Workbook answers/solutions
Text-based Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
(a) the poet (b) one of the passengers on the train (c) all the passengers (d) the cat
Answer: (b) one of the passengers on the train
2. What kind of situation is presented in the poem?
(a) realistic (b) absurd but amusing (c) amusing (d) serious
Answer: (b) absurd but amusing
3. Select the option that correctly displays the characteristics of Skimble.
1. Silly 2. Intelligent 3. Lively 4. Alert 5. Dull 6. revengeful
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 4, 5 and 6 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 5 and 6
Answer: (c) 2, 3 and 4
4. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) The cat offers morning tea to the passengers. (b) The cat watches all the passengers
and their actions and thoughts. (c) The cat is the most important one on the train. (d) The
train is heading towards the far North.
Answer: (d) The train is heading towards the far North
5. The cat has been treated like a human being.’ Which figure of speech is involved in it?
(a) alliteration (b) metaphor (c) personification (d) none of the above
Answer: (c) personification
6. What kind of tone is adopted by the speaker?
(a) light and colloquial (b) solemn (c) serious (d) sarcastic
Answer: (a) light and colloquial
7. Select the option which does not have internal rhyme.
(a) You’ll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail. (b) When you get to Gallowgate there you do
not have to wait. (c) And it’s certain that he doesn’t approve. (d) And the berth is very neat
with a newly folded sheet.
Answer: (c) And it’s certain that he doesn’t approve
8. The destination of the train is towards
(a) The South (b) The North (c) The West (d) The East
Answer: (b) The North
9. Which of the cat’s acts is most amusing?
(a) its remaining busy in the luggage van (b) its having a drop of Scotch to fresh himself (c)
its watching all the faces carefully (d) its going on regular patrol
Answer: (b) its having a drop of Scotch to fresh himself
10. Which of these would you associate with Skimble?
(a) duty-conscious (b) silly (c) intruding (d) dictatorial
Answer: (a) duty-conscious
Comprehension Passages
Passage – 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
There’s a whisper down the line at 11.39
When the Night Mail’s ready to depart,
Saying “Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?
We must find him or the train can’t start.”
All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster’s daughters
They are searching high and low,
Saying “Skimble where is Skimble for unless he’s very nimble
Then the Night Mail just can’t go.”
At 11.42 then the signal’s nearly due
And the passengers are frantic to a man
Then Skimble will appear and he’ll saunter to the rear:
He’s been busy in the luggage van!
(i) Who is the speaker? What does he observe? Is it normal?
Answer: The speaker is one of the passengers on the Night Mail train. He observes the
strange situation where a cat named Skimble seems to be in charge of the train’s departure,
which is not a normal thing.
(ii) What is surprising about Skimble?
Answer: It is quite surprising and amusing that a cat is treated as the most important
creature without whose presence the Night Mail train cannot depart on time. This ascribes
human-like importance to a cat.
(iii) What tells you that Skimble is duty-conscious?
Answer: Skimble’s timely appearance just before 11.42 when the signal is due shows that he
is very dutiful and conscious of his responsibility for the train’s smooth functioning.
(iv) What causes commotion among all the passengers and the railway crew?
Answer: Skimble’s sudden absence and the urgency shown by the railway staff and
passengers to find him creates a mood of anxiety, confusion and commotion, highlighting the
cat’s perceived significance.
(v) What duties are performed by the cat during the journey?
Answer: Skimble dons multiple roles during the train’s journey – he supervises the crew
members like the driver, guards, porters etc, he patrols the passenger compartments, he
keeps a watchful eye over the passengers’ conduct, he ensures everything functions orderly
and smoothly on the moving train.
Passage – 2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
He gives one flash of his glass-green eyes
And the signal goes “All Clear!”
And we’re off at last for the northern part
Of the Northern Hemisphere!
(i) Why was there restlessness among the passengers early in the context?
Answer: There was anxiety and restlessness among the passengers early on due to the
absence of Skimble the cat who is regarded as essential for the train’s departure.
(ii) What tells you about the importance of the cat?
Answer: When Skimble gives the green signal with his eyes, the train whistles and departs,
indicating the cat holds authority over the train’s movement, underscoring his importance.
(iii) Where is the train heading towards? Why has no particular city of its destination been
mentioned?
Answer: The train is heading northwards but no particular station or city name is mentioned
about its destination. This is because the whole situation cannot be real and adds to the
absurdity and mystery surrounding the cat’s railway network.
(iv) Which of the actions of the cat are quite amusing?
Answer: Skimble’s various anthropomorphic actions like providing signals for the train,
consuming scotch drink, catching fleas, etc are quite unrealistic and amusing, adding a
comic tone.
(v) Do you think the cat represents some dictator of the Post World War II? Why/Why not?
Answer: Yes, Skimble’s controlling nature, constant vigilance over the crew and passengers,
and maintenance of order and discipline remind one of a dictatorial figure or the strict Big
Brother who oversees everything in an authoritarian regime.
Passage-3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
You may say that by and large it is Skimble who’s in charge
Of the Sleeping Car Express.
From the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards
He will supervise them all, more or less.
Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces
Of the travellers in the First and the Third;
He establishes control by a regular patrol
And he’d know at once if anything occurred.
He will watch you without winking and he sees what you are thinking
And it’s certain that he doesn’t approve
Of hilarity and riot, so the folk are very quiet
When Skimble is about and on the move.
You can play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!
He’s a Cat that cannot be ignored;
So nothing goes wrong on the Northern Mail
When Skimbleshanks is aboard.
(i) Who is most important on the Northern Mail, and why?
Answer: Skimble the cat is shown as the most important living being on the Northern Mail
train, being completely in charge of its functioning.
(ii) Which actions of the cat remind you of the image of the Big Brother in a dictatorial
regime?
Answer: Skimble’s activities like regularly patrolling the compartments, examining the
passenger’s faces, keeping a watch on their thoughts and actions are reminiscent of the
surveillance and control by Big Brother in a totalitarian dictatorship.
(iii) Why does nothing go wrong on the Northern Mail?
Answer: When Skimble is aboard, he ensures everything runs smoothly on the train and
does not allow anything to go wrong due to his supervision.
(iv) What does the cat do when the train reaches its destination?
Answer: When the train reaches its destination, Skimble bids goodbye to the passengers by
waving his long brown tail in a friendly manner.
(v) Why does the cat dislike sense of ‘hilarity’ and noisy merriment?
Answer: He dislikes any kind of unruly behavior, noise or disturbances. He wants to maintain
orderly conduct on the train, so is averse to any sense of uncontrolled merriment or riotous
behavior among passengers.
Passage -4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Oh, it’s very pleasant when you have found your little den
With your name written up on the door.
And the berth is very neat with a newly folded sheet
And there’s not a speck of dust on the floor.
There is every sort of light – you can make it dark or bright;
There’s funny little basin you’re supposed to wash your face in
And a crank to shut the window if you sneeze.
(i) What does ‘little den’ signify? How is it made cosy?
Answer: The ‘little den’ refers to the individual sleeping berths allotted to passengers. With
clean sheets, no dust, and the passenger’s name tags, these compartments are made quite
cosy.
(ii) What facilities are available in the ‘little den’?
Answer: Facilities like lights to adjust brightness, wash basins for freshening up, window
knobs to close them if needed are available in the berths for passenger convenience.
(iii) How does Skimble ensure that the passengers have no trouble during the journey?
Answer: Skimble takes care to ensure there are no mice or other issues to bother the
passengers during the overnight journey. He tries to provide a smooth travel experience.
(iv) What impression do you form of Skimble?
Answer: Skimble comes across as an efficient, polite and caring cat who is mindful of the
passengers’ needs and comforts.
(v) In what way does the poet make the cat a hilarious creature?
Answer: Skimble’s very human-like actions of supervising the train staff, ensuring the berths
are well-maintained, reminding the guard about tea, etc make him a very amusing and
hilarious creature.
Passage-5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Then the guard looks in politely and will ask you very brightly
“Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?”
But Skimble’s just behind him and was ready to remind him,
For Skimble won’t let anything go wrong.
And when you creep into your cosy berth
And pull up the counterpane,
You ought to reflect that it’s very nice
To know that you won’t be bothered by mice
You can leave all that to the Railway Cat,
The Cat of the Railway Train!
(i) What has made the passengers and the crew of the Night Mail restless earlier in the
context?
Answer: Earlier, Skimble’s sudden disappearance had caused anxiety and restlessness
among the passengers and rail staff, highlighting the cat’s importance.
(ii) How does the cat perform as a supervisor?
Answer: Skimble keeps a close eye on the guards and other staff, reprimanding or reminding
them just like a train manager if something goes amiss.
(iii) ‘…Skimble won’t let anything go wrong.’ Comment.
Answer: Skimble ensures that everything functions properly on the running train and does
not allow even the smallest mishap to occur due to his continual supervision.
(iv) How does the cat provide all comforts to the passengers?
Answer: He takes care that the passenger berths are cozy for a peaceful sleep, free of mice
or disturbances.
(v) Which of the cat’s actions could cause suspicion in our mind that it is conceived as more
than a feline creature?
Answer: Skimble’s strict vigilance in monitoring everyone’s actions seems beyond the role of
an ordinary cat, making us suspicious of some deeper motive or allegory.
Passage -6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
In the watches of the night he is always fresh and bright;
Every now and then he has a cup of tea
With perhaps a drop of Scotch while he’s keeping on the watch,
Only stopping here and there to catch a flea.
You were fast asleep at Crewe and so you never knew
That he was walking up and down the station;
You were sleeping all the while he was busy at Carlisle,
Where he greets the stationmaster with elation.
But you saw him at Dumfries, where he speaks to the police
If there’s anything they ought to know about:
When you get to Gallowgate there you do not have to wait
For Skimbleshanks will help you to get out!
He gives you a wave of his long brown tail
Which says: “I’ll see you again!
You’ll meet without fail on the midnight Mail
The Cat of the Railway Train.”
(i) What role is played by the Cat on the Night Mail? Describe briefly.
Answer: Skimble effectively plays the role of manager, supervisor and overseer on the Night
Mail train. He remains awake and alert at night, interacts with station masters at stops, and
monitors staff and passengers.
(ii) How does the speaker view the role of the cat?
Answer: The speaker presents Skimble as an important and efficient cat who carries out his
duties politely and in an amusing manner.
(iii) What does the cat do to keep all the passengers comfortable?
Answer: Skimble provides help, guidance and assistance to passengers whenever needed.
He ensures orderly, peaceful conduct for passenger comfort.
(iv) What does the cat not allow anyone to do?
Answer: He does not permit any kind of unruly behaviour, pranks, noisy merriment or
disturbances that could disrupt train discipline.
(v) How would you view the last gesture of the ‘Cat of the Railway Train’? Is it benevolent or
sinister?
Answer: Though Skimble’s waving goodbye seems like a benevolent gesture, it also subtly
underscores his position of authority and control over the train’s world that the passengers
inhabit during the journey.
PASSAGE 1
(i) The poet recalls his childhood in nostalgic mood. He laments the loss of his childhood as
he feels the childhood period is a blissful period without cares and worries while the
adulthood is full of stress and tension.
Ezoic
(ii) The sun is presented as a living being. The memory of the window of his house through
which it (the sun) would peep and wake him up punctually is associated with it.
(iii) The poet wishes that he should have died in his childhood, as that would have prevented
him from experiencing so much tension and stress of adulthood.
Ezoic
(iv) The poet compares and contrasts the two periods of his life. His childhood was full of
cheerfulness and freedom while his adulthood is full of despair, tension and boredom.
(v) The poet views swinging in his childhood an act of sheer ecstasy and freedom. The rush
of air he felt on his face then was as fresh as it must have been to the flying swallows.
PASSAGE 2
(i) The poet has wished that he should have died in his childhood, because that was the only
time when he was absolutely happy and tension free.
Ezoic
(ii) Flowers, as seen by the poet in his childhood, looked so bright and dazzling as if they
were made of light itself.
(iii) Laburnum is a small tree with hanging bunches of yellow flowers. A laburnum was
planted by the poet’s brother. The poet feels excited that laburnum was still ‘alive’.
(iv) The poet’s thrill as he moved on a swing in his childhood reminds us of childhood being
a period of freedom.
Ezoic
(v) The poet refers to the fir tree tops because in childhood he used to think that these tree
tops were very close to the sky. That ‘childish ignorance’ he has lost at the cost of his
so-called wisdom in his adulthood.
PASSAGE 3
(i) The poet’s brother planted a laburnum on his birthday. That the plant was still living after
many years was a matter of excitement to the poet.
(ii) On the swing the poet as a child would feel ecstatic, thrilled and free.
(iii) In childhood, one is totally happy, excited, curious and free from all cares and worries. In
adulthood, one is full of tensions, anxieties and apprehensions. In childhood one is ignorant.
In adulthood one gains knowledge but loses natural cheerfulness and flights of fancy.
(iv) In adulthood the poet’s life is full of the fever of cares and worries, which no cool waters
in the summer pools can bring down. In other words, adulthood cares and worries are
inevitable and cannot be done away with.
Ezoic
(v) Yes, the poet wants to escape from the present harsh realities because he always feels
tense and worried.
PASSAGE 4
(i) The poet recalls his childhood in a sentimental and nostalgic state of mind. The cares and
worries of adulthood has made him nostalgic about his childhood when life was quite
cheerful and carefree.
(ii) The childhood viewpoint was that the tops of fir trees were so tall as to touch the sky.
(iii) The poet views his adult wisdom no better than his childhood ignorance. With his
so-called wisdom he now finds himself more distant from heaven than he was in his
boyhood.
Ezoic
(iv) The poet finds little joy in the realization that now as a grown man he is more distant
from God than he was asa boy.
Ezoic
(v) The rhyme scheme used here is abcbdefe.
Text-based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (b) 8. (a) 9 (b) 10 (b)
