NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 5 - Princess September

Question 1. Why did the Queen of Siam name her daughters after the months of the year?

(a) The Queen of Siam named her daughters after the months of the year because it was easy to remember

(b) The Queen of Siam named her daughters after the months of the year because they were born in those months

(c) The Queen of Siam named her daughters after the months of the year because the king had asked her to do so

(d) The Queen of Siam named her daughters after the months of the year because the Queen loved those names

Answer: (a) The Queen of Siam named her daughters after the months of the year because it was easy to remember

Question 2. What was the name of the youngest daughter of the Queen?

(a) The name of the youngest daughter was March

(b) The name of the youngest daughter was September

(c) The name of the youngest daughter was December

(d) The name of the youngest daughter was October

Answer: (b) The name of the youngest daughter was September

Question 3. When did Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage?

(a) Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage on her birthday

(b) Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage on the Queen’s birthday

(c) Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage on the king’s birthday

(d) Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage on her sister’s birthday

Answer: (c) Princess September get a green parrot in a golden cage on the king’s birthday

Question 4. What did the Queen do when the parrot died?

(a) The Queen gave another parrot to Princess September

(b) The Queen consoled her

(c) The Queen punished September

(d) The Queen didn’t do anything

Answer: (c) The Queen punished September

Question 5. When did a little bird come into the room of Princess September?

(a) a little bird came into the room of Princess September when it was morning

(b) a little bird came into the room of Princess September when her maids of Honour opened the window

(c) a little bird came into the room of Princess September when the Princess was fast asleep

(d) a little bird came into the room of Princess September when the Princess was crying and was hungry

Answer: (d) a little bird came into the room of Princess September when the Princess was crying and was hungry

Comprehension Check 

1. How many daughters did the royal couple have?

Ans: A royal couple of Siam had nine daughters who they named following the name of the month.

2. Why were they named after the months of the year?

Ans: They were named following the months of the year since the King and the Queen had several daughters, and it confused the Queen to need to remember so several names.

3. The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called peculiar?

Ans: The King's peculiar habit was that rather than getting gifts on his birthday, he gave them. It is referred to as peculiar because generally, people get gifts on their birthdays.

4. (i) What was Princess September's reaction to the loss of her parrot?

Ans: When she locked the bird within the cage, it passed away. Princess September sobbed uncontrollably after her parrot died. She kept crying and nothing reassured her.

(ii) What was her mother's reaction to it?

Ans:  Her mother, who did not recognize her feelings, proclaimed it as nonsense. Very cruelly she told her to go to bed without having any supper.

(iii) What do the reactions indicate about the nature and temperament of each?

Ans: The Princess' reaction suggests that she was a young, sensitive child. That is why she cried over the death of her parrot. It was an extremely important thing for her. The death of her parrot filled her with sadness. Her mother's reaction reveals that she was a bit harsh. She did not understand her daughter's sadness and supported her. She did not think that the death of the parrot was in any manner a major incident to weep.

5. What pulled the Princess out of her gloom?

Ans: The Princess was extremely depressed and was lying on her bed crying, she noticed a little bird jumping into her room. The beautiful song of the little bird gave a smile to her face. She wiped her tears and listened to the song. So that the Princess came out of her sadness.

6. How did the Maids of Honour come to know that the Princess and the bird had become intimate friends?

Ans: When the Maids of Honour brought in the princess' breakfast the following morning, they noticed the Princess in a happy mindset. They noticed bird-eating rice out of her hand and taking its bath in her saucer. This revealed to them that the princess and the bird had been turned into close friends.

7. The new bird was full of new songs but the old parrots always repeated themselves. What did they say?

Ans: All of the old parrots knew what they had been taught, such as 'God save the king,' and a few of them could even say 'Pretty Polly' in seven languages. But the new bird sang the songs of its own.

8. What is the King's opinion about his Councillors? Why did he form that opinion?

Ans: The King said that the parrots repeating 'Pretty Polly' in seven different languages reminded him of his Councillors saying the same thing in seven different ways and meant nothing depending on which way they said it. 

This was similar to the way the parrots keep on repeating what they had learned, without understanding the meaning of what they said.

9. (i) The eight Princesses made an offer to Princess September. What was it?

Ans: The eight princesses were envious of Princess September. They suggested buying a beautiful yellow and green parrot for Princess September by spending all their expenses.

(ii) Why, in your view, did they do it?

Ans: They did so since they have been disturbed by the reality that everyone was honouring Princess September's bird, which could sing. Their parrots looked sad and repeated similar things. They wanted her to have a similar pet as they had.

10. What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?

Ans: The jealous sisters with the evil intention to harm the bird, advised the Princess to keep her bird in a cage so that she could be sure of where it was.

Comprehension Check 

1. In the following sentence elaborate on the parts given in bold. Under the circumstances, it was a very unfortunate remark for the bird to make.

Ans: Under the circumstances, following what the princess’s sisters instructed her to do, she was concerned about the bird. She was afraid that the bird might forget her or begin liking someone else. She thought that in such a circumstance, she would miss her little pet. A very regrettable remark on returning, the bird told that it very nearly did not return that night as its father-in-law was giving a party and had liked it to stay. This was the last thing that the princess would like to hear as it only confirmed her fears.

2. (i) What did Princess September do to ensure the safety of her pet?

Ans: To ensure the safety of her pet, Princess September placed it in the cage.

(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Ans: Bird reacted to it dramatically. He didn’t need to be in a cage. He needed full freedom. He did not like it. It stopped singing and eating.

3. Why did the bird refuse to be taken out in her cage?

Ans: When the princess agreed to take the bird out of its cage daily, it rejected her sincere offer. To the bird, it was not the same as flying into nature freely. The rice fields, the lake, and the willow trees would look different when viewed through the bars of a cage which may not be enjoyable in this little illusion of the freedom the princess was providing.

4. (i) What persuaded Princess September to give the bird his freedom again?

Ans: The Princess noticed the bird almost dead the following morning. He had stopped eating anything. He had stopped singing at all. It didn't open up its eyes yet. This persuaded the Princess to offer the bird freedom again.

(ii) How did the bird react to it?

Ans: The bird was filled with joy. He flew away to the far lands with the promise that he would return and sing for her every time she needed.

5. Princess September kept her window open day and night.

(i) How did it help the bird?

Ans: Princess September kept her window open day and night. This helped the bird as it can come into her room and go away when it feels like it.

(ii) How did it help the Princess herself?

Ans: Sleeping with the window open turned out to be extremely nice for the princess as she swelled extremely beautifully due to this reason. The open window took her nearer to nature which has helped her to grow up naturally.

6. The eight sisters kept their windows shut. How did it affect them?

Ans: The eight sisters grew tremendously horrible and disagreeable. This was because they kept their windows closed and stayed away from the gains of Nature.

Exercise

1. Are the sisters unkind and cruel? Find evidence in the text to support your idea.

Ans: Yes, the sisters were cruel and harsh. When The sisters noticed that a bird of Princess September could sing and their parrots could just repeat two lines, they became disturbed. They even offered to buy green and yellow parrots for her. When she refused their offer, they persuaded her to put it in the cage knowing the reality that it would hurt the bird. After she had placed the bird into the cage, it stopped singing and eating. When she consulted her sisters, they said they would soon get used to the cage. They even told them that she should be strong, and if it died, then it would be very ungrateful of it. If it was stubborn and died, then it would serve it right. When she left the bird free, they mocked her and said that the bird would never come back. All these occurrences reveal that they were very cruel and heartless.

2. Which, to you, is the most important idea in this story, and why?

1. Importance of music

2. value of  freedom

3. beauty of nature

Ans: The most significant idea in the story is the value of freedom. Nobody should be refused his freedom. A lack of freedom suffocates someone and precludes him from experiencing the beauty of life in its richness. The bird in the story was flying happily. It sang wonderfully and ate well. Though, when it was caged, it turned out to be sad and did not sing or eat. It said that to sing, it needed its freedom, and if it could not sing, it would die. This reveals that the beauty of life is in freedom, and not in confinement. It is true for every person. One can work and grow well when one achieves open space to work. Restrictions stop the flow of inventiveness.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English - It So Happened Chapter 5 Princess September

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened - Free PDF Download

Chapter 5 Class 8 English It So Happened Princess September is a story of a royal family who has 9 princesses in the territory. All of them are named on the names of months they are born in. The youngest princess is the most beautiful, kind-hearted, and sensitive girl.

Once she loses her dearest pet and becomes upset. After some time, a little bird becomes her new friend. She locks her in the cage so that she could never fly away. The bird becomes sad and promises the princess that she would visit her daily if the princess releases her. The princess released her and she started living happily.

The moral of the story is we should never keep anyone in compulsory captivity. Everyone loves to remain free and deserve freedom of their own. We should not compel anyone to stay in captivity for our selfish reasons. Also, we should be sensitive and kind to animals.

At the end of this beautiful story, you will find a few questions to solve related to Chapter 5 It So Happened Princess September in your NCERT English textbook. You will find solutions for these questions in pdf format on this page for free. Download  NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English It So Happened free pdf now and get the solutions for the questions asked in the NCERT textbook.

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• The solutions display all the kinds of questions that can be asked in the exams.

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NCERT Class 8 English It So Happened Chapter wise Solutions

• Chapter 1 - How The Camel Got His Hump

• Chapter 2 - Children at Work

• Chapter 3 - The Selfish Giant

• Chapter 4 - The Treasure Within

• Chapter 5 - Princess September

• Chapter 6 - The Fight

• Chapter 7 - The Open Window

• Chapter 8 - Jalebis

• Chapter 9 - The Comet - I

• Chapter 10 - The Comet - II