Tuesday 9 February 2021

The Hundred Dresses Part I &II by El Bsor Ester-English for Class X

 

Lessons 5 & 6: The Hundred Dresses Part I &II by El Bsor Ester [Notes Prepared by Shish Pal Chauhan)

Short Answer-type Qs.

Q1. Where did Wanda live”? What kind of place was it? Why were her shoes mud-smeared?

Ans. Wanda lived at Boggins Heights. It was far away from the town. It was a wetland. So her shoes were always mud-smeared.

Q2. In what way was Wanda different from other students in her class?

Ans. Wanda’s name was strange for the other students of class. She was not American. She was a Polish girl. Her name seemed strange to her class mates. She lived at Boggins Heights, a marshy (muddy) land. She had no friends. She always wore a faded blue dress.

Q3. Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said that she had?

Ans. No, she did not have a hundred dresses. She had to say it because her class-fellow, Peggy, used to tease her. She would ask her as to how many dresses she had. Actually she had only one faded blue dress.

Q4. How is Maddie different from Peggy. Give reasons in support of your point.

Ans. Maddie and Peggy were also different. Maddie did not like to tease Wanda. Peggy used to make fun of Wanda’s poverty. Sometimes Maddie also felt embarrassed at Peggy’s words. But she had no courage to stop Peggy from that.

Q5. Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggy to stop embarrassing Wanda? What was she afraid of?

Ans. Maddie was also from a poor family. She was afraid that Peggy would start teasing her also. So she never had the courage to annoy Peggy.

Q6. What was the drawing contest about? Who won it and what had the winner drawn?

Ans. The contest was about making beautiful designs of dresses. Wanda won that competition. She had made beautiful designs of one hundred dresses.

Q7. Why did Wanda often say to Peggy that she had one hundred dresses?

Ans. Wanda did not have one hundred dresses in reality. But she had made one hundred beautiful designs of dresses. To counter Peggy’s attack on her, she used to say it.

Q8. When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?

Ans. It was Wednesday when they noticed Wanda’s absence. They often waited for Wanda to make fun of her. But that day, she did not come. They also got late due to that.

Q9. Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?

Ans. Usually Wanda sat in the last row. The seat was the second last in Room Thirteen. She sat there because her shoes were often muddy.

Q10. Describe Wanda’s dress.

Ans. Wanda always wore a faded blue dress. It didn’t hang right. It was clean, but it looked as though it had never been ironed properly.

Q11. What quality of Peggy has been highlighted in the lesson by the narrator? Was she justified in making fun of Wanda?

Ans. Peggy was the most popular girl in school. She was pretty. She had many pretty clothes and her hair was curly. She often saved weak children from the stronger boys. She also protested if any animal was not treated properly. But she was not justified in making fun of Wanda. 

Q12. Why did Peggy and Maddie want to meet Wanda when Miss Mason read Wanda’s father’s letter to the whole class?

Ans. Maddie felt guilty. She understood that they were harsh on Wanda. So she, along with Peggy, wanted to meet her.  They would tell Wanda she had won the contest. They thought she was smart and the hundred dresses were beautiful.

Q13. How did Miss Mason feel before reading Wanda’s father’s letter to the class?

Ans. Miss Mason felt very bad. She became emotional. She read the letter in a very low voice.   

Q14. What advice did Miss Mason give to the class after reading Wanda’s father’s letter to the class?

Ans.   She advised the class that no one in Room Thirteen would make fun of any student’s names. It may be short, long or funny. No one would hurt anyone’s feelings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Q15. What does Mr. Petronski, Wanda’s father write in his letter?

Ans. He writes that Wanda and Jake would not come to school in future. They are going to a new city. No one would make fun of their names. No one would call Wanda ‘hollack’, etc.

Long Answer –type Qs (100 words)

Q1. Describe Peggy’s character.

Ans. Peggy was the most popular girl in school. She was pretty but a thoughtless girl. She had many pretty clothes and her hair was curly. She often saved weak children from the stronger boys. She also protested if any animal was not treated properly. She often made fun of Wanda. She would ask her as to how many dresses she had. Wanda was a poor girl. She had only one dress. Peggy said that she did not like the lie told by Wanda about her dresses. She justified herself by saying that she had never been cruel to her. But in my opinion she was not justified in making fun of Wanda.  You cannot defend yourself by doing wrongs to others. Later on, she realised her mistake.

Q2. Describe Wanda Petronski’s character. (Any Question about Wanda)

Ans. Wanda belonged to a poor family. She was a Polish girl. She lived at marshy land, Boggins Heights. She had only one dress. The girls of her class always teased her. Her name was also unusual for them. She had no friends. She was a very sensitive girl. She remained silent.  Peggy used to tease her and often asked her as to how many dresses she had. Then she would say a few words that she had one hundred dresses. She had to leave that place.  In the end we come to know that she forgave all. She was very creative. That was why she won the contest. She also made paintings for Maddie and Peggy.

 Q3. Describe Maddie’s character.

Ans. Maddie was also a poor and sensitive girl. She used to wear somebody’s ‘hand-me-down’ clothes. She remained with Peggy, but she did not like her making comments on Wanda. She was afraid that Peggy would start making fun of her if she favoured Wanda. Once she wrote a note. She wanted to tell Peggy not to make fun of Wanda. But she had no courage. She wished Peggy would stop teasing Wanda Petronski. When Wanda left the town, she felt guilty that she had no courage to stop Peggy. She visited her house. But Wanda and her family had left the town.

Q4. What did Wanda’s father write in his letter? How did Maddie feel after listening to the letter?

Ans. Wanda’s father wrote a letter to the principal of the school. He was hurt and angry also because his daugher was not given due regards by her class-mates. She was often made fun of her dress, her name, etc. He wrote in his letter that Wanda won’t come to school anymore. Their whole family was shifting to a big city. His daughter would not face any insult there. No one would make fun of her name there. There were so many people there with funny names. But no one made fun of anyone there. Maddie felt very sad after listening to the letter. She could not focus on her studies. She felt guilty of remaining silent went Peggy laughed at Wanda.

Very Short Qs/Ans.

Some facts:

1.      Wanda Petronski lived at Boggins Heights.

2.      She was a quiet and simple girl.

3.      She was a Polish girl.

4.      She always wore a dress of faded blue colour.

5.      Peggy always made fun of Wanda.

6.      Wanda always replied to Peggy that she had one hundred dresses, all lined up.

7.      Maddie was Peggie’s friend. They were Americans.

8.      She never made fun of Wanda directly. But she enjoyed Peggy’s pranks on Wanda.

9.      Peggy was the most popular girl in the school.

10.  Peggy protected little children from being bullied. She also loved animals.

11.  Wanda won the competition.

12.  Peggy and Wanda also wrote a letter to Wanda.

13.  Miss Mason read the letter written by Wanda’s father.

14.  Wanda gave the green coloured design of a dress as a gift to Peggy.

15.  Wanda gave the blue coloured design of a dress as a gift to Maddie.

16.  Jan Petronski was Wanda’s father.

 

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