Lesson 5: Our Runaway Kite 🪁

By Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Author and the Text ✍️

Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables. She wrote numerous novels, poems, and short stories. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.

This short story is about a brother and a sister living on an isolated island with their father, who, through a series of incidents, get reunited with their long-lost relatives. It is a touching tale that underlines the value of relationships. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Read the following:

Unit 1

Of course, there was nobody for us to play with on the Big Half Moon. We just had to make the most of each other, and we did.

We live on the Big Half Moon island. 'We' are Father and Claude and I and Aunt Esther and Mimi and Dick. It used to be only Father and Claude and I. It is all on account of the kite that there are more of us. This is what I want to tell you about.

Father is the keeper of the Big Half Moon lighthouse. I am eleven years old. Claude is twelve. In winter, when the harbour is frozen over, we all move over to the mainland. As soon as spring comes, back we sail to our own dear island.

The funny part used to be that people always pitied us when the time came for us to return. They said we must be so lonesome over there, with no other children near us. Of course, Claude and I would have liked to have someone to play with us. It is hard to run pirate caves and things like that with only two. But we used to quarrel a good deal with the mainland children in winter. So it was perhaps just as well that there were none of them on the Big Half Moon. Claude and I never quarrelled.

To be sure, Father didn't seem to have any relations except us. This used to puzzle Claude and me. Everybody on the mainland had relations. Why hadn't we? Was it because we lived on an island? We thought it would be so jolly to have an uncle and aunt and some cousins. Once we asked Father about it, but he looked so sorrowful that we wished we hadn't. He said it was all his fault. Claude and I didn't understand what he meant.

📖 Word Nest

lighthouse: a tower containing a strong beam of light to guide and warn ships near the coast.

📝 Comprehension Exercises

1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences: (a) The keeper of the Big Half Moon Lighthouse is (i) Aunt Esther (ii) Father (iii) Claude (iv) Dick (b) The family moved over to the mainland in (i) summer (ii) spring (iii) monsoon (iv) winter (c) When asked about relations, Father looked (i) happy (ii) angry (iii) sorrowful (iv) irritated

2. Fill in the chart with information from the text: (a) name of the island: Big Half Moon (b) age of Claude: twelve (c) the game played by Claude and the narrator: shipwrecked mariners signalling with kites

3. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer: (i) People felt that Claude and the narrator were lonesome in the island. ⬜ Supporting statement: "They said we must be so lonesome over there, with no other children near us." (ii) Claude and the narrator quarrelled. ⬜ Supporting statement: "Claude and I never quarrelled." (iii) Nobody on the mainland had relations. ⬜ Supporting statement: "Everybody on the mainland had relations."

Read the following:

Unit 2

It is always lovely on the Big Half Moon in summer. When it is fine, the harbour is blue and calm, with little wind and ripples. Every summer, we had some hobby. The last summer before Dick and Mimi came, we were crazy about kites. A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make them. Back on the island we made plenty of kites. Claude would go around to the other side of the island and we would play shipwrecked mariners signalling to each other with kites.

We had a kite that was big and covered with lovely red paper. We pasted gold tinsel stars all over it and had written our names full on it—Claude Leete and Philippa Leete, Big Half Moon lighthouse.

One day there was a grand wind for kite-flying. I'm not sure how it happened, but as I was bringing the kite from the house, I tripped and fell over the rocks. My elbow went clear through the kite, making a big hole.

We had to hurry to fix the kite if we wanted to send it up before the wind fell. We rushed into the lighthouse to get some paper. We knew there was no more red paper. We took the first thing that came handy—an old letter lying on the bookcase in the sitting room. We patched the kite up with the letter, a sheet on each side, and dried it by the fire. We started out, and up went the kite like a bird. The wind was glorious and it soared. All at once—snap! And there was Claude, standing with a bit of cord in his hand, looking foolish. Our kite had sailed away over to the mainland. 🌬️

📖 Word Nest

tinsel: strips of shiny material used for decoration.

📝 Comprehension Exercises

4. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences: (a) In summer the Big Half Moon is always (i) lovely (ii) unpleasant (iii) boring (iv) dull (b) Back on the island, Claude and the narrator made plenty of (i) puppets (ii) masks (iii) kites (iv) envelopes

   (c) The kite was patched with a (i) newspaper (ii) letter (iii) envelope (iv) card

5. Complete the following sentences with information from the text: (i) A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make kites. (ii) On the kite Claude and the narrator pasted gold tinsel stars. (iii) Claude was standing with a bit of cord in his hand.

6. Fill in the chart with information from the text: (a) The narrator's elbow went through the kite. Reason: The narrator tripped and fell over the rocks. (b) Claude and the narrator hurried to fix the kite. Reason: They wanted to send it up before the wind fell. (c) The kite soared. Reason: The wind was glorious.

Read the following:

Unit 3

A month later a letter came for Father. After he finished reading it, his eyes looked as if he had been crying. "Do you want to know what became of your kite?" he said. Then he sat down beside us and told the whole story.

Father had a brother and a sister. He had quarrelled with his brother and left home. Years afterward, he felt sorry and when he went back, he found his brother had died and he couldn't find his sister.

The letter Father had just received was from his sister, Aunt Esther, mother of Dick and Mimi. She was a widow who lived hundreds of miles inland. One day when Dick and Mimi were out in the woods, they discovered the kite on the top of a tree and carried it home. When their mother saw the kite patched with the letter, she turned pale. It was the very letter she had once written to her brother. Philippa was her mother's name and Claude was her father's. She knew who we must be. So she sat down and wrote to Big Half Moon and Father received her letter.

Next day, Father went and brought Aunt Esther and Dick and Mimi with him. They have been here ever since. Aunt Esther is a dear and Dick and Mimi are too jolly for words.

But the best of it all is that we have relations now! 🎉

📖 Word Nest

jolly: happy and cheerful.

📝 Comprehension Exercises

7. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences: (a) A letter came for Father after a (i) day (ii) week (iii) fortnight (iv) month (b) Father left home after quarrelling with his (i) brother (ii) sister (iii) aunt (iv) uncle

   (c) Dick and Mimi discovered the kite on the top of a (i) roof (ii) tree (iii) lighthouse (iv) light post

8. Fill in the chart with information from the text: (a) person who sent the letter: Aunt Esther (b) name of Aunt Esther's mother: Philippa (c) total number of family members in the narrator's family at present: 6 (Father, Claude, Narrator, Aunt Esther, Dick, Mimi)

9. Answer the following questions: (a) What did Father find when he went back home years afterward? Answer: Father found that his brother had died, and he couldn't find his sister. (b) Where did Aunt Esther live? Answer: Aunt Esther lived hundreds of miles inland. (c) Why did Aunt Esther turn pale? Answer: Aunt Esther turned pale because she saw the kite patched with a letter that she had once written to her brother, realizing who the children must be.

💡 Grammar in Use

Read the following sentences:

1. Why hadn't we?
2. Was it because we lived on an island?

In sentence 1, the question is formed by using the wh-word 'why'. In sentence 2, the question is formed by using the verb 'was'.

Questions that are formed by using wh-words like why, what, when, where, which, who, whose, whom, how are called Wh-questions. ❓

Questions that are formed by using verbs are called Interrogative sentences.

Now, read the following sentences:

1. What is your name?
2. How are you?
3. Do you read in class X?
4. Can you come to my house tomorrow?

The question numbers (1) and (2) cannot have 'Yes' or 'No' as answers. Questions that do not have 'Yes' or 'No' as answers are called Information Questions.

The question numbers (3) and (4) will have 'Yes' or 'No' as answers. Questions that have 'Yes' or 'No' as answers are called Simple Questions.

Read the following sentences:

1. Where was Tagore born?
2. Does your brother read in class II?

In sentence (1), the question is formed by placing the wh-word at the beginning of the sentence followed by the auxiliary verb and the subject. In sentence (2), the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject to form the question.

Wh-questions or Information questions are formed by placing the wh-word in the beginning followed by the auxiliary verb, the subject and complement.

Thus, the structure of the Wh-Question or Information Question is:

Wh-word + Auxiliary verb + Subject + Complement

Interrogative sentences or simple questions are formed by placing the auxiliary verb in the beginning followed by the subject and complement.

Thus, the structure of the Interrogative statements or simple question is:

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Complement

10. Change the following sentences into questions, as directed: (a) Shankha lives in Alipurduar. (Information question using 'where') Answer: Where does Shankha live? (b) They have gone to a picnic. (Interrogative sentence using 'where') Answer: Where have they gone? (c) I went to school yesterday. (Simple question using 'did') Answer: Did you go to school yesterday? (d) Tia studies in class X. (Information question using 'which') Answer: Which class does Tia study in?

✍️ Writing Activities

11. Suppose your bicycle has a sudden tyre puncture on your way to school. You have taken the cycle to a repair shop. Write an imaginary dialogue (within 100 words) between the shopkeeper and you.

    Example Dialogue:

    You: "Excuse me, my bicycle has a flat tyre. Can you fix it?" Shopkeeper: "Let me see... Ah, a puncture. I can patch this up for you." You: "How long will it take? I need to get to school." Shopkeeper: "About 15 minutes. It's a quick fix. You can wait here." You: "Great, thank you! How much will it be?" Shopkeeper: "Fifty rupees, please." You: "Here you go. Thanks for your help!" Shopkeeper: "You're welcome. Your cycle is ready!"

12. Write a story (within 100 words) using the given hints. Give a title to the story.

    Hints: crow sitting on a tree — piece of meat in its beak — fox passing under the tree — wants the meat — asks the crow to sing — crow keeps meat under its feet and sings — fooled, fox leaves

    The Clever Crow and the Fox 🦊

    A sly fox spotted a crow perched on a tree, a tasty piece of meat clutched in its beak. The fox, hungry and cunning, decided to trick the crow. "Oh, dear crow," he flattered, "your feathers are so shiny! I've heard you have a beautiful voice too. Would you sing a song for me?" The crow, wise to the fox's ways, didn't want to lose its meal. It carefully placed the meat under its feet, then let out a loud "Caw! Caw!" The fox, frustrated at being outsmarted, realized it was fooled and slinked away, meatless. 🐦