NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Moments Chapter 1 The Fun They Had free PDF is given here. These Solutions contains answers to all questions provided in the textbook. Class 9th English Moments Chapter 1 solutions are explained by the expert English teacher and as per NCERT (CBSE) guidelines.
Think About It
Question 1: What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does she do?
Answer: One Sunday afternoon, the author noticed a strange smell. Then he saw smoke pouring in through the seams of the ceiling and filling the room very quickly. They could barely see anything. By the time they ran out into the front yard, the roof was already engulfed in flames and was spreading very quickly.
His mother ran back into the house. She had brought out a small metal box full of important documents. She wanted to bring out important things from the house one by one. She was in a ‘crazed state’.
Question 2: Why does he break down in tears after the fire?
Answer: The author’s house was completely burned down. Five hours later when the fire was finally put out, he realised at once that his cat was nowhere. He had to face the loss of old school, his house and cat. In such a state, he cried and broke down in tears.
Question 3: Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity?
Answer: The author was deeply embarrassed the next day in school because he was not wearing the proper dress. He had lost everything in the fire. He was still wearing the dress he had worn to church that morning. He had no shoes. He was wearing tennis shoes that he borrowed from his aunt. He was totally embarrassed by everything. He had no books or homework, and his backpack was gone.
Words that show his fear and insecurity are ‘outcast’, ‘geek’, ‘curl up and die’ ‘had my life in that back pack’ ‘zombie’, ‘surreal’ and ‘security …ripped away’.
Question 4: The cat and the author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?
Answer: The author loved his cat very much. He never considered her far from him. She kept sitting beside him when he did his homework and other household work. When the author found his cat back, his happiness was beyond the limits. He grabbed her quickly and felt relieved. This proved that they were very fond of each other.
The cat ran over a mile away when the house was on fire. A stranger lady brought it back as there was a phone number written on the collar of the cat.
Question 5: What actions of the schoolmates change the author’s understanding of life and people, and comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start participating in life?
Answer: The schoolmates showed genuine concern for the author in spite of not knowing him well. They helped him by collecting supplies, books and clothes for him. People whom he had never spoken to before started coming to him and befriending him. They also called him to their houses. The author made new friends. He was overwhelmed by their love and cooperation. He realized that his new school and new people around him were good. He stopped focusing on his feeling of fear and insecurity and became confident that everything will be alright.
Question 6: What is the meaning of “My cat was back and so was I”? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say that he is also back?
Answer: Here the author wants to point out that life without affection is useless. He was depressed after a great loss in all fields. His old school and teachers were always in his mind. The fire had reduced his house to ashes. His cat was also not with him. In such circumstances, he considered himself dead and had no interest in life.
In the end as soon as the conditions took the turn he felt relieved. Now he had all the things with him. The author had not gone anywhere. It was his state of mind. He recovered from this gloomy state and started enjoying life when he got his cat back.