The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Question 1: Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
Answer: The characters are Belinda, a little black kitten named Ink, a little grey mouse named Blink, a little yellow dog named Mustard, and a little pet dragon named Custard.
Question 2: Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?
Answer: Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was a coward. The dragon is called “cowardly dragon” because he was a coward and always cried for a nice safe cage, unlike the others who were brave.
Question 3: “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…” Why?
Answer: Belinda tickled him unmerciful because she and the others were mocking and laughing at Custard, the cowardly dragon.
Question 4: The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Answer: Other poetic devices include simile in “as brave as a barrel full of bears”, “as brave as a tiger in a rage”, “snorting like an engine”, and repetition in “realio, trulio”.
Question 5: Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, spikes on top of him and scales underneath, mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, and realio, trulio daggers on his toes.
Question 6: Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
Answer: The rhyme scheme is aabb for the stanzas, as seen in house/mouse/wagon/dragon, Ink/Blink/Mustard/Custard, and teeth/underneath/nose/toes.
Question 7: Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Answer: Images include Belinda as brave as a barrel full of bears, Ink and Blink chasing lions down the stairs, Mustard as brave as a tiger in a rage, and Custard crying for a nice safe cage.
Question 8: Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer: It is a light-hearted poem because it is a humorous ballad close to a parody, with funny elements like animals mocking a dragon, made-up words like “realio, trulio”, and the ironic bravery twist.
Question 9: How did the pirate appear and what did he carry?
Answer: The pirate had a pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right, held a cutlass bright in his teeth, his beard was black, and one leg was wood.
Question 10: What happened after Custard ate the pirate?
Answer: Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him, no one mourned for his pirate victim, Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate around the dragon that ate the pirate.
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