Q1. [5]
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
- (i) Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract.
sharp : blunt : : above : ________ [1]
- (ii) Which one of the following is not a feature of the Dragon? [1]
- (a) big sharp teeth
- (b) spikes on the top
- (c) brave as a lion
- (d) could release fire from the mouth
- (iii) What effect does the poet want to create by the simile 'mouth like a fireplace'? [1]
- (a) emphasis
- (b) compassion
- (c) rhyme
- (d) pathos
- (iv) Complete the sentence appropriately.
It is clear that Metaphor is the poetic device used for 'chimney for a nose' because _______. (Clue: explain how metaphor applies here) [1]
- (v) State whether the following statement is True or False based on the given extract:
Custard the dragon displayed courage. [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2023 2/5/1 Q7(B)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:16 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) sharp : blunt :: above : underneath
(ii) (c) brave as a lion
(iii) (a) emphasis
(iv) It is clear that Metaphor is the poetic device used for 'chimney for a nose' because the nose is directly compared to a chimney (saying it is a chimney) without using 'like' or 'as'. A chimney releases smoke; similarly, the dragon's nose releases fire/smoke, so one thing's quality is transferred to another — making it a metaphor, not a simile.
(v) False. The extract clearly states "the dragon was a coward," so Custard did not display courage.
Source: The Tale of Custard the Dragon, Ogden Nash — Beehive (Class 10 NCERT)
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Explanation
- (i) 'underneath' is the antonym of 'above', just as 'blunt' is the antonym of 'sharp' — always pick the word from the extract itself.
- (ii) 'Brave as a lion' is never mentioned; the dragon is explicitly called a coward.
- (iii) Similes create emphasis by vividly highlighting a quality — here, the enormous, fire-breathing mouth.
- (iv) For metaphor questions, examiners want you to state: (a) no 'like/as' is used, and (b) one thing is called another, transferring a quality directly.
- (v) Quote directly from the passage to justify True/False answers.
If a question refers to an image, map, graph or diagram that is not shown here, find the actual CBSE question paper on the CBSE website:
cbse.gov.in.