Chapter- 14 The Curlew Island
1. Q: What makes Amal imagine that he will receive a letter from the King?
A: The construction of a post office nearby makes Amal imagine that he will receive a letter from the King.
2. Q: What job does Amal imagine he will get from the King?
A: Amal imagines that the King will ask him to work as a postman.
3. Q: Who makes fun of Amal in the story?
A: The Village Headman makes fun of Amal.
4. Q: What does the Village Headman tell Amal about the King’s letter?
A: He tells Amal that the King will send a letter saying that the Royal Doctor will visit him.
5. Q: What promise does the King’s letter supposedly contain?
A: It promises that the King’s Royal Doctor will come and see Amal.
6. Q: What happens at the end of the play?
A: At the end of the play, the doctor actually comes to visit Amal.
7. Q: What does the word “shooed away” mean?
A: It means waving hands and arms to tell a child to go away.
8. Q: What does the word “baba” mean?
A: It is a Bengali word used lovingly for a child.
9. Q: What is the meaning of “striking up”?
A: It means starting a friendship.
10. Q: What is meant by the word “mela”?
A: It means a children’s fair or circus.
11. Q: What does the word “Thakurda” mean?
A: It is a Bengali word for grandfather.
12. Q: What are “spells”?
A: Spells are magic charms.
13. Q: What does “miserable” mean?
A: Miserable means very unhappy or sad.
14. Q: What does “trickling down” mean?
A: It means flowing down slowly in a narrow stream.
15. Q: What is the meaning of “molten”?
A: Molten means melted or in liquid form.
16. Q: What does “make a loss” mean?
A: It means not earning anything or suffering a loss.
17. Q: What is the meaning of “hire”?
A: It means to pay someone for a particular job for a short time.
18. Q: Why does Amal feel excited about the post office?
A: He feels excited because he hopes to receive a letter from the King.
19. Q: What does Amal dream of becoming?
A: Amal dreams of becoming a postman.
20. Q: How does the Village Headman treat Amal’s imagination?
A: He laughs at it and makes fun of Amal.
21. Q: Why does the Headman talk about the King’s Royal Doctor?
A: He says it jokingly to tease Amal.
22. Q: Who finally comes to visit Amal at the end?
A: The doctor comes to visit him.
23. Q: What does the story show about Amal’s character?
A: It shows that Amal is imaginative and hopeful.
24. Q: What inspires Amal’s imagination?
A: The building of the new post office inspires his imagination.
25. Q: What does Amal hope to receive from the King?
A: He hopes to receive a letter from the King.
26. Q: What role does the King play in Amal’s imagination?
A: The King is someone important who might give Amal a special job.
27. Q: Why is the post office important in the story?
A: It gives Amal hope and makes him dream about letters from the King.
28. Q: What kind of feeling does Amal have toward the King?
A: Amal feels respect and excitement about the King.
29. Q: What is special about the ending of the play?
A: The Royal Doctor really comes, making Amal’s imagination seem meaningful.
30. Q: What lesson can we learn from this story?
A: We learn the importance of hope, imagination, and kindness.
Answer by Dimpee Bora
