The Little Girl Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 Summary, Question Answers and Notes

⇐ Chapter 2 part 1 ⇐ Chapter 2 part 2 

Chapter 4 ⇒

Chapter at a Glance

Summary of the Story

Kezia was afraid of her father. He was big and strict, and he looked at her sternly over his spectacles. He never played with her. When he came home from the office, he ordered his tea, asked for his papers and slippers, and told Kezia to take off his boots. On Sundays he slept on the sofa with a handkerchief over his face. Her mother and grandmother sometimes sent her to the drawing room to talk to him, but her presence irritated him and he called her "little brown owl". Kezia felt a glad sense of relief whenever she heard his carriage going away in the morning.

Her grandmother gave her a piece of yellow silk and encouraged her to make a pin-cushion as a birthday present for her father. Kezia stitched three sides but did not know what to fill it with. She could not find her grandmother, so she went to her parents' room. There she saw some sheets of paper on the bedside table, tore them into small pieces and stuffed the cushion. That night her father searched for those papers, because they were the speech he had to deliver to the Port Authority. When he found out what Kezia had done, he became furious and beat her with a ruler. Kezia was hurt and frightened, and her wish to please him turned into more fear.

Some time later, her mother and grandmother went to the hospital, and Kezia was left at home with Alice, the cook. At night she had a bad dream and cried out for her grandmother. To her surprise, her father came to her room, took her in his arms and carried her to his bed. He lay beside her, and Kezia snuggled against him and held his shirt. She felt safe, and she noticed that her father fell asleep before her. She realised that he was a tired, hard-working man who had a kind heart. She whispered, "What a big heart you've got, Father dear." For the first time she saw her father as a loving human being.

Kezia's Changing Feelings

NCERT Textbook Questions with Answers

Thinking about the Text, Question I: Match the Emotions

1. Fear or terror: (iii) father comes home, (iv) speaking to father, (v) going to bed when alone at home. 2. Glad sense of relief: (i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss, (ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter, (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring. 3. A "funny" feeling, perhaps of understanding: (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep.

Question II: Answer in One or Two Sentences

Q1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father? Ans. Kezia was afraid because her father was strict and commanding. He never played with her and often gave her a stern look over his spectacles.

Q2. Who were the people in Kezia's family? Ans. Kezia's family had her father, mother, grandmother and herself.

Q3. What was Kezia's father's routine (i) before going to his office, (ii) after coming back from his office, (iii) on Sundays? Ans. (i) Before going to the office, he came to Kezia's room and gave her a goodbye kiss. (ii) After returning, he ordered tea in the drawing room, asked his mother for his papers and slippers, and told Kezia to take off his boots. (iii) On Sundays he stretched out on the sofa with a handkerchief over his face and his feet on a cushion, and he slept and snored.

Q4. In what ways did Kezia's grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better? Ans. The grandmother asked Kezia to go down to the drawing room and have a nice talk with her father. She also suggested that Kezia stitch a pin-cushion from a piece of yellow silk and give it to him as a birthday present.

Question III: Answer in Two or Three Paragraphs

Q1. Kezia's efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen? Ans. Kezia stitched three sides of a pin-cushion for her father's birthday, but she did not know what to fill it with. Her grandmother was not around, so she went to her parents' room to ask her mother for some scraps. Her mother was not there, but Kezia saw some sheets of paper on the bedside table. She tore them into small pieces and stuffed the cushion with them.

At night her father looked for those papers, and they were the speech he was to deliver to the Port Authority. He was furious, scolded Kezia and beat her with a ruler for touching things that did not belong to her. Her good intention thus ended in punishment, and she was hurt and more afraid than before.

Q2. Kezia decides that there are "different kinds of fathers". What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia's father? Ans. Mr Macdonald was a loving, gentle and forgiving father. He played and laughed with his children and was friendly with them. Kezia's father was the opposite. He was strict, unfriendly and short-tempered, and he did not play with her. This comparison made Kezia understand that fathers can be of different kinds.

Q3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy? Ans. One day her mother and grandmother were at the hospital, and Kezia was left at home with Alice, the cook. At night she had a nightmare and called out for her grandmother. She saw her father near her bed. He took her in his arms, put her carefully on his bed and lay down beside her. Half asleep, she snuggled her head under his arm and held his shirt tightly.

She saw her father fall asleep before her. She understood that he worked so hard every day that he was too tired to be playful like Mr Macdonald. This made her feel sympathy for him, and she told him that he had a big heart.

Thinking about Language I: Synonyms and the Word "Big"

Q1. Fill in with the right synonym. Ans. (i) She was thrilled by the news of her brother's wedding. (ii) I was delighted to be invited to the party. (iii) She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter. (iv) The coach was pleased with his performance. (v) She was very happy with her results.

Q2. Find the meaning of "big" in each sentence. Ans. (i) a big girl: older. (ii) the biggest decision: most important. (iii) big ideas: great or ambitious. (iv) a big game: popular. (v) a big fan: great or devoted. (vi) a big eater: one who eats a lot. (vii) a big heart: generous and kind.

Thinking about Language II: Verbs of Reporting

Q1. Underline the verbs of reporting. Ans. (i) says, (ii) mentioned, (iii) told, (iv) answered, (v) wondered, (vi) told, (vii) apologised.

Q2. Choose the appropriate verbs from the box. Ans. (i) "I am not afraid," replied the woman. (ii) "Leave me alone," shouted my mother. (iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy. (iv) "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," remarked the master. (v) "Let's go and look at the school ground," suggested the sports teacher. (vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.

Speaking

Q1. Are there fathers, mothers and grandmothers like those in the story in our own country? Ans. Yes, there are. Many Indian parents are strict because they want their children to be disciplined, and sometimes they forget that children also need love and patience. Grandmothers often act as a bridge between children and parents, as Kezia's grandmother did. When parents spend time and show care, children grow up with a strong bond.

Q2. Was Kezia's father right to punish her? What kind of person was he? Ans. No, he was not right. Kezia was a small child who did not know the papers were important, and he should have explained this calmly. He was strict, undemonstrative, hard-working and short-tempered, yet he was also caring, as his comforting of Kezia at night shows.

Writing (150 to 200 Words): Sample Answer

Ans. This answer should come from your own experience, so change the details to suit your life. As a child, I was a little afraid of my father when he returned from work tired, and I thought he cared more about rules than about me. Now I understand that his strictness was his way of protecting me. My parents have also changed, and they listen to my opinions more than before. I think I have become more understanding, too. To build a better relationship, I would like to talk to them honestly, help at home, share my day with them and thank them for their efforts. Understanding grows when both sides listen and respect each other.

Extra Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type (1 Mark)

Q1. Who wrote "The Little Girl"? Ans. Katherine Mansfield. Q2. What name did Kezia's father call her? Ans. Little brown owl. Q3. What colour was the silk for the pin-cushion? Ans. Yellow. Q4. What did the torn papers contain? Ans. Her father's speech for the Port Authority. Q5. Who stayed with Kezia when her mother and grandmother went to hospital? Ans. Alice, the cook. Q6. With what did her father beat her? Ans. A ruler.

Short Answer Type (30 to 40 Words)

Q1. Why did Kezia feel relieved when her father left for the office? Ans. She feared his strict nature and stern looks. When his carriage went away, she was free from his orders and scolding, so she felt a glad sense of relief.

Q2. Why did Kezia tear the papers? Ans. She wanted to stuff the pin-cushion for her father's birthday and could not find any scraps. She did not know that the papers were his important speech.

Q3. What role does the grandmother play in the story? Ans. She is a kind guide who tries to bring Kezia closer to her father. She sends her to talk to him and suggests the pin-cushion gift.

Q4. How did Kezia's father comfort her at night? Ans. He heard her cry, took her in his arms, put her in his own bed and lay beside her. His warmth made her feel safe.

Long Answer Type (100 to 120 Words)

Q1. Write a character sketch of Kezia's father. Ans. Kezia's father is a strict, serious and hard-working man. He keeps a distance from his daughter, never plays with her and orders her to take off his boots. He is short-tempered, as we see when he beats Kezia with a ruler for tearing his speech. Yet he is not heartless. He gives her a goodbye kiss every morning, and on the night of her nightmare he comforts her and lets her sleep beside him. His tiredness shows how much he works for his family. He is an undemonstrative father whose love is hidden behind his stern manner.

Q2. What message does the story give about parent-child relationships? Ans. The story shows that discipline without love can make a child afraid, and that children and parents may misunderstand each other for years. Kezia feared her father because she saw only his strict side, while he did not understand her innocent wish to please him. Only when he comforted her did she see his caring heart. The message is that parents should show love and patience, and children should try to understand their parents' pressures. Open communication, small gestures of affection and mutual respect can turn fear into trust.

Important Words and Meanings

Themes and Quick Revision

Themes: The story deals with fear and misunderstanding between a child and a parent, the need for love along with discipline, and the way a small incident can change a relationship. It also shows that people can have hidden kindness behind a hard exterior.

Conclusion: "The Little Girl" reminds us that love is not always loud. For exams, remember the emotions matching, the pin-cushion incident, the contrast with Mr Macdonald and the nightmare scene that changes Kezia's view of her father.