Maharashtra Board Class 6 English Unit 1 Chapter 1.6 The Peacock and the Crane Solutions

Question 1. Read the following sentences carefully and choose the correct meanings.
Question a. The peacock had gorgeous tail like no other bird.
(1) No other bird had a tail.
(2) The Peacock's tail was more beautiful than any other bird's.
(3) All birds had gorgeous tails.
Answer: (2) The Peacock's tail was more beautiful than any other bird's.
In simple words: The statement implies the peacock's tail was uniquely beautiful compared to all other birds.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to comparative phrases like 'like no other bird' to correctly interpret the intended meaning in multiple-choice questions.

Question b. Fine feathers don't make fine birds.
(1) You cannot use feathers to make birds.
(2) You can judge something by its outward beauty.
(3) Something that looks beautiful may not really be useful.
Answer: (3) Something that looks beautiful may not really be useful.
In simple words: This proverb means that outward beauty or appearance is not always an indicator of true worth or usefulness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding idioms and proverbs is crucial for inferential comprehension; focus on the underlying moral or lesson.

Question 2. Read the story aloud (or present it) in groups of three - the narrator, the peacock and the crane.
In simple words: Practice reading the story aloud with friends, taking on the roles of the narrator, the peacock, and the crane to bring the story to life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Oral reading exercises enhance fluency and expression, which are crucial for presentation skills and comprehension evaluation.

The Peacock And The Crane Questions And Answers Question 1.

Question. Read the story aloud (or present it) in groups of three - the narrator, the peacock and the crane.
In simple words: Practice reading the story aloud with friends, taking on the roles of the narrator, the peacock, and the crane to bring the story to life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Collaborative reading activities improve comprehension and build confidence in verbal communication.

The Peacock And The Crane Story Question 1.

Question. Imagine you are the Crane. What actions and words of the Peacock would you not like'? Write about it in short.
Answer: I didn't like the way the peacock scoffed at my colourless and dull feathers, calling it pale, and the way he flaunted his colourful tail to make me feel inferior. I also did not like the way he boasted about his colourful feathers and the remark that he was dressed like a king.
In simple words: As the Crane, I would dislike the Peacock's mockery of my plain feathers, his showy display of his tail, and his boastful remarks about his beauty and royal appearance.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing from a character's perspective, ensure your response reflects their personality and emotions based on the story's context.

Peacock And Crane Story Question 1.

Question. Discuss what a friendly and good- natured peacock would say to a crane. Write his speech. (5-8 lines)
Answer: Hello dear friend crane, people call me gorgeous and praise my colourful feathers. But I understand that it is not our outward appearance which matters. What matters are our innate abilities and our inner beauty. I am proud of the fact that you, my friend crane, can fly and scale such great heights and enjoy the beauty of the earth in all its magnificence. Go bird! Explore the world.
In simple words: A friendly peacock would acknowledge the crane's ability to fly high, praising its inner strength and capabilities over mere outward beauty.

🎯 Exam Tip: For creative writing tasks, focus on portraying character traits through dialogue that aligns with the desired personality, demonstrating understanding of the story's theme.

Peacock Questions Answers Question 1.

Question. Find one more example which shows that a beautiful appearance is not enough.
Answer: We as individuals may have extremely beautiful appearance. But if we don't have a heart to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others, how can we call ourselves beautiful? Inner beauty too is important.
In simple words: True beauty comes from within, like kindness and a willingness to help others, rather than just physical looks.

🎯 Exam Tip: Relate real-world examples to fables to demonstrate critical thinking and reinforce the moral lessons learned from the story.

Question 6. List five adjectives and five nouns from the story.

Question. List five adjectives and five nouns from the story.
Answer:

In simple words: Adjectives describe nouns, and nouns name people, places, things, or ideas; both are essential parts of speech found in stories.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying parts of speech like adjectives and nouns helps in understanding sentence structure and vocabulary, a fundamental grammar skill.

Question 7. Find five adjectives that end with (a) - 'ful' and (b) - "less' then write the antonym of each.

Question. Find five adjectives that end with (a) - 'ful' and (b) - “less' then write the antonym of each.
Answer:

In simple words: Adjectives ending in '-ful' typically mean "full of" (like careful), while '-less' means "without" (like careless); antonyms are words with opposite meanings.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding common suffixes like '-ful' and '-less' helps in expanding vocabulary and deducing word meanings, which is beneficial for grammar and writing.

Question 8. Start a collection of proverbs. A proverb is a short, well-known sentence or phrase that gives advice or tells you what is generally true. For example, 'A stitch in time saves nine' means 'If one does something in time or immediately, it saves a lot of work later'. A proverb is also known as a saying. Here are some proverbs for your collection.
(1) Appearances can be deceptive.
(2) Do not judge by appearance; a rich heurt may be under a poor coat.
(3) All that glitters is not gold.
(4) You can't tell a book by its cover.
(5) Clothes do not make the man.
Answer:
(1) Try, try till you succeed.
(2) Slow and steady wins the race.
(3) Still waters run deep.
(4) Make hay while the sun shines.
(5) Pride goes before a fall.
In simple words: Proverbs are short, traditional sayings that express general truths or offer advice, guiding us through life's lessons.

🎯 Exam Tip: Learning proverbs enriches your language and understanding of cultural wisdom, useful for essays and moral-based questions.

Question 9. Visit a library. This story is a fable. Find two more fables. Share them with your friends.

Question. Visit a library. This story is a fable. Find two more fables. Share them with your friends.
In simple words: Explore your library to discover more fables, which are short stories with a moral lesson, and discuss them with your friends.

🎯 Exam Tip: Reading different fables helps understand various moral values and improves narrative comprehension, a key skill for literary analysis.

Answer The Following Questions In One Or Two Sentences.

Question 1. How was the peacock in the story unique?
Answer: The peacock in the story was unique as he had a gorgeous tail like no other bird.
In simple words: The peacock was special because its tail was more beautiful than any other bird's.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify key descriptive words in the question and answer to ensure your response is concise and accurate.

Question 2. Why did the peacock spread his own colourful tail?
Answer: The peacock spread his own colourful tail to show off and for the crane to see and admire.
In simple words: The peacock spread its tail to display its beauty and attract admiration from the crane.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the character's motivation when answering 'why' questions to provide a complete and insightful response.

Question 3. Which line in the extract tells us that the peacock was extremely pompous?
Answer: The line: 'I am dressed like a king!' tells us that the peacock was extremely pompous.
In simple words: The peacock's boast, "I am dressed like a king!" clearly showed his arrogance.

🎯 Exam Tip: Quoting directly from the text strengthens your answer and proves you can identify specific evidence to support your claims.

Question 4. What did the crane compare the peacock to?
Answer: The crane compared the peacock to any other cock.
In simple words: The crane saw the peacock as just an ordinary bird, despite its fancy feathers.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to comparisons made by characters as they often reveal their perspectives or the story's underlying themes.

Question 5. What did you learn from this fable?
Answer: I learnt from this fable that our physical appearance has very little significance as compared to our capacities, capabilities, abilities and our inner strength.
In simple words: This fable teaches that inner qualities and abilities are far more important than outward appearance.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always identify the moral or central lesson of a fable, as this is a common question type that assesses comprehension and critical thinking.

Reading Skills, Vocabulary And Grammar

Read The Following Extract And Answer The Questions Given Below.

Question 1. State whether the following statements are true or false:
(a) The peacock was extremely humble and polite.
(b) The crane's feathers shone in all colours of the rainbow.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) False
In simple words: Both statements are false; the peacock was arrogant, and the crane's feathers were plain, not rainbow-coloured.

🎯 Exam Tip: Carefully read each statement and compare it with the story's details to determine its accuracy for true/false questions.

Question 2. Who does the fable deal with?
Answer: The fable deals with the conceited peacock and the crane.
In simple words: The fable is about a proud peacock and a humble crane.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the main characters as they are central to understanding the plot and themes of any story.

Question 3. What tells us that the peacock was extremely boastful?
Answer: The peacock spread its shiny feathers in all colours of the rainbow for crane to see and admire. He also compared it to the crane's pale feathers. He added that he was dressed like a king. This tells us that he was extremely boastful.
In simple words: The peacock's actions of spreading his tail, comparing it to the crane's dull feathers, and calling himself a king show his extreme boastfulness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for actions, dialogue, and comparisons made by characters to infer their personality traits and provide textual evidence.

Question 4. How did the crane react to the peacock's criticism?
Answer: The crane agreed with the peacock that his feathers were pale but added that he could fly high above, among the clouds and stars. He could see the beauty of the earth in all its glory, while the peacock lived down there just like any other cock.
In simple words: The crane calmly accepted its plain feathers but highlighted its superior ability to fly high and see the world, which the peacock couldn't.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze character reactions to conflict; they often reveal core values and contribute to the story's message.

Question 5.

Question a. What did the peacock scoff at?
Answer: The peacock scoffed at the crane's colourless and dull feathers.
In simple words: The peacock mocked the crane's plain-looking feathers.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify specific instances of conflict or disagreement between characters to understand their interactions.

Question b. Fine feathers don't make fine birds. (Separate the subject and predicate)
Answer:
Subject:
Fine feathers Predicate: don't make fine birds
In simple words: In a sentence, the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells what the subject does or is.

🎯 Exam Tip: Accurately identifying the subject and predicate is fundamental to understanding sentence structure and grammar.

Question c. Find the odd word: other, own, my, so
Answer:
so: The rest are used as adjectives.
In simple words: "So" is a conjunction or adverb, while "other," "own," and "my" are used to describe nouns.

🎯 Exam Tip: Differentiating between parts of speech is crucial for vocabulary and grammar tasks; look at how each word functions in a sentence.

Question 6. Complete the list of adjective words associated with nature:
a. bird
b. ........................ Rainbow
c. ........................ Clouds
d. ........................ Stars
Answer:
a. Bird
In simple words: Adjectives are words that describe nouns, such as "bright" for a star or "fluffy" for clouds.

🎯 Exam Tip: Expanding your vocabulary with descriptive adjectives helps make your writing more vivid and engaging.

Language Study

Do As Directed:

Question 1. There was once a very conceited peacock who had a gorgeous tail like no other bird. (State the parts of speech of the underlined words.)
Answer: once, very: Adverbs conceited, gorgeous: Adjectives
In simple words: "Once" and "very" describe verbs or adjectives (making them adverbs), while "conceited" and "gorgeous" describe nouns (making them adjectives).

🎯 Exam Tip: Correctly identifying parts of speech is a fundamental grammar skill that improves sentence construction and analysis.

Question 2. Look at my feather. (State the type of sentence)
Answer: Imperative sentence.
In simple words: An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request, often starting with a verb and implying "you" as the subject.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding different sentence types helps in varying your writing style and comprehending the author's intent.

Question 3. I am dressed like a king! (Pick out the article)
Answer: a
In simple words: Articles (a, an, the) are words that define whether a noun is specific or unspecific.

🎯 Exam Tip: Correct use of articles is essential for grammatical accuracy in English and often tested in basic grammar assessments.

Question 4. That's true. (Pick out the contraction and state what it stands for.)
Answer: that's: that is
In simple words: A contraction is a shortened form of a word or phrase, created by omitting letters and replacing them with an apostrophe.

🎯 Exam Tip: Knowing common contractions improves reading speed and helps in informal writing, though full forms are often preferred in formal contexts.

Question 5. Fine feathers don't make fine birds. (Add a question tag)
Answer: Fine feathers don't make fine birds, do they?
In simple words: A question tag is a short question added to the end of a statement, typically asking for confirmation.

🎯 Exam Tip: Question tags are important for conversational English; remember to match the auxiliary verb and use the opposite polarity of the main statement.

Make Sentences Using The Following Phrases.

Question 1. to be conceited: We should not be conceited as it mars our beauty, our personality.
In simple words: Do not be overly proud of yourself, as conceit can negatively affect your character and how others perceive you.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding the meaning of phrases and using them correctly in sentences demonstrates strong vocabulary and sentence construction skills.

Question 2. to admire: I admire our freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our motherland.
In simple words: To admire means to respect or look up to someone for their admirable qualities or actions, like the bravery of freedom fighters.

🎯 Exam Tip: Developing a rich vocabulary helps express thoughts more precisely and effectively, essential for articulate writing.

Question 3. to boast: India can boast of the progress it made in the last few years in the field of science and technology.
In simple words: To boast is to speak with excessive pride about one's achievements or possessions, as India might about its scientific and technological advancements.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mastering the use of verbs and their appropriate contexts is vital for constructing grammatically correct and meaningful sentences.

Question 7. Give the noun forms of:
Answer:
a. conceited: conceit
b. dull: dullness
c. see : sight
d. admire: admiration
e. pale: paleness
f. true: truth
g. high : height
In simple words: Noun forms convert qualities or actions into naming words, like 'conceited' becoming 'conceit'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Practicing word forms (noun, verb, adjective) significantly expands your vocabulary and improves grammatical flexibility in writing.

Question 8. Give the adjective forms of:
Answer:
a. beauty: beautiful
b. glory: glorious
In simple words: Adjective forms transform nouns into words that describe other nouns, such as 'beauty' becoming 'beautiful'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Knowing how to convert words into their adjective forms enhances your descriptive writing and vocabulary skills.

Letter Writing:

Question. Write a letter to your friend who is friendless and all alone because your classmates consider her to be arrogant and proud.
Answer:
A/1934 Prakruti Sadan,
Sahara Road,
Andheri (East),
Mumbai - 400 099
20th June, 2016.

Dear Rita,
I know it is funny writing to you! After all we meet in school everyday.
I am writing this letter as a continuation of the conversation we had yesterday, wherein you said you were depressed because not many in the class are friendly to you.
Dear friend, remember the real reason lies in your nature. Not to me, but to many, you appear as a person filled with excessive pride. I know they are wrong, but at the same time it is important to come across as a friendly and approachable person.
The way we deal with people and our choice of words, all contribute towards our acceptance by others.
Please don't misunderstand me, but your words and your actions sometimes forces others to conclude that you are an extremely arrogant and proud girl. So, one way to make more friends is to change your nature.
Remember, I am and will always be your friend.
With love.

Your friend,
XYZ
In simple words: This letter advises a friend on how to overcome loneliness by addressing perceived arrogance and encourages a change in behaviour to foster friendships.

🎯 Exam Tip: For letter writing, ensure proper format (addresses, date, salutation, closing), clear communication, and a tone appropriate for the recipient and purpose.

The Peacock And The Crane Summary In English

The peacock boasted of having the most gorgeous tail, which shine in all colours of the rainbow, but that too has its own limitations. The crane possessed colourless and dull feathers, but he was not affected by the peacock's display of its colourful tail. He was fully aware of its inner potential and what he was capable of. Unlike the peacock, he could fly high above, among the clouds and stars and witness the beauty of the earth in all its splendour.

Introduction:

"The Peacock and the Crane' through the character of a proud peacock conveys the moral: 'Fine feathers don't make fine birds'. In other words, our external appearance has no value if we lack beauty and strength within. Aware of his blessings, he could happily take the peacock's criticism in his stride. Let us remember to develop our self-esteem and self-confidence by understanding that it is not how we look, but what we are capable of, which makes all the difference.

Glossary:

(1) conceited (adj) - very proud, vain, arrogant
(2) gorgeous (adj) - beautiful, magnificent, stunning
(3) scoffed (v) - laughed at rudely and scornfully
(4) dull, pale (adj) - not bright
(5) glory (n) - beauty and splendour
(6) fine feathers don't make fine birds (phr) - good looks or flashy clothes may not be very important after all.
(7) pompous (adj) - exhibiting self-importance