GRANDMA CLIMBS A TREE
Poem:
1.
Karnataka
Class 10 English Solutions
Questions and Answers, Notes, Summary
SUMMARY
“Grandma Climbs a Tree” is a poem written by Ruskin
Bond. The Indian council has honoured him as the pioneer of children’s
literature in India. He has written over thirty books for children. In this
poem, we can see Bond’s gift of enjoying strange and unusual happenings.
Unusual events often bring humour. Grandma climbing a tree is one such funny
story. As the title shows, it is about an old lady who kept her childish
desires. The speaker describes his grandma’s habit. He called her a genius
because she could climb trees even in old age. Whether the tree was tall or
spreading, she would still climb it.
Even at sixty-two, she had the strength to climb
trees very quickly. She had this skill since childhood. She always enjoyed
climbing trees, and it gave her more happiness than a lift. As time passed and
she grew old, her family advised her to stop. Usually old people are expected
to give up childish acts and live with grace. But grandma laughed and said she
would rather grow disgracefully, as she could do it better. Everyone agreed
with her. She had learnt to climb trees from her brother at the age of six. Her
family feared that one day she might get hurt. Once when they were out of town,
grandma fell badly. No one knew how, but she got stuck on a tree and could not
come down.
The
doctor later advised her to rest in bed for a week. Luckily, she had no serious
injury, and the family felt relieved. But for grandma, being in bed was like
living in jail. Her room felt like a prison, though she could still hear the
breeze and whispering leaves outside. Patiently she waited till she recovered.
Then she told her son she could not stay inside anymore and ordered a house on
the treetop. Her son obeyed and, with the narrator’s help, built a little house
with windows and a door. After that, grandma stayed happily on the tree. The
narrator climbed daily with food and drink, and they enjoyed their time
together. This way, grandma proved her love for trees and lived her life in her
own free way.
MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
1) Grandma
Climbs a Tree is a poem written by
a) Ruskin Bond b)
Joyce Armor
c) R.K. Narayan d) T.R
Kailasam
Ans: a) Ruskin Bond
2) Ruskin
Bond is an
a) Englishman b)
Author
c) Indian poet d)
English
Ans: c) Indian poet
3) Grandma
was a genius because
a) She was skillful b)
She could climb a tree
c) She was good d)
She loved trees
Ans: b) She could climb a tree
4) in a
trice means
a) Three times b)
try very hard
c) three colors d)
very quickly
Ans: d) very quickly
5) Grandma
Climbed a tree last time when she was
a) Sixty-two b)
Childhood
c) Six years old d)
last year
Ans: a) Sixty-two
6) Usually
climbing trees should stop when one
a) grew taller b)
grew old
c) grew stronger d)
grew weak
Ans: b) grew old
7) For
in all the garden there wasn’t ______
a) a house b)
a pool
c) a tree d)
a swing
Ans: c) a tree
8) She
learned to climb a tree from
a) a trainee b)
a coach
c) a father d)
a loving brother
Ans: d) a loving brother
9) One
day she’d have
a) a terrible fall b)
a fear
c) a fruit d)
a call
Ans: a) a terrible fall
10) The
doctor strongly recommended
a) a quiet relief b)
a quiet medicine
c) a quiet diet d)
a quiet week in bed.
Ans: d) a quiet week in bed.
11) Grandma
wanted a house
a) in a treetop b)
on the ground
c) besides the river d)
at the seashore
Ans: a) in a treetop
12) She
called for
a) her mother b)
her brother
c) her father d)
her son
Ans: d) her son
13) The
opposite of gracefully
a) graceless b)
disgracefully
c) grace d)
not gracefully
Ans: b) disgracefully
14) Grandma
learned to climb the tree when she was
a) ten b)
child
c)six d)
sixty-two
Ans: d) sixty-two
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN A WORD OR A
SENTENCE EACH:
1) The speaker in the poem does not call his
grandmother ‘childish’, what else was she according to him? Why does he
consider her to be so? (line 1-4)
Ans: The speaker in
the poem does not say his grandmother was childish. Instead, he calls her a
genius because she could climb any tree, no matter how tall or wide it was. She
was very skilful and could climb quickly without getting tired. Even at the age
of sixty-two, she could still do it with ease. This was a special talent she
had, and she enjoyed it, even though it was not common for someone her age. That
is why the speaker thought of her as a genius.
2) Grandma
had been in the habit of climbing trees for a very long period. Identify the
lines that suggest this. “Ever since childhood, she’d had this.
Ans: gift”…. this line suggests that the
grandma had been in the habit of climbing trees for a very long period.
3) Look
at line 7 and 8 ‘She would be told ’ who do you think would tell her so?
Ans: I think that the well-wishers, family
members or neighbours would tell her so.
4) Do you find anything odd in the reply
given by the grandma? If so, why do you think it is odd? (line 10-11)
Ans: We cannot say that grandma’s
reply is strange. Instead, it shows her free and independent nature. She says
boldly that if climbing trees at her age is thought to be shameful, then she
would happily accept it. Her answer shows her spirit of freedom and her disregard
for strict social rules.
5) Others had feared that granny would fall
from a tree one day or the other. Did this happen? Or did something else
happen? (line 15-18)
Ans: Yes, it had happened. One day when
others were in town she had a terrible fall. But the effect of this was the
opposite. Instead of fearing, the grandma climbed the tree and made up her mind
that she wouldn’t come down.
6) What
had the doctor recommended? What was the reaction of the kids to this advice?
Ans: The doctor recommended her to stay on
the bed for a week. The kids sighed with relief and tucked her-up well to the
bed, it means the kids looked after her and wished that she would stay in bed
and be out of trouble.
7) Quote
the lines which suggest how wholeheartedly granny enjoyed climbing a tree.
Ans: The lines which suggest that Granny
wholeheartedly enjoyed climbing a tree were as follows:
“When last the climbed a tree she was sixty-
two”.
“For being happier in a tree than in a lift”
“She climbed a tree and couldn’t come down”.
8) ‘My
dad knew his duties’. What did he think his duty was?
Ans: The speaker’s dad knew his duties mean
he agreed to fulfill his mother’s desire immediately because he was obedient
and loved his mother.
9) Why
does the poet consider his grandmother a genius?
Ans: The poet considers his grandmother a
genius because she could climb any tree however tall or wide even at the age of
sixty-two.
10) How
old was a grandmother when she last climbed a tree?
Ans: Sixty-two.
11) From
whom did grandmother learn climbing trees?
Ans: Grandmother learned climbing trees from
her brother.
12) What
was the outcome expected of grandma climbing trees?
Ans: It was expected that one day grandma
would have a terrible fall.
13) What
is grandma’s confinement to her bedroom compared to?
Ans: Grandma’s confinement to her bedroom for
a week is compared to a brief season in hell.
14) What
did grandmother demand from the poet’s father?
Ans: She demanded a treetop house.
15) What
does the poet call his grandmother?
Ans: The poet calls his grandmother a genius.
ANSWER
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 2-3 SENTENCES EACH:
1) A
genius is someone with exceptional ability. What was grandma’s ability? What
was exceptional about it?
Ans: Grandma’s special ability was her
passion for climbing trees. What was surprising was that she could climb any
tree however tall or wide.
2) Why did her family worry about her
tree-climbing when she was growing old?
Ans: Naturally, the members of the family
were worried about the well-being of Grandma. They were worried that she would
fall and get hurt. But strangely, it was not the problem of falling. It was a
stranger. Grandma, who had climbed a tree, was hot able to come down and had to
be rescued by others.
3) What
kind of trees could grandma climb?
Ans: Grandma could climb all kinds of trees.
Even if the tree had grown to be huge with its branches spreading wide or high,
grandma could climb the tree quickly.
4) ‘The outcome was different’. What was the
outcome? What was it different from and in what way? What was the immediate
result of that outcome?
Ans: The family members were worried that one
day grandma would have a terrible fall. But the outcome was different. She
climbed a tree one day and couldn’t come down. The immediate result of this was
that the doctor recommended a quiet week in bed for grandma.
5) What
was unusual in the reply given by the grandma?
Ans: Grandma was very childish in her reply.
She said that she would grow old disgracefully.
6) The
speaker in the poem does not call his grandmother ‘childish’. What else was
she, according to him? Why does he consider her to be so?
Ans: The speaker does not call his grandma
childish. He calls her a genius because he admires her ability to climb trees
of all sizes. He can understand her passion for climbing trees and does not
consider it disgraceful.
7) What qualities of grandma do you
appreciate?
Ans: The grandma’s ability to live life
according to the dictates of her heart is appreciable. She was totally
unconventional in her approach to life and didn’t go by what society considered
right or wrong. She was a genius in climbing trees and had climbed a tree when
she was sixty-two.
Answer
the following in questions in 3 or 4 sentences each.
1) ‘Growing
old gracefully’ is an expression used in the poem. Discuss with your partner
whether what the grandma was doing was graceful or otherwise.
What is being graceful and what is not being graceful is subjective.
Ans: According to old beliefs, girls are expected to be gentle and they should not climb trees in a rough or shameful way. But these beliefs need not be accepted as the final truth. Grandma followed what her heart told her to do and while doing so, she never harmed anyone. So, it would not be fair to judge her action as disgraceful.
2) Both the narrator (speaker in the poem)
and his father were very considerate towards Grandma. Substantiate the
statement with textual support.
Ans: The narrator
respects his grandma and calls her a genius. When she bravely chooses to be
disgraceful, he supports her without hesitation. When the doctor tells her to
take rest, he gently makes her comfortable in bed. But he also feels sad,
because he knows staying in bed is painful for her. This shows his deep love
for his grandma. His father also cares for her. When grandma asks for a house
on the treetop, he happily agrees and builds it with his son’s help. After it
is finished, the narrator climbs the tree every day to spend time with her over
a glass of sherry.
ANSWER
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 8-10 SENTENCES:
1) Write in your own words the substance of
the poem ‘Grandma Climbs a Tree’.
Ans: The poem “Grandma Climbs a Tree” is about a
grandmother who loved climbing trees. She could climb any tree quickly and
skillfully, even at the age of sixty-two. People thought it was unusual and
disgraceful for an old woman to climb trees, but she followed her heart without
caring for such ideas. The narrator admires her spirit and calls her a genius.
When the doctor advised her to rest, the family built a house on a tree to make
her happy. The narrator often joined her there, showing the family’s love and
respect for her freedom.
2) What qualities of grandma do you
appreciate?
Ans: Ruskin Bond
shows his grandma as a bold old woman who could easily compete with the young.
She always listened to her heart and lived in her own unique way. She was
happiest when she was on trees, and even at the age of sixty-two, she continued
to climb them. She clearly did not want to die without enjoying all her wishes.
We should take her as an example, because many times we don’t know what makes
us happy, and even when we do, we often lack the courage or confidence to
follow our dreams. Grandma is used as a symbol of free will, and through her,
Ruskin Bond proves wrong the belief that women and old people cannot climb
trees. Here we see a strong old woman not only climbing trees but also living
on them happily and proudly.
B.
Rhyming Words
1) Have a close look at the rhyme- scheme. Write
at least 5 pairs of rhyming words. e.g. said – bed.
Ans: 1) gift – lift
2) told – old
3) agree – tree
4) ail – fall
5) right – tonight
2) “It
was like a brief season”. Name the figure of speech in the sentence. What are
the two things compared? Explain.
Ans: The figure of speech is a simile. The
granny was confined in her bedroom and tucked up to her bed was compared as a
brief season in hell.
3) ‘For
being happier in a tree than in a lift’. What is suggested through this line?
Exchange your views with your partner.
Ans: Here the poet suggested or explained
that the granny enjoyed to sit in a tree and she felt very uncomfortable and
sad if she were in life.
4) “There was not a tree, she hadn’t been up’
is an expression. Rewrite the above sentence without using ‘not’ (note: the
meaning should be the same) Give some more examples from outside the text to
illustrate the effective use of double negatives.
Ans: There were no trees left, that grandma hadn’t
climbed.
READ
THE FOLLOWING EXTRACTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS GIVEN BELOW THEM:
1) “The
outcome was different.”
a) The ‘outcome3 of what is being referred to here?
b) What was the outcome expected?
c) What was the outcome that occurred?
Ans: a) The outcome of grandmother climbing a
tree is being referred to here.
b) It was expected that one day she would have a terrible fall. But things
turned out different.
c) She climbed a tree one day, and couldn’t come down.
2) My
grandmother was a genius.
a) Whose grandmother is considered a genius?
b) Why does the poet consider her a genius?
c) How old was she when she last climbed a tree?
Ans: a) The poet Ruskin Bond’s grandmother is
considered a genius.
b) The poet calls her a genius because she could climb all kinds of trees,
whether tall or wide, swiftly.
c) She was sixty-two when she last climbed a tree.
3) For
her, it was like a brief season in hell.
Confined to her bedroom, while every breeze Whispered of summer and dancing
leaves.
a) What was like a brief season in hell?
b) Why was grandma confined to her bed?
c) Explain the two things compared here.
Ans: a) Being confined to bed for a week was
like a brief season in hell for grandma.
b) Grandma climbed a tree one day and couldn’t come down. After she was
rescued, the doctor took her temperature and recommended a quiet week in bed.
c) Granny’s forced rest on bed, without being allowed to go out and climb a
tree is compared to a short stay in hell. It would be so torturous for granny
that it is being compared with the unpleasantness of hell.
4) She
sat up and said, “I’ll lie here no longer”.
a) Who does T refer to?
b) Why was the speaker forced to lie down?
c) Why didn’t she want to lie there no longer?
Ans: a) ‘I’ refers to grandma.
b) Grandma, after having climbed a tree, was unable to climb down. After she
was rescued, the doctor took granny’s temperature and strongly recommended her
a quiet week in bed.
c) She had resisted the temptation to climb trees for a week and could no
longer do so.
5) “I’ll
start work tonight”.
a) Who planned to start the work?
b) What was the work?
c) Why was he doing it?
Ans: a) The poet’s father.
b) The work was to build a house in a treetop.
c) He wanted to do it to fulfill his mother’s wish to live on a tree.
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