flamingo (The last lesson) Short Answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

Short Answer type Questions

Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?

Ans:  Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day    because M. Hamel had said that he would ask question on participles. Franz did not know anything about participles.

Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Ans: Normally, when school began, there was a huge activity, which could be heard out in the street. But that day, everything was quite still. It was as silent as Sunday morning.  Desks weren't opening or closing. His classmates had already taken up positions. Instead of striking the table, M. Hamel's large ruler was under his arm.

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?
Ans: For the past two years, the bulletin board had been the source of all bad news. From Berlin, an order had been issued to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. This notice had been posted on the bulletin board by the Germans.

Q4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Ans: M. Hamel had dressed in his best green coat, frilled shirt, and embroidered black silk cap. The entire school appeared strange and serious. The elderly village people sat quietly like the children on the back benches, which were always empty.

Q5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Ans: Franz realised it was the last French lesson M. Hamel would give them. They will only be taught German from the following day. Then he felt bad for not paying attention in class. His books, which had previously seemed a nuisance and a burden, were now old friends. His feelings for M. Hamel changed as well. He had forgotten about his ruler and how irritable he was.

Q6. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons’ What could this mean?
Ans: This comment by Franz exemplifies a typical French reaction to the imposition of learning German. Being denied the opportunity to learn one's mother tongue would break all ties to one's motherland. Teaching the pigeons to sing in German demonstrates how far the Germans would go in their linguistic chauvinism attempts.

Q7. “It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles.” What did Franz find ‘much more tempting’? How did he finally react?
Ans: It was a very warm and sunny day. At the edge of the woods, birds were chirping. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in an open field behind the sawmill. He would gladly spend his life outside. He did, however, have the strength to resist the temptation. He finally hurried off to school.

Q8. Who was Wachter? What did he ask Franz and why? How did Franz react?
Ans: Wachter was a blacksmith. He was reading the most recent bulletin. He asked Franz to slow down on his way to school. He also stated that the youngster would arrive at school on time. . Franz assumed the blacksmith was making fun of him. So he dashed to school, arriving breathless.

Q9. Why had the villagers come to school that day? How did they look?
Ans: The villagers had gathered to express their gratitude to M. Hamel for his forty years of dedicated service. They also wanted to pay their respects to the country that was no longer theirs. They regretted not attending school more frequently. They sat silently and looked sad.

Q10. How did Franz react to the declaration: ‘This is your last French lesson’?
Ans: The words were as disturbing and unexpected as a thunderclap. He now understood why the bulletin board was crowded, why the village people had come to school, why the teacher was dressed in his Sunday best, and why there was grief and silence in the school.