it. The wicked did a lot of misdeeds to the good old farmer. Yet they forgave him and his wife and gave them a share of their own riches.
Paragraph Questions And Answers : Additional
Question 1.
How did the old man’s pet dog show them the treasure?
Answer:
The honest old man and his wife has a pet dog which they used to feed with fish and tit-bit from their own kitchen. One day, as the old folks went out to work in their garden, their dog went with them and began playing about. All of a sudden, the dog stopped short and began to bark, “Bow – wow!” wagging its tail violently. The old people thought that there must be something nice to eat under the ground. So they brought a spade and began digging. The place was full of gold and silver pieces and all sort of precious things.
Question 2.
What did the wicked old man do with the ashes of the mortar?
Answer:
As soon as the wicked old man heard about the presents given by the prince to the good old man, he collected all the ashes that remained and went out into the castle town. He told the guards there that he was the old man, who had the power of reviving dead trees and causing them to flower. He was called into the prince’s palace and was ordered to exhibit his power. When he climbed up into a withered tree and began to scatter the ashes, not a bud or a flower appeared. But the ashes all flew into the prince’s eyes and mouth, blinding and choking him. So the guards caught hold of him and they beat him almost to death, so that he crawled off home sorrowfully.
D. Refer to what happens in the folktale and complete the story with the help of the hints given in the mind map.
Answers:
- dog and with its help they
- in the neighbourhood.
- killed it.
- and burnt it.
- and put them in a basket.
True or False – Additional
State whether the following are True or False:
- The old couple spent the entire treasure on buying rice-fields.
- The envious couple borrowed the dog to know of the place filled with treasure.
- The wicked couple chased the dog away, when it did not show them the place of wealth.
- The good old man made a mortar out of the wood of the pine tree.
- The wicked couple broke and burnt the mortar, when it did not turn rice into treasure.
- The prince rewarded the good old man with silk and cloth and other presents.
- The prince also sent for the wicked old man, on knowing that he was the neighbour of thegood old man.
- The guards of the prince beat up the wicked old man, as he had argued with the prince.
Answers:
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- False
Short Questions And Answers : Additional
Question 1.
What did the honest couple feed their dog with?
Answer:
The honest couple fed the dog with fish and tit-bit from their own kitchen.
Question 2.
What prompted the old couple to dug the earth?
Answer:
When the dog playing about, suddenly stopped short and began to bark, the old people thought that there was something nice to eat under the ground. So they brought a spade and began digging.
Question 3.
What did the couple find, when they dug the earth?
Answer:
The couple found lots of gold pieces and silver and all sorts of precious things, which had been buried there.
Question 4.
What did the couple do with the treasure?
Answer:
The couple gathered the treasure and after giving alms to the poor, bought themselves rice – fields and corn-fields, and became wealthy people.
Question 5.
How did their neighbouring couple behave, on hearing of the old couple’s good fortune?
Answer:
The greedy old couple on hearing the neighbour’s good fortune borrowed the dog and prepared a great feast for him. They then requested the dog to show them a place with plenty of money in it.
Question 6.
How did the envious couple treat the dog?
Answer:
The envious couple gave the dog cuffs and kicks. They put a rope around the dog’s neck and led him out into the garden. But it was all in vain.
Question 7.
What led to the dog’s death?
Answer:
The dog stopped at a certain spot, and began to sniff. So, thinking that this must surely be the lucky place, the envious couple dug, and found nothing but a quantity of dirt and nasty offal, over which they had to hold their noses. Furious at being disappointed, they seized the dog, and killed him.
Question 8.
What did the good old man do, on hearing of his dog’s death?
Answer:
The good old fellow, with a heavy heart, went to the spot, set a tray with delicate food, burnt incense, and adorned the grave with flowers, as he shed tears over his lost pet.
Question 9.
What happened in the good old man’s sleep?
Answer:
When the good old man was fast asleep in bed, the dog appeared to him, and after thanking him for all his kindness, he asked him to cut down the pine tree, make it into a mortar, and use it, thinking of it as if it were the dog.
Question 10.
What happened when the rice was ground in the mortar?
Answer:
When the good old man ground his rice in the mortar, each grain of rice turned into some rich treasure.
Question 11.
How did the wicked old couple behave on seeing the rice turning into treasure?
Answer:
The wicked old couple borrowed the mortar; but when they used it, all their rice turned into filth; so in a fit of rage, they broke up the mortar and burnt it.
Question 12.
What remedy did the dog suggest to the good old man in his dream, the second time?
Answer:
The dog appeared to him again in a dream, and told him that if he would take the ashes of the burnt mortar and sprinkled them on withered trees, the trees would revive, and suddenly put out flowers.
Question 13.
How did the good old man make withered trees sprout and blossom?
Answer:
The good old man sprinkled the ashes upon a withered cherry-tree, which immediately began to sprout and blossom.
Question 14.
How did the good old man utilise the power of the magic ashes?
Answer:
The good old man put the ashes into a basket, and went about the country, announcing himself as an old man who had the power of bringing dead trees to life again.
Question 15.
Why did the prince reward the good old man?
Answer:
The good old man made all the withered plum and cherry-trees to shoot out and put forth flowers. So, the prince gave him a rich reward of pieces of silk and cloth and other presents, and sent him home rejoicing.
Question 16.
What did the wicked old man do on hearing the prince’s reward to the good-old man?
Answer:
The wicked old man and his wife collected all the ashes that remained and put them in a basket. The wicked old man went out into the castle town and said that he could revive dead trees causing them to flower.
Question 17.
What happened at the prince’s palace?
Answer:
When the wicked old man climbed up into a withered tree, and began to scatter the ashes, not a bud or a flower appeared; but the ashes all flew into the prince’s eyes and mouth, blinding and choking him. When the prince’s retainers saw this, they seized the old man, and beat him almost to death.
Question 18.
What did the good couple do on hearing their neighbour’s distress?
Answer:
When the good old man and woman heard of their neighbours’ distress, they sent for them, and after reproving them for their greed and cruelty, gave them a share of their own riches. So, the wicked old people mended their ways, and led good and virtuous . lives ever after.
The Envious Neighbour Textual Activities
Warm Up
1. Discuss the following:
Question 1.
Ratna Tata, Azim Premji are a few rich people of India who spend a part of their wealth on charity. What influences them to share and care for others?
Answer:
Philanthropic attitude leads to service and caring for others, sharing one’s joys with others, makes one’s life really worth living.
Question 2.
Think of any undesirable quality that you would like to get rid of and discuss it with your friends.
Answer:
My anger is my greatest enemy. All my friends praise me that I have a helping tendency and a sharing heart. But they don’t like me getting angry at times. When I get angry, I lose my self-control and create an unpleasant situation. I would like to get rid of this undesirable quality by keeping myself calm. When I get frustrated, I can count numbers from 1 to 20 slowly, so that my anger can subside during that time.
Question 3.
‘Do you like pets? Why?
Answer:
Yes, I like pets, especially dogs. I have a pet dog at home. I have named it as ‘Caesar’. It is a German Shepherd dog. Pet dogs are man’s best friends. They are loyal, intelligent, devoted and affectionate towards us. They are known to improve our own physical and mental health.
The Envious Neighbour Summary
An honest man lived with his wife. They had a pet dog, which they used to feed with fish and tit-bit from their own kitchen. One day, when the couple went to work in their garden, their dog stopped at a place and started to bark. When the couple dug that place, they found gold and silver pieces being buried there. They gathered the treasure and after giving alms to the poor, bought themselves rice-fields and com fields and became wealthy people.
Their neighbours, who were stingy old couple, envied them and borrowed their dog to see if they could find any treasure with the help of the dog. They led the dog out into the garden. It walked along the garden without any barking for a long time. At last, the dog stopped at a certain spot and began to sniff. They hastily dug the spot, but found only dirt and nasty things. Furious at being disappointed, the old couple killed the dog.
When the good old man came to know that his dog was buried at the root of a pine tree, with a heavy heart, he burnt incense and adorned the grave with flowers. That night, the dog appeared to him in his sleep and instructed him to cut down the pine tree where it was buried, make it into a mortar and to use it, thinking of it, as if it were the dog itself. The old man did, as he was told to do, but when he ground his rice in it, each grain of rice turned into some rich treasure.
Seeing this, the wicked couple borrowed the mortar. But as soon as they used it, all their rice turned into filth. So, in anger, they broke it and burnt it.
One night, the dog appeared again to the old man in his dream. It told him to sprinkle the ashes of the burnt mortar on withered trees. The trees would revive and bloom with flowers. He obeyed the dog, as instructed, bringing the dead trees to life. A certain prince utilised his power and gave him a rich reward. But the envious neighbours got thrashing from the guards of the prince, when they tried to do the same act. Finally, when the good old couple heard of this, they sent for the neighbours and gave them a share of their own riches. After this, the wicked people mended their ways and led a good and virtuous lives ever after.
The Main Characters Are : The good old couple and the wicked couple
The Envious Neighbour Mind Map
The Envious Neighbour Glossary
