CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 9 – The Tale of Custard the Dragon – Downloads PDF
Chapter 9 Poem – The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Madam Rides the Bus is a story of a young and brave girl. It is the ninth chapter of class 10th English textbook First Flight. In the story, an eight-year girl is shown to have a deep desire to travel through a bus. This lesson brings up a feeling of innocence and sensitiveness to the readers. To study it from the perspective of exams, you need a credible source. GharPeShiksha is the one-stop destination for all study-related matters. The study material available at the website of GharPeShiksha has helped numerous students enhance their understanding of this chapter and its teachings. The material contains the chapter’s vocabulary with meaning, textbook exercise questions with solutions, previous year questions with solutions, important questions that may come in the exam, teachings of the chapter, model answer sheet, and many more things compiled by expert teachers. You can download the PDFs through the website of GharPeShiksha.
The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Frederic Ogden Nash’s poem The Tale of Custard the Dragon talks of a little girl Belinda. The poet has done a commendable job in framing the characters of this poem. Belinda, the little girl, had many pets, namely, Ink, blink, mustard, and custard. Read the poem to know what happened with Belinda and her pets. Students are advised to supplement their reading of this poem with some good notes. The best way to understand the poem is to study it from the PDF notes provided by GharPeShiksha. The PDF Notes contain a summary of the poem in easy language, vocabulary with meaning, textbook exercise questions with solutions, previous year questions with solutions, important questions that may come in the exam, literary devices used in the poem, rhyming scheme analysis, and many more things all compiled by expert teachers of GharPeShiksha. This study material is available at the website of GharPeShiksha. Here is the PDF Notes file of this chapter.
Introduction to the lesson
Ogden Nash has written a poem about a little girl Belinda who owns many pets, namely, a black kitten named ink, grey mouse named blink, yellow dog named mustard and a coward dragon named custard. The poet has described every character to be brave except the dragon who is a coward. But the whole situation changes when a pirate attacked Belinda’s house. No one else had the guts to face him, it was the dragon that killed the pirate. All the characters are happy because they are saved by the dragon but quickly change their thoughts and describe themselves to be more powerful had the situation not been so confusing for all of them.
Summary of the poem
The tale of custard the dragon is a ballad. It is a humorous poem about a cowardly dragon named custard. Custard is a pet of Belinda, a little girl who lives in a little white house with her pets. She had a black kitten named ink, a grey mouse named blink, a yellow dog mustard and a cowardly dragon custard. The poet says that all of them are very brave except the dragon. Others were described as brave and are compared with animals like bear, tiger or lion but the dragon is very timid. He always demands a safe place for himself. All the other characters make fun of him. But one night they are surprised by the entry of a pirate in the house. All of them get frightened and start hiding here and there. But to everyone’s surprise, the dragon not only tackles him but also eats him up. As all of them are saved by custard, they thank him. But at the end, they realize that they used to make fun of the dragon because of his being timid. So, all of them suddenly start saying that they are more brave and could have handled the situation in a much better way. Here the poet has tried to say that sometimes a timid person is the actual hero in the toughest situations of life.
Question and Answers
Q1- Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
A1 Following are the characters of the poem:
- A little girl named Belinda.
- A little black kitten whose name is ink.
- A little gray mouse named blink.
- A dog named mustard because he is yellow in colour.
- A coward dragon whose name is Custard.
Q2- Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?
A2- Custard cries for a safe cage because he is A coward. He is called cowardly dragon because other characters are defined to be very brave in the following manner:
- Belinda is described to be as brave as a barrel full of bears
- Ink and blink can chase lions down the stairs
- Mustard was as brave as a tiger in rage.
Q3- “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?
A3- Belinda tickled him unmerciful because custard the dragon was a coward. He always demanded a safe cage. That is why all of them made fun of him.
Q4- The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
A4- The poet has used many poetic devices to enhance the beauty of the poem. Like, to create rhyme with ‘Belinda’, he used the word ‘winda’ instead of ‘window’. Other such rhyming words are ‘household’ used with ‘mouseholed’ and ‘wagon’ with ‘dragon’. Not only this, he also uses poetic device of repetition for example the word ‘little’ is used many times to describe her house and her pets. There is also the use of poetic device of refrain because we can see the repetition of line “And her realio, trulio little pet dragon” in many stanzas.
Q5- Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon?
A5- The looks of the dragon are explained in a way that it has big sharp teeth and spikes on top. This means its skin is pointed on the top. On the lower part it has scales which are bony plates meant to protect the skin. His mouth has been compared to a fireplace because it is assumed that the dragons can release fire from the mouth. Even his nose is compared to a chimney which is used to pass out the smoke. His feet are like a sharp knife i.e. a dagger.
Q6- Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
A6- Rhyme scheme of the second and third stanza is aabb.
Q7– Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
A7- Following are the words used to give us picture or image:
- Mouth like a fireplace
- Chimney for nose
- Barrel full of bears
- Brave as a tiger in the rage
- He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm
Q8- Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
A8- The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a light hearted poem. All the characters have names which are rhyming with each other. They all are defined to be very brave except the dragon. But in reality the dragon proves to be the real hero. When they are attacked by the pirate, the dragon gulps him. Though all the other characters were not brave enough to handle the pirate but still they define themselves as more powerful than the dragon after the incident is handled by the dragon alone. Though, the dragon was defined as a coward by the poet right from the beginning of the poem.
Questions and Answers
NCERT Solutions
Thinking about the Poem (Page 132)
Question 1 : Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
Answers : The characters in this poem are Belinda, a little girl, and her pets: a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog, a little pet dragon and a pirate.
Characters : Pet name
Kitten : Ink
Mouse : Blink
Dog : Mustard
Dragon : Custard
Question 2 : Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called ‘cowardly dragon’?
Answer : Custard cried for a nice safe cage because it was coward and was scared very easily.
It is called ‘cowardly dragon’ because everyone else in the house is very brave while the dragon is the only one, who fears a lot and looks for a nice safe cafe for himself. Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears, Ink and Blink can chase lions and Mustard is as brave as an angry tiger.
Question 3 : “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful….” Why?
Answer : Tickling also works on people, who are a little softer. So, Belinda tickled the dragon unmerciful as it worked a lot on him. Despite being a dragon, a tickling could disturb him and this showed his cowardice on which everyone laughed.
Question 4 : The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” – the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer : In the poem, “The Tale of Custard, the Dragon”, the poet has used a lot of poetic devices. Following are the devices used.
i) Simile : mouth like a fireplace.
ii) Repetition : the repetitive use of the world ‘little’ in stanza 1.
Question 5 : Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
Answer : Do it yourself.
Question 6 : Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
Answer : They rhyme scheme of the poem is ‘aabb’.
Question 7 : Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Answer : Writers always use such phrases and words that do not tell us directly about what they mean but always give us an indication of the meaning. Such words or phrases are used to trigger our own imagination in painting the picture that they mean. Use of such images in the poem are: ‘mouth like a fireplace’, ‘chimney for a nose’, ‘brave as a barrel full of bears’, ‘brave as a tiger in a rage’, ‘went at the pirate like a robin at a worm’, etc.
Question 8 : Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer : ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a very light and funny poem meant to be enjoyed by everyone. The way the poem has been written with a fix rhyme scheme, makes it very easy and enjoyable to read. The poet has even used wrong spelling to maintain the rhyme scheme. The features of Belinda and her pets described in the poem make it quite funny. Belinda’s bravery has been compared to a barrel full of bears, a liquid substance. All the tiny creatures such as the kitten and the mouse have been shown so brave that they can scare a lion and the dog’s bravery is like a tiger’s rage. The biggest of them all, the dragon is the only one, who has been shown as a coward and soft being, who looks for a cage for himself, which is very ironic, hence making the poem funny.
Question 9 : This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.
Answer : Do it yourself.
Extra Questions
Extract Based Questions
Read the following extracts carefully and choose the correct option.
Question 1 :
Belinda lived in a little white house,
With a little black kitten and a little gray mouse,
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
i) Where did Belinda live?
a) In a red house
b) In a mud house
c) In a big house
d) In a white house
ii) Who lived with Belinda in White house?
a) Her parents
b) Her grandmother
c) Her four pets
d) All of those
iii) What was the colour of the wagon?
a) White
b) Red
c) Black
d) Green
iv) What is the rhyming scheme of this stanza?
a) abab
b) aaab
c) aabb
d) No rhyme
Answer : i) d) In a white house
ii) c) Her four pets
iii) b) Red
iv) c) aabb
Question 2 :
Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little gray mouse mouse, she called her Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
i) What is the name of Belinda’s cat?
a) Black
b) Grey
c) White
d) Red
ii) What was kitten and mouse called by Belinda?
a) Wink and Twink
b) Ink and Blink
c) Chink, Blink
d) Ink and Don
iii) Which word in the stanza means ‘Scared easily’?
a) Little
b) Dragon
c) Coward
d) Sharp
iv) With what name does Belinda call her dog?
a) Custard
b) Blink
c) Yellow
d) Mustard
Answer : i) a) Black
ii) b) Ink and blink
iii) c) Coward
iv) d) Mustard
Short Questions and Answers
Question 1 : Where did Belinda live and with whom?
Answer : Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets and a wagon. She had a black kitten named Ink, a grey mouse named Blink, a yellow dog named Mustard and a coward dragon named Custard.
Question 2 : What did Custard look like?
Answer : Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth. Custard looked really dangerous with spikes on his top and scales underneath. His mouth was like a fireplace and nose like a chimney. His toes looked like daggers. Such a creature is supposed to be very strong and ferocious.
Question 3 : Did Custard match his physical appearance?
Answer : No, Custard barely matched his appearance as he looked ferocious but he actually was a coward. He always cried for a nice and safe cage and everyone laughed at him for his cowardice.
Question 4 : Describe the bravery of everyone in the house.
Answer : Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. Ink and Blink were brave enough to chase lions away. Mustard’s bravery was like a tiger’s rage. It was only Custard, who was a coward, everyone else was very brave.
Question 5 : Was everyone really as brave as they claimed?
Answer : Belinda and her three pets, excluding Custard, were very proud of their bravery but they were not really brave. It was only Custard, who had the courage to face the pirate as he was the real brave.
Question 6 : What did everyone do when the pirate came?
Answer : When the pirate came, Belinda cried for help and became pale with fear. Mustard ran away with a terrified cry and Ink trickled to the bottom of the house while Blink disappeared in his mouse hole. Custard jumped in front of the pirate to fight him and showed how brave it was.
Question 7 : How did Custard face the pirate?
Answer : Custard jumped in front of the pirate to fight him. He clashed his tail. The pirate fired two bullets at him but missed both of them. Then Custard gobbled whole of the pirate and left no trace of him. Custard proved that he was quite brave at this point.
Question 8 : ‘But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.’ Who is Custard? Why did he cry for a ‘nice safe cage’?
Answer : Custard is Belinda’s pet dragon. He cried for a nice safe cage because he was a coward, who feared easily and looked for comfort and safety of himself.
But at the same time he proved to be brave when he faced the pirate whose entry had made the so called brave people hide in fear.
Question 9 : How did everyone react after Custard ate the pirate?
Answer : Belinda embraced Custard because he had saved everyone by killing the pirate. Mustard licked him to show his affection while Ink and Blink started dancing around Custard out of happiness.
Question 10 : How did the other three pet boast of their bravery?
Answer : After Mustard, Ink and Blink fled on seeing the pirate, it was Custard, who fought him and killed him. The other pets soon made excuses for their cowardice and said that they would have been twice and thrice as brave as Custard.
Question 11 : Did Custard accept his cowardice and their bravery?
Answer : Yes, Custard seemed like a really humble animal as even after killing the pirate he accepted that he is a coward and everyone else is braver than him.
Long Questions and Answers
Question 1 : The dragon, Custard was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his bravery in adversity. Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. Express your views with reference to the poem.
Answer : It is true that bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. Custard the dragon, does not boast of his bravery as other pets of Belinda do. They boasted of their bravery and made fun of the dragon’s cowardice. But when real danger came, none of them could face the danger and hid themselves in some corner of the house.
It was only the dragon who dared to face the frightening pirate who appeared really threatening with pistols and knife. Custard, the dragon rose to the situation, showed his real bravery and gobbled up the pirate.
It was a dangerous situation and Custard behaved bravely in this situation. So we can say that qualities like bravery and courage can only be tested when someone is actually put in a dangerous situation.
Question 2 : Do you think that one should be made fun of because of their preferences and choices in life? Explain in the context of Custard, the dragon.
Answer : It is not right to make fun of anyone on the basis of their lifestyle and their choices. Custard, the dragon, always wanted comfort and safety for himself and therefore always cried for a nice safe cage. Belinda and other pets of the house made fun of him because they thought that he was a coward. Custard proved that just because he likes comfort, he is not a coward. In fact, he was the only one, who had the courage to face the pirate and gobble him up. Others were only boastful of their bravery as they all disappeared when real need arose. So no one should make fun of others without realising their strength.
