Fable question answer
Fable – Ralph Waldo Emerson
ক) বহুবিকল্পভিত্তিক প্রশ্নাবলী (MCQ) – মান ১ (৪০টি)
1. The quarrel was between the mountain and the:
2. The mountain called the squirrel:
3. The squirrel’s reply was in the name of:
4. The mountain is very:
5. What must be taken in together to make up a year?
6. The squirrel thinks it no disgrace to occupy its:
7. The mountain cannot crack a:
8. The squirrel is very:
9. The mountain can carry forests on its:
10. The word ‘former’ in the poem refers to the:
11. The word ‘latter’ in the poem refers to the:
12. “Talents differ” means:
13. The poem is a:
14. The word ‘prig’ means someone who is:
15. The squirrel cannot carry forests, but it can:
16. According to the squirrel, everything is well and ________ put.
17. The mountain makes a pretty squirrel:
18. Who is the poet of ‘Fable’?
19. The squirrel is not as large as the:
20. The mountain is not half so:
21. The poem teaches us that:
22. The term ‘sphere’ in the poem refers to:
23. The mountain’s attitude at the beginning of the poem is:
24. The squirrel’s attitude is:
25. The squirrel occupies his own:
26. Who is more active, the mountain or the squirrel?
27. The main theme of the poem is:
28. The poem is written in the form of a:
29. The squirrel denies that he is as large as:
30. The word ‘disgrace’ means:
31. The poem suggests that nothing is:
32. To make up a sphere, one needs:
33. The mountain represents:
34. The squirrel represents:
35. The poem highlights the importance of:
36. What is the one thing the squirrel cannot do?
37. The mountain is personified as being able to:
38. The poem ends with a note of:
39. According to the squirrel, his small size is not a:
40. The main argument of the squirrel is based on:
খ) সংক্ষিপ্ত উত্তরভিত্তিক প্রশ্নাবলী – মান ২ (২৫টি)
1. What is the central idea or moral of the poem ‘Fable’?
উত্তর: The central idea is that everything and everyone in the world, big or small, has their own unique talent and importance. No one should feel superior or inferior, as all are wisely placed in the grand scheme of creation.
2. Why did the mountain call the squirrel “Little Prig”?
উত্তর: The mountain, being arrogant about its massive size, looked down upon the small squirrel. It called the squirrel “Little Prig” to mock its smallness and to express its feeling that the squirrel was insignificant and self-important.
3. How did the squirrel defend its small size?
উত্তর: The squirrel defended its small size by stating that it felt no “disgrace” to occupy its place. It argued that while it is not as large as the mountain, the mountain is not as lively and active (“spry”) as it is, highlighting that size is not the only measure of worth.
4. Explain the line: “Talents differ; all is well and wisely put.”
উত্তর: This line is the core message of the poem. It means that every being has different abilities and skills. The mountain can carry forests, and the squirrel can crack a nut. Both talents are necessary and have been assigned by God or nature with wisdom, creating a balanced world.
5. What are the two abilities mentioned in the poem that the mountain has and the squirrel does not?
উত্তর: The two abilities of the mountain are its massive size (“very big”) and its capacity to carry entire forests on its back. It can also create a pretty track for the squirrel to run on.
6. What are the two abilities that the squirrel has and the mountain does not?
উত্তর: The two abilities of the squirrel are its agility and liveliness (being “spry”), and its skill in cracking a nut. These are tasks that the massive, immobile mountain cannot perform.
7. Why is the poem titled ‘Fable’?
উত্তর: The poem is titled ‘Fable’ because it fits the definition of a fable. It is a short story, in verse, featuring non-human characters (a mountain and a squirrel) who speak and act like humans, and it teaches a clear moral lesson about pride and individual worth.
8. What according to the squirrel, makes up a year and a sphere?
উত্তর: According to the squirrel, “all sorts of things and weather” must be taken in together to make up a year. By extension, this means that a ‘sphere’ or the world is also made up of all different kinds of beings and elements, both big and small.
9. What do you learn about the squirrel’s character from its reply?
উত্তর: From its reply, we learn that the squirrel is not intimidated by the mountain’s size. It is wise, logical, confident, and has a strong sense of self-respect. It understands its own value and its place in the world.
10. Who had a quarrel and why?
উত্তর: The mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel. The quarrel started because the mountain, feeling proud of its size, insulted the squirrel by calling it a “Little Prig,” thus looking down on it for being small.
11. “I think it no disgrace / To occupy my place.” – Who says this and what does it mean?
উত্তর: The squirrel says this to the mountain. It means that the squirrel is not ashamed of its small size or its position in the world. It feels that its existence is justified and it has a right to be where it is.
12. How does the squirrel establish the idea of co-existence?
উত্তর: The squirrel establishes the idea of co-existence by arguing that both big and small have their roles. The mountain provides a track, and the squirrel uses it. The mountain can’t crack a nut, but the squirrel can. This interdependence shows that all beings must co-exist to make the world complete.
13. In what sense is the squirrel “spry”?
উত্তর: The squirrel is “spry” in the sense that it is lively, nimble, and full of energy. This contrasts sharply with the mountain, which is huge and majestic but also static and immobile.
14. What does the mountain’s ability to “carry forests on its back” signify?
উত্তর: This ability signifies the mountain’s immense strength, stability, and its role as a foundation for life. It highlights its power and passive grandeur, which is a different kind of talent from the squirrel’s active skills.
15. What is the difference between the mountain and the squirrel?
উত্তর: The main difference lies in their size and abilities. The mountain is immensely large but inactive, while the squirrel is very small but lively and active. The mountain’s talent is passive strength (carrying forests), while the squirrel’s is active skill (cracking a nut).
16. “And the former called the latter ‘Little Prig’.” – Identify the ‘former’ and the ‘latter’.
উত্তর: In this line, the ‘former’ refers to the first character mentioned in the quarrel, which is the mountain. The ‘latter’ refers to the second character mentioned, which is the squirrel.
17. How does the poem show that pride is foolish?
উত্তর: The poem shows that the mountain’s pride in its size is foolish because, despite its greatness, it lacks the simple ability to crack a nut. The squirrel’s logical argument proves that every being has its own strengths and weaknesses, making pride in one’s own qualities unreasonable.
18. “You are not so small as I, / And not half so spry.” – Who is the speaker and who is being spoken to?
উত্তর: The speaker is the squirrel (Bun). It is speaking to the mountain, pointing out the differences in their size and agility as part of its argument.
19. What is the philosophical message of the poem?
উত্তর: The philosophical message is that of democratic equality and the value of every individual. It teaches that in God’s creation, every being, regardless of its size or appearance, has a specific and important purpose. This reflects Emerson’s transcendentalist belief in the divinity of all nature.
20. Why does the squirrel not deny that the mountain is very big?
উত্তর: The squirrel does not deny the mountain’s size because it is a fact, and its argument is based on logic, not denial. It acknowledges the mountain’s bigness to make a stronger point: that even with its great size, the mountain has limitations, just as the squirrel has abilities despite its smallness.
21. What does the “pretty squirrel track” refer to?
উত্তর: The “pretty squirrel track” likely refers to the paths, ledges, and crevices on the mountain’s surface. The squirrel suggests that the mountain’s very existence provides a pathway for smaller, active creatures like itself, highlighting their interdependence.
22. How is the poem a criticism of arrogance?
উত্তর: The poem is a criticism of arrogance as it personifies this trait in the mountain, which mocks the squirrel for its size. The squirrel’s wise and reasoned reply systematically dismantles the mountain’s pride, showing that arrogance is based on a narrow and flawed view of worth.
23. What role does “Bun” play in the poem?
উত্তর: “Bun” is the name the squirrel uses for itself. It serves as the voice of reason and wisdom in the poem. Bun acts as the protagonist who stands up against the arrogant mountain and delivers the moral lesson of the fable.
24. Do you think the squirrel won the argument? Give a reason.
উত্তর: Yes, the squirrel clearly won the argument. Its response was logical, calm, and irrefutable. It successfully proved that being big is not everything and that small beings also have important talents. The mountain has no reply, indicating that the squirrel’s point was successfully made.
25. Explain the concept of balance in nature as shown in the poem.
উত্তর: The poem shows that nature maintains a perfect balance. It consists of diverse elements—big and small, active and passive. The mountain’s stability and the squirrel’s activity are both essential parts of the whole (“a year and a sphere”). This diversity of talents and roles creates a harmonious and complete world.
Fable Ralph Waldo Emerson question answer, MCQ, Very short, and essay-style question and answer : Class 10 English Fable question answer
