NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 6 The Hundred Dresses – II

Oral Comprehension Check
Page 74

Question 1.
What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?
Answer:
Mr Petronski’s letter was to inform the principal and Miss Mason that Wanda would not come to school as she was fed up of being bullied in the school. They were going to shift to a bigger place where nobody would make fun of their last name.

Question 2.
Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset?
Answer:
Miss Mason seems to be unhappy and upset rather than angry because she had never expected such a behaviour from the students. She wants everyone to think about it and asks them not to do look down anyone in the class.

Question 3.
How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?
Answer:
Maddie feels sorry and ashamed for the behaviour although she herself did not make fun of Wanda. She never tried to stop Peggy to do so and remained a silent spectator. She feels as a coward.

Question 4.
What does Maddie want to do?
Answer:
Maddie wants to amend her behaviour towards Wanda. She wants to meet her to apologise. She decides to find Wanda at her house at Boggins Heights. She also wanted to convey that all was meant in good humour and people really love her.

Page 76

Question 5.
What excuses does Peggy think of giving in justification of her behaviour? Why?
Answer:
Peggy tries to defend herself by saying that her
behaviour towards Wanda inspired her to explore her drawing skills as she sketches a hundred dresses and that makes her win the drawing contest.

Question 6.
What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?
Answer:
Maddie was feeling ashamed and apologetic for being a silent spectator while Peggy humiliated Wanda. She was feeling upset and distraught for Wanda and herself. She was also repenting for not stopping Peggy for behaving badly with Wanda.

Question 7.
Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress?
Answer:
Wanda’s house was sparse, old and laded but neat and clean like her blue dress that she wore everyday to school. Thus, Maddie was reminded of the same old blue dress.

Question 8.
What does Maddie think hard about ? What important decision does she come to?
Answer:
Maddie thinks about not to be mute spectator anymore that she had been in case of Wanda. She promised herself about not letting any injustice happen to anyone even if she would have to lose a friend in this.

Page 79

Question 9.
What did the girls write in the letter?
Answer:
Maddie and Peggy wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. They wanted to apologise for their behaviour but they ended up asking her whether she liked her new school and teacher. They informed her about her sketches winning the drawing competition. They praised her drawing skills and also told how much other students liked her art. The letter was just a usual letter one may write to a good friend.

Question 10.
Did Maddie and Peggy get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply? How do you know?
Answer:
No, they didn’t get a reply from Wanda. Maddie was more anxious for a reply than Peggy because she was very upset and feeling sad for Wanda. She had assumed that Wanda was deeply hurt so she was not replying and blamed herself for everything. Maddie used to have sleepless nights and saw frightful dreams about Wanda.

Question 11.
How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her?
Answer:
Both Maddie and Peggy realised that Wanda liked them although they had teased her because she had gifted them her two beautiful dresses, a green one with red trimmings to Peggy and the blue one to Maddie. She had even drawn their faces in the painting of the dresses they got.

Thinking about the Text
(Page 79,80)

Question 1.
Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family?
Answer:
Wanda’s family moved to a different city due to the racist and insulting behaviour of students towards Wanda and her brother. They were teased by other students for their funny name and blue dress. Life there in a different city was going to be different because people there did not have such a narrow mind and would not tease them because of their name or status.

Question 2.
Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right ?
Answer:
Yes, Maddie thought that her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing because it is often said that turning a blind eye to a crime is worse than committing a crime. So by being silent she indirectly encouraged Peggy to do so.

Question 3.
Peggy says, “I never thought she had sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!”What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb ? Did she change her opinion later ?
Answer:
Wanda never replied to Peggy ‘s misbehaviour and pranks that she faced everyday. So, her neutral face and unusual behaviour led Peggy to think that Wanda was dumb. Wanda even described the hundred dresses she said about though she wore the same old faded blue dress everyday. But later Peggy’ changed her opinion after having a look on Wanda’s sketches and her gesture of gifting her a beautiful drawing from her collection.

Question 4.
What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so ?
Answer:
Maddie decided to go to Wanda’s house with Peggy to apologise and amend for all that had happened but Wanda had left her house with her family. She felt bad because she thought of herself as a coward who did not stop Peggy to insult Wanda. So, she decided to raise voice against injustice and bullying. She was firm of not being a mute spectator anymore.

Question 5.
Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses ? Why are they surprised ?
Answer:
When Maddie and Peggy wrote a letter to Wanda, she might have understood their feelings behind their letter and during the dresses game, she had observed both of them. So she requested Miss Mason to give two of her drawings to them and had taught them a lesson of life. Maddie and Peggy were surprised as she gifted them the drawings with their faces.

Question 6.
Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her ? Why or why not ?
Answer:
Wanda was aware of the misbehaviour of the girls who teased her everyday “but she remained calm. To keep them mum she fabricated a story of having a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of matching shoes in her closet. She taught them a lesson of life by the drawings of the hundred beautiful dresses she claimed to have.

Thinking about Language
(Page 80,81)

Question 2.
What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.
1. Peggy ____
2. Wanda ____
3. Maddie ____
Answer:
1. Peggy Sarcastic, thoughtless, zealous, unforgiving arrogant, cruel, haughty, proud, vain
2. Wanda Kind, courteous, introverted, talented, lonely, determined, complacent, contented, generous, friendly, intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, creative.
3. Maddie Insipid, timid, placid, stolid

Question 3.
Find the sentences in the story with the following phrasal verbs.
lined up, thought up, took off, stood by
Answer:
1. Lined up She thought of the glowing picture of those hundred dresses all lined up in the classroom.
2. Thought up Peggy who had thought up this game and Maddie her inseparable friend, were always ‘the last to leave.
3. Took off Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief.
4. Stood by She had stood by silently and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done.

Question 4.
Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.
1. The Monday morning blues : feel embarrassed /angry /ashamed
2. Go red in the face : feel very sick, as if about to vomit
3. Look green : sadness or depression after a weekened of fun
4. The red carpet : the sign or permission to begin an action
5. Blue-blooded : a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
6. A green belt : in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
7. A blackguard : a photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme
8. A grey area : land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
9. A white flag : an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear
10. A blue print : a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
11. Red-handed : a special welcome
12. The green light : of noble birth or from a royal family
Answer:
1. The Monday morning blues : sadness or depression after a weekend of fun
2. To go red in the face : feel embarrassed /angry/ashamed
3. Look green : feel very sick, as if about to vomit
4. The red carpet : a special welcome
5. Blue – blooded : of noble birth or from a royal family
6. A green belt : land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
7. Black guard : a dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
8. A grey area : an area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear.
9. A white flag : a sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
10. A blue print : a photographic print of building plans; a detailed clan or scheme
11. Red-handed : in an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
12. The green light : the sign of permission to begin an action

Class 10 English Chapter 6 The Hundred Dresses Part 2 Important Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. State the reason behind the letter of Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father?

Answer: Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father wrote the letter because he was upset to know about what all his daughter had to go through because of her strange name.

Question 2. What do you think about Wanda’s-action of not coming to school anymore? [CBSE 2016]

Answer: Wanda never replied to anyone against their misbehaviour. But due to insult she faced, she decided not to come to school anymore. It was very mature of her age to teach them lesson without any argument.

Question 3. How did Peggy and Maddie try to amend for their behaviour towards Wanda?  [CBSE 2015]

Answer: Both Peggy and Maddie decided to change their behaviour as Peggy had tried to justify that it was not her dress for which she teased her. Maddie decided not to be a mute spectator and promised herself that she would try to protect if anyone would be mocked down.

Question 4. What impression do you form of Wanda Petronski on the basis of reading the lesson ‘The Hundred Dresses’?  [CBSE 2012]
(or)
What kind of a girl was Wanda Petronski?

Answer: Wanda Petronski was a polish girl who was very simple. She used to keep herself calm and silent in every condition and never reacted when Peggy teased her and took it lightly. She always replied everyone with a smile. She even gifted her drawings to Peggy and Maddie which showed her innocent and loving behaviour.

Question 5. Why did Maddie rush to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing?

Answer: Maddie rushed to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing because she had seen her face in the drawing and wanted to confirm about Peggy for the same.

Question 6. Why did Peggy and Maddie assume that Wanda had received their letter?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie assumed that Wanda had received their letter because in her letter to Miss Mason, Wanda requested her to gift her drawings to both of them.

Question 7. Why did Maddie have sleepless nights?

Answer: Maddie had sleepless nights because she was very upset about what all had happened and couldn’t amend her behaviour towards Wanda as she had shifted to some other city.

Question 8. What did the children of room thirteen do on the Christmas eve?

Answer: The children of room thirteen decorated their room with great love and affection. They decorated it with Christmas bells and a christmas tree.

Question 9. Why was there no reply of the letter written to Wanda by the girls?    [CBSE 2012]

Answer: The girls, Maddie and Peggy, didn’t receive any reply from Wanda either because of her anger towards them or because they wrote the address of her old house in Boggins heights and not of her new house.

Question 10. What did Peggy say to Maddie when they did not find her at Boggins Heights?

Answer: Peggy told Maddie that Wanda had won because of her teasing that inspired her to draw such beautiful dresses otherwise, she would not have been able to win the contest.

Question 11. What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?

Answer: Mr Petronski’s letter said that Wanda would not come to school anymore. Now they were moving to a big city where no one would ask about her funny name.

Question 12. How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?

Answer: Maddie feels very sad. She could not put her mind to her work. She had a very sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach.

Question 13. What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour? Why?

Answer: Peggy makes an excuse that she never called her a foreigner or made fun of her name. She says that she did not know that Wanda would feel hurt.

Question 14. What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?

Answer: Maddie was thinking that she would tell Wanda they were sorry for their behaviour and ask her not to move away as everybody would be nice to her.

Question 15. Why did Mr Petronski write a letter to the school teacher?

Answer: Mr Petronski wrote a letter to the school teacher because the students of her class made fun of Wanda’s name and dress.

Question 16. What did Peggy and Maddie want to say to Wanda after meeting her?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie wanted to say sorry for their behaviour. They hoped that Wanda would not have left the school/city and they would meet her at Boggins Heights.

Question 17. What happened when Maddie and Peggy recognised Wanda’s house?

Answer: There was no one in the house. Peggy knocked at the door. But she could not get any answer. Peggy repeated it but all in vain. After this they were confirmed that there was no one in the house.

Question 18. What did the girls know at the end/last?

Answer: Maddie and Peggy came to know that Wanda liked them very much. Wanda designed their faces in her dresses. Although they teased her, yet she loved them.

Question 19. What does Maddie want to do?

Answer: Maddie wants to tell Wanda that she never meant to insult her. She was sorry for everything. She did not want Wanda to leave that place. She wants to tell her that she was very much troubled over the incident.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What did Maddie and Peggy write in the letter to Wanda? What happened to it? How did Maddie behave even though Peggy had begun to forget the whole business?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. Rather than being sorry they asked her about her new school, new teacher. They told her about the result of drawing contest which she had won and that her drawings were very beautiful. They meant to say sorry indirectly. They signed it with lot of X’s for love and didn’t say anything to tease her. But they did not get any reply from her. After sometime Peggy had begun to forget the whole business. But Maddie was surrounded by the thoughts of Wanda and everything that happened to Wanda. She felt guilty and decided not to be silent anymore so that other might not feel ashamed like her.

Question 2. You are ‘Wanda’. You are deeply hurt by the behaviour of your classmates. Express your feelings in the form of a diary entry. [CBSE 2014]

Answer:
Tuesday , 30th March 20XX 10:00 AM Dear diary,
I am very much aggrieved and disturbed by the insulting words of my classmates: Peggy and Maddie as both of them leave no stone unturned to look me down. And being a Polish girl having a long name, I feel helpless to revert them in the same coin. Peggy is vain; she teases me by asking about my dress. She asks me how many dresses, shoes, hats etc do I have. When I reply that I have a 100 dresses and sixty pairs of shoes; – they ask whether all of them are of different colours and designs. Maddie always remains calm and thus supports Peggy in doing so; she lacks courage to state what is right and what is wrong.

I never react and try to smile at their irritating questions because I know, there will be no difference, between me and them if I too turn the table to their side in the same way. Now that my father has come to know what I am going through, he has decided to shift to another city in order to avoid confrontation and racism as such humiliating circumstances can neither be tolerated nor can be accepted.

Question 3. Give a character sketch of Wanda Petronski?

Answer: Wanda Petronski a polish girl has shifted to America with her parents and younger brother. She is very kind and simple-hearted; she never behaves badly with anyone. She feels disturbed when Peggy teases her. But she replies confidently and courageously to what Peggy says to her. She wears the same blue faded dress everyday but she never complains about anything. She is very talented and has a good hand at drawing. She also wins the drawing contest and thus shows her creative side.

She is forgiving and generous as she forgives Peggy and Maddie by gifting them two of her drawings in which she draws their faces.
So, it can be said that she is a mature, sensible and loving girl who cares about everyone.

Question 4. How can you say that Maddie is an emotional girl? Compare and contrast Maddie and Peggy.

Answer: By a close reading of the lesson it can be said that Maddie is an emotional girl. Being a close friend of Peggy she remains by her side when Peggy teases Wanda but she feels bad for her. She decides to write a note to Peggy to stop teasing Wanda but tears it as she doesn’t want to be the next target of fun. In the end she decides to stand against anyone who teases others even if she has to lose her friend, which shows her emotional attribute.

As compared to Maddie, Peggy is an arrogant girl. She teases Wanda by asking her about dresses, but she is not cruel as she helps children from bullids and cries when she sees an animal being hurt. But she tries to make fun of Wanda everytime and defends herself.
So, both the girls have different personalities and attributes which can be directed by their actions.

Question 5. “The Hundred Dresses – II” gives out a moral lesson of what a man should be like as Wanda displays herself in the given situation. Wanda by her behaviour towards Peggy and Maddie shows her exalted character as is seen in her letter. How far would you agree with her and justify such a behaviour in all persons as essential? Write a paragraph on such an aspect.     [CBSE 2015]

Answer: Wanda Petronski’s letter highlights her greatness which gives us a view of her nature as a simple, loving, caring, and friendly human being. She gifts her drawings to Peggy and Maddie though they tease her a lot. It shows how great she is as it requires a lot of courage and patience to do so. An ordinary person cannot do that and would definitely hate them but Wanda shows polite and peaceful traits of her character.

In our society it is very difficult to find such a character but such traits are a must to be a good human being. Here, in our society, people tease others with racist remarks, which is not a sign of good culture.
By answering in a polite and friendly manner Wanda displays to be a humble person.
We all should try to have or acquire such traits in our character so that everyone could praise us and we can live peacefully.