Lesson-9 (poem)
The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Summary:
The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a ballad. The pome has humouric elements tells a story of a cowardly dragon named Custard. Custard is a pet of Belinda, a little girl who lives in a little white house with his pets. She had a black kitten named Ink. A grey moues named Blink , a yellow dog mustard and a cowardly dragon Custard. She was in lave with all of them . The poet says that all the pets are brave except the dragon custard. In the pome, the poet describes the pets as brave and compared them with another animals like bear, tiger or lion but the dragon is very timid. He always demands a safe place for himself. All the other pets make fun of him . But one night they are surprised by the enter of a pirate in the house. All of them get frightened and start hiding here and there. But to everyone’s surprise , the dragon not only tackles him but also eats him up. As Mustard of them are sued by Custard, they tank him, Then all the in love pets realised that though Custard is timid in nature but he is also intelligent and brave who as all their lives. So they thought it is not good to make fun of him for his timid nature. Here the poet wants to say his reader that no one should be treated miserably irrespective of his or her nature because everyone have other special Quality like the coward and timid dragon Custard who fight with the pirate and save the lives 0f other pets and Belinda..
āĻŽূāϞāĻাā§ąঃ
‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ āĻāĻ āĻĒ্ā§°āĻাā§°ā§° āĻŦেāϞাāĻĄ āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻুāĻšুāϤীā§াāĻাā§ąে āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোā§° āĻāĻĨা āĻোā§ąা āĻšৈāĻে । āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āĻŦেāϞিāύ্āĻĻাā§° āĻāĻা āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻāύ, āϝিā§ে āĻāĻা āĻŦāĻা ā§°āĻā§° āϏ⧰ু āĻā§°ā§° āύিāĻā§° āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া āĻāύ্āϤুāĻŦোā§°ā§° āϞāĻāϤ āĻĨাāĻে । āϤাāĻā§° āĻংāĻ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻāĻা āĻ’āϞা āĻŽেāĻুā§°ী āĻĒোā§ąাāϞী āĻŦ্āϞিংāĻ āύাāĻŽā§° āύিāĻāύি, āĻŽাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻāĻা āĻšাāϞāϧীā§া āĻুāĻā§°, āĻā§°ু āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻāĻা āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻāύ āĻāĻিāϞ । āϤাāĻ āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§°āĻে āĻŦā§° āĻাāϞ āĻĒাāĻāĻিāϞ । āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻৈāĻে āϝে āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻĒোāĻšāĻŖীā§া āĻāύ্āϤু āĻŦā§° āϏাāĻšāϏী āĻŽাāϤ্ā§° āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোā§° āĻŦাāĻšিā§°ে । āĻāĻŦিā§ে āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻĒোāĻšāĻŖীā§া āĻāύ্āϤুāĻ āĻŦাāĻ, āĻাāϞুāĻ, āϏিংāĻš āĻāĻĻিā§° āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°িāĻে āĻিāύ্āϤু āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻāύāĻো āĻŦā§° āĻļাāύ্āϤ āϏ্āĻŦāĻাā§ąā§° āĻāĻিāϞ । āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄে āϏāĻĻাā§ āύিāĻā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻāĻ āϏুā§°āĻ্āώিāϤ āĻ াāĻ āĻŦিāĻাā§°ি āĻĢুā§°িāĻিāϞ āĻŦাāĻী āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻāύ্āϤুā§ąে āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোāĻ āĻ াāĻ্āĻা āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ । āĻāĻĻিāύ āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻāύ্āϤুā§ąে āĻā§°ā§° āĻĒাāĻā§°েāĻ āϏোāĻŽোā§ąা āĻĻেāĻি āĻāĻā§°িāϤ āĻšৈāĻিāϞ । āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻā§ āĻাāĻ āϝ’āϤ āϤ’āϤ āϞুāĻাāĻāĻিāϞ । āĻিāύ্āϤু āϏāĻāϞোāĻে āϏ্āϤāĻŽ্āĻিāϤ āĻā§°ি āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄে āĻ āĻāϞে āĻĄāĻাāĻāϤāĻোā§° āϏāύ্āĻŽāĻীāύ āĻšৈāĻিāϞ āĻā§°ু āϤাāĻ āĻ āĻ্ā§°āĻŽāĻŖ āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ । āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄে āϏāĻāϞোāĻে āĻĄāĻাāĻāϤāĻোā§° āĻĒā§°া ā§°āĻ্āώা āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ āĻā§°ু āϏāĻāϞোā§ąে āϤাāĻ āϧāύ্āϝāĻŦাāĻĻ āĻĻিāĻিāϞ । āϤেāϤিā§া āϏāĻāϞোā§ąে āĻ āύুāĻā§ą āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ āϝে āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āϝāĻĻিāĻ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻāĻিāϞ āĻĒ্ā§°āĻৃāϤāϤে āϏি āϏাāĻšāϏী āĻāĻিāϞ āϝিā§ে āϏāĻāϞোāĻে āĻŦিāĻĒāĻĻā§° āĻĒā§°া ā§°āĻ্āώা āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ । āĻĻā§°াāĻāϞāϤে āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻ’āĻŦ āĻŦিāĻাā§°িāĻে āϝে āϏāĻāϞো āĻŽাāύুāĻšā§° āĻŦিāĻļেāώ āĻĻāĻ্āώāϤা āĻĨাāĻে āĻā§°ু āĻেāϤিā§াāĻ āĻāύ⧰ āĻĻূā§°্āĻŦāϞāϤাāĻ āϤিā§°āώ্āĻাā§° āĻā§°িāĻŦ āύাāĻĒাā§ ।
Thinking about the poem ( āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻŦিāώā§ে āĻাāĻŦা)
1. Who are the characters in this poem ? List them with their pet names.
āĻিāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻোāύāĻŦোā§° āĻā§°িāϤ্ā§° āĻāĻিāϞ ? āϏāĻāϞো āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া āĻāύ্āϤুā§° āύাāĻŽā§° āϤাāϞিāĻা āĻĒ্ā§°āϏ্āϤুāϤ āĻā§°া ।Ans: In this poem, the a characters are Belinda, a little. Girl and her pets; a little black kitten, a little grey moues , a little yellow dog , a little pet dragon and a pirate
|
Characlirs |
Pet Name |
|
Kitten |
Ink |
|
Moues |
Blink |
|
Dog |
Mustard |
|
Dragon |
Custard |
āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻĨāĻা āĻā§°িāϤ্ā§°āϏāĻŽূāĻš āĻš’āϞ āĻŦেāϞিāĻা āĻāĻāύী āĻāĻŖāĻŽাāĻŖি āĻোā§ąাāϞী, āĻā§°ু āϤাāĻā§° āĻĒোāĻšāĻŖীā§া āĻāύ্āϤুāĻŦোā§° āĻāĻিāϞ – āĻāĻা āĻ’āϞা āĻŽেāĻুā§°ী , āĻāĻা āύিāĻāύি , āĻāĻা āĻুāĻুā§° āĻāĻিāϞ ।
|
āĻā§°িāϤ্ā§° |
āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া
āĻāύ্āϤুāĻŦোā§°ā§° āύাāĻŽ |
|
āĻŽেāĻুā§°ী
āĻĒোā§ąাāϞী |
āĻংāĻ |
|
āύিāĻāύি |
āĻŦ্āϞিংāĻ |
|
āĻুāĻুā§° |
āĻŽাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ |
|
āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ |
āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ |
2. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage ? Why is the dragon called " cowardly dragon " ?
āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄে āĻিā§ āĻāĻা āϏুā§°āĻ্āώিāϤ āĻĒāĻাঁ āĻŦিāĻাā§°ি āĻাāύ্āĻĻিāĻিāϞে ? āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোāĻ āĻিā§ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻŦুāϞি āĻোā§ąা āĻšৈāĻিāϞ ?
Answer: Custard was very coward and get scared very easily; thus it cried for a nice safe cage.
Custard is called ‘’ cowardly dragon’’ because in comparison to the other pets of the house, Custard scared a let while other pets are brave.
āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āĻāĻ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ āĻāĻিāϞ āϝিā§ে āϏāĻāύাāĻ āĻā§ āĻাāĻāĻিāϞ āĻā§°ু āϏāĻĻাā§ āϏুā§°āĻ্āώিāϤ āĻ াāĻ āĻŦিāĻাā§°ি āĻĢুā§°িāĻিāϞ ।
āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄāĻ āĻāĻা āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ āĻŦুāϞি āĻৈāĻিāϞ āĻিā§āύো āϏি āĻŦাāĻীāĻŦোā§°āϤāĻৈ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻāĻিāϞ ।
3. " Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful ... " Why?
‘’āĻŦেāϞিāĻাāĻ āϤাāĻ āĻুāĻāĻুāĻাāĻ āĻĻিāĻেāϞে āĻāĻো āύāĻāĻŦাāĻৈ,’’ āĻিā§ ?
Answer: Tickling is an easy way to make people laugh, it always works on people who are a little soft. So Belinda tickled the dragon unmerciful as it worked a lot on him. Despite being a dragon, a tickling could disturb him and this showed his cowardice on which everyone loughed.
āĻুāĻুāĻাāϞৈ āϏāĻāϞো āĻŽাāύুāĻšā§° āĻšাঁāĻšি āĻāĻ ে āĻā§°ু āĻŦেāϞিāĻাāĻ āĻĒ্ā§°াā§ āĻāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄেāĻ āĻā§ āϏোāύāĻাāϞে āĻাāĻāĻিāϞ āĻā§°ু āϏāĻোā§ąে āϤাāĻে āĻĻেāĻি āĻšাঁāĻšিāĻিāϞ ।
4. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem . For example : " Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon " – the poetic device here is a simile . Can you , with your partner , list some more such poetic devices used in the poem ?
āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻŦিāĻিāύ্āύ āϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻাāĻŦ্āϝিāĻ āĻ āĻŽংāĻাā§° āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻā§°িāĻে । āϤুāĻŽি āϏāĻšāĻĒাāĻ ীā§° āϏৈāϤে āĻāϞোāĻāύা āĻā§°ি āĻাāĻŦ্āϝিāĻ āĻ āϞংāĻাā§° āĻŦাāĻি āĻāϞিāĻā§ąা ।
Answer: In this poem ‘’ The Tale of Custard the Dragon, the poet has used a lot of poetic devices. Here are the examples given below-
I. Repetition: Use of the word ‘’ Little’’
II. Oxymoron: Use of two words with apposite meanings ‘’pet dragon’’.
III. Simile: Dog compared to mustard.
IV. Metaphor: The nose is like a chimney ‘’chimney for a nose’’.
āĻĻāĻ āĻেāϞ āĻ āĻĢ্ āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āĻĻ্āϝা āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻŦāĻšুāϤো āĻাāĻŦ্āϝিāĻ āĻ āĻŽংāĻাā§° āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ । āĻā§াā§°ে āĻিāĻুāĻŽাāύ āĻāĻĻাāĻšā§°āĻŖ āϤāϞāϤ āĻāϞ্āϞেāĻ āĻā§°া āĻš’āϞ
I. āĻĒুāύ⧰াāĻŦৃāϤ্āϤি ‘’āϞিāĻāϞ’’āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻāĻোā§° āĻĒুāύ⧰ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻšৈāĻে ।
II. āĻŦিā§°োāϧাāĻাāϏ āĻĻুāĻা āĻŦিāĻĒā§°ীāϤ āĻ ā§°্āĻĨāϤ āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻ āĻāĻেāϞāĻে āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻā§°া āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻāύ’ ।
III. āĻāĻĒāĻŽা āĻুāĻুā§°āĻোāĻ āĻŽাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄā§° āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ ।
III. ā§°ূāĻĒāĻŽ āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ⧰ āύাāĻāĻোāĻ āĻিāĻŽāύীā§° āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°িāĻে ।
5. Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
āϤিāύি āύāĻŽ্āĻŦā§° āϏ্āϤāύāĻāĻো āĻĒুāύ⧰ āĻĒāĻĸ়ি āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύ⧰ āĻāĻĨা āĻি āĻŦুāϞি āĻā§°ৈāĻিāϞ āϞিāĻা ।
Answer: In this stanza the poet describe the appearance of the dragon. It had big sharp tooth and spikes on top. His mouth has been compared to a fireplace because it is assumed that dragons can release fire from the mouth. Then its nose is compared to a chimney which is used to pass out smoke. His feet’s are like a sharp knife.
āĻāĻ্āĻ āϏ্āĻ¤ā§ąāĻāĻোāϤ āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোā§° āĻļাā§°িā§°ীāĻ āĻŦā§°্āĻŖāύা āĻĻিāĻিāϞ । āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোā§° āϤীāĻ্āώ্āύ āĻĻাঁāϤ, āĻŽূā§°āĻĢাāϞে āĻĄিāϞা āĻāĻে। āϤাā§° āĻŽূāĻāĻāύ āĻুāĻāĻļāϞাāϞ⧰ āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°া āĻšৈāĻে āĻিā§āύো āϏি āĻŽূāĻāĻāύ āĻুāĻ āĻāϞিā§াāĻ । āĻ িāĻ āϤেāύেāĻĻā§°ে āϤাā§° āύাāĻāĻো āĻিāĻŽāύীā§° āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°িāĻে āϝি āĻĢাāϞেāĻĻি āĻুāĻā§° āϧোঁā§ąাāĻŦিāϞাāĻ āĻāϞাāĻ āϝাā§ ।
6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem ?
āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻāύ্āĻĻ āĻŦাāĻি āĻāϞিāĻā§ąা ।
Answer: The rhyme scheme is ‘’aa bb’’.
āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻāύ্āĻĻ āĻš’āϞ ‘’āĻāĻ āĻŦিāĻŦি’’
7. Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean . Can you trace some images used in the poem ?
āϞিāĻāĻে āĻŦāĻšুāϏāĻŽā§āϤ āĻিāĻুāĻŽাāύ āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻā§° āĻā§°িā§āϤে āĻŦিāĻļেāώ āĻিāĻুāĻŽাāύ āĻāĻŦি āĻĻাāĻি āϧ⧰ে । āĻāĻ্āϤ āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšৃāϤ āϤেāύে āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻā§° āĻāĻĻাāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻĻিā§া ।
Answer: Writers always use such phrases and words that do not tell us directly about what they mean but always gives us an indication of the meaning . Such words or phrases are used to trigger our own imagination in painting the picture that they mean. Some examples from this poem are; ‘’ mouth like a fireplace,’’ ‘’Chimney for a noes’’, brave as a barrel full of bears’’, brave as a tiger in a rage etc.
āϞিāĻāĻে āĻĒ্ā§°াā§ে āĻĒā§°োāĻ্āώ āĻ ā§°্āĻĨ āĻĒ্ā§°āĻাāĻļিāϤ āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻ āĻিāĻুāĻŽাāύ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻā§°ে । āĻā§াā§° āĻā§°িā§āϤে āĻĒāĻĸ়āĻāĻŦā§ে āϞিāĻāĻে āĻāĻŦ āĻŦিāĻā§°া āĻāĻĨাā§° āĻāĻ্āĻĨাāύ āĻĒাāĻ । āĻāĻ āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻāĻŦিā§ে āϤেāύেāϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻŦāĻšু āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻā§°িāĻে । āϤেāύে āĻিāĻুāύাāĻŽ āĻāĻĻাāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻš’āϞ ‘’āĻŽāĻ āĻāύ āĻুāĻāĻļāϞাāϞ⧰ āĻĻাā§°, āύাāĻāĻোā§° āĻিāĻŽāύীā§° āĻĻā§°ে, āϤাāĻā§° āϏাāĻšāϏেā§°ে āĻā§°āĻĒূā§° , āĻŦাāĻā§° āĻĻাā§° āϏাāĻšāϏী āĻāĻĻি ।
8. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light - hearted poem ? Give reasons to support your answer .
āϤোāĻŽাā§° āĻŽāϤে āĻāĻŦিāϤāĻোāϤ āĻুāĻšুāϤীā§া āύে āĻāĻŽ্āĻীā§° āĻĒ্ā§°āĻাā§°ā§° ? āϝুāĻ্āϤি āĻāĻāĻŦāĻĸ়োā§ąা ।
Answer: The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a very light and funny poem meant to be enjoyed by everyone. The way the poem has been written with a fix rhyme scheme, makes it very easy and enjoyable to read. The poet has even used wrong spelling to maintain the rhyme scheme. The little girl Poland is compared to a barrel full of bears, anther tiny creatures like mouse, kitty have been shown so brave that the kitty can score a lion. While the dragon has been shown . as a coward and get being who seeks for salty cage.
‘āĻĻ্āϝা āĻেāϞ āĻ āĻĢ্ āĻাāώ্āĻাā§°্āĻĄ āĻĻ্āϝা āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻāύ’ āύাāĻŽā§° āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻো ā§°āϏেā§°ে āĻā§°āĻĒূā§° āĻā§°ু āϏāĻāϞোā§ąে āĻāĻĒāĻোāĻ āĻā§°িāĻŦ āĻĒā§°া āϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻāĻŦিāϤা । āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻুāύ্āĻāĻ āĻā§াāĻ āĻāĻā§°্āώāĻŖীā§ āĻā§°ি āϤুāϞিāĻে । āĻŦিāĻিāύ্āύ āϏāĻŽā§āϤ āĻāĻŦিāϤাā§° āĻāύ্āĻĻ āĻŽিāϞাāĻŦā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻāĻŦিā§ে āĻূāϞāĻৈ āĻļāĻŦ্āĻĻ āϞিāĻিāĻে । āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āϏ⧰ু āĻোā§ąাāϞীāĻāύীāĻ āϏাāĻšāϏী āĻŦুāϞি āĻোā§ąা āĻৈāĻে, āϏ⧰ু āĻĒোāĻšāύীā§া āĻāύ্āϤুāĻŦোā§°āĻ āϏাāĻšāϏāĻ āĻŦাāĻ, āϏিংāĻšā§° āϞāĻāϤ āϤুāϞāύা āĻā§°িāĻে । āϤাā§°োāĻĒā§°ি āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোāĻ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻŦুāϞি āĻŦā§°্āĻŖāύা āĻā§°িāĻে । āϤাā§°োāĻĒā§°ি āĻĄ্ā§°েāĻ’āύāĻোāĻ āĻā§াāϤুā§° āĻŦুāϞি āĻŦā§°্āĻŖāύা āĻā§°িāĻে āϝিā§ে āϏুā§°āĻ্āώিāϤ āĻ াāĻ āĻŦিāĻাā§°ি āĻাāύ্āĻĻি āĻĨাāĻে ।
Angamita Dutta
(M.A in English)