EnglishCBSE Class 8 · Chapter 8

The Magic Brush of Dreams Class 8: Poem Summary and Questions

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The Magic Brush of Dreams, a narrative poem adapted from a folk tale in Poorvi Unit 3, tells of Gopi, who receives a magic brush and promises to paint only for the poor. She refuses the greedy Zamindar, escapes from prison by painting a road and a horse, stops his men with a river and celebrates with the villagers.

What The Magic Brush of Dreams is about

The Magic Brush of Dreams is the poem in Unit 3 (Mystery and Magic) of Poorvi, the Class 8 English textbook. It is adapted from a folk tale and is a narrative poem (ballad): it tells a complete story in verse.

A village girl, Gopi, is given a magic paintbrush by a mysterious man who tells her to paint only for the poor. Whatever she paints becomes real: khichdi, a muffler, a plough, a shawl, a fan. When the greedy Zamindar demands a fortress and treasures, she refuses and is thrown into a cell. She paints her way out with a road and a horse, blocks her pursuers with a river, threatens to paint a beast, and finally paints a feast for the villagers.

The poem mostly follows the rhyme scheme ABCB. Its tone moves from playful and innocent, to tension and suspense, to triumphant and celebratory. Key ideas: using gifts for others, courage against greed, and the power of imagination.

CBSE sets no Class 8 paper; your school sets the exam. Expect extract questions, sequencing, symbols, tone, word work (meanings of 'draw', interjections), falling tone and requests, and an imaginative essay.

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 Magic Brush of Dreams: explanation

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

Gopi and her sand pictures. Gopi is sent to gather wild beans, fetch rice and pick mangoes. Instead, she sits under a banyan tree drawing pictures in the sand with a twig, and the wind blows them away.

The gift. A man sitting on a stone with a brush in his hand looks around and quietly calls her. He whispers that the village must not know about the magic brush. He slips it into her hand and tells her firmly to paint not for the wealthy, but only for the poor.

The first magic. When asked whether she has brought the beans, rice and mangoes, Gopi grins, says she has none, runs inside and paints a bowl of khichdi. When the paint dries, the bowl is really full of khichdi. Villagers, young and old, crowd in to see the magic brush. She paints a warm muffler for a farmer, a plough for a second villager, a shawl for an old grandmother and a fan for a girl.

The Zamindar's greed. News spreads through forests, fields and plains until the Zamindar hears of it. He orders Gopi to paint a tall, grand fortress and enough treasure to rule the land. Gopi bows but refuses: she has sworn to use the brush to help the needy. Furious, he roars and orders his men to seize the brush and the girl and throw her into the pen. Gopi waits in a cell on a cold mud floor. The Zamindar returns holding the brush and thunders that she must paint his fortress, gold, rubies and emeralds if she wants to leave.

The escape. That night, while the Zamindar sleeps dreaming of gold, Gopi paints a winding road out of the prison gates and a strong, bold horse. She gallops through fields and villages, where the villagers cheer her return. The Zamindar's men chase her, so she paints a wide, deep, fast river that stops them. She warns that she could paint a beast to chase and feast on them. Terrified, the Zamindar promises to leave and flees with his men.

Celebration. Gopi paints a feast of sweets and tea, a bright courtyard, a band and songs of victory for the village folk.

Central idea: A gift is best used to help others. Courage and kindness defeat greed and power.

Themes and message

Using gifts for the needy

Gopi keeps her promise to paint only for the poor. Her gift brings food, warmth and tools to ordinary villagers.

From the text: 'Paint not for the wealthy ones, / But only for the poor.'

Greed versus generosity

The Zamindar wants fortresses and jewels for himself; Gopi wants to help others. This contrast drives the story and its moral.

From the text: 'Paint treasures, jewels, and riches rare, / Enough to rule this land.'

Courage against power

A young girl refuses a powerful landlord, endures prison and outwits him. Moral courage wins over force.

From the text: 'My lord, I can’t comply.'

Imagination and art

The brush stands for the power of art and imagination to change the world. Gopi's creativity, first seen in sand pictures, becomes her strength.

From the text: 'The young and old all wish to see / The magic brush of dreams.'

The speaker and the people in the poem

Gopi

A village girl who receives the magic brush.

Imaginative and playful (draws in the sand)
Generous: paints for poor villagers
Principled and brave: refuses the Zamindar
Quick-witted: escapes and outwits her pursuers

'I swore to use this magic brush / To help the needy by.'

The man with the brush

A mysterious stranger who gives Gopi the brush.

Careful and secretive (whispers 'Hush!')
Wise: insists the brush serve the poor

'We mustn’t let the village know / About this magic brush.'

The Zamindar

The greedy, powerful landlord.

Greedy for wealth and power
Bullying and short-tempered (roars, stamps, bellows)
Cowardly when threatened

'The Zamindar roars and stamps his foot.'

The villagers

Ordinary people whom Gopi helps.

Curious and amazed
Merry and kind; welcome Gopi back

'Say the villagers, merry and kind.'

Poetic devices

Device	Example	Effect
Repetition	'On you, and you and you!'; 'Go and gather ... Go and fetch ... Go and pluck'	Builds a threatening, dramatic effect, as if Gopi points at each man; in the opening it creates a sing-song rhythm.
Imagery	'a winding road, / A horse both strong and bold'; 'a mighty river wide, / Its currents fast and deep'	Paints clear pictures in the reader's mind, matching the theme of painting.
Symbolism	The brush (power of art and imagination); the fortress (greed); the river and the beast (barriers protecting Gopi)	Objects carry deeper meanings, giving the folk tale its moral.
Alliteration	'forests, fields'; 'both strong and bold'; 'gallops fast, / Through fields'	Adds music and pace to the narrative.
Contrast	Gopi painting for the poor versus the Zamindar's demand for riches	Highlights the moral difference between generosity and greed.

Key quotations

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

Paint not for the wealthy ones, But only for the poor.
The man with the brush: Giving the brush to Gopi.
The condition that shapes the whole story.
The young and old all wish to see The magic brush of dreams.
Poet: After Gopi paints the khichdi.
Gives the poem its title; shows wonder spreading.
My lord, I can’t comply.
Gopi: Refusing the Zamindar's order.
Polite but firm courage.
Seize this brush and seize the girl.
The Zamindar: After Gopi refuses.
Shows his anger and misuse of power.
Stop this chase or it will feast On you, and you and you!
Gopi: Threatening to paint a beast.
Turning point: the bully is frightened off.

Key concepts

Form, rhyme scheme and tone

A narrative poem (ballad) in short stanzas. Rhyme scheme mostly ABCB: the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme (hand/sand, rice/nice, grand/land).

Tone shifts:
1. Playful and innocent: Gopi drawing in the sand, painting khichdi.
2. Tension and suspense: the Zamindar's orders, the cell, the chase.
3. Triumphant and celebratory: the Zamindar flees; feast and songs of victory.

Worked example

Find the rhyme scheme of the stanza in which the Zamindar orders a fortress (its line endings are me, grand, rare, land).

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

me (A), grand (B), rare (C), land (B).
Only lines 2 and 4 rhyme.

Answer: ABCB (grand/land).

Symbols

Magic paintbrush -> the power of art and imagination to change the world.
Grand fortress -> greed and the desire for wealth and power.
River and beast -> barriers protecting Gopi from the Zamindar's anger.
Feast and songs -> shared joy and the victory of good.

In answers, name the object, then say what it stands for and why.

Worked example

What does the river symbolise?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Gopi paints it during the chase.
It stops the Zamindar's men.

Answer: A protective barrier: it shows how imagination can shield the good from the powerful.

Many meanings of 'draw' and words from the poem

'Draw': make a picture; attract (draw crowds); get a reaction (drew applause); absorb (plants draw water); move (the train drew into the station); open or close (drew the curtains); pull out (drew a paper from the folder).

Words from the poem: gallop (horse's fastest pace), whisper (speak very softly), seize (grab suddenly and forcibly), wealthy (rich), flee (run away), mighty (very strong), comply (obey a rule or order), stream (move in a continuous flow: 'the villagers streamed'), bellow (a deep, loud shout), victory (a win over an enemy).

Worked example

Meaning of 'draw' in: 'The magic show will draw a large audience.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Not making a picture.
Bringing people in.

Answer: Attract.

Interjections, falling tone and requests

Interjections express sudden feelings: Hush! (be quiet), Phew! (relief), Eek! (alarm), Ouch! (pain), Yippee! (delight), Whoa! (surprise), Oops! (mistake), Hey! (attract attention). They are usually followed by an exclamation mark.

Falling tone: commands, instructions and warnings usually end with a falling pitch: 'Come here!', 'Paint my fortress tall!'

Requests: formal: 'Would it be possible to...', 'Would you mind if...', 'I would like to...'; informal: 'Can/Will you...', 'Do you mind if...', 'I was wondering if...'.

Worked example

Make a formal request to your class teacher for an extra sports period.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Use a polite formal opener.
Give a reason.

Answer: Ma'am, would it be possible to have an extra sports period this week, since we missed ours last Friday?

Imaginative essay

An imaginative essay is creative writing based on imagination, often in the first person.

Checklist: a relevant title; a catchy opening that sets the situation and tone; setting and time; characters with clear traits; one central idea with a logical flow even if it is fantasy; sensory details, similes and metaphors; a turning point and resolution; a reflective ending with a clear message.

Worked example

Write an imaginative essay (about 150 words): 'The Paintbox That Came Alive'.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Catchy opening; first person.
Two or three magical events with sensory detail.
A challenge or turning point; reflective ending.

Answer: The Paintbox That Came Alive / / It was a rainy Sunday, and I was bored, until the old paintbox on my shelf began to hum. / / When I opened it, the colours rose like tiny birds. Blue flew to the window and painted the grey sky clear. Yellow slid under the door and warmed the cold corridor where our watchman sits. Green poured out onto the bare plot next door, and in seconds it smelt of wet grass and mint. / / Then Red tugged at my sleeve, wanting to paint a giant trophy with my name on it. I hesitated. It was tempting, but it would help nobody. I shook my head, and Red, a little ashamed, painted a bright umbrella for the watchman instead. / / By evening, the colours had settled back into their box. I learnt that a gift feels best when it brightens someone else's day.

The Magic Brush of Dreams 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.

Using talent for others

Suppose you are excellent at drawing and a classmate offers to pay you to do his art homework, while your school asks for volunteers to paint a mural at a government hospital.

What would Gopi choose, and why?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Gopi used her gift for the needy, not for gain.
Doing someone's homework is dishonest; the mural helps patients.
Choose the mural; refuse politely.

Answer: Gopi would refuse the paid homework and paint the hospital mural. Like her brush, my talent should brighten the lives of others, such as patients in a hospital, not help someone cheat.

Memory hook: Talent for need, not for greed.

Saying no to the powerful

Imagine a senior student pressures you to give him your project idea so he can win a competition.

How can Gopi's refusal guide you?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Stay polite but firm, as Gopi bowed and refused.
Explain your reason.
Seek help from a teacher if bullied.

Answer: Like Gopi saying 'My lord, I can't comply', I can politely but firmly refuse. If he keeps pressuring me, I should inform a teacher. Respect does not mean obeying unfair demands.

Memory hook: Bow politely, refuse firmly.

Imagination solves problems

Say your class has no money for a farewell party decoration.

How could Gopi's creative thinking help?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Gopi solved problems by imagining solutions.
Use waste paper, old cloth, drawings.
Teamwork turns ideas into reality.

Answer: Like Gopi turning pictures into real things, we can imagine and make decorations from old newspapers, cloth scraps and our own paintings. Creativity can replace money.

Memory hook: Imagine it, then make it.

Topics in this chapter

The Magic Brush of Dreams: Gopi's Choices

How the school exam asks The Magic Brush of Dreams

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 stanza or two with MCQs on meaning, tone, symbols, rhyme scheme and character inference.	Identify who speaks and the mood; quote the words for devices.
Short answer (2 marks, 40-50 words)	Why did Gopi refuse the Zamindar? Significance of the title? How did she escape?	Point plus event from the poem.
Long answer (5 marks, 100-150 words)	Contrast Gopi and the Zamindar; how you would use the magic brush today; justify Gopi's threat.	Two or three points, evidence, own view.
Sequencing and tone	Arrange events in order; describe how the tone changes.	Use the three-part tone pattern: playful, tense, triumphant.
Language and writing	Meanings of 'draw', vocabulary, interjections, requests; imaginative essay.	Use context for meanings; follow the essay checklist.

Tricks to remember The Magic Brush of Dreams

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

Story order
'Sand, Man, Khichdi, Gifts, Zamindar, Cell, Road, River, Beast, Feast'.
Use it when: Sequencing events.
Gifts for villagers
'Farmer's Muffler, Man's Plough, Granny's Shawl, Girl's Fan': F-M, M-P, G-S, G-F.
Use it when: Recall questions.
Tone
'Play, Panic, Party': playful and innocent, tension and suspense, triumphant and celebratory.
Use it when: Tone questions.
Interjections
'Phew = relief, Oops = slip, Ouch = hurt, Yippee = joy, Eek = alarm, Whoa = surprise, Hey = look here'.
Use it when: Matching interjections.

The Magic Brush of Dreams: extract-based questions

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

Extract 1: Gopi refuses

Gopi bows and shakes her head.
“My lord, I can’t comply.
I swore to use this magic brush
To help the needy by.”

(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
'Comply' means:
(a) complain (b) obey (c) compare (d) complete
(2) · 1 mark · Short answer
Why does Gopi bow before refusing?
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
In the next lines the Zamindar roars, stamps his foot and bellows to his men to seize the brush and the girl and throw her in the pen. Which two verbs show the Zamindar's anger?
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
The tone of these lines is mainly:
(a) playful (b) tense (c) celebratory (d) sorrowful
(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
(See the context given in the third question.) What does the Zamindar's reaction reveal about him?

Show the answersAnswers

(b) obey
To stay polite and respectful even while firmly saying no.
'roars' and 'bellows' (also 'stamps').
(b) tense
He is a bully who uses force when he cannot get his way.

Extract 2: The escape

That night the Zamindar lies in bed,
Dreaming of his gold,
While Gopi paints a winding road,
A horse both strong and bold.

(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What is the Zamindar doing while Gopi plans her escape?
(2) · 1 mark · MCQ
The contrast between the Zamindar and Gopi in lines 1-3 shows:
(a) both are lazy (b) he dreams of wealth while she acts to free herself (c) both want gold (d) she is afraid of him
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Pick the rhyming pair in the first four lines.
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
In the next lines Gopi's painted road leads out of the prison gates; she urges the horse on, leaps on and gallops fast through fields and villages. 'Gallops' refers to:
(a) a slow walk (b) the fastest pace of a horse (c) a jump (d) a halt
(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
(See the context given in the fourth question.) What quality of Gopi does her escape show?

Show the answersAnswers

Sleeping and dreaming of his gold.
(b) he dreams of wealth while she acts to free herself
gold / bold
(b) the fastest pace of a horse
Quick thinking and courage (resourcefulness).

The Magic Brush of Dreams: exam-level solved questions

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

Example 1: The man's instruction · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

Why does the man tell Gopi to paint only for the poor and to keep the brush secret? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Poor need help most.
Secret: the greedy might seize it.
Wise and careful.

Answer: The poor need help the most, and a magic brush in greedy hands could be misused for wealth and power. He keeps it secret because he knows people like the Zamindar would try to seize it. His instruction shows he is wise and careful.

Example 2: Why not paint and escape? · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Gopi could simply have painted the fortress to win her freedom. Why do you think she refused instead? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A promise to paint only for the needy.
A fortress and treasure would increase his power over the poor.
Keeping her word mattered more than her comfort.

Answer: Painting even one fortress would break her promise to help only the needy. Treasure would make the greedy Zamindar richer and more powerful over the poor villagers. Gopi chose to keep her word and accept prison rather than buy her freedom by helping injustice.

Example 3: Why begin with sand pictures? · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Why does the poem begin with Gopi drawing pictures in the sand that the wind sweeps away? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Shows she already loves to draw and imagine.
Her pictures cannot last; the wind sweeps them away.
The brush makes her pictures real: the opening prepares for the gift.

Answer: The sand pictures show that Gopi already loves to draw and imagine, even though her pictures cannot last: the wind sweeps them away. The magic brush makes her pictures permanent and real. So the opening prepares us for the gift and shows why she deserved it.

Example 4: Whose magic is it? · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

When the Zamindar comes to the cell, he holds the brush himself, yet he still orders Gopi to paint. What does this suggest about the brush's magic? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'He holds the brush. He thunders loud, / Paint my fortress tall!'
He cannot use it himself; he needs Gopi.
Inference: the magic works for the one it was given to, who paints for the needy.

Answer: Although he has seized the brush, he cannot use it himself and must order Gopi to paint. This suggests the magic works only in the hands of the one it was given to, someone who paints for the needy. Greed can grab the brush but cannot command its magic.

Example 5: Rich and poor in the poem · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

How does the poem show the gap between the villagers and the Zamindar? Support your answer with details from the poem. Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Village life: gathering beans, rice and mangoes.
Villagers' simple needs: khichdi, muffler, plough, shawl, fan.
Zamindar's wants: fortress, gold, rubies, emeralds, 'enough to rule this land'; men and a prison.
The setting sets need beside greed.
The brush 'only for the poor' and the shared feast close the gap.

Answer: The poem opens in a village where a girl is sent to gather wild beans, fetch rice and pluck mangoes for the family meal. The villagers' needs are simple: a bowl of khichdi, a muffler for a farmer, a plough, a shawl for a grandmother and a fan for a girl. These are everyday things for warmth, work and comfort. The Zamindar, the powerful landlord, wants something very different: a fortress tall and grand, gold, rubies and emeralds, 'enough to rule this land'. He already has men to command and a prison to lock people in. So the setting places ordinary people who lack basic things beside a powerful man who wants still more. Gopi's brush, given 'only for the poor', helps to close this gap, and the feast at the end is shared by the whole village.

Example 6: The stranger's diary · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Imagine you are the man who gave Gopi the brush. Write a diary entry on the day you hear the villagers' songs of victory. Answer in 100-150 words. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Diary format; first person as the stranger.
Why he chose her: the sand pictures.
She kept the rule: gifts for villagers; refused the Zamindar; the cell.
Escape and protection without harm; reflection.

Answer: Dear Diary, / / Today the villagers were singing songs of victory, and I smiled from my stone. I chose well. When I first saw the girl under the banyan tree, drawing in the sand while the wind swept her pictures away, I knew she had a painter's heart. I told her to paint not for the wealthy, only for the poor, and she kept her word. She painted khichdi, a muffler, a plough, a shawl and a fan, and asked for nothing. When the Zamindar demanded a fortress and jewels, she bowed and refused, even though it meant a cold mud floor in his cell. Then she painted a road, a horse and a river, and only threatened to paint a beast. She used the magic to protect, not to harm. The brush is in the right hands.

Where the marks are

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

How did Gopi escape from the Zamindar's prison and stop his men? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: at night, while he dreamt of gold, she painted a winding road out of the prison gates and a strong horse; galloped away; painted a wide, deep river; threatened to paint a beast.	1
Expression within the word limit.	1

Write an imaginative essay on a given topic. (5 marks) (5 marks)

Step	Marks
Title and engaging opening.	1
Content: setting, events with sensory detail, turning point.	2
Organisation and reflective conclusion.	1
Accuracy and creative language.	1

Where students lose marks in The Magic Brush of Dreams

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

Mistake: Saying Gopi painted the beast
Confusing the threat with the action.
Wrong working
Gopi painted a beast that chased the Zamindar away.
Right working
She only threatened to paint a beast; the Zamindar fled in fear.
Do this: Read 'Now should I paint a beast...?' as a question.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing ABAB as the rhyme scheme
Assuming all alternate lines rhyme.
Wrong working
ABAB: me/rare and grand/land.
Right working
ABCB: only grand/land rhyme; me and rare do not.
Do this: Check lines 1 and 3 separately.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Naming a poet
Guessing an author.
Wrong working
The poem is by Rabindranath Tagore.
Right working
It is adapted from a folk tale; no poet is named.
Do this: Write 'adapted from a folk tale'.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Imaginative essay without a message or ending
Listing events only.
Wrong working
Then I went here, then there, then I came home.
Right working
Includes a turning point and a reflective final line with a takeaway.
Do this: Use the checklist: resolution and conclusion.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks of 5.

Practice questions on The Magic Brush of Dreams

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
What was Gopi doing under the banyan tree?
(a) sleeping (b) drawing pictures in the sand (c) gathering beans (d) painting a fortress
Hint
With a twig.
Answer
(b) drawing pictures in the sand
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
What was the first thing Gopi painted with the magic brush?
Hint
A food.
Answer
A bowl of khichdi.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Name four things Gopi painted for villagers and for whom.
Hint
Farmer, man, grandmother, girl.
Answer
A muffler for a farmer, a plough for a second villager, a shawl for an old grandmother and a fan for a girl.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Give the meaning of 'draw' in each: (i) Roots draw water from the soil. (ii) The magician's act drew loud cheers. (iii) She drew the curtains at night.
Hint
absorb, get a reaction, close.
Answer
(i) absorb (ii) got a reaction (iii) closed (pulled across)
Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Fill in suitable interjections: (i) ______! I spilled the paint. (ii) ______! The exam is over at last. (iii) ______! We won the match!
Hint
mistake, relief, delight.
Answer
(i) Oops (ii) Phew (iii) Yippee
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
How does the tone of the poem change from beginning to end? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Three stages.
Answer
It begins playful and innocent as Gopi draws in the sand and paints khichdi. With the Zamindar's orders, prison and the chase, it turns tense and suspenseful. It ends triumphant and celebratory when the Zamindar flees and Gopi paints a feast and songs of victory.
Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Make an informal request to your cousin to spend the weekend with you, and a formal request to your teacher to include you in an inter-school event.
Hint
Different openers.
Answer
Sample: Informal: 'Hey Riya, can you come over this weekend? We could bake a cake!' Formal: 'Ma'am, would it be possible to include me in the inter-school quiz? I have been preparing for it.'
Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
The man warned that the village must not know about the brush, yet the whole village found out. Did keeping it secret matter? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Fame brought the Zamindar.
Answer
Yes. Once the villagers streamed in and news spread through forests and plains, the Zamindar heard of it and seized Gopi. The man's warning was wise: fame attracted greed. Gopi's kindness made secrecy hard, but the trouble shows why he had asked her to stay quiet.
Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose the Zamindar returns years later and humbly asks Gopi to paint a school for the village. Should she? Give reasons in about 50 words.
Hint
Who benefits?
Answer
Yes, because the school would benefit poor village children, which fits the man's rule of painting only for the poor. The request is no longer for the Zamindar's own wealth. Helping him change his ways could also bring lasting good to the village.
Q10 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
Write an imaginative essay (120-150 words): 'The Day My Shadow Walked Away'.
Hint
First person, places, sensory detail, return, lesson.
Answer
Points: catchy opening (waking to find no shadow at your feet); where it went (the playground, a busy market, a river bank) with sights, sounds and smells; a turning point (finding it helping a lost child, or stuck under a bridge); how it came back; a reflective ending with a clear message.

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.Under which tree did Gopi sit?Show answer
A banyan tree.
2.What did the wind do to her pictures?Show answer
Swept them away.
3.What did the Zamindar first demand?Show answer
A tall, grand fortress and treasures, jewels and riches.
4.Where was Gopi kept?Show answer
In a cell, on a cold mud floor.
5.What stopped the Zamindar's men?Show answer
A wide river with fast, deep currents that Gopi painted.
6.What did Gopi paint at the end?Show answer
A feast of sweets and tea, a bright courtyard, a band and songs of victory.

Quick revision checklist

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

Adapted from a folk tale; Poorvi Unit 3, Mystery and Magic; narrative poem (ballad).
Gopi draws in sand; a man gives her a magic brush: paint only for the poor.
Paints khichdi; then muffler, plough, shawl, fan for villagers.
Zamindar demands fortress and treasure; Gopi refuses; jailed.
Escapes with a painted road and horse; river stops pursuers.
Threat of a beast; Zamindar flees; feast and songs of victory.
Rhyme scheme mostly ABCB; tone: playful, tense, triumphant.
Symbols: brush (imagination), fortress (greed), river and beast (protection).
Language: meanings of 'draw', interjections, falling tone, requests.
Writing: imaginative essay (title, opening, sensory detail, turning point, message).

The Magic Brush of Dreams: frequently asked questions

Who wrote 'The Magic Brush of Dreams'?

No poet is named; Poorvi says it is adapted from a folk tale.

What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

Mostly ABCB: the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme.

How did Gopi escape from prison?

At night she painted a winding road leading out of the prison gates and a strong horse, and galloped away.

How was the Zamindar defeated?

Gopi painted a wide river to stop his men and threatened to paint a beast; frightened, the Zamindar fled.

What is the writing task?

An imaginative essay, for example about a scarf blown off a clothesline or a magical library book.

Based on: NCERT Poorvi, Textbook of English for Grade 8 (Reprint 2026-27); NCERT unit PDF: Poorvi Unit 3