
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 Villa for Sale are important for students as they help in understanding the story clearly and preparing well for exams. These answers follow the latest CBSE syllabus and explain the key points in a simple way. The chapter includes interesting dialogues and smart characters, making it both fun and meaningful.
By going through the Villa for Sale Class 9 questions and answers, students can improve their writing, learn important lessons, and feel confident during tests.
The chapter Villa for Sale Class 9 is a humorous one-act play written by Sacha Guitry. It is about a woman named Juliette who is trying to sell her villa.
She is frustrated because no one seems interested. Then comes a couple, Jeanne and Gaston, to see the villa. While Jeanne is excited to buy it, Gaston is not impressed at all. But in a clever twist, Gaston ends up making a profitable deal behind everyone’s back.
This play is full of witty conversations, misunderstandings, and smart decision-making. It teaches us how quick thinking and presence of mind can change any situation.
The NCERT solutions help students understand the story better and answer questions easily in exams. The chapter is part of the Class 9 English Literature syllabus and is both fun and meaningful to read.
Here are the solutions for the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Chapter 13 Villa for Sale:
Textbook Questions Solved
Question 1. If you could buy your dream house today what are some specific features you would want for your house? Write them in the bubbles below:
Answer:
Question 2. Discuss with your partner the similarities and dissimilarities in your dream house.
Answer:
My dream house has a big garden and lots of windows. My partner also wants a garden but prefers a balcony. I want a two-storey house, while my partner likes a single-floor house. We both want a peaceful and clean neighborhood.
1. sell
2. money
3. favour
4. buying
5. enthusiastic
6. in-laws
7. 200 thousand francs
8. walks in
9. taking
10. strikes
11. two hundred thousand francs
12. keep
Question 4 Answer the following questions briefly:
(a) Why does Jeanne want to buy a villa?
(b) Why is Gaston not interested in buying the villa in the beginning?
(c) Mrs. A1 Smith makes many statements about the French. Pick out any two and explain them.
(d) Juliette says “ now I have only one thought that is to get the wretched place off my hands. I would sacrifice it at any price.” Does she stick to her words? Why/ Why not?
(e) Who is better in business—Juliette or Gaston? Why?
(f) Do you like/dislike Gaston? Give your reasons.
Answer:
(a) Jeanne wants to buy the villa so her old parents can live there comfortably.
(b) Gaston isn’t interested because the house is not for them—it’s for Jeanne’s parents and her sister’s children. He doesn’t want to spend money on something he won’t use, and he thinks the price is too high.
First, she says French people take too long to make decisions and need to consult many others.
Second, she says that French people focus too much on the past, while Americans look ahead to the future. These show she thinks Americans are quicker and more practical.
(d) No, she doesn’t. At first, she says she’ll sell it at any price, but later she demands 250,000 francs. She finally agrees at 200,000, which shows she just wanted a good deal.
(e) Gaston is better. While Juliette tries to act smart and bargain, Gaston tricks both her and Mrs. Al Smith. He buys the house for 200,000 francs and sells it for 300,000, making a profit of 100,000 francs.
(f) I think Gaston is clever but a bit selfish. He doesn’t care much about his wife’s feelings and only wants to make money. Still, he is smart and knows how to do business well.
Question 5. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct options:
(A) But the sign has been hanging on the gate for over a month now and I am beginning to be afraid that the day I bought it was when I was the real fool.
(a) Why is Juliette disappointed?
(i) She is unable to get a role of cook in the films.
(ii) Her maid is leaving as she has got a role in the films.
(iii) She is unable to find a suitable buyer for her villa.
(iv) Gaston is offering a very low price for the villa.
Answer:
(iii) She is unable to find a suitable buyer for her villa.
(b) Why does she call herself a fool?
(i) She has decided to sell her villa.
(ii) There are no buyers for the villa.
(iii) She had bought the villa for more than it was worth.
(iv) The villa was too close to the film studios.
Answer:
(i) She has decided to sell her villa.
(B) ‘But your parents would take possession of it, every year from the beginning of spring until the end of September. What’s more, they would bring the whole tribe of your sister’s children with them.’
(a) What does Gaston mean by ‘take possession’?
(i) Her parents would stay with them for a long time.
(ii) Juliette’s sister has many children.
(iii) Gaston does not like children.
(iv) Juliette’s sister’s children are badly behaved.
Answer:
(a) (i) Her parents would stay with them for a long time.
(C) ‘While you were upstairs, I have been thinking a lot about your Papa and Mamma. ’
(a) What is the discrepancy between what Gaston said earlier and what he says now?
(i) Earlier he did not want Jeanne’s parents to stay with them but now he is showing concern for them.
(ii) Earlier he wanted Jeanne’s parents to stay with them but now he does not want them to come over.
(iii) Earlier he wanted to buy a house for them but now he wants them to come and stay in their villa.
(iv) Earlier he stayed in Jeanne’s parents’ villa but now he wants them to stay with him and Jeanne’s.
Answer:
(i) Earlier he did not want Jeanne’s parents to stay with them but now he is showing concern for them.
(b) What does the above statement reveal about Gaston’s character?
(i) He is selfish.
(ii) He is an opportunist.
(iii) He is a caring person.
(iv) He is a hypocrite.
Answer:
(ii) He is an opportunist.
Question 6. Select words from the box to describe the characters in the play as revealed by the following lines. You may take the words from the box given on the next page:
|
Lines from the play |
Speaker |
Quality revealed |
|
|
(a) |
One hundred thousand francs if necessary and that’s only twice what it cost me. |
greedy |
|
|
(b) |
If you don’t want the house, tell me so at once and we ’ll say no more about it. |
||
|
(c) |
No! I am very fond of your family, but not quite so fond as that. |
Gaston |
|
|
(d) |
Quite so. I have, but you haven’t. |
||
|
(e) |
I have never cared such a damned little about anybody’s opinion. |
||
|
(f) |
On the principle of people who like children and haven’t any can always go and live near a school. |
||
|
(g) |
The garden is not very large, but you see, it is surrounded by other gardens. |
Juliette |
|
|
(h) |
I will be philanthropic and let you have it for two hundred thousand. |
||
|
(i) |
I have been thinking a lot about your Papa and Mamma. You see, I am really unselfish. |
clever |
Answer:
|
Lines from the play |
Speaker |
Quality revealed |
|
(a) “One hundred thousand francs if necessary and that’s only twice what it cost me.” |
Juliette |
Greedy |
|
(b) “If you don’t want the house, tell me so at once and we’ll say no more about it.” |
Jeanne |
Critical |
|
(c) “No! I am very fond of your family, but not quite so fond as that.” |
Gaston |
Disapproving |
|
(d) “Quite so. I have, but you haven’t.” |
Gaston |
Domineering |
|
(e) “I have never cared such a damned little about anybody’s opinion.” |
Gaston |
Overbearing / Haughty |
|
(f) “On the principle of people who like children and haven’t any can always go and live near a school.” |
Gaston |
Witty |
|
(g) “The garden is not very large, but you see, it is surrounded by other gardens.” |
Juliette |
Cunning |
|
(h) “I will be philanthropic and let you have it for two hundred thousand.” |
Juliette |
Boastful |
|
(i) “I have been thinking a lot about your Papa and Mamma. You see, I am really unselfish.” |
Gaston |
Clever |
Listening Task
Question 7. You are Jeanne. After coming home you realise that the villa was not actually bought and your husband has fooled both you and the landlady of the villa. You are filled with rage, disgust and helplessness because of your husband’s betrayal. Write your feelings in the form of a diary entry.
Answer:
Nogent-sur-Mame. 15th July, 20XX.
I can’t believe what just happened today. I feel shocked, hurt, and deeply betrayed. All this time, I truly believed that Gaston had bought the villa—for me, for my parents, for our future. I was so happy and proud that we were finally doing something thoughtful for my family. But now I know the truth. It was all a lie.
Gaston didn’t buy the villa for us. Instead, he tricked Juliette and Mrs. Al Smith, just to make money for himself. He pretended to be uninterested at first, and suddenly he changed his mind. I thought it was out of love or understanding—but no. It was for profit. He made a hundred thousand francs while keeping me completely in the dark.
How could he do this? To me? I feel so small, so foolish. I trusted him, and now I don’t even know who he really is. I’ve lost more than a villa today. I’ve lost the trust I had in my husband.
— Jeanne
Here are extra questions and answers from the Class 9 English Literature chapter "Villa for Sale:
Read the extract given below and answer the questions/complete the sentences that follow:
Question 1: “While you were upstairs, I had been thinking a lot about your papa and mamma.”
(a) Who spoke these words and to whom?
(b) How does the statement differ from the statement made by him earlier?
(c) What impression do you form about the speaker?
Answer:
(a) Gaston says this to Jeanne.
(b) Earlier, he didn’t want Jeanne’s parents to live with them. Now he pretends to care.
(c) He seems selfish and hypocritical.
Question 2: Mind you, if someone had bought it on the very day I placed it for sale, then I might have felt sorry because I would have wondered if I hadn’t been a fool to sell at all.
(a) How long ago had the speaker put up her Villa for sale?
(b) Why would she have considered herself a fool if she had managed to sell it on the day she put up the notice?
(c) In what way is. her remark ironic?
Answer:
(a) She put it up for sale more than a month ago.
(b) Because she would have doubted the decision and thought the villa was worth more.
(c) It’s ironic because she does get fooled—Gaston tricks her and makes a big profit.
Question 3: Please don’t joke, Gaston. What this lady says is perfectly right.Will you tell me, Madame, what price you are asking for the Villa?
(a) Who asks Gaston not to joke? Who does ‘this lady’ refer to?
(b) What was the joke told by Gaston?
(c) Why was Gaston joking while speaking to the lady?
Answer:
(a) Jeanne asks Gaston not to joke. “This lady” refers to Juliette.
(b) He joked that people who like children but don’t have any should live near a school.
(c) Gaston was joking because he didn’t want to buy the villa.
Question 4: “You are an exception. Frenchmen usually have to consult about ten people before they get a move on,”
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) Why is the speaker interested in buying that villa?
(c) Why does the speaker feel that Mr. Gaston is an exception?
Answer:
(a) Mrs. Al Smith says this.
(b) She wants to buy the villa because it’s close to the film studios.
(c) Because Gaston was quick to make a decision without consulting others, unlike most Frenchmen (according to her).
Question 5: What is your impression of Mrs. Al Smith?
Answer:
Mrs. Al Smith is a rich, bold American woman. She’s confident and full of opinions, especially about the French. She talks quickly, acts fast, and ends up being tricked by Gaston.
Question 6: How did Jeanne react to Gaston’s decision to purchase the villa?
Answer:
She was surprised and confused. It was unexpected because Gaston had earlier refused to buy it.
Question 7: What proposal does the maid make to Juliette? Why?
Answer:
The maid suggests that Juliette should work as a cook in a film to earn money, as Juliette is going through financial problems.
Question 8: Why did Gaston quote three hundred thousand francs for the villa?
Answer:
Actually, this seems like a typo in the question. Gaston bought the villa for 200,000 francs and sold it to Mrs. Al Smith for 300,000 francs. He did this to make a profit of 100,000 francs without telling his wife or Juliette.
Question 9: Why was Jeanne so desperate to buy a villa?
Or
Why does Jeanne want to buy a villa?
Answer:
Jeanne wanted to buy a villa so her parents could stay with them during the summer. She also wanted space to create a nice modern study.
Question 10: Who is better in business—Juliette or Gaston? Why?
Or
How does Gaston eventually prove himself better in business than Juliette?
Answer:
Gaston proves to be a better businessman than Juliette. While Juliette struggles for over a month to sell the villa, Gaston cleverly makes a profit without even owning it.
He tricks Juliette into thinking he is buying the villa for 200,000 francs, and then immediately sells it to Mrs. Al Smith for 300,000 francs. In doing so, he earns a neat profit of 100,000 francs within minutes. This shows he is smart, quick-thinking, and much sharper in business than Juliette.
Students looking for detailed and easy-to-understand answers can now access the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 Villa for Sale in a PDF format.
This Villa for Sale Class 9 PDF contains accurate answers to all textbook questions, and including extra practice questions. Whether you’re revising for exams or preparing for a class discussion, these solutions will help you grasp the play’s theme and characters better.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Literature Reader Chapter 13 PDF
