The Tale of Custard, the Dragon
– By Ogden Nash
INTRODUCTION—
‘The Tale of
Custard, the Dragon’ is a funny poem that tells the story of a little girl
Belinda and her pets. Belinda lives with her little pets – a kitten, a mouse, a
dog and a dragon, in her little house. Belinda and all her pets except the
dragon have been described as very brave creatures. But the dragon is so coward
that it is always looking for the safety of a cage.
SUMMARY—
This is a
story of a girl Belinda, who has some strange pets. They have queer names. She
calls the black kitten Ink, the little grey mouse as Blink, the yellow dog as
‘Mustard’ and the cowardly dragon ‘Custard’. Belinda’s, kitten, mouse and dog
were very brave but the dragon was a coward. One day, a pirate came armed with
a pistol into their house. Except the dragon, Custard, all the others were
terrified of the pirate. Custard attacked the pirate and gobbled him up.
Belinda then embraced him while Mustard licked him. Even after this brave
incident, Custard did not give up his cowardly ways. He still kept on crying
for a safe cage.
Short Questions with Answers
Q. 2. Do you find ‘The Tale of custard the
Dragon’ to be a serious or a light-hearted comedy? Give reasons to support your
answer.
Ans. ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a
humorous, light hearted poem as the characters display behavioural attributes,
contrary to their appearance as well as nature. It is extremely funny to
imagine a fierce looking dragon crying for a safe cage or mouse raging like a
lion.
Q. 3. Is there a hidden message that the
poet is wishing to convey or do you think that entertainment is the sole
purpose of writing this poem?
Ans. The
interpretation of the message in the poem may vary for different readers. The
situation narrated underscores a basic truth that the real test of courage is
during a crisis. The dragon though never put his strength on display but
exhibited it in action when it was required to do so.
Q. 4. What do you think changed the attitude
of the other animals and that of Belinda towards the dragon?
Ans. The
dragon, Custard, initially commanded no amount of respect from Belinda and the
other pets, on account of his cowardice; but when the house was attacked by an
armed pirate and all others panicked and ran for shelter, the dragon savagely
attacked the pirate and ate him up. Thus, the other animals realised his worth
and came to respect him genuinely.
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