This article provides a complete question-answer guide for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 – “My Childhood” by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, prepared for students of ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education). The chapter is an autobiographical excerpt from Wings of Fire, in which Dr Kalam recalls his early years in Rameswaram — his family, friendships, first earnings, and the social environment that shaped his character. The solutions below cover all textbook exercises along with additional questions and MCQs to help you prepare thoroughly for your ASSEB Class 9 examinations.
Summary of My Childhood
“My Childhood” is an autobiographical piece by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the renowned Indian aerospace scientist and the 11th President of India. The chapter is an extract from his famous autobiography Wings of Fire. In this piece, Kalam recounts his early life in Rameswaram, a small town on an island in the former Madras state (present-day Tamil Nadu).
Kalam describes his family with warmth and admiration. His father, Jainulabdeen, was a man of great wisdom and generosity despite having no formal education or wealth. His mother, Ashiamma, was an ideal helpmate who regularly fed many outsiders. Kalam describes himself as a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents. He inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father and faith in goodness and kindness from his mother.
Rameswaram was a town where Hindu and Muslim communities lived together. Kalam’s close friend Ramanadha Sastry wore the sacred thread of a Hindu Brahmin, while Kalam’s cap marked him as Muslim. Despite these differences, the four friends — Kalam, Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan — grew up together in natural harmony. This harmony faced its first challenge when a new teacher asked Kalam to move to the back row. When this came to the notice of Lakshmana Sastry — the head priest and Ramanadha’s father — he summoned the teacher, scolded him, and demanded an apology. Kalam was restored to his original seat.
During the Second World War, when the train halt at Rameswaram was suspended, newspapers were thrown from moving trains. Kalam helped his cousin Samsuddin catch the bundles and earned his first wages. Earlier, he had sold tamarind seeds during a sudden market demand, earning one anna a day — his very first income. His science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, invited Kalam for dinner, but his orthodox wife refused to serve a Muslim boy. Unfazed, Iyer served Kalam himself and ate with him. By the next visit, his wife had willingly changed her attitude. When Kalam left Rameswaram for higher education, his father quoted Khalil Gibran — comparing Kalam to a seagull that must fly alone across the sun.
Oral Comprehension Check
Q1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house?
Answer: Abdul Kalam’s house was on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram, a small town situated on an island in the former Madras state (now Tamil Nadu). It was an old house built in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Q2. What do you think Dinamani is?
Answer: Dinamani is a Tamil-language newspaper. We can infer this because Kalam mentions trying to trace news about World War II in the headlines of Dinamani — which is a well-known Tamil newspaper published from Chennai.
Q3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become?
Answer: Abdul Kalam had three close school friends — Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. Ramanadha Sastry later became the head priest of the Rameswaram temple. Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for pilgrims visiting Rameswaram. Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways.
Q4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages?
Answer: During the Second World War, the train halt at Rameswaram station was suspended. Newspapers were thrown from the moving trains onto the platform. Kalam’s cousin Samsuddin needed someone to help catch the newspaper bundles, and Kalam took on this job, earning his first wages.
Q5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way?
Answer: Yes. During the war period there was a sudden demand for tamarind seeds. Kalam used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on the Mosque Street. A day’s collection would fetch him one anna — his very first independent income. He recalls feeling a surge of pride on earning even that small amount.
Q6. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?
(i) His Father: Kalam describes his father, Jainulabdeen, as a man who had neither formal education nor great wealth, but who possessed innate wisdom and true generosity of spirit. He was an austere man who avoided all unnecessary luxuries and comforts.
(ii) His Mother: Kalam describes his mother, Ashiamma, as an ideal helpmate and a deeply kind woman. She fed many people every day — more outsiders ate in their home than family members.
(iii) Himself: Kalam describes himself as “a short boy with rather undistinguished looks, born to tall and handsome parents.”
Q7. What characteristics did he inherit from his parents?
Answer: Kalam says he inherited honesty and self-discipline from his father, Jainulabdeen. From his mother, Ashiamma, he inherited faith in goodness and deep-hearted kindness.
Thinking about the Text
Q1. Which social groups are mentioned in the text? Were their differences visible?
Answer: The text mentions two main social groups in Rameswaram — Hindus (particularly upper-caste Hindu Brahmins) and Muslims. Yes, their differences were clearly visible through outward markers of identity. A Hindu boy like Ramanadha Sastry wore the sacred thread, while a Muslim boy like Kalam wore a cap.
Q2. Identify people in the story who were working towards breaking these social barriers.
Answer: Lakshmana Sastry confronted the new teacher who had separated Kalam from his son, scolded him, and insisted on an apology. Sivasubramania Iyer personally served food to Kalam and sat beside him to eat, and by inviting Kalam again, gently transformed his wife’s attitude. Kalam’s own father regularly engaged with Hindu religious figures and lent the family boat for temple ceremonies, nurturing inter-faith goodwill.
Q3. Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram? What did his father say to him?
Answer: Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram to pursue higher education in Ramanathapuram. His father spoke with gentle wisdom, quoting Khalil Gibran — saying that parents can give their children love but not their thoughts, for children live in the house of tomorrow. He compared Kalam to a seagull that must fly alone across the sun. These words gave Kalam the courage to seek a larger life beyond Rameswaram.
Thinking about Language
Form opposites using the prefixes un-, in-, im-, il-, or ir-.
| Word | Opposite |
|---|---|
| adequate | inadequate |
| acceptable | unacceptable |
| regular | irregular |
| tolerant | intolerant |
| active | inactive |
| logical | illogical |
| legal | illegal |
| responsible | irresponsible |
| possible | impossible |
Additional Questions
Q1. What was the impact of the Second World War on Rameswaram?
Answer: The Second World War brought visible changes to everyday life in Rameswaram. The train halt at Rameswaram station was suspended, which disrupted newspaper distribution. Bundles of newspapers had to be thrown from moving trains. There was also a sudden market demand for tamarind seeds. These events shaped Kalam’s early working experiences.
Q2. What was the new teacher’s attitude towards Kalam? How was it dealt with?
Answer: The new teacher was communally prejudiced and asked Kalam to move to the back row, unable to accept a Muslim boy sitting next to a Hindu priest’s son. When Lakshmana Sastry learned of this, he summoned the teacher, reprimanded him severely for introducing religious discrimination into young minds, and demanded an apology. Kalam was restored to his original seat.
Q3. How did Sivasubramania Iyer deal with his wife’s orthodox refusal?
Answer: When Sivasubramania Iyer invited Kalam for a meal, his orthodox wife refused to serve a Muslim boy. Rather than accepting her refusal, Iyer served the food himself and sat beside Kalam while they both ate. He then invited Kalam again the following week. By the next visit, his wife had changed her attitude and willingly served Kalam. Iyer’s calm, consistent approach had a transformative effect on her thinking.
Q4. How did Kalam’s childhood in Rameswaram shape his values and personality?
Answer: Kalam’s childhood in Rameswaram shaped his character through several key influences. From his father he learned honesty and self-discipline; from his mother he learned kindness and faith in goodness. His friendships with Hindu Brahmin boys across religious lines taught him that genuine human bonds transcend social categories. The examples of Lakshmana Sastry and Sivasubramania Iyer showed him that people of good will could stand up against injustice. The experience of earning his own money gave him a sense of independence and self-worth. Together, these experiences produced a man of integrity, humility, and vision.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. “My Childhood” is an extract from which book by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam?
Answer: (c) Wings of Fire
Q2. Where was Abdul Kalam born and raised?
Answer: (b) Rameswaram
Q3. What did Kalam sell to earn his first money?
Answer: (c) Tamarind seeds
Q4. Who was Sivasubramania Iyer?
Answer: (b) Kalam’s science teacher
Q5. What did Kalam’s father quote when bidding him farewell?
Answer: (c) Khalil Gibran
Q6. Who confronted the new teacher for separating Kalam from his Hindu classmates?
Answer: (c) Lakshmana Sastry
Q7. Ramanadha Sastry, Kalam’s school friend, later became:
Answer: (c) The head priest of the Rameswaram temple
Q8. Which characteristics did Kalam say he inherited from his father?
Answer: (b) Honesty and self-discipline