JK Academy Meaning
fantasy – imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure. whisked – take or move (someone or something) somewhere suddenly and quickly.
cyclone – a tropical storm.
eventful – marked by interesting or exciting events.
ditch – (here) a deep opening or gap in the ground.
jagged – with rough, sharp points poking out.
shaggy – long, thick and untidy.
dent – a slight hollow in a hard, even surface.
crouch – a position where the knees are bent and the upper body is brought forward and down, in preparation for jumping.
mane – a growth of long hair on the neck of a lion or horse.
gulf – (here) a very deep opening or gap in the ground.
first-rate – the best; excellent.
snarling – growling angrily with the teeth bared.
brutes – savagely violent animals.
meadows – grasslands.
Things to do
1. Read the words. Write other words which have the same ending. eventful(-ful); travellers (-ers); despairingly(-ly); carefully(-fully)
1. –ful : beautiful, hopeful, eventful
2. -ers : bakers, teachers, travellers
3. -ly : horribly, terribly, despairingly
4. -fully : lawfully, doubtfully, carefully
2. List the characters in the story and write a few lines about each of them:
Ans. The characters in the story are:
1. Dorothy – a young girl who is whisked by a cyclone to the wonderful land of Oz.
2. Toto – Dorothy’s dog, whom she loves.
3. The Tin Woodman – he needs a heart.
4. The Scarecrow – though it is said that he needs brains, he is shown to be quite intelligent in the story.
5. The Lion – though it is said that he is cowardly and needs bravery, his actions in the story show that he is actually quite brave.
6. The Kalidahs – monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers. They have long and sharp claws.
3. Write in short how the travellers crossed the first ditch.
Ans. First the Lion took the Scarecrow on his back and jumped to the other side. After the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lion sprang across the ditch again. Next Dorothy took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lion’s back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand. The Lion jumbed over the ditch so swiftly that Dorothy felt as they were flying through the air. And before she had the time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. The Lion went back a third time and got the Tin Woodman.
4. Write how the travellers crossed the second gulf.
Ans. The second gulf was so broad and deep that the Lion knew at once he could leap across it. Therefore on the scarecrow’s suggestion the Tin Woodman started chopping the tree with his axe. The axe was so sharp that the tree was chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch with its top branches on the other side. They had just started cross this queer bridge when they saw running towards them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers. They were the Kalidahs. They quickly started crossing the bridge. Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came next. Though the Lion was afraid, he turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fell over backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him in surprise. The Kalidahs again rushed forward, and the Lion crossed over to the other side. Again on the Scarecrow’s suggestion the Tin Woodman started chopping the tree. And just as the Kalidahs were nearly cross, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf along with the two Kalidahs.
5. Which events in the story tell us that –
i) the scarecrow was intelligent – When the travellers wanted to cross the first ditch, it was the Scarecrow who suggested that the only option they had was to jump over it. When they had to cross the ditch, he suggested that the Tin Woodman should chop the tree standing close to the ditch. And later when the Kalidahs were rushing through the queer bridge, the Scarecrow told the Tin Woodman to again chop the tree. This made the Kalidahs fall into the ditch along with the tree. All these events in the story tell us that the Scarecrow was intelligent.
ii) the lion was brave – When the travellers came the first ditch, it was the Lion who agreed to jump over the ditch. And when they were crossing the gulf, the Lion turned to face the Kalidahs. He gave such a loud and terrible roar that even the fierce beasts, the Kalidahs stopped short and looked at him in surprise. These events tell us that the lion was brave.
6. Activities:
1. Imagine you are Dorothy and write about the day’s events in 5-8 lines in your (Dorothy’s) diary.
This was an eventful day for us; we had hardly been walking an hour when we saw before us a great ditch. It was because of the Scarecrow’s thinking that we were able to cross it with the help of the Lion. But as we walked further we heard some strange noises of the monstrous beasts, the Kalidahs. We came across another gulf across the road. But this was so broad and deep that the lion knew he could not leap it. This time to the scarecrow came up with another idea and asked the Tin Woodman to chop down the great tree, standing close to the ditch. As we started to cross the queer bridge, we heard the Kalidahs. To our horror we saw two great beast with bodies like bears and heads like tigers. The Lion told us to hurry up and run across. Though the Lion was certainly afraid, he turned to face the Kalidahs and gave so loud and terrible a roar that we all got scared. The Lion knew that he would not be able to fight them, so he too quickly crossed over. On the Scarecrow’s instructions, the Tin Woodman chopped off the tree. The two beasts fell into the ditch and were dashed to pieces. Now we walked very fast and were soon out of the forest.
2. Imagine you are the Lion and someone is interviewing you. Write the answers to the following questions:
Ans. Interviewer: Who were your companions on the way to Oz?
Lion: My companions were Dorothy, Toto, her dog, Tin Woodman and Scarecrow on the way to Oz.
Interviewer: How did you take the others across the ditch? Were you afraid?
Lion: Each one sat on my back turn by turn and a jumped over the ditch to cross it. No, I was not afraid at all.
Interviewer: Were you afraid of the Kalidahs? Why did you decide to fight with them?
Lion: Yes, I was certainly afraid of the Kalidahs. I decided to fight them because I was the only one at that time who could fight the Kalidahs and save my companions’ lives.
Interviewer: What did it feel like after you were out of the forest?
Lion: We all felt greatly relieved to be out of the forest.
7. Language Study
1. Read the following aloud and note the underlined words. They are conjunctions.
“I am terribly afraid of falling, myself,” said the Cowardly Lion, “but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back and we will make the attempt.” The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion’s back, and the big beast Walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down. “Why don’t you run and jump?” asked the Scarecrow. “Because that isn’t the way we Lions do these things,” He replied. Then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the other side.