A picture containing text Description automatically generated

THE SQUIRREL 

Summary

-by Mildred Bowers Armstrong 

“The Squirrel” is a poem written by Mildred Bowers Armstrong. It describes the look and the mannerism of a squirrel. The poet says that the squirrel’s tail is curvy and resembles a question mark. Its body, being grey, looks as if it is wearing a grey overcoat. The squirrel loves nuts, and it always sits upright while consuming one. Moreover, it also likes to play with the nuts. Since squirrels are easily startled and are quick to move, it is quite difficult to approach them. So, when the poet and her friends ran around the tree where the squirrel lived, it always made a point to disappear through the other way.

Logo Description automatically generated

Conclusion

The Squirrel is a small poem written by Mildred Bowers Armstrong. A squirrel is a small playful rodent that usually lives in trees. Here the poet is describing the squirrel’s physical appearance and its activities. The poet refers to the squirrel as “he”.

NCERT SOLUTIONS

Questions (Page No. 17)

(Working with the Poem)

Question 1. Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail”? Draw a squirrel or find a picture of a squirrel sitting on the ground. How would you describe its tail?

Answer: The poet says the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail” as the tail of the squirrel curled in a way that it appears like a question mark.

Question 2. Do we usually say that an animal ‘wears’ a tail? What do we say? (Think: Does an animal wear a coat? Consult a dictionary if you like and find out how ‘wear’ is used in different ways.)

Answer: No, usually we don’t say that an animal ‘wears’ a tail. Instead, we say the animal ‘has’ a tail.

According to the dictionary, the word ‘wear’ is used to mean something that is used to cover. For example, we wear clothes.

Question 3. “He liked to tease and play”. Who is teasing whom? How?

Answer: “He liked to tease and play”. Here, the poet is teasing the squirrel. The poet will approach the squirrel and as soon as he nears the squirrel, it runs away in a different direction.