Dad and The Cat and The Tree - Solutions
CBSE Class 07 English Honeycomb
NCERT solution
Chapter - 7
Dad and The Cat and The Tree - Poem
Page No: 110
Working with the Poem
1. Why was Dad sure he wouldn’t fall?
Ans: Dad felt assured that he wouldn’t fall as he considered himself to be a climber and thought that climbing trees was a child’s play.
2. Which phrase in the poem expresses Dad’s self-confidence best?
Ans: The phrase 'Child’s play, this is!' expresses Dad’s self-confidence.
3. Describe Plan A and its consequences.
Ans: Plan A was to use the ladder to climb up the tree and carry down the cat, but the ladder slipped and Dad fell into the flower bed.
4. Plan C was a success. What went wrong then?
Ans: Plan C was a success as Dad successfully jumped onto the tree from the top of the garden wall, but he landed right on the cat. The cat gave a yell and sprang down onto the ground but poor old Dad was left stuck on the tree.
5. The cat was very happy to be on the ground. Pick out the phrase used to express this idea.
Ans: The phrase used to express this idea is 'Pleased as Punch to be'.
6. Describe the Cat and Dad situation in the beginning and at the end of the poem.
Ans: In the beginning of the poem, the cat was stuck on the tree and Dad was trying his plans to bring it down but at the end of the poem the cat was on the ground, safe and sound, and Dad was left stuck on the tree.
7. Why and when did Dad say each of the following?
(i) Fall?
(ii) Never mind
(iii) Funny joke
(iv) Rubbish
Ans: (i) Dad said 'Fall?' when Mum showed concern that he may fall while climbing the tree. He said it scornfully making fun of Mum's concern.
(ii) Dad said 'Never mind' when he fell from the ladder as it slipped, during the first attempt to rescue the cat. He said so to clarify that everything was alright and he was okay and wanted to try again.
(iii) Dad said 'Funny joke' when Mum warned him about falling again. He said it boastfully feeling quite over confident of being successful in his Plan B of rescuing the cat.
(iv) Dad said 'Rubbish' when Mum asked him to stop trying again for the fear that he may break his neck, after his Plan B failed. He said so because he thought that his Plan C will work and he will climb the tree easily and if he gave up, it might ruin his reputation.
8. Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines which make you laugh.
Ans: Yes, the poem is humorous. It draws out funny situations Dad comes across with, while trying to climb a tree, to rescue a cat. Moreover, Dad's over confidence (about being able to climb the tree very easily as if it were a child's play adds humour to the poem) and the scepticism of Mum adds humour that reaches its height when at the end Dad remains stuck in the tree while the Cat jumps down safely on its own.
