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I ย Want Something in a
Cage

L.E.
Greeve

Comprehension Check (Page No: 38)
1. Write โ€˜Trueโ€™ or โ€˜Falseโ€™ against each
of following statements.

(i) Mr Purcell sold birds, cats,
dogs and monkeys.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  True
(ii) He was very concerned about the well-being of the birdsย and animals
in his shop.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  False
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought the twoย doves. ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  False
(iv) He was a successful shopowner, though insensitive and coldย as a
person. False

2. Why is Mr Purcell compared to an owl?

Answer– Mr Purcell compared to an owl because large
glasses magnified his eyes which gives him the appearance of a wise and genial
owl.

3. From the third paragraph pick out

(i) words associated with cries of birds,

Words- whispered
twitters, cheeps, squeaks

(ii) words associated with noise,

Words- Rustling,
squeals, squeaks

(iii) words suggestive of confusion and fear.

Words- frantic,
frightened, bewildered, blindly seeking.

Page No: 39

4. “…Mr. ย Purcell heard it no more than he would have
heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock.” (Read para beginning
with “It was a rough day…”)

(i) What does ‘it’ refer to?

Answer- ‘It’ refers to
the chirping, squeaking and mewing of the birds and animals in the shop of Mr
Purcell.

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(ii) Why does Mr Purcell not hear ‘it’ clearly?

Answer- Mr Purcell not hear ‘it’ clearly because he
heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar
clock.and pay no attention to it as it was a daily routine.ย 

Page No: 42

Comprehension Check

1. Do you think the atmosphere of Mr Purcellโ€™s shop was
cheerful or depressing? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer– The atmosphere of Mr Purcellโ€™s shop was
depressing because a constant stir of movement pervaded his shop andย the
animals and birds were making a lot of noise seems like they are not happy in
their cages.ย 

2. Describe the stranger who came to the pet shop. What did
he want?

Answer– The stranger was peculiar man who was
wearing shiny shoes and cheap, ill-fitted but a new suit.He had a
shuttlingย glance and close-cropped hair. He wanted something small in a
cage with wings.

3. (i) The man insisted on buying the doves because he was
fond of birds. Do you agree?

Answer– ย No, the man didn’t insisted on buying
doves because he was fond of birds. He didn’t asked for the birds directly
instead he said that he wanted anything with wings in a cage. This shows that
he had sympathy for the birds and wanted to see them flying.

(ii) How had he earned the five dollars he had?

Answer-He earned those five dollars by doing hard
labour in jail in his ten years of imprisonment.

4. Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of
the doves he had bought? If not, why not?

Answer– The stranger was not interested in the care
and feeding of the doves because he wanted to set them free.

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Exercises

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?

Answer– In my opinion, I think that the man must had
set the doves free becauseย he himself had been in jail for ten years. He
had sympathy for the birds and knew the pain of being imprisoned against the
wishes. He wanted to see them flying and enjoy their freedom that is why he
bought something with the wings. He wanted to smell the happiness of freedom
from cages by setting the doves free.

2. Why did it make Mr Purcell feel โ€œvaguely insultedโ€?

Answer– Mr Purcell feel โ€œvaguely insultedโ€ the man
bought the doves from Purcellโ€™s shop for five dollars and then went outside to
set them free. It was Mr. Purcell who had kept these birds in cage and
restricted their freedom and the man spent his ten years income only to give
the doves freedom, so he felt more insulted.