Class 8 English - Chapter 02 The Boy who Drew Cats - Questions & Answers


Questions and Answers for Class 8 English - Unit 1 Hues and Views | Std 8 English - Chapter 02 The Boy who Drew Cats - Questions & Answers | Textual Activities
The Boy who Drew Cats

Hasegawa Takejiro (1853–1938): was an innovative Japanese publisher specializing in books in European languages on Japanese subjects. He employed leading foreign residents as translators, noted Japanese artists as illustrators, and became a leading purveyor of export books and publications for foreign residents in Japan.

Hope you enjoyed the story, ‘The Mysterious Picture’. You came across Tyl, the painter in the story. In this story, you will see a boy who is a painter, who knows to draw only cats. It's a Japanese folk tale. Read it and enjoy.

Questions and Answers

1. How is the youngest child introduced in the story?
Answer: The youngest child is introduced as a physically weak boy but is very clever. He was not fit for hard work but was more clever than all his brothers and sisters.

2. Why did the parents take the boy to the priest?
Answer: The boy was very weak and he was not at all fit for hard work. So his parents thought it would be better for him to become a priest than to become a farmer

3. ‘... but perhaps you will become a great artist.’ Do you think the opinion of the priest about the boy is appropriate? Why?
Answer: Yes, whenever the boy is alone, he draws the picture of cats. Later he became a famous artist.

4. What was the advice of the priest to the boy?
Answer: The old priest advised ''avoid large places at night, keep to small''

5. Why didn’t the boy go home after he left the temple?
Answer: He was sure that his father would punish him for disobeying him. So he felt afraid to go home.

6. When the boy entered the temple he did not see anyone. What could be the reason?
Answer: The reason was that a goblin rat had frightened the Priests away and they took possession of the place.

7. Why did he choose a small place to sleep?
Answer: The boy felt afraid when he was alone and also the place was not familiar to him. When he remembered the words of the old priest, ''avoid large places at night, keep to small'' he choose a small place to sleep.

8. Where did the boy find a safe place to sleep on?
Answer: He found a little cabinet with a sliding door to sleep.

9. What was the dreadful noise that the boy heard?
Answer:  It was a terrible noise of frightening and screaming. It was the sound of the goblin rat fighting with the cats he had drawn.

10. How do you think the goblin rat was killed?
Answer: The goblin rat was killed by the cat which the boy has drawn.

11. Was the advice of the priest helpful to the boy? Why?
Answer: Yes, the boy obeyed the priest's advice and thus he saved himself from big trouble.

Activity 1
Did you enjoy the story, ‘The Boy who Drew Cats’? If you were the young boy, how would you tell the story?
You may begin like this.
I was the youngest child of a poor Japanese family. _____________________
I was the youngest son of a poor Japanese family. I had brothers and sisters. They helped our parents to do jobs. I was small and weak. So my parents decided to send me to the nearest temple as an acolyte to the old priest. I liked to draw pictures of cats.
But the priest didn't allow me to draw all the time. He always said me that it was not good for an acolyte to draw pictures everywhere. He told me to study books. But I couldn't stop drawing pictures.
At least he told me that I was not eligible to become a priest and I had the talent of an artist. He sends "me to my home by giving an advice, ‘avoid large places at night, keep to small.’ I couldn't understand the meaning of his words. I was afraid to go back home because I was sure that my father would punish me. I decided to go to a temple which was situated approximately twelve miles away from this place. There were many, priests. So they would appoint me as their acolyte.
I reached that temple at night. But I didn't know that the temple was closed. A goblin rat had frightened the priests away and they took possession of the temple. There was light in the temple only. I knocked on the door and there had
no reply from the priests. I gently pushed the door and was opened as it was not closed. I enter the temple. There was nobody in the temple and the things there were covered with dust. There was enough place to draw pictures. I drew the
pictures of cats.
I felt sleepy and looked for a place to sleep. There was fear in my mind at that time. I remembered the words of the old priest. I searched for a small place to
sleep. I found a cabinet to sleep. I entered into it and closed the door.
A noise of frightening and screaming awakened me. I made no sounds and waited till morning. In the morning I saw the goblin rat which was bigger than a cow lying dead there. Nobody was there except me. I found blood coming from the mouth of the cats which I had drawn yesterday. I realised that the cats had killed the goblin rat. Then I understood the meaning of the old priest.

Activity 2
How was the goblin rat killed?
Write the events that led to the death of the goblin rat to complete the flowchart given below.

A goblin rat frightened the priests away and took possession of the temple.
⇓
A boy entered the temple and draw pictures of cats.
⇓
The boy felt afraid and chose a cabinet as his shelter and fell asleep.
⇓
He was awakened by the noise of frightening and screaming.
⇓
A goblin rat, bigger than a cow was lying dead on the floor.



ഈ ബ്ലോഗിലെ എല്ലാ പോസ്റ്റുകളും ഒരുമിച്ച് കാണാനും ആവശ്യമുള്ളവ എളുപ്പത്തിൽ തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കാനും ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്കുക.

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