The Little Girl Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English

The Little Girl class 9 English beehive chapter 3 Extra Questions and Answers are available here. All these questions are divided into short type questions answers, long type question answers and extract based questions. These Class 9 extra questions are prepared by our expert teachers. Learning these questions will help you to score excellent marks in the board exams.

Extra Questions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 3 The Little Girl

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What was the name of the little girl?
Answer:
 Her name was Kezia

2. To the little girl who was a figure to be feared and avoided?
Answer:
 To the little girl, her father was a figure to be feared and avoided.

3. How did the little girl feel when her father left for the office in the morning?
Answer: 
She felt relieved.

4. What was the little girl’s fault when she appeared before her father?
Answer:
 Before her father, she stuttered badly.

5. What did Kezia always find her father and mother doing on Sunday afternoons?
Answer: 
She always found her mother reading and father stretched out on the sofa.

6. On what occasion did Kezia’s grandmother ask her to present a gift to her father?
Answer:
 She asked Kezia to present a gift to her father on the occasion of his birthday.

7. What gift did Kezia prepare for her father?
Answer:
 She prepared a pin-cushion for her father.

8. What did Kezia stuff the pin-cushion with?
Answer:
 She stuffed the pin-cushion with the paper on which her father’s important speech was written.

9. Who was ‘the Macdonalds’?
Answer:
 They were Kezia’s next-door neighbour.

10. How many children did Mr. Macdonald have?
Answer:
 He had five children.

11. How many brothers and sisters did Kezia have?
Answer: 
Kezia had no brothers or sisters, she was the only child of her parents.

12. Why was there hue and cry on the loss of the papers in the house?
Answer:
 There was so much hue and cry in the house on the loss of the papers because the father’s great speech for the Port Authority was written in them.

13. Why was Kezia left alone one night with her father?
Answer: 
Kezia’s mother was ill and the grandmother went with her to the hospital.

14. Who was Alice?
Answer:
 Alice was the cook in Kezia’s house.

15. What was Kezia’s nightmare?
Answer: 
Kezia saw a butcher with a knife in her nightmare.

16. Name the writer of the lesson ‘The Little Girl’
Answer:
 Katherine Mansfield.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Answer: Kezia was afraid of her father’s strictness and terrifying angry looks. Instead of tender love and affection, she would get harsh words of scolding and physical punishment from him. Evert his giant-like size would terrify her.

2. Who were the people in Kezia’s family?

Answer: Kezia’s family had four people in all. Her very strict father, her stern mother, her soft-hearted grandmother and little Kezia herself.

3. What was Kezia’s father’s routine before going to an office and after coming back in the evening?

Answer: Before going to an office, Kezia’s father would come to her room, give her a casual kiss and leave for work. He would return in the evening and demand that tea is brought into the drawing-room, and ask for his papers and slippers in a loud voice.

4. What would Kezia’s mother ask her to do when Father returned from office?

Answer: When Father returned home from the office, the mother would tell Kezia to come downstairs and take off her father’s shoes. She would also be told to take the shoes outside. Further, she was ordered by Father to put his teacup back on the table.

5. Why did Kezia go slowly towards the drawing-room when the mother asked her to come downstairs?

Answer: Kezia never enjoyed the company of her dominating father. He always scolded her for one thing or the other and never appreciated or loved her. She was so frightened of him that she went very slowly towards the drawing-room when she was’ asked to come downstairs to take off his shoes.

6. Which expressions on Kezia’s face annoyed Father?

Answer: Besides her stuttering, the expressions of gloom and wretchedness on Kezia’s face annoyed Father. He felt that with such expressions, she seemed as if she were on the verge of suicide.

7. Why did Kezia stutter in the presence of Father?

Answer: Kezia’s father’s domineering personality and frequent scolding shook her self-confidence. She felt under pressure to please him, so she would search hard for appropriate words in her mind while talking to him. This pressure made her stutter in his presence.

8. Why did Kezia feel that her father was like a giant?

Answer: Kezia felt that her father was like a giant because he had very big hands and neck. His mouth seemed big especially when he yawned. In addition, his stern and cold behaviour too made the little girl thinks of him as a giant.

9. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her parents better?
Or
Why did Kezia’s grandmother send her to the drawing-room every Sunday afternoon?

Answer: Kezia’s grandmother wanted the little girl’s bond with her parents should be strong. Therefore, every Sunday afternoon she would encourage Kezia to go downstairs to the drawing-room, have a nice conversation with them, and get to know them better.

10. What was Kezia’s father’s routine on Sundays?

Answer: On Sundays, Kezia’s father would relax in the afternoon. He would stretch out on the sofa in their drawing-room, put the handkerchief on his face, feet on the best cushion and sleep snoring soundly. All this while, her mother would be absorbed in reading the newspaper.

11. What would Kezia do while her father slept on Sundays? what happened when he woke up?

Answer: Kezia would sit on a stool and gravely watch her father until he woke up and stretched to ask the time. Then, he would look at her and tell her not to stare at him as it made her look like a brown owl.

12. What did Grandmother ask Kezia to make and why?

Answer: Grandmother asked Kezia to make a pin-cushion out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk as a birthday present for Father. She wanted the little girl to present this pin-cushion as a surprise gift and make her father happy. This could possibly bring them both close to each other.

13. What did Kezia make as a birthday gift for her father? How did she prepare it?

Answer: Kezia made a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father. In order to prepare it, she laboriously stitched its three sides with double cotton and stuffed it with papers that she took from the bed-table in her mother’s room. Finally, she sewed up the fourth side and the gift was ready.

14. Why was there a hue and cry in Kezia’s house at night before her father’s birthday?

Answer: Nobody knew that Kezia had mistakenly torn the papers that had her father’s great speech for the Port Authority. She had stuffed them in the pin-cushion that was to be a surprise gift for her father on his birthday. The hue and cry at night were for those missing papers.

15. Why was Kezia dragged down to the dining-room at night?

Answer: Kezia was dragged down to the dining-room at night to be br’aligilt in front of her father who was extremely angry as she had in the papers that had his great speech for the Port Authority.

16. Why did Father come to Kezia’s room with a ruler?

Answer: Father was a strict disciplinarian who believed in the use of physical punishment to correct children. He came to Kezia’s room with a ruler because he wanted to punish her and teach her not to touch what did not belong to her.

17. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?

Answer: On grandmother’s suggestion, Kezia decided to make a pin-cushion as a birthday gift for her father, hoping that it would please her. But instead, he was furious because she had inadvertently torn the papers of his Port Authority speech and used them as a stuffing in the pin-cushion.

18. Do you think Kezia was wrong in tearing the papers of her father? What does it show about her character?

Answer: Kezia was certainly wrong in tearing the papers of her father because they formed his important speech for the Port Authority. She should not have used any of his things without his permission. The incident only shows that she was too innocent and immature to know the wrong she was doing. All she wanted was to please her father with a birthday gift.

19. How and why did Grandmother comfort Kezia after her father hit her with a ruler?

Answer: Hours after Kezia’s father hit her with a ruler, her grandmother wrapped the little girl in a shawl and rocked her in the rocking-chair, with the child clinging to her soft body. She gave her a clean hanky to blow her nose and tried to put her to sleep comforting her with affectionate words.

20. Why did Kezia ask, “What did God make fathers for?”

Answer: Kezia questioned why God made fathers because she was very upset with her father’s strict behaviour. She felt that he was too harsh and unforgiving. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself.

21. Why did Grandmother tell Kezia that her father was too Upset that night to listen to her?

Answer: Grandmother always tried to bridge the gap between Kezia and her parents, especially her father. She told Kezia that her father was too upset that night to listen to her because she did not want the little girl to nurture any grudge against her father.

22. How did Father punish Kezia? What was the impact of this punishment?

Answer: Father punished Kezia by hitting hard on her little, pink palms with a ruler. The impact of this punishment was so strong that Kezia could never forget it. Next time when she saw him, she at once hid her hands behind her back and her cheeks flushed with fear.

23. Who were Kezia’s neighbours? What did she observe about them?

Answer: The Macdonalds were Kezia’s neighbours. She observed that Mr. Macdonald played cheerfully with his children. He laughed when they turned the hose on him and ran about flower-beds with his young son, Mao, on his shoulders and his two little daughters hanging on to his coat pockets.

24. Kezia felt that Mr. Macdonald was a better father as compared to her own father. Why?

Answer: Kezia observed that Mr Macdonald was a jolly fellow who played and enjoyed in the company of his children. Contrary to this, her own father was domineering and suppressive and not express any affection or showed any leniency for Kezia.

25. Why was Kezia left alone in the house with the cook Alice?

Answer: One day Kezia’s mother had suddenly taken ill and had to be I hospitalized. Grannie too went along to look after her in the hospital. Kezia was thus left at home and Alice, their cook was deputed to take care of the little girl in the absence of elders.

26. Why did Kezia suddenly grow afraid when Alice put her to bed?
Or
What did Kezia tell Alice, the cook, about her fear?

Answer: When Alice put Kezia to bed at night, the little girl suddenly became afraid as she had to sleep alone. She told Alice that she was scared of darkness and often had nightmares at night. Earlier Grannie would take her into her bed but today she was alone.

27. What kind of dreams did Kezia usually have?

Answer: Usually, Kezia had horrible, frightening dreams. In her nightmares, she saw a butcher with a knife and a rope. The butcher came closer and closer to her with a dreadful smile while she stood still overpowered by fear.

28. How did Father comfort the little girl, Kezia, when she got scared in her sleep?

Answer: When Kezia got scared in her sleep, her father came to her room, lifted her in his arms, took her to his bed and made her sleep close to him. He allowed her to warm her feet against his legs. She felt secure and protected as she snuggled up to him.

29. When and how does Kezia’s view of her father undergo a change?

Answer: Kezia’s view of her father underwent a change for the better when her father came to her rescue when she had a nightmare. He carried her to his room, carefully tucked her up and slept beside her. Kezia felt reassured and safe and snuggled up to him. That is when she realised that her father was not a cruel giant but a large-hearted, hard-working man who got extremely tired by the end of the day.

30. How did Kezia feel when her father beat her?

Answer: Kezia needed some papers to stuff her pin-cushion. She tore her father’s important speech for the Past Authority. When she admitted her act, her father beat her. Undoubtedly she was annoyed with her father. But her grandma consoled her.

31. Why was Kezia afraid of her father?

Answer: She was afraid of her father because of his rude and harsh behaviour. He never interacted with her politely and humbly. He always kept ordering her to do one thing or the other. He even beat her.

32. How did Kezia’s birthday present for her father proves to be a disaster for her?

Answer: Her grandmother asked her to prepare a pin-cushion as a birthday gift to her father. She couldn’t find anything suitable which she could use to stuff her pin-cushion. So, she used her father’s papers for this purpose. She tore them into pieces and stuffed the cushion with them. When her father came to know about it, he was very much annoyed and beat her with a ruler. Thus, Kezia’s birthday present proved to be a disaster.

33. What was the morning routine of Kezia and her father?

Answer: Before going to his office, Kezia’s father used to visit her room. He would give her a casual kiss. She responded with “Goodbye, father.” Since she was afraid of him, she always felt relieved after his departure.

34. Why was Kezia punished by her father?

Answer: Kezia wanted to present a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday. She filled it with some papers. These papers contained an important speech for the Port Authority. When her father came to know about it, he punished Kezia.

35. Kezia’s efforts to please her father resulted in displeasing him very much. How did this happen?

Answer: She stitched cotton cloth three sides and looked for the things that could be stuffed into the stitched cloth. Soon she found out many sheets of paper.
Actually, they contained her father’s speech for the Port Authority. She tore them into pieces and stuffed her case. Next day when her father looked for the papers, he did not find them. After some time, he came to know that Kezia had torn them into pieces to make a pin-cushion. He got infuriated and beat her with a ruler.

36. What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald, and how was he different from Kezia’s father?

Answer: Her father was always busy with his official work. He had no time to talk to her. For Kezia, her father was a figure to be feared and avoided. On the other hand Mr. Macdonald, the neighbour always play with his children. He had time to spare with his children.

37. Give in brief the message of the story ‘The Little Girl’.

Answer: Appearances can be deceptive. Kezia’s father looked like a cruel giant to her. She trembled and stuttered in his presence. His harsh words made her curse her fate. However, she, later on, found that her father was not devoid of tender human feelings. Beneath his rough exterior was hidden his deep love and affection for his daughter.

38. Why was a hue and cry in the house? Why did her father punish Kezia?

Answer: There were a hue and cry in the house. Kezia had stuffed her father’s important papers into the pin-cushion. It was a birthday present she wanted to gift to her father. His father became furious after knowing this. He beat her with a ruler for tearing his important papers into pieces.

39. Why did Kezia always stutter while talking to her father?

Answer: Kezia was a normal girl but whenever she was in front of her father she felt nervous. She would try hard to speak words but would end up in stuttering. She was too afraid of her father.

40. How did Kezia make a pin-cushion for her father?

Answer: Kezia’s grandmother advised her to make a pin-cushion for her father on his birthday. She made it out of a beautiful piece of yellow silk. She wanted something to fill it with. She found some sheets of paper lying on the bed table. She tore them up and filled in the pincushion.

41. In what ways did Kezia’s grandmother encourage her to get to know her father better?

Answer: On Sunday afternoons, Kezia’s grandmother sent her to her father’s room to have a nice talk with him. Besides, she asked her to make a gift of a pin-cushion on her father’s birthday.

42. Why was Kezia’s father to be feared and avoided? What did she think of him?

Answer: For Kezia, her father was a figure to be feared and avoided. No doubt, Kezia responded his casual kiss with ‘Goodbye Father’. However, she felt relieved when her father disappeared along the road. In the evening he would ask in his loud voice to bring his tea and paper into the drawing-room. She felt very uncomfortable in his presence.

43. How did Kezia feel when her father left for office and why?

Answer: Kezia was a little girl. Her parents were working. She had formal relations with her parents. She often felt a sense of relief when her father left for office. Actually, she was afraid of her father.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. How did the little girl start understanding her father?
Or
Narrate in about 100 words the story ‘The Little Girl’.

Answer: Kezia was a little girl. She was very afraid of her father. To her, he looked like a giant. He spoke very loudly in the house. So she always avoided him. One day she tore up an important speech written by her father. He became very angry and beat her with a stick. Kezia started weeping. She wondered why God had made fathers.

One day Kezia’s mother was ill. She was taken to the hospital. Kezia was alone in the house. At night she had a bad dream. She cried with fear. Her father took her to his own bed. She lay beside him. Then she realized that her father was not bad. The lie had to work hard. The lie had no time to play with her. It was her fault to tear up the speech. Now Kezia felt that her father was large-hearted.

2. Kezia slept one night with her father and changed her opinion about him. What was her opinion about her father before? What change did take place?

Answer: Earlier Kezia thought that her father was a cruel man. She always avoided him. She saw that her neighbour Mr. Macdonald loved her children. But her father never cared for her. One day Kezia’s mother Was taken to a hospital. Kezia was alone in her room. At night she had a nightmare. She cried with fear. Her father took her to his bed. She slept with him. Her father asked her to rub her feet against his legs to make them warm. She felt sorry for her father. He worked hard. The lie was so tiring that he had no time to play with her. She realised that it was her fault to tear up the sheets. Now it appeared to her that her father was not a hard-hearted man.

3. Relate in your own words the pin-cushion incident.

Answer: The little girl wanted to gift a pin-cushion to her father on his birthday. She took a piece of yellow silk and stitched its three sides. She left the fourth side for filling. But she did not know what to fill it with. She found some sheets of paper. She tore them into pieces. She stuffed the cushion with them. She then stitched the fourth side also. Unfortunately, those papers contained a very important speech. It was written by her father. When he came to know that Kezia had torn the papers, he was very angry. He took a ruler and hit Kezia on her hands.

4. Write a short character-sketch of Kezia’s father.

Answer: Kezia’s father has big hands, neck, and mouth. In the beginning, he appears to be a very cruel person. He never talks to his daughter kindly. He never plays with her. Once Kezia tears up his speech. He beats her badly. But in fact, he is not cruel. He is very good at heart. One day Kezia cries out at night. She has a nightmare. Her father comes and carries her to his room. He puts her by his side. Now Kezia feels how her father loves her. In fact, he has to work very hard. He becomes too tired to play with his daughter. But the little girl thinks her father does not love her. At last, she does come to know how dearly her father loves her.

5. Write a short note on the relationship between Kezia and her father.

Answer: The relationship between Kezia and her father was a delicate one. He was a conventional disciplinarian and as the head of the family, he asserted his authority over everyone, including his little girl. He often scolded her for her sad looks and for stuttering. She was made to take off his shoes and put them outside when he returned home from the office in the evening. He even punished her when she mistakenly tore his important papers. He did not give her even one chance to explain herself and failed to see her loving intention behind the mistake. As a consequence of her father’s overly strict behaviour, Kezia developed a strong fear for him. She preferred to stay out of his sight and was relaxed only during his absence from the house. She compared him to be a giant – a dreadful creature for little children. After being beaten by him with a ruler, she even questioned the purpose of God in making fathers.

However, this dry relationship undergoes a drastic change towards the end of the story. Father displays his soft corner when Kezia is alone and gets scared by her nightmare. He carries her in his arms to his room, tucks her comfortably in his bed, lies down close to her and gives her the assurance that children seek from parents. This protective, caring and considerate side of her father arouses her sympathy for him. She realises that he has a big heart which is full of love for her.

6. How did Kezia once earn her father’s wrath? What punishment did she get for her mistake? Was it justified? What light does this incident throw on her father’s character?

Answer: Kezia once earned her father’s wrath for tearing his speech for the Port Authority to stuff a pin-cushion she was making for him as a birthday present. When he discovered that Kezia was the culprit, he punished her by beating her little pink palms with a ruler to teach her not to touch what did not belong to her.

I think it was a very harsh punishment for an innocent mistake of a fond little daughter. It is true that the papers were extremely important for him and their loss must have caused him a lot of inconveniences but he should have understood and appreciated the fact that Kezia was making a birthday present for him. Gentle but firm words would have sufficed to teach the sensitive Kezia that she should not touch things that do not belong to her. But Father instead chose to beat her little pink palms with a ruler. That was much too cruel on his part.

This incident shows that he was a very cruel and insensitive father who demanded a very high standard of discipline from his daughter and could not tolerate any disobedience.

7. How do you interpret the behavior of Kezia’s mother towards her?

Answer: The behaviour of Kezia’s mother towards her is unlike the expected role played by mothers in households. Perhaps, her husband’s strict nature does not leave enough room for her to pay the desired attention to her daughter. The story reveals that her relationship with her daughter is distant. She treats the little girl in accordance with her husband’s expectations. She orders her to take off her father’s shoes and put them outside as this would indicate obedience. On Sunday afternoons, she spends time engrossed in a newspaper sitting with her husband instead of talking to her daughter. When Kezia mistakenly tears the papers of her father, she drags her downstairs to face the wrath of Father. She does not try to soothe her when Father scolds and beats her. Neither does she defend her or try to protect her in any way. That is why Kezia turns to her grandmother to fulfil her need for motherly care and affection.

8. Why did Kezia feel drawn towards her grandmother?

Answer: Failing to get any expression of affection from her parents, especially her father, Kezia feels drawn to her grandmother. She turns to her to fulfill her need for love and protection. Grandmother too showers abundant love upon the little girl. She keeps trying to build her bond with her parents. She advises Kezia to talk to her parents when they would be relaxing in the drawing-room on Sunday afternoons. Again, she tells Kezia about Father’s birthday and suggests that she should make a pin-cushion for him as a present. When Father beats Kezia, it is a grandmother who consoles and comforts her by covering her with her shawl and allowing the child to cling to her soft body. Earlier too, whenever Kezia would get scared by her nightmares, grandmother would take her in her own bed. Hence, her affinity and support make Kezia look up to her for everything.

9. Kezia decides that there are “different kinds of fathers.” What kind of father was Mr. Macdonald and how was he different from Kezia’s father?

Answer: Mr. Macdonald, Kezia’s next-door neighbour, had five children and Kezia would often see them playing in their garden. One day, when Kezia looked through the gap in the fence she saw the Macdonalds playing the game ‘tag’. It was evening, and Mr. Macdonald had just returned from work but unlike her father, he looked happy and energetic. He was having a good time with the hose on him and he tried to catch them laughing two girls time with his children – baby Mao was on his shoulders, was hanging on to his coat pockets and the party ran around the flower beds, shaking with laughter. Mr. Macdonald’s sons turned This happy scene made Kezia conclude that there were different sorts of fathers. Mr. Macdonald was so different from her own father. He was not at all strict, was always happy and thoroughly enjoyed the company of his children.

In contrast, her own father was often in an angry mood and remained much too busy in his work. She dreaded him and avoided his company as much as she could. Whenever she was with him, he would get upset because out of fear she would stammer and fumble and look silly. His strict discipline and his domineering nature would often make Kezia wonder what God made fathers for.

10.  How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?

Answer: Kezia was used to being scolded by her father and sometimes even got punishment for her little mistakes. She lived in awe of him, for he would often find fault with her manners, behaviour, speech, her general timidity, and silliness. Little wonder then that she would tremble, stutter and look clumsy in front of him. He would often find her looking wretched as if she was on the verge of committing suicide.

However, a nightmare one night made Kezia discover the tender, caring and loving side of her father. Since her mother and grandmother were away to a hospital, Alice, the Cook, had put her to sleep but she was bothered by her usual nightmare of a butcher with a knife and a rope, and a dreadful smile. When her father heard her shrieking, he came to her room, lifted her in his arms and took her to his room. He comforted her and tucked her up nicely and slept next to her. He told her to rub her feet against his to warm them. She snuggled her head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. At that moment, she discovered that her father was very much a human being and needed her sympathy. He was big, hard, snug and reassuring but there was no one to look after him. These thoughts filled her heart with love and affection for him.

11. Every father has a love for his child whether he expresses his love or not. Comment on the basis of the story “The Little Girl”.

Answer: Fathers are not alike. Some play with their children while others love and care for them. They show their love to them by working hard and giving them all the facilities as well as for instructions. Though they never express their love they have a deep love for their child. Kezia’s father belongs to the second type. He did not believe in showing off his affection for his daughter. He believed in showing his love by making her future more secure. When she tore his papers unknowingly, he beat her harshly. But in the end, we find him a very loving and caring father. Thus it is true that every father loves his child’s but the way of love is different from one person to another. Most of the fathers live their dreams with their children. Their strictness is also a kind of love.

12. Father who seems hard from outside is not so from within. Comment on this statement with reference to Kezia’s father in ‘The Little Girl’.

Answer: Parents’ contribution in shaping and framing the life of their kids cannot be compared with anything. The values, courage, and virtues are all implanted by parents at a young age. The early years of a child’s life are very delicate, his future is made or marred at this age. For cultivating good qualities, for making their kids better than them, they have to chide, scold or show their strictness but, in reality, a spring of love remains behind it. As in the story ‘The little girl’, Kezia’s father appears strict to her and she makes her opinion about him as a strict and hard-hearted father but when she realizes the warmth of love she understands the love of her father.

13. How can you say that punishments given by parents hold love for you?

Answer: Parents are very fond of their children. They always desire to see them on the top. If they punish them, it does not mean that they want to hurt them. Kezia had stuffed the pin-cushion with the papers that contained important speech, which was great damage for her father. If her father beat her, he only wanted to teach her that she should value the important things in life. So his punishment had a lesson for Kezia and before doing any work, she would think twice whether the work that she was going to do was right or wrong.

14. “That night there was a hue and cry in the house.” Why did her father get agitated?

Answer: One day, when Kezia was kept indoors due to cold, her grandmother suggested that she make a pin-cushion for her father. She stitched three sides of the cushion and went to her mother’s bedroom to look for scraps with which she could fill the cushion. On the bed-table, she discovered a great many sheets of fine paper, gathered them up, tore them into tiny pieces and stuffed her case and then sewed up the fourth side. That night there was a huge hue and cry in the house because those papers were very important. It was a great speech for the Port Authority. So her parents were in search of those sheets. This was the reason that her father got agitated and punished her with a ruler.

15. How does Kezia begin to see her father as a human being who needs her sympathy?

Answer: One night Kezia had a nightmare which made her too terrified. She was crying out of fear. When she woke up, she found her father beside her bed with a candle in his hand. He asked her what the matter was. When he came to know about her nightmare, he blew out the candle, bent down and caught up the child in his arms. He carried her to the big bedroom. He laid her on the bed and pulled the covers up around her.

Apart from this, he lay down beside her. After some time, still half asleep, she crept close to him, snuggled her head under his arm and held tightly to his shirt. Now she felt comfortable. Her father told her to rub her feet against his legs and get them warm. Now, Kezia realized that her father was not as harsh as she thought. She realized that her father had to work all day long and got so tired that he could not play with her. She realized that her father wanted her to understand his compulsion. At the bottom, he was a very good person.