A Funny Man — NCERT Solutions

Option D: cheerful

The last line — 'And hopped home on his head' — is the most absurd and funny image in the entire poem. The picture of a man hopping home on his head is so ridiculous and impossible that it makes readers laugh and feel light-hearted and cheerful. It is a perfect comic ending to the funny man's series of nonsensical actions.

The character trait of the funny man that is most appealing is his carefree, joyful spirit and his ability to spread laughter without caring about what others think.

The funny man does everything in an upside-down, absurd manner — he wears hats on his feet, offers a currant bun instead of a rose, and hops home on his head. Yet he does all this with complete confidence and without any embarrassment. He does not follow society's rules of 'normal' behaviour, and this fearless, playful attitude is very appealing. In a world where people are often too serious or too worried about others' opinions, the funny man's ability to simply be himself and bring joy to others is truly admirable.

The unusual things that the funny man does — such as wearing two hats on his feet, offering a currant bun instead of a rose, and hopping home on his head — create an overall mood of light-hearted fun, absurdity, and cheerfulness in the poem.

Each action is more ridiculous than the last, building up the comic effect. The poet's own reactions (staggering back against the wall, saying 'Well!') add to the humour. The poem never becomes dark or frightening despite the strange behaviour, because the funny man is clearly harmless and good-natured. As a result, the mood throughout the poem remains joyful, playful, and entertaining, leaving the reader with a smile.

An alternative title I would suggest for the poem is: 'The Upside-Down Man' or 'The Man Who Turned the World Topsy-Turvy'.

Reasons:

• Everything the funny man does is the opposite of what is normal — he wears hats on his feet (instead of his head), offers a bun instead of a rose, and hops home on his head (instead of his feet). His entire existence is 'upside-down.'
• The title 'The Upside-Down Man' immediately captures the central idea of the poem — a person who defies all normal logic and convention — and hints at the humour and absurdity that the reader is about to encounter.
• It is catchy, memorable, and perfectly reflects the topsy-turvy world of the funny man.

The poet has included dialogues in the poem for the following reasons:

1. To make the poem lively and dramatic: The direct speech between the funny man ('Allow me to present Your Highness with a rose') and the poet ('My friend, why do you wear two hats upon your feet?') brings the characters to life and makes the poem feel like a real encounter.

2. To enhance the humour: The contrast between the funny man's grand, polite language ('Your Highness') and his absurd actions (producing a currant bun) is made much funnier through direct dialogue.

3. To involve the reader: Dialogues draw the reader into the scene, making them feel as if they are witnessing the funny encounter themselves.

4. To show character: The dialogue reveals the funny man's playful, mock-formal personality and the poet's amused bewilderment, helping readers understand both characters better.

By highlighting the unusual behaviour of the funny man, the poet wishes to convey the following messages:

1. The value of humour and laughter: The funny man's absurd behaviour brings joy and amusement to the poet (and the reader). The poet suggests that laughter and playfulness are important parts of life.

2. The joy of being different: The funny man does not follow society's norms and is completely comfortable being himself. The poet celebrates this individuality and freedom from convention.

3. Imagination and creativity: The funny man's world is one where anything is possible — hats go on feet, buns replace roses, and people hop on their heads. The poet encourages readers to embrace imagination and think beyond the ordinary.

4. Life need not always be serious: Through the funny man, the poet reminds us that it is perfectly fine — and even wonderful — to be silly, playful, and light-hearted sometimes.

Correct Matching:

1. The new technology is set to take over traditional methods of communication.
2. I tried hard to take in what the writer wanted to say but was unsuccessful.
3. Arjun decided to take up painting as a hobby.
4. The smartphone quickly took off in the sales in the market.
5. Sheela takes after her father; they have the same smile.

Matching and Meanings:

Sample Sentences using five phrasal verbs:

1. Look after: My elder sister looks after our younger brother when our parents are away.
2. Run out: We ran out of milk, so I went to the shop to buy some.
3. Put off: Do not put off your homework until the last minute.
4. Break down: The car broke down on the highway, and we had to call for help.
5. Call off: The cricket match was called off due to heavy rain.

The words arranged in increasing order of pace (slowest to fastest) are:

$$\text{trot} \rightarrow \text{jog} \rightarrow \text{sprint}$$

Explanation:

• Trot – a slow, steady pace, faster than a walk but slower than a jog.
• Jog – a gentle, easy run at a moderate pace.
• Sprint – running at full speed for a short distance; the fastest of the three.

So the correct increasing order of pace is: trot < jog < sprint.

(This is a listening activity. Students must listen to the audio/teacher reading the transcript on page 88 of the textbook and then select the picture that matches the narration.)

Guidance: Listen carefully to the key details in the narration — the setting, the objects mentioned, and the actions described — and match them to one of the four pictures provided. Discuss your choice with your classmates and teacher after listening.

(This is a listening activity. Students must listen to the audio/teacher reading the transcript on page 88 of the textbook and arrange the events in the correct sequence.)

Suggested order based on logical narrative flow:
$$6 \rightarrow 2 \rightarrow 1 \rightarrow 5 \rightarrow 3 \rightarrow 7 \rightarrow 4$$

That is:

1. Prepared for the presentation
2. Took off shoes
3. Ate lunch
4. Placed the plate in the room
5. Put shoes in the room
6. Put the plate in the kitchen
7. Laughed at the mistake

(The exact order must be confirmed by listening to the audio transcript provided to the teacher on page 88.)

Rhyme Scheme of the Limerick:

Line 1: beard — A
Line 2: feared — A
Line 3: Hen — B
Line 4: Wren — B
Line 5: beard — A

The rhyme scheme is: A A B B A

This is the standard rhyme scheme of all limericks. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other. Lines 1, 2, and 5 are longer, while lines 3 and 4 are shorter, giving the limerick its characteristic bouncy, musical rhythm.

Sample Limerick:

There was a young child from Pune, (A)
Who ate all his meals with a spoon. (A)
He slurped up his rice, (B)
And said, 'Oh, how nice!' (B)
Then floated away like a balloon! (A)

Rhyme scheme: A A B B A

Structure followed:

• Line 1: Introduction of a person and place (a young child from Pune)
• Lines 2–4: A silly story (eating with a spoon, slurping rice, enjoying it)
• Line 5: An unexpected, funny ending (floating away like a balloon)