NCERT Solutions Class 7, English, The Alian Hand (Supplementary Reader), Chapter "I Want Something in a Cage".
Comprehension Check
1. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of following statements.
(i) Mr Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs and monkeys_______.
Solution: True
(ii) He was very concerned about the well-being of the birds and animals in his shop_______.
Solution: False
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought the two doves_______.
Solution: False
(iv) He was a successful shopowner, though insensitive and cold as a person_______.
Solution: False
2. Why is Mr Purcell compared to an owl?
Solution:
Mr Purcell compared to an owl because large glasses magnified his eyes which gives him the appearance of a wise and genial owl.
3. From the third paragraph pick out
(i) words associated with cries of birds,
Solution: Whispered, twitter, squeal, cheeps.
(ii) words associated with noise,
Solution: Stir, rustling, scampered.
(iii) words suggestive of confusion and fear.
Solution: Bewildered, blindly seeking.
4. “...Mr Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock.” (Read para beginning with “It was a rough day...”)
(i) What does ‘it’ refer to?
Solution:
‘it’ refers to the chirping, squeaking and mewing of the birds and animals in the shop.
(ii) Why does Mr Purcell not hear ‘it’ clearly?
Solution:
Mr. Purcell did not hear the noise clearly because he owned the pet shop and thus, these noises seemed usual to him, like the monotonous ticking of a clock. He was used to the noise.
Comprehension Check
1. Do you think the atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was cheerful or depressing? Give reasons for your answer.
Solution:
The atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was depressing because a constant stir of movement pervaded his shop and the animals and birds were making a lot of noise seems like they are not happy in their cages.
2. Describe the stranger who came to the pet shop. What did he want?
Solution:
The stranger who entered Mr. Purcell’s shop had recently been released from a ten-year imprisonment. Despite his new-looking suit, it was cheap and ill-fitting. His hair was closely cropped, and his eyes darted around the shop. He expressed interest in buying an item from a case — "Something small. Something with wings. Something that flies."
3. (i) The man insisted on buying the doves because he was fond of birds. Do you agree?
Solution:
No, the man didn't insisted on buying doves because he was fond of birds. He didn't asked for the birds directly instead he said that he wanted anything with wings in a cage. This shows that he had sympathy for the birds and wanted to see them flying.
(ii) How had he earned the five dollars he had?
Solution:
He earned those five dollars by working hard in jail for ten years, getting paid only half a dollar per year.
4. Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought? If not, why not?
Solution:
No, the man had no love or liking for the doves. He did not mean to keep them as pets. So he paid no attention to what Mr. Purcell said about the feed and care of birds. Soon after stepping out of the shop, he freed the birds and dropped the cage.
Exercises
Discuss the following topics in groups.
1. Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?
Solution:
In my opinion, I think that the man must had set the doves free because he himself had been in jail for ten years. He had sympathy for the birds and knew the pain of being imprisoned against the wishes. He wanted to see them flying and enjoy their freedom that is why he bought something with the wings. He wanted to smell the happiness of freedom from cages by setting the doves free.
2. Why did it make Mr Purcell feel “vaguely insulted”?
Solution:
Mr Purcell feel “vaguely insulted” the man bought the doves from Purcell’s shop for five dollars and then went outside to set them free. It was Mr. Purcell who had kept these birds in cage and restricted their freedom and the man spent his ten years income only to give the doves freedom, so he felt more insulted.
