Here, you will find summaries, questions, answers, textbook solutions, pdf, extras etc., of (West Bengal Board) WBBSE Class 10 (Madhyamik) English Lesson 5: Our Runaway Kite. These solutions, however, should be only treated as references and can be modified/changed.
Summary
The story is narrated by a young girl who lives on an isolated island called Big Half Moon with her father and older brother Claude. Her father is the keeper of the lighthouse on the island. It is just the three of them living alone on the island. During the winter when the harbour freezes over, the family moves to the mainland. But as soon as spring arrives, they sail back to their beloved island home.
People on the mainland always pitied the children for having to go back to the lonely island with no other kids to play with. The narrator admits it was hard with just the two of them. They couldn’t properly play games like pirate caves. And they often quarreled with the mainland children in the winter. Still, she and Claude never fought with each other.
The narrator notes that their father didn’t seem to have any other living relatives except them. This puzzled the children, who wondered if it was because they lived isolated on an island. When they once asked their father about it, he looked very sad and said it was all his fault, though the children didn’t understand what he meant.
One summer, the children’s big hobby was kites. A mainland boy taught Claude how to make them. Back on their island, Claude and the narrator made many kites and played at being shipwrecked sailors signaling to each other from different parts of the island. They made one giant beautiful red kite and decorated it with gold tinsel stars and their full names.
One very windy day, as the narrator was bringing the kite outside, she tripped and tore a big hole in it with her elbow. They had to hurry to fix the kite so they could send it up before the wind died down. Rushing into the lighthouse, they patched the tear using an old letter lying around as no red paper was left. The kite dried by the fire and then soared up beautifully when they released it. But suddenly the string snapped and the kite sailed far away to the mainland.
A whole month later, their father received a letter that made him cry after reading it. He told the children the letter explained what had happened to their lost kite. He revealed he once had a brother and sister but had quarreled with his brother and left home. When he returned years later, he learned his brother had died and he couldn’t find his sister.
The letter was from Father’s long-lost sister Aunt Esther, who was now a widow and lived inland with her children Dick and Mimi. They had found the kite stuck in a tree and brought it home. Seeing the letter patched on the kite, Aunt Esther realized it was a letter she had written long ago to her brother. From the names written on the kite, she figured out these must be her brother’s children. She wrote to their father to reunite.
The next day, Father sailed and brought Aunt Esther, Dick, and Mimi to live with them. The narrator is overjoyed they now have relatives and Dick and Mimi are jolly company. All because their kite carrying a special letter sailed off to the right place.
Video tutorial
Unit 1: Our Runaway Kite
Comprehension/textual exercises
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) The keeper of the Big Half Moon Lighthouse is
Answer: (ii) Father
(b) The family moved over to the mainland in
Answer: (iv) winter
(c) When asked about relations, Father looked
Answer: (iii) sorrowful
2. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
Answer:
(a) name of the island: Big Half Moon
(b) age of Claude: 12
(c) the game played by Claude and the narrator: pirate caves
3. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer:
(i) People felt that Claude and the narrator were lonesome in the island.
Answer: True. “Of course, there was nobody for us to play with on the Big Half Moon.”
(ii) Claude and the narrator quarrelled.
Answer: False. “Claude and I never quarrelled.”
(iii) Nobody on the mainland had relations.
Answer: False. “Everybody on the mainland had relations.”
Extras
Extra MCQs
1. In winter, the family moves to
(i) The mainland (ii) Another island (iii) A different lighthouse (iv) A nearby town
Answer: (i) The mainland
2. Claude is _____ years old.
(i) 10 (ii) 11 (iii) 12 (iv) 13
Answer: (iii) 12
3. The narrator feels it would be nice to have
(i) More friends (ii) A larger island (iii) Relatives (iv) Pets
Answer: (iii) Relatives
4. When asked about relatives, Father said it was his
(i) Wish (ii) Dream (iii) Fault (iv) Idea
Answer: (iii) Fault
5. On Big Half Moon, Claude and the narrator played
(i) Hide and seek (ii) Pirate caves (iii) Tag (iv) Hopscotch
Answer: (ii) Pirate caves
6. In winter, Claude and the narrator often _______ with mainland children.
(i) Played (ii) Talked (iii) Quarreled (iv) Ate
Answer: (iii) Quarreled
7. The narrator thinks it was “perhaps just as well” there were no other children on the island because
(i) She didn’t like other children (ii) They may have disturbed the peace (iii) She and Claude would fight with them (iv) The island was too small
Answer: (iii) She and Claude would fight with them
8. Big Half Moon is the narrator’s
(i) Birthplace (ii) School (iii) Dear island home (iv) Vacation spot
Answer: (iii) Dear island home
9. The narrator says they had to _______ on Big Half Moon island.
(i) Compromise (ii) Adjust (iii) Make do (iv) Make the most of each other
Answer: (iv) Make the most of each other
Extra true, false, statement
1. The narrator disliked living on Big Half Moon island.
Answer: False. “Back we sail to our own dear island.”
2. Claude is older than the narrator.
Answer: True. “Claude is twelve. I am eleven years old.”
3. The family found the mainland children well-behaved.
Answer: False. “We used to quarrel a good deal with the mainland children in winter.”
4. The narrator and Claude had fun playing together on the island.
Answer: True. “We just had to make the most of each other, and we did.”
5. The narrator and Claude had friends to play with on Big Half Moon.
Answer: False. “Of course, there was nobody for us to play with on the Big Half Moon.”
6. Father told the children about his family when they asked.
Answer: False. “Father looked so sorrowful that we wished we hadn’t.”
7. The narrator thought having more relatives would be nice.
Answer: True. “It would be so jolly to have an uncle and aunt and some cousins.”
8. Father felt happy that they had no other relatives.
Answer: False. “Father looked so sorrowful that we wished we hadn’t.”
9. The narrator understood why they had no other relatives.
Answer: False. “Claude and I didn’t understand what he meant.”
10. The family moved to the mainland in summer.
Answer: False. “In winter, when the harbour is frozen over, we all move over to the mainland.”
Extra questions and answers
1. Where does the narrator live?
Answer: She lives on the Big Half Moon island.
2. What did the narrator and Claude have to make the most of on the island?
Answer: They had to make the most of each other’s company, since there was nobody else to play with.
3. Why does the family move to the mainland in winter?
Answer: They move when the harbor freezes over in winter.
4. How does the narrator feel about having no other relatives?
Answer: She feels it would be nice to have an uncle, aunt and some cousins.
5. What happened when the children asked Father about relatives?
Answer: Father looked very sad and said it was all his fault.
6. Why does the narrator think it was good having no other kids on the island?
Answer: Because she and Claude often quarreled with mainland kids, so it was better just having each other.
7. Where did Father go after leaving home years ago?
Answer: He went back home after leaving it.
8. What did Father find when he returned home years later?
Answer: He found his brother had died.
9. Who sent the letter to Father?
Answer: His sister Aunt Esther sent the letter.
10. How did Aunt Esther realize the kite belonged to her brother’s children?
Answer: From the names written on the decorated kite.
Unit 2: Our Runaway Kite
Comprehension/textual exercises
4. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) In summer the Big Half Moon is always
Answer: (i) lovely
(b) Back on the island, Claude and the narrator made plenty of
Answer: (iii) kites
(c) The kite was patched with a
Answer: (ii) letter
5. Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
Answer: (i) A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make kites.
(ii) On the kite Claude and the narrator pasted gold tinsel stars.
(iii) Claude was standing with a bit of cord in his hand.
6. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
Answer:
| Statement | Reason |
| The narrator’s elbow went through the kite. | She tripped and fell over the rocks. |
| Claude and the narrator hurried to fix the kite. | They wanted to send it up before the wind fell. |
| The kite soared. | The wind was glorious. |
Extras
Extra MCQs
1. In summer, the harbor of Big Half Moon was
(i) Stormy (ii) Foggy (iii) Calm (iv) Busy
Answer: (iii) Calm
2. Claude and the narrator’s hobby that summer was
(i) Swimming (ii) Rowing (iii) Kites (iv) Fishing
Answer: (iii) Kites
3. The boy who taught Claude to make kites lived on the
(i) Mainland (ii) Big Half Moon (iii) Nearby island (iv) Lighthouse
Answer: (i) Mainland
4. While playing with the kites, Claude and the narrator pretended to be
(i) Birds (ii) Sailors (iii) Shipwrecked mariners (iv) Pirates
Answer: (iii) Shipwrecked mariners
5. The beautiful decorated kite was
(i) Blue (ii) Red (iii) Green (iv) Yellow
Answer: (ii) Red
6. The kite was decorated with
(i) Seashells (ii) Feathers (iii) Tinsel stars (iv) Stickers
Answer: (iii) Tinsel stars
7. While bringing the kite outside, the narrator
(i) Dropped it (ii) Tripped and tore it (iii) Crushed it (iv) Lost control of it
Answer: (ii) Tripped and tore it
8. To fix the kite quickly, they patched it with
(i) A book (ii) An old letter (iii) Wrapping paper (iv) Newspaper
Answer: (ii) An old letter
9. The wind at the time they flew the kite was
(i) Strong (ii) Gentle (iii) Glorious (iv) Gusty
Answer: (iii) Glorious
Extra true, false, statement
1. The harbor was stormy and rough in the summer.
Answer: False. “When it is fine, the harbour is blue and calm.”
2. Claude learned to make kites from his father.
Answer: False. “A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make them.”
3. Claude and the narrator made just one kite on the island.
Answer: False. “Back on the island we made plenty of kites.”
4. The children pretended to be shipwrecked while playing with the kites.
Answer: True. “We would play shipwrecked mariners signalling to each other with kites.”
5. The big kite was decorated with tinsel stars and their names.
Answer: True. “We pasted gold tinsel stars all over it and had written our names full on it.”
6. The narrator accidentally tore the kite while bringing it outside.
Answer: True. “I tripped and fell over the rocks. My elbow went clear through the kite.”
7. They used red paper lying around the house to mend the kite.
Answer: False. “We took the first thing that came handy – an old letter.”
8. They were unable to launch the kite before the wind died down.
Answer: False. “Up went the kite like a bird.”
9. The string broke and the kite flew far away to the mainland.
Answer: True. “All at once-snap! And there was Claude, standing with a bit of cord in his hand.”
10. They never found out what happened to the lost kite.
Answer: False. “Do you want to know what became of your kite?”
Extra questions and answers
1. How was the harbor described in summer?
Answer: The harbor was blue, calm and lovely with little wind.
2. What hobby were Claude and the narrator obsessed with that summer?
Answer: They were crazy about kites that summer.
3. Where did Claude learn to make kites?
Answer: Claude learned it from a boy on the mainland.
4. What games did the children play with the kites?
Answer: They played at being shipwrecked mariners signaling to each other.
5. How did the children decorate the big red kite?
Answer: They decorated it with gold tinsel stars and wrote their full names.
6. How did the narrator damage the kite?
Answer: She tripped and tore it with her elbow.
7. Why did they have to hurry to fix the kite?
Answer: To send it up before the wind died down.
8. What did they use to quickly mend the torn kite?
Answer: They patched it with an old letter lying around.
9. What happened when they finally flew the kite?
Answer: It soared beautifully but then broke off and flew away.
10. Where did the kite end up flying away to?
Answer: The kite sailed far away to the mainland.
Unit 3: Our Runaway Kite
Comprehension/textual exercises
7. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) A letter came for father after a
Answer: (iv) month
(b) Father left home after quarrelling with his
Answer: (i) brother
(c) Dick and Mimi discovered the kite on the top of a
Answer: (ii) tree
8. Fill in the chart with information from the text
Answer:
| Person who sent the letter | Aunt Esther |
| Name of Aunt Esther’s mother | Philippa |
| Total number of family members in the narrator’s family at present | 6 (Father, Claude, the narrator, Aunt Esther, Dick, Mimi) |
9. Answer the following questions:
(a) What did Father find when he went back home years afterwards?
Answer: When he returned to his hometown, he discovered that his brother had passed away some time ago and his sister was missing.
(b) Where did Aunt Esther live?
Answer: Aunt Esther lived very far inland from the coastal island.
(c) Why did Aunt Esther turn pale?
Answer: When Aunt Esther’s children Dick and Mimi brought home the decorated kite they had found stuck in a tree, she immediately recognised the old letter that was patched onto the kite. It was a letter she had written years ago to her brother when they were still in contact. Seeing tangible evidence and a message from her long-lost brother so unexpectedly made Aunt Esther pale.
Extras
Extra MCQs
1. How long after the kite was lost did Father receive a letter about it?
(i) A week (ii) A month (iii) A year (iv) A few days
Answer: (ii) A month
2. The letter Father received was from his
(i) Wife (ii) Sister (iii) Childhood friend (iv) Cousin
Answer: (ii) Sister
3. When young, Father had quarrelled and left home after a fight with his
(i) Father (ii) Uncle (iii) Brother (iv) Cousin
Answer: (iii) Brother
4. When Father returned home years later, he found his brother had
(i) Gotten married (ii) Moved away (iii) Died (iv) Forgiven him
Answer: (iii) Died
5. Aunt Esther lived
(i) Near the coast (ii) In a city (iii) On Big Half Moon (iv) Inland
Answer: (iv) Inland
6. Dick and Mimi found the kite
(i) Buried in the sand (ii) Floating in the sea (iii) Stuck in a tree (iv) In their house
Answer: (iii) Stuck in a tree
7. Seeing the letter on the kite, Aunt Esther
(i) Felt confused (ii) Turned pale (iii) Was angry (iv) Was delighted
Answer: (ii) Turned pale
8. Aunt Esther realized Dick and Mimi were her brother’s children from the
(i) Letter’s handwriting (ii) Kite’s decoration (iii) Names written on the kite (iv) Envelope attached
Answer: (iii) Names written on the kite
9. After getting the letter, Father went and brought back
(i) Just Aunt Esther (ii) Just Dick and Mimi (iii) Aunt Esther, Dick and Mimi (iv) His whole family
Answer: (iii) Aunt Esther, Dick and Mimi
10. The narrator says Dick and Mimi are
(i) Quiet (ii) Mean (iii) Too jolly (iv) Rud
Answer: (iii) Too jolly
Extra true, false, statement
1. Father received the letter about the kite after many years.
Answer: False. “A month later a letter came for Father.”
2. The letter was from Father’s friend.
Answer: False. “The letter Father had just received was from his sister, Aunt Esther.”
3. Father had not left home on good terms with his siblings.
Answer: True. “Father had quarrelled with his brother and left home.”
4. Father’s brother was alive when he returned home.
Answer: False. “He found his brother had died.”
5. Aunt Esther lived in a city.
Answer: False. “She was a widow who lived hundreds of miles inland.”
6. Some strangers found the kite and brought it home.
Answer: False. “When Dick and Mimi were out in the woods, they discovered the kite.”
7. Aunt Esther was excited to see the old letter.
Answer: False. “When their mother saw the kite patched with the letter, she turned pale.”
8. Aunt Esther realized the kite belonged to her brother’s family.
Answer: True. “She knew who we must be.”
9. Father visited Aunt Esther after receiving her letter.
Answer: False. “Next day, Father went and brought Aunt Esther and Dick and Mimi with him.”
10. The narrator was happy to gain relatives.
Answer: True. “But the best of it all is that we have relations now!”
Extra questions and answers
1. Who wrote the letter to Father?
Answer: Father’s sister Aunt Esther wrote him the letter.
2. What had Father done when he was young?
Answer: He had quarrelled with his brother and left home.
3. What did Father find when he returned home years later?
Answer: He found his brother had died.
4. Who were Dick and Mimi?
Answer: Dick and Mimi were Aunt Esther’s children.
5. Where did the children find the lost kite?
Answer: They found it stuck in a tree in the woods.
6. How did Aunt Esther recognize the old letter?
Answer: She had written it long ago to her brother.
7. How did Aunt Esther realize the kite belonged to her brother’s family?
Answer: From the names written on the decorated kite.
8. What did Aunt Esther do after finding the kite?
Answer: She wrote a letter to the Big Half Moon lighthouse.
9. Who did Father bring back after getting the letter?
Answer: He brought Aunt Esther, Dick and Mimi.
10. How does the narrator feel in the end?
Answer: She is very happy to have relatives now.
Grammar in use
10. Change the following sentences into questions, as directed:
(a) Shankha lives in Alipurduar. (Information question using ‘where’)
Answer: (a) Where does Shankha live?
(b) They have gone to a picnic. (Interrogative sentence using ‘where’)
Answer: (b) Have they gone to a picnic?
(c) went to school yesterday. (Simple question using ‘did’)
Answer: (c) Did you go to school yesterday?
(d) Tia studies in class X. (Information question using ‘which’)
Answer: (d) In which class does Tia study?
Writing activities
11. Suppose your bicycle has a sudden tyre puncture on your way to school. You have taken the cycle to a repair shop. Write an imaginary dialogue (within 100 words) between the shopkeeper and you.
Answer: Me: Excuse me, sir. I got a flat tyre on my way to school. Can you please fix the puncture quickly?
Shopkeeper: Sure, let me take a look. Hmm, looks like a nail pierced the tube. I can patch it up for you right away.
Me: Thank you, I have an exam at 9 AM so I need to leave as soon as possible. How long will it take?
Shopkeeper: Give me 10-15 minutes. Don’t worry, I’ll get it fixed so you can reach school on time.
Me: Great, please repair it immediately. How much will it cost?
Shopkeeper: For a minor puncture, Rs. 50 only. I’ll also check air pressure and brakes to ensure everything works properly.
Me: That would be very helpful. Here is the payment. Please let me know as soon as it’s ready.
Shopkeeper: You got it. I’ll repair this quickly and inform you when it’s done. Just take a seat for a few minutes.
12. Write a story (within 100 words) using the given hints. Give a title to the story.
crow sitting on a tree piece of meat in its beak – fox passing under the tree -wants the meat asks the crow to sing crow keeps meat under its feet and sings – fooled, fox leaves
Answer: Title: The Clever Crow
A crow was sitting on a tree with a piece of meat in its beak when a fox passing below wanted the meat for himself.
“What a lovely voice you have, crow! Please sing me a song,” the fox said cleverly.
The crow was flattered but also cautious. It kept the meat safely under its feet and began to sing melodiously.
The fox, fooled by the wise crow’s singing, waited in vain for the meat to fall. Finally, the fox gave up and walked away hungry.
The clever crow had outsmarted the tricky fox and also enjoyed its delicious meal.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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I want NCF litrature book ch -1 our runaway kite class 10 Q/ A. From book.