Summary
One morning, a cat got stuck in the tree. The narrator’s dad decided that he will easily be able to take care of it. Narrator’s father decided to climb the tree. His wife warned him that he might fall, but ignoring her warnings he climbed the ladder, slipped and fell.
Having fallen once, he thought of trying again, another way. Yet again ignoring his wife warnings, he swung himself up on a branch. The branch broke and again he fell.
Not giving up still, the father climbed up the garden wall. Luckily this time he did not fall. However, the moment he sprang unto the tree the cat jumped to the ground, safe and sound. Poor father, on the other hand, got stuck in the tree.
Stanzawise Explanation
Stanza 1
This morning a cat got; Stuck in our tree.
Dad said, “Right, just; Leave it to me.”
Reference The above lines have been taken from Kit Wright’s poem, ‘Dad and the Cat and the Tree.’
Context The poet showcases how the narrator’s father takes the responsibility of dealing with the cat.
Explanation The narrator discusses that one morning a cat got stuck in the tree. His father told him that he will manage to drive away the cat.
Stanza 2
The tree was wobbly, The tree was tall.
Mum said, “For goodness’ Sake don’t fall!”
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet describes the narrator’s mother’s concern for her husband.
Explanation Since the tree was unstable, the narrator’s mother was full of doubts as to how easy would it be for her husband to climb the tree. Therefore, she warned him that he might fall.
Stanza 3
“Fall?” scoffed Dad, “A climber like me?
Child’s play, this is! You wait and see.”
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet discusses how the narrator’s father laughed away his wife’s warnings.
Explanation Listening to his wife’s warnings, the narrator’s father was quite surprised. He dismissed away these warnings by saying that he was a good climber and climbing the tree was as easy as a child’s play.
Stanza 4
He got out the ladder ; From the garden shed.
It slipped. He landed; In the flower bed.
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet highlights how the narrator’s mother’s fears prove to be true.
Explanation The narrator’s father brings out a ladder from the garden shed. But, it slipped and father fell on the ground.
Stanza 5
“Never mind,” said Dad, Brushing the dirt
Off his hair and his face
And his trousers and his shirt,
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet describes the father gathering back his energy.
Explanation The narrator’s father brushes off the dirt from his hair and clothes, cleans his face and begins to think about another plan to drive away the cat.
Stanza 6
“We’ll try Plan B. Stand; Out of the way!”
Mum said, “Don’t fall; Again, O.K.?”
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet shows how the mother seems to be dissatisfied with the Plan B as well.
Explanation The narrator’s father decides to try Plan B. His wife, however, again warns him, that he might fall again.
Stanza 7
“Fall again? said Dad. ; “Funny joke!”
Then he swung himself up; On a branch. It broke.
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet showcases how the narrator’s father again dismisses his wife’s warning.
Explanation The narrator father muses away his wife’s warning. Still laughing, he swung himself on a branch, but the branch broke and he again fell on the ground.
Stanza 8
Dad landed wallop ; Back on the deck.
Mum said, “Stop it, You’ll break your neck!”
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context Poet reiterates the narrator’s mother’s intervention.
Explanation The narrator’s father again fell on the ground. The narrator’s mother begged him to stop as he might break his neck from falling again and again.
Stanza 9
“Rubbish!” said Dad. “Now we’ll try Plan C.
Easy as winking; To a climber like me!”
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet highlights how the narrator’s father refuses to give up.
Explanation The narrator’s father, then, decided to try Plan C. He was still confident that being a great climber he would succeed.
Stanza 10
Then he climbed up high; On the garden wall.
Guess what? He did’t fall!
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet shows the father trying yet another plan.
Explanation The narrator’s father climbed up the high garden wall and this time he did not fall.
Stanza 11
He gave a great leap ; And he landed flat
In the crook of the tree-trunk-Right on the cat!
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet describes that finally the narrator’s father succeeds.
Explanation The father, with a great leap, finally landed on the tree top, right on the cat.
Stanza 12
The cat gave a yell; And sprang to the ground,
Pleased as Punch to be; Safe and sound.
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet humorously ends the poem.
Explanation The moment the father landed on the cat, the cat screamed with fear and sprang to the ground. Landing smoothly on the ground, it seemed content with itself.
Stanza 13
So it’s smiling and smirking,
Smug as can be; But poor old Dad’s
Still ; Stuck; Up ; The; Tree!
Reference Same as in Stanza 1
Context The poet describes the father’s poor state.
Explanation The narrator describes that having safely landed on the ground, the cat was smiling arrogantly, while his father got stuck on the tree.
Word Meaning
Word Meaning in English
Scoffed ridicule, scorn
Landed wallop a heavy blow
Winking to blink with one eye
Yell to shout
Sprang to jump or release
Pleased as punch very pleased
Smirking often crooked smile
Smug self-satisfied
NCERT Solutions
Working with the Poem
(NCERT Page 110)
- Why was Dad sure he wouldn’t fall?
Ans. The Dad was sure he wouldn’t fall because he was a good climber.
- Which phrase in the poem expresses Dad’s self-confidence best?
Ans. “Right just, Leave it to me.”
“Easy as winking to a climber like me.’
- Describe Plan A and its consequences.
Ans. According to Plan A, father would have reached the tree top with the help of the ladder. However, the ladder slipped and father fell on the ground.
- Plan C was success. What went wrong then?
Ans. Even though Plan C was a success, it did not work out as planned. The moment the father reached the tree top, the cat jumped and touched the ground and was again out of father’s reach.
- The cat was very happy to be on the ground. Pick out the phrase used to express this idea.
Ans. “Smiling and smirking.
- Describe the Cat and the Dad situation in the beginning and at the end of the poem.
Ans. At the onset, the cat was stuck on the tree and father was confident to be able to drive it away. By the time the poem ended, the cat was free and the father got stuck in the tree.
- Why and when did Dad say each of the following?
(i) Fall (ii) Never mind
(iii) Funny joke (iv) Rubbish
Ans.
(i) When his wife warned him against falling, father with a great surprise said “fall?”
(ii) Having fallen to the ground, the father did not give up and brushing the dirt from his hair and clothes said, “never mind.”
(ii) When his wife again warned him against falling while he was executing Plan B, he found his wife’s warnings to be a “funny joke.”
(iv) After the second fall, when his wife intervened saying that he might break his neck, he again dismissed her concern by saying, “rubbish.”
- Do you find the poem humorous? Read aloud lines which make you laugh.
Ans. Of course. The poem is full of humour. The narrator’s father falling over and over again was quite humorous.
(a) “the cat gave a yell/ and sprang to the ground.”
(b) “It slipped. He landed in the flower bed.”
Questions and Answers
Very Short Answer Type Questions
- How many times does the narrator’s father try to climb the tree?
Ans. The narrator’s father tried to climb the tree thrice. To do so, he executed Plan A, B and C.
- State an adjective used to describe the tree.
Ans. Wobbly
- From where did the narrator’ father get the ladder?
Ans. The narrator’s father got the ladder from the garden shed.
- Why did Plan B fail?
Ans. Father swung himself on a branch and the branch broke. Thus, the Plan B failed.
Short Answer Type Questions
- Describe the tone in which the narrator’s father dismissed his wife’s warnings every single time.
Ans. When his wife warned him the first time, father was really astonished.
He thought how a good climber like him could fall. The second time his wife warned him, he laughed at her finding her warning to be a funny joke.
- Discuss plan A, B and C and the reasons for their respective failures.
Ans. According to Plan A, father would have reached the tree top with the help of the ladder. However, the ladder slipped and father fell on the ground.
Then, he thought of Plan B. He swung himself on the branch. But, the branch broke and father again fell on the ground.
Finally, he thought of Plan C. He thought of climbing the garden wall. However, even that did not work as planned.
The moment the father reached the tree top, the cat jumped and touched the ground and was again out of father’s reach.
Extra Questions and Answers
Extract 1
Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
He got out the ladder
From the garden shed,
It slipped. He landed
In the flower bed.
“Never mind,” said Dad,
Brushing the dirt
Off his hair and his face.
And his trousers and his shirt,
- Does father lose all his hope of bringing the cat down?
Ans. No, he doesn’t lose hope because climbing up a tree was a child’s play for him. Therefore he know that he would be successful in his venture.
- Write two pairs of rhyming words from the extract.
Ans. Shed-bed; dirt-shirt
- Does father lose hope?
Ans. No, father doesn’t lose hope because he had confidence in his skill of climbing up a tree.
- Where did father bring the ladder from?
(a) Garden
(b) Flower bed
(c) Cow shed
(d) Drawing room
Ans. (a) Garden shed
- What happens after the poet’s father fall off the ladder?
(a) He gives up.
(b) He gets up and goes to take rest.
(c) He gets up and plans for other trick.
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) He gets up and plans for other trick
- Where all he cleans the dirt from?
(a) His shirts and trousers.
(b) His hair and face.
(c) Both (a) and (d)
(d) Only (b)
Ans. (c) both (a) and (d)
Extract 2
Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
“We’ll try Plan B. Stand
Out of the way!”
Mum said, ” Don’t fall
Again, O.K.?”
“Fall again? said Dad.
“Funny joke!
Then he swung himself up
On a branch. It broke.
- Why does father ask mother to stand away?
Ans. Father asks mother to stand out of the way so that she might not get hurt.
- How did father make an attempt to save the cat for the second time?
Ans. For the second time, instead of climbing up the ladder, he swung himself on a branch.
- Was he successful in saving the cat this time?
Ans. No, he was not successful because the branch that he swung himself upon broke and he fell again.
- What does mother warn him?
(a) To give up
(b) To bring the cat down immediately
(c) To beware of dogs
(d) Not to fall again
Ans. (d) Not to fall again
- How does father react at this?
(a) He finds it a funny joke
(b) He heeds it seriously
(c) He obeys her advice
(d) He waits for the right way
Ans. (a) He finds it a funny joke
- Mum warned Dad to
(a) take medicines regularly.
(b) climb up the tree carefully.
(c) walk slowly.
(d) stay silent.
Ans. (b) climb up the tree carefully