Pre-reading Task
- If asked to choose between money and freedom, what would you choose and why?
Answer – I would choose freedom over money because freedom allows us to live life on our own terms. Without freedom, even the richest life can feel like a cage. True happiness, creativity, and peace of mind come from being free.
- Can you think of a few things that come with freedom and cannot be bought with money? Discuss with your partner and prepare a list.
Answer – Yes, many priceless things come with freedom and cannot be bought with money. Here’s a list:
Things That Come with Freedom | Why They Can’t Be Bought |
Peace of mind | It comes from being free to live without fear. |
Self-expression | You can’t buy the right to speak your truth. |
Dignity and self-respect | These come from living with independence. |
Creativity and imagination | True creativity flows from a free spirit. |
Choice of lifestyle and career | Money may offer options, but freedom gives power to choose. |
The joy of exploring and travelling | Only possible when you’re free to move. |
Real relationships and love | Cannot be forced or purchased. |
Word Meaning
Word/Phrase | Meaning (English to English) | Meaning (English to Hindi) |
Pet (verb) | To keep or treat an animal affectionately | पालतू बनाना / प्यार से पालना |
Silken | Made of or like silk; smooth and soft | रेशमी |
Quilt | A warm bed covering made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric | रजाई |
Velvet | A soft, luxurious fabric with a thick, short pile | मखमल |
Satin | A smooth, shiny fabric | साटन / चिकना कपड़ा |
Ivy | A climbing or creeping plant often found on walls | बेल / आइवी पौधा |
Peep | To look out or appear slightly, especially from behind something | झांकना / झलक दिखाना |
Dawn | The time each morning when daylight begins | भोर / सुबह की पहली रोशनी |
Wing (verb) | To fly or move quickly through the air using wings | पंख फड़फड़ाकर उड़ना |
Silver fret | A dish or item decorated with silver thread or design | चांदी के तारों से सजी वस्तु |
Ivory | A hard white substance from elephant tusks used for carving | हाथी दांत |
Carpet | A thick, soft floor covering | गलीचा / कालीन |
Fret (noun) | Ornamental design made by interlacing lines | सजावट का डिज़ाइन |
Amber | A golden-brown substance used in jewellery | अंबर / सुनहरा भूरा पत्थर |
Daintier | Sweeter, more delicate or more refined | और भी स्वादिष्ट / नाज़ुक |
Rocking twig | A small branch that moves gently in the wind | हिलती हुई टहनी |
Running water | Flowing natural water like in a river or stream | बहता पानी |
Fair (lady fair) | A poetic term for a beautiful or kind lady | सुंदर महिला / प्यारी स्त्री |
Seat | A place to sit | बैठने की जगह / आसन |
Path | A route or track to follow | रास्ता / पथ |
Summary in English
The poem is a dialogue between a child and a bird. The child tries to tempt the bird into becoming her pet by offering luxurious things like a silk quilt, a velvet bed, a satin pillow, a silver dish, a golden cup, and carpets. However, the bird politely refuses. It prefers its natural home in the ivy wall, enjoys the sunlight, drinks from running water, rests on twigs, and flies freely in the open sky. The bird values freedom and nature over comfort and captivity, and in the end, it bids farewell to the child.
Main Theme:
Freedom is more valuable than comfort or luxury.
Summary in Hindi
यह कविता एक बच्ची और पक्षी के बीच संवाद है। बच्ची पक्षी को अपना पालतू बनाने के लिए उसे रेशमी रजाई, मखमली बिस्तर, साटन का तकिया, चाँदी की थाली, सोने का प्याला और कालीन जैसी विलासिता भरी चीजें देने का लालच देती है। लेकिन पक्षी विनम्रता से इनकार कर देता है। वह कहता है कि उसे कुदरत की गोद पसंद है—वह पत्तों वाली बेल की दीवार में सोता है, सुबह की धूप में गाता है, बहते पानी से पानी पीता है और पेड़ों की डाल पर झूलता है। अंत में वह बच्ची को अलविदा कहता है।
मुख्य भाव:
स्वतंत्रता किसी भी सुविधा या बंधन भरे आराम से कहीं अधिक कीमती होती है।
Understanding the Poem
- In the poem, the child offers various comforts to the bird in exchange for its freedom, but the bird declines them. Complete the chart given below by filling in the offers made by the child and the bird’s preference over them.
Answer – 🟣 The child offers → 🔵 The bird prefers
1.
(a) Silken quilts
(b) A velvet bed
(c) A satin pillow
→
Sleeping in the ivy wall
Where no rain comes through
And the sun peeps in at dawn
2.
A necklace made of
Feathers and gems made of gold
→
A feather necklace
That I wouldn’t sell for a thousand pound
3.
(a) A silver fret dish
(b) A golden cup
(c) An ivory seat
(d) Soft carpets under feet
→
Running water from nature
A rocking twig as the finest chair
Softest paths through the air
Freedom and natural living
B. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
(a) I’d rather sleep in the ivy wall;
No rain comes through, tho’ I hear it fall.
The sun peeps gay at dawn of day,
And I sing, and wing away, away!
(i) Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?
Answer – The speaker is the bird.
(ii) Ivy is a plant. What does the bird want to convey by describing it as a wall?
Answer – The bird refers to the ivy-covered wall as its natural, safe home where it can sleep peacefully.
(iii) What does the speaker prefer ivy wall to?
Answer – The bird prefers the ivy wall over the luxurious bed offered by the child.
(b) A feather necklace round and round,
That I wouldn’t sell for a thousand pound!
(i) What is the necklace offered by the child made of?
Answer – The child offers a necklace made of pearls or precious materials.
(ii) What is the necklace that the bird has made of?
Answer – The bird has a natural feather necklace, likely its own plumage.
(iii) Which necklace does the bird prefer? Why?
Answer – The bird prefers its feather necklace because it is natural, comfortable, and part of its free life.
C. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer – The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB.
D. Pick out at least three examples of alliteration from the poem.
(a) Stanza 2
Answer – “peeps gay at dawn of day” – Repetition of the ‘d’ sound.
(b) Stanza 2
Answer – “sing, and wing away, away!” – Repetition of the ‘w’ sound.
(c) Stanza 3
Answer – “silver fret” – Repetition of the ‘s’ sound.
HOTS
Why does the bird refuse to accept the various comforts offered by the child? Discuss.
Answer – The bird refuses because it values freedom and nature over material comforts. It prefers living among trees, drinking fresh water, and flying freely rather than living in luxury but in captivity.
Life Skills
Is freedom just the right to live as we wish?
Answer – No, freedom also includes the ability to make choices, express oneself, and live in harmony with nature. It comes with responsibilities and respect for others’ rights and lives.
Values
Why does the child call the bird ‘birdie’? Why does the child use the word ‘birdie’ twice?
Answer – The child says ‘birdie’ out of affection and innocence, trying to persuade the bird lovingly. The repetition shows the child’s eagerness and excitement to befriend the bird.
Writing Skills
The child in the poem realises that the bird cannot be lured. She has her own priorities in life. Freedom is equally important to her. The child decides to share the conversation between her and the bird with her friend through a letter. Write the letter in not more than 120 words.
Answer –
Dear Meena,
Hope you’re doing well! I had the most amazing and unusual experience today. I tried to make a beautiful bird my pet. I offered her a silk bed, golden cups, and soft carpets. But guess what? She refused it all!
She said she loves to live in the ivy wall, drink from streams, and fly freely. It made me realize that no luxury can replace the joy of freedom. I was a little sad, but I understood her completely. I’ll never forget this sweet bird and her wise words.
Write soon!
Love,
Rani
Rani
Additional Questions and Answers – 01
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- What does the child offer the bird for sleeping?
a) A golden cage
b) A velvet bed and satin pillow
c) A tree house
d) A soft nest
Answer: b) A velvet bed and satin pillow - Why does the bird refuse the child’s offer?
a) The bird prefers the forest
b) The bird dislikes people
c) The bird wants money
d) The bird is scared
Answer: a) The bird prefers the forest - What does the bird consider as the finest chair?
a) Golden chair
b) Wooden throne
c) Rocking twig
d) Swing
Answer: c) Rocking twig - Which word best describes the bird’s attitude?
a) Greedy
b) Humble
c) Materialistic
d) Proud
Answer: b) Humble - What does the phrase “wing away, away!” suggest?
a) The bird is scared
b) The bird enjoys flying
c) The bird is lost
d) The bird wants a new home
Answer: b) The bird enjoys flying
🔹 Short Question and Answer (30 words or less)
- What does the child try to do with the bird?
The child tries to tempt the bird to live as her pet by offering luxurious items like a velvet bed, satin pillow, and golden cups. - Why does the bird prefer the ivy wall?
The bird finds comfort and natural beauty in the ivy wall and enjoys sleeping there, surrounded by nature. - What does the bird mean by “softest paths lie through the air”?
The bird prefers flying freely in the sky rather than walking on man-made carpets. - What lesson does the bird teach the child?
The bird teaches that freedom and nature are more valuable than luxury.
🔹 Competency-Based Questions (Reasoning and Assertion)
- Assertion and Reasoning:
Assertion (A): The bird refuses the child’s luxurious offers.
Reason (R): The bird prefers freedom in the natural world.
- a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
- b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- c) A is true, but R is false.
- d) A is false, but R is true.
Answer: a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Assertion and Reasoning:
Assertion (A): The child succeeds in making the bird her pet.
Reason (R): The bird was tempted by golden cups and silver dishes.
- a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
- b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
- c) A is false, but R is true.
- d) Both A and R are false.
Answer: d) Both A and R are false.
🔹 Long Answer Questions (50–60 words)
- What does the poem “Birdie, Will You Pet?” tell us about the value of freedom?
The poem highlights that no luxury can replace the joy and beauty of living freely in nature. The bird values its freedom and natural life over the child’s offers of comfort. It teaches that true happiness lies in being free and living close to nature rather than being confined with material possessions. - How does the bird respond to the child’s offers and why?
The bird gently refuses all the child’s tempting offers, including a velvet bed, golden cup, and ivory seat. Instead, it prefers the simple pleasures of nature—like sleeping in the ivy wall, drinking running water, and flying freely. The bird values independence and the natural world more than human-made luxury. - Describe the tone of the poem and what it reflects about the child and the bird.
The tone of the poem is gentle, innocent, and philosophical. The child shows love and a desire to care, while the bird reflects wisdom and contentment. The contrast between their perspectives reveals that while children may associate love with possessions, true happiness and freedom cannot be bought or confined. - Why is the bird’s lifestyle better suited to its needs than the one offered by the child?
The bird’s lifestyle in nature allows it to fly freely, sleep safely, and enjoy its surroundings. The artificial comforts offered by the child might seem luxurious but would restrict the bird’s natural instincts. The poem shows that living in one’s natural environment is best for well-being and happiness.
Additional Questions and Answers – 02
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- What does the child offer the bird to tempt it to be her pet in the first stanza?
a) A golden cage and a silver dish
b) Silken quilts, a velvet bed, and a satin pillow
c) A rocking twig and soft paths
d) An ivy wall and a forest view
Answer: b) Silken quilts, a velvet bed, and a satin pillow - Why does the bird prefer the ivy wall in the first stanza?
a) It is made of silver and gold
b) It protects from rain and allows singing
c) It is softer than a velvet bed
d) It is closer to the child’s house
Answer: b) It protects from rain and allows singing - What does the child offer the bird in the second stanza?
a) A silken quilt and a golden cup
b) A silver dish, a golden cup, an ivory seat, and soft carpets
c) A rocking twig and an ivy wall
d) A satin pillow and a velvet bed
Answer: b) A silver dish, a golden cup, an ivory seat, and soft carpets - How does the bird describe the “finest chair” in the second stanza?
a) A velvet bed
b) A rocking twig
c) An ivory seat
d) A silver dish
Answer: b) A rocking twig - What does the bird imply about the silver dish and golden cup?
a) They are more comfortable than the forest
b) They cannot replace the natural forest
c) They are too heavy for the bird to use
d) They are as good as a rocking twig
Answer: b) They cannot replace the natural forest - What is the bird’s final response to the child’s offers?
a) It agrees to be the child’s pet
b) It says goodbye and chooses freedom
c) It asks for more luxurious items
d) It stays in the ivy wall silently
Answer: b) It says goodbye and chooses freedom - What does the bird value most, according to the poem?
a) Luxury and comfort
b) Freedom and nature
c) Silver and gold items
d) The child’s companionship
Answer: b) Freedom and nature - What does the phrase “softest paths lie through the air” suggest?
a) The bird prefers flying over walking on carpets
b) The air is filled with soft feathers
c) The child’s house has soft pathways
d) The bird enjoys the comfort of the child’s home
Answer: a) The bird prefers flying over walking on carpets
Short Questions and Answers
- What does the child offer the bird in the first stanza?
Answer: Silken quilts, a velvet bed, and a satin pillow. - Where does the bird prefer to sleep, according to the first stanza?
Answer: In the ivy wall. - What does the bird say about the rain in the ivy wall?
Answer: No rain comes through, though it hears it fall. - What does the child offer the bird in the second stanza?
Answer: A silver dish, a golden cup, an ivory seat, and soft carpets. - What does the bird say about drinking from a golden cup?
Answer: It asks if running water can be drunk from gold. - What does the bird consider the “finest chair”?
Answer: A rocking twig. - How does the bird bid farewell to the child?
Answer: It says, “Good-bye, good-bye to my lady fair!” - What does the bird see at dawn, according to the first stanza?
Answer: The sun peeping gay. - What does the bird mean by “the softest paths lie through the air”?
Answer: Flying through the air is the softest and most natural path. - Why does the bird reject the child’s offers?
Answer: It prefers the freedom and simplicity of nature over luxury.
Competency-Based Questions (Reasoning and Assertion)
- Assertion (A): The bird values freedom over luxury.
Reason (R): The bird prefers the ivy wall and a rocking twig over the child’s offers of a silver dish and golden cup.
Answer: Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The bird’s preference for natural elements like the ivy wall and a rocking twig, and its rhetorical questions about gold and silver, show it values the freedom of nature over the luxurious items offered by the child. - Assertion (A): The child tries to tempt the bird with luxurious items.
Reason (R): The child offers silken quilts, a velvet bed, a silver dish, and a golden cup to make the bird her pet.
Answer: Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The child repeatedly offers lavish items like silken quilts, a velvet bed, a silver dish, and a golden cup to persuade the bird, indicating her strategy to tempt it with luxury. - Assertion (A): The bird rejects the child’s offers because it loves nature.
Reason (R): The bird describes the forest, ivy wall, and air as better than the child’s luxurious items.
Answer: Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The bird’s descriptions of the ivy wall, rocking twig, and paths through the air emphasize its preference for nature’s simplicity and freedom over the child’s luxurious but confining offers. - Assertion (A): The child does not understand the bird’s desire for freedom.
Reason (R): The child continues to offer more luxurious items despite the bird’s preference for nature.
Answer: Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: The child’s persistent offers of lavish items like a golden cup and ivory seat, even after the bird expresses its love for nature, suggest she fails to grasp the bird’s desire for freedom over material comfort.
Long Questions and Answers (50-60 words)
- How does the child attempt to persuade the bird to become her pet, and why does she fail?
Answer: The child offers luxurious items like silken quilts, a velvet bed, a silver dish, a golden cup, and an ivory seat to tempt the bird. She fails because the bird values freedom and nature, preferring the ivy wall and rocking twig, which represent its natural habitat, over the confining luxury of the child’s home. - What does the bird’s response reveal about its values and preferences?
Answer: The bird’s response highlights its love for freedom and nature. It prefers sleeping in the ivy wall, sitting on a rocking twig, and flying through the air over the child’s luxurious offers. By questioning the value of gold and silver, the bird emphasizes that nature’s simplicity provides greater joy than material comforts. - How does the poem contrast the perspectives of the child and the bird?
Answer: The poem contrasts the child’s materialistic view, offering luxury like silken quilts and a golden cup, with the bird’s preference for natural freedom, such as the ivy wall and rocking twig. The child sees comfort in possessions, while the bird values the forest’s simplicity and the ability to sing and fly freely. - Why does the bird ultimately say “Good-bye” to the child?
Answer: The bird says “Good-bye” because it prioritizes freedom over the child’s luxurious offers. It rejects the silver dish, golden cup, and ivory seat, valuing the natural forest, ivy wall, and air. The bird’s final farewell underscores its choice to remain free in its natural habitat rather than be confined as a pet.