Chapter 4.6 Papa Panov’s Special Christmas
Textbook Questions and Answers
1. Write the homophones (words which sound the same. of the following words in the story.
Question 1.
Write the homophones (words which sound the same. of the following words in the story.
- no: ……………………….
- dear: ……………………….
- here: ……………………….
- went: ……………………….
- pair: ……………………….
- knew: ……………………….
- through: ……………………….
- soul: ……………………….
- whole: ……………………….
Answer:
- know
- deer
- here
- vent
- pear, pare
- new
- threw
- sole
- hole
Examples for homophones along with the prior:
- steel-steal
- read – red
- see – sea
- eves – ice
- air – heir
- meet – meat
- grown – groan
- would – wood
- great – grate
2. Correct the following sentences and rewrite them.
Question 1.
The best shoes that Papa Panov had made were a pair of lady’s shoes.
Answer:
The best shoes that Papa Panov had made were a pair of tiny leather shoes.
Question 2.
Papa Panov gave hot soup to the sweeper, milk to the young mother and coffee to the beggars.
Answer:
Papa Panov gave hot coffee to the sweeper, milk to the baby and hot soup to the beggars.
Question 3.
By afternoon, Papa Panov had stopped looking out for Jesus.
Answer:
By the time dusk had fallen, Papa Panov had stopped looking out for Jesus.
Question 4.
Papa Panov saw the sweeper, the young mother and the beggars he had helped only once in the morning.
Answer:
Papa Panov saw the sweeper, the young mother and the beggars twice, once during the day and once at night.
Question 5.
Jesus, had actually visited Papa Panov only once on Christmas Eve.
Answer:
Jesus had visited Papa Panov only once on Christmas Eve and several times on Christmas day.
3. Write a character sketch of Papa Panov in your own words.
Question 1.
Write a character sketch of Papa Panov in your own words.
Answer:
Papa Panov was a kind and humble shoe-maker. He lived in a village in Russia. He was a cheerful man,who lived alone. He was widower and his grown up children had left home to seek their fortune. He has loved by his villagers. He was a happy man with laughter wrinkles on his face indicating his happy life.
He was quite old and had weak eyesight which made him wear spectacles. He earned a decent living. we come to know of this because he helped people in distress. He seems to be a god fearing and pious man because he not only dreamnt of God in his dreams but also spoke to him. Thpugh he was lonely he brightened himeself up by helping people when needed.
We can sum these qualities of Papa Panov as being a wonderful human being with a golden heart. He is filled with humaneness, empathy, selflessness and love for mankind making him God’s beloved creature.
4. Write your interpretation of the story.
Question 4.
Write your interpretation of the story.
Answer:
The story of ‘Papa Panov’ according to me is an interesting story to introduce to children, inculcating in them values of selflessness, empathy, sharing and love for humanity. God resides in those who love their kind, is vividly put forth through this story. This story has inspired me to go out and help those in need.
The smile and blessings I get when I help the needy makes my day and makes me feel blessed. It is rightly said ‘Service to man is service to God’.
5. Information about cold winters in Russia.
6. Do you know of similar stories in your mother tongue or in other languages? Narrate it in short.
7. Which season would you say is the hardest in your locality?
Question 1.
What help would the poor and homeless people need in that season?
Answer:
The rainy season is the hardest season in my locality. The poor and homeless people are without a roof and have to remain wet and , huddled under some shelter for hours. They do not have proper shelter, clothes, food and drinking water. This is a season which brings in a lot of sicknesses, which if not treated could be fatal. Medical help is also necessary for them in this season which is difficult for them to get.
Additional Important Questions and Answers
Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
In the little village what shows that it is Christmas time?
Answer:
In the little village, although it is afternoon, lights begin to appear in the shops and houses, indicating that it is Christmas time.
Question 2.
Did Papa Panov have a shop away from his home?
Answer:
No, Papa Panov’s shop was his home.
Question 3.
Did he live alone? Why?
Answer:
Yes, Papa Panov lived alone because his wife had died and his grown-up children had all left his home.
Question 4.
What tells us that Papa Panov is a kind person?
Answer:
While reading the Christmas story from the Bible, he read how baby Jesus was born in a cowshed. He wished that Mary and Joseph had come to his home where he would have given them his bed and covered baby Jesus with his quilt to keep him warm. This feeling which comes up in Papa Panov’s mind shows us that he was a kind person.
Question 5.
What do the ‘laughter wrinkles’ tell us?
Answer:
The ‘laughter wrinkles’ tell us that Papa Panov is quite old. It also tells us about the number of happy times he had with family and friends.
Question 6.
Why is the small box dusty?
Answer:
The small box with a pair of tiny leather shoes was dusty because it was kept high up on the shelf and had not been touched or moved for years.
Question 7.
What thoughts did Papa Panov have before he fell asleep? Were they related to his dream?
Answer:
Papa Panov while reading the story of Christmas day from the Bible felt sad for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus and thought if they were in his home he would have been of help to them. When he read about the splendid gifts given to baby Jesus by the wise men, the thought that he had nothing to give made him unhappy. The thought that he could give as gift the pair of tiny leather shoes which he had made years ago made him happy again. No, they were not related to his dream.
Question 8.
Did Papa Panov believe in his dream? In what forms did he imagine Jesus to visit him?
Answer:
Yes, Papa Panov believed in his dream. He imagined Jesus visiting him in the form of a little baby or a grown up man or a carpenter or as God’s son.
Question 9.
How does the author show that Papa Panov was disappointed?
Answer:
The winter dusk had fallen. Papa Panov went to the door and strained his eyes but he could not make out the passers by because it had gone very dark and most of them were at home. This made Papa Panov unhappy because it was too late for anyone to come.
Question 10.
What actions of Papa Panov suggest it?
Answer:
Papa Panov walked slowly back into his room, put up the shutters and sat down wearily indicating his disappointment.
Question 11.
How does the author describe Papa Panov’s happiness?
Answer:
Papa Panov’s heart was overflowing with happiness and peace which made him want to burst out singing, laughing and dancing with joy, knowing that Jesus had come to his home.
Reading Skills, Vocabulary and Grammar.
Simple Factual Questions:
Question 1.
Write whether true or false.
1. The setting of the story is in a Russian city.
2. Papa Panov was sad on Christmas Eve.
Answer:
1. False
2. True
Complex Factual Question.
Question 1.
What could be heard from the closed shutters?
Answer:
Muffled sounds of chatter and laughter could be heard from closed shutters.
Question 2.
What reminded Papa Panov of his past Christmas times?
Answer:
The sounds of happiness, the bright lights and the faint but delicious smells of Christmas cooking reminded Papa Panov of his happy past Christmas times.
Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Write the homophone for:
- one
- step
- been
- his
Answer:
- won
- steppe
- bean
- hiss
Grammar.
Question 1.
Old Papa Panov, the village shoemaker, stepped outside. (Separate the subject and predicate.
Answer:
Old Papa Panov, the village shoemaker – Subject; stepped outside – Predicate
Question 2.
With a sigh, he settled in his big armchair. (Separate the subject and predicate. ‘ <
Answer:
Subject – He; Predicate – settled/ in his big armchair with a sigh
Question 3.
Excited children scurried indoors. (Name the part of speech of the underlined words.
Answer:
excited – adjective, scurried – verb, indoors – adverb
Question 4.
It was Christmas Eve. (Add a question tag.
Answer:
It was Christmas Eve, wasn’t it?
Question 5.
Excited children scurried indoors. (Write whether the verb is transitive or intransitive.
Answer:
scurried – intransitive
Personal Response.
Question 1.
What do you do on festivals?
Answer:
I enjoy myself a lot. I celebrate every festival because people from all religions live in my locality. My friends and I visit houses, eat and enjoy. My relatives too come home to celebrate our festivals with us. I love it when my house is full of people.
Simple Factual Questions.
Question 1.
Complete the following sentences.
- The Street was deserted
- Papa Panov opened the shop door,
- The sweeper old clothes steamed
- Papa Panov watched him with satisfaction but,
Answer:
- I no one was stirring yet.
- letting in a thin stream of cold air.
- gently in the heat of the stove
- every now and then his eyes strayed to the window.
Complex Factual Questions.
Question 1.
Why did Papa Panov give hot coffee to the sweeper?
Answer:
When Papa Panov took down his shutters and looked out, all he saw was the road sweeper looking miserable and dirty working on Christmas Day, in the raw cold and bitter freezing mist which made him give the sweeper a hot cup of coffee to make him feel better.
Question 2.
Why did he tell the sweeper about his dream? Why did the sweeper smile?
Answer:
Papa Panov invited the sweeper to drink a cup of hot coffee to keep him warm from the cold. The sweeper noticed that all the time he was in the room, Papa Panov’s eyes strayed to the window now and then. This made the sweeper ask him if he was expecting a visitor which made Papa Panov relate his dream. The sweeper smiled because he was the special visitor, Jesus, Papa Panov was waiting for.
Vocabulary.
Question 1.
Give adverb form of
- gentle
- special
- actual
- comfort
Answer:
- gently
- specially
- actually
- comfortably
Grammar.
Question 1.
Pick out four adjectives from the passage
Answer:
might, cold, bitter, freezing
Question 2.
Papa Panov opened the door, letting in a thin stream of cold air. (Add a question tag.
Answer:
Papa Panov opened the door, letting in a thin stream of cold air, didn’t he?
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Have you ever noticed that some people have to work even on festivals? Who are they?
Answer:
Yes, I have noticed some people having to work on festivals. They are the newspaper man, the sweeper, our maid at home, the milkman, people employed in the public service such as the postman/postwoman, bus and train drivers and conductors, policemen/ women, soldiers protecting our country.
Simple Factual Questions.
Question 1.
Complete the following sentences.
- The young mother let him
- Papa Panov remembered the little
- The girl smiled happily and
- He took the milk from the stove and
Answer:
- Shepherd her indoors and to the comfort of the armchair.
- Shoes he had looked at last night.
- The baby gurgled with pleasure.
- and carefully fed the baby from a spoon, warming her tiny feet.
Complex Factual Questions.
Question 1.
What does the way the girl walked suggest?
Answer:
The way the girl walked suggests that she is very hungry, tired and very little energy left in her to move.
Vocabulary.
Question 1.
“You both need a warm by the fire and a rest”.
Answer:
They both needed to get the warmth from the fire in the fireplace and also some rest.
Question 2.
The young mother let him shepherd her indoors.
Answer:
The young mother allowed him to guide her into the house.
Do as directed.
Question 1.
It’s Christmas Day. (Add a Question Tag)
Answer:
It’s Christmas Day, isn’t it?
Question 2.
Expecting someone? (Kind of sentence)
Answer:
Interrogative sentence
Question 3.
The girl walked slowly and quietly. (Use ‘not only … but also’)
Answer:
The girl walked not only slowly but also quietly.
Question 4.
He remembered the little shoes. (Change into negative)
Answer:
He did not forget the little shoes.
Question 5.
I can’t afford the shoes. (Change into positive)
Answer:
I am unable to afford the shoes.
Question 6.
A great peace and happiness filled the room. (Change into exclamatory)
Answer:
What peace and happiness filled the room!
Personal Response.
Question 1.
Why did Papa Panov give the shoes to the baby though he had been keeping them for Jesus?
Answer:
Papa Panov noticed that the young girl with a baby was weary and hungry. He invited her to his home. He noticed that the baby’s feet were bare and the mother could not afford shohes for her child. He decided to give the little shoes he had kept for jesus, to the little baby because he was a very kind-hearted person and could not see them in difficulty.
Summary in English
Papa Panov is an elderly cobbler who lives all by himself in a small Russian village. It was Christmas Eve, and there was excitement everywhere. His wife had passed away and his children were all grown up and gone. Alone on Christmas Eve in his shop, Papa Panov decides to open the old family Bible and reads the Christmas story about the birth of Christ. That night he dreams about Jesus coming to him saying that he would visit Papa Panov in person the next day.
Papa Panov was very happy, waited anxiously to meet Jesus on Christmas Day. It was early in the morning and no one in sight. He saw a lone sweeper and invited him for a hot cup of coffee. In this way he helped the needy on Christmas day, all of them blessed him for his love and care. The day wore off but Jesus did not come to meet him. Feeling sad, he sat down in his armchair. He felt that he was not alone. He saw all the people who had come to him that day and as they passed each whispered, ‘Didn’t you see me, Papa Panov?’ Then he understood that Jesus had come to him in the form of the needy people he had helped. He was at peace and his heart danced with joy.
Introduction:
‘Papa Panov’s Special Christmas’ is a short children’s story written by Leo Tolstoy. This is an interesting story to introduce young children to the value of kindness.
Glossary:
- scurried (v) – to run with quick light steps
- muffled (adj) – sound which is covered up
- delicious (adj0 – tasty
- quilt (n) – a bed covering consisting of two layers stitched together with insulation between
- splendid (adj) – magnificent
- charcoal (n) – impure carbon, coal
- stove (n) – a device for heating food
- miserable (adj) – sad, poor hunger
- scanning (adj) – to examine part by part
- wrapped (v) – covered in thin material
- shepherd (v) – (here. to guide
- stirring (v) – action of movement
- gurgled (v) – to make a bubbling sound
- anxiously (adj) – in a worried manner
- hunk (n) – a large piece of something’
- bewildered (adj) – confused
- pinched (adj) – very thin, pale from cold or hunger.
- clasped (v) – to grab tightly