NCERT MCQ Solutions for Class 5 English Marigold Chapter 5 The Lazy Frog, Rip Van Winkle

The story clearly states in the opening paragraph that “Many years ago, at the foothills of the Kaatskill mountains, was a little village”.
This geographical detail establishes the setting for the entire story and helps readers understand the mountainous terrain that plays a crucial role in Rip’s adventure.

The text explicitly mentions that “The only problem with Rip was that he was very lazy. He did no work on his own farm and just idled away his time”.
This laziness is presented as his primary weakness, contrasting with his otherwise good-natured personality. His laziness caused practical problems like falling fences, straying cattle and weed-covered farmland.

The story states that “Rip’s constant companion was his dog, named Wolf.”
This detail is significant because Wolf accompanies Rip on his forest walks and represents his normal life.
When Rip wakes up after twenty years, Wolf’s absence is one of the first signs that something has changed dramatically in his world.

In Chapter it is explained that “The children of the village shouted with joy whenever they saw him because he played with them, he taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles and told them long stories”.
This shows Rip’s gentle, playful nature and his ability to connect with children, making him a beloved figure in the community despite his laziness.

The story describes how Rip “saw a short, old man, with thick hair and a grizzled beard walking towards him with a barrel. He made signs to help him carry the barrel”. The barrel is crucial to the plot as it contains the mysterious drink that causes Rip to fall into his twenty-year sleep.

The chapter clearly states that when Rip and the old man reached a certain place, “there were some more odd looking men, playing ninepins”.
Ninepins is a bowling-like game and the sound of the balls “echoed in the mountains like thunder”, creating an eerie atmosphere that adds to the supernatural elements of the story.

The story describes an unsettling scene: “Even though they were playing a game, their faces were serious and there was silence! The only sound was the noise of the balls, which echoed in the mountains like thunder”.
This creates an supernatural, ghostly atmosphere that suggests these are not ordinary men, contributing to the story’s mysterious and folkloric quality.

The chapter states that after the old man “emptied the contents of the barrel into glasses and made Rip drink it” and “Since he was thirsty he drank a few more glasses and slowly fell into a deep sleep”.
This magical sleep is the central plot device that allows twenty years to pass without Rip’s awareness, creating the story’s main conflict and transformation.

This is revealed when the old woman recognizes Rip and exclaims, “It is Rip Van Winkle! Welcome home again, old neighbour!
Where have you been these twenty long years?” The twenty-year time span is significant as it represents a full generation, long enough for dramatic changes to occur in the village and for Rip to become completely unrecognizable to most people.

When villagers commented on his appearance, “Rip stroked his chin and, to his astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long and it was all white!”
This physical transformation serves as visible proof of the passage of time and helps explain why the villagers don’t immediately recognize him upon his return.

It describes that “As he neared the village, he met a number of people but he didn’t know any of them. The villagers also stared at him equally surprised”.
This mutual lack of recognition emphasizes how much time has passed and how both Rip and the village have changed, creating dramatic tension in the story.

The story states, “An old woman walked up to him and looked at his face for a moment. Then she exclaimed — ‘It is Rip Van Winkle! Welcome home again, old neighbour! Where have you been these twenty long years?'”
This recognition scene provides the climactic moment where Rip’s identity is confirmed and the mystery of his disappearance is acknowledged.

The story describes the poor state of his property: “His fences were falling to pieces. His cow was going astray. Weeds grew on his farm”.
This description illustrates the consequences of Rip’s laziness and provides context for understanding why he preferred to escape to the forest rather than deal with his responsibilities.

The story explains that “To avoid work, he would walk away into the forest with his dog”. This habit of escaping to the forest is what leads to his encounter with the mysterious men and ultimately to his twenty-year sleep.
It shows how his avoidance of responsibility inadvertently leads to his greatest adventure.

The story states, “It was late in the afternoon when he reached there. Tired after his long climb, he lay down and began daydreaming.
It was soon evening and he realised it would be night by the time he reached his village”.
This timing is important as it explains why Rip was vulnerable to the strange encounter and why he might have been more receptive to supernatural events.

The story describes that the old man “made signs to help him carry the barrel”.
This non-verbal communication adds to the mysterious nature of the encounter.
The fact that the old man doesn’t speak initially but uses gestures creates an otherworldly atmosphere and suggests these beings might not be entirely human.

The story describes that “The only sound was the noise of the balls, which echoed in the mountains like thunder”.
This supernatural amplification of sound creates an ominous atmosphere and suggests that this is not an ordinary game being played by ordinary people.
The thunder-like sound adds to the folkloric, magical quality of the scene.

According to story, “As Rip and his companion reached them, they stopped playing and stared at Rip with a fixed gaze. Rip was really frightened”.
This intense, unblinking stare from the group of strange men would naturally be frightening, especially combined with their odd appearance and the supernatural atmosphere of the scene.

The author shows Rip’s confusion upon waking: “He rubbed his eyes — it was a bright sunny morning. ‘Surely, I have not slept here all night,’ thought Rip”.
This thought reveals Rip’s complete lack of awareness about the passage of time and sets up the dramatic irony where the reader knows he’s been asleep for twenty years while Rip believes it was just one night.

The story describes Rip’s search: “He looked around for Wolf, but he was nowhere. Rip whistled for him. ‘Wolf! Wolf!’ he then shouted.
No dog was to be seen. ‘Where has this dog gone?’ he muttered to himself. He began to descend the mountain to go back to his village”.
This shows Rip’s concern for his faithful companion and his practical decision to return home when the search proves fruitless, unaware of the dramatic changes awaiting him.