NCERT MCQ Solutions for Class 5 English Marigold Chapter 10 Malu Bhalu, Who Will be Ningthou?

The poem clearly states in the first stanza that “High up in an icy lair, Lived a little polar bear”.
This establishes that Malu Bhalu lived in an icy lair, which is appropriate for a polar bear’s natural habitat in cold, arctic regions.

The poem describes Malu’s appearance as “Snow white, snow bright was her mane”.
This indicates that her mane was snow white in color, which is typical for polar bears and matches the snowy environment where she lived.

The poem states “Very soon our Malu Bhalu, Learnt the things her parents knew. Fish to catch, big and small… Malu was a clever girl”.
This shows that her parents taught her essential survival skills, particularly how to catch fish of various sizes.

Malu expressed her desire to explore when she said “I want to see the things that lie, There beyond the big blue sky”.
This shows her curiosity and adventurous spirit, wanting to discover what existed beyond her immediate surroundings.

The Ningthou’s final declaration reveals his philosophy of leadership: “A Leima is one who doesn’t hurt anybody in the kingdom” and he praised Sanatombi because “She feels the pain of the people, the animals, the birds, the trees”.
This establishes that true leadership is based on compassion, empathy and the commitment to protect all living beings rather than on traditional measures of power or strength.

When Malu wanted to go exploring, her mother replied “A little patience, child, said Mum, In the summer when next it comes”.
This teaches the importance of waiting for the right time and having patience, which is a valuable life lesson.

The poem describes Malu’s reaction as “Summer?… Patience?… What a test! Malu simply could not rest”.
This shows that Malu was restless and found it difficult to wait, which is typical behavior for an eager and adventurous young character.

The poem states “First things first! Malu’s mum, Clasped Malu tight within her arms”.
This shows the mother’s affection and care, providing comfort and security before introducing Malu to the challenging task of learning to swim.

Malu expressed her concern by saying “But Ma! said Malu, what do I know? How will I? I’ve never swum before!”
This natural fear and uncertainty about trying something new shows her honest and relatable character development.

The story describes the birds’ distress: “Birds flapped worriedly around, searching for their homes in the tree”.
This detail shows the impact of destructive actions on innocent creatures and highlights why Sanatombi’s compassionate response was so significant in demonstrating true leadership qualities.

The mother’s advice was simple and practical: “Don’t worry dear, said Malu’s mother, Do as I do, that’s all, she advised her”.
This shows good parenting by providing clear, simple instructions and leading by example rather than giving complex explanations.

The poem describes “Tight she gripped her mother’s hand, Into the water splash! to land”.
This shows that Malu took support from her mother while taking the brave step of entering the water, demonstrating both courage and wisdom in seeking help.

The poem states “Brave mother’s brave young daughter! Doubt and fear she left behind her”.
This represents Malu’s character growth and development, showing how she overcame her initial anxieties and gained confidence through action and maternal support.

The poem describes “Malu swam with all her might, It didn’t matter wrong or right”.
This shows Malu’s determination and full commitment to learning, putting in maximum effort regardless of whether her technique was perfect initially.

The story describes the people’s enthusiastic reaction: “There was great excitement. ‘Look at them!’ the people shouted. ‘Shagol thauba nupa, such fine horsemen!
The people were impressed by the skill and abilities of all three brothers, celebrating their equal performance in the horse race.

The poem clearly states “But swimming came so naturally, Her mother knew this and all could see”.
This indicates that despite her initial fears, Malu had a natural ability for swimming, which her mother had recognized and others could observe.

The final stanza reveals “Fearless was Malu, this she knew, Not just brave, but special too”.
This comprehensive description shows that Malu possessed multiple positive qualities – she was fearless in facing challenges, brave in taking action and special in her natural abilities.

At the end of the poem, it clearly states “Translated from Hindi by SANDHYA RAO, Excerpts from Malu Bhalu by Kamla Bhasin”.
This shows that while Kamla Bhasin was the original author, Sandhya Rao was responsible for translating the work from Hindi to English.

The story clearly explains that “A king is called a Ningthou and a queen is called a Leima in Manipuri”.
This provides cultural context and helps readers understand the Manipuri terminology used throughout the story, showing the rich linguistic heritage of Manipur.

The story clearly mentions Sanatombi’s age multiple times: “The Ningthou and Leima were watching Sanatombi, their five year-old daughter” and later “There she stood, all of five, like a small khongnang”.
Despite her young age, she demonstrated wisdom and compassion that made her worthy of future leadership.

The story states “Their beloved king and queen had three sons: Sanajaoba, Sanayaima and Sanatomba”.
These three sons were all skilled horsemen who participated in the contest to determine the future ruler, each demonstrating different approaches to the challenge.

The story explains “We will have a contest to select the future king, the Leima said. And so, in the land of Kangleipak, there was a contest, a horse race. Whoever reached the khongnang, the banyan tree, first would be declared Tunggi Ningthou”.

The story describes Sanatombi’s empathetic response: “She looked sad and lonely. She stared at the khongnang which lay dead by the throne… Sanatombi walked up to the khongnang and whispered, ‘The khongnang is dead. It was hurt by the spear and now it is dead'”.
This shows her compassionate nature.

The Ningthou explained his decision: “It was she who told us to look at the soul of the khongnang. Sanatombi feels the pain of others. She feels the pain of the people, the animals, the birds, the trees”.
Her empathy and compassion made her worthy of leadership, showing that true leadership comes from understanding and caring for all beings.

The story describes Sanajaoba’s action: “Sanajaoba then looked at the huge khongnang standing majestically in the distance. He pierced the tree and jumped his horse right through it!”
This demonstrated his skill and boldness as a horseman, but also showed a destructive approach to overcoming obstacles.