The kangaroo and the Duck are two different creatures, but they are best friends. Throughout the poem, Duck tries to convince Kangaroo to let him ride on his back, and finally, he travels the world successfully three times with his best friend, Kangaroo. "Duck and Kangaroo" is a collection of Edward Lear's silly poems.
Summary of The Duck and the Kangaroo
The duck and the kangaroo summary deals with a story that covers the conversation between a duck and the kangaroo. Furthermore, in this story, duck seems impressed with the kangaroo’s abilities and praises the kangaroo for it. Moreover, the reason for this is because the kangaroo can hop and visit various places. On the other hand, the duck finds its life boring as it has to stay in the pond forever. Duck makes a request to sit on the back of the kangaroo so it can visit places like Dee and jelly Bo Lee. On this request, the kangaroo says that it would require some time to think as the duck is wet and may give body pain. Eventually, kangaroo agrees to give the ride. Finally, the duck sits on the back and visit the places it desired to go.
The duck is awestruck with the impressive abilities of the kangaroo. The duck expresses that the kangaroo has the ability to hop continuously over the fields and water bodies. The ducks believe that its life is boring in comparison to the kangaroo. This is because the duck has to stay in the pond at all times. Furthermore, the duck expresses its desire to see the world beyond the confines of the pond. Moreover, the duck expresses its desire to hop just like the kangaroo is able to.
The duck then makes an important request. This request is to let the kangaroo give it a ride on its back. Furthermore, the duck makes a promise to sit on the back of the kangaroo in a quiet manner and would just quack all day. Moreover, the duck lists the places that they would visit and that it would sit quietly and would just quack all day. The duck lists the places it had a desire to visit. These places are Dee and Jelly Bo Lee. The duck also makes an addition that they would hop over the sea as well as the land.
Then came an important reply for the kangaroo. The Kangaroo replies that it will need to think it over. The idea could be good for him but the kangaroo made an objection. Moreover, this objection was that the duck had wet and cold feet. Due to this, the kangaroo had a fear that it can get body pains.
The duck said that it had a solution as it thought over it by sitting on the rocks during the day. To avoid that, the duck bought four pairs of worsted socks. Furthermore, these worsted socks fitted its web and shaped feet well. Moreover, for the purpose of staying, the duck would cigar every day and wear a shrug. Most noteworthy, the duck would undertake all these measures in order to ensure the protection of its beloved kangaroo.
There was satisfaction from the kangaroo with the response of the duck. Consequently, it gave its consent to give a ride to the duck. With the arrival of the night-time, there was pale light of the moon filling up the sky. Finally, the kangaroo and the duck began their trip with a hop. The kangaroo told duck to hold it firmly during the travel. Moreover, duck and kangaroo travelled together around the world. What’s more, they travelled around the world three times. Furthermore, both of them were happy in each other’s company.
Poetic devices
*Alliteration: It is the use of the same sound at the beginning of words that are close together. e.g. “Good gracious! how you hop!”, “I would sit quite still, and say nothing”, “This requires some little reflection”, “But to balance”, “dear duck”.
*Repetition: It is the repetition of words or phrases in the poem for poetic effect e.g. “Said the Duck to the Kangaroo“.
*Enjambment: It is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. e.g.
“My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!’
Said the kangaroo
Question 1:
Taking words that come at the end of lines, write five pairs of rhyming words. Read each pair aloud.
For example, pond — beyond
Answer:
Kangaroo — too; hop — stop
back — quack; pond — beyond;
duck — luck.;
Question 2:
Complete the dialogue.
Duck : Dear Kangaroo! Why don’t you
Kangaroo : With pleasure, my dear Duck, though
___________________________
Duck : That won’t be a problem. I will
___________________________
Answer:
Duck: Dear Kangaroo, why don’t you plan a world tour with-with me.
Kangaroo: With pleasure, my dear Duck though I am afraid your webbed feet would trouble me.
Duck: That won’t, be a problem. I will cover them with woollen socks.
Question 3:
The Kangaroo does not want to catch ‘rheumatism. Spot this word in stanza 3
and say why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?
Answer:
roo — Matiz = rheumatism
The word ‘roo’ rhymes with the Kangaroo.
The other word ‘Matiz’ refers subtly to rheumatism. The word ‘rheumatism’ has been split in two parts for the sake of rhyme and a disease.
Question 4:
Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines that make you laugh.
Answer:
Yes, the poem is humorous. Take for example:
“But quite at the end of my tail.”
“And every day a cigar I’ll smoke”.
Question 1:
Narrate the story of the Duck and the Kangaroo in about 50-60 words.
Answer:
The Duck and the Kangaroo were good friends. The Duck was feeling bored there in her pond. She wanted to see the world beyond. She requested the Kangaroo to let her ride on his back. She promised to sit still and silent on his tail-end. She also bought woollen socks and smoked cigar to keep her body warm. The two toured the world happily.
Question 2:
What conditions did the Kangaroo lay down for giving his friend a ride? How did the Duck fulfil them?
Answer:
The Kangaroo agreed to take the Duck on world tour on his back. But he was afraid that his friend’s cold, wet-feet would make him sick. The Duck promised to sit still and silent on the Kangroo’s tail. She bought woollen socks to cover her wet-feet with. She also smoked a cigar to keep the cold out.
Short Answer Type Extra Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Where did the Duck live and what did he long for?
Answer:
The Duck lived in a pond which he considered nasty as he was bored of his life there. He wanted to leave that place and see the world beyond.
Question 2.
Where did the Duck want to go? What did he request the Kangaroo to do?
Answer:
The Duck wanted to see the world away from the pond he lived in. He thought that he would visit the ‘Dee’ and the ‘Jelly Bo Lee’. He requested the Kangaroo to let him ride on his back as he hopped away.
Question 3.
Why did the Duck want to take a ride on the Kangaroo’s back?
Answer:
The Duck felt bored with his life in the pond. So, he wanted to see the whole world. He wanted to travel to places like Dee and Jelly Bo Lee. But he did not have that capability. So he wanted to take the Kangaroo’s help as he could hop far and wide.
Question 4.
What did the Duck promise the Kangaroo?
Answer:
The Duck promised the Kangaroo that if he took him for a ride on his back, he would sit quietly the whole day and only say Quack.
Question 5.
How did the Kangaroo respond to the Duck’s request?
Answer:
The Kangaroo said that he would have to ponder over his request. He first objected to the Duck’s wet and cold feet because he feared they would give him rheumatism. Later, he agreed to his request. In fact, he thought that it might bring him good luck. So he accepted the Duck’s request to give him a ride on his back.
Question 6.
What did the Duck do to overcome the Kangaroo’s objection?
Answer:
The Duck bought four pairs of worsted socks which fit his web-feet neatly. Moreover, he promised to wear a cloak and to smoke a cigar to keep out the cold. He did it to overcome the Kangaroo’s objection to his cold feet
Question 7.
How did the Duck and the Kangaroo go round the world?
Answer:
The Duck sat at the end of the Kangaroo’s tail. He sat still and spoke nothing. The Kangaroo hopped and leapt. They went round the world three times. They enjoyed their journey and were very happy.
Question 8.
The Kangaroo does not want to catch ‘rheumatism’. Why it is spelt differently. Why is it in two parts? Why does the second part begin with a capital letter?
Answer:
The word ‘rheumatism’ is spelt differently and is in two parts so that it can rhyme with ‘kangaroo’ in the following line. As a result of splitting the word into two and changing its spelling, ‘roo’ rhymes with ‘kangaroo’. The second part ‘Matiz’ begins with a capital letter because it is the first word of the line. In a poem, every line begins with a capital letter even if it is in continuation with the previous line. Hence, this has been done in order to enhance the poetic effect of the lines.
Question 9.
What do you learn about the Duck from the poem?
Answer:
The Duck is adventurous. He is bored in his pond and wants to travel and see far-off places. He is considerate and promises not to disturb the Kangaroo with his chatter, but sit quietly on the Kangaroo’s back. He is resourceful, and when the Kangaroo objects to his wet and cold feet, he buys worsted socks and a cloak to keep warm. The Duck is envious of the Kangaroo’s ability to hop off and see the world.
Question 10.
What do you learn about the Kangaroo from the poem?
Answer:
The Kangaroo is a true friend. He agreed to take the Duck for a ride on his back, provided he did something about his cold and wet feet. He takes his friend around the world three times.
Extra Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Briefly narrate the story of the Duck and the Kangaroo.
Answer:
The Duck and the Kangaroo, both were very good friends. The Duck lived in a pond and was bored with his life. He wished to travel far and wide and see places like Dee and Jelly Bo Lee. So, he requested the Kangaroo to allow him to ride on his back and travel with him. The Kangaroo agreed to the Duck’s entreaty, but at the same time put a condition. He felt the duck’s feet were unpleasantly wet and cold and may cause with rheumatism.
The Duck assured his friend he had the remedy for the problem. He had already bought four pairs of woollen socks and a cloak to cover himself. He said he would also smoke a cigar for warmth. In this way both the Duck and the Kangaroo journey and went around the world thrice.
Reference to Context
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
“Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
(a) What are the Duck’s feelings as she sees the Kangaroo hop?
Answer:
The Duck is struck with wonder to see the Kangaroo hop. She is also envious of his ability to hop around without stopping because he is stuck in his nasty pond.
(b) How did the Duck express her wonder at the way the Kangaroo hopped?
Answer:
The Duck exclaimed with surprise at the way the Kangaroo hopped “Good gracious! how you hop!”
(c) What did the duck wish for?
Answer:
The duck wished to hop like the Kangaroo.
(d) What does the Duck want the Kangaroo to do for him?
Answer:
The Duck wants the Kangaroo to take him for a ride on his back.
Question 2.
“Please give me a ride on your back! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
“I would sit quite still, and say nothing but ‘Quack
The whole of the long day through!
And we’d go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea;
Please take me a ride! O do! ”
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
(a) What does the Duck want the Kangaroo to do?
Answer:
The Duck wants the Kangaroo to take him away from his nasty pond and give him a ride on his back.
(b) What promise does the Duck make to the Kangaroo?
Answer:
The Duck promises to sit still and quiet.
(c) What are Dee and Jelly Bo Lee?
Answer:
These are probably imaginary distant places.
(d) What does line three in the stanza show?
Answer:
The duck is in the habit of talking too much and the Kangaroo does not like it.
Question 3.
Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
“This requires some little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if you ’ll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold, .
And would probably give me the roo- Matiz! ” said the Kangaroo.
(a) What does the word “This” in Line 2 refer to?
Answer:
This refers to the Duck’s request for a ride on the Kangaroo’s back.
(b) What did the Kangaroo mean by the word ‘reflection’?
Answer:
Reflection here means serious thought.
(c) What was expected to bring luck?
Answer:
The Kangaroo’s travels with the Duck would bring him luck.
(d) What was the Kangaroo’s objection?
Answer:
The Kangaroo’s objection was that the Duck’s feet were unpleasantly wet and cold and would give him rheumatism.
Question 4.
Said the Duck, “As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,
All to follow my own dear true Love of a Kangaroo! ”
(a) Why does the Duck want to go for a ride? Where?
Answer:
The Duck is bored his little pond. He wants to go for a ride on the Kangaroo’s back to see distant places like the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee.
(b) What will the Duck do to make the Kangaroo feel comfortable over land and sea?
Answer:
The Duck will sit quietly on the Kangaroo’s back and say nothing but Quack the whole day.
(c) What did the Duck buy? Why?
Answer:
The Duck bought four pairs of woollen socks to keep his feet web.
(d) What will the Duck smoke every day?
Answer:
The Duck will smoke a cigar everyday.
Question 5.
Said the Kangaroo, “I’m ready!
All in the moonlight pale;
But to balance me well, dear
Duck, sit steady!
And quite at the end of my tail! ”
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy — O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?
(a) What was the Kangaroo ready for?
Answer:
The Kangaroo was ready to take the Duck for a ride on his back.
(b) Where did the Kangaroo tell the Duck to sit?
Answer:
The Kangaroo told the Duck to sit at the end of his tail to maintain his balance.
(c) Where did the two friends go?
Answer:
The two friends went around the world three times.
(d) Why were they happy?
Answer:
The Duck and the Kangaroo were happy to be travelling together.
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