10. A MILD ATTACK OF LOCUSTS
Q.NO.l. What are locusts?
Answer: Locusts are the insects which live in hot countries. They have very negative influence on the crops. They eat and destroy crops.
Q.NO.2. Why did the farmers throw wet leaves on fire?
Answer: The farmers threw wet leaves on the fire to make the smoke acrid and black. It was the only way to keep the locusts away.
Q.NO.3. What was the desire of every farmer?
Answer: Every farmer wanted to see his crops free from locusts. He wanted the locusts to overlook his farm and migrate to others crops.
Q.NO.4. Did Margaret know what to do to keep the locusts away?
Answer: No, she did not know what to do to keep the locusts away because she had never experienced such calamity before. It was her first experience.
Q.NO.5. What was the condition of trees?
Answer: They were queer and clotted with insects. Their boughs weighed to the ground. Many trees and their leaves were eaten away.
Q.NO.6. How did old Stephen treat the stray locusts which he found in his pocket?
Answer: He picked stray locust. It was full of eggs. He feared that millions of young hoppers would come out of the eggs. He split it down with his thumbnail.
Q.NO.7. Are the hoppers different from the locusts?
Answer: The hoppers are young locusts that are born from the eggs of the locusts, while the locusts are fully grown insects.
Q.NO.8. Did Margaret lose heart on the loss of crops?
Answer: Definitely, she lost her heart. She felt like a survivor after the war. She was ready to face the attacks of locusts for two or three years more.
Q.NO.9. Why are the locusts compared with bad weather?
Answer: Both locusts and bad weather destroy the crops. Like bad weather, they also come suddenly at any moment.
Q.NO.10. Why did the men eat their supper with good appetites?
Answer: They were tired because they had fought against locusts. They felt hungry and ate their supper with good appetites.