UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English SHORT STORY Chapter 4 The Selfish Giant all question and answer free pdf

Table of Contents

Answer each of the following questions in about 150 words:

1- What is the moral of the story ‘The Selfish Giant’?
or What does the story ‘The Selfish Giant’s teach?

Ans: Introduction: ‘The Selfish Giant’ is a story of a selfish Giant. He represents evil.

His selfishness and hatred: When the Giant saw little children playing in his garden, his selfishness, hatred and evil came to the fore. He cried in a very gruff voice, ” What are you doing there?”The children ran away. He said, “My own garden is my own garden. I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.” The Giant was punished: Nature punished the Giant for his too much selfishness and hatred. The spring did not come to his garden. The Snow, the Frost, North Wind and Hail visited his garden. And there was winter all the time. There was no blossom on his trees. They bore no fruit on autumn.

Change of heart: One day somehow the children had crept in his garden through a little hole in the wall. The Giant saw that there was a little child in every tree. The trees had blossoms. The birds were flying and singing there. He saw there was still winter in one corner. A little boy was standing there. He was so small that he could not climb the tree. The Giant’s heart melted as he saw the child. He said, “How selfish I have been! Now I know why the spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree. I will knock down the wall. My garden shall be the children’s play ground for ever and ever. The Giant put the little boy up into the tree. He kissed the Giant. From that day the Giant began to play with the children. All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him goodbye. The Giant was rewarded: That little boy was Infant Jesus. One day he came to the Giant’s garden and took him to his garden that is Paradise.

Conclusion: Affection overcame hatred. Selfishness gave way to large heart. Finally it was the victory of good over evil. The story teaches us: “We should not be selfish. We should share our prosperity with the poor. We should love the little children. We should not bear ill-will towards others.”

2- Discuss how the selfish giant changed into a children-loving person?

Ans: Introduction: ‘The Selfish Giant’ changed into a children-loving person by a little child. When he stoped the children to play in his garden and built a high wall around it. Then the children did not play in the garden so spring did not come in his garden because there was no children. The frost, the snow,, North wind, Hail etc. lived there.

Change of heart: One day somehow the children had crept in his garden through a little hole in the wall. The Giant saw that there was a little child in every tree. The trees had blossoms. The birds were flying and singing there. He saw there was still winter in one corner. A little boy was standing there. He was so small that he could not climb the tree. The Giant’s heart melted as he saw the child. He said, “How selfish I have been! Now I know why the spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree. I will knock down the wall. My garden shall be the children’s play-ground for ever and ever.” The Giant put the little boy up into the tree. He kissed the Giant. From that day the Giant began to play with the children. All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him goodbye.

Conclusion: This affection overcame hatred and Giant loved the children very much. The Giant missed a lot the little child who loved him.

3- Describe the story ‘The Selfish Giant’ in your own words.

Ans: Introduction: It is a story of the selfish Giant. He had a large and lovely garden, children played in it every afternoon when they came from school.

Giant’s selfishness: When he came back after seven years visiting his friend the Cornish, he saw the children playing in the garden. He cried in a very rough voice, “What are you doing there?” The children ran away. He built a high wall around it. He put up a notice-board, “Trespassers will be Prosecuted.” He was a very selfish Giant. The poor children had now no place to play.

The Giant’s punishment: Nature could not tolerate the selfish behaviour of the Giant. The spring came. But it did not go to his garden. It was still winter in his garden. The snow covered up the grass. The frost painted all the trees silver. The North Wind came and roared all day around the garden. The Hail came. He rattled on the roof of his castle.

The change of heart: One morning the Giant heard a little linnet singing outside his window. A delicious perfume came to him through the open window. He looked out. He saw a most wonderful sight. Children had crept in the garden through a little hole. The Giant saw that a little child was sitting in every tree. Trees were covered with blossoms. The birds were flying and singing. He saw a little boy standing in the farthest corner of the garden. He was so small that he could not climb the tree. He was weeping bitterly. The Giant’s heart melted. He said’ “How selfish I have been!” He opened the front door and went out into the garden. The children saw him. They ran away. Only the little boy did not run. The Giant put him up into the tree. And the tree blossomed at once. The little boy flung his arms round the Giant’s neck, and kissed him. When the other children saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, they came running back. The Giant said, “It is your garden now, little children.”

The Giant’s reward: One day the Giant saw that little boy who kissed him was standing under a tree. When the Giant saw wounds in his hands and feet, he was red in anger. He asked who dared so. The little boy said, “These are the wounds of love.” The Giant asked him,” Who are thou?” The child smiled on the Giant. He said, “You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.” When the children came that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree.

Conclusion: We learn from the story that selfishness is the greatest evil.

4- Give a character-sketch of the Giant.

Ans: Introduction: The Giant is a fantastical creature depicted directly by the narrator. He is the protagonist as well as the wicked person of the story. In the beginning of the story we can find him as a selfish person but in the second part of the story we found him as a kind and virtues person.

Characteristic: He is selfish and egoistic as he did not want the children to play in his garden. He said, “My own garden is my own garden”. And built a high wall all around it and placed a notice-board to keep away the neighbourhood children from playing there. He also seems to appreciate beauty because he loves his garden as it was beautiful. He was very sad when the seasons did not change and all he gets to see is snow instead of blooming flowers. His love for beautiful things is also clear when he gets excited about hearing a bird chirping, which sounds to him like “lovely music.” He is kind and generous. Once his “heart melts,” he goes through a total change. He tells the children it is “your garden now,” and uses his strength to knock down the wall he built. He invites the children and even joins them while playing in the garden. Even when he gets too old to play with them, he loves to watch children enjoy his garden.
He is caring as he asks about the little boy to everyone and waited for his little friend.

5- How did the Selfish Giant come to realize his selfishness?

Ans: Introduction: One morning the Giant heard a little linnet singing outside his window. A delicious perfume came to him through the open window.

The change of heart: The Giant looked out of the window. He saw a most wonderful sight. Children had crept in the garden through a little hole. The Giant saw that a little child was sitting in every tree. Trees were covered with blossoms. The birds were flying and singing. He saw a little boy standing in the farthest corner of the garden. He was so small that he could not climb the tree. He was weeping bitterly. The Giant’s heart melted. He said, “How foolish I have been!”

His activities then: The Giant opened the front door and entered the garden. The children saw him. They were frightened. They ran away. Only the little boy did not run. The Giant put him up into the tree. And the tree blossomed at once. The little boy flung his arms round the Giant’s neck, and kissed him. When the other children saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, they came running back. The Giant said, “It is your garden now, little children!” His feelings: The Giant realized his mistake. He took a great axe and knocked down the wall.
Conclusion: When the people were going to market at twelve o’clock, they found the Giant playing with the children.

6- Who was the little boy and how could the Giant identify him?

Ans: Introduction: One day, the Giant saw a little boy in the farthest corner of the garden. He was so small that he could not climb the tree. He put the little boy up into the tree. The child became very happy and he kissed the Giant.

The little boy: The little boy was an Angel. He changed the heart of the Giant and affection overcame hatred. He played with the Giant and kissed him. The Giant finally realized his mistake and allowed all the other children to play in his garden. Giant identify little boy: After a long time, the Giant saw the little boy and he ran to meet him. When he came close to the child, he saw the child’s plam was wounded and he became angry to see that and asks him to tell him who has wounded him. The child gave a surprizing answer and the Giant bent on his knees. The child told him that he wanted to take him to his garden which is called Paradise.

Short Answer Type Questions

Answer each of the following questions in about 30 words:

1- State a brief description of Giant’s garden.
Ans: It was a large and lovely garden with soft green grass. There were twelve peach trees that bloomed in spring and bore fruits in autumn. The birds sat on the trees and sang sweetly.

2- Why did the Giant build a high wall around his garden and put up a notice-board?

Ans: When the Giant returned from his friend’s house, he saw children playing in his garden. In order to stop the children from entering the garden he built a high wall round his garden and put a notice-board as trespassers will be prosecuted.

3- Why did the Spring not come to the Giant’s garden?

Ans: The Giant build high wall around his garden and put a notice-board so that the children could not play in his garden. This selfishness of the Giant made spring very angry and it did not come to the Giant’s garden.

4- Where was Giant taken after his death?
Ans: The Giant grew old. His evil spirit was defeated. He had turned into a nice fellow. One morning he saw that little child was standing in the same corner of the garden. He went to the child. The child was not an ordinary child. The child took him to his garden ‘Paradise’.

5- Why did Giant grow angry to see the little boy?
Ans: The Giant grew angry to see wounds on the palms and feet of the little boy. But the boy was an angel. He told him that those wounds were of love.

6- What was the Giant’s reaction now?
Ans: After asking the little boy about his wounds, the Giant realized that he is not an ordinary child. He knelt down before the child.

7- When did the Spring came again into the garden?

Ans: When the Giant became kind and he opened the front door, broke the high wall so that children can play in the garden then the Spring came again.

8- What was his reward?

Ans: His reward was that he was taken to the Paradise after death. One day, the little boy who was Angel came to the Giant’s garden and took him to his garden that was Paradise.

Appreciating the Story

A. Choose the most suitable option:

1- Who did change the Giant’s heart?
(i) a little child (ii) a little dog (iii) a man (iv) none
ans – (i) a little child

2- The Giant loved the little child the most because:
(i) he was very innocent.
(ii) he was too little to sit in the tree.
(iii) he has kissed the giant
(iv) he was his child
Ans – (iii) he has kissed the giant

important question

Q.1 why didthe spring not come to Giant’s garden ? Describe the condition of the garden then.
Ans – Introduction The selfish Giant erected a high wall around his garden to stop the children from playing there. he put a notice board to this effect.
Nature was angtry: The spring came all over the country but in the garden of selfish Giant there was still winter. The birds did not sing in the garden because there were no children. and the tree forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again.

Inmates of the garden: The only people who were pleased were the snow and the frost. They cried that they would live there all the year around. The snow covered up the grass. The frost painted all the trees silver. The North Wind came and roared all day about the garden. The Hail came. It rattled on the roof of his castle and broke most of the slates. Then it ran round the garden. The autumn gave golden fruits to every garden, but to the Giant’s garden it gave none. It said, “He is too selfish”.

Conclusion: The selfish Giant could not understand why the spring was so late in coming when he used to look out at his cold white garden.

2- What punishment did the Selfish Giant get for his unfair behaviour with the little children? How happy he was after making amends?
Ans: Introduction: The selfish Giant erected a high wall around his garden and put a notice board so that none can enter and play in his garden.

The Giant was punished: Nature punished the Giant for his too much selfishness and hatred. The spring did not come to his garden. The snow, the Frost, North Wind and Hail visited his garden. And there was winter all the time. There was no blossom on his trees. They bore no fruit in autumn.

His feelings: He was very happy and he opened his garden for all. The children come to play in the garden daily and when the Giant grew old he used to sit and watch the children playing.

Conclusion: Affection overcame hatred. Selfishness gave way to large heart. Finally it was the victory of good over evil. The story teaches us: “We should not be selfish. We should share our prosperity with the poor. We should love the little children. We should not bear ill-will towards others.”