Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Mountain and The Squirrel Questions & Answers.
This poem is written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of Suspense in Satpura, The Little People and The Emperor’s Seed so, you can check these posts as well.
The Mountain and The Squirrel Questions & Answers
Word Galaxy
- Prig – someone considered annoying
- Sphere – here, earth
- Disgrace – shame
- Spry – full of life and energy
- Talents – abilities
Question 1: Choose the correct options:
(a) ‘And I think it no disgrace/To occupy my place.’ These lines tell us that
i. wisdom always gets the better of strength.
ii. everything in this world has its own value.
iii. there is nothing that cannot be achieved without hardwork.
iv. there is no shame in admitting that we are inferior to someone.
(b) ‘All is well and wisely put.’ Which one of the four statements best explains this line?
i. God, in his unlimited wisdom, has made everything as it is for a reason.
ii. Nothing in this world can compete with God, who has made everything.
iii. All will be well between the mountain and the squirrel if they appreciate each other’s importance.
iv. Too much importance must not be given to our abilities as there is always someone better than we are.
(c) The squirrel makes its case by trying not to offend the mountain. Which of these lines from the poem is an example of this tactful nature of the squirrel?
i. ‘And I think it no disgrace/To occupy my place.’
ii. ‘You are not so small as I/And not half so spry.’
iii. ‘I’ll not deny you make/A very pretty squirrel track;’
iv. ‘But all sorts of things and weather / Must be taken in together,’
Question 2: Fill in the blanks with words from the poem to complete this summary.
Answer:
One day, the mountain and the squirrel have a quarrel. The huge mountain calls the tiny squirrel a little prig. The squirrel, whose name is Bun, replies that while it is not as big as the mountain, the mountain is not even half as energetic as the squirrel. To make up a year and a sphere, all sorts of things and weather must be taken into consideration. The talents of both the mountain and the squirrel differ greatly. If the squirrel cannot carry the forest on its back, then the mountain cannot crack a tiny nut.
Question 3: Read and answer the questions:
‘And the former called the latter “Little Prig”.’
(a) Who are the ‘former’ and the ‘latter’ in this line?
Answer: The mountain is the former and the squirrel is the latter in this line.
(b) Why did the former call the latter ‘Little Prig’?
Answer: The former called the latter ‘Little Prig’ because the mountain was very much annoying to see small creature like the squirrel.
(c) What was the latter’s reply?
Answer: The squirrel said that although he is too small but he is livelier and more active. If he cannot a carry forests on his back then, the mountain also cannot crack a nut.
Question 4: What made the squirrel angry?
Answer: The mountain called the squirrel ‘Little Prig’. This made the squirrel angry.
The Mountain and The Squirrel Questions & Answers
Question 5: The squirrel speaks of a ‘sphere’. What does it mean?
Answer: Sphere means the earth.
Question 6: Why does the squirrel not feel ashamed of its smallness?
Answer: The squirrel does not feel ashamed of its smallness because it feels that it has its own place and importance in the world.
Question 7: ‘Talents differ’. What does the poet mean by this expression?
Answer: Talents differ from one another. The poet tells that the mountain has the power/talent to carry forests on its back. But squirrel has the skill to crack a nut which cannot be done by a mountain.
Question 8: How many times does the mountain speak in the poem?
Answer: The mountain spoke only once in the poem.
Question 9: What two things does the squirrel acknowledge the mountain can do?
Answer: The two things that the squirrel acknowledges are:
- It can carry forest on its back.
- It makes a very pretty squirrel track.
Question 10: How did the mountain and the squirrel settle their argument?
Answer: The squirrel tells that it has no disgrace to occupy its place. It agrees that it is smaller than a mountain. However, talents differ from one another. Mountain can carry forest on its back and the squirrel is grateful to the mountain for giving him a path to move along. AT the same time, squirrel has an ability to crack a nut. So, at the end, they both understand the limits of their talents.
Question 11: ‘All is well and wisely put’. Explain whose praise is this?
Answer: ‘All is well and wisely put’ means that everything is well-arranged and properly balanced in the nature. This is the praise of God.
So, these were The Mountain and The Squirrel Questions & Answers.