NCERT Solutions to Class 9 English Poetry 7 The Duck and the Kangaroos

The Duck bought four pairs of worsted socks which fit her web-feet neatly. Moreover she bought a cloak to keep out herself from the cold. She did it for the Kangaroo’s love.

She felt her life had become a hell in the pond. She got bored there. So she wanted to see the whole world. But she did not have that capability. So she wanted to take the Kangaroo’s help.

She spoke to him most respectfully. She made a request to give her a ride so that she could also enjoy life. She promises to cover her wet-feet and smoke a cigar every day to fight against cold.

The Kangaroo said that he would have to ponder over this request. He first raised an objection and later agreed to her request. He thought that it might bring him good luck. So he accepted her proposal to give her a ride on his back.

The Duck sat steady at the end of his tail. So that his balance might be maintained. She sat without speaking anything and hopped the world three times. She followed the instructions given by the Kangaroo and sat there without making any movement.

The Duck was pleasantly surprised at the way the Kangaroo hopped. It hopped effortlessly over the fields and the water. It looked as if he would never stop. Her life in the pond was very boring. She longed to go beyond the limited world of the pond. She wished to hop around like him. She requested him to give a ride on his back.

The Duck requested the Kangaroo to let her ride on his back. She promised to behave quite decently during the ride. She would sit silently without making a noise. She would say nothing but ‘Quack’. She assured him of her good conduct. They would hop over the land and the sea together.

The Kangaroo responded rather favorably to the Duck’s request. He was ready to allow her ride on his back. He expressed one objection. Her feet were ‘unpleasantly wet and cold’. This wetness and cold might give some pain in his joints.

The Duck gave a serious consideration over the matter. She bought four pairs of worsted socks that would fit her web-feet neatly. She also bought a cloak to keep out the cold. And every day she would smoke a cigar. She would do all such things out of her love towards the Kangaroo.

As a matter of fact, the Duck wants to have a ride on the Kangaroo’s back. The Duck lives in a nasty pond and gets bored. She also wants to enjoy the beauty of the world. But she knows that she cannot go beyond the pond. When she sees the Kangaroo hopping on the land, she thinks that how lucky the Kangaroo is that he can go anywhere on the land and enjoy the beauty of the world. She appreciates the Kangaroo’s hopping to make her happy and then requests him to let her sit on her back and visit the beautiful world. Due to her sweetness and politeness, the Kangaroo allows her to sit at the end of his tail. Though the Kangaroo tells the Duck to sit steady and quiet still so that he would not lose his balance.

The Duck made a request to the Kangaroo. She wanted to ride on his back and hop around the world beyond her pond. The Kangaroo didn’t respond without thinking. The request needed ‘some little reflection’. He told the Duck frankly that her feet were unpleasantly wet and cold. They might cause some trouble to him. The wetness and cold might give him ‘roo-matiz’ or pain in his joints. She must think over it and if possible find out a way to overcome it. Otherwise, he had no objection of allowing her a ride on his back. It might bring good luck to him. So, the understanding on this issue was very clear. The Duck assured the Kangaroo that she had already made all arrangements to keep out wetness and cold.

Perhaps the Duck knew it already that her feet could definitely cause some trouble to the Kangaroo during her pleasure ride. Therefore, she had already thought over it. She had already made preparation to keep out that wetness and cold. She bought four pairs of worsted socks that kitted her web-feet neatly. She also bought a cloak to keep out the cold. She would smoke a cigar everyday. She would do everything for her love towards him.The net result was very pleasant. The Duck balanced herself well and sat steadly for a smooth and comfortable ride. She sat quietly at the end of her tail. And they ‘hopped the world three times round’. They appeared to be happy and blissful during the ride.

It is absolutely true that our politeness and humility compels others to accept our request. As we read in the poem that the Duck politely requests the Kangaroo to make her visit the beautiful world and the Kangaroo accepts her request. So, if we want to get our work done by others, we have to be polite and humble to them. We cannot get any work done forcefully. If we force someone to do some work, he/she would do that work reluctantly and hence the work would not be perfect. So, we should always request somebody politely to get our work done. But remember, if someone does our work, we should feel grateful to him/her and be ready to help him/her as well.