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"The Tale of Custard the Dragon" is a humorous ballad written by Ogden Nash. It narrates the amusing story of Belinda, a brave little girl, and her group of pets, including Custard, the dragon. The poem contrasts Custard's fierce appearance with his timid personality, while all the other pets act brave but are actually cowards when faced with real danger. This poem explores themes of bravery, cowardice, and appearances versus reality in a light-hearted, amusing way.
The poem revolves around Belinda, a little girl who lives with her pets: a kitten named Ink, a mouse named Blink, a dog named Mustard, and a dragon named Custard. Although Custard is a dragon with big sharp teeth and a fierce appearance, he is extremely timid and always cries for a safe cage. Belinda and her other pets mock Custard for being cowardly, while they pride themselves on their bravery.
However, one day a pirate breaks into their house, and all the supposedly brave pets flee in fear, leaving Custard to face the pirate alone. Custard, despite his timid nature, bravely fights the pirate, gobbling him up and saving everyone. After the incident, the pets continue to mock Custard, saying they would have been braver if they hadn’t been caught off guard. Custard, remaining humble, agrees with them.
The poem uses humor to explore the theme that appearances can be deceiving and that true bravery often comes from unexpected places.
"द टेल ऑफ़ कस्टर्ड द ड्रैगन" ओग्डेन नैश द्वारा लिखी गई एक हास्यपूर्ण कविता है। यह कविता बेलिंडा नामक एक साहसी लड़की और उसके पालतू जानवरों की मनोरंजक कहानी बयां करती है। उसके पालतू जानवरों में इंक नाम की एक बिल्ली, ब्लिंक नाम का एक चूहा, मस्टर्ड नाम का एक कुत्ता और कस्टर्ड नामक एक ड्रैगन शामिल है। हालाँकि कस्टर्ड एक भयंकर दिखने वाला ड्रैगन है, वह अत्यधिक डरपोक है और हमेशा एक सुरक्षित पिंजरे के लिए रोता है। बेलिंडा और उसके अन्य पालतू जानवर कस्टर्ड का मजाक उड़ाते हैं और खुद को बहादुर बताते हैं।
लेकिन एक दिन जब एक समुद्री डाकू उनके घर में घुस जाता है, तो सभी जानवर जो खुद को बहादुर मानते थे, डर के मारे भाग जाते हैं, और कस्टर्ड अकेले समुद्री डाकू का सामना करता है। कस्टर्ड, अपने डरपोक स्वभाव के बावजूद, बहादुरी से समुद्री डाकू से लड़ता है और उसे निगल जाता है, सभी को बचा लेता है। इस घटना के बाद भी, पालतू जानवर कस्टर्ड का मजाक उड़ाते रहते हैं और कहते हैं कि अगर उन्हें समय मिला होता तो वे अधिक बहादुर होते। कस्टर्ड विनम्रता से उनकी बात मान लेता है।
इस कविता में हास्य का उपयोग यह दिखाने के लिए किया गया है कि दिखावे अक्सर भ्रामक हो सकते हैं, और सच्ची बहादुरी अप्रत्याशित स्थानों से आ सकती है।
The characters in the poem are Belinda and her pets:
Custard cried for a nice safe cage because, despite his fierce appearance, he was very timid and afraid. The dragon is called "cowardly" because, unlike the other pets who are described as brave, Custard constantly seeks safety and protection, showing fear instead of courage.
Belinda and the other pets teased Custard unmercifully because of his cowardly nature. They made fun of him for being so timid and fearful, despite being a dragon, which is generally considered a symbol of strength and bravery.
Yes, here are some other examples of poetic devices used in the poem:
In stanza three, the poet describes Custard the dragon as having "big sharp teeth," "spikes on top," "scales underneath," a "mouth like a fireplace," and "daggers on his toes." Despite this fierce appearance, Custard is very timid and cowardly.
The rhyme scheme of the poem follows the pattern AABB in most stanzas. For example:
Belinda lived in a little white house (A)
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse (A)
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon (B)
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon (B)
Some vivid images in the poem include:
"The Tale of Custard the Dragon" is a light-hearted and humorous poem. Though it deals with themes like bravery and fear, the exaggerated descriptions and playful rhyme scheme make it more of a parody. The contrast between Custard’s fierce appearance and his cowardly nature adds to the humor, making it an enjoyable and entertaining poem.
Now, try writing your own ballad. Gather your thoughts, decide on a theme, and organize the ballad using characters and a simple narrative. Here are some guidelines to help you:
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