CBSE Class 10 English Assignment - The Frog and The Nightangle (1). Students are advised to refer to the attached assignments and practice them regularly. This will help them to identify their weak areas and will help them to score better in examination. Parents should download and give the assignments to their children for practice.

POETRY

THE FROG AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Once upon a time a frog croaked in Bingle Bog every night on a sumac tree.

The animals and birds of the bog hated his hoarse and unpleasant noise.

One night a nightingale came and perched on that sumac tree.

Her melodious voice attracted all the creatures of the bog. They came

in flocks to hear her.

The Frog was dumbfounded. He hopped to the nightingale next night.

He introduced himself as the owner of that sumac tee and famous critic of

art and music.

He boasted that he had long been famous in the bog for his loud and

manly voice.

The nightingale was highly impressed and asked how he liked her song.

The frog replied that it was not very bad. The technique was “fine but it

lacked force and strength.

The frog adopted a patronizing attitude. He told her that she couldn’t become

a winner without getting his expert guidance and training.

The nightingale felt highly flattered and obliged. She called him Mozart in

Disguise.”

He exploited the magical voice of the nightingale to his advantage.

Soon all the animals and birds came to hear her song every night.

The frog imposed entry-tickets and collected a lot of money at the ticketwindow.

The heartless and greedy frog forced her to sing even in rain and cold.

The cruel frog was relentless. He himself started singing with her.

The nightingale was totally tired and exhausted and couldn’t sing anymore.

Her voice became hoarse and she lost the old magical touch.

The animals and birds didn’t find it anymore inspiring and interesting. They

stopped coming to listen to her song.

The income at the ticket-window crashed.

The frog became very angry. He advised her to puff up her lungs and sing

passionately.

The nightingale tried to sing but one of her veins got burst and she died.

The frog remained unrepentant and showed no sympathy even at her death.

She should have known that “your” song must be “Your own”.

The frog once more sang at night in the frog unrivalled.

Literary Devices in the Poem

(I) Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme of the poem is: aa bb cc dd………

(II) Allusion

The example of allusion is: ‘And you’re Mozart in disguise’.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

(To be answered in not more than 30-40 words each)

1. Why did the nightingale agree to accept the frog as a music critic?

Ans. The nightingale came again the next night and got ready to sing her song.

Just then she heard the croaking of the frog. He took pride in saying that he

was known from his splendid male voice in the bog. He even composed

songs for the musical group, called “Bog Trumpet”. This impressed the

nightingale very much.

2. How did the frog appear to the nightingale like a Mozart in disguise?

Ans. The nightingale admitted that there was nothing divine in her song. But she

felt proud of her song. It was sweet and pleasant. But the frog was a crafty

fellow. He planned to eliminate his rival in the bog. So he pointed out that

there was not much to boast about the song. She was a beginner in the art of

singing and needed proper training. He assured her to take upon himself the

task of imparting training to her. The frog appeared to her like a Mozart in

disguise.

3. Describe in your own words in the role of the audience. How did it

affect the fate of the nightingale?

Ans. The nightingale had been singing continuously the previous night. She was

completely exhausted. She was feeling tired. Her enthusiasm had gone.

There was a gathering of distinguished creatures. They were all eager to

listen to the sweet song of the nightingale. They hoped to be delighted by the

melody of her song. But a surprising discovery came to light. Her song had

turned monotonous and uninspiring. The attendance at the concert fell

sharply. This was very discouraging to the nightingale. It affected her fate.

4. What made the nightingale sad and sorrowful?

Ans. Excessive singing made the nightingale pale and sorrowful. The creatures in

the bog lost interest in her song because it had become dull and boring. It

had lost its previous freshness. The income at the ticket-office fell sharply.

Finding her-self singing all alone the nightingale felt no delight in singing.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS (4 Marks)

(To be answered in not more than 100 words each)

1. Describe in your own words the contest between the frog and the

nightingale with reference to the following lines:

“In this bog I’ve long been known

For my splendid baritone

And, of course, I wield my pen

For Bog trumpet now and then.”

Ans. The poem the frog and the Nightingale brings about the foolishness of

following anybody blindly. It describes a contest between the frog and the

nightingale. Both claim to be the best singers. It is true that nightingale sings

in a melodious voice. But the bird is credulous and simple-minded. The frog,

on the other hand, is a bad singer. His voice is hoarse. He is very cunning and

clever. But he feels proud of his singing. He claims that he is the best singer.

He arranges concerts and charges an admission fee and earns a lot of money.

The frog feels jealous of the popularity of the nightingale. He thinks that his

singing expresses his hearts elation and his style is unique. He can win

favour of many of his listeners. He claims to be a music critic. He takes the

nightingale into confidence and makes an evil plan to get rid of her. He

makes the nightingale sing excessively and this brings her doom. The result

is that the nightingale has to suffer at the hands of the frog, she loses the

beauty and sweetness of her voice. Ultimately she dies after she has burst

one of her veins. Thus the frog turns out to be Hippocratic, clever and

cunning.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

(Reference to Context)

On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the sentences given

below by choosing the appropriate option. (3 Marks)

Once upon a time a frog

Croaked away in Bingle Bog

Every night from dusk to sawn

He croaked awn and awn and awn.

Other creatures loathed his voice.

But, alas, they had no choice,

And the crass cacophony

Blared out from the sumac tree

At whose foot the frog each night

Minstrelled on till morning light.

(i) ‘Bingle Bog’ refers to

(a) An imaginary place.

(b) An imaginary muddy place.

(c) A city

(d) A dry place

(ii) The repetition of the word ‘awn’ helps convey

(a) The endless quality of the frog’s song.

(b) The jarring effect of the frog’s song.

(c) The sweetness of the frog.

(d) None of the above.

(e)

(iii) Other creatures hated the frog’s voice because it was

(a) Monotonous

(b) Dull

(c) Loud and unpleasant.

(d) In monotone.

Answer: (i) (b) (ii) (b) (iii) (c)

(2)

Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks.

Insults or complaints or bricks

Stilled the frog’s determination

To display his heart’s elation

But one night a nightingale

In the moonlight cold and pale

Perched upon the sumac tree

Casting forth her melody.

(i) All efforts to quieten the frog failed because of the frog’s

(a) Stubbornness

(b) Humility

(c) Deafness

(d) Indifference

(ii) The frog continued to sing as he wanted to

(a) Trouble others

(b) Harass others

(c) Enjoy

(d) Take full pleasure out of his singing.

(iii) The rhyme scheme used here is

(a) abab.

(b) abcd.

(c) abba

(d) aa,bb,cc……

Answers: (i) (a) (ii) (d) (iii) (d)

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (3 Marks)

Read the following extracts and answer and answer the questions:

(1)

Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog.

And the whole admiring bog

Stared towards the sumac, rapt,

And when she had ended, clapped,

Ducks had swum and herons waded

To her as he serenaded,

And a solitary loon

Wept, beneath the summer moon.

(i) How did the frog feel when the nightingale sang?

(ii) How was the nightingale’s song heard?

(iii) What does the word ‘serenaded’ mean?

Answers

(i) The frog was dumbfounded when the nightingale sang.

(ii) All creatures heard the nightingale’s song with interest.

(iii) The word ‘serenaded’ means ‘sang sweetly’.

(2)

Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured

By her voice cheered on, enraptured:

“Bravo!” “too divine!” “encore!”

So the nightingale once more,

Quite unused to such applause,

Sang till dawn without a pause.

(i) Who praised the nightingale’s song?

(ii) How did the nightingale react when all applauded her?

(iii) What does the word ‘encore’ mean?

Answers

(i) The nightingale’s song was liked by toads and teals.

(ii) The nightingale felt excited at the applause.

(iii) The word ‘encore’ means ‘sing some more’.

(3)

“Dearest frog”, the nightingale

Breathed: “this is a fairy tale

And you’re Mozart in disguise

Come to earth before my eyes”.

“Well, I charge a modest fee.”

“Oh!” “But it won’t hurt, you’ll see”.

Now the nightingale inspired.

Flushed with confidence and fired

With both art and adoration.

Sang-and was a huge sensation.

(i) How does the nightingale feel on hearing comments from the frog’?

(ii) What impression do you make of the frog?

(iii) ‘And you’re Mozart in disguise’. What literary device is used here?

Answers

(i) The nightingale seems to feel impressed by the comments from the frog.

(ii) The frog appears to be cunning and greedy.

(iii) The literary device used here is metaphor.

(4)

“You must practice even longer

Till your voice, like mine, grown stronger.

In the second song last night.

You got nervous in mid-flight.

And, my dear, lay on more trills

Audiences enjoy such frills.

Yu must make you public happier

Give them something sharper, snapper.

We must aim for better billings.

You still owe me sixty shillings.”

(i) In which mood did the frog speak to the nightingale?

(ii) What was noticed in the song of the nightingale?

(iii) What do the lines tell about the frog?

Answer

(i) The frog spoke to the nightingale in an angry mood.

(ii) The nightingale seemed to have lost confidence in her song.

(iii) These lines tell that the frog is deeply concerned about money.

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