Why is the Giant called selfish?
The giant was selfish as he did not allow the children to play in his garden. He built a wall around his garden with a warning on it to scare away the children.
On one occasion the children said : “How happy we are here!”
Later they said : “How happy we were there!”
What are they referring to in both the cases?
In both the cases, the reference is to the giant’s garden. On the first occasion, the children were playing into the garden and were referring to the pleasure they derived out of it. In the second case, the children were not being allowed to play in the garden and were referring to the happiness they derived while they played there in the past.
When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here?
The author has used winter as the metaphor for sad and depressing times. It has been referred to as the time when no new flowers blossomed, and no birds sang. In the case of the giant’s garden, the winter stayed even when the spring arrived because the giant did not allow the children to play in the garden.
Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.
The author has mentioned winter like a wholly exclusive story. It had the characters like snow, frost, north wind and hail. All these characters were very happy and liked the elongation of the winters. There was also a small flower which tried to come up amidst all the unwelcoming weather but chose to get back to the ground after reading the warning board put by the giant.
Was the Giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?
The giant surely cared for his garden and was very unhappy to see the dismal state of the garden. He often wondered why spring was so late to come and why the winter seem to have elongated unreasonably.
What effect did the linnet’s song have ober Hail and the North Wind?
The linnet’s song broke the free run of hail and the north wind. While the hail stopped its dancing, the north wind also ceased its roaring.
The Giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see?
The giant was constantly worried about the state of his garden but one morning when he woke up he saw that spring has finally come back to the garden. He saw that there was a small hole in the wall around the garden and the many children have come into the garden from that opening. Every tree was blossoming and had children on it; the others like the grass and the flowers too were laughing loud and making merry.
What did he realise on seeing it?
On seeing this side, the giant realised that spring did not come to his garden because he was too selfish and has forbidden the children from coming into the garden.
Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?
While the rest of the garden was gleaming with spring and joy, one corner of the garden still had winter in it. There was one solitary tree there and a small child was trying to reach to its branches but was not able to reach to it because of his small height.
Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the Giant.
In their first meeting, the giant gently picked the small boy and placed him on one of the branches of the tree. Due to this, the tree instantly livened up and started to blossom with new leaves and flowers. This made the boy very happy and he hugged the giant and kissed him.
Describe their second meeting after a long interval.
The second meeting between the two happened many years later. One winter morning the giant was sitting in his garden when he was awestruck to see a tree in the corner of the garden was covered with white flowers and silver fruits. Under the trees stood the little boy. The giant was very happy and went to meet him, but as he got closer he saw some injury imprints in the child’s arms. This enraged the giant and he asked the kid about who had hurt him and pledged that he’ll slay that person. But the kid responded by saying that those injuries were of love. Hearing this, they giant kneeled and asked the kid who he really was. The kid said that once the giant had allowed him to play in his garden, now it’s his turn to take the giant to play in his garden in the heaven.
The Giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?
The giant’s body was covered with white flowers. This signifies that the giant had died in peace and has been granted paradise by God as the giant was no more cruel and selfish.
The little child’s hands and feet had marks of nails. Who does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your answer.
The child has been used to indicate to Jesus Christ, who has been credited of giving his life for the betterment of other humans. It is said that though Jesus Christ died in great bodily pain because of the nails punched into his limbs, yet with great mental peace; in the story the kid has injury marks on his arms but says that they were the marks of love just like the illustration of Christ.
Is there something like this garden near where you live? Would you like one (without the Giant perhaps) and why? What would you do to keep it in good shape?
Do it yourself.