Class 10 NCERT Solutions English Chapter 7: The Frog and the Nightingale

Students are recommended to add/remove tick marks based on their views.

This is a class discussion and hence, it is recommended that the student answers this question using the points below.

A person might come across as very polite and helpful when you first meet him or her. However, as time passes, that person might stop being polite or courteous. You might notice a drastic change in his behavior and attitude towards you.

Sometimes people may befriend us because we might be resourceful to them for a particular task. When the job is done, they may no longer want to talk to us. One should be wary of such people.

Frog: croak, ugly

Green

Slippery

Moist

Jumpy

Solitary

Amphibian

Repulsive

Cacophonous*

Nightingale: Melodious

Gentle

Small

Divine

Solitary

Beautiful

Melancholy

Mellow**

Song

*Unmusical

**Melodious

a)  A frog croaked all night in a bog, in an unpleasant voice.

b)  One night a nightingale began to sing in a melodious voice. 

c)  All the creatures in the bog cheered and clapped at her beautiful song.

d)  The next night the frog introduced himself.

e)  He offered to train the nightingale, so that she could sing even more beautifully.

f)  Soon the nightingale became famous, and creatures from miles around came to hear her sing.

g)  The frog charged an admission fee, and earned a-lot of money from these concerts.

h)  But the frog made the nightingale rehearse continuously in the rain.

i)  As a result, her voice lost its beauty, and the other creatures stopped coming to hear her sing.

j)  Finally, the nightingale burst a vein and died.

k)  So the frog could sing unrivalled in the bog once more.

This is a class discussion and needs to be attempted by students together. Use the points below to make the comic strip.

A few guidelines:

a.  The efforts made by the other creatures of the bog to still the frog's determination 'to display his heart's elation'.

• The other creatures loathed him, but had no choice but to listen to his cacophony.
• They threw stones at him.
• Prayed that he would stop singing.
• Used sticks on him.
• Insulted him, complained about him, even threw bricks at him but nothing could still his determination to keep singing. 

b.   The first time the Nightingale sings.

• The gaping frog was dumbstruck with the nightingale's melodious voice.
• The rest of the animals and birds stared at her with rapt attention.
• They clapped when her song ended.
• Ducks and herons had moved towards her to listen to her song.
• A solitary loom wept after it heard her sing
• Toads, teals and tidlers all enraptured with her voice cheered and shouted "bravo!", "Too divine!", "Encore!

c.  The nightingale is awestruck when the frog introduces himself.

• The next night, as the nightingale is about to start her song, she hears a croak.
• Startled, she asked the frog, who had hopped towards her from the bog, if he had spoken.
• The frog said he had and then informs her that he owned the tree from which the nightingale sang.
• He also informed her that he was famous for his baritone in the bog and edited the 'Bog trumpet'.
• He comes across as an egoistic, arrogant, pompous creature but the nightingale does not see through it.
• The nightingale asks the frog if he liked her song.
• The frog gave his critical appreciation.
• The nightingale is impressed that a critic of such popularity has evaluated her art and song.

d.  The practice session when it is raining.

• The frog who the nightingale considers a Mozart in disguise agrees to train the nightingale for a fee.
• Inspite of the rain the next morning, he began his vocal training.
• When the nightingale pleaded with him and said she could not sing in that weather, he told her that they would sing together.
• He asked her to put on a scarf and sash, and went up and down the scale with her for six hours, till she was shivering, and her voice was hoarse and quivering.

c. maintain his supremacy in the bog

b. admiration

a. was not confident of herself 

2. she had been performing all night

2. it had become mechanical

2. she was now used to the appreciation she got.

The creatures of Bingle Bog listened to the nightingale's song with rapt admiration. Once she had completed her song they clapped for her. Ducks swam towards her to listen to her, and the herons waded towards her as she serenaded them all. The frog sat gaping at her dumbstruck. A solitary loon wept with emotion at her song. Toads, teals and tiddlers enraptured by her voice cheered her on and shouted "Bravo!", "Too divine!" and "Encore!"

The frog asserted his importance in the form of a musician as well as that of a critic of art. He flaunted his power and supremacy over Bingle Bog. He also asserted himself as a trainer and criticised the nightingale's voice. When he realized that the bird is not confident of herself, he asked her to take training from him. He capitalized on the nightingale's low self- confidence to regain his supremacy.

The frog's joy was sweet because he was earning money through the nightingale's performance. His joy was also bitter because the popularity of the nightingale was increasing day by day. Given his cacophonous voice, he would never rise to such fame and glory. 

The frog, in an attempt to earn more money through the nightingale's singing, forced her to sing repeatedly. This was very tiring for her and it turned the bird's once upon a time melodious performances into monotonous sessions that were not enjoyed by the audience anymore. The animals stopped coming to listen to her and the earnings began to fall. This made the frog angry.

The frog was so harsh on the nightingale that it died of exhaustion one night during her performance. After this, the frog became the unrivalled king of the bog again.

After the nightingale's death, the frog uttered the words 'Your song must be your own'. However, when she first sang and asked him how the song was, he criticized her talent saying that it lacked a certain force, and asked her to take training from him.

The answer to this question depends on how well the student has understand the symbolism in the poem.

The nightingale symbolizes innocence, which is destroyed by the evil frog. Hence, the nightingale's end is in a way justified as evil people have an upper-hand over the innocent ones in the real world.

The frog is partly correct in calling the nightingale brainless. This is because she did not understand that the animals praising her voice was a sign that she is a good singer. Instead, she believed in the frog's false criticism, ruined her reputation, talent, and met a terrible end.

Although the nightingale enthralled her audience with her melodious voice, she was a poor judge of people. The entire bog was charmed by her performance but she believed the frog and allowed him to manipulate her innocence and to make money for himself. Thus, she is responsible for her own downfall for she showed no restraint.  

This answer depends on each student's views and opinion. Please use the points below to write your answer.

A few guidelines:

• Yes, I partially agree with the frog as unlike the nightingale he seems to be a true judge of people. He was shrewd and he capitalized on all her weakness.
• The nightingale was gullible and hence, tricked by the frog to burn herself out and eventually die
• The frog not only mislead her, but also broke her physically and mentally.
• He continued to make her practice and sing in bad weather day and night and slowly ruined her health.
• I also agree with the frog when he says that she should have known that 'your song must be your own'. By this, he may actually have meant that no matter what others say, you should know your own worth

This is an activity and discussion to be carried out by the students in class.

The entry below is a sample answer. You are free to use your creativity and write a different diary entry.

Date

Day

Time

Dear diary,

Where do I begin, and how do I explain to anyone how I feel today? I am tired, I am exhausted, and I find it impossible to carry on. Even at this stage in my life I am afraid to tell anyone of my friends and admirers the reason for my present state.

You, and only you, dear diary, will be able to understand the one who has been responsible for me reaching this condition.

There was a time when I was passionate about singing and happy to sing for others.  The frog made me sing only to hear praise. I think I shouldn't have trusted the frog when he said my voice needed more training. I failed to realize that he was tricking me into being manipulated for his own good. He made me slog day and night to earn money. I am so tried now that I have not only lost my sweet voice, but my audience as well. I don't seem to have any strength left to rise from his debacle.

The Nightingale 

May the kind and innocent soul of the Nightingale rest in peace! She was innocent, she was good, she was talented, she was gentle, and she was self-giving. She bore evil towards none but had to pay the price of being innocent, submissive, simple-hearted and credulous. The death of the Nightingale teaches us that one must look out and be vigilant against sweet-tongued people, who turn friendly instantly. We must all learn something from the sacrifice of the Nightingale. We must shun the people having the qualities of the frog.