Class 10 : Unit -2 - Zigzag -Supplementary

 Unit -2 - Zigzag -Supplementary 

A. Identify the speaker / character.

1. Even though I clearly said no!
   → Dr. Krishnan
2. The one that spits deadly poison straight into its opponent’s eyes.
   → Maya
3. Remember the tiny penknife he gave me last year.
   → Maya
4. It’s Somu’s thoughtless ways that reduce me to tears.
   → Mrs. Krishnan
5. Come in, Zigzag, come in dear!
   → Visu

B. Reactions of characters in given situations:

1. “You’re both quite mistaken.”

Dr. Krishnan: Corrected the children and explained that Zigzag is a harmless, lovable bird gifted to Somu by an African witch doctor.

• Mrs. Krishnan: Was horrified at the thought of keeping another of Somu’s strange pets.
1. “It’s Somu’s thoughtless ways that reduce me to tears.”
• Mrs. Krishnan: Expressed frustration over Somu’s gifts always being a nuisance, especially while she was busy preparing for her painting exhibition.
• Dr. Krishnan: Tried to calm her down by praising Zigzag’s abilities and suggesting he would be helpful and lovable.
2. “Just wait till Zigzag settles down in this new home.”
• Visu: Comforted the disappointed children, promising they’d enjoy Zigzag’s company once he adjusted.
• Arvind and Maya: Were initially disappointed but hopeful and excited to see Zigzag talk soon.
3. “Zigzag hardly ever sleeps.”
• Somu: Mentioned in the email that Zigzag rarely sleeps and had never snored when with him.
• Dr. Krishnan: Surprised by the revelation, realized Zigzag was only pretending to sleep due to boredom.
4. “You are an absolute treasure…”
• Dr. Krishnan: Amazed by Zigzag’s ability to control the children in the clinic and expressed deep appreciation.
• Zigzag: Winked knowingly and accepted the compliment without speaking, showing pride in his actions.

 

C. Complete the given tabular column.

Event	Details
Arrival of Zigzag	Somu requested Dr. Krishnan to keep Zigzag with them while he was in Alaska.
Appearance	About 1.5 feet tall, shocking pink head feathers, muddy brown body, sunflower-yellow beak, cola-coloured eyes.
Reaction of the family	Curious and excited at first, then disappointed and frustrated when Zigzag only snored and made a mess.
Trouble caused by Zigzag	Snoring loudly, placing fruits on ceiling fan and chandelier, ruining the painting, causing complaints from neighbors.
Final realization	Zigzag preferred the clinic and was a great help there, calming and amusing the children.
Decision taken	Keep Zigzag at home on trial, and let him go to the clinic daily with Dr. Krishnan.

 

D. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences:

1. Why did Dr. Ashok’s cousin call him?
   → Dr. Ashok’s cousin, Somu, called him to ask whether he could keep his pet bird Zigzag while he was away in Alaska.
2. Mention at least two expressions which show that Mrs. Krishnan was not willing to have Zigzag at home.
   → She angrily said, “Somu’s favourite possessions were absolute nuisances!” and sarcastically commented that his “thoughtless ways reduce me to tears!”
3. What pets did Somu have?
   → Somu had a fighting beetle named Spitfire, a sidewinder snake, and an insect-eating plant, among other unusual pets.
4. What was Mrs. Krishnan busy with?
   → Mrs. Krishnan was busy preparing her paintings for an upcoming art exhibition.
5. What commotion did the boomerang cause in the neighborhood?
   → The boomerang damaged TV aerials, cars in the parking lot, and knocked out the watchman.
6. What happened when Somu left Zigzag with the Krishnans?
   → Zigzag refused to speak, snored loudly, caused a mess by putting fruit on the fan, and ruined Mrs. Krishnan’s painting.
7. How did Zigzag communicate with the Krishnans?
   → Zigzag did not communicate in words but instead snored loudly whenever he slept.
8. What was the e-mail message sent to Somu by Dr. Krishnan?
   → Dr. Krishnan sent an email asking Somu for instructions on how to stop Zigzag from snoring.
9. What did Arvind confess?
   → Arvind confessed that he preferred going to school because it was calmer than staying at home with Zigzag.
10. Why did Mrs. Jhunjhunwala buy the painting?
    → She bought the painting thinking the papaya stains were a new, creative painting technique and loved the “streaky orangey bits.”

E. Answer the following questions in about 100–150 words:

1. Write a passage in your own words on various commotions caused by Zigzag at Dr. Krishnan’s residence.

Zigzag caused a lot of chaos at the Krishnan residence. As soon as he arrived, he refused to speak or interact, but instead flew up and placed fruits and nuts on the chandelier and ceiling fan. Later, when the fan was turned on, the fruit splattered around the room, ruining Mrs. Krishnan’s prized painting. Zigzag then started snoring loudly, creating a sound described as “KNGRRDRRWHEEZE,” which disturbed the entire household and annoyed the neighbours. Despite efforts using water, sounds, and other tricks, Zigzag couldn’t be woken up. The constant noise gave headaches to the family and caused their maid to scream when hit by flying fruit. Mrs. Krishnan was especially frustrated, as her work was disturbed and she even received sarcastic calls from neighbours. The entire family felt helpless until Dr. Krishnan decided to contact Somu for a solution.

2. What happened when Zigzag was taken to the clinic?

When Zigzag was taken to Dr. Krishnan’s clinic, something unexpected happened. Instead of sleeping or snoring, Zigzag became alert and active. He perched on the nurse’s desk and began talking clearly in a commanding voice. He calmed the frightened children, scolded the naughty ones, and even made the crying children laugh with songs and poetry. The clinic, which was usually filled with loud crying and tantrums, suddenly became peaceful and well-behaved under Zigzag’s supervision. Dr. Krishnan was amazed to see that Zigzag was trained to help in such a setting and realized what a great help the bird actually was. Zigzag never slept or snored at the clinic, and the patients loved him. This changed Dr. Krishnan’s opinion about the bird completely.

 

3. Narrate the story of Zigzag in your own words.

The story is about a strange pet bird named Zigzag, left in the care of Dr. Krishnan’s family by his cousin Somu. At first, the family was unsure about keeping the bird, but reluctantly agreed. Zigzag looked odd and refused to talk or interact. Instead, he snored loudly, causing great disturbance at home. He made a mess by placing fruits on the ceiling fan, which later splattered everywhere, even ruining a painting. The family was frustrated, and Dr. Krishnan contacted Somu for help. Finally, they discovered that Zigzag never snored before and that he might just be bored. When Dr. Krishnan took him to the clinic, Zigzag surprised everyone by speaking fluently and managing the children with ease. He brought peace to the noisy clinic and impressed Dr. Krishnan. In the end, Mrs. Krishnan also appreciated Zigzag after selling her ruined painting for a good price, and they decided to keep Zigzag at home on trial.