Chapter 4 

                                    DAY BY DAY I FLOAT MY PAPER BOATS


1.Who is the main character in the poem?

Answer: The main character in the poem is a child who floats paper boats every day.


2.What does the child do every day?

Answer: Every day, the child floats paper boats one by one down the running stream.


3.Why does the child float paper boats?

Answer: The child floats paper boats to send a message and hopes that someone in a strange land will find them and know who he is.


4.What does the child write on the boats?

Answer: The child writes his name in big black letters and the name of the village where he lives.


5.Why does the child write his name and village on the boats?

Answer: He writes them so that whoever finds the boat knows who sent it and from which village.


6.What flowers does the child place on the boats?

Answer: The child places shiuli flowers from his garden on the boats.


7.Why does the child use shiuli flowers on the boats?

Answer: Shiuli flowers are symbolic of autumn and the arrival of Goddess Durga, and they add beauty and fragrance to the boats.


8.How does the child hope his boats will reach the destination?

Answer: He hopes that the boats will be carried safely to land even in the night.


9.What kind of stream does the child float his boats in?

Answer: The child floats his boats in a running stream, which is flowing and narrow.


10.Does the child expect to meet the person who finds the boats?

Answer: No, he does not expect to meet them; he only hopes someone will find the boats.


11.The child is very fond of floating paper boats in a river.

Answer: True


12.The child writes his name in small black letters.

Answer: False; he writes his name in big black letters.


13.The child sends fruits and flowers grown in his garden with the boats.

Answer: False; he only sends shiuli flowers, not fruits.


14.The child loads his little boats with roses.

Answer: False; he uses shiuli flowers.


15The boats float down the stream gradually.

Answer: True


16.Why does the child hope someone will find his boats?

Answer: The child hopes that someone will find his boats to know who he is and from which village he comes.


17.What is special about the way the child writes on the boats?

Answer: He writes in big black letters so that the name can be easily seen and recognized.


18.Why does the child enjoy floating paper boats?

Answer: He enjoys it because it is fun, creative, and gives him a feeling of sending a message to someone far away.


19.What does the poem suggest about the child’s feelings for nature?

Answer: The child loves nature, flowers, and streams, and he enjoys using natural elements like water and flowers to send his message.


20.Why is the stream described as ‘running’?

Answer: The stream is flowing, which helps the boats move naturally to unknown places.


21.How does the child ensure his boats are visible to anyone who finds them?

Answer: By writing his name and village in big black letters on each boat.


22.How are the flowers described in the poem?

Answer: The flowers are shiuli, which are white with an orange stalk and have a mild fragrance.


23.What time of day does the poem mention?

Answer: The poem mentions the “blooms of the dawn,” which refers to daybreak.


24.What is the tone of the poem?

Answer: The tone is gentle, thoughtful, and hopeful.


25.What feeling does the child have while floating the boats?

Answer: The child feels joy, hope, and a sense of connection with the unknown world.


26.Find a word from the poem that means ‘move slowly on water’.

Answer: Float


27Find a word that means ‘daybreak’.

Answer: Dawn


28.Find a word that means ‘flowing’.

Answer: Running


29.Find a word that describes flowers.

Answer: Blooms


30.Pick the word that means ‘unknown or unfamiliar’.

Answer: Strange


31.What does the word ‘mingled’ mean?

Answer: Mingled means mixed together.


32.What are ‘niches’ in the context of birds?

Answer: Niches are small spaces or cracks where birds can build nests.


33.What is the meaning of ‘tender shoots’?

Answer: Tender shoots are the soft, young parts of plants.


34.What kind of flowers are shiuli?

Answer: Shiuli flowers are white with orange stalks and fragrant, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga.


35.What does the word ‘harmlessly’ suggest in general?

Answer: It means doing something without causing harm.


36.Identify the main action the child performs in the poem.

Answer: The child floats paper boats.


37.Pick other action words from the poem.

Answer: Write, load, hope, carried


38.What does ‘load’ mean in the poem?

Answer: Load means to place or put the flowers onto the paper boats.


39.Which action in the poem shows the child’s care for the boats?

Answer: Writing the name and village and carefully placing flowers shows his care.


40.Why is ‘floating’ an important action in the poem?

Answer: Floating is important because it carries the child’s message and flowers downstream to an unknown place, fulfilling the purpose of his playful and hopeful gesture.

Answer by Mrinmoee