Class 8 English lesson 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane answers

Maharashtra Board Class 6 English Solutions Chapter 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane

Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 6 English Solutions Chapter 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane Notes, Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers.

Maharashtra State Board Class 6 English Solutions Chapter 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane

Class 6 English Chapter 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane Textbook Questions and Answers

Lesson 1.6:  The Peacock and the Crane

There was once a very conceited Peacock who had a gorgeous tail like no other bird. So, when he met a Crane one day, the Peacock scoffed at the Crane’s colourless and dull feathers, and immediately spread his own colourful tail for the Crane to see and admire.

“Look at my feathers,” he boasted, “how they shine in all the colours of the rainbow, while yours are so pale! I am dressed like a king!”

“That’s true,” the Crane answered, “but I can fly high above, among the clouds and the stars and I can see all the beauty of the earth in all its glory, while you live down here just like any other cock.”

Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.

Meanings:

  1. conceited  – very proud, vain, arrogant
  2. gorgeous  – beautiful, magnificent, stunning
  3. scoffed  – laughed at rudely and scornfully
  4. dull, pale  – not bright
  5. glory  – beauty and splendour
  6. fine feathers don’t make fine birds – good looks or flashy clothes may not be very important after all.
  7. pompous – exhibiting self-importance

Pointers

1. Read the following sentences carefully and choose the correct meanings.

(a) The peacock had gorgeous tail like no other bird.
1. No other bird had a tail.
2. The Peacock’s tail was more beautiful than any other bird’s.
3. All birds had gorgeous tails.
Answer: The Peacock’s tail was more beautiful than any other bird’s.

(b)Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.
1. You cannot use feathers to make birds.
2. You can judge something by its outward beauty.
3. Something that looks beautiful may not really be useful.
Answer: Something that looks beautiful may not really be useful.

2. Read the story aloud (or present it) in groups of three – the narrator, the peacock and the crane.

3. Imagine you are the Crane. What actions and words of the Peacock would you not like’? Write about it in short.

Answer: I didn’t like the way the peacock scoffed at my feathers calling them colourless and dull. I also didn’t like the way he flaunted his colourful tail for to see and admire. He even called by feathers pale and boasted about his feathers that they shine in all the colours of the rainbow and the remark that he was dressed like a king.

4. Discuss what a friendly and good- natured peacock would say to a crane. Write his speech. (5-8 lines)

Answer:

Hello crane, how are you? It is always a pleasure to meet you. Though I have beautiful feathers that shine in all the colours of the rainbow and you have plain, white feathers, yet I admire your ability to fly above among the clouds and stars. You can see all the beauty of the earth in all its glory, while I live down here just like any other cock.

5. Find one more example which shows that a beautiful appearance is not enough.

Answer: The Swallow and the Crow

A swallow was proud of his colourful feathers and long tail. He saw a crow sitting nearby and said, ‘How dull you look! All your feathers are black and your tail is so short.”

The Crow replied, “You are right, Swallow. You have beautiful feathers and a long tail. But you have them only in the summer, they fall off in the winter and cannot keep you warm. My feathers protect me all the year round.”


6. List five adjectives and five nouns from the story.

Answer:

Adjectives Nouns
conceited peacock
gorgeous tail
colourless bird
dull crane
own day

7. Find five adjectives that end with (a) – ‘ful’ and (b) – “less’ then write the antonym of each.

Answer:

Adjectives with ‘ful’ Words Antonyms
careful careless
beautiful ugly
cheerful grumpy
faithful unfaithful
harmful harmless
Adjectives with ‘less’ thoughtless thoughtful
colourless colourful
merciless merciful
useless useful
hopeless hopeful

8. Start a collection of proverbs. A proverb is a short, well-known sentence or phrase that gives advice or tells you what is generally true. For example, ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ means ‘If one does something in time or immediately, it saves a lot of work later’. A proverb is also known as a saying. Here are some proverbs for your collection.

  1. Appearances can be deceptive.
  2. Do not judge by appearance; a rich heurt may be under a poor coat.
  3. All that glitters is not gold.
  4. You can’t tell a book by its cover.
  5. Clothes do not make the man.

Answer:

1. The early bird catches the worm.

2. Every dark cloud as a silver lining.

3. Birds of a feather flock together.

4. Make hay while the sun shines.

5. Where there is a will there is a way.

9. Visit a library. This story is a fable. Find two more fables. Share them with your friends.

The Wolf and the Lamb

One day a thirsty lamb went to drink water from a stream. On the upper stream, there stood a wolf. He saw a plump lamb. His mouth watered. So he wanted to make some excuse so that he could kill the lamb.

The wolf shouted at the lamb, “Hey, why do you make the water dirty. How can I drink dirty water?”The lamb humbly replied, “Sir, I’ve not made the water dirty. I’m standing at a lower level.

The water cannot flow upwards from me. It always flows downwards.”The wolf said, “If it is not you, then it must be your father who has made the water dirty.” The lamb said, “Sir, my father died long ago. How can he do it now?”

The wolf was getting impatient to kill the lamb. He angrily said, “Then it must be your grandfather who made my drinking water dirty!” So saying, the wolf jumped on the poor lamb and killed him without waiting for a reply.

Moral: The wicked finds his own excuses.

A Fox and a Goat

A fox was walking near a well. Somehow by incident he slipped in. It was not a very deep well. He tried his best to get out but could not.

At that time a very thirsty goat passed by the well and saw the fox there. She asked the fox what he was doing there.

The cunning fox replied that he had himself jumped into the well. I find it very cool and pleasant. If you want to drink sweet and cold water, come down and experience the pleasure here.

Without thinking of the result she jumped into the well. The fox at once jumped on her back, and with another jump he was out of well. The fox smiled at the poor goat and went his way leaving behind the goat to repent.

Moral: Look before you leap.