English Notes Chapter 4.5 Class 7 Maharashtra Board

Notes For All Chapters – English Class 7

Introduction to the Giant and the Garden

Setting: The children used to play in the giant’s garden every afternoon after school.

Description of the Garden:

Large and lovely with soft green grass.
Beautiful flowers like stars scattered across the grass.
Twelve peach trees that blossomed with pink and pearl flowers in spring and bore rich fruit in autumn.
Birds sang sweetly, making the children pause their games to listen.

The children expressed their happiness, saying, “How happy we are!”

The Giant Returns

Where was the Giant?

He had been visiting his friend, the Cornish Ogre, for seven years.

His Reaction to the Children:

He was angry to find the children playing in his garden.
Declared, “My own garden is my own garden,” and built a high wall around it.
Put up a sign: “Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

The Giant was selfish and did not want to share his garden.

The Garden Without the Children

Impact on the Garden:

The children had nowhere to play and missed the garden.
The garden experienced perpetual winter as:
- Spring and Summer refused to visit.
- Flowers and birds stayed away.
Snow, Frost, North Wind, and Hail stayed in the garden.
- Snow covered the grass.
- Frost painted the trees silver.
- North Wind roared and invited Hail to join, making the garden cold and barren.

The Giant’s Realization

The Giant’s Loneliness:

Sat by the window wondering why Spring never came to his garden.
One morning, he heard the sweet sound of a linnet singing.

What He Saw:

The children had returned through a hole in the wall.
Each tree had a child sitting on its branches, and the garden was alive with blossoms, birds, and flowers.
In one corner, it was still winter because a little boy could not climb a tree and was crying.

The Giant’s Change of Heart

Realization:

The Giant’s heart melted when he saw the little boy.
He understood his selfishness and decided to make amends.

Helping the Boy:

The Giant gently lifted the boy and placed him in the tree.
The tree blossomed immediately, and the boy hugged and kissed the Giant.

Breaking Down the Wall:

The Giant tore down the wall and declared the garden would be the children’s playground forever.

The Ending

The Giant and the Children:

The children came back to play every day, bringing life and joy to the garden.
The people admired the beautiful garden and saw the Giant playing with the children.

Moral Message:

Kindness and sharing bring joy and warmth.
Selfishness leads to loneliness and loss.

Key Themes

Selfishness vs. Generosity:

The Giant’s selfishness caused his garden to wither, but his generosity brought happiness.

The Importance of Children:

The presence of children symbolized life, joy, and the renewal of nature.

Transformation Through Compassion:

The Giant transformed from selfish to selfless, showing the power of empathy.

Personification in the Story

Seasons and Natural Elements as Characters:

Snow, Frost, North Wind, and Hail behaved like people, enjoying the garden when Spring stayed away.
Spring and Summer returned only when the children brought joy back to the garden.

Important Vocabulary

Trespassers: People entering without permission.

Prosecuted: Punished by law.

Linnet: A type of small bird.

Frost: A thin layer of ice that forms in cold weather.

Blossom: Flowers on a tree or plant.

Moral of the Story

Sharing and kindness create happiness for everyone.

Selfishness isolates people and makes life cold and barren, like the winter in the Giant’s garden.