The Little Girl Class 9 Questions And Answers help students grasp the story of Kezia and her family in a clear and exam-oriented manner. Chapter 3 of the NCERT Beehive textbook explores Kezia’s interactions with her strict father and loving grandmother, highlighting themes of discipline, care, and understanding within a family.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl provided here are designed to support Class 9 English exam preparation by giving accurate answers, summaries, and explanations.
The Little Girl Class 9 Summary
The story The Little Girl by Katherine Mansfield is about a little girl named Kezia who feels lonely and misunderstood at home. She lives in a strict and disciplined family. Kezia is a sensitive and imaginative child who wants love and attention from her father.
Her father is strict, serious, and often distant. Kezia loves him and wants to get close to him, but she is afraid because he is always busy and does not show his emotions openly. One day, she tries to get his attention and talk to him. She wants to feel loved and appreciated.
During their interaction, Kezia notices a softer side of her father. For a brief moment, she sees that he cares for her, even if he doesn’t show it in words. This makes her very happy and hopeful. The story ends on a note of warmth, showing the little girl’s innocent desire for love and understanding, and her father’s hidden affection.
NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 3
This section includes the NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 3 The Little Girl. The questions and answers provided here are designed to help students understand the chapter better, improve comprehension, and prepare effectively for exams. These solutions focus on the main ideas, important events, and key aspects of the chapter. Below are the The Little Girl Class 9 Solutions Chapter 3:
Thinking about the Text
I. Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.
| A | B |
| 1. fear or terror 2. glad sense of relief 3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding | (i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss (ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter (iii) father comes home (iv) speaking to father (v) going to bed when alone at home (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring |
Answer:
| A | B |
| 1. fear or terror 2. glad sense of relief 3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding | (iv) speaking to father (iii) father comes home (v) going to bed when alone at home (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring (i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss (ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep |
II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
Question 1 . Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer: Because her father was so demanding and strict, Kezia was scared of him. He didn't ever engage in play with her. He used to look at her horrifyingly through his glasses.
Question 2 . Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Answer: Kezia’s family comprised her father, mother and grandmother and herself.
Question 3 . What was Kezia’s father’s routine?
(i) before going to his office?(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Answer: i) Kezia's father would visit her in her room before leaving for work and kiss her good-bye.
ii) Upon returning from his workplace, he would ask his mother to fetch his papers and shoes and request that his tea be served in the drawing room. Then he would tell Kezia to remove his boots.iii) He used to sleep and snore on Sundays while sprawled out on the sofa, his feet propped up on one of the nicest cushions and his handkerchief draped over his face.
Question 4 . In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer: Kezia's grandma would invite her to go down to the drawing room and have a pleasant conversation with her father, encouraging her to get to know him better. In addition, she requested that Kezia make a pin cushion out of a gorgeous piece of yellow silk to gift to her father for his birthday.
II. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.
Question 1. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer: Kezia sewed the pin cushion on three sides. She didn't know what to put in the cushion. Grandmother was not present. Kezia then asked her mother for some scrap in their room. However, her mother was not present in the space.
Then Kezia noticed some papers on the bedside table. She gathered them all, broke them up into little bits, and then packed the cushion full of the fragments. When her father looked for those sheets of paper on the bed table at night, her attempts to appease him ended in making him quite angry. The Port Authority address was written on the paper sheets. When she touched something that wasn't hers, her father reprimanded her and gave her a ruler beating.Question 2. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Answer: Kezia concludes that "different kinds of fathers" exist. Father Macdonald was a devoted man. He was incredibly understanding and kind. He laughed and played with his kids in the past. He had a cordial relationship with them. He was not like Kezia's father at all. Her father was stern and unwelcoming.
Question 3. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer: One day, Kezia was left at home with their cook, Alice, while her mother and grandmother were at the hospital. She experienced a nightmare at night. Fearfully, she shouted out for her grandmother, but her father was there next to her bed.
Gently, he tucked her into his bed after embracing her. Then he took a seat next to her. She moved up close to him, half sleepy, tucked her head under his arm and gripped his shirt. Her father had gone to bed before her. She realised that he was too exhausted to act in the same manner as Mr. Macdonald because he had to work so hard every day. She complimented her father on having a large heart.Thinking about Language
I. Look at the following sentence.
There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter… Here, glad means happy about something. Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms (words or expressions that have the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways. Read the sentences below.• She was glad when the meeting was over.
• The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.
Question 1 . Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.
(i) She was __________ by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)(ii) I was __________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
(iii) She was __________ at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
(iv) The coach was __________ with his performance. (satisfied about)
(v) She was very __________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened)
Answer:
(i) She was thrilled by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased) (ii) I was delighted to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)(iii) She was overjoyed 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)
Question 2. Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.
He was so big — his hands and his neck, especially his mouth… Here, big means large in size. Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following sentences. The first one has been done for you.(i) You are a big girl now. older
(ii) Today you are going to make the biggest decision of your career. __________
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. __________
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. __________
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar. __________
(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. __________ (vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. __________
Answer:
(i) You are a big girl now. older(ii) Today you are going to make the biggest decision of your career. most crucial
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas. amazing
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. popular
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar. great
(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. glutton
(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear. magnanimous
II. Verbs of Reporting
Study the following sentences.• “What!” screamed Mother.
• “N-n-no”, she whispered .
• “Sit up,” he ordered . The italicised words are verbs of reporting. We quote or report what someone has said or thought by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting verb.
For example: • He promised to help with my project. • “How are you doing?” Seema asked. We use verbs of reporting to advise, order, report statements, thoughts, intentions, questions, requests, apologies, manner of speaking and so on.
Question 1 . Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.
(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.
Answer:
(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.
Speaking
Form pairs or groups and discuss the following questions.Question 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: Indeed, there are dads, moms, and grandmothers in our nation who resemble the ones in the narrative. Parents occasionally overlook the fact that their children also require their love and care in their attempts to discipline them. It escapes them that their youngster still needs to learn about and accept their surroundings.
It's crucial to give the child time, sympathy, and care so that they have a strong relationship with their parents as they grow up. Children who receive punishment or who are taught an overly rigid self-image simply become emotionally detached from their parents.Question 2: Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?
You might find some of these words useful in describing him: Undemonstrative, loving, strict, hard-working, responsible, unkind, disciplinarian, short-tempered, affectionate, caring, indifferent.Answer: No, Kezia's punishment from her father was unjustified. He ought to have realised that Kezia is still a child and that mistakes are normal for her to make. He had the opportunity to tell her how much those documents meant to him and how she should never do something like that again.
He is a severe, unyielding, and easily agitated father. Although he has a tender and caring heart as well, he allows his strict behaviour to overcome him. Although he acts cruelly, such as hitting her with a ruler, he is also a kind father who comforts her upon awakening from a nightmare.Related Links