The Duck and the Kangaroo Poem Important Questions Class 8 Honeydew English
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Where did the Duck decide to go?
Answer
The Duck decided to go to the ‘Dee’, and ‘Jelly Bo Lee’, over the land, and over the sea.
Question 2. Between the duck and the Kangaroo, whom do you think to be happier?
Answer
In my opinion, Duck is happier because he wished to visit the world on Kangaroo’s back which Kangaroo accepted and the duck could be able to fulfill his desire.
Question 3. Why did the Duck praise the Kangaroo? How?
Answer
The duck praised the Kangaroo by appreciating his skills of hopping. He praised the Kangaroo to get an offer from Kangaroo to have a ride on his back so that he might visit the world by riding on his back.
Question 4. What did the two friends, the Duck and the Kangaroo decide?
Answer
Two friends the Duck and the Kangaroo decided to set out on a long pleasure trip.
Question 5. What was the objection raised by the Kangaroo to the duck?
Answer
The objection of the Kangaroo before the duck was that the feet of the duck were cold and wet most of the time which might cause cold to Kangaroo any time.
Question 6. Why is Kangaroo wary to take the Duck on the tip of his tail?
Answer
Kangaroo is wary to take the Duck on the tip of his tail because the Duck’s feet are unpleasantly wet and cold.
Question 7. Was the Kangaroo able to accept the request of the duck? If yes, when did they leave for the journey
Answer
Yes, the Kangaroo was able to accept the request of the duck. They left for the journey on the moonlit night.
Question 8. What solution did the Duck find out to this problem?
Answer
The Duck found out a quick solution to this problem as she said that she would purchase woolen-socks and cloak to keep out the cold.
Question 9. Describe the line that shows Duck requests Kangaroo to take him for a long trip.
Answer
The line that shows Duck’s request is – ‘Please give me a ride on your back’.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Who do you think was happier – Kangaroo or Duck? Why?
Answer
I think the Duck was happier because the Kangaroo was ready to give her a joy ride though on some small conditions which the duck had already thought about. But most importantly, the duck was happier because she was going to see the big world beyond the pond for the first time. She was excited because everything beyond the pond was new to her. All these days, her days started and ended in the dirty pond. She didn’t know what was there in the outside world. She was going to see the fields and the sea. Change is the tonic of life and this joy ride on the back of the Kangaroo was going to be a big change for the duck. The other reason why I think the Duck was happier because it would again be a completely new experience to ride the Kangaroo’s back. As the Kangaroo would hop around the world, the duck would experience a different movement.
Question 2. Would you like to be the duck or the kangaroo? Explain.
Answer
I would like to be the duck because I can relate myself with the duck’s character. The duck is frank, polite and sensible. She is frank about being bored in her pond but she is not ambitious to become a kangaroo. She doesn’t dislike or hate her life as a duck but just wants to see the beautiful world around. She is humble while requesting the kangaroo to give a joy ride to her. She is sensible enough to understand the concern of the kangaroo. She doesn’t feel humiliated or becomes angry when the Kangaroo says that she has wet and cold feet. She doesn’t think that the kangaroo is trying to talk down to her. She is someone who accepts the reality gracefully and thinks on how to improvise the reality to attain her purpose. This is a rare trait and this impresses me the most about the duck.
Question 3. What idea do you form about the Kangaroo after reading the poem?
Answer
The Kangaroo is an energetic creature who loves adventure and fun. Though he has a helpful attitude, he is sensible enough not to harm his own interest while offering help. That is why he very frankly but politely tells the Duck the reason for his reluctance to take her on a trip. He is very cautious and practical. He believes in taking precautions in advance to avoid trouble. Hence apart from making sure that the wet and cold feet of the duck will bring him no harm, he gives instructions in advance to the Duck to sit steadily on the tip of his tail so that he might not lose balance. The Kangaroo shapes up as a straightforward creature that is polite but firm in his dealings. Once he makes a commitment, he keeps it. Thus, his frankness and honesty win over the Duck’s heart and both he and the Duck thoroughly enjoy the ride.
Question 4. Both the Duck and the Kangaroo are very sensitive creatures. Elucidate.
Answer
Both the Duck and the Kangaroo are very sensitive creatures. The Duck analyses the problem of monotony that she faces in her life in a rational way. She observes the Kangaroo hopping all about the land and the sea enjoying life. She contrasts this with her constrained life in the nasty pond and requests the Kangaroo to take her out of her boring life into the far and wide world. The Kangaroo too is sensible. He takes time to consider the Duck’s request and is very careful in his choice of words while putting forth his objection. The Duck again displays her cleverness and farsightedness when she reveals that she is already prepared with an effective solution to the Kangaroo’s objection. Hence, both the creatures enjoy each other’s company and their sensible decision dispels boredom from the Duck’s life and brings luck to the Kangaroo.
Question 5. Why does the Duck appreciate Kangaroo’s hopping?
Answer
As a matter of fact, the Duck wants to have a ride on the Kangaroo’s back. The Duck lives in a nasty pond and gets bored. She also wants to enjoy the beauty of the world. But she knows that she cannot go beyond the pond. When she sees the Kangaroo hopping on the land, she thinks how lucky the Kangaroo is that he can go anywhere on the land and enjoy the beauty of the world. She appreciates the Kangaroo’s hoping to make her happy and then requests him to let her sit on her back and visit the beautiful world. Due to her sweetness and politeness, the Kangaroo allows her to sit at the end of his tail. Though the Kangaroo tells the Duck to sit steady and quiet still so that he would not lose his balance.
Context Based Questions
Stanza 1
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
“Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
Questions
(i) What are the Duck’s feelings as she sees the Kangaroo hop?
(ii) How did the Duck express her wonder at the way the Kangaroo hopped?
(iii) What did the duck wish for?
(iv) What does the Duck want the Kangaroo to do for him?
Answer
(i) The Duck is struck with wonder to see the Kangaroo hop. She is also envious of his ability to hop around without stopping because he is stuck in his nasty pond.
(ii) The Duck exclaimed with surprise at the way the Kangaroo hopped “Good gracious! how you hop!”
(iii) The duck wished to hop like the Kangaroo.
(iv) The Duck wants the Kangaroo to take him for a ride on his back.
Stanza 2
“Please give me a ride on your back! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
“I would sit quite still, and say nothing but ‘Quack
The whole of the long day through!
And we’d go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea;
Please take me a ride! O do! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
Questions
(i) What does the Duck want the Kangaroo to do?
(b) What promise does the Duck make to the Kangaroo?
(c) What are Dee and Jelly Bo Lee?
(d) What does line three in the stanza show?
Answer
(i) The Duck wants the Kangaroo to take him away from his nasty pond and give him a ride on his back.
(ii) The Duck promises to sit still and quiet.
(iii) These are probably imaginary distant places.
(iv) The duck is in the habit of talking too much and the Kangaroo does not like it.
Stanza 3
Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
“This requires some little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if you ’ll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold, .
And would probably give me the roo- Matiz! ” said the Kangaroo.
Questions
(i) What does the word “This” in Line 2 refer to?
(b) What did the Kangaroo mean by the word ‘reflection’?
(c) What was expected to bring luck?
(d) What was the Kangaroo’s objection?
Answer
(i) This refers to the Duck’s request for a ride on the Kangaroo’s back.
(ii) Reflection here means serious thought.
(iii) The Kangaroo’s travels with the Duck would bring him luck.
(iv) The Kangaroo’s objection was that the Duck’s feet were unpleasantly wet and cold and would give him rheumatism.
Stanza 4
Said the Duck, “As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,
All to follow my own dear true Love of a Kangaroo! ”
Questions
(i) Why does the Duck want to go for a ride? Where?
(ii) What will the Duck do to make the Kangaroo feel comfortable over land and sea?
(iii) What did the Duck buy? Why?
(iv) What will the Duck smoke every day?
Answer
(i) The Duck is bored his little pond. He wants to go for a ride on the Kangaroo’s back to see distant places like the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee.
(ii) The Duck will sit quietly on the Kangaroo’s back and say nothing but Quack the whole day.
(iii) The Duck bought four pairs of woollen socks to keep his feet web.
(iv) The Duck will smoke a cigar everyday.
Stanza 5
Said the Kangaroo, “I’m ready!
All in the moonlight pale;
But to balance me well, dear
Duck, sit steady!
And quite at the end of my tail! ”
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy — O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?
Questions
(i) What was the Kangaroo ready for?
(ii) Where did the Kangaroo tell the Duck to sit?
(iii) Where did the two friends go?
(iv) Why were they happy?
Answer
(i) The Kangaroo was ready to take the Duck for a ride on his back.
(ii) The Kangaroo told the Duck to sit at the end of his tail to maintain his balance.
(iii) The two friends went around the world three times.
(iv) The Duck and the Kangaroo were happy to be travelling together.