Granny's Tree Climbing (8th)

Chapter
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULNYTiZQxAHeSVcQqBFfgsFt5IjWpp3U/view?usp=drivesdk

Summary of the chapter
This poem by Ruskin Bond poetically describes his granny's love for trees. The poet begins the poem by calling her 'genius' as she could climb any type of tree easily. She was rescued from the tree top. After that she fell ill, the doctor was called, he took her temperature and advised her bed rest for a week. Bored and irritated by this confinement, she demands a tree- top house. She enjoys her stay in the tree as her ardent desire to be among the branches is fulfilled.

        Word               Meaning
1. In a trice- very quickly
2. Undaunted- firmly and enthusiastically
3. Chore- job
4. In state- in grand style
5. Sherry- a kind of wine
6. Genius- flair, great, intelligent
7. Gracefully- elegantly
8. Terrible- dreadful, horrible
9. Outcome- result
10. Recommend- to advise
11. Tucked- pushed, inserted
12. Confined- limited, imprisoned
13. Upholding- confirming, supporting
A. On basis of understanding of the poem, answer the following questions in brief.
1. At what age did the granny learn climbing trees?
Ans: At the age of six.
2. Who taught her art of climbing trees?
Ans: Her loving brother.
3. How old was she when she last climbed a tree?
Ans: She was 62 years old.
4. In which season did she get trapped in a tree?
Ans: In summer season.
5. For how long was she advised to take rest after being rescued?
Ans: She was advised to take rest for a week.
6. Who made a tree – top house for her?
Ans: With the help of the poet granny’s son, made a tree –top house for her.
7. What things does the narrator carry to his granny’s tree-top house daily?
Ans: The narrator carries glasses, tray and sherry to drink.

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

             1. We sighed with relief and tucked her up well.

                  Poor granny! For her, it was like a brief season in hell.

                  Confined to her bedroom, while every breeze

                  Whispered of summer and dancing leaves.

(a)    Why did the narrator and his family “sigh in relief”?

Ans: Granny used to climb trees which was taken as disgraceful by the family, when the doctor advised her to take rest for a week, the family took a sigh of relief that she would not try to climb trees again for some days.

(b)    Why was granny confined to bed? Why did she find it “a brief season in hell”?

Ans: On doctor’s advice granny was confined to bed. She did not want to spend her entire summer in one room. She had to spend many days in this confinement and she could not climb trees. The summer season in such condition became a hell for her.

(c)    How did she finally get rid of this “season in hell”?

Ans: Granny could not live in such situation. She asked her son to make a tree-top house for her. When it was ready, she began to live there enjoying her time.

2. –but it was feared by all

                    That one day she’d have a terrible fall

                     The outcome was different-

(a)    What did everyone fear?

Ans: Everyone feared that one day she would fall from the tree.

(b)    “The outcome was different”. What was this outcome? How was it different from what everyone had expected?

Ans: Once when the entire family had gone out of home Granny climbed the tree, but she was unable to come down. They expected that she would fall down but she remained stuck there, and could not come down.

(c)    What did this outcome lead to?

Ans: When she came down the doctor advised her to take a week’s rest. This season became hell for granny.

3.   I climb to her room with glasses and a tray.

      She sits there in a state and drinks sherry with me,

      Upholding her right to reside in a tree.

(a)    Who is “I”? Where does he climb?

Ans: “I”refers to the poet here. He climbs the tree-top house to get company of her grandmother.

(b)    How can you say she is happy there?

Ans: She is happy in her tree-top house as she sits there in grand style as if that small tree-top house were her magnificent palace.

(c)    Which right of grandmother is mentioned here?

Ans: The grandmother’s passion was tree climbing. She was stopped for it. At last she got success in upholding her right to reside in a tree-top house.

HOTS

The poet says: ‘----every breeze

Whispered of summer and dancing leaves.’

Discuss with your partner how breeze can ‘whisper’ and leaves ‘dance.’ Which figure of speech has been used here?

Ans- Breeze can whisper (talk) when it blows gently and leaves can dance like human-beings when wind blows. Personification figure of speech has been used here by the poet.

LIFE SKILLS

Granny liked living in a tree-top house more than living in an ordinary house. If you get a    chance to live in a tree-top house, what problems would you face while living there and what things would you enjoy?

Ans- Granny liked  living in tree-top house rather than living in an ordinary house. If I get a chance to live in a tree- top house, I would enjoy with nature. I would face problems like carrying things, upstairs and fear of a terrible fall.

VALUES

Grandparents are always very dear to grandchildren. What all do you do to spend quality time with your grandparents?

Ans- Grandparents are always very dear to grandchildren. To spend quality time with them I will do such activities like knitting, cooking, watching news, planting trees and going for walk with them.

WRITING SKILLS

Imagine yourself to be granny. Write a diary entry expressing your ardent wish to climb trees and your family’s disapproval of it.

Friday

3^rd April, 2020

7 PM

Today I am very disappointed as my family members disapproved my ardent desire to climb trees. I am always a fun loving person. I like thrill adventures since my childhood while my family members think that I may have a terrible fall. Moreover they feel that such activities are disgraceful. No doubt, I agree with them but I cannot control my temptation of climbing trees. I have got a new idea of having a permanent tree-top house. I will ask my son to build a tree-top house. So that I may fulfil my desire.

Granny

Q.-What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Ans- aabbcc

Q- Find rhyming pairs from the poem.

Ans- Gracefully- disgracefully

         Gift- lift

         Well- hell

          Told- old

          Town- down

Q- Write antonyms.

Ans- Gracefully- disgracefully

         Tucked- took out, pulled out

         Uphold- oppose

         Terrible- minor, slight

EXTRACTS

   1.   

           My grandmother was a genius. You’d like to know why?

Because she could climb trees. Spreading or high.

a)      Name the poem and the poet.

Ans- Granny’s Tree Climbing by Ruskin Bond

b)      Why was grandmother a genius?

Ans- Grandmother was a genius because she could climb spreading or high trees.

c)      Who taught her the art of climbing trees?

Ans- Her loving brother taught her the art of climbing trees.

d)      What is the meaning of ‘in a trice’?

Ans- The meaning of ‘in a trice’ is very quickly.

    2.     

        With my expert assistance, he soon finished the chore.

a)      Identify the speaker of the above lines.

Ans- Ruskin Bond is the speaker of the above lines.

b)      Find words from the given lines which means the same-

A)     Help- assistance

B)     Work- chore

c)      Mention the chore and who finished it?

Ans- The chore is to build a tree- top house and poet and his father finished it.

    3.      

       And though, as years went by, she would be told

That climbing trees should stop when one grew old.

1)      Identify ‘she’ in the above line.

Ans- ‘She’ is  granny in the above lines.

2)      From whom did she learn the art of climbing trees and at what age?

 Ans- She learned to climb trees from her loving brother at the age of six years.

3)      Mention the reasons why granny’s family was against her climbing trees. Did she agree?

Ans- Granny’s family was against her climbing trees because she was sixty-two years old now. No, she did not agree.

    4.      

      ‘I strongly recommend a quiet week in bed.

We sighed with relief and relief and tucked her up well.

Poor Granny! For her, it was like a brief season in hell.’

1.      Who is ‘I’ here?

                Ans- ‘I’ is doctor here.

2.      Why did the doctor recommend ‘a quiet week in bed’?

Ans- The doctor recommended ‘a quiet week in bed’ because she climbed trees and could not come down.

3.      Identify the poetic device used in third line.

 Ans- Simile is the poetic device used in third line.

Q- Give some examples of different poetic devices used in the poem.

Ans- a. MY grandmother was a genius. ( Alliteration)

         b. She sits there in a state and drink sherry with me. (Alliteration)

         c. And that growing old should be gone out gracefully. (Alliteration)

         d. Poor Granny! For her, it was like a brief season in hell. (Simile)

         e. Whispered of summer and dancing leaves. ( Personification)