Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 – The Little Girl is a touching short story by Katherine Mansfield about a young girl named Kezia and her relationship with her strict and authoritarian father. Kezia is terrified of her father — his loud voice, big hands, and commanding nature make her feel small and afraid. Through a series of incidents — including an innocent mistake with her father's important speech papers and a frightening nightmare — Kezia gradually begins to understand that her father is not a monster but a hardworking, tired man who loves her deeply in his own way. The story beautifully captures the journey from fear and misunderstanding to empathy and love.
This chapter is an important part of the CBSE Class 9 English Beehive syllabus. Questions from this chapter are regularly tested in school examinations through comprehension, character analysis, vocabulary exercises, and personal response questions. The story develops emotional intelligence in students and encourages them to reflect on their own relationships with their parents.
NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 The Little Girl
Q.
Given below are some emotions that Kezia felt. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.
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A
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B
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1. fear or terror
2. glad sense of relief
3. a “funny” feeling, perhaps of understanding
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(i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss
(ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
(iii) father comes home
(iv) speaking to father
(v) going to bed when alone at home
(vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
(vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
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Q.
Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.
Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Q.
Who were the people in Kezia’s family?
Q.
What was Kezia’s father’s routine?
(i) before going to his office?
(ii) after coming back from his office?
(iii) on Sundays?
Q.
In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Q.
Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.
Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Q.
Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers”. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?
Q.
How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Q.
Use an appropriate word from the synonyms given above in the following sentences. Clues are given in brackets.
(i) She was__________ by the news of her brother’s wedding. (very pleased)
(ii) I was__________ to be invited to the party. (extremely pleased and excited about)
(iii) She was__________ at the birth of her granddaughter. (extremely happy)
(iv) The coach was__________ with his performance. (satisfied about)
(v) She was very__________ with her results. (happy about something that has happened)
Q.
Study the use of the word big in the following sentence.
He was so big — his hands and his neck, especially his mouth…
Here, big means large in size.
Now, consult a dictionary and find out the meaning of big in the following
sentences. The first one has been done for you.
(i) You are a big girl now. older
(ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career._______
(iii) Their project is full of big ideas.______
(iv) Cricket is a big game in our country.______
(v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeskar._______
(vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater.______
(vii) What a big heart you’ve got, Father dear._______
Q.
Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences.
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride.
(ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday.
(iii) No one told us that the shop was closed.
(iv) He answered that the price would go up.
(v) I wondered why he was screaming.
(vi) Ben told her to wake him up.
(vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Q.
Some verbs of reporting are given in the box. Choose the appropriate verbs and fill in the blanks in the following sentences.
were complaining shouted replied
remarked ordered suggested |
(i) “I am not afraid,”________ the woman.
(ii) “Leave me alone,” my mother_______ .
(iii) The children_______ that the roads were crowded and noisy.
(iv) “Perhaps he isn’t a bad sort of a chap after all,” _________ the master.
(v) “Let’s go and look at the school ground,” ________the sports teacher.
(vi) The traffic police ________ all the passers-by to keep off the road.
Q.
This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?
Q.
Was Kezia’s father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?
You might find some of these words useful in describing him:
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undemonstrative loving strict hard-working
responsible unkind disciplinarian short-tempered
affectionate caring indifferent |
Q.
Has your life been different from or similar to that of Kezia when you were a child? Has your perception about your parents changed now? Do you find any change in your parents’ behaviour vis-à-vis yours? Who has become more understanding? What steps would you like to take to build a relationship based on understanding? Write three or four paragraphs (150–200 words) discussing these issues from your own experience.
NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 The Little Girl
Question 1. Match the emotions in Column A with the items in Column B.
Answer:
1. Fear or terror: (iii) father comes home (iv) speaking to father (v) going to bed when alone at home (vii) father stretched out on the sofa, snoring
2. Glad sense of relief: (i) father comes into her room to give her a goodbye kiss (ii) noise of the carriage grows fainter
3. A 'funny' feeling, perhaps of understanding: (vi) father comforts her and falls asleep
Question 2. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?
Answer:
Kezia was afraid of her father because he never expressed his love for her openly or warmly. He was very strict and always commanded everyone in the house. His physical appearance — his big hands, heavy face, large mouth, and the way he looked at her over his spectacles — had a deeply terrifying effect on the little girl. His stern manner made it impossible for Kezia to feel comfortable or close to him.
Question 3. Who were the people in Kezia's family?
Answer:
Kezia's family consisted of her father, her mother, her grandmother, and a cook named Alice, apart from Kezia herself.
Question 4. What was Kezia's father's routine?
Answer:
(i) Before going to his office: Every morning before going to work, he went into Kezia's room and gave her a casual goodbye kiss.
(ii) After coming back from his office: Every evening after returning from work, he asked for his tea to be brought into the drawing room and for his newspaper and slippers to be fetched. He also asked Kezia to pull off his boots and enquired whether she had been a good girl that day.
(iii) On Sundays: On Sundays, Kezia's father stretched out on the sofa, covered his face with a handkerchief, put his feet up on a cushion, and slept soundly.
Question 5. In what ways did Kezia's grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?
Answer:
Kezia's grandmother encouraged her to go into the drawing room to serve tea to her father and to fetch his spectacles for him. She also suggested that Kezia make a pin cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a birthday gift for her father, hoping this would bring them closer together.
Question 6. Kezia's efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?
Answer:
Kezia's grandmother suggested that she make a pin cushion with a piece of yellow silk as a birthday gift for her father. Kezia was very enthusiastic and began her work carefully, stitching three sides of the cushion with double cotton. When she needed something to fill it with, she looked around and found some sheets of paper lying on the bed table in her mother's bedroom. She tore them into tiny pieces and stuffed the cushion with them.
Unfortunately, those sheets of paper were her father's carefully prepared speech for the Port Authority. Her father was furious and scolded her sharply for touching things that did not belong to her. He then hit her palm with a ruler as punishment. Thus, Kezia's innocent and loving effort to make her father happy ended in a very painful and upsetting consequence.
Question 7. Kezia decides that there are "different kinds of fathers". What kind of father was Mr Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia's father?
Answer:
Kezia observed her neighbour Mr Macdonald through a gap in the fence and was struck by how warmly and playfully he interacted with his children. He carried a little boy on his shoulders while his two daughters hung on to his coat pockets. They ran around the flower beds together, shaking with laughter. On another occasion, she saw the boys turn a hose on him while he laughed and chased them.
In contrast, Kezia's father was a strict disciplinarian who never played with her. He always gave commands to everyone in the house, was serious in nature, and punished Kezia even for unintentional mistakes. Seeing the warm and joyful relationship between Mr Macdonald and his children made Kezia conclude that there were indeed different kinds of fathers in the world.
Question 8. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?
Answer:
One night, when Kezia's mother was in hospital and her grandmother was away, Kezia was left alone at home with Alice the cook. She had a terrifying nightmare in which a butcher came to her bed with a knife and a rope. She cried out in fear, calling for her grandmother.
To her surprise, it was her father who appeared at her bedside with a candle. He gently asked what was wrong, and when she told him about her nightmare, he carried her in his arms to his own room and laid her on his bed. He lay down beside her and asked her to rub her feet against his legs to warm them. He was so exhausted from his long day's work that he fell asleep before she did.
As Kezia lay close to him, feeling the warmth of his body, she suddenly understood that her father was not cold or unloving — he was simply a very tired man who worked hard every single day to provide for his family. Unlike Mr Macdonald, he did not have the energy left to be playful. In that quiet moment, Kezia's heart softened and she told him that he had a "big heart."
Question 9. Use appropriate words from the synonyms given:
Answer:
(i) She was delighted by the news of her brother's wedding. (ii) I was thrilled to be invited to the party. (iii) She was overjoyed at the birth of her granddaughter. (iv) The coach was pleased with his performance. (v) She was very happy with her results.
Question 10. Find the meaning of 'big' in the following sentences:
Answer:
(i) You are a big girl now. → older (ii) Today you are going to take the biggest decision of your career. → most important (iii) Their project is full of big ideas. → needing a lot of effort, money or time to succeed (iv) Cricket is a big game in our country. → popular with the public (v) I am a big fan of Lata Mangeshkar. → enthusiastic about someone (vi) You have to cook a bit more as my friend is a big eater. → doing an action very often or on a very large scale (vii) What a big heart you've got, Father dear. → generous, loving and kind
Question 11. Underline the verbs of reporting in the following sentences:
Answer:
(i) He says he will enjoy the ride. (ii) Father mentioned that he was going on a holiday. (iii) No one told us that the shop was closed. (iv) He answered that the price would go up. (v) I wondered why he was screaming. (vi) Ben told her to wake him up. (vii) Ratan apologised for coming late to the party.
Question 12. Choose appropriate verbs of reporting to fill in the blanks:
Answer:
(i) "I am not afraid," replied the woman. (ii) "Leave me alone," my mother shouted. (iii) The children were complaining that the roads were crowded and noisy. (iv) "Perhaps he isn't a bad sort of a chap after all," remarked the master. (v) "Let's go and look at the school ground," suggested the sports teacher. (vi) The traffic police ordered all the passersby to keep off the road.
Question 13. This story is not an Indian story. But do you think there are fathers, mothers and grandmothers like the ones portrayed in the story in our own country?
Answer:
Though Kezia's story is not Indian, its theme has universal appeal. Every country, including India, has parents and grandparents like the ones portrayed in the story.
Some parents are openly affectionate — they play with their children, hug them, and spend quality time with them. Others, like Kezia's father, find it difficult to express their love due to the pressures of work and responsibility. They work hard to sustain their families but come home too tired to show warmth. Like Kezia's grandmother, there are loving and wise grandmothers in Indian families too who bridge the gap between parents and children with gentle encouragement and affection.
Question 14. Was Kezia's father right to punish her? What kind of a person was he?
Answer:
Kezia's father was not right to punish her because she had made an innocent mistake. She had no idea that the papers she used to fill the pin cushion were her father's important speech. She only wanted to make him happy on his birthday. He should have understood her loving intention and guided her gently instead of punishing her.
As a person, Kezia's father was a complex character. On one hand, he was strict, short-tempered, and behaved like a disciplinarian who commanded everyone at home. He appeared indifferent to the feelings of his family members. On the other hand, he was deeply hardworking, responsible, and caring. When Kezia had a nightmare, he showed genuine tenderness — carrying her to his room, comforting her, and staying by her side. His affection for his daughter was real, but it remained largely undemonstrative, which is why Kezia found it so difficult to understand him for so long.
Question 15. Write about your own experience with your parents (150–200 words).
Answer:
My life has been similar to Kezia's in many ways. My father worked hard every day to provide for our family, leaving early and returning late. Even my mother was busy with household responsibilities. As a child, I often felt that I did not get enough time with my parents and longed for more warmth and play.
As I have grown older, I have come to understand their situation much better. I realise now that my parents' hard work was itself an expression of their love for me. My father, now retired, spends more time at home and our relationship has become much warmer and more open.
We took steps to improve our understanding of each other. I began talking openly to my parents about my feelings, dreams, and concerns. My father, in turn, shared the financial pressures and responsibilities he had carried for years. These conversations helped us appreciate and respect each other deeply. I have learned that open and honest communication is the most important step towards building strong family relationships. I am proud of my parents and grateful for everything they have done for me.
FAQs – Chapter 3 The Little Girl
Q1. What is the central theme of The Little Girl? The central theme is the journey from fear and misunderstanding to empathy and love. Kezia is initially terrified of her strict father but gradually learns to see him as a loving, hardworking human being who expresses his affection in his own quiet way. The story teaches that understanding someone's circumstances can transform our feelings towards them.
Q2. Why did Kezia's mother go to hospital? The story does not specify the exact reason for Kezia's mother's hospitalisation, but it is mentioned that she became ill and had to go to hospital along with Kezia's grandmother, leaving Kezia alone at home with the cook Alice.
Q3. What is the significance of the nightmare in the story? The nightmare is a turning point in the story. It is the incident that forces Kezia and her father to share a moment of genuine warmth and closeness. Through this experience, Kezia discovers the tender and loving side of her father and begins to understand him as a human being rather than a frightening authority figure.
Q4. What do verbs of reporting do in a sentence? Verbs of reporting are used to convey what someone said, thought, or felt. Examples include said, told, mentioned, replied, shouted, remarked, suggested, and ordered. They introduce direct or indirect speech and indicate the manner or tone of the communication.
Q5. How is the title "The Little Girl" significant? The title refers to Kezia, the young protagonist of the story. It emphasises her smallness and vulnerability in relation to her large, commanding father. As the story progresses, however, Kezia grows emotionally — she develops a mature understanding of her father that many adults struggle to achieve. The title thus captures both her physical smallness and her emotional growth throughout the story.