Chapter 9: The Naughty Boy & Pinocchio
John Keats' Whimsical Verse & Carlo Collodi's Classic Puppet Tale of Honesty and Integrity | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Poem 'The Naughty Boy': An English boy runs away to Scotland only to discover ground is as hard, cherries as red, and lead as heavy as in England.
- Story 'Pinocchio': Old carpenter Gepetto carves a talking wooden puppet and names him Pinocchio.
- The mischievous puppet: Pulling wigs, laughing impudently, and running away from school.
- The magical consequence: Every time Pinocchio tells a lie, his wooden nose grows longer, longer, and longer.
- Moral: Deception cannot be concealed; truthfulness brings true humanity and freedom.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (14 Questions)
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Q1
Reading is Fun • Poem 'The Naughty Boy'
Why did the naughty boy run away to Scotland? What surprising discovery did he make when he arrived there?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
The naughty boy ran away to Scotland because he was restless and foolishly imagined that Scotland would be an exotic, magical place totally different from England.
He was astonished to discover that:
1. The Scottish ground was just as hard as English ground.
2. A yard was just as long, a song was just as merry, cherries were just as red, and lead was just as heavy.
Human nature and the physical world were identical everywhere.
He was astonished to discover that:
1. The Scottish ground was just as hard as English ground.
2. A yard was just as long, a song was just as merry, cherries were just as red, and lead was just as heavy.
Human nature and the physical world were identical everywhere.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Explains running away to Scotland out of restless curiosity
1.5 M
Lists discoveries: hard ground, long yard, red cherries, heavy lead
1.5 M
Q2
Reading is Fun • 'Pinocchio'
How did Gepetto create Pinocchio? What mischievous tricks did the puppet play as soon as its features were carved?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Gepetto carved Pinocchio from an enchanted piece of talking firewood. As soon as he finished carving the eyes, they began rolling at him. The moment he carved the mouth, it laughed mockingly and stuck out its tongue.
Before Gepetto could even finish carving the legs, Pinocchio snatched the carpenter's brown wig right off his head, jumped down to the floor, and ran out the front door into the street.
Before Gepetto could even finish carving the legs, Pinocchio snatched the carpenter's brown wig right off his head, jumped down to the floor, and ran out the front door into the street.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Describes carving from enchanted talking wood
1.5 M
Details rolling eyes, mocking laughter, and snatching Gepetto's wig
1.5 M
Q3
Reading is Fun • 'Pinocchio'
What bizarre physical phenomenon happened to Pinocchio every time he told a falsehood or made a false excuse?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Every single time Pinocchio spoke a lie, broke a promise, or made a false excuse to avoid school, his wooden nose immediately began growing longer, longer, and longer.
It grew so enormous that he could not turn his head inside the room without hitting walls, until he was forced to confess the honest truth to shrink it back.
It grew so enormous that he could not turn his head inside the room without hitting walls, until he was forced to confess the honest truth to shrink it back.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Identifies nose growing visibly longer with every lie
1.5 M
Explains that only speaking honest truth shrank it back
1.5 M
Q4
Word Building • Word Families
Name three things made of wood from your home or classroom: (a) ___, (b) ___, (c) ___. What tool does a carpenter use to smoothen wood?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Three wooden objects: (a) Study Table, (b) Door Frame, (c) Cricket Bat.
A carpenter uses a plane (or sandpaper) to smoothen rough wood surfaces.
A carpenter uses a plane (or sandpaper) to smoothen rough wood surfaces.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Three wooden objects correctly named
1.5 M
Identifies carpenter's plane/sandpaper
0.5 M
Q5
Reading is Fun • Poem Comprehension
In Unit 9 ('The Naughty Boy & Pinocchio'), what is the central event in the poem, and what sounds of nature wake the morning world?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Nature & Morning Sounds:
The poem celebrates the break of dawn. Nature awakens with the singing of birds in the trees, the buzzing of honeybees in flower beds, and the gentle morning breeze rustling through green leaves.
The poem celebrates the break of dawn. Nature awakens with the singing of birds in the trees, the buzzing of honeybees in flower beds, and the gentle morning breeze rustling through green leaves.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Awakening of nature described
1 M
Specific sounds (birds, bees) identified
1 M
Q6
Reading is Fun • Story Comprehension
In the prose section of Unit 9, how does the main character overcome self-doubt or an unusual dilemma?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Character Insight:
The character realizes that each individual is uniquely gifted and comparison with others leads to unnecessary unhappiness. With encouragement from loved ones, the character learns self-acceptance and confidence.
The character realizes that each individual is uniquely gifted and comparison with others leads to unnecessary unhappiness. With encouragement from loved ones, the character learns self-acceptance and confidence.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Dilemma identified
1.5 M
Resolution through self-acceptance explained
1.5 M
Q7
Word Building • Antonyms
Find antonyms (opposites) for: (a) Tiny (b) Defeat (c) Selfish (d) Proud.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Antonyms:
• (a) Tiny — Huge / Enormous.
• (b) Defeat — Victory / Win.
• (c) Selfish — Generous / Selfless.
• (d) Proud — Humble / Modest.
• (a) Tiny — Huge / Enormous.
• (b) Defeat — Victory / Win.
• (c) Selfish — Generous / Selfless.
• (d) Proud — Humble / Modest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 opposites correct
2 M
Q8
Let us Write • Creative Expressions
Write two sentences describing how trees help birds, animals, and human beings as depicted in 'The Naughty Boy & Pinocchio'.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Importance of Trees:
Trees provide delicious fruits, oxygen, and cool shade for human beings and grazing animals. They also offer safe nesting spots and shelter for hundreds of birds and small forest creatures.
Trees provide delicious fruits, oxygen, and cool shade for human beings and grazing animals. They also offer safe nesting spots and shelter for hundreds of birds and small forest creatures.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Benefits to humans and wildlife clearly stated
2 M
Q9
Grammar & Language • Conjunctions (and, but, because)
Join the pairs of sentences using 'and', 'but', or 'because':
(a) She ran fast. She missed the school bus.
(b) We stayed inside. It was raining heavily.
[2 Marks]
(a) She ran fast. She missed the school bus.
(b) We stayed inside. It was raining heavily.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Joined Sentences:
• (a) She ran fast, but she missed the school bus.
• (b) We stayed inside because it was raining heavily.
• (a) She ran fast, but she missed the school bus.
• (b) We stayed inside because it was raining heavily.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Correct use of 'but'
1 M
Correct use of 'because'
1 M
Q10
Talk Time • Imagination & Empathy
If animals and trees could speak our language, what important advice would they give to humans?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Imaginative Advice:
They would urge humans to stop cutting down green forests, keep water bodies clean from plastic pollution, and treat every living creature with care and kindness.
They would urge humans to stop cutting down green forests, keep water bodies clean from plastic pollution, and treat every living creature with care and kindness.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Thoughtful, empathetic environmental message
2 M
Q11
Vocabulary • Rhyming Couplets
Find two rhyming word pairs from the poem in Unit 9.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Rhyming Pairs:
1. Bed - Head (rhyming sound '-ed').
2. Day - Play (rhyming sound '-ay').
1. Bed - Head (rhyming sound '-ed').
2. Day - Play (rhyming sound '-ay').
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Two valid rhyming pairs with sounds identified
2 M
Q12
Grammar • Subject and Predicate
Divide the sentence into Subject and Predicate: 'The little fir tree stood proudly in the green forest.'
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sentence Division:
• Subject: The little fir tree
• Predicate: stood proudly in the green forest.
• Subject: The little fir tree
• Predicate: stood proudly in the green forest.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Subject correctly identified
1 M
Predicate correctly identified
1 M
Q13
Think & Discuss • Life Lessons
What is the core moral lesson of Unit 9 ('The Naughty Boy & Pinocchio')?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Moral Lesson:
True happiness comes from gratitude, generosity, and valuing our natural surroundings. Greed and vanity only bring discontentment.
True happiness comes from gratitude, generosity, and valuing our natural surroundings. Greed and vanity only bring discontentment.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Clear moral lesson with supporting detail
2 M
Q14
Review Questions • True or False
State True or False:
(a) Nasruddin was famous among his friends for boasting about his archery skills.
(b) Giving without expecting anything in return is true kindness.
(c) A question mark is placed at the end of an assertive sentence.
[3 Marks]
(a) Nasruddin was famous among his friends for boasting about his archery skills.
(b) Giving without expecting anything in return is true kindness.
(c) A question mark is placed at the end of an assertive sentence.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
• (a) True: Nasruddin boasted about his aim.
• (b) True: Selfless giving is the highest virtue.
• (c) False: An assertive sentence ends with a full stop, not a question mark.
• (a) True: Nasruddin boasted about his aim.
• (b) True: Selfless giving is the highest virtue.
• (c) False: An assertive sentence ends with a full stop, not a question mark.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
True, True, False with explanations
3 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Psychological Metaphor of Pinocchio's Nose
Modern behavioral scientists observe that when people tell deliberate lies, micro-expressions, increased blink rates, vocal pitch changes, and autonomic nervous system stress reactions involuntarily reveal the deceit.
Analytical Task: Why is Pinocchio's growing nose one of the greatest moral metaphors in children's literature? How does one lie inevitably lead to another?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
The Metaphor: Pinocchio's nose externalizes an internal psychological truth: deceit cannot remain secret. Even if invisible physically, lying distorts a person's dignity and character visibly to those around them.
The Trap of Lies: To protect the first lie, a person must fabricate three more lies. Soon, the web of deception becomes so cumbersome and absurd (just like an enormous wooden nose) that confession and honest apology are the only way back to freedom.
The Trap of Lies: To protect the first lie, a person must fabricate three more lies. Soon, the web of deception becomes so cumbersome and absurd (just like an enormous wooden nose) that confession and honest apology are the only way back to freedom.
Rubric: 1 Mark for explaining externalization of guilt; 1 Mark for compound snowball effect of continuous deceit.