The Little Girl – Class 9 English Beehive
Author: Katherine Mansfield
Summary (English)
"The Little Girl" is a touching story about a young girl named Kezia and her relationship with her father. Kezia is afraid of her father because he is strict, serious and rarely shows affection. She stammers whenever she speaks to him and feels uncomfortable in his presence.
One day, Kezia wants to make a pincushion for her father's birthday. She tears some papers from his room to fill it. Later, she discovers that those papers were an important speech written by her father. He becomes very angry and punishes her.
Kezia begins to think that her father is hard-hearted. However, one night when she has a frightening nightmare, her father comforts her lovingly and allows her to sleep beside him.
At that moment, Kezia realizes that her father loves her deeply. She understands that he works hard for the family and is not as cruel as she had thought. The story highlights the hidden love and sacrifices of parents.
সাৰাংশ (Assamese)
"দ্য লিটল গাৰ্ল" গল্পটো কেজিয়া নামৰ এজনী সৰু ছোৱালী আৰু তাইৰ পিতৃৰ মাজৰ সম্পৰ্কৰ ওপৰত আধাৰিত। কেজিয়াই তাইৰ পিতৃক বৰ ভয় কৰিছিল, কাৰণ তেওঁ কঠোৰ স্বভাৱৰ আছিল আৰু খুব কমেই মৰম প্ৰকাশ কৰিছিল।
পিতৃৰ জন্মদিন উপলক্ষে কেজিয়াই এটা পিন-কুশ্বন বনাব বিচাৰিছিল। সেইটো ভৰাবলৈ তাই পিতৃৰ কোঠাৰ পৰা কিছুমান কাগজ ফালি আনে। পাছত গম পায় যে সেইবোৰ কাগজ পিতৃৰ এটা গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ ভাষণৰ খচৰা আছিল।
পিতৃয়ে খং কৰি তাইক শাস্তি দিয়ে। ফলত কেজিয়াই ভাবে যে তাইৰ পিতৃ খুব কঠোৰ আৰু হৃদয়হীন।
কিন্তু এদিন ৰাতি ভয়ংকৰ সপোন দেখি তাই ভয় খালে, পিতৃয়ে তাইক সান্ত্বনা দিয়ে আৰু নিজৰ ওচৰত শুবলৈ দিয়ে। তেতিয়া কেজিয়াই বুজি পায় যে পিতৃয়ে তাইক গভীৰভাৱে ভাল পায়। গল্পটোৱে পিতৃ-মাতৃৰ লুকাই থকা মৰম আৰু ত্যাগৰ কথা শিকায়।
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Assamese) |
|---|---|---|
| Stutter | To speak with difficulty | থোঁতা |
| Pin-cushion | A small cushion used for holding pins | পিন ৰাখিবৰ বাবে সৰু কুশ্বন |
| Terrified | Very frightened | অত্যন্ত ভয় খোৱা |
| Nightmare | A frightening dream | ভয়ংকৰ সপোন |
| Laboriously | With great effort | কঠোৰ পৰিশ্ৰমেৰে |
| Casually | Without much care | অলপ অসাৱধানতাৰে |
| Wretched | Very unhappy | অত্যন্ত দুখীয়া |
| Solemn | Serious and formal | গম্ভীৰ |
| Grandeur | Greatness and magnificence | মহিমা / জাকজমক |
| Affection | Love and care | স্নেহ / মৰম |
Textbook Questions and Answers
Thinking About the Text
I. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B
| Emotion | Correct Match |
|---|---|
| 1. Fear or terror | (iii) Father comes home |
| 2. Glad sense of relief | (ii) Noise of the carriage grows fainter |
| 3. A "funny" feeling, perhaps of understanding | (vi) Father comforts her and falls asleep |
II. Answer the Following Questions
1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father because he was strict, serious and rarely showed affection. She stammered whenever she spoke to him.
2. Who were the people in Kezia's family?
Answer: Kezia's family consisted of her father, mother, grandmother and herself.
3. What was Kezia's father's routine?
(i) Before going to his office?
Answer: Before going to his office, Kezia's father came to her room to give her a goodbye kiss.
(ii) After coming back from his office?
Answer: After returning from work, he asked for tea, rested on the sofa and read the newspaper.
(iii) On Sundays?
Answer: On Sundays, he stayed at home, rested on the sofa and expected peace and silence.
4. In what ways did Kezia's grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer: Kezia's grandmother encouraged her to talk to her father, spend time with him and make gifts for him. She always reminded Kezia that her father loved her.
III. Long Answer Questions
1. Kezia's efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer:
Kezia wanted to make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father. She needed paper to fill it and found some sheets lying in his room. Without realizing their importance, she tore them into small pieces and stuffed them into the pin-cushion.
Unfortunately, those papers contained an important speech written by her father for his office work. When he discovered that the speech had been destroyed, he became very angry and punished Kezia. Thus, her sincere attempt to please her father ended up displeasing him greatly.
2. Kezia decides that there are "different kinds of fathers". What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia's father?
Answer:
Mr Macdonald was cheerful, friendly and affectionate. He played happily with his children and treated them like companions. His children laughed, played and felt comfortable around him.
Kezia's father, in contrast, appeared strict, serious and distant. He loved Kezia deeply but rarely expressed his affection openly. This difference made Kezia think that there were different kinds of fathers.
3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer:
One night Kezia had a frightening nightmare and cried loudly. Her father immediately came to comfort her and carried her to his own bed.
As she lay beside him, she realized how tired he was after working hard all day to support the family. She understood that he had little time for rest and relaxation. This made her see him as a loving human being who also faced difficulties and deserved sympathy and understanding.
Thinking About Language
I. Use the Correct Synonym
(i) She was delighted by the news of her brother's wedding.
(ii) I was thrilled to be invited to the party.
(iii) She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter.
(iv) The coach was pleased with his performance.
(v) She was very glad with her results.
II. Meanings of "Big"
| Sentence | Meaning of "Big" |
|---|---|
| You are a big girl now. | Older |
| Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. | Most important |
| Their project is full of big ideas. | Great / Important |
| Cricket is a big game in our country. | Popular |
| I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar. | Great / Admirer |
| My friend is a big eater. | One who eats a lot |
| What a big heart you've got! | Kind and generous |
Verbs of Reporting
1. Underline the Reporting Verbs
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
2. Fill in the Blanks
(i) "I am not afraid," the woman replied.
(ii) "Leave me alone," my mother shouted.
(iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," the master remarked.
(v) "Let's go and look at the school ground," the sports teacher suggested.
(vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.
Important topics from this chapter are:
- Relationship between Kezia and her father
- Pin-cushion incident
- Mr Macdonald vs Kezia's father
- Nightmare episode
- Hidden parental love
- Verbs of Reporting
- Synonyms of Happy
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