THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON
1.
Who are the characters in the poem? List them with their pet names.
Answer: The characters are:
- Belinda
– the little girl who owns the pets
- Ink –
the little black kitten
- Blink
– the little grey mouse
- Mustard
– the little yellow dog
- Custard
– the little pet dragon
2.
Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly
dragon”?
Answer: Custard wanted a safe cage because he was timid and afraid
of danger. Although dragons are usually fierce, Custard was scared of
everything. That’s why everyone called him a cowardly dragon.
3.
“Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful.” Why?
Answer: Belinda and her other pets made fun of Custard for being
scared. They teased him and tickled him unmercifully to mock his fear and
cowardice.
4.
What poetic devices are used in the poem? Give examples.
Answer: The poem uses several poetic devices:
- Simile:
“Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon”
- Repetition:
“Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound”
- Alliteration:
“Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears”
- Imagery:
“Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose”
- Rhyme:
“house / mouse”, “wagon / dragon”
5.
How does the poet describe the dragon’s appearance?
Answer: Custard had big sharp teeth, spikes on his back,
scales underneath, a mouth like a fireplace, a chimney for a
nose, and daggers on his toes. He looked fierce and dangerous,
though he was actually timid.
6.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: The rhyme scheme throughout the poem is aabb, for
example:
Belinda lived in a little white
house (a)
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse (a)
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon (b)
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon (b)
7.
What images has the poet used in the poem?
Answer: The poet uses vivid images to create humour and contrast:
- The brave pets chasing lions down the stairs.
- Custard’s mouth “like a fireplace.”
- The pirate “with a pistol in each hand and a cutlass in
his teeth.”
These images help readers visualise the action and characters.
8.
Why is the poem called a humorous ballad?
Answer: It’s called a humorous ballad because it tells a story in
verse form with rhythm and rhyme but does so in a light-hearted, funny way. The
irony that the so-called brave pets run away while the “cowardly” dragon saves
everyone adds humour.
9.
How does Custard prove that he is brave?
Answer: When a pirate breaks into the house, all the brave pets run
away in fear, but Custard fights bravely. He attacks the pirate and eats him,
saving Belinda and the others.
10.
What happens after Custard kills the pirate?
Answer: Belinda hugs Custard, and Mustard licks him. Ink and Blink
dance in joy. But soon, they again boast that they would have been braver if
they hadn’t been scared.
11.
What is the moral or message of the poem?
Answer: The poem teaches that true bravery is shown through
actions, not words. Those who appear timid may turn out to be the real heroes
when the time comes.
12.
What is the tone and mood of the poem?
Answer: The tone is light, playful, and humorous. The mood
shifts briefly to excitement during the pirate attack but remains comic
and cheerful overall.
13.
How does the poet create contrast in the poem?
Answer: The poet contrasts the appearance and behaviour of the pets.
The ones who boast of bravery turn cowardly, while Custard, the one mocked for
being afraid, acts courageously.
14.
Why did everyone make fun of Custard?
Answer: Everyone laughed at Custard because he always cried for a
safe cage instead of showing bravery like the others. They thought a dragon
should be fearless, so they teased him.
15.
What does “realio trulio” mean?
Answer: It is a playful, nonsensical phrase used by the poet for
rhythm and fun. It adds to the humour and musical quality of the poem.
16.
What does the pirate symbolise in the poem?
Answer: The pirate symbolises real danger or a test of
courage. His arrival exposes the true nature of each character — showing
that bravery is proven by action, not by talk.
Q. Who wrote the poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”?
Answer: Ogden Nash.
Q. What kind of poem is “The
Tale of Custard the Dragon”?
Answer: “The Tale of Custard
the Dragon” is a humorous ballad.
Q. What is the name of Belinda’s kitten?
Answer: Ink.
Q. Who was Blink?
Answer: Belinda’s little grey
mouse.
Q.
Who was Mustard?
Answer: Belinda’s yellow dog.
Q. What was the dragon’s name?
Answer: Custard.
Q. What did Custard always cry for?
Answer: A nice safe cage.
Q. Who lived with Belinda in her white house?
Answer: Ink, Blink, Mustard, and
Custard.
Q. What did the pirate have in his hands?
Answer: A pistol in each hand.
Q. What did the pirate hold in his teeth?
Answer: A bright cutlass.
Q. What did Custard do when he saw the pirate?
Answer: Custard attacked and ate
the pirate.
Q. What did Ink and Blink do when the pirate entered?
Answer: They ran away and hid.
Q. How did Belinda react when she saw the pirate?
Answer: She turned pale and
cried for help.
Q. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: aabb.
Q. What does “realio trulio” mean?
Answer: It’s a playful phrase
used for rhyme and humour; it means “really and truly”.
Q. Why
was Custard called a cowardly dragon?
Answer: Custard was called a
cowardly dragon because he was afraid of everything and always wanted a safe
cage instead of showing bravery.
Q. What does the poet say about Belinda’s bravery?
Answer: The poet says Belinda
was as brave as a barrel full of bears, showing she was bold and fearless.
Q. What is the irony in the poem?
Answer: The irony in the poem is
that the so-called brave pets ran away in fear when the pirate came, while the
cowardly dragon fought and saved everyone.
Q. What poetic devices does the poet use?
Answer: The poet uses simile,
alliteration, repetition, rhyme, and imagery.
Q. How does the poet describe Custard’s physical
appearance?
Answer: Custard had big sharp
teeth, spikes, scales, a mouth like a fireplace, a chimney nose, and daggers on
his toes.
Q. How did Custard prove his bravery?
Answer: Custard fought the
pirate bravely and gobbled him up, saving Belinda and her pets.
Q. What lesson does the poem teach?
Answer: The poem teaches that true
bravery is revealed through actions, not by boasting.
Q. Why did the others tease Custard?
Answer: The others teased because
he appeared timid and wanted a safe cage, which seemed unfit for a dragon.
Q.
Describe the scene when the pirate entered Belinda’s
house.
Answer: The pirate climbed
through the window with pistols in both hands and a cutlass in his teeth. His
beard was black and one leg was wooden. Belinda and her pets were terrified.
Mustard fled, Ink and Blink hid, but Custard courageously attacked the pirate
and ate him up.
Q.
How is the poem a parody of traditional heroic ballads?
Answer: Traditional ballads
glorify brave heroes, but this poem humorously inverts that idea. The “brave”
pets run away, while the “cowardly” dragon becomes the real hero. The poet uses
humour and irony to make fun of false heroism.
Q. What happens after Custard kills the pirate?
Answer: Belinda hugs him,
Mustard licks him, and Ink and Blink dance around in joy. But soon, the others
start boasting again that they would have been braver if they hadn’t been scared.
Custard remains humble and agrees with them.
Q. Describe the contrast between Custard and the
other pets. What message does the poet convey through this contrast?
Answer: Belinda’s pets—Ink,
Blink, and Mustard—always boasted of their bravery, while Custard cried for a
safe cage. However, when real danger appeared, they all ran away, leaving only
Custard to fight. The contrast shows that true courage lies in action, not in
talk. The poet suggests that modest people can be the real heroes when the time
comes.
Q. Discuss the theme
of bravery and cowardice in the poem.
Answer: The poem humorously
explores how people pretend to be brave until tested. Belinda’s pets think they
are courageous, but they run away from danger. Custard, who seems cowardly,
proves to be truly brave. The poet highlights that bravery is revealed in
crisis, and appearances can be misleading.
Q.
How does Ogden
Nash use humour and rhyme to make the poem entertaining?
Answer: Ogden Nash uses funny,
musical rhymes like “wagon–dragon” and “house–mouse” and playful phrases like
“realio trulio.” His description of the brave pets running away adds humour. The
simple rhythm and repetition make the poem sound like a cheerful story-song,
even while conveying a moral lesson.
Q.
Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
Answer: The characters in the poem are:
- Belinda
– the little girl
- Ink –
the little black kitten
- Blink
– the little grey mouse
- Mustard
– the little yellow dog
- Custard
– the little pet dragon
Q.
Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly
dragon”?
Answer: Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was afraid of
everything and wanted to feel protected. He is called a “cowardly dragon”
because, unlike usual fierce dragons, he showed fear and avoided danger.
Q.
“Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful.” Why?
Answer: Belinda and the other pets teased and mocked Custard for
being scared. They tickled him unmercifully to make fun of his cowardice and to
show that they thought he was weak.
Q.
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
list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer: Some poetic devices used in the poem are:
|
Poetic
Device |
Line
from poem |
|
Simile |
“Belinda was as brave as a barrel
full of bears” |
|
Simile |
“Mustard was as brave as a tiger
in a rage” |
|
Repetition |
“Suddenly, suddenly they heard a
nasty sound” |
|
Alliteration |
“Custard the dragon had big sharp
teeth” |
|
Imagery |
“Mouth like a fireplace, chimney
for a nose” |
|
Rhyme |
“house/mouse, wagon/dragon” |
Q.
Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the
dragon.
Answer: The poet describes Custard as having big sharp teeth,
spikes on his back, scales underneath, a mouth like a
fireplace, a chimney for a nose, and daggers on his toes. He
looks quite frightening from the outside.
Q.
Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
- house (a)
- mouse (a)
- wagon (b)
- dragon (b)
Q.
Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what
they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Answer: The poem uses many vivid images, such as:
- Custard having “realio trulio daggers on his toes”
- The pirate “climbing in the winda” with pistols
and a cutlass
- Ink and Blink chasing lions down the stairs
- Custard snorting like an engine and clashing his
tail is compared to irons in a dungeon
These help readers visualise the
scene and actions clearly.
Q.
Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a
light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
- The characters behave in funny and exaggerated ways.
- The poet uses playful words like “realio trulio.”
- The brave pets run away from danger while the cowardly
dragon becomes the hero, adding irony and comedy.
- The ending returns to humour when they again boast of
bravery.
Q.
This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern
song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class.
Collect such songs as a project.
Answer: Yes, the song “Count
On Me” by Bruno Mars tells a story of friendship and support. It describes how
friends help each other in difficult times and stay united.
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