The Selfish Giant

AP/ NCERT Solutions Grade 8 Supplementary Reader
Chapter 3 The Selfish Giant

Comprehension check

1. Why is the Giant called selfish ?

The Giant didn't let kids in his pretty garden, keeping it only for himself, with a wall. So, he's called selfish.

2. On one occasion the children said: “How happy we are here!” Later they said: “How happy we were there!” What are they referring to in both the cases ?

When the Giant wasn't there, kids played happily in his lovely garden, saying, "We're so happy here!" But when he returned, he stopped them, and they remembered their joyful days, saying, "We were so happy there!"

3. (i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here ?

(ii) Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.

(i) Without the children, the Giant's garden stayed wintry in spring. No flowers or birds appeared, like autumn with no life.

(ii) In Giant's garden, spring felt like winter. No flowers or birds, just Snow, Frost, North Wind, and Hail, upset because kids were banned.

Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass. When it saw that children had been prohibited to play there, it also drew back. Thus we learn that the presence of children makes the garden more beautiful. Then the flowers will bloom and the birds will sing.

4. Was the Giant happy or sad over the state of the garden ?

Of course, the Giant felt sad when there was winter-like situation during spring season in his garden. Neither birds flew or sang nor flowers grew there.

5. What effect did the linnet’s song have over Hail and the North Wind ?

As the linnet sang in the Giant's garden, Hail ceased dancing, and North Wind stopped roaring. A sweet scent wafted in, making the Giant joyful. He happily leaped out of bed and rushed downstairs.

Comprehension check (Page-24)

1. (i) The Giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see?

(ii) What did he realise on seeing it ?

(i) The Giant found children inside the garden through a wall gap, each on a tree. Trees bloomed with flowers, branches danced, birds sang, and flowers sprouted from the grass. It amazed him greatly.

(ii) The Giant understood he was wrong to be selfish and wall off his garden from children. He regretted the lack of flowers and birds it caused.

2. Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?

In that garden corner, a small boy couldn't climb trees, so there were no flowers or birds. Winter lingered there.

3. Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the Giant.

The Giant had kept children out, causing no flowers or birds. One day, he found kids in his garden, a small boy crying. The Giant lifted him onto a tree, and magic happened: flowers bloomed, birds sang, and they shared a special first meeting, sealed with a kiss.

4. Describe their second meeting after a long interval.

The Giant cared for the little boy, but no one knew him. Over time, the Giant grew old. In winter, he saw the boy again, noticing nail marks on his hands and feet. The boy explained they were wounds of love, and the Giant realized he was Jesus Christ. The Giant knelt, and the child offered to take him to paradise.

5. The Giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this . sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?

The Giant's transformation from selfishness to kindness brought him God's kindness, granting him paradise in the end. His later years were marked by a generous heart.

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. What does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your answer.

The Giant noticed nail marks on the little child's hands and feet, like Jesus Christ's crucifixion. When the child explained these as wounds of love, the Giant knelt, understanding the lesson of kindness. He became kind to children, a valuable lesson.

2. Is there something like this garden near where you live? Would you like one (without the Giant perhaps) and why? What would you do to keep it in good shape ?

In my colony, there's a vast garden surrounded by four open sides, open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. It's lovely in spring with colorful flowers and rare birds. I walk in the morning and play tennis in the evening, even enjoying a small swimming pool. People gather for cleanliness and upkeep on Sundays, and I join too. It's a safe public park with no giants to worry about.