Frogs in The Fountain
This is an interesting story written by Ruskin bond. In this story, the author provides a delightful description of a simple incident involving his aunt. The narrator’s aunt is terrified of frogs and feels that life in a zoo would be safer than in a house with Frogs.
The main character (most likely the author) is concerned about marigold flowers, which are commonly grown in almost every home and are primarily used to make garlands in someone’s honour. He is wary of them after being stung on his chin by a bee that was hidden in one of the flowers. It made for a very short speech. When the narrator tells young Gohar about this incident who asks him, ‘Is that how you got your double chin’? The narrator answers that the double chin came from his grandmother who was a large and heavy lady with a number of chins.
While talking with Dr Bhist, the author admits to a fondness for mutton koftas and rice. He once brought some fish to the fountain, but they quickly died. Regardless of this, it resulted in an exponential increase in the number of frogs living in the fountain.
Aunt Mabel, however, despised the amphibians’ constant singing and warbling. She eventually decides to move out to her cousins’ house because she can’t stand the frogs’ constant serenades. As a result, Granny hires local labourers to remove the frogs from the fountain and place them behind the train station in a small pond.
They gradually took over the entire space of the railway station, including the waiting rooms and platforms, so the station master had the brilliant idea to relocate them to a nearby zoo, which is regarded as the best place for small and large creatures.
Question and Answer
Q. Granny surrounded her house with marigold because she
Ans: (a) believed the smell would keep the snakes away.
Q. The writer says he has a double chin because
Describe
1. How the frogs entered the fountain and the house.
Ans: One day the writer brought some small fish in a bucket and introduced them to the lily pond. There were tadpoles also swimming around in the bucket which he didn’t notice. This is how the frogs entered the fountain and house.
2. Where the frogs were finally sent and why?
Ans: The frogs were finally sent to the Lucknow zoo as the station master believed that it was the best place for all small and great creatures.
3. When Aunt Mabel saw the frog in the potty, how did she react? Do you think she was just being silly?
Ans: When Aunt Mabel saw the frog she screamed out of fear. I don’t think she was being silly as she hated frogs.
Q. Pick out three sentences from the story that you think are funny.
Answer: The three funny sentences from the story are:
1. The bee incident. ‘It made for a very short speech.’
2. Reference to Alzheimer’s.
3. The frog jumped out the flush and into Aunt Mabel’s arms.
Q. Do you think Aunt Mabel is an odd person? Think of five words to describe her.
Answer: Aunt Mabel is presented as an odd person in the story. Five words to describe her are:
1. silly
2. oversensitive
3. fussy
4. intolerant
5. critical
Learn to read:
Q No1: Complete the following sentences with an appropriate smell word.
1. I could get the rich aroma of fresh coffee from the kitchen.
2. The residents complained to the municipal authorities about the stench of the garbage dump in their locality.
3. In summer, my garden is filled with the fragrance of jasmine.
4. We use room fresheners to drive away the bad odour from the bathroom.
5. As she walked past, I could smell the perfume she was wearing.
Q No 2: Which of these adjectives best describe the smells of the items below?
1. herbs in a garden aromatic
2. old socks smelly
3. rotten eggs stinking
4. a hairdressing salon perfumed
5. a rose garden fragrant
Learn grammar :
A: Expressing Frequency
Q No 1: Work in pairs. Ask and answer the following questions.
a. How often do you visit your grandparents?
Ans: I visit my grandparents once a week.
b. How many times do you brush your teeth every day?
Ans: I brush my teeth twice a day.
c. How often do you go to the movies?
Ans: I go to the movies once a month.
d. How many times did you go on a trip last year?
Ans: Last year, I went on a trip three times.
e. How often do you go to the library?
Ans: I go to the library twice a month.
B. Expressing reasons using because
Q No 1. Give reasons for the following. Remember to use because.
a. Climbing K-2 is difficult.
Ans. Climbing K-2 is difficult because it is very steep and dangerous.
b. Inuits live in igloos.
Ans. Inuits live in igloos because they live in very cold places and igloos keep them warm.
c. Primitive people lived in caves.
Ans. Primitive people lived in caves because they did not know how to build houses.
d. We plant trees.
Ans. We plant trees because they help us in many ways and maintain the ecological balance.
e. Some people wear spectacles.
Ans. Some people wear spectacles because they have poor eyesight and cannot see properly without spectacles.
