Q1. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What time does the child walk to school?
(a) 8 in the morning
(b) 10 in the morning
(c) 4 in the afternoon
(d) 6 in the evening
Ans: (b) 10 in the morning
When the gong sounds ten in the morning, the child walks to school.”
2. What does the hawker sell?
(a) Fruits
(b) Balloons
(c) Crystal bangles
(d) Toys
Ans: (c) Crystal bangles
Every day, the child meets the hawker crying, ‘Bangles, crystal bangles!’
3. How does the gardener work?
(a) He works hurriedly
(b) He works freely without anyone stopping him
(c) He works in the rain only
(d) He works in a team
Ans: (b) He works freely without anyone stopping him
The Gardener does what he likes with his spade…nobody takes him to task.
4. When does the child see the watchman?
(a) Morning
(b) Afternoon
(c) Evening and night
(d) Noon
Ans: (c) Evening and night
Just as it gets dark in the evening, the child can see through his open window the watchman walking up and down.
5. What does the child wish for in the poem?
(a) To be a teacher
(b) To be a hawker, gardener, and watchman
(c) To play all day
(d) To sleep all day
Ans: (b) To be a hawker, gardener, and watchman
The child imagines the freedom of these three vocations.
Q2. True or False
1. The hawker hurries to meet a fixed schedule.
Ans: False
There is nothing to hurry the hawker on; there is no road he must take.
2. The gardener gets wet or baked but is not scolded.
Ans: True
Nobody takes the gardener to task if he gets baked in the sun or gets wet.
3. The street lamp is compared to a giant with one red eye.
Ans: True
The street lamp stands like a giant with one red eye in its head.
4. The watchman goes to bed at night.
Ans: False
The watchman never once goes to bed in his life.
5. The child envies the freedom of the three professions.
Ans: True
The child repeatedly says, “I wish I were…” for each vocation.
Q3. Fill in the Blanks
1. The child walks to school by his ______.
Ans: lane
2. The hawker cries, “________, crystal bangles!”
Ans: Bangles
3. The gardener uses a ______ to dig.
Ans: spade
4. The watchman swings his ______ while walking.
Ans: lantern
5. The street-lamp stands like a ______ with one red eye.
Ans: giant
Q4. Word Meanings
1. Hawker
Meaning: A person who sells goods on the street
Sentence: The hawker cries, “Bangles, crystal bangles!” every morning.
2. Spade
Meaning: A tool for digging
Sentence: The gardener digs the soil with his spade.
3. Envy
Meaning: A feeling of wanting what someone else has
Sentence: The child envies the freedom of the hawker.
4. Lantern
Meaning: A light carried by hand
Sentence: The watchman swings his lantern as he walks.
5. Baked
Meaning: Exposed to heat or sun
Sentence: The gardener’s clothes get baked under the sun.
Q5. Synonyms
1. Walk → Stroll
2. Cry → Shout
3. Dig → Excavate
4. Freedom → Liberty
5. Dark → Night
Q6. Arrange the lines to create a meaningful stanza from the poem
(a) I see the gardener digging in the afternoon.
(b) I meet the hawker in the morning.
(c) I see the watchman walking at night.
(d) I wish I were a hawker, gardener, and watchman.
(e) The street-lamp stands like a giant with one red eye.
Ans: (b) → (a) → (c) → (e) → (d)
Reasoning: This order follows the daily sequence from morning to night and ends with the child’s wish.
Q7. Short Answer Questions
1. Describe the hawker and his daily life.
Ans: The hawker cries, “Bangles, crystal bangles!” in the morning. He has no fixed schedule or road to follow, and he works freely. The child envies this freedom.
2. What does the gardener do, and why is he envied?
Ans: The gardener digs in the afternoon with a spade. He works freely, gets baked or wet without being scolded, and is admired by the child for his independence.
3. How is the watchman described in the poem?
Ans: The watchman walks up and down at night, swinging his lantern, with his shadow at his side, never going to bed.
4. How does the street lamp appear at night?
Ans: It stands like a giant with one red eye, lighting the lane.
5. What feeling does the child express throughout the poem?
Ans: Envy and admiration for the freedom of the hawker, gardener, and watchman.