English Chapter-07: The Frog and the Nightingale

5. The following is a summary of the poem but it is jumbled up. Write out the events in their correct order to form a continuous paragraph.

(a) As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.
(b) Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.
(c) All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.
(d) He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.
(e) So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.
(f) The next night the frog introduced himself.
(g) The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a lot of money from these concerts.
(h) A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.
(i) But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.
(j) One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice.
(k) Finally the nightingale burst a vein and died.

Correct Order

(h) A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.
(j) One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice.
(c) All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.
(f) The next night the frog introduced himself.
(d) He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.
(b) Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.
(g) The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a lot of money from these concerts.
(i) But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.
(a) As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.
(k) Finally the nightingale burst a vein and died.
(e) So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.

8. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the sentences given below by choosing the appropriate option.

1. The frog's aim was to
(a) make the nightingale a sensation
(b) make the nightingale as good a singer as him
(c) maintain his supremacy in the bog
(d) make a lot of money

Answer: (c) maintain his supremacy in the bog

2. The animals reacted to the nightingale's song with
(a) hatred
(b) admiration
(c) indifference
(d) suggestions for improvement

Answer: (b) admiration

3. The nightingale accepted the frog's tutelage as she
(a) was not confident of herself
(b) wanted to become as good a singer as the frog
(c) wanted to become a professional singer
(d) was not a resident of Bingle Bog

Answer: (c) wanted to become a professional singer

9. Read the stanza given below and complete the sentences by choosing the appropriate option.

Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose -
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

(i) The nightingale was sorrowful and pale because
1. she had been practicing in the rain
2. she had been performing all night
3. she was losing confidence in herself
4. she was falling ill

Answer: 2. she had been performing all night

(ii) The audience was tired of her song because
1. they had heard it many times
2. it had become mechanical
3. she looked tired
4. she had added trill to her song

Answer: 2. it had become mechanical

(iii) She no longer enjoyed singing alone as
1. she wanted to sing only for titled crowd
2. she was now used to the appreciation she got
3. the frog was no longer with her
4. she had become proud of herself

Answer: 2. she was now used to the appreciation she got

10. Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) How did the creatures of Bingle bog react to the nightingale's singing?

The creatures of Bingle Bog favoured the nightingale’s songs to a great extent. In fact, they gathered in crowds to hear the nightingale sing. Animals and birds, from far and wide, came to hear her sing her melodious songs.

(b) Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?

The frog asserts his importance by being authoritative, territorial and imposing. He pretended to be a great singer and he also said that he was the reporter of Bog ‘Trumpet’. He boasted that he was a music critic and a musician like Mozart and was ready to train her.

(c) Why is the frog's joy both sweet and bitter?

The joy of the frog was sweet as the nightingale could gather so many people to attend her concert. The more the audience, the more would be the earning, which the nightingale was bound to pay to the frog as tuition fees. Moreover, he was happy that he succeeds in torturing the bird and pushing her towards death. However, it was bitter as he knew deep within his heart that the nightingale's talent surpassed his own and thus, nobody as great as the present audience had ever come to hear him from far and wide. It was pure jealousy.

(d) Why was the frog angry?

The frog was angry because the nightingale had ceased to sing melodiously. Her song was so dull that no one liked it. This had suddenly crashed the income of frog.

(e) How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?

The frog became the unrivaled king of Bingle Bog, after the death of the nightingale. Now no bird or animal would compete with the frog in singing. Secondly, all of them over there were greatly scared of him.

11. Discuss the following questions and write the answers in your note-books.

(a) Bring out the irony in the frog's statement - 'Your song must be your own'.

Irony is a literary device which means the expression of one's meaning by saying something which is the direct opposite of one's thoughts. Earlier the frog tells the nightingale that she should not boast about on her original songs but later on he finds fault in the nightingale by saying: "Your song must be your own." So there is an instance of irony in this statement.

(b) Do you think the end is justified?

The end faced by the innocent nightingale is pitiful yet justified. It portrays the truth where evil people have an upper-hand over the innocent ones. Thus, it is natural that the ‘innocence’ of the nightingale is killed by the ‘cruel and crafty designs’ of evil symbolised by the frog.

(c) Do you think the nightingale is 'brainless'? Give reasons for your answer.

No, I don't think the nightingale is brainless. Being simple, innocent, shy or dismissive doest not mean foolish. It is only being noble. She wanted to be a successful and accoladed singer. So, she accepted the frog's advice of giving her vocal training. Her only fault was that she lacked confidence.

(d) Inspite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller, the nightingale turns out to be a loser and dies. How far is she responsible for her own downfall?

The nightingale is, herself, responsible for her own downfall. She doesn't use her capability to judge and evaluate sweet-tongued people. That why she is killed by the evil designs of the frog who ploys her to her death.

(e) Do you agree with the Frog's inference of the Nightingale's character? Give reasons for your answer.

Yes, I agree with the frog’s notion of the Nightingale’s character. Being flattered and submissive and timid, she invited her own death upon herself. She should have been able to see through the frog’s plots and reverted accordingly. However, her innocence didn't allow her to evaluate the frog’s tricks.