I. Comprehension check
1. Why is the giant called selfish?
– The giant is called selfish because he never allowed any children to come and play in his garden and had a mindset that as it is his garden he will play alone in his garden. Once the giant was away from his house for seven years and it was the time when the garden experienced all seasons. It was so lively with birds and children playing around. But on his coming back, he built a wall around his garden and stopped the entry of children through a notice board outside. Eventually, the garden stopped experiencing all seasons except winters. The plants, birds and the children suffered because of the selfish giant.
2. On one occasion the children said:”How happy we are here! “Later they said:”How happy we were there! “
– In first case, the children were happy because the giant was out of station and they could play in his garden after they returned from their school along with the birds and the plants. They also enjoyed all the seasons with all living beings present in giant’s garden.
In second case, the children were sad because the giant stopped their entry and warned them not to play in his garden. He built a wall around the garden and pasted a notice board to stop the outsiders entry.
3. i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here?
– Winter is indicated as the negativity that surrounds his garden. In his garden, the flowers and trees didn’t blossom and also the birds stopped singing and the children stopped coming. The winter better say the negativity has depressed the environment so much that they became so lazy and sad. They only experienced the winter season among all the seasons.
ii) Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.
– The selfish giant has stopped the children from entering his garden with a notice board pasted in his wall and also he builded a wall around his garden. The tress stopped blossoming and the birds too stopped singing. They were depressed, sad and experienced laziness as winter was the permanent season in his garden. Spring stopped visiting the garden. The garden was full of negativity. The winter also invited the North wind to come and stay with them and the hail also visited them. The snow covered the garden and the frost fell on the trees. The hail rattled the roof of the castle everyday, and then it ran round the garden again and again as fast as it could.
4. Was the giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?
– The did his best to stop the children’s and Bird’s entry in his garden. And later when years passed and he never experienced spring in his garden ,he was sad. He wondered why trees didn’t blossom and birds do not chirp and why spring is not visiting his garden. He was sad over the state of the garden.
5. What effect did the linnet’s song have over the hail and the north wind?
–The linnet’s song frightened the winter. The hail and the north wind felt the little presence of spring that finally started visiting the giant’s garden. They were frightened and slowly the hail stopped dancing and the north wind stopped roaring.
II. Comprehension check
1. i) The giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see?
– when he peeped through the window, he saw that the children crept in to the garden, through a little hole in the wall. The branches of the trees were full of children and trees were blossoming. The branches stretched above the heads of the children. The birds were singing around the garden and the flowers laughed. The atmosphere of spring finally made him happy and he saw the most wonderful sight.
ii) What did he realise on seeing it?
–After seeing the spring in his garden he realised that he was so selfish that he stopped the entry of the children. He realised that it was because of the children he experienced spring and he was the reason for winters in his garden. Finally he realised his mistakes he made.
2. Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?
–In a particular corner of the garden, it was still winter because of a little boy who could not climb the trees. He was too tiny that although the trees spreaded their branches for him but he couldn’t climb up .
3. Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the giant?
–When the giant was wondering the beauty of his garden he noticed the particular corner of the garden which was still cold because of the little boy who was unable to reach the branches of the tree. While the boy was crying the giant’s heart melted. He went to the boy and lifted him to the branches. The boy was so happy that he hugged and kissed the giant. This way the little boy and the giant met each other.
4. Describe their second meeting after a long interval.
–The giant loved the little boy most but after their first meeting the boy never came. He used ask everyday to other children but they too didn’t know where he lived. The giant looked for the boy often but never saw him. Years passed by, the gaint grew old, and one day on that particular corner where they met first, he saw the little boy standing. He was happy and went down to him. But seeing some marks of injury in that boy’s hand and feet, he got angry. He told the boy that he would smash the person who did this to the poor boy. So this was their second meeting.
5. The gaint lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish gaint?
–Here, white blossoms indicate pure and it proofs that now the selfish giant is not selfish anymore and now he has the pure soul like the white blossoms. This shows that the Gods in heaven accepted him and has forgiven his past. The once selfish giant is now the purest one who has the full right to go to heaven peacefully and happily.
EXERCISE
1. The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. Who does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your answer.
–When Jesus was crucified, nails were dug in his palms and feet. He sacrificed his life for good reasons and also forgived everyone who were cruel to him. Like the same the little boy has marks of nails in his palms and feet which reminds us of Jesus Christ. As Jesus forgived his enemies, in the same way the child who is portrayed as Jesus also forgived the Giant’s past where he was selfish. In the story when the giant asked him about the wounds, he replied that it was the wounds of love because the giant has changed himself and also helped the boy, which proofs that the boy loved him and also the same way Jesus Christ loved his nation.
2. Is there something like this garden near where you live? Would you like one(without the giant’s perhaps) and why? What would you do to keep it in good shape?
–I live in a small town where i have a small garden inside my house. I like to spent time in my garden because since my childhood i spent time there planting trees and also enjoying with my friends. I have lots of memories in my garden.
I would also love to have a garden like the giant’s one because in the story i could feel the beauty of his garden and also i could experience spring and play with children everyday.
I will surely try to clean my garden and plant more trees. I would love to invite more friends and children to spend time with them in my garden. I would always love to enjoy in my garden.