What Is the Moral of The Tale of the Custard Dragon?
Language is the means of communicating ideas and information from one person or community to another. Students get to learn and grow their learning skills like listening, reading, speaking and writing through language. Therefore, it is important for all the students to put necessary attention and focus on their language subjects. English is a creative subject that helps students to understand the language and its literature. Especially for the English medium students, it becomes even more important for the students to learn and understand this language to its core.
The Tale of The Custard Dragon summary is an excellent old fashioned ballad. It is a humorous piece that follows a timid brave dragon by the name of Custard. It is written by Ogden Nash, an American writer/ poet, very well known for his verse, well over 500 poems. Due to his rhyming schemes, he was called the nation’s best-known. This is about a poem that he has written about a girl Belinda who has four pets, a black kitten, a grey mouse, a yellow dog, and a coward dragon named Custard. The poet describes all the characters as brave except for the dragon, who is a coward. But the entire situation changes when the pirate attacks Belinda’s home.
The Tale of Custard The Dragon Summary Class 10 English
The Summary for Class 10th English poem goes like Custard is a pet dragon of Belinda, a girl who lives in a little white home with her various pets. Nash says that they all are courageous, except Custard. Others are described as brave and are compared with other bold species like tiger or lion, but the dragon is very cowardly. He always looks for a safe place for himself. All the other pets make fun of him. But one day they are astonished by the coming of a pirate in the home. They all get scared and begin hiding. But to everyone’s astonishment, the dragon tackles him and also eats him up after. Each of them is saved by Custard, and they thanked him.
In the end, they begin to realise that they used to make fun of Custard because he was timid. So, suddenly all of them start saying that they are much braver and that they could have handled the situation in a much better way but all of them very well realised that Custard was the actual hero and most courageous among them. The poet tries to point out that sometimes a coward or timid person comes out to be the real hero in the challenging situations that life throws at you.
Summary and Analysis of The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Bellinda had named all of her pets. The little black kitten was called by the name of Ink, the name of Blink called the little grey mouse, and the name of Mustard got the little yellow dog. But, because the dragon was a cowardly creature, Belinda called him by the name of Custard. Custard dragon was described as having big sharp canine teeth, with pointed spikes on the top of his body and with scales underneath the lower portion. His mouth was described as similar to a fireplace, and his nose was fierce as a chimney. He also had daggers on his toes instead of regular nails.
Belinda believed herself to be as brave as a barrel full of full-grown bears. Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs when they come. Mustard was as strong as an angry tiger on the hunt. But different from all of them, Custard was always the weakest link. Belinda usually tickled him ruthlessly and tortured him. Belinda’s other pets called him Percival in satire. Percival meant a knight of King Arthur’s court who was sought after the Holy Grail. Whenever Custard asked for a safety cage for himself, Belinda and Blink giggled and laughed out of their heart’s intent. And Not just this, Ink and Mustard made fun of him by asking him how old he was because of how he was scared of every little thing that came their way.
Now here comes the twist in the tale, that changed it all. Once, Belinda’s home had an encounter with a pirate with guns in both his hands and a big dagger-like knife that he pressed in between his teeth. Seeing the pirate in all his haunted glory, Belinda starts crying and howling for help. Hearing that, all the animals hid for their own safety. Only Custard fought with the pirate bravely, as opposed to what everyone always thought of him. In Fact, he ate him all up in a single bite itself.
When Custard saved all of them, everyone thanked him for saving their lives. But in the end, all of them realised that they used to make fun of Custard the dragon purely because he was cowardly and timid. As a result, all of them promptly started to say that they are much braver than he is, and therefore they could have handled this scary situation in a way better than he did.
Tips for students to prepare for English exam
English is a subject of solid creativity and fun. As a result, students can refer to some tips provided herein to master their learning skills like a pro-
1) Read your Syllabus
Syllabus is the core of the subject. Therefore, students should read and revise their syllabus at least once a week to get an idea of what they are learning. Students should also refer to the exam pattern and the related topics from their chapter. This will help them build a firm foundation for each chapter.
2) Revise your learning
Revision decides the degree of learning. That's right. Revision makes it easier for students to grasp the essence of learning to remember what is read at its best. In this regard, students can find key notes and Revision notes in all subjects and for all classes at Vedantu.
3) Solve Previous Year's question papers
By solving sample question papers and Previous Year's question papers, students revise their learning and get a good practice of writing. This also helps them build a better command of vocabulary. At Vedantu students can find Sample papers of CBSE, ICSE and State board as well.
4) Read, write, check on progress, repeat
Probably the most important point in learning a language subject is to read. Reading makes it easy to learn for the students. Writing practice adds cherry to the cake and by checking progress, students can be sure that their knowledge is power. This adds value to their learning, something beyond the score of the examination.
Conclusion
It is quite visible that in The Tale of Custard The Dragon poem summary, the poet is trying to say that sometimes even a timid person comes out to be the actual hero in the most challenging situations that life throws at you just like Custard came out and saved everyone's lives and proved his bravery to all of them.
FAQs on The Tale of the Custard Dragon: Summary, Theme & Lesson
1. Who are the main characters in the poem 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon'?
The main characters in the poem are Belinda, a little girl, and her four pets. These include Ink, a little black kitten; Blink, a little grey mouse; Mustard, a little yellow dog; and Custard, a 'cowardly' dragon who is the poem's protagonist. The antagonist is a pirate who appears later in the story.
2. What is the central theme of 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon'?
The central theme of the poem is that true bravery is not about boasting or showing off, but about rising to the occasion when it truly matters. It critiques the tendency to judge individuals based on their outward behaviour, as the seemingly cowardly Custard turns out to be the bravest of all when faced with real danger.
3. How is 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' structured as a ballad?
This poem is a ballad, which is a song or poem that tells a story of courage and heroism. It has a consistent AABB rhyme scheme and is written in stanzas of four lines (quatrains). The narrative style, which tells a complete story about the brave dragon, and the simple, musical rhythm are key characteristics that define it as a ballad.
4. What are the key poetic devices used by Ogden Nash in this poem?
Ogden Nash uses several poetic devices to create a humorous and whimsical tone. The most important ones are:
- Simile: Used extensively, for example, 'mouth like a fireplace' and 'as brave as a barrel full of bears'.
- Repetition: The phrase 'realio, trulio' is repeated to create a story-like effect.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds, such as in 'Custard the coward' or 'brave as a barrel full of bears'.
- Onomatopoeia: The use of sound words like 'giggled', 'shrieked', and 'clatter, clank, and a jangling squirm'.
5. How does the poem use irony to explore the idea of courage?
The poem is built on a foundation of irony. The characters who boast about their bravery—Belinda, Ink, Blink, and Mustard—all run and hide when the pirate appears. In contrast, Custard, who is constantly mocked for his cowardice and desire for a 'nice safe cage', is the only one who confronts and defeats the pirate. This ironic twist highlights the difference between boasting about courage and possessing it.
6. Why did Custard, who was considered a coward, show true bravery in the end?
Custard's bravery stems from his inherent protective nature, which was hidden beneath his timid exterior. While he did not seek danger and preferred safety, his courage was situational. When his owner, Belinda, and his fellow pets were in genuine peril, his instinct to protect them overrode his fear. This shows that his supposed cowardice was merely a preference for peace, not an inability to act bravely.
7. What is the moral of the poem 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon'?
The primary moral of the poem is that one should never judge a book by its cover. A person's true character is revealed through their actions in times of crisis, not by their words or everyday behaviour. The poem teaches that those who are quiet or seem timid may possess great inner strength, while those who are boastful may prove to be cowards.
8. How did the other pets react after Custard defeated the pirate, and what does this reveal about them?
After Custard bravely defeated the pirate, the other pets did not acknowledge his heroism. Instead, they quickly came up with excuses for their own inaction. Mustard claimed he would have been twice as brave, while Ink and Blink said they would have been three times as brave. This reaction reveals their pride and insecurity. They were unable to admit their fear and instead reverted to their old habit of belittling Custard to feel superior.
