EnglishCBSE Class 8 · Chapter 10

The Cherry Tree Class 8: Summary, Characters and Questions

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond opens Poorvi Unit 4. Six-year-old Rakesh plants a cherry seed in his grandfather's garden near Mussoorie. The sapling survives a goat, a grass-cutter's scythe and heavy snow, and grows into a blossoming, fruiting tree. Rakesh learns patience and feels the wonder of having grown something himself.

What The Cherry Tree is about

The Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond is the first lesson of Unit 4 (Environment) in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook. It is a gentle short story set in the Himalayan foothills near Mussoorie.

Rakesh, who lives with his grandfather so that he can go to school, plants the seed of a cherry he has eaten. Over several years the little tree faces a goat, a woman's scythe and heavy snow, but it keeps growing, attracts insects and birds, blossoms and finally bears fruit. Boy and tree grow up side by side. In the last scene, Rakesh touches the tree and wonders whether this is how it feels to be God.

Key ideas: patience and care, resilience of nature, the bond between grandparent and child, and the joy of creating life.

CBSE sets no Class 8 paper; your school sets the exam. Expect sequencing and cause-effect questions, extract questions, the meaning of the ending, character sketches, vocabulary (odd one out, taste words, antonyms), past tenses, punctuation and capital letters, syllables, and an article for a school magazine.

Weightage: CBSE sets no Class 8 English paper or marks: Class 8 is assessed by your school, which teaches from NCERT Poorvi. School papers usually mix extract questions, short answers (about 40-50 words) and longer answers (about 100-150 words), plus grammar and writing from the "Let us learn" and "Let us write" sections.Source: docs/research/cbse-8-2026-27.md (NCERT book list, Reprint 2026-27)

The Cherry Tree: summary

In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.

Part I: the seed. When Rakesh is six, he walks home from the Mussoorie bazaar eating small, sweet-sour cherries from Kashmir. Few fruit trees grow in these stony, windy foothills. Rakesh lives with his grandfather in a cottage at the edge of the forest, because his parents' village, fifty miles away, has no school. By the time he reaches home, only three cherries are left. Grandfather eats one; Rakesh eats two and rolls the last seed around his mouth. He asks if cherry seeds are lucky. Grandfather says nothing is lucky if you put it away; luck comes from putting it to use, so Rakesh should plant it. Rakesh presses the seed into soft soil in a shady corner and forgets it.

In winter, they sit by a charcoal fire; Grandfather tells magical stories and Rakesh reads the newspaper to him, as his eyesight is weak. When the wild ducks fly north in spring, Rakesh finds what looks like a twig: it is the cherry seedling, about four inches tall. He waters it gently and rings it with pebbles 'for privacy'. It grows quickly in the early monsoon, but at about two feet a goat eats all its leaves. Grandfather says cherry trees are tough.

Part II: the tree grows. New leaves appear, but a woman cutting grass swings her scythe and cuts the tree in two. Grandfather scolds her, yet the tree refuses to die and sends out new shoots the next summer. Rakesh, now eight, spends the monsoon helping his parents on the farm and returns to find the tree chest-high. He sometimes waters it even in the rain so that it knows he is there. A praying mantis becomes its first visitor; Rakesh moves a hairy caterpillar away, telling it to return as a butterfly. Heavy snow bends the tree, and Grandfather grows grumpy without his newspaper.

In February, Rakesh turns nine; the tree, four, is almost as tall. One sunny morning Grandfather spots its first pale pink blossom. The next year there are more, and the tree grows taller than Rakesh and then Grandfather. Bees and birds visit, but there are always more blossoms than birds. The first cherries are too sour for Rakesh, though bulbuls and scarlet minivets love them. Grandfather enjoys resting in its shade.

The ending. One evening, lying under the tree as stars appear and insects begin to sing, Rakesh asks why this tree is so special. Grandfather says it is because they planted it themselves. Touching the bark and a leaf, Rakesh whispers, 'Is this what it feels to be God?'

Themes and message

Patience, care and growth

The tree grows slowly over years and needs watering, protection and time. Rakesh learns that good things take patience.

From the text: 'If you want luck, you must put it to some use.'

Resilience of nature

The tree survives a goat, a scythe and heavy snow, yet keeps growing. Nature has a strong will to live.

From the text: 'But the cherry tree had no intention of dying.'

Grandparent and child

Grandfather guides Rakesh with advice and stories; Rakesh reads to him and shares his joys. Their bond grows like the tree.

From the text: 'We planted it ourselves,’ said Grandfather. ‘That’s why it’s special.'

The joy of creation

Growing a living thing from one seed fills Rakesh with awe, as if he had shared in creation itself.

From the text: 'Is this what it feels to be God?'

Harmony with nature

Rakesh welcomes insects, moves the caterpillar away without killing it and enjoys the birds, showing respect for all living things.

From the text: 'Come back when you’re a butterfly,'

Characters

Rakesh

A boy who plants and cares for the cherry tree.

Curious and imaginative (asks if seeds are lucky)
Caring and patient (waters it, rings it with pebbles)
Kind to all creatures (lets the mantis stay, moves the caterpillar without killing it)
Hard-working: helps his parents on the farm

'He wanted it to know that he was there.'

Grandfather

Rakesh's grandfather, with whom he lives near Mussoorie.

Wise: links luck to effort
Encouraging and calm ('cherry trees are tough')
Loves stories and the news
Protective of the tree (scolds the grass-cutter)

'Nothing is lucky if you put it away.'

The cherry tree

Grows alongside Rakesh; almost a character.

Tough and determined
Generous: gives blossoms, fruit, shade and homes for creatures

'there were always more blossoms than birds'

How it is written

Device	Example	Effect
Personification	'the cherry tree had no intention of dying'; leaves 'always ready to dance'; 'mountains striding away into the clouds'	Makes the tree and landscape feel alive, mirroring Rakesh's love for it.
Onomatopoeia	the wind 'went whoo-whoo-whoo in the deodar trees'	Lets us hear the cold winter wind.
Imagery of seasons	winter snow, spring ducks flying to Siberia, monsoon mist, summer blossoms	Marks the passage of time and the tree's slow growth.
Parallel growth	'He was nine and the tree was four, but almost as tall as Rakesh'	Shows the boy and tree growing up together.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

Nothing is lucky if you put it away.
Grandfather: When Rakesh wants to keep the seed for luck.
Luck comes from effort and use.
If you want luck, you must put it to some use.
Grandfather: Same conversation.
Leads Rakesh to plant the seed.
But the cherry tree had no intention of dying.
Narrator: After the tree is cut in two.
Shows the tree's resilience.
Come back when you’re a butterfly,
Rakesh: Removing the hairy caterpillar.
Gentle, caring attitude to creatures.
‘We planted it ourselves,’ said Grandfather. ‘That’s why it’s special.’
Grandfather: Rakesh asks why this tree is special.
Value comes from personal effort.
Is this what it feels to be God?
Rakesh: Final line.
Awe at having created and nurtured life.

Key concepts

Timeline of the boy and the tree

Rakesh 6: buys cherries, plants the last seed in a shady corner.
Next spring: seedling about 4 inches; he waters it and circles it with pebbles.
Monsoon: grows fast; at about 2 feet a goat eats the leaves.
End of rains: new leaves; a grass-cutter's scythe cuts it in two.
Next summer: new shoots. Rakesh 8: returns after helping his parents; tree chest-high; praying mantis and caterpillar.
Early winter: snow bends the tree.
February, Rakesh 9, tree 4: first pale pink blossom.
Following year: more blossoms; tree taller than Rakesh and Grandfather; sour cherries; birds feast.
Evening scene: 'Is this what it feels to be God?'

Worked example

Which came first: the goat eating the leaves, or the woman cutting the tree?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Goat: monsoon, tree about two feet.
Woman: end of the rainy season, after new leaves.

Answer: The goat ate the leaves first; the woman's scythe cut the tree later.

Word work: odd one out, taste words, antonyms

Odd one out: plodded, scrambled, trudged (slow, effortful movement) vs galloped (fast running); stared, peered, gazed (ways of looking) vs pecked (a bird's action); growing, blossoming, progressing (developing) vs planting (an action done to something).

Taste words: sweet (jaggery), sour (lemon), tangy (tamarind), bitter (neem leaves), spicy (pickle), salty, bland (plain paneer).

Antonyms of words from the story: tender x hard; sturdy x shaky; narrow x wide; warmth x coldness; feasting x fasting; grumpy x cheerful; sheltered x unprotected; special x ordinary.

Worked example

Find the odd word: tender, delicate, soft, smooth.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Tender, delicate, soft: easily hurt or gentle.
Smooth: describes a surface, not fragility.

Answer: smooth

Past tenses

Simple past: a completed action: 'He *bought* the cherries.'
Past progressive (was/were + -ing): an action in progress in the past, often interrupted: 'Rakesh *was looking* for Grandfather...'
Past perfect (had + past participle): the earlier of two past actions: 'They gazed at the tree as though it *had performed* a miracle.'

Pattern: 'I was walking home (background) when it started to rain (event).' 'By the time we arrived, the bus had left.'

Worked example

Fill in: When Grandfather ______ (see) the tree, the woman already ______ (cut) it.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Later action: simple past: saw.
Earlier action: past perfect: had cut.

Answer: When Grandfather saw the tree, the woman had already cut it.

Punctuation, capital letters and syllables

Marks: full stop (ends a statement), comma (lists, clauses), question mark, exclamation mark (strong feeling), colon (introduces a list or explanation: 'She did not try to avoid the tree: one sweep...'), semicolon (joins closely related clauses), apostrophe (contractions: I'm; possession: Rakesh's seed, the girls' toys, Manas' car), quotation marks (direct speech), dash (emphasis).

Capitals: names of people and places, days, months, festivals, titles (Dr, Mr), God and holy books, 'I', adjectives from proper nouns (Indian), languages and geographical names (the Himalayas), titles of books and poems.

Syllables are beats of vowel sound: tree (1), cher-ry (2), grand-fa-ther (3), ca-ter-pil-lar (4).

Worked example

Punctuate: rakesh said grandfather look the cherry tree has come up

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Capitals: Rakesh, Grandfather.
Direct speech in quotation marks; comma after 'said'.
Exclamation for excitement.

Answer: Rakesh said, "Grandfather, look! The cherry tree has come up!"

Article for a school magazine

Layout: title at the top; byline (by name, class); four paragraphs: (1) introduce the topic; (2) facts and advantages; (3) consequences or problems; (4) suggestions, ending with hope, caution or a call to action.

Language: linking words (Moreover, Additionally, However, To conclude); a mix of facts and your opinions; a lively, persuasive tone.

Worked example

Write an article (about 150 words) titled 'One Tree, Many Lives' for your school magazine.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Title and byline.
Intro; benefits; problems of cutting trees; call to action.

Answer: One Tree, Many Lives
by Tanvi Joshi, Class 8A

In Ruskin Bond's story, a single cherry seed grows into a tree that feeds bees, birds and a boy's imagination. Every tree, in fact, supports many lives.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release the oxygen we breathe. Their roots hold the soil and prevent erosion during heavy rains. Moreover, they give us fruit, shade, timber and medicines, and provide homes for insects, birds and animals.

However, trees are being cut rapidly for roads and buildings. As a result, cities grow hotter, floods become more frequent and birds lose their nests.

To conclude, each of us can make a difference. Plant a sapling on your birthday, water the trees on your street and refuse to waste paper. Let us remember that when we plant a tree, we plant a future.

The Cherry Tree in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Patience with growth

Suppose you plant tomato seeds in a pot and get frustrated when nothing appears for a week.

What would Rakesh's experience teach you?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Rakesh stopped staring at the tree daily.
Growth was slow but real (an inch in weeks).
Keep caring; check now and then.

Answer: Rakesh found that watching the tree every morning made it seem not to grow, but after a week or two it had grown an inch. I should keep watering and be patient; seeds and skills both grow quietly before we see results.

Memory hook: Slow growth is still growth.

Protecting young plants

Imagine your school's new saplings keep getting eaten by stray goats.

What lesson from the story applies, and what can you do?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A goat ate Rakesh's tree's leaves.
Young plants need protection.
Use tree guards; inform the school; water regularly.

Answer: Like Rakesh's tree, young saplings are easily damaged. We could put up tree guards or fences, ask the school to keep the gate closed and take turns watering. Tough trees still need protection when young.

Memory hook: Guard it while it's small.

Value of what you make

Say you knit a simple scarf for your grandmother while your cousin buys her an expensive one.

How does Grandfather's answer about the tree explain why your gift may feel special?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'We planted it ourselves' made it special.
Effort and love add value.
Not the price.

Answer: Grandfather said the tree was special because they planted it themselves. In the same way, a scarf I made with my own effort carries my time and love, which can make it more precious than anything bought.

Memory hook: Made with love, valued more.

Topics in this chapter

The Cherry Tree: Patience, Resilience and Growth

How the school exam asks The Cherry Tree

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Extract-based (5 x 1 mark)	A passage with MCQs on mood, inference, word meaning and true/false.	Use margin meanings (stunted, yielding, haunches, plodded, scythe, grumpy).
Sequencing and cause-effect	Arrange events; complete a cause-effect table.	Use the timeline: seed, seedling, goat, scythe, new shoots, blossom, fruit.
Short answer (2 marks, 40-50 words)	Why was Rakesh in Mussoorie? Why did he let the mantis stay? What did Grandfather mean about luck?	Direct answer plus one detail from the story.
Long answer (5 marks, 100-150 words)	Meaning of the last line; relationship of Rakesh and Grandfather; humans and nature; Rakesh's reflection.	Three points with evidence, personal response.
Grammar and writing	Odd one out, taste words, antonyms, past tenses, punctuation; article for a magazine.	Earlier past action = past perfect; article = title, byline, four paragraphs.

Tricks to remember The Cherry Tree

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Dangers the tree survived
'Goat, Grass-cutter, Ground snow': three G-dangers.
Use it when: Resilience questions.
Ages
'6 plant, 8 chest-high, 9 and 4 blossom'.
Use it when: Timeline questions.
Past tenses
'Was doing = background; did = event; had done = earlier'.
Use it when: Tense fill-ins.
Article layout
'T-B-I-A-P-S': Title, Byline, Intro, Advantages, Problems, Suggestions.
Use it when: Article writing.

The Cherry Tree: extract-based questions

Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.

Extract 1: The scythe

Then a woman cutting grass scrambled down the hillside, her scythe swishing through the heavy monsoon foliage. She did not try to avoid the tree: one sweep, and the cherry tree was cut in two.

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
'Scrambled' here means:
(a) cooked eggs (b) moved quickly and with difficulty (c) climbed slowly (d) ran away
(2) · 1 mark · Short answer
What does the colon after 'avoid the tree' introduce?
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
The next sentence begins: 'When Grandfather saw what had happened,'. Identify the tense of 'had happened'.
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
Grandfather then went after the woman and told her off, though nothing could undo the damage. Grandfather's scolding shows that he:
(a) disliked the woman (b) cared about the tree (c) wanted the grass (d) was always angry
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Find a word in the extract that imitates the sound of the scythe.

Show the answersAnswers

(b) moved quickly and with difficulty
The result or explanation: the single sweep that cut the tree in two.
Past perfect.
(b) cared about the tree
swishing

Extract 2: Why this tree is special

He ran his hand along the trunk of the tree and put his finger to the tip of a leaf. ‘I wonder,’ he whispered. ‘Is this what it feels to be God?’

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
Just before this, Rakesh asks what is so special about this tree when the forest has so many, and Grandfather answers him. According to Grandfather, the tree is special because:
(a) it gives sweet fruit (b) they planted it themselves (c) it is the tallest (d) it is rare in the hills
(2) · 1 mark · Short answer
How does Rakesh show his affection for the tree in this extract?
(3) · 1 mark · Short answer
Why does Rakesh 'whisper' his last question?
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
Just before this, Rakesh says, 'Just one small seed,' and touches the smooth bark of the tree he had grown. The phrase 'Just one small seed' highlights:
(a) the tree's weakness (b) how much has grown from so little (c) Rakesh's regret (d) the size of the garden
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
How many syllables are in 'Grandfather'?

Show the answersAnswers

(b) they planted it themselves
He touches its bark, runs his hand along the trunk and touches a leaf.
He is filled with awe and wonder; it is a quiet, almost sacred moment.
(b) how much has grown from so little
Three (grand-fa-ther).

The Cherry Tree: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Where to plant the seed · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

Why did Grandfather tell Rakesh to plant the seed in the shady corner and not in the flowerbed? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Flowerbed: mustard already sown there.
Shady corner: the seed 'won't be disturbed'.
Soft, yielding earth: pressed in with his thumb.

Answer: Grandfather had already sown mustard in the flowerbed, so digging there would disturb his seeds. He chose a shady corner where the seed would not be disturbed. The earth there was soft and yielding, so Rakesh did not even have to dig; he pressed the seed in with his thumb.

Example 2: Kindness to creatures · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

How does Rakesh treat the praying mantis and the caterpillar, and what does it show? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Mantis: lets it stay, 'first visitor'.
Caterpillar: removed and dropped on dry leaves, not killed.
Shows respect for all life.

Answer: He lets the praying mantis stay, calling it the tree's first visitor. The caterpillar is eating the leaves, so he removes it quickly but drops it on dry leaves instead of killing it, telling it to come back as a butterfly. He protects the tree without harming other creatures.

Example 3: The tree's resilience · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

How does the cherry tree show resilience? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Goat eats leaves.
Scythe cuts it in two.
Snow bends it; still grows, blossoms.

Answer: A goat eats all its leaves, a grass-cutter's scythe cuts it in two, and heavy snow bends it low. Each time, it recovers, sending out new shoots and growing taller. It finally blossoms and bears fruit, proving Grandfather right that cherry trees are tough.

Example 4: Who planted it? · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Grandfather says the tree is special because 'We planted it ourselves', yet he had forgotten all about the seed. Is this a contradiction? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

He forgot at first, like Rakesh.
Then he guided its care, comforted Rakesh, scolded the grass-cutter, enjoyed its shade.
Shared care over years made it 'ours'.

Answer: No. Grandfather forgot the seed at first, as Rakesh did, but once it came up he guided its care, comforted Rakesh after the goat, scolded the grass-cutter and enjoyed its shade. Over years of shared watching and caring, the tree became theirs, so 'we planted it' is true in spirit.

Example 5: Seasons as a clock · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

Trace how the writer uses the seasons to mark the growth of the cherry tree. Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Winter: seed forgotten; wind 'whoo-whoo-whoo'.
Spring: wild ducks fly north; seedling four inches.
Monsoon: quick growth; goat; scythe at the end of the rains.
Next summer: new shoots; after the next monsoon, chest-high; early winter snow.
After February: first blossom; next summer sour cherries; conclusion.

Answer: Ruskin Bond uses the seasons like the hands of a clock. Rakesh plants the seed and forgets it; in winter a cold wind goes 'whoo-whoo-whoo' in the deodars and the garden is dry and bare. In spring, when the wild ducks fly north to Siberia, he finds the seedling, about four inches high. The early monsoon makes it grow quickly, but a goat eats its leaves, and at the end of the rains a grass-cutter's scythe cuts it in two. By the next summer it has sent out new shoots, and after the following monsoon it is chest-high. An early winter bends it low with snow. Then, after Rakesh's ninth birthday in February, the first pale pink blossom appears, and the next summer brings small, sour cherries. Each season brings either danger or growth, showing how slowly and patiently a tree grows.

Example 6: Growing up together · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

How does the writer show Rakesh and the cherry tree growing up together between his sixth and ninth birthdays and beyond? Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Start: Rakesh six; seedling four inches.
Hardships for both: goat and scythe; Rakesh's farm work, 'thinner but stronger'.
Eight: sturdy boy, tree chest-high; nine: tree four, almost as tall.
Tree outgrows him and Grandfather; Rakesh runs, climbs, reads.
Message: caring for something helps us grow.

Answer: The writer makes the boy and the tree grow side by side. Rakesh is six when he plants the seed, and the seedling is only four inches high the next spring. Both face hardships: the tree loses its leaves to a goat and is cut in two by a scythe, while Rakesh spends a monsoon working in his parents' fields and returns 'thinner but stronger'. At eight he is a sturdy boy, and the tree has reached his chest. On his ninth birthday the tree is four but almost as tall as he is, and soon it is taller than him and then taller than Grandfather. Rakesh grows too: he can run, jump and climb, and he reads a lot of books. By the end, the tree gives blossoms and fruit, and Rakesh gives it thoughtful love. Their parallel growth shows that caring for something helps us grow too.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Why did Rakesh stop looking at the seedling every morning, and what did he find later? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: it did not seem to grow very fast, so he looked only out of the corner of his eye; after a week or two it had grown at least an inch; growth needs patience.	1
Expression within the word limit.	1

Write an article for your school magazine titled 'Why Our Campus Needs More Shade'. (5 marks) (5 marks)

Step	Marks
Format: title and byline.	1
Content: introduction, benefits, consequences of losing trees, suggestions.	2
Organisation with linking words; call to action.	1
Accuracy of language.	1

Where students lose marks in The Cherry Tree

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Saying Rakesh lived with his grandfather because his parents had died
Inventing a reason.
Wrong working
Rakesh was an orphan.
Right working
His parents lived in a village fifty miles away with no school, so they sent him to study in Mussoorie.
Do this: Give the reason the story states: school.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Mixing up the goat and the scythe
Two setbacks close together.
Wrong working
A goat cut the tree in two.
Right working
The goat ate the leaves; a woman's scythe cut it in two.
Do this: Goat = leaves; scythe = cut.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Reading the last line as boastful
Misreading 'God'.
Wrong working
Rakesh thinks he is as great as God.
Right working
He feels humble awe at having nurtured life from a seed.
Do this: Note that he 'whispered' and 'wondered'.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: Wrong tense for the earlier past action
Using simple past for both actions.
Wrong working
When I reached, the train left.
Right working
When I reached, the train had left.
Do this: Earlier action = had + past participle.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on The Cherry Tree

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
Why did few fruit trees grow in the foothills where Rakesh lived? / (a) heavy rain all year (b) stony soil and dry cold winds (c) too much shade from oaks (d) goats ate the saplings
Hint
Opening of Part I.
Answer
(b) stony soil and dry cold winds
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
How many cherries were left when Rakesh reached home?
Hint
He shared one.
Answer
Three.
Q3 · 1 mark · Short answerHarder exam level
Why did Rakesh put pebbles around the seedling, and what does his answer show?
Hint
'For privacy'.
Answer
He said it was 'for privacy', which shows his playful imagination and that he treats the tree like a person.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Give the antonyms of: (i) sturdy (ii) sheltered (iii) grumpy
Hint
Opposites.
Answer
(i) shaky (ii) unprotected (iii) cheerful
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Fill in with the correct past tense: While Rakesh ______ (read) the newspaper, Grandfather ______ (fall) asleep. He ______ (not sleep) well the night before.
Hint
Progressive, simple past, past perfect.
Answer
While Rakesh was reading the newspaper, Grandfather fell asleep. He had not slept well the night before.
Q6 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Punctuate: on diwali rakeshs grandfather said ive got a surprise for you
Hint
Festival, name, apostrophes, direct speech.
Answer
On Diwali, Rakesh's grandfather said, "I've got a surprise for you!" (a full stop is also acceptable at the end).
Q7 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Count the syllables: (i) caterpillar (ii) Himalayan (iii) disturbed
Hint
Clap the beats.
Answer
(i) 4 (ca-ter-pil-lar) (ii) 4 (Hi-ma-la-yan) (iii) 2 (dis-turbed)
Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Rakesh watered the tree even when it rained 'so that it knew he was there'. Is this foolish or meaningful? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Emotional bond.
Answer
It is meaningful. Practically, the tree did not need extra water, but the act shows Rakesh's emotional bond with it. He treats the tree as a friend who should feel his presence. Such love explains why the tree feels so special to him.
Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose the cherry tree could speak on the day of its first blossom. Write four sentences from its point of view.
Hint
Remember its troubles.
Answer
Sample: A goat once stripped me bare, and a scythe cut me in two. The snow bent me low this winter. Yet here I am, holding my first pale pink blossom for the boy who never gave up on me. I bloom for you, Rakesh.
Q10 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
Write an article (120-150 words) for your school magazine titled 'Every Child, One Tree'.
Hint
Title, byline, four paragraphs.
Answer
Points: title and byline; intro (idea that every student plants and adopts one tree); benefits (oxygen, shade, cooler campus, birds, learning responsibility); problems (saplings dying from neglect, need for water and protection); suggestions (adopt-a-tree registers, birthday planting, weekend watering rotas) and a call to action.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.How much did Rakesh pay for the cherries?Show answer
Fifty paise.
2.Where had the cherries come from?Show answer
The Kashmir Valley.
3.What did Grandfather sow in the flowerbed?Show answer
Mustard.
4.How did they know spring had come?Show answer
The wild ducks flew north to Siberia.
5.What did Grandfather call Rakesh's eyes?Show answer
Blackberry eyes.
6.What colour was the first blossom?Show answer
Pale pink.
7.Which birds feasted on the cherries?Show answer
Bigger birds such as bulbuls and scarlet minivets.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Author: Ruskin Bond; Poorvi Unit 4, Environment; short story.
Rakesh, 6, lives with Grandfather near Mussoorie for school.
Grandfather: 'Nothing is lucky if you put it away'; Rakesh plants the seed.
Seedling 4 inches; pebbles 'for privacy'; goat eats leaves at 2 feet.
Scythe cuts it in two; 'no intention of dying'; new shoots.
Rakesh 8: tree chest-high; mantis stays, caterpillar moved, not killed.
Rakesh 9, tree 4: first pale pink blossom; then sour cherries, birds feast.
'We planted it ourselves'; 'Is this what it feels to be God?'
Grammar: odd one out, taste words, antonyms, past tenses, punctuation, syllables.
Writing: article (title, byline, four paragraphs, call to action).

The Cherry Tree: frequently asked questions

Who wrote 'The Cherry Tree'?

Ruskin Bond. It is the first lesson of Unit 4, Environment, in Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook.

Where is the story set?

In the Himalayan foothills, in Grandfather's cottage on the outskirts of Mussoorie.

What problems did the cherry tree face?

A goat ate its leaves, a woman cutting grass cut it in two with her scythe, and heavy snow bent it low.

What is the significance of the last line?

Rakesh feels awe and wonder at having helped create and nurture life from one small seed.

What is the writing task?

An article for a school magazine titled 'Trees: Our Lifeline', with a title, byline and four paragraphs.

Based on: NCERT Poorvi, Textbook of English for Grade 8 (Reprint 2026-27); NCERT unit PDF: Poorvi Unit 4