Answers to NCERT Questions

ORAL COMPREHENSION CHECK

1. What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?

Ans: Mr Petronski’s letter said that Wanda would not come to school anymore as they were shifting to another city. He also said that there nobody would ask them why they had funny names because there were plenty of funny names in the city.

2. Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset?

Ans: Yes, Miss Mason was unhappy and upset as she was disturbed by the illtreatment given to Wanda by the students of her class. She didn’t approve of the humiliation of a child just because of her name, dresses and house.

3. How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?

Ans: After listening to the note from Wanda’s father, Maddie had a very sick and guilty feeling in the bottom of her stomach. She could not concentrate when she tried to prepare her lessons. She had not enjoyed listening to Peggy asking Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet.

4. What does Maddie want to do?

Ans: Maddie wanted to tell Wanda that she didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

5. What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour? Why?

Ans: Peggy thought that she was satisfied that she never called Wanda a foreigner or made fun of her name. She also said that she never thought Wanda had even the sense to know that they were making fun of her. She realised her mistake of thinking that Wanda was not bright enough to understand her insult.

6. What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?

Ans: Maddie was feeling bad about Wanda and herself. She was feeling very sad for not even getting a chance to say sorry to Wanda.

7. Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress?

Ans: Wanda’s blue dress was old, faded but used to be neat and clean. Similarly, her house was a makeshift but clean. Therefore, it reminded Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress.

8. What does Maddie think hard about? What important decision does she come to?

Ans: Maddie thinks about not letting injustice happen to anyone. She vows that she would protest if anybody misbehaves with anyone. She won’t be a mute spectator the way she was earlier. In a way, the episode of Wanda’s family leaving that city works as a major change agent for Maddie’s personality.

9. What did the girls write to Wanda?

Ans: The girls wrote a friendly letter to Wanda telling her that she had won the contest. They also wrote how pretty her drawings were. They asked her if she liked the place where she was living and if she liked her new teacher. They wanted to say that they were sorry. However, they ended up with just writing a friendly letter. They signed it with lots of love.

10. Did they get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply, Peggy or Maddie? How do you know?

Ans: No, they did not get a reply. Maddie was more anxious for a reply as she thought a lot about it. She would put herself to sleep making speeches about Wanda and defending her from a great crowd of girls who were trying to tease her. Before Wanda could press her lips together in a tight line, which she did before answering, Maddie would cry out and ask everybody to stop and then everybody would feel ashamed the way she felt. Peggy, on the other hand, had begun to forget about the whole affair. This shows that Maddie was more anxious for a reply than Peggy.

11. How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they teased her?

Ans:The girls came to know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her as she had asked Miss Mason to give the green dress with red trimming to Peggy and the blue one to Maddie. Later, when Maddie looked at the drawing very carefully, she realised that the dress had a face and a head, which looked like her own self. The face and the head in the drawing given to Peggy looked just like Peggy. That is why, the girls knew that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her.

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

1. Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family?

Ans: Wanda’s family moved to different city because of her father. He felt bad about the behaviour of the girls towards Wanda.

2. Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right?

Ans: Yes, Maddie was right when she thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing because her silence encouraged Peggy to tease her. A person who sees something wrong happening in front of him/her is as much an offender as the person committing the offence.

3. Peggy says, “I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb? Did she change her opinion later?

Ans: Peggy believed that Wanda was dumb as she could not understand why Wanda said she had a hundred dresses, even when everyone knew that she was poor. She knew everybody was laughing at her. Even then, she kept on giving the same answer. She even described the dresses she said she had. That is why, Peggy thought Wanda was dumb.She changed her opinion later when she saw the hundred dresses Wanda had talked about. She saw the drawings and was highly impressed by their beauty. She realised that Wanda was a very good artist.

4. What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so?

Ans: The important decision that Maddie made was that she would never stand by and say nothing again. If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny-looking or because they had strange names, she would speak up. She did not even mind losing Peggy’s friendship over it. She knew she could not make things right with Wanda. However, she decided that in the future, she would never make anybody else unhappy again.

She was unhappy that she could not find Wanda at her home. She could not sleep that night. She thought about Wanda, her faded blue dress, and the little house she lived in. She also thought about the hundred glowing pictures, which were all lined up in the classroom. She was feeling guilty of not having said anything when everybody else was teasing Wanda. It was her guilt that made her think very hard and arrive at the important decision.

5. Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of her dresses? Why are they surprised?

Ans: Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of her dresses because they made fun of her hundred dresses. They believed her to be a liar. They were surprised because they always made fun of her dresses and insulted her, but she had gifted them with those beautiful designs.

6. Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her? Why or why not?

Ans:Yes, Wanda knew that girls were teasing her. She would have known that the children intended to make fun of her poverty, and would have laughed at her whatever she might have said. This could have been the reason for her exaggerating everything whenever she answered their questions.

What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.

1. Peggy __________________

Ans:Peggy; sarcastic, cheerful, contented

2. Wanda _________________

Ans:Wanda; kind, timid, introverted, generous, talented, lonely, creative

3. Maddie ________________

Ans:Maddie; kind, timid, sensitive, miserable

Additional Questions

Extract Based Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow: (4 Marks each)

1. While the class was circling the room, the monitor from the principal’s office brought Miss Mason a note. Miss Mason read it several times and studied it thoughtfully for a while. Then she clapped her hands.

“Attention, class. Everyone back to their seat.”

When the shuffling of feet had stopped and the room was still and quiet, Miss Mason said, “I have a letter from Wanda’s father that I want to read to you.”

Miss Mason stood there a moment and the silence in the room grew tense and expectant. The teacher adjusted her glasses slowly and deliberately. Her manner indicated that what was coming—this letter from Wanda’s father—was a matter of great importance. Everybody listened closely as Miss Mason read the brief note.

a) What happened when the class was circling the room?

b) Why did Miss Mason read the letter of Wanda’s father several times?

c) What happened when she said that she wanted to read the letter to the class?

d) How did Miss Mason treat the letter of Wanda’s father?

Ans:

a) The monitor from the principal’s office came and brought a note to Miss Mason.

b) She read it several times because it had important things about the class.

c) The shuffling of feet stopped and the room became calm and quiet.

d) She treated the letter as something very important.

2. A deep silence met the reading of this letter. Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief. Then she put them on again and looked at the class. When she spoke her voice was very low.

“I am sure that none of the boys and girls in Room Thirteen would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name happened to be a long, unfamiliar one. I prefer to think that what was said was said in thoughtlessness. I know that all of you feel the way I do, that this is a very unfortunate thing to have happened— unfortunate and sad, both. And I want you all to think about it.”

a) What happened when Miss Mason read the letter?

b) How did Miss Mason behave after reading the letter?

c) What did Miss Mason say about the hurting of anyone’s feelings?

d) What advice did she give to the class?

Ans:

a) There was a deep silence in the class.

b) She took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her handkerchief.

c) She said that it was ‘unfortunate and sad’ to hurt someone’s feeling.

d) She advised the class to think about the incident deeply.

3. The first period was a study period. Maddie tried to prepare her lessons, but she could not put her mind on her work. She had a very sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach. True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing. She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done. Worse. She was a coward. At least Peggy hadn’t considered they were being mean but she, Maddie, had thought they were doing wrong. She could put herself in Wanda’s shoes.

Goodness! Wasn’t there anything she could do? If only she could tell Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. She turned around and stole a glance at Peggy, but Peggy did not look up. She seemed to be studying hard. Well, whether Peggy felt bad or not, she, Maddie, had to do something. She had to find Wanda Petronski. Maybe she had not yet moved away.

a) Why Maddie had a sick feeling at the bottom of her stomach?

b) What had Maddie not enjoyed?

c) What did Maddie think about Peggy’s making fun of Wanda?

d) What did Maddie think about Wanda?

Ans:

a) Maddie could not put her mind on her work because she felt bad that Peggy had been mocking at Wanda.

b) She had not enjoyed Peggy’s asking Wanda about her dresses.

c) Maddie thought that it was all wrong.

d) She thought that she would find out Wanda and feel sorry before her. 4. “I think that’s where the Petronskis live,” said Maddie, pointing to a little white house. Wisps of old grass stuck up here and there along the pathway like thin kittens. The house and its sparse little yard looked shabby but clean. It reminded Maddie of Wanda’s one dress, her faded blue cotton dress, shabby but clean.

There was not a sign of life about the house. Peggy knocked firmly on the door, but there was no answer. She and Maddie went around to the backyard and knocked there. Still, there was no answer.

There was no doubt about it. The Petronskis were gone. How could they ever make amends?

They turned slowly and made their way back down the hill.

a) Why did Maddie and Peggy go to Wanda’s house?

b) How did Wanda’s house look?

c) What did Wanda’s house remind Maddie of?

d) Were Maddie and Peggy able to meet Wanda?

Ans:

a) They went to Wanda’s house to say sorry for what they had done to Wanda.

b) Wanda’s house looked shabby but clean.

c) Wanda’s house reminded Maddie of Wanda’s dress, her faded blue cotton dress.

d) No, they were not able to meet her as Wanda’s family had already moved to another city.

5. Maddie turned this idea carefully over in her head, for if there were anything in it she would not have to feel so badly. But that night she could not get to sleep. She thought about Wanda and her faded blue dress and the little house she had lived in. And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made—all lined up in the classroom. At last Maddie sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought. This was the hardest thinking she had ever done. After a long, long time, she reached an important conclusion.

She was never going to stand by and say nothing again.

If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny looking or because they had strange names, she’d speak up. Even if it meant losing Peggy’s friendship. She had no way of making things right with Wanda, but from now on she would never make anybody else that unhappy again.

a) Maddie could not sleep that night. What did she think about?

b) What did Maddie do at last?

c) What was the hardest thing she had ever done?

d) What decision did Maddie take that night?

Ans:

a) She thought Wanda and her faded blue dress and her little house.

b) She sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought about the matter.

c) Thinking was the hardest thing she had ever done.

d) She decided that from now onwards she would not make anybody unhappy again.

6. On Saturday Maddie spent the afternoon with Peggy. They were writing a letter to Wanda Petronski. It was just a friendly letter telling about the contest and telling Wanda she had won. They told her how pretty her drawings were. And they asked her if she liked where she was living and if she liked her new teacher. They had meant to say they were sorry, but it ended up with their just writing a friendly letter, the kind they would have written to any good friend, and they signed it with lots of X’s for love. They mailed the letter to Boggins Heights, writing ‘Please Forward’ on the envelope. Days passed and there was no answer, but the letter did not come back, so maybe Wanda had received it. Perhaps she was so hurt and angry she was not going to answer. You could not blame her.

a) To whom were Maddie and Peggy writing a letter?

b) What did they write to Wanda about her drawings?

c) What had they meant to write in the letter?

d) Did Maddie and Peggy get a reply to their letter?

Ans:

a) They were writing a letter to Wanda.

b) They wrote to her saying that her drawings were pretty.

c) They had meant to say that they were sorry.

d) No, they did not receive a reply to their letter.

Short Answer Questions (30-40 words: 2 Marks each)

1. Why did Jan Petronski write a letter to the teacher? Give two reasons.

Ans:Jan Petronski wrote a letter to Miss Mason, Wanda’s teacher, to inform her that Wanda and Jake would not come to school anymore as they had shifted to a big city.

He also made an indirect complaint. He wrote that no one would make fun of Wanda’s name and call her ‘Pollack’ because there would be many funny names and foreigners like her in a big city.

2. Why did Peggy and Maddie go to Boggins Heights? What did Maddie want to tell Wanda?

Ans: Maddie and Peggy went to Wanda’s house at Boggins Heights to find out whether Wanda was still there or left. If they found her there, they would tell her that she had won the contest and that she was smart and a hundred dresses were beautiful. They would also apologise to her for teasing her.

3. Why did Maddie and Peggy go to Wanda Petronski’s home?

Ans: Maddie and Peggy wanted to go to Wanda Petronski’s house at Boggins Heights to apologise to her for teasing her. They wanted to tell her that she had won the drawing competition and that she was smart and a hundred drawings of dresses were beautiful.

4. What important decision did Maddie make when she found that the Petronskis were gone? Why did she have to think a lot to do so?

Ans: The important decision Maddie took was that if ever she heard anyone picking on someone because of his/her looks or funny names, she would not stand by silently, instead she would speak up. She would never make anyone unhappy.

5. Which drawing did Wanda ask to give to Peggy?

Ans: Wanda wrote in the letter that she would like Peggy to have the drawing of the green dress with the red trimming.

6. Where had Maddie pinned Wanda’s drawing in her bedroom?

Ans: Maddie carried Wanda’s drawing carefully. She pinned her drawing over a torn place in the pink- flowered wallpaper in her bedroom. The shabby room came alive from the brilliance of the colours.

7. What did Wanda do for the dresses?

Ans: Wanda gave away a hundred dresses to the girls and blue as well as green to Maddie and Peggy, respectively.

8. Mention the important conclusion of Maddie.

Ans: Maddie was deeply troubled. She took up an important decision. She found that if anyone speaks unkindly, she would speak up. She would not make anybody unhappy again.

9. How did Peggy and Maddie find Wanda’s house at Boggins Heights?

Ans: They found that it was a little white house. Straws of old grass stuck up here and there along the pathway. The house and its little yard looked shabby but clean.

10. How was Room Thirteen decorated?

Ans:Room Thirteen was decorated with Christmas bells and a small tree.

Long Answer Questions (100-150 words: 8 Marks each)

1. The short excerpt highlights the sensitive story of a poor Polish girl who becomes the victim of discrimination. Peggy and Maddie did not want to befriend her because of her poor social status. How far do you agree to judge people on the basis of money, possessions and caste? Comment.

Ans: (i) It is absolutely wrong to judge people on the basis of money, possessions and caste. Wanda was a Polish girl at an American school. Her name sounded funny to the other students who made fun of her name. Peggy and other girls teased her about a hundred dresses which she claimed she had but wore the same faded blue dress. Fed up with her teasing, Wanda left the school and went to a big city.

(ii) Before leaving, she took part in the art competition and submitted a hundred drawings of different designs. They were so beautiful that all her classmates were wonderstruck. Peggy and Maddie not only realised their mistake but were also impressed by her talent. They felt guilty for their behaviour. Hence, one should actually know a person’s behaviour, talent and nature before befriending him. One should not judge others with their status.

2. How did Maddie feel when she and Peggy could not find Wanda? What important conclusion did Maddie reach then?

Ans: When Maddie and Peggy did not find Wanda at Boggins Heights, Maddie felt much disturbed. The whole night, she kept thinking about Wanda, the way they used to make fun of her, her drawings of hundred dresses, her faded blue dress and the little house they lived in. She thought hard and made a resolution. From then onwards, she would never stand by and remain silent if anyone made fun of or treated someone unkindly for her or his funny name or looks. She would speak up. She was ready to lose Peggy’s friendship on that point.

3. ‘Though Peggy and Maddie made fun of Wanda, she gifted them her special drawings.’ In the light of this statement, write a character sketch of Wanda Petronski.

Ans: Wanda Petronski was a Polish girl at an American school. Her name sounded unfamiliar to other students who made fun of her name. They also teased her by asking her about her hundred dresses which she claimed she had but wore the same faded blue dress every day. She never felt embarrassed or cried. She was cool-headed and tolerant. When others thought she was lying about having a hundred dresses, she knew that she was truthful as she did have a hundred dresses but only the drawings and not the real ones. And she proved that she was right when she submitted them for the contest.

Wanda had gifted two of her special drawings—a green dress with red ash to Peggy and a blue dress with colourful trimming to Maddie with their faces on the respective drawings. This showed that she liked them in spite of their teasing her. Gifting those drawings to them was also her way of making them realise their mistake. She was a large-hearted, understanding, forgiving, talented and intelligent girl.

4. Give the character sketch of Peggy.

Ans: Peggy was a rich, pretty girl with curly hair. She was the most-liked girl in her class. She had many beautiful dresses. She was intelligent, good in studies, scored good marks and sat in the front row. She could understand the hidden message of Wanda’s gifts that she liked her and Maddie, and was not angry with them for teasing her. At times, she seemed bossy, and dominated Maddie who was her close friend. She loved fun and enjoyed teasing Wanda, playing the game of hundred dresses with her.

She was not crud as she would cry for hours if she saw any animal being mistreated.

She was a self-righteous girl. She thought she did nothing wrong by teasing Wanda. She never even made fun of her name or called her a foreigner.

5. Give the character sketch of Maddie.

Ans: Maddie was the classmate of Peggy and poor Wanda. She was Peggy’s inseparable friend. Both were always seen together. She used to wear hand-me-down clothes, mostly of Peggy with a little innovation.

She did not like Peggy making fun of Wanda. She used to feel uncomfortable; perhaps it reminded her of her own poverty.

She was not courageous. Once she wrote a note to Peggy asking her to stop teasing Wanda but tore it. She was afraid that Peggy and other girls would make her the next target.

She had a high opinion about Peggy. She thought that the most-liked girl could never do something really wrong. She also thought that Peggy would win the art contest.

She was sensitive and emotional. Many nights before sleeping, she would give imaginary speeches defending Wanda when others teased her.

6. What did Wanda’s father write in his letter? How did Maddie feel after listening to that letter?

Ans: In his letter, Wanda’s father had informed Miss Mason that Wanda would not come to the school any more. They were moving to a big city. In that city, nobody would consider her name funny and laugh at her. The entire class became silent and felt bad about Wanda. Miss Mason understood their feelings. She told them that no one should hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name was long or funny. She said that what had happened in the school about Wanda was bad. Maddie listened to what Miss Mason said about Wanda. She could not concentrate on her studies. She had a sick feeling. It was true that she had never made fun of Wanda herself. But at the same time, she had not objected Peggy asking Wanda about her dresses. She felt that she was a coward.

7. What did Maddie decide to do after listening to the letter from Wanda’s father?

Ans: Maddie wondered if she could do anything. She wanted to meet Wanda and tell her that she had never meant to hurt her feelings. She made up her mind to go to her house and tell Wanda that she had won the contest and her hundred dresses were beautiful. She decided that she would find out Wanda Petronski. She and Peggy would go to her house to meet her. When school was over, Maddie told Peggy to go to Wanda’s house. They walked towards her colony. On the way, Peggy said that she had never called Wanda a foreigner. She always thought that Wanda was a dumb girl. She never imagined that Wanda could sense the girls had been making fun of her. Maddie said nothing. She just wanted to meet Wanda and tell her that they were sorry for their rude treatment. She would request her not to move away.

8. What did Peggy and Maddie write to Wanda? What happened on the last day of the school before Christmas?

Ans:Peggy and Maddie wrote a letter to Wanda. They praised Wanda’s drawings. They wrote to her that she had won the contest. A number of days passed, but there was no answer from Wanda. Peggy had begun to forget the whole incident. Maddie tried to sleep at night making speeches about Wanda. Then it was Christmas time. On the last day of the school, Miss Mason received a letter from Wanda. She showed the letter to the class and read it. Wanda had written that the girls could keep those hundred dresses because in her new house she had hundred new ones. She had gifted the green dress with the red trimmings to Peggy. She wrote that Maddie could have the blue dress. She wished Merry Christmas to all. They accepted the drawings. On the way home, Peggy and Maddie held their drawings very carefully.