CBSE Class 7 English NCERT Solutions: A Gift of Chappals

Meena shares a secret with Mridu about a small, helpless kitten they found that morning near their gate. They have hidden the kitten in the backyard, inside a torn football that has been lined with sacking and filled with sand to make it comfortable.

Ravi devises a clever plan to get milk for the kitten. When his Paati sees him with a glass of milk, he tells her he is hungry. To avoid suspicion, he quickly drinks most of the milk himself. He then pretends to want to wash the tumbler himself, rushes to pour the milk into a coconut shell for the kitten, and returns to wash the tumbler before Paati becomes too suspicious about his actions.

Ravi claims that the kitten's ancestors were the legendary Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cats, which were the emblem of the Pallava dynasty. He further elaborates that these cats were descendants of the ancient cat-goddess from Egypt. However, this story is clearly an exaggeration meant to impress Mridu, and one would not believe such a fantastical claim.

We can agree with statements (iii) and (iv). Ravi's elaborate and imaginative stories about M.P. Poonai's ancestry suggest he possesses a very rich imagination. While he might be trying to impress Mridu, his ability to weave such tales also points to his intelligence as a child. Statement (ii) is unlikely to be true, as his historical claims are highly exaggerated and not based on sound historical knowledge.

The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was a loud, screeching sound. This sound was produced by Lalli as she was learning to play the violin, and its harshness disturbed both the girl and the kitten.

The sentence from the text that expresses the idea of the music master making lovely music is: "The music-master's notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody. It was like the wheels of a train fitting smoothly into the rails and whizzing along." This simile beautifully captures the smooth, flowing, and harmonious quality of his music.

No, the beggar had not come to Rukku Manni's house for the first time. The reason is that Paati mentions to Tapi that the beggar had been visiting their house every day for the past week. This indicates that he was a regular visitor, and Paati felt it was time for him to find another place to beg from.

The formation of a sharp V-shaped line between Rukku Manni's eyebrows is a clear indication that she was in a state of anger. This expression typically appears when someone is displeased, annoyed, or very upset. In this context, it suggests Rukku Manni was extremely angry upon discovering that the music teacher's chappals were missing.

Ravi compares Lalli's playing the violin to the sound of a train heading towards a crash, emphasizing its chaotic and unpleasant nature.

Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran was startled by the loud noise of the violin and tried to escape.

The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli followed, but her playing was described as chaotic and unpleasant, unlike the teacher's smooth melody.

The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household had always been generous and had given him alms (food or money) whenever he came, implying he expected similar treatment.

After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if she had practiced what he taught her, and then realized his chappals were missing.