NCERT Questions

Question 1 : What did the physicians ask Saeed’s mother to do to get well? Did their advice help her? If not, why?

Answer : The physicians asked Saeed’s mother not to take normal food and remain confined to her small and dark room with doors and windows closed.

She was deprived of sunshine and fresh air. No, their advice did not help her. Lack of sunshine and fresh air even worsened her health.

Question 2 : What did the specialist prescribe in addition to medicine?

Answer : The specialist prescribed her effective but costly medicine. He told her to eat anything which she likes.

In addition to this, he told her to leave the dark room and shift to bigger room with doors and windows open. He told her to sit under the sun every morning and inhale fresh air.

Question 3 : What did Saeeda tell the sunrays to do?

Answer : Saeeda requested the sunrays to come the next day with lots of warmth and brightness. She said her mother was unwell and needed the help of the sunrays.

Question 4 : Why were the sunrays keen to go down to the Earth the next day?

Answer : The sunrays had made pact with little Saeeda and could not stay back. They promised Saeeda that they will help her mother with warmth and brightness to get well. They were keen to go down to the earth the next day else they would be called liars.

Very Short Questions

Question 1 : What happened to Saeeda’s mother?

Answer : Saeeda’s mother had been ailing for a long time. She was suffering for fever, cough, body-ache and painful joints.

Question 2 : Saeeda’s mother’s conditions did not improve because she was forbidden normal food and was confined to a small and dark room.

Question 3 : Why did Saeeda’s mother sell a few trinklets?

Answer : Saeeda’s mother was poor and could not afford the doctor’s fees and the cost of medicine so she sold a few trinklets.

Question 4 : What becomes a subject of noisy commentary?

Answer : The doctor and his advice for Saeeda’s mother became a subject of noisy commentary among all present in the house.

Question 5 : How did Saeeda communicate with sunrays?

Answer : Saeeda communicated with the last departing sunrays with the help of a secret language, foreign to all grown-ups.

Short Questions

Question 1 : What do you understand by ‘a’ secret language?

Answer : Children have a command over a secret language, foreign to grown-ups. They can fluently communicate with natural things like trees, flowers, animals, the Sun, the moon and even with the God. Saeeda also requested sunrays to provide warmth to her mother.

Question 2 : Why did the sunrays stage a revolt against their father?

Answer : When the sunrays were preparing themselves to reach the earth, the sun told them not to go as there were clouds in the way. One of the rays said he has made a pact with Saeeda so he has to keep his promise.

The ray said they can’t stay back and revolted against their father, the sun to reach the earth.

Question 3 : How did Saeeda’s mother recover from her illness?

Answer : Saeeda’s mother recovered fully from her illness by following the doctor’s advice – an hour of sunlight and lungfuls of fresh air everyday. She used to feel the sun on her hands and face. She breathed in fresh air outside her room and ate whatever she likes to.

Long Questions

Question 1 : Why did Saeeda’s mother consult a doctor? How did she manage to arrange the doctor’s fees and afford costly medicines?

Answer : Saeeda’s mother became critical and people around her house advised her to consult a doctor even though his fees was likely to be high. Saeeda’s mother was poor and could not afford the doctor’s fees and costly medicines. Therefore, she sold some of her ornaments to pay the doctor’s fees and buy the costly medicines.

The doctor told her to leave the dark room and get into a bigger room with open door and windows. The doctor told her to sit under sunshine for an hour daily and breathe in fresh air.

Question 2 : Comment on the title of the story ‘A Pact with the Sun’.

Answer : ‘A Pact with the Sun’ is an inspirational story where a daughter requested sunrays to provide warmth to her mother and make her well. It shows a daughter’s love and affection for her mother. Her mother was ill and doctors advised her to sit in the sun and breathe in fresh air. But there was no sunshine for a few days which made Saeeda worried.

Therefore, Saeeda mad a pact with the sunrays that they will come down to the earth the next day to make her mother healthy and well. The sunrays also fulfilled their promise and reached the earth next morning. The title was appropriate because a pact made her mother healthy and well.

Value Based Questions

Question 1 : What do we learn from the lesson ‘A Pact with the Sun’?

Answer : We learn that if we are determined to do something, we can do it. The natural forces also help up to achieve what we want to . Saeeda loves her mother a lot and made a pact with the sunrays that they will reach the earth the next day. Her mother needs warmth to get well. The doctor has advised her to sit in the sun and breathe in fresh air.

The sunrays fulfilled the promise and reached the earth next day. They revolted against their father, the sun to reach the earth. The sunrays said they will be called liars if they did not fulfil their promise and nobody will believe them.