1. What were the names of Belinda’s pets?
Answer:- The names of Belinda’s pets were Ink, a little black kitten; Mustard, a little yellow dog; Blink, a little grey mouse and a dragon whose name was Custard.
2. Why did Belinda cry for help? Who came to her help?
Answer:- Belinda cried for help because she was afraid of the pirate. The custard came to her help
3. What did the custard do at last?
Answer:- The coward Custard at last saved Belinda and the other pets from the pirate. He showed his braver side and attacked the pirate and gobbled him up.
4. Why did everyone make fun of the dragon?
Answer:- Everyone in the house used to laugh at the dragon because he always cried for a safe cage, where others used to boast about their bravery.
5. Give a brief description of the pirate in the poem, ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon.
Answer:- The pirate entered from the window. He had pistols in his left and right hand. He held a bright cutlass in his teeth. His beard was black and one leg was wood.
6. How did they say their admiration for the dragon after the death of the pirate?
Answer:- They became very happy. Belinda embraced him. Mustard licked him. Ink and
Blink jumped round surrounding him. They expressed their joy in this way. No one
mourned for the pirate.
7. What did they say about their bravery after the pirate’s death?
Answer:- Mustard said that he would have been twice as brave if he had not got nervous. Ink and Blink said that they had been three times as brave as he. But Custard said that he agreed with them. He said that they were braver than him.
8. Who among them was actually brave? How did he show his bravery?
Answer:- Custard, the dragon, was the only one who was actually brave. The others were all cowards. They disappeared when they saw the pirate. But the dragon-faced him bravely and swallowed him up.
9. How is ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ a ballad?
Answer:- A ballad is a poem that tells a story. The theme of a ballad is an adventure, bravery, romance, etc. Then it is highly musical due to its rhyme scheme. This poem has these qualities. But it is a parody of a ballad. The poet shows these qualities in a humorous way.
10. Why did Custard cry for a nice, safe cage? Why the dragon is called “cowardly dragon”?
Answer:- Custard cried for a nice, safe cage because it was a coward. It is called a ‘cowardly dragon’ because everybody else in the house was brave. Belinda was as brave as a barrel of bears. Ink and blink are described as so brave they chased lions down the stairs and Mustard was as brave as a tiger in rage. Compared to them, Custard cried asking for a nice and safe cage, which is why it is called a coward.