A CHILD’S DREAM

WORD MEANINGS:

Treasures – precious things

Underneath- below or beneath

Swiftly- quickly

Entreatingly- to beg, to make a request

Hedges- bushes

Dumb- silent

Desperate- hopeless

Bear- withstand, tolerate

Heaven’s grace- God’s blessing

Golden hour- happy and precious moment

Golden place- beautiful place

Answer the following questions:

Q.1) What kind of dog did the child have?

Ans. The child had a little dog and he was very small. His body was covered with thick hair and
his nose was fresh as morning dew and blacker than the night. His stomach was pink as any shell
and he held his tail bravely like a banner in the fight. He was an alert and active dog.

Q.2) What tells you that the child greatly admired his dog?

Ans. The child greatly admired the dog because he says that out of all the treasures that he had,
he loved his dog the most. He also says that he did not just love the dog but also honoured him.

Q.3) Where did they go in the morning?

Ans. The child and the dog went to the fields to play in the morning
Q.4) How did the child react when the dog was lost?

Ans. The child grew desperate and worried. He called his dog in a thousand ways and ran around
the entire field searching for his dog, and begging him to return. He also prayed to God to help
him find his dog. He could not bear the thought of being separated from his dog.

Q.5) Why were the pathways “horrible and dumb”?

Ans. The pathways and the hedges were “horrible and dumb” because they did not lead him to
his dog nor told him where his dog was.

Q.6) Why are the hour and the place called “golden”?

Ans. The poet calls the hour and place “golden” because the moment he finds his dog, the time
and the place become precious to him.

Q.7) ‘And his tail he held bravely, like a banner in a fight.’ The figure of speech used here is a
simile. Give other examples of similes from the poem?

Ans. A simile is a figure of speech used by the poets to compare two different objects using the
words ‘like’ or ‘as’. The other examples of simile used in the poem are:

a) His nose was fresh as morning dew

b) His little stomach underneath was pink as any shell.

ASSIGNMENT

*The students are requested to solve these exercises on their own. The answers have been
discussed in the online class.

1. Write the antonyms of the following words:

a. big

b. hated-

c. stale-

d. cowardly-

e. dishonoured-

f. slowly-

g. lovely-
h. high-

i. always-

j. cheerful

2. Reference to context:

“I prayed to God who never heard. My desperate soul grew numb.”

a. What did the speaker pray to God for?

b. Why was the child so desperate?

c. Where did he find the dog?

3. Make sentences:

a. treasures

b. swiftly

c. desperate

d. entreatingly

e. bear