NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 25 - The Duck and the Kangaroo

Question 1:

Taking words that come at the end of lines in the poem, write five pairs of rhyming words. Read each pair aloud. For example : pond-beyond

Answer:

Hop—stop, Back—quack, Duck—luck, Bold—cold, Rocks—socks, Ready—steady, etc.

Question 2:

Complete the dialogue.
Duck: Dear Kangaroo ! Why don’t you
(1) .___________________________ Kangaroo: With pleasure, my dear Duck,
though (2) _______________________
Duck: That won’t be a problem. I will
(3) _____________________________

Answer:

(1) give me a ride on your back?
(2) it will be a problem for me to balance myself.
(3) sit firmly without saying anything..

Question 3:

The Kangaroo does not want to catch ‘rheumatism’. Spot this word in stanza 3 and say why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?

Answer:

The word ‘rheumatism’ is spelt differently for maintaining rythm in the stanza. It is written in two parts—roo + Matiz. ‘Roo’ rhymes with ‘Kangaroo’ where as 'Matiz' begins with a capital letter because generally the first word of every line of a poem starts with a capital letter.

Question 4:

Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines that make you laugh.

Answer:

Yes, the poem is indeed humorous. The lines that make me laugh are: (i) Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz ! said the Kangaroo.
(ii) And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,
(iii) So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round.