One night Kezia had a nightmare which made her too terrified. She was crying out of fear. When she woke up, she found her father beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He asked her what the matter was. When he came to know about her nightmare, he blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms. He carried her to the big bedroom. He laid her on the bed and pulled the covers up around her. Apart from this, he lay down beside her.
After some time, still half asleep, she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. Now she felt comfortable.
Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs and get them warm.
Now, Kezia realised that her father was not as harsh as she thought. She realised that her father had to work all day long and got so tired that he could not play with her. She realised that her father wanted her to understand his compulsion. At bottom, he was a very good person.
Thinking about language
(Page 38)
I. Look at the following sentence.
There was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter…
Here, glad means happy about something. Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, thrilled and overjoyed are synonyms (words or expressions that have the same or nearly the same meaning.) However, they express happiness in certain ways.
Read the sentences below:
She was glad when the meeting was over.
The chief guest was pleased to announce the name of the winner.
Overview: The Little Girl
Kezia, a small girl, is terrified of her stern, authoritarian father. She stutters in his presence and sees him only as a figure of punishment. Her grandmother encourages her to make a birthday gift (a pin-cushion) for him, but Kezia accidentally tears up his important papers to stuff it. He punishes her. She compares him unfavourably with the gentle Mr. Macdonald next door. However, when her mother is away and Kezia has a nightmare, her father holds her close and comforts her. She realises he is simply a tired man who works hard and loves her in his own way.
Key Points
- Kezia is afraid of her father — stutters in his presence
- Grandmother encourages her to make a pin-cushion for father's birthday
- She tears up his important speech papers to stuff the cushion
- Father punishes her with a ruler
- She compares her father with the gentle Mr. Macdonald
- During a nightmare, father comforts her — holds her close
- She feels his heartbeat and realises he has "a big heart"
- Theme: Different people express love differently
- Theme: Children often misunderstand parents' behaviour
- The story shows growth in understanding — Kezia's perception changes
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
How did Kezia's view change?
Common Mistakes
- Not reading the text carefully before attempting questions.
- Giving vague answers without specific textual references.
- Confusing characters, events, or themes from different chapters.
- Writing too much for short-answer questions (should be 30-40 words).
Scoring Tips
- For extract-based MCQs: read the passage carefully; eliminate wrong options systematically.
- For short answers: be concise (30-40 words), use key vocabulary from the text.
- For long answers: structure with introduction, body, conclusion. Quote from the text.
- Always identify the chapter/poem name and author when answering.