Class 8 English - The Nightingale and the Rose - Questions & Answers


Questions and Answers for Class 8 English - Unit 4 Flowers and Showers | Std 8 English - The Nightingale and the Rose - Questions & Answers | Textual Activities
The Nightingale and the Rose - Questions And Answers

1. Why does the young man think that his life is wretched?
Answer: He had good knowledge and wisdom. Still, he was unhappy because he could not have a red rose. So he thinks that his life is wretched.

2. How does the Nightingale describe the young student?
Answer: His hair is as dark as the hyacinth, and his. lips are as the rose, but passion has made his face look like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.

3. Why does the Nightingale think that the Student is a true lover?
Answer: As he failed to get the rose, he became grief-stricken and hence lamented over his fate. This made the Nightingale think that the Student was a true lover.

4. The lizard says that it is ridiculous to weep. Do you agree with the is statement? Why?
Answer: Yes, the boy is highly educated and it is ridiculous to cry over a silly thing like a flower. He too has many prospects to follow and achieve than wasting his time.

5. How does the author describe the flight of the Nightingale?
Answer: The Nightingale spread its wings and soared high into the air. It passed through the grove like a shadow and sailed across the garden.

6. Was the third rose tree able to give a red rose to the Nightingale? Why?
Answer: No, because the winter had chilled its veins and the frost had nipped its buds and the storm had broken its branches. So it had no red rose that year.

7. How, according to the third rose- tree, could the Nightingale get a red rose?
Answer: The Nightingale should press its breast against the thorns and sing the whole night. Its lifeblood should flow into the veins of the rose tree.

8. Why did the Nightingale think of sacrificing her life?
Answer: The Nightingale thought that love is better than life. It also believed that the heart of a bird is nothing compared to the heart of a man.

9. The Nightingale thinks that the heart of a man is more valuable than that of a bird. Do you agree with the Nightingale? Explain.
Answer: I don’t agree with the Nightingale.
The very words of the Nightingale prove that the heart of the bird is more noble and valuable than that of a man. The heart of the bird is full of goodness. But the heart of man is full of selfishness. Man thinks that everything in nature is meant for him. But the fact is that man is not superior to any other living being on the earth. Nature will exist even without man. But man cannot exist without other living beings.

10. What would happen if the Nightingale did not press its breast closer against the thorn?
Answer: The blood of the Nightingale would not flow into the veins of the rose tree and it might not give a red rose. This would disappoint the student.

11. How did the pain affect the Nightingale’s song?
Answer: The bitter the pain, the wilder the song became.

12. What is the red rose compared to?
Answer: The red rose is compared to the rose of the eastern sky.

13. Describe the last moments of the Nightingale.
Answer: Her voice grew fainter, her wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. Her song grew fainter and she felt something choking her throat. She gave one last burst of music and died.

14. Why didn’t the Professor’s daughter accept the red rose?
Answer: She thought that it would not match her dress. To her wealth and possessions were more valuable than love.

New Words: The meaning of these new words will help you comprehend the story in a better way.
wretched - in a very unhappy or unfortunate state (കടുത്ത ദുഃഖത്തിലാവുക)
hyacinth - a bulbous plant of the lily family (ലില്ലിപുഷ്പം )
passion - an intense desire or enthusiasm for something (തൃഷ്ണ, അമിതമായ ഇഷ്ടം) 
ball - dance (നൃത്തപരിപാടി )
heed - pay attention to; take notice of (ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുക )
stringed instruments - an instrument that produce sound by tapping a stretched string or wire (തന്ത്രി വാദ്യങ്ങള്‍, ഉദാ- കിന്നരം, തംബുരു, വീണ, വയലിൻ)
ridiculous - deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd (അപഹാസ്യം)
outright - wholly and completely (പൂർണ്ണമായും)
mystery - secrecy or obscurity (നിഗൂഢത)
grove - a small wood or other groups of trees (തോട്ടം)
sun-dial - an instrument showing the time by the shadow of a pointer cast by the sun onto a plate marked with the hours of the day (സൂര്യഘടികാരം )
mermaiden - a mythical sea creature with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail of a fish (ജലകന്യക, മത്സ്യകന്യക )
beneath - directly underneath (താഴെ, അടിയിൽ)
cavern - a large cave or chamber in a cave (ഗുഹ )
hawthorn - a thorny shrub or tree of the rose family, with white, pink, or red blossom and small dark red fruits (റോസാപ്പൂവിന്റെ വർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ പ്പെട്ട ഒരു ചെടി)
nipped - bite or pinch sharply (നുള്ളിക്കളയുക )
bluebells - a European woodland plant of the lily family that produces clusters of blue bell-shaped flowers in spring (നീലകോളാമ്പിപ്പൂക്കൾ)
heather - a purple-flowered Eurasian heath that grows abundantly on moorland and heathland. (ഒരിനം ചെടി)
ebbed - move away from (ഇറ്റിറ്റുവീഴുക , ഒഴുകി പ്പോവുക)
topmost - highest (ഏറ്റവും മുകളിലുള്ള )
spray - a stem or small branch of a tree or plant, bearing flowers and foliage (ശിഖരം)
marvellous - causing great wonder; extraordinary (അതിശയിപ്പിക്കുന്ന)
delicate - easily broken or damaged; fragile (ദുർബലമായ)
fierce - very; extremely (കഠിനമായ)
pang - a sudden sharp pain (നൊമ്പരം)
crimson - of a rich deep red colour (കടുംചുവപ്പായ)
fainter - barely perceptible (ശബ്ദം മങ്ങുക)
choking - have severe difficulty in breathing (ശ്വാസം മുട്ടുക )
ecstasy - an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement (ഹർഷോന്മാദം )
frowned - furrow one's brows in an expression indicating disapproval, displeasure (നെറ്റി ചുളിക്കുക )
Chamberlain - an officer who managed the household of a monarch or noble (കാര്യസ്ഥൻ)
nephew - a son of one's brother or sister (സഹോദരി - സഹോദര പുത്രൻ, പുത്രി)

Let's revisit 
Activity 1
Read the story and answer the following questions. 
1. What is the colour of the rose the Student searches for?
Answer: Red

2. What does the Nightingale admire about the Student? 
Answer: He values love above everything else.

3. Where does the Student plan to present the rose to the girl?
Answer: At the Prince's ball.

4. Why couldn't the Student find a red rose by himself? 
Answer: All the red roses had withered in the winter. 

5. Which of the following was not done by the Nightin- gale to get the rose?
Answer: The Nightingale yelled at the trees until they gave her a rose.

6. Why did the Professor's daughter reject the flower?
Answer: Money and jewels were more important for her than love.

Activity 2.
Imagine that the young Student has realized the sacrifice made by the Nightingale. He feels very sad and writes a letter to his friend about it. What would he write? Write the letter.
Flat no.34
Sector 9
Washington Street
22 March 2018
Dear Tom,
Hope this letter finds you in good health and happiness. Hope all at home are fine. I am writing this letter to tell you about a very touching experience. You know, I was in love with the Professor’s daughter. One day she said that she would dance with me at the Prince’s ball the next night if I brought her a red rose. You know roses couldn’t be found in that season. So I was very sad. I was very frustrated. I sat in my garden weeping. I feared that the professor’s daughter would not dance with me. Seeing my sorrow, a nightingale took pity on me. It wanted to help me. The Rose tree said that it could give a red rose only if the Nightingale would sing to the tree with its breast against a thorn. The red blood must flow into its veins. All the night the Nightingale sang, with her breast against the thorn and stained the Rose tree with its lifeblood. A marvelous rose blossomed. The Nightingale lay dead in the grass, with the thorn in her heart.I can never forget the glorious sacrifice of the Nightingale. I have made up my mind to love all birds and animals and do whatever I can to preserve and protect everything in nature.
Regards,
Sd/-
Tony

Activity 3.
The dejected Student goes to his room, overwhelmed with feelings and makes a diary entry. Write the diary entry in which you should express:
21st January 2018,
Thursday
What a wretched fate! How cruel the professor’s daughter is! I never thought she would be so ungrateful! I can’t even imagine She said the red rose would
not go with her dress. The Chamberlain’s nephew he has given her jewels. How dare she say that jewels cost far more than flowers!
Today is the darkest day in my life. What a silly thing love is! I pined for it. Worthless ........ Can wealth and position be more valuable than a man’s love? ..... never again trust a girl. A Nightingale sacrificed its life for me. Well, hereafter I will never do any harm to any living being. I take a pledge that I shall dedicate my whole life for the protection and preservation of everything in nature.

Activity 4
Prepare a short Profile of Oscar Wilde using the hints given below.
Born: 16 October 1854.
Place of Birth: Westland Row, Dublin, Ireland
Education: Portora Royal School, Magdalen College College, Oxford
Famous as: Short story writer, poet, essayist, playwright
Notable works: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Awards: Retro Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation
Died: November 30, 1900, at the age of 46 in Paris, France

Activity 5
Write a conversational nursery rhyme, i English, depicting the flight of the Nightingale from one Rose tree to another, and their conversation in between.
Answer:
I flew and found a Rose tree
“Will you give me a red rose?”
The Rose replied.
“I’m sorry, I only grow white roses.”
I flew away and found another Rose tree.
“Will you give me a red rose?”
The Rose replied.
“I’m sorry, I only grow yellow roses.”
I flew away and found another Rose tree.
“Will you give me a red rose?”
The Rose replied.
“I’m sorry, even if I grow red roses, I can’t give you a red
rose as Winter has made me a mess.”

Activity 6 (Refer to Activity 2 on Page No. 151)
A condolence meeting is conducted to mourn the death of the Nightingale. Imagine that you are one of the following and deliver the speech.
1. The Rose Tree.
2. The Green Lizard.
3. The Young Lover.
4. The Moon.
Go through the following speech delivered by the Oak-tree to mourn the death of the Nightingale
Dear friends,
I am very sad. It is with deep sorrow and shock that I speak about the demise of my friend, the Nightingale. She used to spend most of the time sitting on my branches and singing. How happy I was when I listened to her melodious songs! She sacrificed her life for the happiness of the young Student. For her, love was eternal and much more precious than her life. I am deeply moved by her sacrifice. She was a great bird and a true friend to all of us. I know I will miss her a lot. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Answer:
The Rose Tree
Dear friends,
Our dear friend has gone forever. As all of you know. I am the one who is responsible for her death. But I had no alternative when she came to me for a red rose. I warned her about the difficulty to get a flower in this season. She compelled me for a flower so informed her to build a flower out of music by moonlight and stain it with her own heart’s blood. But I did not think she would have to spend all her blood. That was why she lost her life. Her death deeply touches my heart. She is a model for all of us. Let me stop.

The Green Lizard
Dear Friends,
It is really a shocking incident - the departure of my dear friend - the Nightingale She considered love more valuable than life. What a great sacrifice the Nightingale has done for the student when I heard the sad news, I first told Daisy about it. Beware, humans, think twice before you think of falling in love. I cannot say anything more. Let me stop.

The Young Lover
My dear friends,
I am the one who is responsible for her death. My foolishness forced the Nightingale to sacrifice her life. The Nightingale thought that love is better than life. Nature does not belong to man alone, animals, birds and plants are as important as humans. She is a model for all of us. Now I understand my foolishness very well. The Nightingale taught me a lesson through her sacrifice. I can never forget her. Let me stop.

The Moon
Dear friends,
I am an eye-witness to all that happened from beginning to end. She is not lost forever. Her memories are here with us forever. Her life is a lesson for all humans on earth. Let them learn to love each other. Let them not run after money, fame or power. If so there will be peace on your earth. She understood the true meaning of love. But neither the lady love nor the lover understood the real value of love. What a heroic deed. I feel quite sad about the bird Let me stop.


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

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