The Rainbow Bird -by Vance Palmer

Solutions By MALA  ACHARYA  

The Rainbow - Bird -by Vance Palmer

SECTION - I

Q1. Why was Maggie unmindful in the classroom the whole of the afternoon?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Maggie was unmindful in the classroom the whole of the afternoon because her mind had been filled with the vision of the Rainbow bird.

Q2. 'The hands crawled down the cracked face of the clock with aggravating slowness...'- what does this expression suggest?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

This expression is of Maggie inside classroom. She was inattentive in her class and was eagerly waiting to rush to the rainbow bird after class hours. In this expression of the clock, the hands of the clock are moving slowly. It means - waiting hours are always lengthy.

Q3. Why did Maggie avoid other girls of the class?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Maggie avoided other girls of the class because they have no interest in the beautiful collections of beetles wings and cowries and always made fun of her collections.

Q4. What did Maggie do when the school was over?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

When the school was over, Maggie without waiting for Don started running impatiently through the grass fields to reach the spot of the rainbow birds within short time.

Q5. How did Maggie feel at the sight of the rainbow-bird? What vision came to her each night she closed her eyes in sleep?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

The rainbow-birds with its multiple shinning colours has a magic spell on the small girl-Maggie. She considered this bird- the most beautiful creation of God.

Before she closed her eyes in sleep, she gets lost and absorbed in a visionary world of beauty and wonder.

Q6. Which lines present a contrast between the world of the bird and the world of the school? What do they signify?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

The lines in paragraph-1 and 13 -represent the contrast the world of school and the world of the bird. These two paragraphs are very contrast to each other - one was the real world and another an imaginary world of fantasy.

The para -1 signify-the world of boredom and disinterest for Maggie and para-13- signify a world of radiant colours of beauty and wonder for Maggie.

Q7. " Its a bird now ". In which context does Maggie's mother say so? Why ' now '? Does it imply that Maggie had other obsessions earlier? Which ones?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

The section - 1 ends with this sentence.

The Mother of Maggie is the speaker of these lines.

The word ' now ' refers to the time when Maggie is in sound sleep. Before sleep she is lost in the beauty of the rainbow-bird. After sleep she mutters as she dreams of the world of birds , a world of brightness and joy. She behaves like a bird in her dreams.

Solutions By MALA  ACHARYA

SECTION - II

Q1. Whom did Maggie and Don meet near the she-oak? What was he doing there?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Maggie and Don met Cafferty , the Honey Man was standing near the she-oak.

Cafferty ,the Honey Man was standing near the nest of the rainbow bird.

Q2. How was Maggie shocked at the sight of the Honey Man? Comment briefly on how her feeling of excitement and joy changed suddenly to one of fear , anger and hatred for the man.

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Maggie was shocked at the sight of the honey man standing near the she-oak with a gun. Her excitement suddenly was transferred to a moment of horror, fear and panic. This feeling is found in the line - " Horror laid an icy hand on the girls heart." Maggie was panic-stricken to see a gun in the hands of Cafferty.

Q3. " Beast ! That's what you are... A beast." How do these words characterise the feelings of the small girl when she finds her world of joy and wonder had been destroyed?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

These words have been spoken by Maggie. The use of these words reflect the shocking and fearful feeling of Maggie to see a gun and a limp of blood on the shirt pockets of Cafferty. All of a sudden her world of beauty and joy is destroyed and she feels deeply depressed.

Q4. Why did Cafferty swear to wipe the rainbow-birds off the face of the earth?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

In Paragraph - 30 ,we find Cafferty swore to wipe the rainbow birds off the face of the earth. It is so because Cafferty earn his livelihood by collecting honey but rainbow birds used to eat the bees and thus destroy the bee-hives.

Q5. "There was a dull passion in his absorbed eyes, a sense of warring against evil." How does this sentence portray the attitude of the Honey Man? What contrast do you mark between the world of Maggie and the world of Cafferty?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

The line is about the feeling of Cafferty. He is not happy to shot the birds. But out of compulsion to save his trade and earn his livelihood ,he was forced to kill the birds. His feeling is very well expressed in the phrase - " dull passion " and " absorbed eyes ".

There is a great difference between the world of Maggie and the world of Cafferty. The world of Maggie is one of innocent childhood days and fantasy, and the world of Cafferty is a realistic world of struggle for survival.

Q6. What difference do you mark between the attitudes of Maggie and Don? Does Don support Cafferty?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

There is a great difference in the attitudes of Maggie and Don.

Though both of them visited to the nest of the rainbow birds , Don has no liking for these birds but understood the madness of Maggie for the birds. Maggie had lot of love and affection for these beautiful creatures , and was always lost in a world of beauty and wonder.

No, Don does not support Cafferty to get a reward of sixpence for killing each bird.

( i )  What happens to the Honey Man after the bird is killed?

Ans. - The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

After the bird is killed , he announces to clear all these birds within few days and also declares to reward sixpence to kill each of these birds.

(ii) How does Maggie look at the happening?

Ans. - The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Maggie was shocked and emotionally hurt at the evil acts of Cafferty who had no sense of guilt in destroying the beautiful creations of God. The phrase - " reddened eyes " reflects the intense pain of Maggie.

Solutions By MALA  ACHARYA

SECTION - III

Q1. What ideas sweep Maggie's mind after she returned home and threw herself on the bed? Do you mark the difference between Maggie's feeling in Section I and those in Section III?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

After returning home Maggie threw herself upon the bed. Her World of wonder was now surrounded with darkness and she had only the vision of the horror face of Cafferty and the dead bird.

There is a great difference between Maggie's feeling in Section -I and those in Section -III. In Section I, she was lost in her World of innocent childhood joys and wonder. But in Section III , her World of beauty and wonder was demolished by the evil acts of Cafferty, the death of the rainbow bird.  

Q2.What did Maggie imagine when she heard voices between broken drifts of sleep?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

When Maggie heard voices between broken drifts of sleep , she imagined as if people are burying the rainbow bird.

Q3. How did she react when she was told that Cafferty had been injured? Why did she think ' everything had come right '? 

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

When she was told about the injury of Cafferty , she had a deep sense of relief. In her opinion , the death of Cafferty signifies the triumph of good over evil.

Maggie thinks - ' everything had come right ' because she thinks God must punish for his brutal and evil act of killing a beautiful bird.

Q4. Do you find in her a vengeful attitude? Does she feel that justice has been done? What impression do you form about her from her reaction to the Honey Man's suffering?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

Yes, we find in her a vengeful attitude.

Yes, at the death of Cafferty - the Honey Man , she feels that justice has been done.

The reaction to the Honey Man's suffering reflects her world of innocent childish nature, love and joy, and hatred towards evil acts.

Q5. What change do you mark in her in the last paragraph? Has there been a restoration of her world of joy and wonder? How did she imagine about the rainbow-bird and the Honey Man?

Ans.- The question is from the chapter - The Rainbow birds written by Vance Palmer.

In the last paragraph, we find the news regarding the death of the Honey Man brightens her world of wonder and there is restoration of her world of magic and music.

Yes, there has been a restoration of the world of joy and wonder.

In the last paragraph - we find Maggie again lost in her world of fantasy where she find Cafferty lying on the grass helplessly and the rainbow-bird has retained her radiant and bright looks with a feeling of superiority.

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