NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 8 A Short Monsoon Diary

Comprehension Check (Page 111)

Question 1:
Why is the author not able to see Bijju?
Answer:
The author could not see Bijju because of the mist that concealed the hills. He could only hear his voice but could not see him.

Question 2:
What are the two ways in which the hills appear to change when the mist comes up?
Answer:
When the mist comes up, it covers the hills and spreads silence.

Comprehension Check (Page 113)

Question 1:
When does the monsoon season begin, and when does it end? How do you prepare to face the monsoon?
Answer:
The monsoon season in Mussorie begins from June 24/25. By August 2, the people are fed up with rain. It ends by August 31. Then begins winter rains which end by late March. We take out our rain coats and umbrellas to face the monsoon.

Question 2:
Which hill-station does the author describe in this diary entry?
Answer:
According to the diary entry, the author describes the beautiful and mesmerizing hill station named Mussoorie.

Question 3:
For how many days does it rain without stopping? What does the author do on these days?
Answer:
It rains non-stop for eight or nine days. The author keeps pacing the room and looking out of the window.

Question 4:
Where do the snakes and rodents take shelter? Why?
Answer:
Snakes and rodents come out of their holes and burrows and they take shelter in roofs, attics and godowns to save themselves from getting wet in the rain water.

Question 5:
What did the author receive in the mail?
Answer:
The author received a cheque in the mail.

Working with the text (Page 114)

Question 1:
Look carefully at the diary entries for June 24-25, August 2 and March 23. Now write down the changes that happen as the rains progress from June to March.
Answer:
Rains in Mussoorie begin in June and end by March. June 24 is the first day of monsoon mist which covered the hills and spreads silence. On August 2 it rained all night and made sleeping difficult. By late March ends winter as well as the rains.

Question 2:
Why did the grandmother ask the children not to kill the Chuchundar?
Answer:
The grandmother asked the children not to kill the Chuchundar because this animal is considered to be lucky and brings in good fortune and money.

Question 3:
What signs do we find in Nature which show that the monsoons are about to end?
Answer:
By the end of the monsoon the greenery is at its peak. The seeds of the cobra lily turn red. A rainbow is formed in the sky.

Question 4:
Complete the following sentences.
(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because __________________.
(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as __________________.
(iii) The leopard was successful in __________________ but had to flee when __________________.
(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because __________________.
(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when __________________.
(vi) During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because __________________________.
Answer:

(i) Bijju is not seen but his voice is heard because the dense mist conceals the hills and the surroundings.

(ii) The writer describes the hill station and valley as a paradise that might have been.

(iii) The leopard was successful in attacking one of Bijju’s cows but had to flee when Bijju’s mother arrived and screamed imprecations.

(iv) The minivets are easily noticed because of their bright colours.

(v) It looks like a fashion display on the slopes when ground orchids, mauve lady’s slipper and the white butterfly orchids bloom.

(vi) During the monsoon season, snakes and rodents are found in roofs and attics because they have been flooded out of their holes and burrows.

Question 5:
‘Although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.’
(i) Why has the writer used the word, ‘springing’?
(ii) How is the writer untouched by the rain?
(iii) How is the writer in touch with the rain at the same time?
Answer:
(i) The word ‘springing’ is used to show suddenness with which water starts leaking.
(ii) Because he is inside the room.
(iii) He hears the drumming of rain on the tin roof. He also looks out of the window to see the rains.

Question 6:
Mention a few things that can happen when there is endless rain for days together.
Answer:
A long spell of rain makes life miserable. One is closed up in his room. Everything becomes damp and soggy. Rodents, snakes and insects enter the house for shelter.

Question 7:
What is the significance of cobra lily in relation to the monsoon season, its beginning and end?
Answer:
At first cobra lily appears with the arrival of the monsoon. When the cobra seeds begin to turn red, it indicates the rains are coming to an end.

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