The Tale of Custard the Dragon Extra Questions

The Tale of Custard the Dragon Extra Questions

1. What were the names of Belinda’s pets?

Answer: The names of Belinda’s pets were Ink, a little black kitten; Mustard, a little yellow dog; Blink, a little grey mouse and a dragon whose name was Custard.

2. Why did the Belinda cry for help?

Answer: Belinda was scared to see the pirate who had pistols in his hands and had a bright cutlass in his teeth. There was something bad in his appearance and intention. Therefore Belinda was afraid of the pirate and cried for help.

3. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.

Answer: The characters in this poem are Belinda, a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog, a little pet dragon and a pirate.

4. Did Custard match his physical appearance?

Answer: No. Custard barely matched his appearance as he looked ferocious but he actually was a coward. He always cried for a nice and safe cage and everyone laughed at him for his cowardice.

5. Was everyone really as brave as they claimed?

Answer: Belinda and her three pets, excluding Custard, were very proud of their bravery but they were not really brave. It was only Custard, who had the courage to face the pirate so he was the real brave.

6. Why did Belinda cry for help? Who came to her help?

Answer: Belinda cried for help because she was afraid of the pirate. The custard came to her help.

7. Who all lived in a white house with Belinda?

Answer: Belinda lived in a white house with Ink – a black kitten, Blink – a grey mouse, Mustard – a yellow dog, Custard – a dragon and a red wagon.

8. Describe the appearance of the dragon ?

Answer: Custard, the dragon had a formidable appearance, with sharp teeth, toes like daggers, spikes on back and scales on the belly. Its mouth was a fireplace and the nose was always fuming like a chimney. However, in sharp contrast to the appearance its temperature was extremely timid.

9. What do you think changed the attitude of the other animals and that of Belinda towards the dragon ?

Answer: The dragon, Custard, initially commanded no amount of respect from Belinda and the other pets, on account of its cowardice; but when the house was attacked by an armed pirate and all others panicked and ran for shelter, the dragon savagely attacked the pirate and ate it up. Thus, the other animals realised his worth and came to respect him genuinely.

10. The usage of words like ‘realio trulio’ creates a wonderful poetic effect. How?

Answer: The poet Ogen Nash has used the words ‘realio trulio’ to create  wonderful rhyme in the poem and also bring an amazing comic effect to the poem. The word ‘realio’ means ‘really’ while ‘trulio’ means ‘truly’. These words add humor to the poem. 

11. Do you find ‘The Tale of custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted comedy? Give reasons to support your answer.

Answer: ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a humorous, light hearted poem as the characters display behavioural attributes, contrary to their appearance as well as nature. It is extremely funny to imagine a fierce looking dragon crying for a safe cage or mouse raging like a lion.

12. How did Belinda’s pets, other than Custard, face the pirate?

Answer: All the animals other than the dragon used to boast about their bravery and made the fun of the dragon. But when the pirate entered the house, all got scared and ran away and disappeared except Custard, the dragon. 

13. How have Ink, Blink and Mustard been described?

Answer: Ink was described as a little black kitten and Blink was described as a little grey mouse. They both have been shown to be so brave that they could chase lions down the stairs. Mustard was the name of a yellow, sharp dog. He has been described to be as brave as a tiger in rage is.