Maharashtra Board Class 6 English Unit 3 Chapter 3.5 The Donkey Solutions

Std 6 English Lesson 3.5 The Donkey Question Answer Maharashtra Board

Class 6 English Chapter 3.5 The Donkey Textbook Questions and Answers

 

Question 1. Rewrite the poem in the form of a prose passage.
Answer: The one-day-old foal tries to explore his surroundings but his shaky legs and large head render his steps rather clumsy than normal. He tries to frolic and leap but doesn't quite know how to do it. His head, just like human babies, is too heavy for his weak neck to firmly hold it. He adorned with a rather strange coat in the guise of soft, grey fur in a lovely way around his neck.
His face looked serious, almost as if he was thinking of something that life longed for. He unsteadily moved around, as if on a daring, adventurous quest. Just when he lay down to relax, the poet realized how puny he was and hoped that the world treated the frail foal with care.
In simple words: The poem describes a clumsy, one-day-old foal struggling with its wobbly legs and heavy head while exploring. The poet observes its serious expression and hopes the world will treat this delicate creature with care.

🎯 Exam Tip: When rewriting a poem as prose, ensure to maintain the original meaning and sequence of events, converting poetic language into clear, continuous sentences.

 

Question 2. List the pairs of rhyming words in the poem.
Answer: The pairs of rhyming words in the poem are:
old - hold; loose - use; bit - it, grey - way; doubt - about; quest - rest; slim - him; round - ground
In simple words: The rhyming words in the poem are those pairs that have similar sounds at the end of their lines, like "hold" and "old" or "way" and "grey".

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying rhyming pairs helps in understanding a poem's structure and musicality. Practice this skill to improve your appreciation of poetry.

 

Question 3. What does the poet pray for? Why?
Answer: The poet realizes that the one-day-old donkey is very frail and certainly can't take care of himself. He prays that the world treats the little foal with care.
In simple words: The poet prays for gentle treatment of the vulnerable, newborn donkey because it is too fragile to protect itself.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on identifying the central theme or message conveyed by the poet, especially concerning emotions or desires expressed in the poem.

 

Question 4. Have you seen a newborn of an animal?
Answer: Yes, I have seen the newborn of a dog. The newborns, that is the puppies cling onto their mother for their dear life. They are very puny and their mother is very protective of them. All the puppies nestle close to their mother at the time of drinking milk.
In simple words: Yes, I have seen newborn puppies, which are small and helpless, always staying close to their protective mother for milk and safety.

🎯 Exam Tip: Personal response questions require you to share your own experiences or observations, using descriptive language to illustrate your point.

 

Question 5. Talk to your parents and family members and write what you could do when:
(1) you were a day old
(2) you were one month old
(3) you were six months old
(4) you were one year old.
Answer: (This question requires interaction with family members and cannot be fully answered here as it's a personal activity.)
(1) When I was a day old, I could only sleep, cry, and feed, completely dependent on my parents for everything.
(2) At one month old, I could probably lift my head slightly, make some cooing sounds, and react to voices, still needing constant care.
(3) By six months old, I could sit with support, start solid foods, babble, and grasp objects, showing more interaction with my surroundings.
(4) When I was one year old, I might have been taking my first steps, saying a few words, and playing simple games, becoming more independent.
In simple words: This question asks students to consider their developmental stages from birth to one year, focusing on what activities and levels of independence they achieved at each age, based on discussions with their family.

🎯 Exam Tip: For open-ended questions like this, articulate specific developmental milestones or activities that are typical for each age, demonstrating understanding of early childhood growth.

 

Question 6. Form groups and hold debutes on the following topics. Make bulleted lists of points in favour (pros) and those against (cons) the given statement. Let the whole class vote on who won the debate.
a. Man should use animals for his own needs.
b. Contact with 'flan has helped animals to survive.
Answer:
PROS:
1. Animal testing has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments.
2. There is no other alternative method to testing on a whole body system.
3. Animals are appropriate research subjects because they are similar to human beings in many ways.
4. Animal research is highly regulated with laws in place to protect animals from mistreatment.
5. Animals often make better research subjects than human beings because of their shorter life spans.
CONS:
1. Animals testing is cruel and inhumane.
2. Alternative methods are now existing that can replace the need for animals.
3. Animals are very different from human beings and therefore make poor test subjects.
4. 95% of the animals used in the research are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act.
5. Animal tests do not reliably predict results in humans beings.
In simple words: This activity involves debating the use of animals for human needs, presenting arguments for (PROS) like medical advancements, and against (CONS) such as ethical concerns and the availability of alternatives.

🎯 Exam Tip: When preparing for a debate, gather strong arguments for both sides, using clear, concise points to support your stance and effectively counter opposing views.

 

Question 7. Find what the young ones of the following animals are called.
(1) donkey
(2) horse
(3) Lion
(4) tiger
(5) elephant -
(6) sheep
(7) lamb
(8) cow
(9) pig
(10) whale
(11) owl
(12) swan
(13) eagle
(14) duck
(15) peacock
Answer:

Animal	Young One
donkey	foal
horse	foal
lion	cub
tiger	cub
elephant	calf
sheep	lamb
cow	calf
pig	piglet
whale	calf
owl	owlet
swan	cygnet
eagle	eaglet
duck	duckling
peacock	peachick
kangaroo	joey
deer	fawn
frog	tadpole
butterfly	caterpillar
goose	gosling
goat	kid

In simple words: This task requires students to recall or research the specific names given to the young offspring of various common animals.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorizing the names of animal young is a common general knowledge task. Practice using flashcards or quizzes to strengthen your recall.

 

Question 8. Complete the following using your own ideas.
(a) His head was too big to ............... .
Answer: His head is too big to hold his neck.
(b) He was too shy to ............... .
Answer: He was too shy to sing for the class.
(c) She was too proud to ............... .
Answer: She was too proud to apologise.
(d) They were too tired to ............... .
Answer: They were too tired to explore any further.
(e) We are too busy to ............... .
Answer: We are too busy to go on a vacation.
(f) He was too lazy to ............... .
Answer: He was too lazy to open the door.
In simple words: This exercise tests creativity and understanding of sentence structure by asking students to complete sentences with logical and imaginative endings.

🎯 Exam Tip: For completion exercises, ensure your added phrases logically and grammatically fit the existing sentence, creating a coherent thought.

 

Question 9. Write a conversation between: (One is done for you. Write dialogues for the other two.)
(a) A donkey and a dog
Answer: (This is an activity for students to perform. Example dialogue not provided in source.)
(b) A donkey and a horse
Answer:

• Horse: How are you, Mr. Donkey?
• Donkey: Not so good. No time for enjoyment. How are you?
• Horse: I am good. I have got a good master. He takes good care of me.
• Donkey: My master is good too but he is poor. I am made to work from dawn to dusk.
• Horse: That is sad, dear. I hope things get better for you.
• Donkey: I don't know about that. You know we are known as the 'beasts of burden'. We only carry loads of luggage on our back.
• Horse: I know. We are lucky. We have to carry our masters on our back. Our masters are very proud of us.
• Donkey: You are lucky. People sit on you with pride. The same cannot be said about us. No one likes to sit on donkeys.
• Horse: That is very sad. I know that people look down upon donkeys. They do not like to sit on donkeys because they feel it below their dignity.
• Donkey: People feel that donkeys are there only to carry burden. They feel that donkeys are foolish. I have heard people and it is so disheartening to hear this statement.
• Horse: I hope things get better for you and people understand your worth.
• Donkey: May your words come true and we too get the same respect as you get.
• Horse: Yes, that will happen. Times are changing. People are becoming aware that animals too need their space and should be treated well. Bye for now, see you sometime soon, with a smile on your face.
• Donkey: Yes, I too hope things would change for us. At least our children will then have a better life. See you dear horse!!!

(c) A donkey and a schoolboy
Answer: (This is an activity for students to perform. Example dialogue not provided in source.)
In simple words: This question requires students to imagine and write dialogues between different pairs of animals or an animal and a human, focusing on expressing their thoughts and feelings in a conversational format.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing dialogues, ensure realistic speech patterns, clear character voices, and a logical flow of conversation to effectively convey the interaction.

 

Question 10. If you saw someone ill-treating an animal, what would you do? Write about it in 5 lines.
Answer: If I were to see someone ill-treating an animal, the first thing I would do is calmly but firmly suggest the person to stop his misbehavior act. I will explain to him that these vulnerable animals can't speak for themselves. I will tell him that it is our duty to protect them and not harm them. If he continues the ill-treatment, I would call the Animal Protection Services.
In simple words: If I witnessed animal cruelty, I would first politely ask the person to stop, explaining the animal's vulnerability, and if the abuse continued, I would report it to animal protection authorities.

🎯 Exam Tip: For ethical response questions, provide a multi-step solution that demonstrates both immediate action and awareness of proper channels for intervention, highlighting empathy and responsibility.

 

Question 11. Visit a library, find poems about animals. Copy them and recite them to your friends. (To be done by the students)
Answer: (This is a project-based activity for students and does not have a textual answer to provide.)
In simple words: This is a hands-on activity where students are encouraged to explore literature, specifically animal poems, by finding them in a library, copying them, and then reciting them to their peers.

🎯 Exam Tip: Project-based questions often assess research skills, presentation abilities, and the capacity to engage with and interpret literary works creatively.

Class 6 English Chapter 3.5 The Donkey Additional Important Questions and Answers

Reading Skills And Poetic Device.

 

Question 1. I saw a donkey which was year old.
Answer: False
In simple words: The statement is false, as the poem refers to a one-day-old foal, not a year-old donkey.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to details mentioned in the text (like age or characteristics) to correctly answer true/false or factual recall questions.

 

Question 2. He tried to gambol and frisk but could not do it confidently.
Answer: True
In simple words: The statement is true because the foal, being only one day old, was clumsy and unsure how to frolic confidently.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering true/false questions, always verify the statement against the text to ensure accuracy, noting any key descriptive words.

Answer The Following.

 

Question 1. How were the legs of the foal?
Answer: The legs of the foals were shaky, long and loose.
In simple words: The foal's legs were described as shaky, long, and loose, contributing to its clumsy movements.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to describe, extract specific adjectives and details directly from the text to provide a complete and accurate answer.

 

Question 2. Describe the coat of the foal.
Answer: The foal had a queer, little coat, which was soft and grey and it curled at his neck making I look lovely.
In simple words: The foal had a peculiar, small, soft, and grey coat that curled around its neck, giving it a lovely appearance.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on adjectives and descriptive phrases from the poem when detailing physical characteristics to ensure a thorough response.

Poetic Device.

 

Question 1. Give the rhyme scheme of the first four lines.
Answer: abac
In simple words: The rhyme scheme 'abac' means the first and third lines rhyme, while the second and fourth lines do not rhyme with each other or the first and third.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify a rhyme scheme, assign letters to the rhyming end-words of each line, starting with 'a' for the first unique sound.

 

Question 2. Pick out a pair of rhyming words from the second stanza.
Answer: bit - it, grey - way
In simple words: From the second stanza, rhyming pairs include 'bit' and 'it', and 'grey' and 'way', which share similar ending sounds.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying rhyming words, ensure they are from the specified stanza and have identical or very similar sounds at their conclusion.

 

Question 3. I saw a donkey one day old. (Name the figure of speech)
Answer: The figure of speech is Alliteration. The sound of 'd' has been repeated for better poetic effect.
In simple words: The figure of speech is Alliteration, where the repeating 'd' sound in "donkey one day old" creates a musical effect.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration is identified by the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words close to each other, enhancing rhythm and mood in poetry.

Personal Response.

 

Question 1. Which animal/bird do you like? Why?
Answer: I like the peacock a lot. It is so beautiful to look at. It has wonderful colours on its body and when it spread out its plumage, it creates an awesome sight. The peacock is a royal bird and also our National Bird. These are the reasons why I love the peacock very much
In simple words: I admire peacocks for their stunning beauty, vibrant colors, majestic plumage display, and their status as India's national bird.

🎯 Exam Tip: For personal preference questions, clearly state your choice and provide 2-3 specific, descriptive reasons that explain your liking.

Language Study.

 

Question 1. Project Work
Answer: Visit a library, find poems about animals. Copy them and recite them to your friends. (To be done by the students)
In simple words: This project involves students visiting a library to find and copy animal-themed poems, then reciting them to friends.

🎯 Exam Tip: Project-based learning encourages independent research and communication skills. Focus on presenting your findings clearly and engagingly.

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह ग्रिड अक्षरों को पंक्तियों और स्तंभों में व्यवस्थित करके दिखाता है। इसके दाईं ओर, शब्दों की एक सूची (जैसे क्वीर, कर्ल्ड, फ्रिस्क, शेकी, स्लिम, डंकी, क्वेस्ट, गैंबोल, स्टैगर्ड, रॉकेटेड, नेक, डाउट, वर्ल्ड, ट्रिक, बिट, रेस्ट) दी गई है, और छात्रों का कार्य इन शब्दों को अक्षर ग्रिड के भीतर खोजना है।

 

Question 2. From the following grid, find the words gievn below.
Answer:

W	C	D	C	S	H	A	K	Y
Q	U	E	S	T	Y	W	I	S
U	V	L	G	A	M	B	O	L
E	Q	R	U	G	E	G	T	I
E	D	U	X	G	Y	N	Z	M
R	O	C	K	E	T	E	D	R
A	N	S	T	R	I	C	K	E
T	K	L	I	E	A	K	C	S
I	E	I	B	D	O	U	B	T
B	Y	M	F	W	O	R	L	D

Words to find:
queer, curled, frisk, shaky, slim, donkey, quest, gambol, staggered, rocketed, neck, doubt, world, trick, bit, rest.
In simple words: This question requires students to visually scan the provided letter grid to locate and identify the given list of words embedded within it, similar to a word search puzzle.

🎯 Exam Tip: For word search grids, develop a systematic scanning approach (e.g., row by row, then column by column, then diagonals) to efficiently find all target words.

The Donkey Summary In English

The one-day old foal tries to explore his surroundings, but his shaky legs and large head render his steps rather clumsy rather than normal. He tries to frolic and leap but doesn't quite know how to do it. His head, just like human babies, is too heavy for his weak neck to firmly hold it. He adorned with a rather strange coat in the guise of soft, grey fur in a lovely way around his neck. His face looked serious, almost as if he was thinking of something that life longed for. He unsteadily moved around, as if on a daring, adventurous quest. Just when he lay down to relax, the poet realized how puny he was and hoped that the world treated the frail foal with care.

Introduction:

The poem 'The Donkey' describes the behaviour of a newborn donkey for whom life is a new experience as he is taking the first steps of his life. He clumsily tries to walk around, his huge head and shaky loose legs making it all the more difficult for him to do so. The poem ends with the poet hoping that the world around the foal (baby donkey) would treat him with care.

Glossary:

(1) rocketed (v) - moved suddenly
(2) staggered (v) - tottered, moved unsteadily
(3) gambol (v) - to leap, move playfully
(4) wistful (adj) - full of hope, longing for something
(5) venturesome (adj) - daring, adventurous
(6) quest (n) - search, to look for something
(7) frisk (v) - gambol, skip, dance
(8) queer (adj) - weird, odd
(9) slim (adj) - slender, thin

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