Christmas Day In the Morning

A Q.1. ‘Yet, where was the magic of Christmas now?’ Why does the
narrator think this?
Ans. The narrator thinks like this because in his youth, he used to get
up at four o’ clock in the morning to help his father in milking the
cows. He found it difficult to get up early in the morning, but on
Christmas day, he was so excited that he got up early in the morning.
The narrator now feels that Christmas is not so exciting as it used to
be in his childhood. He feels that the magic of Christmas does not exist
now.
Q.2 “Let’s not trim the tree until tomorrow…….” Who is the speaker?
Why does the speaker say this?
Ans. Robert’s wife is the speaker. She says these words because she is
tired.
Q.3. How did the idea of giving his father a special gift in the barn
strike Rob? What was this special gift?
Ans. Once Robert asked his father, the meaning of ‘stable’ and his
father replied that it’s a barn. When he thought about his father’s
words, an idea struck in his mind. He decided to give a special gift to
his father in the barn on the day of Christmas just as Jesus had
received Christmas gifts from the Shepherd and Wise Men.
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Q.4. “Thought you’d fool me, did you?” Why did Rob’s father say this?
Ans. Rob’s father said this because he knew very well by looking at the
containers filled with milk in the barn that this work was done by
Robert.
B. 1. Read the following sentences carefully and explain what the
words in bold convey.
(a) ‘Strange, how the habits of his youth clung to him still!’
Ans. The words, ‘clung to him still’ indicates that fifty years ago his
father had trained him to get up early in the morning and milk the
cows. Thirty years back, his father died, but he still wakes up at 4 am.
in the morning.
(b) ‘Besides, he isn’t a child anymore. It’s time, he took his turn.’
Ans. The words, ‘he took his turn’ were spoken by Robert’s mother.
The words meant that Robert had grown up and it was time for him to
take up his father’s work.
© ‘…. he mustn’t sleep too sound.’
Ans. These words mean that Robert should not sleep unconsciously. He
should be conscious enough to wake if anybody calls.
(d) ‘Back in his room, he had only a minute to pull off his clothes in the
darkness and jump into bed, for he heard his father up.’
Ans. The words, ‘Father up’ means that Robert’s father woke up early
in the morning soon after he finished his work of milking the cows and
storing in the cans and went to bed.
Q.2. what made Rob think that he could have bought a better present
for his father?
Ans. On the night before Christmas, when he was fifteen, he lay
thinking about the next day and he thought that he could have bought
a better present for his father.
Q.3. Why was milking not a chore for Rob on that Christmas Day?
Ans. Milking was not a chore for Rob on that Christmas Day because it
was a gift to his father who loved him.
Q.4. If you had been Rob what would you have done to show your love
to your parents? ( Write the answer in your own words.)
C. Answer the questions with reference to context.
1. ‘He woke suddenly and completely.’
a. Who is referred to as ‘He’ in the above line?
Ans. ‘He’ is referred to Robert in the above line.
b. When did he ‘He’ wake up?
Ans. He woke up at 4 o’ clock in the morning.
c. Why did ‘He’ used to wake up at a particular time every day?
Ans. He used to wake if at a particular time every day to help his
father to milk the cows.
2. “I wish I could manage alone.”
a. Who said the above line and to whom?
Ans. Robert’s father said these words to his mother.
b. What was to be managed?
Ans. He had to manage cleaning and milking the cows.
c. Why did the speaker say so?
 Ans. He said so because he found it difficult to wake up Robert early in
the morning. He thought that Robert required more sleep as he was
growing fast.

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