Class X - Chapter - 6 (First Flight) The Hundred Dresses Part 2-by El Bosr Ester

First Flight Lesson-6

The Hundred Dresses- II

by El Bosr Ester

 

 

The Hundred Dresses II- Introduction

In continuation of the previous lesson, “The Hundred Dresses II” reveals why Wanda Petronski had not been coming to school. The Petronski family decided to move to a big city where no one would care about their unfamiliar name. On hearing the note, Maddie and Peggy got anxious as they realised that they would never get a chance for making amends for all the teasing they had done. Both the girls get relieved only on learning that Wanda liked them and had dedicated one of the hundred dresses (drawings) to each one of them.

About the Characters
Wanda Petonski A poor polish girl with a funny name, who wears same blue dress always and boasts of having a hundred dresses.
Peggy Always teases Wanda, creates a game to ask Wanda about dresses, different from others, never made Wanda cry by teasing, the most popular and pretty girl in the school.
Maddie Always teases Wanda, very close friend of Peggy, a poor girl but never boasts like Wanda.

Miss Mason Wanda’s class teacher, who helps the students and supports them. 

Summary

The lesson begins with all the students of Room no. 13 having a look at the wonderful drawings of Wanda Petronski. Only then, a note is received by Miss Mason from Wanda’s father informing that none of his two children will attend the school as they are moving to a big city where no one would judge them for their names. Miss Mason was left shocked and conveyed her disappointment to the class. Maddie was affected by this letter of Wanda’s father. She instantly developed an urge to apologise to Wanda. Peggy and Maddie, the two best friends rush to Boggins Heights hoping that the family hadn’t moved yet. But to their dismay, there was no sign of life in and around the house.  Maddie lost her sleep thinking what a coward she is who couldn’t stand against the wrong. That day she decided that she’ll never let anyone tease someone like that again. That weekend Peggy and Maddie decided to write a letter to Wanda that was originally meant to be apologetic but they ended up writing a friendly note asking her how did she like the new place. Weeks passed by and there was no reply until one day near Christmas, Miss Mason announces that she heard from Wanda. In that letter, Wanda wrote she misses everyone and conveyed her intention of gifting one dress each to Maddie and Peggy because she has a whole new lot of hundred dresses lined up in her new house. Both of them were happy to receive it and later realised that it was their faces she had drawn along with the dresses. Thus, they both concluded that Wanda did like them.

 TEXT and Explanation

WHILE the class was circling the room, the monitor from the principal’s office brought Miss Mason a note. Miss Mason read it several times and studied it thoughtfully for a while. Then she clapped her hands. “Attention, class. Everyone back to their seat.” When the shuffling of feet had stopped and the room was still and quiet, Miss Mason said, “I have a letter from Wanda’s father that I want to read to you.” Miss Mason stood there a moment and the silence in the room grew tense and expectant. The teacher adjusted her glasses slowly and deliberately. Her manner indicated that what was coming — this letter from Wanda’s father — was a matter of great importance. Everybody listened closely as Miss Mason read the brief note.

Listened closely- listened with attention

Everyone was having a look at the amazing drawings Wanda had drawn and admiring it when the monitor of the class brought a piece of note for Miss Mason. Miss Mason read that note multiple times as she couldn’t believe what was written in it. Finally, she decided to gather the class to read it loud and clear. It was a letter from Wanda Petronski’s dad. She silenced for a while which created tension in the minds of her students. She adjusted her spectacles which made it clear how important that note is. She began reading it and everyone listened carefully.

Dear Teacher:

My Wanda will not come to your school any more. Jake also. Now we move away to big city. No more holler ‘Pollack’. No more ask why funny name. Plenty of funny names in the big city.
Yours truly,

Jan Petronski

The letter began with a salutation to Miss Mason. Wanda’s father conveyed his intention of not sending both of his children, Wanda and Jake, to school anymore. He mentioned that they were shifting to another city, a big one where no one would care enough about their strange name, a big city with a lot of people having weird names.(Wanda’s classmates thought her name was weird and funny. Wanda was a Polish immigrant to America and thus, had an unfamiliar name)

A deep silence met the reading of this letter. Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief. Then she put them on again and looked at the class. When she spoke her voice was very low. “I am sure that none of the boys and girls in Room Thirteen would purposely and deliberately hurt anyone’s feelings because his or her name happened to be a long, unfamiliar one. I prefer to think that what was said was said in thoughtlessness. I know that all of you feel the way I do, that this is a very unfortunate thing to have happened — unfortunate and sad, both. And I want you all to think about it.”

After hearing what was there in that letter, everyone was left speechless. Miss Mason, too, was stunned and thus, she cleaned her glasses, wore them again and spoke to the class in a low voice. She conveyed her disappointment to the class and asked them to ensure her that nothing was done purposefully to hurt Wanda. She gave the children benefit of doubt that everything they did, was done unintentionally. She said whatever happened was “sad” and “unfortunate”. She advised the students to introspect about it too.

The first period was a study period. Maddie tried to prepare her lessons, but she could not put her mind on her work. She had a very sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach. True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing. She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done. Worse. She was a coward. At least Peggy hadn’t considered they were being mean but she, Maddie, had thought they were doing wrong. She could put herself in Wanda’s shoes.

Everyone began thinking about what was written in that letter and how each one of them made Wanda feel. In their first period, Maddie couldn’t concentrate on her studies as she felt sick for not stopping Peggy at the right time. Had she stopped Peggy from playing that dress game with Wanda, things could have been different.  Although Maddie never teased Wanda, but nor did she stop Peggy from doing it, which makes her just as bad or maybe, worse. Peggy’s intentions were never to hurt Wanda and she was not aware that her game hurt her feelings. Maddie, on the other hand was aware of it’s impact, yet, she stood silent which made her a coward for not standing against what’s wrong. 

Goodness! Wasn’t there anything she could do? If only she could tell Wanda she hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings. She turned around and stole a glance at Peggy, but Peggy did not look up. She seemed to be studying hard. Well, whether Peggy felt badly or not, she, Maddie, had to do something. She had to find Wanda Petronski. Maybe she had not yet moved away. Maybe Peggy would climb the Heights with her, and they would tell Wanda she had won the contest, that they thought she was smart and the hundred dresses were beautiful.

 

Filled with guilt and regret, Maddie wished for a chance to apologise to Wanda. Hoping Peggy would be thinking about Wanda too, she takes a look at Peg but she was busy studying. Regardless of what Peggy was thinking, Maddie decided to take some action. She hoped Wanda hadn’t yet moved away and she could tell her how sorry she was and appreciate her hundred dresses.

When school was dismissed in the afternoon, Peggy said, with pretended casualness, “Hey, let’s go and see if that kid has left town or not.” So Peggy had had the same idea! Maddie glowed. Peg was really all right. The two girls hurried out of the building, up the street toward Boggins Heights, the part of town that wore such a forbidding air on this kind of a November afternoon, drizzly, damp and dismal.

Damp and dismal- wet and sad (here, expressing a state of hopelessness)

Forbidding- Unfriendly or threatening in nature

That day, after the school had ended, Peggy asked Maddie if they could go and check if Wanda has moved or not. Maddie was satisfied at the thought that they both had same plans of apologizing to Wanda. Both of them hurried to Boggins Heights, the place where Wanda lived in order to find her. During this season, the place was generally wet and the atmosphere was sad and hopeless.

“Well, at least,” said Peggy gruffly, “I never did call her a foreigner or make fun of her name. I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” Maddie could say nothing. All she hoped was that they would find Wanda. She wanted to tell her that they were sorry they had picked on her, and how wonderful the whole school thought she was, and please, not to move away and everybody would be nice. She and Peggy would fight anybody who was not nice. The two girls hurried on. They hoped to get to the top of the hill before dark.

Peggy tries to comfort herself by murmuring that at least she didn’t call her a foreigner because she was an immigrant. Neither did she make her feel different for having an unfamiliar name. She was always in this delusion that Wanda had no idea that those girls were making fun of her. Above all, Wanda is such a great artist too. Maddie, on the other hand, couldn’t say a word. What she hoped for is a chance to confess, make amends, appreciate her and try to stop her from moving away. In fact, she even thought of conveying her idea to protect Wanda if anyone tried to trouble her in any way. In order to reach the place before night, they hurried. 

“I think that’s where the Petronskis live,” said Maddie, pointing to a little white house. Wisps of old grass stuck up here and there along the pathway like thin kittens. The house and its sparse little yard looked shabby but clean. It reminded Maddie of Wanda’s one dress, her faded blue cotton dress, shabby but clean. There was not a sign of life about the house. Peggy knocked firmly on the door, but there was no answer. She and Maddie went around to the back yard and knocked there. Still there was no answer.

They saw a white little house up there which they thought was the place where Wanda Petronski lived. The house and its surroundings were “shabby but clean” just like Wanda’s worn-out blue dress. Thin bunches of grass grew along the path that led to the house. They resembled thin kittens. No one could be seen around the house. They knocked both at the front and backyard doors, but to their disappointment, there was no answer.

There was no doubt about it. The Petronskis were gone. How could they ever make amends? They turned slowly and made their way back down the hill. “Well, anyway,” said Peggy, “she’s gone now, so what can we do? Besides, when I was asking her about all her dresses, she probably was getting good ideas for her drawings. She might not even have won the contest, otherwise.”

(To) make amends- to show that one is sorry by doing something else

Now, the Petronski’s had gone and along with them, Maddie and Peggy’s last chance to make amends too. In order to comfort herself, Peggy started saying that Wanda must have looked for drawing inspiration only after she started her dresses game. And hadn’t she done that, Wanda would have never won the drawing competition.

Maddie turned this idea carefully over in her head, for if there were anything in it she would not have to feel so badly. But that night she could not get to sleep. She thought about Wanda and her faded blue dress and the little house she had lived in. And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made — all lined up in the classroom. At last Maddie sat up in bed and pressed her forehead tight in her hands and really thought. This was the hardest thinking she had ever done. After a long, long time, she reached an important conclusion. She was never going to stand by and say nothing again.

Maddie also tried to convince her after what Peggy said and that if this is the case, she doesn’t have to feel so bad. But later that night, she couldn’t sleep as she was thinking constantly about Wanda’s little house, her faded blue dress, both shabby but clean and her glorious hundred dresses that were all lined up in the classroom, instead of the “closet”. Finally, she sat in her bed and started thinking deeply, the hardest she’d ever done. She pressed her forehead tight in her hands which indicated that she was really trying to concentrate. After thinking so much and so deeply, she came to a conclusion that she will always stand against the wrongs and will never say nothing when she has to.

If she ever heard anybody picking on someone because they were funny looking or because they had strange names, she’d speak up. Even if it meant losing Peggy’s friendship. She had no way of making things right with Wanda, but from now on she would never make anybody else that unhappy again.

Picking on someone- criticising someone

She decided that she’d never let anyone make fun of others because of their appearance, name, clothes or where they come from. She would not shy to speak up against Peggy, even if it meant losing her friendship. She could not go in the past to make amends with Wanda no matter how much she wanted to but from now on, she is never going to let another person feel embarrassed or unhappy again.

On Saturday Maddie spent the afternoon with Peggy. They were writing a letter to Wanda Petronski. It was just a friendly letter telling about the contest and telling Wanda she had won. They told her how pretty her drawings were. And they asked her if she liked where she was living and if she liked her new teacher. They had meant to say they were sorry, but it ended up with their just writing a friendly letter, the kind they would have written to any good friend, and they signed it with lots of X’s for love. They mailed the letter to Boggins Heights, writing ‘Please Forward’ on the envelope.

On Saturday, both of them sat together and decided to write a letter to Wanda telling her about the contest, asking her where she is living now and how that place is. No matter how much they wanted to apologise, they couldn’t summon the courage to do so and thus, ended up writing a friendly letter as if Wanda was their good friend. They mailed it to Boggins Heights with ‘Please forward’ written on it because they didn’t know her new address.

Days passed and there was no answer, but the letter did not come back, so maybe Wanda had received it. Perhaps she was so hurt and angry she was not going to answer. You could not blame her. Weeks went by and still Wanda did not answer. Peggy had begun to forget the whole business, and Maddie put herself to sleep at night making speeches about Wanda, defending her from great crowds of girls who were trying to tease her with, “How many dresses have you got?” And before Wanda could press her lips together in a tight line, the way she did before answering, Maddie would cry out, “Stop!” Then everybody would feel ashamed the way she used to feel.

There was no reply from Wanda but they didn’t also receive the letter back, thus they concluded that it must have reached Wanda but she was so upset that she didn’t answer. They waited for weeks, but still, no answer. Peggy began to forget about this whole thing while Maddie used to make scenarios in her head before sleeping where she defended Wanda. She thought of scenarios where large groups of girls surrounded Wanda and would ask her, “How many dresses have you got?”, and as soon as anyone could say more, Wanda would interrupt and say “stop” so that all of them could end up ashamed.

Now it was Christmas time and there was snow on the ground. Christmas bells and a small tree decorated the classroom. On the last day of school before the holidays, the teacher showed the class a letter she had received that morning.

“You remember Wanda Petronski, the gifted little artist who won the drawing contest? Well, she has written me, and I am glad to know where she lives, because now I can send her medal. I want to read her letter to you.”

It was winter season and there was snow everywhere on the ground. Christmas had come. They decorated their classrooms with bells and a small tree. That day, Miss Mason told the students that she had received a letter from Wanda Petronski. She is very happy to receive it because now she can send her the medal too.

Dear Miss Mason,

How are you and Room Thirteen? Please tell the girls they can keep those hundred dresses, because in my new house I have a hundred new ones, all lined up in my closet. I’d like that girlPeggy to have the drawing of the green dress with the red trimming, and her friend Maddie to have the blue one. For Christmas, I miss that school and my new teacher does not equalise with you. Merry Christmas to you and everybody.

Yours truly,

Wanda Petronski

The letter began in a very friendly tone. Wanda asked how everyone was and that they could keep her hundred dresses because in her new house, she has another lot of hundred dresses “lined up in her closet”. She specifically mentioned the dress she wanted Maddie and Peggy to take home. The green dress with red trimmings was for Peggy while the blue one was forMaddie. She expressed her affection towards Miss Mason and wrote her new teacher could never replace Miss Mason. She winded up the letter by wishing everyone Merry Christmas and also wrote that she missed everyone in Room Number 13.

On the way home from school Maddie and Peggy held their drawings very carefully. All the houses had wreaths and holly in the windows. Outside the grocery store, hundreds of Christmas trees were stacked, and in the window, candy peppermint sticks and cornucopias of shiny transparent paper were strung. The air smelled like Christmas and light shining everywhere reflected different colours on the snow. “Boy!” said Peggy, “this shows she really likes us. It shows she got our letter and this is her way of saying that everything’s all right. And that’s that.” “I hope so,” said Maddie sadly. She felt sad because she knew she would never see the little tight-lipped Polish girl again and couldn’t ever really make things right between them.

Cornucopias- decorative containers (usually containing flowers and fruits)

Holly- a shrub having prickly dark green leaves, small white flowers, and red berries. It is used in Christmas decorations.

It was Christmas season and all the houses were decorated. Grocery stores were stocked with Christmas trees, candy peppermint sticks and other Christmas stuff. The atmosphere was colourful and joyful. Maddie and Peggy took home the drawings very carefully when Peggy realised that this gesture implied that Wanda liked them. They also assumed that she got their letter and everything was peaceful between them. Maddie, on the other hand, was quite sad because she would never be able to see that Polish, tight-lipped girl again. She’d never get a chance to make amends.

She went home and she pinned her drawing over a torn place in the pink-flowered wallpaper in the bedroom. The shabby room came alive from the brilliancy of the colours. Maddie sat down on her bed and looked at the drawing. She had stood by and said nothing, but Wanda had been nice to her, anyway.

As soon as Maddie reached home, she displayed her drawing on that part of the wall from where her pink-flowered wallpaper was slightly torn. Maddie’s room was shabby too but the drawing made it lively. She stared at the drawing constantly and thought how nice Wanda had been to them.

Tears blurred her eyes and she gazed for a long time at the picture. Then hastily she rubbed her eyes and studied it intently. The colours in the dress were so vivid that she had scarcely noticed the face and head of the drawing. But it looked like her, Maddie! It really looked like her own mouth. Why it really looked like her own self! Wanda had really drawn this for her. Excitedly, she ran over to Peggy’s

While staring at the drawing Wanda had given her, Maddie’s vision got blurred from tears. She rubbed her eyes and noticed, that Wanda had actually drawn Maddie’s face along with the dress. The colours of the dress were so bright and vibrant, that the face was hardly visible. Maddie got excited and ran towards Peggy to check if she had noticed it too.

“Peg!” she said, “let me see your picture.” “What’s the matter?” asked Peggy, as they clattered up to her room where Wanda’s drawing was lying face down on the bed. Maddie carefully raised it. “Look! She drew you. That’s you!” she exclaimed. And the head and face of this picture did look like Peggy.

As soon as she reached Peggy’s house, she asked her for the picture. The drawing was lying upside down on the bed. Maddie raised it and yes, it was Peggy in that drawing. Both were left in shock and awe at the same time.

“What did I say!” said Peggy, “She must have really liked us, anyway.” “Yes, she must have,” agreed Maddie, and she blinked away the tears that came every time she thought of Wanda standing alone in that sunny spot in the school yard, looking stolidly over at the group of laughing girls after she had walked off, after she had said, “Sure, a hundred of them, all lined up.”

Peggy exclaims that she was right about the thought that Wanda liked them. Maddie, whose eyes get filled with tears every time she recalled that scene where Wanda would look at the girls laughing at her, also agreed with Peggy.

 

Text Book- Questions and Answers

Q1. What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?

A. The letter began with a salutation to Miss Mason. Wanda’s father conveyed his intention of not sending both of his children, Wanda and Jake, to school anymore. He mentioned that they were now being shifted to another city, a big one where no one would care enough about their strange name, a big city with a lot of people having weird names.

 

Q2. Is Miss Mason angry with the class, or is she unhappy and upset?

A. Miss Mason is amazed after reading the letter. She is upset about the fact that her students have treated someone badly because they came from a different place and had an unusual name. Even though she was unhappy, she gave the children benefit of the doubt that whatever happened must have happened in thoughtlessness.

 

Q3. How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?

A. Maddie gets sad and feels extremely bad after listening to the note from Wanda’s father. She felt like a coward for not standing up against other girls who were teasing Wanda. All she could think about is how they made Wanda feel and hoped for a chance to make amends.

 

Q4. What does Maddie want to do?

A. Maddie, who is sad wanted to make everything right with Wanda. She hoped for one last chance to make amends and tell her how sorry she was.

 

Q5. What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour? Why?

A. In order to free herself of the guilt, Peggy exclaims that she is thankful that she never made fun of her because she was a Polish immigrant and had an unfamiliar name. She only asked her about the number of dresses she had. Peggy said that Wanda should not have lied that she had a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of shoes.

 

Q6. What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?

A. Maddie could only think about making amends with Wanda. She hoped the Petronski’s hadn’t left the town. All she could think of was a chance to meet her and stop her from moving. She wanted to tell her that everyone at the school admired her and her drawings.

 Q7. Why does Wanda’s house remind Maddie of Wanda’s blue dress?

A. Wanda’s house was a little one up on the hill. There were dry grasses all around it but no sign of life could be seen near it. The surroundings looked shabby but clean. This reminded Maddie of Wanda’s faded blue dress which looked clean but shabby as if it was never ironed.

 Q8. What does Maddie think hard about? What important decision does she come to?

A. When they learned that the Petronski’s have finally moved away, Maddie couldn’t stop thinking about never being able to say sorry. She couldn’t sleep that night as she was thinking too deeply. As a result of deep thinking, she came to a conclusion that she will never let anyone tease someone because they have an unfamiliar and long name. She decided to stand against all the wrongs.

 Q9. What did the girls write to Wanda?

A. Peggy and Maddie decided to write an apology letter to Wanda but somehow, they ended up writing a friendly note telling her that she won the contest, asking her how is she liking the new place and that they missed her a lot.

 Q10. Did they get a reply? Who was more anxious for a reply, Peggy or Maddie? How do you know?

A. No, they didn’t get a reply but the letter didn’t come back also, so they concluded that she must have received it but was too furious to have replied to it. Out of the two girls, Maddie was more curious for a reply. She desperately wanted to make everything right with Wanda. This is evident as weeks after sending the letter, Peggy almost forget about the business while Maddie used to make scenarios in her head where she would defend Wanda from the mean girls.

 Q11. How did the girls know that Wanda liked them even though they had teased her?

A. During Christmas time, Miss Mason received a note from Wanda saying how much she missed everyone. She asked the teacher to give the drawing of the blue dress to Maddie and the one with a green dress to Peggy. This implied that Wanda liked them even after they teased her.  

 Q12. Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you think life there was going to be different for their family?

A. Wanda’s family moved to a different city because in a big city there were many Polish immigrants. So, the natives would not find them strange and would not make fun of them. Wanda and her brother Jake could attend school without feeling bad. Yes, life in the big city would be different for the family because there would be more people of their community over there. They would feel comfortable there.

 Q13. Maddie thought her silence was as bad as Peggy’s teasing. Was she right?

A. Yes, Maddie was right when she realized that remaining silent while Peggy teased Wanda was a mistake. She too was a part of it because she remained silent and let Peggy tease Wanda.

 Q14. Peggy says, “I never thought she had the sense to know we were making fun of her anyway. I thought she was too dumb. And gee, look how she can draw!” What led Peggy to believe that Wanda was dumb? Did she change her opinion later?

A. As Wanda remained silent when Peggy teased her, Peggy thought that she was too dumb to realize that she was being mocked at. When she saw the beautiful drawings made by Wanda, she changed her mind and realized that Wanda was a talented girl.

 Q15. What important decision did Maddie make? Why did she have to think hard to do so?

A. When they learned that the Petronski’s had finally moved away, Maddie couldn’t stop thinking about never being able to say sorry. She couldn’t sleep that night as she was thinking too deeply. As a result of deep thinking, she came to a conclusion that she will never let anyone tease someone because they have an unfamiliar and long name. She decided to stand against all the wrongs.

 Q16. Why do you think Wanda gave Maddie and Peggy the drawings of the dresses? Why are they surprised?

A. Wanda gave the drawings of the dresses to Maddie and Peggy because she had drawn their faces on them. The girls are surprised when they discover that the faces on the drawings were their. The also realize that Wanda liked them although they made fun of her.

 Q17. Do you think Wanda really thought the girls were teasing her? Why or Why not?

A. Yes, Wanda thought that the girls were teasing her. The note from her father indicated that the students made fun of her name.

 

TEXT Book - Grammar Exercises

Here are thirty adjectives describing human qualities. Discuss them with your partner and put them in the two word webs (given below) according to whether you think they show positive or negative qualities. You can consult a dictionary if you are not sure of the meanings of some of the words. You may also add to the list the positive or negative ‘pair’ of a given word.

kind, sarcastic, courteous, arrogant, insipid, timid, placid, cruel, haughty, proud, zealous, intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, introverted, stolid, cheerful, contented, thoughtless, vain, friendly, unforgiving, fashionable, generous, talented, lonely, determined, creative, miserable, complacent

Answers
Positive-

Kind, sarcastic, courteous, placid, zealous, intrepid, sensitive, compassionate, cheerful, contended, friendly, fashionable, generous, talented, determined, creative

Negative-

Miserable, complacent, arrogant, insipid, timid, cruel, haughty, proud, introverted, stolid, thoughtless, vain, unforgiving, lonely

 

1. What adjectives can we use to describe Peggy, Wanda and Maddie? You can choose adjectives from the list above. You can also add some of your own.

i. Peggy
ii. Wanda
iii. Maddie

Answers-

i. Peggy- cheerful, contended, talented, fashionable
ii. Wanda- kind, timid, introverted, generous, talented, lonely, creative, stolid
iii. Maddie- timid, sensitive, miserable, kind, generous

 

2. Find the sentences in the story with the following phrasal verbs.

 lined up     thought up     took off     stood by

Answers-

1. lined up - And she thought of the glowing picture those hundred dresses made — all lined up in the classroom.
2. thought up - Peggy, who had thought up this game, and Maddie, her inseparable friend, were always the last to leave.
3. took off - Miss Mason took off her glasses, blew on them and wiped them on her soft white handkerchief.
4. stood by - She had stood by silently, and that was just as bad as what Peggy had done.

 

3. Colours are used to describe feelings, moods and emotions. Match the following ‘colour expressions’ with a suggested paraphrase.

The Monday morning blues	Feel angry/ embarrassed/ ashamed
Go red in the face	Feel very sick, as if about to vomit
Look green	Sadness or depression after a weekend of fun
The red carpet	The sign or permission to begin action
Blue blooded	A sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
A green belt	In      an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
A blackguard	A photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme
A grey area	Land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
A white flag	An area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear
A blueprint	A dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
Red-handed	A special welcome
The green light	A noble birth or from a royal family

Answers-

The Monday morning blues	Sadness or depression after a weekend of fun
Go red in the face	Feel angry/ embarrassed/ ashamed
Look green	Feel very sick, as if about to vomit
The red carpet	A special welcome
Blue blooded	A noble birth or from a royal family
A green belt	Land around a town or city where construction is prohibited by law
A blackguard	A dishonest person with no sense of right or wrong
A grey area	An area of a subject or a situation where matters are not very clear
A white flag	A sign of surrender or acceptance of defeat; a wish to stop fighting
A blueprint	A photographic print of building plans; a detailed plan or scheme
Red-handed	In an unlawful act; while doing something wrong
The green light	The sign or permission to begin action

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. State the reason behind the letter of Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father ?
Answer: Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father wrote the letter because he was upset to know about what all his daughter had to go through because of her strange name.

Question 2. What do you think about Wanda’s-action of not coming to school anymore?    
Answer: Wanda never replied to anyone against their misbehaviour. But due to insult she faced, she decided not to come to school anymore. It was very mature of her age to teach them lesson without any argument.

Question 3. How did Peggy and Maddie try to amend for their behavior towards Wanda?       
Answer: Both Peggy and Maddie decided to change their behaviour as Peggy had tried to justify that it was not her dress for which she teased her. Maddie decided not to be a mute spectator and promised herself that she would try to protect if anyone would be mocked down.

Question 4. What impression do you form of Wanda Petronski on the basis of reading the lesson ‘The Hundred Dresses’?         (or) What kind of a girl was Wanda Petronski?
Answer: Wanda Petronski was a polish girl who was very simple. She used to keep herself calm and silent in every condition and never reacted when Peggy teased her and took it lightly. She always replied everyone with a smile. She even gifted her drawings to Peggy and Maddie which showed her innocent and loving behaviour.

Question 5. Why did Maddie rush to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing ?
Answer: Maddie rushed to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing because she had seen her face in the drawing and wanted to confirm about Peggy for the same.

Question 6. Why did Peggy and Maddie assume that Wanda had received their letter ?
Answer: Peggy and Maddie assumed that Wanda had received their letter because in her letter to Miss Mason, Wanda requested her to gift her drawings to both of them.

Question 7. Why did Maddie have sleepless nights ?
Answer: Maddie had sleepless nights because she was very upset about what all had happened and couldn’t amend her behaviour towards Wanda as she had shifted to some other city.

Question 8. What did the children of room thirteen do on the Christmas eve?
Answer: The children of room thirteen decorated their room with great love and affection. They decorated it with Christmas bells and a chirstmas tree.

Question 9. Why was there no reply of the letter written to Wanda by the girls ?       [CBSE 2012]
Answer: The girls, Maddie and Peggy, didn’t receive any reply from Wanda either because of her anger towards them or because they wrote the address of her old house in Boggins heights and not of her new house.

Question 10. What did Peggy say to Maddie when they did not find her at Boggins Heights?
Answer: Peggy told Maddie that Wanda had won because of her teasing that inspired her to draw such beautiful dresses otherwise, she would not have been able to win the contest.

long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What did Maddie and Peggy write in the letter to Wanda ? What happened to it ? How did Maddie behave even though Peggy had begun to forget the whole business?
Answer: Peggy and Maddie wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. Rather than being sorry they asked her about her new school, new teacher. They told her about the result of drawing contest which she had won and that her drawings were very beautiful. They meant to say sorry indirectly. They signed it with lot of X’s for love and didn’t say anything to tease her. But they did not get any reply from her. After sometime Peggy had begun to forget the whole business. But Maddie was surrounded by the thoughts of Wanda and everything that happened to Wanda. She felt guilty and decided not to be silent anymore so that other might not feel ashamed like her.

Question 2. Give a character sketch of Wanda Petronski?
Answer: Wanda Petronski a polish girl has shifted to America with her parents and younger brother. She is very kind and simple-hearted; she never behaves badly with anyone. She feels disturbed when Peggy teases her. But she replies confidently and courageously to what Peggy says to her. She wears the same blue faded dress everyday but she never complains about anything. She is very talented and has a good hand at drawing. She also wins the drawing contest and thus shows her creative side.
She is forgiving and generous as she forgives Peggy and Maddie by gifting them two of her drawings in which she draws their faces.

So, it can be said that she is a mature, sensible and loving girl who cares about everyone.

Question 3. How can you say that Maddie is an emotional girl ? Compare and contrast Maddie and Peggy.
Answer: By a close reading of the lesson it can be said that Maddie is an emotional girl. Being a close friend of Peggy she remains by her side when Peggy teases Wanda but she feels bad for her. She decides to write a note to Peggy to stop teasing Wanda but tears it as she doesn’t want to be the next target of fun. In the end she decides to stand against anyone who teases others even if she has to lose her friend, which shows her emotional attribute.
As compared to Maddie, Peggy is an arrogant girl. She teases Wanda by asking her about dresses, but she is not cruel as she helps children from bullids and cries when she sees an animal being hurt. But she tries to make fun of Wanda everytime and defends herself.
So, both the girls have different personalities and attributes which can be directed by their actions.