THE LITTLE GIRL BY KATHERINE MANSFIELD
CLASS-IX ENGLISH
TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer: Kezia had a very strict father, and she was scared of him. At home, he always ordered everyone around. He worked a lot at the office and never made time to play or talk with her. She felt nervous when he looked at her over his glasses. Even the way he looked scared her. He had big hands, a serious face, and a wide mouth that looked even bigger when he yawned.
2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer: Kezia had a small family consisting of her mother, father, grandmother, and herself.
3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine
(i) Before going to his office?
Answer: Kezia's father used to go to her room to give her a casual kiss before going to the office.
(ii) After coming back from his office?
Answer: Kezia's father wanted tea in the living room when he came back from work. He told Kezia to take off his boots and asked his mother to bring him the newspaper and slippers.
(iii) On Sundays?
Answer: On Sundays, Kezia's father would sleep peacefully on the sofa. He would lie down, cover his face with a handkerchief, rest his feet on some cushions, and slowly fall asleep.
4. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer: Kezia’s grandmother wanted her to talk more with her parents, especially her father and get closer to him. She told Kezia to spend time with them in the drawing-room and suggested she make a nice pin cushion using yellow silk as a birthday gift for her father.
5. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer: Kezia’s grandmother told her to talk more with her father so they could get closer. One Sunday, she sent Kezia to the drawing-room to spend time with him. But instead of talking to her, her father got annoyed by her presence and called her a "little brown owl."
For her father's birthday, the grandmother suggested she make a yellow silk pincushion as a gift. After sewing three sides, Kezia looked for something to stuff it with and found some papers. But those papers turned out to be an important speech for the Port Authority. Her father got very angry, scolded her for touching the papers, and hit her hand with a ruler.
6. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer: Kezia compared her father to the Mr. Macdonald who lived next door. That man was kind, loving, and forgiving. He was friendly with his children and often played 'tag' with them in the evening. He seemed very different from Kezia’s father. Unlike him, Mr. Macdonald never scolded or punished his kids. But Kezia’s father was strict and believed in discipline.
7. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer: One night, Kezia had a bad dream that scared her a lot. She started crying because she was so frightened. When she woke up, she saw her father standing next to her bed with a candle. He asked her what was wrong. After she told him about her nightmare, he blew out the candle, picked her up in his arms, and took her to the big bedroom. He placed her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and lay down beside her.
After a while, still feeling sleepy, Kezia moved closer to him, rested her head under his arm, and held his shirt tightly. Now she felt safe and calm. Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs to warm them up. At that moment, Kezia understood that her father was not as strict or unkind as she had thought. She realized that he worked hard all day and was very tired, which is why he didn’t have time to play with her. Deep inside, he was a kind and loving person. Moreover, this made her understand him better, and she told him that he had a "big heart."
EXTRA ANSWERS
1. Why did Kezia stutter in her father's presence?
Answer: Kezia’s father was strict and often scolded her, which made her lose confidence. She felt nervous and wanted to say the right things to make him happy. Because of this pressure, she would stutter when speaking to him.
2. Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant?
Answer: Kezia thought her father was like a giant because he had very big hands and a thick neck. His mouth looked huge, especially when he yawned. Also, his strict and unfriendly behavior made the little girl feel he was like a giant.
3. Why was there a hue and cry in Kezia’s house at night before her father’s birthday?
Answer: No one knew that Kezia had accidentally torn up the papers that had her father's important speech for the Port Authority. She had put the pieces inside a pin-cushion, which was meant to be a surprise birthday gift for her father. The noise and panic that night were because those papers were missing.
4. Who were Kezia’s neighbours? What did she observe about them?
Answer: The Macdonalds lived next door to Kezia. She saw that Mr. Macdonald was playful 'tags' in the evening and happy with his children. He laughed when they sprayed water on him with a hose. He ran around the garden with his little son, Mao, on his shoulders and his two young daughters holding on to his coat pockets.
5. Why was Kezia left alone in the house with the cook Alice?
Answer: One day, Kezia’s mother suddenly became sick and had to be taken to the hospital. Her grandmother also went with her to take care of her there. So, Kezia was left at home, and Alice, their cook, was given the job of looking after the little girl while the elders were away.
6. What kind of dreams did Kezia have?
Answer: Kezia often had terrible and scary dreams. In her nightmares, she saw a butcher holding a knife and a rope. He came closer and closer to her with a scary smile, while she stood frozen with fear.
7. What is the message of the story 'A Little Girl'?
Answer: Kezia thought her father was a cruel giant. She was scared of him and often stammered when he was around. His strict words made her feel unlucky. But later, she realized that her father did have kind and loving feelings. Behind his tough appearance, he truly loved and cared for her. Thus, the message in the story is that our parents may be strict with us but they always love us.
8. Write a short character-sketch of Kezia’s father.
Answer: Kezia’s father has big hands, a big neck, and a big mouth. At first, he seems like a very strict and unkind person. He doesn’t speak gently to Kezia and never plays with her. One day, Kezia tears up his important speech by mistake, and he beats her hard. This makes her feel scared of him.
But in reality, her father is not a cruel man. He has a kind heart. One night, Kezia wakes up crying because of a bad dream. Her father comes to her, picks her up, and takes her to his room. He lets her sleep next to him. At that moment, Kezia feels her father’s love. She understands that her father works very hard and comes home tired. That’s why he doesn’t play or talk much. Earlier, she thought he didn’t love her. But in the end, she realizes how much he really does.
9. Write in your own words the relationship between Kezia and her father.
Answer: Kezia’s relationship with her father was not very warm. He was a strict man who believed in discipline. As the head of the family, he expected everyone to obey him, including little Kezia. He often scolded her for looking sad or for stammering when she spoke. Every evening, she had to take off his shoes and put them outside when he came home from work. Once, she accidentally tore some important papers of his, and he punished her without listening to her side of the story. He didn’t understand that she was only trying to make something special for him. Because of his harsh behavior, Kezia became very scared of him. She tried to avoid him and felt comfortable only when he wasn’t around. To her, he seemed like a giant—someone scary and unkind. After he beat her with a ruler, she even wondered why God made fathers.
But everything changed at the end of the story. One night, Kezia was frightened by a bad dream and found herself all alone. Her father came to her, picked her up gently, and took her to his room. He tucked her in bed, lay beside her, and comforted her like a caring parent. For the first time, Kezia saw a soft and loving side of her father. She understood that he really did love her and had a kind heart.
10. Every father loves his child, even if he doesn’t always show it. Explain this with reference to the story “The Little Girl.”
Answer: Fathers are not all the same. Some play with their children, while others show love by caring for them and working hard to give them a good life. Many fathers don’t show their love openly, but they still love their children deeply. Kezia’s father was one of those fathers. He didn’t show his love by hugging or playing, but by trying to give her a better future. When Kezia tore his papers by mistake, he punished her strictly. But later, we see that he really did care for her. So, it’s true that all fathers love their children, but each one shows it in a different way. Even when they are strict, it is often their way of showing love.
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