NCERT Solutions for Class 5th English Chapter 7 A. Answer the following questions — Let us Think
Book page 80 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Which game does the poem mention? What are the things needed to play this game?
Answer
The poem is about the game of Gilli Danda. To play it you need two things — a long stick called the danda and a small piece of wood called the gilli.
The poem tells us both. It names the game in the third line: “Gilli Danda, our game is so sound!” And it names the things in the second line: “With a stick and a small gilli to throw”.
Two more things are needed, and the poem shows them too:
An open playground — “In the playground, we gather around”.
Some friends to play with — “With our friends, we never quit!”
Why this game is special: You do not have to buy anything. A thick twig makes the danda and a small twig makes the gilli. That is why children have played it in Indian villages and towns for hundreds of years.
Q2.
According to the poem, how do the players feel while playing Gilli Danda?
Answer
The players feel very happy and completely free.
The poem says so in four different places:
“We play with joy, watch it go!”
“With every swing, we feel so free,”
“Oh, what fun it is, you see!”
“Laughing, playing, having fun,”
They also feel strong and full of spirit, because they “never quit” — that is, they never give up, however long the game goes on.
Q3.
What happens to the tiny gilli when the stick strikes it?
Answer
The gilli flies high up into the air.
The third stanza says it plainly: “The small gilli, up high it flies, / Underneath the bright blue skies.” The danda hits the little gilli hard, and the gilli shoots straight up into the open sky. The other players watch it go and try to catch it.
Why it goes so high: The gilli is very light and the danda is long. A long stick swings fast at its far end, so it gives the light gilli a big push. That is the “up” in this unit — Ups and Downs. What goes up must come down, and the gilli soon lands again.
Q4.
Which lines tell us that the children are playing the game outside?
Answer
Three lines tell us the children are outdoors:
“In the playground, we gather around,” — a playground is an open space outside.
“Underneath the bright blue skies.” — you can only see the open sky if you are outside.
“Under the golden rays of the sun!” — the sun shines on them, so they are not inside a room.
The line “The small gilli, up high it flies” also helps. A gilli could never fly high inside a house — it would hit the ceiling.
Q5.
What is the meaning of the line “our game is so sound”?
Answer
It means “our game is a really good, strong game”.
Be careful here. Sound usually means a noise that you hear. But sound has a second meaning. When we call something sound, we mean it is good, strong and healthy. A sound sleep is a deep, good sleep. A sound wall is a strong wall that will not fall.
So in the poem the children are not talking about noise at all. They are saying, “Gilli Danda is a fine game — a really good one.” They are proud of their game.
Try this: Say these two sentences aloud and notice the two meanings. (1) I heard a strange sound at night. (2) After the long walk, I had a sound sleep.
Q6.
Which word in the poem shows ‘happiness’?
Answer
The word is “joy”. It comes in the fourth line: “We play with joy, watch it go!” Joy means great happiness.
The poem has other happy words too, and you may name any of them as well:
fun — “Oh, what fun it is, you see!”
free — “With every swing, we feel so free,”
laughing — “Laughing, playing, having fun,”
But the one word that names the feeling of happiness itself is joy.