How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?

What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat...” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.

Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

   greedy            naive                   stupid                ungrateful 
   selfish            comical               unquestioning

Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

What ideals does Nelson Mandela set for the future of South Africa?

Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?

How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country

(i) in the first decade, and
(ii) in the final decade of the twentieth century?

Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?

Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was

• aloof and indifferent
• friendly
• hostile

How was Mij to be transported to England?

How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

 Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?

How is Wanda seen as different by the other girls? How do they treat her?  you know?

Who read the letter?

What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.

Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?

Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown- ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?

What happened when the box was opened?