CH -7, The Frog And The Nightingale , NCERT, English (communicative)

3. The poem is a spoof on the society. The moral of the poem
is that being inspired and influenced by someone much
unknown and strange is indeed a foolish act. The
nightingale could have very well judged how could the frog
with such a harsh voice be music maestro and she had to
suffer for her misjudgment.
Many people in the human society also try to take
advantage of the innocence or ignorance of the people.
The moral is that if you want to succeed ,you must have
self-confidence in your abilities even if you are
exceptionally talented. Talent alone does not ensure
success because a poor self-image of yourself can be self-
destructive.

4. Once upon a time there was a presumptuous frog who lived in a
place called Bingle Bog. This frog croaked from night to morning
in his unpleasant voice. Though the other creatures did not like
his voice, they had no choice but to listen to him as all
complaints, pleas and protests fell on deaf ears.
Then one night a nightingale came to the Bog. She sang her
melodious song and all the creatures of the Bog listened to her,
mesmerized. They asked her to sing again and again. The
nightingale continued to sing because she was unused to such
applause.
The next night when the nightingale was about to sing, the
possessive frog told her that he owned the tree she sang on. He
claimed to be a music critic with a noted baritone. Impressed by
the frog’s credentials, and unsure of her own ability, the
nightingale asked the frog to comment upon her song.

5. The arrogant frog told her that she lacked training and offered to
teach her for a fee. The nightingale, excited and pleased, began
trai-
-ning under the frog. He began to charge an admission fee from
those who came to hear the nightingale . The frog made her
practice
in all kinds of weather for long hours.
Soon the nightingale’s voice began lose its melodious quality.
The
creatures of the Bog lost interest in her. The bird became more
and
more sorrowful as her popularity decreased. The frog rebuked
her
sharply, adding to her misery. When the frog told her to puff up
her
lungs and sing, the bird tried to follow his advice, puffed up her
lungs,
burst a vein and died.

6. Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night to dusk and dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn.
Others creatures loathed his voice
But, alas, they had no choice,
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning night.
Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks,
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog’s determination
To display his heart’s elation.

7. Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks,
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frog’s determination
To display his heart’s elation.
But one night a nightingale
In the moonlight cold and pale
Perched upon the sumac tree
Casting forth her melody.
Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog.
And the whole admiring bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And, when she had ended, clapped,
Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded
And a solitary loon

8. Wept, beneath the summer moon.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captures
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured
“Bravo!” “Too divine!” “Encore!”
So the nightingale once more,
Quite unused to such applause,
Sang till dawn without a pause.
Next night when the nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
She was startled by a croak.
“Sorry- was that you who spoke?”
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
“Yes,” the frog replied, “You see,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.
In this bog I’ve long been known

9. For my Splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then”.
“Did you....did you like my song?”
“Not too bad- but far too long.
The technique was fine of course,
But it lacked a certain force”.
“Oh!” the nightingale confessed.
Greatly flattered and impressed
That a critic of such note
Had discussed her heart and throat:
“I don’t think the song’s divine.
But –oh, well- at least it’s mine”.
“That’s not much to boast about”.
Said the heartless frog. “Without
Proper training such as I

10. Though next morning it was raining,
He began her vocal training.
“But I can’t sing in this weather”.
“Come my dear- we’ll sing together.
Just put on your scarf and sash,
Koo-oh-ah! ko- ash!”
So the frog and nightingale
Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and quivering.
Though subdued and sleep deprived,
In the night her throat revived,
And the sumac tree was bowed,
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,
Martin Cardinal Mephisto,

11. And the Coot of Monte Cristo,
Ladies with tiaras glittering
In the interval sat twittering-
And the frog Observed them bitter.
Every day the frog who’d sold her
Songs for silver tried to scold her:
“You must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger.
In the second song last night
You got nervous in mid-flight.
And, my dear, lay on more trills:
Audiences enjoy such frill.
You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper, snappier.
We must aim for better billings.
You still owe me sixty shillings.”

12. Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the bird and beast grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose-
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All along gave no delight.
Now the frog puffed up with rage.
“Brainless bird- you’re on the stage –
Use your wits and follow fashion.
Puff your lungs out with your passion”.
Trembling, terrified to fail,

13. Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tired,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.
Said the frog:“ I tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature-
Far too nervous, Far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird- She should have known
That your song must be your own.
That’s why I sing with panache.
“Koo–oh–ah! ko–ash! ko–ash!
and the foghorn of the frog
blared unrivalled through the bog.

14. 1) Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration,
Sang---and was a huge sensation.
a) What inspired the nightingale to sing?
b) How did the nightingale become a
sensation?
c) Explain the “flushed with confidence”.

15. ANSWERS
a) The appreciation of the audience inspired
the nightingale to sing beautifully.
b) The melodious song of the nightingale
attracted
the creatures of the bog who came from
miles around to hear her sing.
c) The appreciation and success that the
nightingale received made her feel
confident. She also feel exited and
pleased with herself as she began to
sing.

16. 2) You’ll remain a mere beginner,
But with me you’ll be a winner.
a) How will the frog change the nightingale’s
singing?
b) On what condition does the frog agree to
teach the nightingale? What according to
the frog was lacking in the nightingale’s
song?
c) How will the fee not hurt the nightingale?

17. ANSWERS
a) By teaching the nightingale the technique
of singing , the frog promised to
transform her from a mere beginner to a
singing sensation.
b) The frog agreed on the condition of
charging the modest fee. Her song was
too long and lacked intensity and depth.
c) The frog will not take it directly from her
but will charge admission fees from the
creatures who come to hear the bird’s
song.

18. 3) Just put on your scarf and sash,
Koo-oh-ah! ko- ash!”
So the frog and nightingale
Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and quivering.
a) Why did the frog tell the nightingale to
put on her scarf and sash?
b) Explain : “Journeyed up and down the
scale”.
c) What was the result of the practice on
the nightingale?

19. ANSWERS
a) He wanted her to practice and as it was
raining she was little reluctant.
b) Sang a number of notes --- both high and
low notes.
c) The frog made the nightingale practice in
the rain for six hours.
As a result she was shivering in the cold.
her throat became hoarse and her voice
started shaking.

20. 4) Next night when the nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
She was startled by a croak.
a) Where did the nightingale twitch her
tail?
i) on the sumac tree
ii) near the sumac tree
iii) on the pine
iv) with the frog

21. b) What surprised the nightingale?
i) the audience
ii) the frog’s criticism
iii) the frog’s croak
iv) the melody of her voice
c) The phrase “shook her head and
twitched her tail” means?
i) nightingale was getting ready to
leave the place
ii) nightingale was getting ready to sing
iii) nightingale was getting ready to
teach frog.
iv) none of the above

22. Ans4. a) i) ; b)iii); c)ii)
5) But one night a nightingale
In the moonlight cold and pale
Perched upon the sumac tree
Casting forth her melody.
a) Whose song had echoed in the bog all
night
earlier?
i) the parrot’s song
ii) the nightingale’s song
iii) the frog’s song
iv) none of the above

23. b) How was the nightingale’s song?
i) melodious
ii) harsh
iii) unpleasant
iv) none of the above
c) When was the nightingale came?
i) when the frog was not there
ii) in the night
iii) in the morning
iv) in the evening

24. Ans. a)ii); b)i); c)ii)
6) “Sorry- was that you who spoke?”
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog
“Yes ”, the frog replied. “You see ,
I’m the frog who owns this tree.
a) The frog introduce himself as :
i) the king of the bingle bog
ii) the owner of the sumac tree
iii) a famous singer
iv) a poor animal

25. b) The frog’s aim was to :
i) make the nightingale a sensation
ii) make the nightingale as good a singer
as him
iii) maintain his supremacy in the bog
iv) make a lot of money
c) The nightingale accepted the frog’s
tutelage as she :
i) was not confident to herself
ii) wanted to become a professional
singer
iii) was not a resident of bingle bog
iv) none of the above

26. Q1) “We must be well judged about our
decisions and must not come in flattering
words of others. We must beware of such
people.” How can you save yourself from
the people like frog?
Q2) Do you admire the frog for his intelligence
or criticise him for his cruelty? Explain with
suitable examples.