CBSE Class 8 English Poem 1 – The ant and the cricket Important Question Answers from Honeydew Book

 

 

Class 8 The ant and the cricket Question Answers – Looking for The ant and the cricket Important questions and answers for CBSE Class 8 English Honeydew Book Poem 1? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practicing Class 8 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem 1: The ant and the cricket now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given Text book Questions (NCERT Solutions) to the chapter’s Extract-based Questions and Extra Question Answers
 
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams. 

 

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Class 8 English The ant and the cricket Text Book Questions – NCERT Solutions

 

Working with the poem

1.The cricket says, “Oh! what will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?
Ans. As the winter season came, the cricket realised that his cupboard at home was empty. He began complaining as soon as he realised that. He could not even find a single piece of something to eat on the snow-covered ground. There were no flowers or leaves in sight as it was the winter season. He became worried as to what will happen to him without food and shelter and that is when he says, “Oh! what will become of me?” .

2. (i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (Shakespeare).
Ans. In the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (Shakespeare)  are “But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.”

(ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles?
Ans. The ant’s principle to neither borrow nor lend teaches us a very important lesson of utilising our time and resources wisely when circumstances are in our favour. It is important to enjoy in the moment but it is also very important to plan for the future or situations where circumstances might not be in our favour. The ants don’t depend on anyone for their living. I think the ant’s principles are right and appropriate.

3. The ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?
Ans. Upon hearing that the cricket sang day and night all summer, the ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away”. The word “dance” here refers to merry-making and enjoyment. By this word, the ant meant not doing any responsible work or planning for the future. Thus, the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here.

4. (i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment? Read them aloud.
Ans. The lines in the poem that express the poet’s comments are “Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.”

(ii) Write the comment in your own words.
Ans. The poet mentions that a lot of people think it is an untrue story of an ant and the cricket but the poet is of another opinion. He mentions there are cricket with four legs whereas there are with two as well, which means there are other insects and even human beings that live like the cricket. They waste all their time. They do not prepare or plan for the future and regret when the time is gone.

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Class 8 English The ant and the cricket Poem 1 Extract Based Questions

 

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow-

A. A silly young cricket, accustomed to sing
Through the warm, sunny months of gay summer and spring,
Began to complain when he found that, at home,
His cupboard was empty, and winter was come.
Not a crumb to be found
On the snow-covered ground;
Not a flower could he see,
Not a leaf on a tree.
“Oh! what will become,” says the cricket, “of me?”

Q1. Describe the cricket.
Ans. It was a silly, young cricket.

Q2. What was the cricket accustomed to?
Ans. It was accustomed to singing.

Q3. Which season had ended?
Ans. Summer had ended and winter had come.

Q4. Why did the cricket complain?
Ans. He complained that his cupboard was empty, there was no crumb, no flower, not a leaf on the tree.

Q5. How did the cricket worry about himself?
Ans. He worried by wondering what would become of him.

B.
At last by starvation and famine made bold,
All dripping with wet, and all trembling with cold,
Away he set off to a miserly ant,
To see if, to keep him alive, he would grant
Him shelter from rain,
And a mouthful of grain.
He wished only to borrow;
He’d repay it tomorrow;
If not, he must die of starvation and sorrow.

Q1. What did the cricket suffer from?
Ans. He suffered from starvation caused by famine.

Q2. Where did the cricket set off to?
Ans. He set off to a miserly ant.

Q3. What did the cricket seek?
Ans. He sought shelter and grain

Q4. What was the cricket’s plan?
Ans. He planned to borrow from the ant and repay later

Q5. What would happen if the ant would not save the cricket?
Ans. If not helped by the ant, the cricket would die of starvation and sorrow.

C.
Says the ant to the
cricket, “I’m your servant
and friend,
But we ants never
borrow; we ants never
lend.
But tell me, dear cricket,
did you lay nothing by
When the weather was
warm?” Quoth the cricket,
“Not I!
My heart was so light
That I sang day and night,
For all nature looked gay.”
“You sang, Sir, you say?
Go then,” says the ant, “and dance the winter away.”

Q1. What did the ant say to the cricket?
Ans. he said that they neither borrowed nor lent.

Q2. What did the ant ask the cricket?
Ans. He asked whether the cricket had not kept any reserve for the winters when the weather was warm.

Q3. What did the cricket reply to the ant’s query?
Ans. He said that he did not reserve any food for the winter. He was so happy that he just sang all day and night;

Q4. What did the ant suggest to the cricket?
Ans. He suggested that if he sang in summer, he should go and dance the winter away.

Q5. What does “quoth” mean?
Ans. It means said.

D. Thus ending, he hastily lifted the wicket,
And out of the door turned the poor little cricket.
Folks call this a fable. I’ll warrant it true:
Some crickets have four legs, and some have two.

Q1. What does ‘hastily’ mean?
Ans. It means in a hurry.

Q2. What does the last line mean?
Ans. It means that some humans (with two legs) are also like the cricket.

Q3. What is a fable?
Ans. It is a story with a moral.

Q4. Why does the poet use adjectives like poor and, little for the cricket?
Ans. He does so because the cricket did not get help from the ant. He was suffering from starvation and sadness.

Q5. What is ‘wicket’?
Ans. It means a small door or gate.

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Class 8 The ant and the cricket Extra Question Answers

 

Answer the following questions-

Q1. The poem is a fable. What moral lesson does it impart?
Ans. It gives the lesson that one should save up for difficult times.

Q2. Who is silly?
Ans. The cricket is silly because he did not save any food for the winters.

Q3. What did the cricket do in the warm summers?
Ans. He found the warm summer gay. He just sang all day and night.

Q4. How do we see the humility of the ant?
Ans. The ant says that he is the cricket’s servant and friend. This shows his humility.

Q5. The poem talks of which seasons?
Ans. It talks of the warm spring and summer and the cold winters.

 

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