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Question
How was Belinda's behaviour with the dragon?
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Solution
Custard, Belinda's dragon, has the reputation of being a coward. She chuckled at his desire for a cage to make him feel protected. He was brutally tickled by her. When Custard ate the pirate and saved everyone, Belinda's attitude toward the dragon altered.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
“Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?
The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Do you find ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.
A ballad includes the telling of a tale as well as a surprise ending. Using evidence from the poem, explain how these features are included in ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’.
Give one reason why ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is more a fable than a ballad.
Describe the pirate in the 'Tale of Custard the Dragon.'
Why did the pirate 'gape' at Belinda's dragon?
How did Custard prove 'the cowardly dragon' tag to be untrue?
How does Ogden Nash's The Tale of Custard the Dragon challenge the notion that individuals should conform to societal expectations?
Answer the following in about 40-50 words:
What character trait is revealed of Custard when he accepts that the other animals are braver than him.
