Summary: Grandma Climbs a Tree
Grandma started climbing trees during her childhood (when she was six) and she
continued the practice until she was sixty-two. She felt very happy and felt that if
growing old disgracefully meant she could still climb trees, then she would prefer to
do that.
Everyone was afraid that she would have a terrible fall but she was not afraid so she
kept climbing trees. Then one day, Grandma climbed a tree and could not come
down. This outcome was different from what the family had feared. They thought
she might have a terrible fall but instead, Grandma got stuck in a tree.
The fire department had to be called and the firemen helped down from the tree.
Grandma was taken to the doctor and the doctor said that she had to spend a week
in bed.
Grandma did as she was told. But she was bored. She kept looking out at the window
and the leaves blowing in the breeze.
Once she felt better, she called her son and told him that she wanted a treehouse.
Her son knew that it was his duty to fulfil his mother’s wishes. So, he built her a
treehouse with the help of his son.
Grandma moved into the treehouse and her grandson takes her sherry and some
glasses to the treehouse every day.
Granny seems to be an adventurous person. She likes climbing all sorts of trees and
she is not afraid. She is also young at heart—she does not let her age stop her doing
the things that she has enjoyed doing since she was a child. Granny also knows her
mind and does not let other people tell her what to do. But she also loves her family
and her family loves her. They worry about her. This shows that she is a caring
person. So she tries to listen to their concern. However, when she wants something
she is blunt and to the point and tells people what she wants. Her family respects her
enough to do as she says.
POEM GRANDMA CLIMBS A TREE
Comprehension
A. 1. Grandma started climbing trees during her childhood (when she was six) and she continued the
practice until she was sixty two.
2. Spreading or high,/She’d be up their branches in a trice.
3. She felt very happy and felt that if growing old disgracefully meant she could still climb trees, then
she would prefer to do that.
4. The speaker tells us that everyone was afraid that she would have a terrible fall.
5. Yes, she was. She sits there in state and drinks sherry with me,/Upholding her right to reside in a
tree.
B. 1. a. Grandma climbed a tree and could not come down. This outcome was different from what the
family had feared. They thought she might have a terrible fall but instead, Grandma got stuck in
a tree.
b. The doctor recommended a week in bed for Grandma.
2. a. The speaker’s father knew that he had to respect what his mother wanted and that it was his
duty as her son to make her happy.
b. No, he is not. The speaker is making fun of himself.
C. 1. Granny seems to be an adventurous person. She likes climbing all sorts of trees and she is not
afraid. She is also young at heart—she does not let her age stop her doing the things that she has
enjoyed doing since she was a child. Granny also knows her mind and does not let other people
tell her what to do. But she also loves her family and her family loves her. They worry about her.
This shows that she is a caring person. So she tries to listen to their concern. However, when
she wants something she is blunt and to the point and tells people what she wants. Her family
respects her enough to do as she says.
2. Yes, it is. The lines tells us that ‘every breeze/Whispered of summer and dancing leaves’. The breeze
does not really speak but the speaker is giving it human qualities here to add a magical quality to
the scene.
GRANDMA CLIMBS A TREE POEM
A. Answer in brief.
What did grandma mean by ‘I will grow old disgracefully’?
Ans: Grandma had great fascination for climbing trees. At the age of sixty two she would effortlessly
climb trees of all sizes. Any comment from people that climbing trees was not a graceful act for
older people, did not dampen her enthusiasm. She was prepared to grow disgracefully than avoid
climbing trees.
B. Answer in detail.
Why was grandma unable to come down at one point of time? Why were her people relieved after
that?
Ans: When one day when the family was in town, grandma climbed a tree and could not come
down. She must have suddenly fallen sick or got hurt while climbing. She had to be rescued and
brought down. When the doctor examined her, he recommended bed rest for a week. Her people
were relieved as she was not very sick after all and would become better after a week’s bed rest. They
also felt that she would not climb trees again as they were worried about her possible fall in case she
carried on climbing.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. “I can do it better,’ And we had to agree;
For in all the garden there wasn’t a tree
She hadn’t been up, at one time or another.
a. What could the grandma do better?
b. What types of trees had the grandma climbed in the garden?
c. When and from whom had grandma learned to climb?
Ans: a. Grandma could climb the trees better than anyone of her age.
b. She had the skill of climbing all types of trees – small as well big trees that were in the
garden.
c. Grandma had learnt to climb the trees at the age of six from a loving brother.
2. He said, ‘That’s all right—
You will have what you want dear. I’ll start work tonight.’
a. Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?
b. What was grandma’s demand?
c. Did he fulfill grandma’s demand?
Ans: a. ‘He’ refers to the speaker’s father.
b. Grandma wanted a house on a treetop and wanted to live there.
c. Yes. The speaker’s father with the help of the speaker made a tree house with doors and
windows for grandma to stay.
D. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
What are the qualities you normally associate grandmas with? How was the speaker’s grandma
different?
[Free response]
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