Important Questions for CBSE Class 6 English A Pact with The Sun Chapter 8 - A Pact with the Sun

A. Very Short Answer Questions:                                                                                     1 Mark

1. Word – Meaning from the given chapter.

(i) Ailing 

Ans: Unwell or poor health

(ii) Forbidden

Ans: Banned

(iii) Trinkets

Ans: An item of jewellery with a low price

(iv) Dejected

Ans: Feeling sad

2. Fill in the blanks:

(i) When she became critical, her relatives and neighbours _______ even though his fee was likely to be high.

Ans: persuaded her to consult a specialist

(ii) Life is ______ than money, they said.

Ans: more precious 

(iii) The doctor and his advice became a subject of ______ among all present.

Ans: noisy commentary 

(iv) Exposure to sun and air for someone ______ was dangerous, an experienced lady declared.

Ans: afflicted with chronic cough 

3. True — False

(i) Saeeda’s mother was very much fine and healthy. 

Ans: False

(ii) She was not given care and treatment.

Ans: False

(iii) Saeeda and her family did not have strong financial support. 

Ans: True

(iv) The specialist suggested her mother sit in the sunshine and have some fresh air.

Ans: True

4. Match the following:

Ans:

5. Who is ill in the story “A Pact with the Sun”? 

Ans: Saeeda’s mother is ill in the story “A Pact with the Sun”.

B. Short Answer Questions:                                                                                   2 marks

1. What happened to Saeeda’s mother?

Ans: Fever, cough, bodily discomfort, painful joints, and other symptoms plagued Saeeda's mother.

2. Was she given treatment? 

Ans: Saeeda’s mother was given various treatments. She consulted various physicians for weeks but was not recovering well.

3. Was she allowed to eat food and stay in sunlight? 

Ans: No, Saeeda’s mother was not allowed to eat normal food like oily and heavy edibles. She was also not allowed to go out in the sunlight and had to live in her small and dingy room with closed doors and windows.

4. What did Saeeda’s relatives suggest to her mother? 

Ans: When the condition of Saeeda’s mother became more critical, her relatives suggested she make an appointment with a specialist and consult him, despite his fees being high.

5. From where did Saeeda’s mother manage money for doctor’s fees? 

Ans: Saeeda’s mother managed money for the doctor’s fee and her medicines by selling a few of her ornaments. 

C. Short Answer Questions:                                                                                   3 marks

1. What did the new doctor suggest?

Ans: A new doctor was called home to treat Saeeda’s ill mother. He examined Saeeda’s mother and suggested she take some of his prescribed effective but expensive medicines; eat normal food items like chapattis, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc; shift to a bigger and spacious room and sit in the sun for one hour every day to enjoy and utilize the sunshine and fresh air. 

2. What did the doctor say when he was asked about the food that she could eat? 

Ans: When the doctor was asked about the food that Saeeda’s mother could eat, he suggested her mother eat normal food items like chapattis, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc. He further added that she should go out in the sunlight and have some fresh air.

3. How did their relatives react when the doctor advised her to go out in the sunshine? 

Ans: Saeeda’s relatives reacted in varied ways when the doctor advised her to go out in the sunshine. They started making comments and arguing. Some of their relatives favoured this suggestion. Some of them were against it. One old lady exclaimed that it’s dangerous for someone who is suffering from a chronic cough to go out in the sunlight and have fresh air.

4. How did Saeeda’s mother react to all this? 

Ans: While all the relatives were arguing regarding the doctor’s suggestion, the author also let us know about the reaction of Saeeda’s mother. She reacted by remaining silent at first, as she was too exhausted to participate in any sort of quarrel or argument. However, she was willing to express her determination of doing what the doctor had suggested. Therefore, she told everyone that she would like to ignore the consequences and follow her doctor’s advice. 

5. Write out the lines where Saeeda’s mother asks her family members about following the doctor’s advice. What happened the next day?

Ans: The lines where Saeeda’s mother asks her family members about following the doctor’s advice are as follows—“Forget the consequences, I’ll carry out his instructions to the letter. Move my bed into the next room and let me sit in the sun on my charpoy for an hour daily.” After she moved to a new room, the next day witnessed an overcast sky and there was not a single sign of sunshine. 

D. Long Answer Questions:                                                                                   5 marks

1. What did neighbours tell Saeeda when she ran to tell her mother that the sun is out?

Ans: Saeeda was playing with her doll when she witnessed a ray of sun. She had heard her mother complaining to God about the bad weather and lack of sunshine that day. So, she went running to her to inform her about it. However, the neighbours stopped her to exclaim that the mother could not go out because it was too late and chilly as what Saeeda witnessed was not the sun but just its last remains that were entangled in the top branches of the tree. This reply made Saaeda return to her doll disheartened. 

2.“Dearest sister, do come tomorrow with lots of warmth and brightness. You see, my mother is ill and needs your help.” “Surely,” answered the light, “don’t look unhappy. We’ll be here at the fixed hour.” Explain these lines.

Ans: The above-mentioned lines were said by Saeeda to the last departing ray or just the remnants of the sun. It is believed that children have their own secret language to communicate with the trees, flowers, animals, the sun, the moon and even God. So, Saeeda made this statement because she was aware of her mother’s ill health and knew that only sunlight and fresh air could cure her. She couldn't see her mother tense for long and wanted the sun to fulfil her dire need of its rays. To her surprise, she thought that even the sunlight answered her and said that she would definitely visit the following day.

3. Does Saeeda have a conversation with the sun and nature? Explain, how? 

Ans: Yes, Saeeda had a conversation with the sun. To begin with, when she asked the sunlight to visit again the next day, it replied to her affirmatively. And when on the next day sun rays tried to make their way to the earth to fulfil Saeeda’s wish, they couldn’t as the road to earth was blocked by an army of thick clouds. The sun exclaimed it to be again a day off for them.  The rays wanted to come down to the earth but they remained quiet. However, one of the rays told the sun about its promise to Saeeda to visit that day in order to heal her ailing mother. As all the rays rose their voice, the sun finally permitted them to go carefully by protecting themselves from the clouds. The rays rushed towards the earth, made the clouds flee from their position and warmed up Saeeda’s courtyard. This made Saeeda very happy and her mother was finally able to feel the sun. Thus, it was the little girl’s conversation with the sun rays that finally made them visit the earth after days. 

4. How did other sunlight react when one ray told them about the condition of the mother of Saeeda? 

Ans: When the clouds blocked the sun’s rays from coming down to earth even after Saeeda’s request, the sun exclaimed it to be again a day off for them. To this, one ray told the other rays that it had promised Saeeda to come down as her mother was in dire need of their therapy. Knowing that all the other rays started arguing with their father, the sun. All of them murmured, “Fancy staying back again”. And that people of the earth would surely call them liars for not fulfilling a promise. They put forward such strong arguments and finally managed to win over the sun. Then the rays made their approach towards the earth. After defeating the mushy clouds that blocked their way, all the rays of light won the heart of Saeeda as they reached her courtyard.

5. How does the title “A Pact with the Sun” describe the story? 

Ans: The title of the story “A Pact with a Sun” has a very high moral. It is an educational story. This title itself reflects how we can live in content with natural phenomena such as sunset, sunlight, and the wind. The little girl Saeeda makes a pact with the sun to come down to the earth to heal her ailing mother. Hence, the title given has been absolutely appropriate for the story. It tells us that fresh air and sunshine are the two most essentials, even for sick people and they should not be kept in dark gloomy rooms. They are also entitled to these two things – sunlight and fresh air as well as food. And if they are deprived of these necessities, there are innocent children like Saeeda who have their own secret language to communicate with nature and ask for help from them. Thus, the story also highlights the importance of natural resources and that they should never be taken for granted or exploited. 

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