CBSE Class 10 English The Tale of Custard the Dragon HOTS

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. The Tale of Custard the Dragon poem narrating a story in short stanzas is called a/ an …………… .
(a) free verse
(b) ballad
(c) lyric
(d) epic
Answer. (b) 

Question. Name the poetic device used in the line “And the little yellow dog was sharp as mustard.”
(a) Oxymoron
(b) Metaphor
(c) Assonance
(d) Simile
Answer. (d)

Question. ………… was sarcastically compared to the brave knight Percival.
(a) Ink
(b) Blink
(c) Belinda
(d) Custard
Answer. (d) 

Question. A cagemeans captivity.Why is Custard inclined to remain in a cage despite what it symbolises?
This is so because he viewed it as a
(i) sanctuary   (ii) guardhouse
(iii) cubicle      (iv) refuge
(v) booth
(a) (i), (ii) and (v)
(b) (i) and (iv)
(c) (iii), (iv) and (v)
(d) (iii) and (v)
Answer. (b) 

Question. What is the theme of the poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”?
1. Appearance vs reality    2. Hypocrisy
3. Courage                       4. Jealousy
(a) Only 4
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1, 2 and 4
(d) All of these
Answer. (d) 

Question. Pick an option that best fits the usage of the word’ trickled’ as used in the line. Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household. CBSE Question Bank 2021
(a) The water trickled down the tap and filled the trough.
(b) Students trickled into the classroom as the teacher entered.
(c) Tears trickled down her cheeks as she heard the sad news.
(d) His enthusiasm for the task slowly trickled away.
Answer. (b) 

Question. “And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright” what is a cutlass?
(a) A short sword with a curved blade
(b) A big hammer
(c) A short axe
(d) A very sharp bladed saw
Answer. (a) 

Question. ‘He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm. Why has this comparison been used here? Just like the robin catches the worm,
(a) Custard attacked the pirate after careful observation.
(b) Custard attacked the pirate without delay.
(c) Custard attacked the pirate valourously.
(d) Custard attacked the pirate stealthily.
Answer. (b) 

Question. “The pirate gaped at Belinda’s dragon” means that
(a) the pirate was looking at the dragon
(b) the pirate was shocked to see such a big dragon
(c) the pirate got scared on seeing the dragon
(d) None of the above
Answer. (b) 

Question. What did the pirate do to prepare himself for the fight?
(a) Gulped some liquor
(b) Had some breath
(c) Shouted a war cry
(d) Made up his mind
Answer. (a) 

Question. “Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears” what does the underlined phrase mean?
(a) A person without fear of what may happen
(b) A barrel which contains bears inside
(c) A group of bears
(d) None of the above
Answer. (a) 

Question. Pick the option with the correct matches for columns A and B. 
Column A             Column B
A. Chuckle         1. To smile in a half- suppressed mocking way
B. Snigger         2. To smile in an irritating, conceited manner. 
C. Smirk            3. To let out a quiet and suppressed laugh.
D.                      4. To let out a laugh heartily and loudly
(a) A-4, B-1, C-3
(b) A-3, B-1, C-2
(c) A-2, B-4, C-3
(d) A-1, B-3, D-4
Answer. (b)

Extract Based MCQs

1. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.

Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink saidWeeck!which is giggling for amouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.

Question. What can you infer from the repetition ‘suddenly, suddenly’ in the above extract?
(a) There was an immediate change in the scene.
(b) It focuses on the hasty attack and the loud noise.
(c) It emphasises that an unexpected noise was heard.
(d) It draws our attention to the loud cry that occurred.
Answer. (c) 

Question. Why has the poet used the word ‘weeck’ to signify the giggling of the mouse? The poet
(a) uses it to add suspense in the poem.
(b) has imagined how the mouse would sound in this mood.
(c) has mocked at the mouse for giggling at Custard.
(d) uses it to create a scary effect for readers.
Answer. (b) 

Question. Select a word from the extract to complete the following.
Whimper : Giggle : : Purr : ………
(a) Weeck
(b) Heard
(c) Shook
(d) Growl
Answer. (d) 

Question. Which belief about dragons is in contrast to Custard’s behaviour in the extract?
(a) Dragons are brave and feared.
(b) Dragons can grant wishes.
(c) Dragons can become invisible at will.
(d) Dragons are soft-hearted and kind.
Answer. (a)

Question. A hyperbole is a literary device where the poet/writer/speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme.
Choose the option that includes an example of hyperbole, from the extract.
(a) And Mustard growled, and they all looked around
(b) Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
(c) Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
(d) When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Answer. (c) 

2. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.

“Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.
But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,
Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm,
He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm”

Question. Which option lists the quotes that support the ideas in the extract?
1. Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
2. If you’re brave enough to start, you’re strong enough to finish.
3. Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.
4. You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
5. Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small.
(a) 1 and 5
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1, 3 and 5
Answer. (d)

Question. What is the poet’s purpose of using the onomatopoeia words given in the extract?
(a) It is to emphasise on the might and boldness of Custard.
(b) It is to introduce the character Custard to the readers.
(c) It is to impress upon the readers that Custard was ready.
(d) It is to make Custard bold enough to face the situation.
Answer. (a) 

Question. Select the option that fits with the reaction of the characters in the context of the extract.
Ink: terrified : : Blink : i) ........................ Pirate: ii)...................:: Custard: undaunted
(a) (i) shocked (ii) displeased
(b) (i) petrified (ii) wondered
(c) (i) upset (ii) dazed
(d) (i) petrified (ii) shocked
Answer. (d) 

Question. Pick the option that does not display a simile from the extract.
(a) Clashed his tail like irons…
(b) …at the pirate like a robin at a worm.
(c) …custard, snorting like an engine…
(d) …trickled down to the bottom…
Answer. (d)

Question. The extract mentions ‘irons’ in dungeons.
According to this extract, ‘irons’ is a reference to
(a) iron racks for scared books.
(b) iron cases housing treasures.
(c) iron chains holding the prisoners captive.
(d) iron coffins for burying the royal dead.
Answer. (c) 

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Where did Belinda live and with whom?
Answer. Belinda lived in a little white house with her four pets and a red wagon. She had a black kitten named Ink, a grey mouse named Blink, a yellow dog named Mustard and a coward dragon named Custard.

Question. What did Custard look like? 
Answer. Stanza three of the poem ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ describes the physical appearance of the dragon. Custard, the dragon has big sharp teeth. He has spikes on top and scales underneath him. His mouth is like a fireplace and his nose is like a chimney. He has daggers on his toes.

Question. Did Custard match his physical appearance?
Answer. No, Custard did not match his appearance, as he looked dangerous but actually he was a coward. He always cried for a nice and safe cage, while everyone laughed at him for his cowardice.

Question. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called ‘cowardly dragon’?
Answer. Custard cried for an nice safe cage because he was a ‘coward’ who wanted peace and safety. He is called a ‘cowardly dragon’ because apart from him, all other pets are described as very brave. Belinda is as brave as a big group of bears, Ink and Blink can chase lions and Mustard is like an angry tiger.
Compared to all of them, the dragon demanded nice safe cage so it is called ‘Cowardly dragon’.

Question. Why was Custard, the dragon teased as Percival?
Answer. Custard, the dragon is teased as Percival by Ink, Blink and Mustard for his timidity. They teased him as Percival because unlike Custard, he was a courageous and brave knight of King Arthur. Custard on the other hand, was meek (submissive) and always cried for a nice safe cage.

Question. What did everyone do when the pirate came?
Answer. When the pirate came, Belinda cried for help and became pale with fear. Mustard ran away with a terrified cry and Ink hid himself in the bottom of the house, while Blink disappeared in his hole. It was only Custard who jumped in front of the pirate to fight him and showed the courage to face the pirate.

Question. How did Custard face the pirate?
Answer. When the pirate came in Belinda’s house, all of her pets except Custard hid themselves. Custard jumped infront of the pirate to fight him. He even clashed his tail. During this fight, the pirate shot two bullets at him which missed its aim. Finally, Custard ate him and left no trace of him.

Question. Were Belinda and her pets grateful to Custard for killing the pirate? How did Custard react to their reactions?
Answer. Yes, Belinda and her pets were grateful to Custard for killing the pirate, but it was only temporary. Soon after expressing gratitude, Mustard, Ink and Blink started giving excuses for their cowardice and things went back to normal, as it was before the pirate incident. Custard, the dragon reacted in a humble manner and accepted that all other pets are braver than him.

Question. Was everyone really as brave as they claimed?
Answer. Belinda and her three pets, excluding Custard, were very proud of their bravery but, they were not really brave. It was only Custard, who had the courage to face the pirate and fight him. So, among all, only Custard was brave.

Question. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile. Can
you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem? 
Answer. In the poem, ‘The Tale of Custard, the Dragon’, the poet has used a lot of poetic devices. Following are some of the devices used
(i) Simile Mouth like a fireplace.
(ii) Repetition The repetitive use of the word ‘little’ in stanza 1.
(iii) Onomatopoeia Use of sound words such as ‘weeck’ and ‘meowch’.
(iv) Metaphor Use of comparison such as ‘Nose for a Chimney’.

Question. How did Custard accept his cowardice and others bravery?
Answer. Custard accepted his cowardice by asking for safe cage and accepted other’s bravery when they boasted of how brave they could be infront of the pirate.
But, in real, Custard was the bravest of all because he was the one who killed the pirate and saved everyone in the house. However, he chose to be humble and modest instead of boasting about himself.

Question. Custard humbly accepts that other animals are braver than him. Give a reason to support your stance that humility is a virtue worth possessing.
Answer. Custard humbly accepts that other animals are braver than him because humility is a virtue worth possessing because it helps us in not placing too much importance to our achievements. It also allows us to accept our vulnerabilities.

Question. The usage of words like ‘realio trulio’ creates a wonderful poetic effect. How?
Answer. The words ‘realio trulio’ create a wonderful poetic effect by making the poem interesting to read. In actual there are no such words as ‘realio’ and ‘trulio’. They actually mean ‘really’ and ‘truly’, respectively.

Question. Why is it fair to say that Custard could be the ‘poster-boy’ for the belief that the real nature of a person is revealed at times of the greatest difficulty? 
Answer. Custard could be the perfect poster-boy for the belief that the real nature of a person is revealed at times of the greatest difficulty. This is because Custard showed his true courageous nature when he fought fiercely with the pirate. He was considered as cowardly by his house mates before this incident.

Question. State the reason you think the poet named the animals Ink, Blink, Mustard and Custard?
Answer. The poet named the animals Ink, Blink, Mustard and Custard to make the poem interesting to read and to maintain the rhyming scheme of the poem. Mustard was named so because he was yellow in colour.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. The dragon, Custard was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his bravery in adversity.
Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. Express your views with reference to the poem, “The Tale of Custard, the dragon”.
Answer. It is true that bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. This fact has been aptly conveyed in the poem ‘‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’’. wherein the dragon was considered a coward. He was laughed at for crying for a nice safe cage. He never boasted of his bravery and courage, unlike Belinda and her other pets do. Everyone else, including Belinda, Ink, Blink and Mustard claim to be brave. They even made fun of Custard’s cowardice.However, when the time to show their courage came, none of them could face the danger.
They hid themselves in some corner of the house. It was only Custard who dared to face the frightening pirate. He not only fought the pirate but also ate him up. It was a dangerous situation to which Custard spontaneously responded. His courage and bravery came out in a threatening situation. Hence, it is true that qualities like courage and bravery are situational and spontaneous.

Question. Do you think that one should be made fun of because of their preferences and choices in life?
Explain in the context of Custard, the dragon.
Answer. According to me, one should never make fun of anyone on the basis of their lifestyle and their choices. One must always remember that choices and preference can depend on unexplanable factors.
In the poem ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’, Custard makes one such choice of wishing for a ‘nice safe cage’. He prefers comfort and safety. However, Belinda and her other pets always laugh at him.
They think of him as a coward for choosing to stay in cage and make fun of him. Custard, the dragon soon proved that his choice of comfort doesn’t make him a coward. Infact, instead of all the ‘brave’ pets of Belinda, it was Custard who fought the pirate. It was Custard who showed courage to face the pirate and kill him.
Therefore, one must never judge anyone for choice. Appearance may be deceptive. Just like the dragon who appeared to be a coward but was actually courageous, another person might also be different from what show him/her to be his/her preferences.

Question. Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer. 
Answer. ‘The Tale of Custard the dragon’ is a very light hearted funny poem that is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. The fixed rhyme scheme and the use of wrong spelling to maintains and it, makes it easy and enjoyable to read. Even the names of the pets are rhyming and evokes laughter.
The description of Belinda and her pets makes the poem entertaining. Belinda’s bravery is described as equal to a group of bears. The smallest of her pets, her kitten Ink and mouse Blink have been shown so brave that they can scare a lion.
The dog Mustard is like an angry tiger. But the biggest of them all, the dragon is nice and cowardly. He is always crying for a safe cage. In addition, the reactions of these characters to the dangerous pirate, also makes it funny.

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.

Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little gray mouse, she called her Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him
Custard. 

Question. Name the poem and the poet.
Answer. The name of the poem is ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ and the name of the poet is Ogden Nash.

Question. What is the colour of Belinda’s dog?
Answer. Belinda’s dog is yellow as mustard.

Question. What were the kitten and the mouse called?
Answer. The kitten is called Ink and the mouse is called Blink by Belinda.

Question. Which word in the stanza is an antonym of ‘dull’.
Answer. The word sharp is the correct antonym of dull.

Question. Name the poetic device used in the line – “And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard”.
Answer. Simile is used in the line – “And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard”.

2. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.

Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Question. How brave were the kitten and the mouse?
Answer. The kitten and the mouse were so brave that they could scare away lions.

Question. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage?
Answer. Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was a coward.

Question. Which word is similar to ‘anger’?
Answer. The word is ‘rage’.

Question. Which figure of speech has been used in the first and the third line of the stanza.
Answer. Figure of speech used in first and third line is ‘Simile’.

Question. Why was the dragon called the cowardly dragon?
Answer. The dragon was called cowardly dragon because in spite of having immense strengths and potential , he always cried for a nice safe cage.

3. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.

Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,
Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,
They all sat laughing in the little red wagon
At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon. 

Question. Who was tickled by Belinda?
Answer. Custard, the dragon, was tickled by Belinda.

Question. Why did she tickle ‘him’?
Answer. She tickled him to tease and make fun of him.

Question. Who are Ink, Blink and Mustard?
Answer. Ink is a little black kitten, Blink is a grey mouse and Mustard is a little yellow dog. They all are Belinda’s pets.

Question. Why did they all laugh at ‘him’?
Answer. They are laughed at him because they all thought him to be a coward.

Question. What does realio, trulio mean?
Answer. Realio, trulio actually means really and truly. The words have been changed by the poet so as to give rhythm to the poem.