📖 Chapter 3: The Little Girl

Column A	Column B
1. fear or terror	(iii) father comes home; (iv) speaking to father; (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
2. glad sense of relief	(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter; (i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss
3. a "funny" feeling, perhaps of understanding	(v) going to bed when alone at home; (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep

Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father because he was a huge, stern man with a loud voice. He always looked terrifying, spoke sharply, and never showed her any affection. She stuttered in his presence and felt relieved when he left for work.

Answer: Kezia's family consisted of her father, her mother, her grandmother, and herself. They also had a cook named Alice.

(i) before going to his office?
Before going to his office, he would come into Kezia's room, give her a casual kiss, and say goodbye.

(ii) after coming back from his office?
After coming back, he would ask for his tea, the newspaper, and his slippers. He would sit in the drawing-room and ask Kezia to pull off his boots.

(iii) on Sundays?
On Sunday afternoons, he would stretch out on the sofa, put his handkerchief on his face, his feet on a cushion, and sleep soundly, snoring.

Answer: Kezia's grandmother encouraged her to get to know her father better by sending her down to the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons to have a "nice talk" with her parents. She also suggested that Kezia make a pin-cushion for her father's birthday as a gift.

Answer: Kezia wanted to please her father on his birthday. Her grandmother suggested that she make him a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. Kezia worked laboriously, stitching three sides of the cushion. But she needed something to fill it with. She wandered into her mother's bedroom and found a great many sheets of fine paper on the bed-table. Not knowing what they were, she tore them into tiny pieces and stuffed her case, then sewed up the fourth side.

That night there was a hue and cry in the house. Her father's great speech for the Port Authority had been lost. When her mother questioned her, Kezia innocently said she had torn them up for her surprise. Her mother screamed and dragged her down to the dining-room. Her father stared at her and asked if she had done it. Terrified, Kezia whispered "N-n-no". Her father ordered that she be put to bed immediately. Later, he came with a ruler and beat her little pink palms as punishment. Kezia's innocent attempt to please her father ended up displeasing him greatly and caused her much pain.

Answer: Kezia observed the Macdonald family next door through a gap in the fence. Mr Macdonald was a very different kind of father compared to her own father. He was playful, loving, and affectionate with his children. Kezia saw him playing 'tag' with his five children in the evening. He carried the baby on his shoulders, and two little girls hung on to his coat pockets as they ran round and round the flower-beds, shaking with laughter. Once she saw the boys turn the hose on him, and he tried to catch them, laughing all the time.

In contrast, Kezia's father was strict, stern, and undemonstrative. He never played with her, never laughed with her, and always spoke sharply. He seemed like a giant to be feared and avoided. Mr Macdonald showed his children love and joy, while Kezia's father remained distant and frightening. This contrast made Kezia realize that there were different sorts of fathers.

Answer: One day, Kezia's mother became ill and had to go to the hospital. Kezia was left alone in the house with Alice, the cook. At night, she grew afraid of having nightmares and being in the dark. Alice told her to go to sleep and not to scream. But Kezia was terrified and called out for her grandmother. Hearing her cries, her father came into the room. He blew out the candle, bent down, and caught her up in his arms, carrying her to the big bedroom.

He tucked her up carefully in his bed and lay down beside her. Half asleep, she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm, and held tightly to his shirt. The dark did not matter anymore. Her father asked her to rub her feet against his legs to get them warm. He fell asleep before her, tired out from his day's work.

As she lay there, a funny feeling came over Kezia. She realized that her father was not so big after all, and he had no one to look after him. He was harder than her grandmother, but it was a nice hardness. She thought about how he had to work every day and was too tired to be like Mr Macdonald. She felt sorry for having torn up his beautiful writing. When she heard his heart beating, she said, "What a big heart you've got, Father dear." She began to see him as a human being who needed her sympathy and love.

(i) She was thrilled by the news of her brother's wedding. (very pleased)
(ii) I was overjoyed to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
(iii) She was delighted at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
(iv) The coach was pleased with his performance. (satisfied about)
(v) She was very happy with her results. (happy about something that has happened)

(i) You are a big girl now. → older
(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. → most important
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. → ambitious / grand
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. → popular / important
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar. → great / devoted
(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. → large / hearty
(vii) What a big heart you've got, Father dear. → generous / kind

(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.

(i) "I am not afraid," replied the woman.
(ii) "Leave me alone," my mother shouted.
(iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," remarked the master.
(v) "Let's go and look at the school ground," suggested the sports teacher.
(vi) The traffic police ordered all the passers-by to keep off the road.

1. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?
Answer: Yes, there are families in India where fathers may be strict and undemonstrative, mothers may be ill and hospitalised, and grandmothers may be loving and caring. The emotions and relationships portrayed are universal. Many Indian fathers are hard-working and loving but find it difficult to express their affection openly. Similarly, grandmothers often play the role of a bridge between children and parents. So, the story has relevance to Indian society as well.

2. Was Kezia's father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?
Answer: Kezia's father punished her because he was upset about losing his important speech. However, beating a child with a ruler for an innocent mistake may not be the right way to discipline her. It made Kezia more fearful of him. Her father was a strict, hard-working, and responsible man. He was a disciplinarian and short-tempered, but he was also loving and caring deep down. He was undemonstrative and did not know how to express his affection. He was a person who believed in strict discipline but also had a big heart, as Kezia realised later.

Answer: (This is a personal response. Here is a sample.)

When I was a child, my relationship with my parents was quite different from Kezia's. My father was not a stern giant like Kezia's father. He was loving and playful, much like Mr Macdonald. He would play cricket with me in the evening and help me with my homework. However, he was also strict about discipline and studies. My mother was caring and always listened to my problems. My grandmother lived with us and was a source of great affection, just like Kezia's grandmother.

As I grew older, my perception of my parents changed. I began to understand the reasons behind their actions. When my father scolded me for not studying, I realised he was worried about my future. When my mother insisted on good manners, I understood she wanted me to become a good person. I now see them as human beings with their own struggles and responsibilities.

To build a relationship based on understanding, I now talk to my parents openly about my feelings and listen to their advice. I help them with household chores and spend quality time with them. I have realised that parents need love and sympathy just like children do. Understanding their perspective has brought us closer as a family.