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Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,
No one mourned for his pirate victim.
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate
Around the dragon that ate the pirate.
No one mourned for his pirate victim.
Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate
Around the dragon that ate the pirate.
But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,
I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered.
And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,
We’d have been three times as brave, we think,
And Custard said, I quite agree
That everybody is braver than me.
Belinda still lives in her little white house,
With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio little pet dragon.
With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio little pet dragon.
Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.
And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,
Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage.
Explanation:
The last few stanzas of the poem remind us that one must always have faithful friends around us. It is very easy for everyone to make claims that they would be brave, but it is difficult to act on it. It also speaks about how the ones we least expect to act on will be the ones rescuing us in the long run. Custard, the dragon, was teased for not being brave, but he was the one who acted immediately and saved Belinda's life by fighting the pirate, not even caring about his own life. Belinda finally realises her mistake and embraces Custard. The other pets are also relieved that they are rescued from the pirate.
Mustard being a dog shows that he is thankful for being saved by licking Custard. Everyone was so happy about being saved that no one mourned or cared about the pirate's death. It is only when good people lose their lives that they are remembered for their good deeds and mourned. If the pirate were alive, then that would mean nobody else would. Ink and Blink were so happy that they went round and round in merry, around Custard, who had just gobbled the pirate. This shows that they were the ones who were originally scared, and now that they know that the pirate is no more, they make merry. It is easy to give excuses for one's act again. Mustard now compensates for running away by saying that if it were him, he would have been twice as brave as Custard. It is a very sad thing to belittle someone's efforts, let alone when that person was trying to save our life. But Mustard is embarrassed that he was saved by Custard, who he had teased mercilessly. He covers it up, saying he had to run because he was confused.
They all scurry up on seeing the pirate
Ink and Blink also follow Mustard's words and go one step further to say they would have been three times braver. But as the saying goes, 'Empty vessels make noise', Custard does not defend or argue against all these claims. He very quietly admits that it is true that everyone is braver than him. This shows that one need not speak up and argue everywhere. Things return to normal as Belinda lives in the same house with her pets and wagon. The last stanza is a repetition, but when one reads it after the events unfolding, it is evident that it is said in a sarcastic tone.
Meaning of difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meaning |
1 | Embrace | To accept and include |
2 | Mourn | To feel and show great sadness |
3 | Flustered | To make someone nervous |
4 | Glee | Very happy |
5 | Gyrate | Move rapidly in circles |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Beehive. The Tale of Custard the Dragon - Ogden Nash (pp. 129-132). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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