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Chapter 9: The Tale of Custard the Dragon
📖 Poem
Class 10
✍️ Ogden Nash
NCERT First Flight
📖 Chapter Summary
This is a humorous narrative poem about a little girl Belinda and her pets — a kitten, a mouse, a dog, and a dragon named Custard. Custard is always crying for a safe cage, so everyone calls him a coward. But when a pirate attacks, all the brave animals hide, and only Custard the dragon fights the pirate and saves everyone.
📖 NCERT Chapter — First Flight
✅ NCERT Exercise Solutions
🎤
Comprehension Check
4 Q
Q1.
Who was Belinda?
Ans: A little girl who lived in a little white house with her pets.
Q2.
Name Belinda's pets.
Ans: Ink (kitten), Blink (mouse), Mustard (dog), and Custard (dragon).
Q3.
Why was Custard called a coward?
Ans: Because he always cried for a safe cage.
Q4.
Who saved Belinda from the pirate?
Ans: Custard the dragon fought the pirate bravely.
📝
Thinking about the Poem
2 Q
Q1.
What is the theme?
Ans: True courage shows up in difficult times.
Q2.
What is the irony?
Ans: The animals who bragged about being brave all hid, while the 'coward' Custard fought.
📝
Literary Devices
3 Q
Q1.
Identify rhyme scheme.
Ans: AABB or ABAB with rhythmic flow.
Q2.
Identify alliteration.
Ans: 'Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears' — repetition of 'b'.
Q3.
Identify similes.
Ans: 'Brave as a barrel full of bears', 'sharp as mustard'.
❓ Important Questions
Q1. Who was the real hero in the poem?
Custard the dragon, despite being called a coward, fought the pirate and saved everyone.
Q2. What lesson does the poem teach?
Real bravery is shown in action, not in words.
📄 Previous Year Questions (PYQ)
Board exam mein pichle saalon mein aaye questions — practice ke liye best.
2024
Q1. Why was Custard called a coward?
Because he always cried for a safe cage.
2023
Q2. Who actually fought the pirate?
Custard the dragon fought the pirate and saved Belinda.
2022
Q3. What is the moral of the poem?
True courage shows up in difficult times.
🤖 AI Teacher — Bilingual Chapter Audio
सुनो AI शिक्षिका से
English में पढ़ेगी + Hindi में समझाएगी — बिल्कुल असली teacher की तरह
The poem is about Belinda and her pets.
यह कविता बेलिंडा और उसके पालतू जानवरों के बारे में है।
Belinda had a kitten, a mouse, a dog, and a dragon.
बेलिंडा के पास बिल्ली, चूहा, कुत्ता और ड्रैगन था।
Custard the dragon was always afraid.
कस्टर्ड ड्रैगन हमेशा डरता था।
Everyone called him a coward.
सब उसे डरपोक कहते थे।
But when a pirate attacked, only Custard fought bravely.
लेकिन जब समुद्री डाकू ने हमला किया, तो केवल कस्टर्ड ने बहादुरी से लड़ा।
True courage shows up in difficult times.
सच्चा साहस कठिन समय में दिखता है।