The Frog and the Nightingale

Exercise:3 Answer the following questions briefly.

a. How did the creatures of Bingle bog react to the frog's singing?    

 Answer: The creatures of Bingle Bog hated the loud and unpleasant voice of the frog. They threw sticks and stones at him and insult him but the frog was insensitive and he continued   singing.

b. How did the creatures of Bingle bog react to the nightingale's singing?

  Answer: The creatures of the Bingle Bog were captivated by the melodious voice of the nightingale. They flocked close to the tree to hear her sing. They praised and applauded her and asked her to sing again and again. A water bird was so deeply affected that it wept.

   

c. Which are the different ways in which the frog asserts his importance?

Answer: The frog asserts his importance by being boastful, territorial and authoritative. He tells the

 nightingale that he is the owner of the Sumac tree on which she is singing, pretends to be a great singer and says that he is a reporter of Bog Trumpet. He also claims that she could be  a winner in the field of music if he trains her.

d. Why is the frog's joy both sweet and bitter?

Answer: Frog's joy was sweet because he was earning money by selling tickets to hear the     nightingale sing. His joy was bitter because the nightingale had become famous and  popular and he was jealous of her.

e. Why was the frog angry?

Answer: Due to continuouly practising and singing in bad weather and without any rest, the   nightingale’s songs became very dull, listless and boring . The crowds dwindled and the Frog's earnings decreased. This made him angry.

f. How did the frog become the unrivalled king of the bog again?

Answer: The frog was jealous of the nightingale's success. He cunningly plotted her downfall. He constantly humiliated and insulted the nightingale. He exploited her by making her practice         continuously without any rest. At last in an effort to follow the frog's advice burst a vein and                died, Thus, the frog once again became the unrivalled king of the bog.              

Q1. Inspite of having a melodious voice and being a crowd puller the nightingale turns out to be a             loser and dies. Is she responsible for her own downfall?

Ans: The nightingale  is responsible for her downfall. She has an enchanting voice and she enthralls the creatures of the Bingle Bog with her singing. But she is inexperienced, lacks confidence in herself and is gullible. Being a  poor judge of character, she believes and  trusts a complete stranger without  verifying  his claims. The frog is cunning and manipulative. He cleverly plots her downfall. The nightingale is flattered when  the frog offers to train her. In her ambition to gain success, she allows herself to  be exploited by the frog. She blindly follows his instructions and ultimately dies.

                                                                      OR

 The nightingale was not responsible for her own downfall. She was an innocent and inexperienced bird. The frog was too clever, cunning and manipulative for her. She was unable to judge him. Being simple and straightforward, she believed him. Infact she was flattered that a musician of such repute was paying attention to her music. Being a novice she was easily exploited by the frog which ultimately led to her death.

     

   Q2. ."Now the nightingale, inspired flushed with confidence, and fired with both art and adoration  sang"

           (a) Explain 'art and adoration' (b) What was the outcome of her singing?

 Ans.  (a) The nightingale was elated because the frog, who she thought was a music critic, had                 appreciated her singing. She was also felt confident and very thrilled because she enjoyed                  the adulation of the public when she sang.

         (b) She became a huge success. Creatures from all over came to listen to her singing. The                   frog collected money by selling tickets to her concerts.

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 Q3. And the foghorn of the frog blared unrivalled through the bog.

       (a). Explain 'foghorn'     (b). Why was he 'unrivalled' now?

Ans.(a) Foghorn is a loud unpleasant noise which warns ships against dangers in the frog. The        unpleasant and harsh voice of the frog is compared to the foghorn.

 (b) The creatures of the Bingle Bog hated the unpleasant voice of the frog. They complained        against him and insulted him. He felt jealous of the nightingale's popularity. He planned and plotted against her. He earned money from her concerts, and finally he managed to  eliminate her. After  the nightingale died, he once becomes the king of the bog.

 

 Q4.   Do you think the nightingale is 'brainless'? Give reasons for your answer.

 Ans. No, I don't think the nightingale is brainless. She was simple, innocent, shy and                   inexperienced. Unable to recognize the true character of the frog, she was easily  befooled by the cunning and shrewd frog. Her only fault was that she lacked confidence in her own talent and blindly followed the frog’s advice in her ambition to  become successful.

Q5.  Bring out the irony in the frog's statement - 'Your song must be your own'.

            

Ans.  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 her songs being original but later on he contradicts himself. He finds fault in the nightingale by saying: "Your song must be your own,” which is ironical.