Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Homeless Bird
by Kelly Davidson and Natasha Cooper

Chapter One Vocabulary

1.  Sari

2. Tamarind Tree

3. Turmeric

4. Cinnamon

5. Cumin

6. Lotus

7. Brahman

8. Auspicious

9. Namaskar

10. Sandalwood Paste

11. Vermilion

12. Red Tikka Mark

13. Kohl

14. Kautuka

15. Choi

16. Petticoat

17. Marigold 

 Chapter One Discussion Questions

1. How old is Koly when the story begins?

2. How does Koly’s father make a living?

3. How does Koly’s mom get money for the family?

4. Explain the symbolic meaning of the lotus pod that Koly’s mother embroiders on her Sari.

5. Explain what Koly constructs for her own dowry.

6. What does Koly’s family have to sell to get enough money for the dowry and how does this hurt the family?

7. Describe, in addition to the money, the jewelry that is used for the dowry.

8. How do they decide the date and time of the wedding?

9. Why were Koly’s parents pleased that the wedding would take the place at Hari’s home?

10. What did Koly take with her to her marriage?

11. Explain how Koly described the Mehta’s house.

12. How does Koly greet Mrs. Mehta?

13. Koly wants to see her future husband but his mother says she will not be able to.  Koly is concerned she will not love him.  How does Koly’s mother respond?

14. What do they say will happen if the wedding doesn’t take place at the assigned time?

15. Explain what Koly and Hari wear at the wedding.

16. How does the wedding ceremony end?

17. What food is cooked at the reception?

18. Why does Koly not get a coconut cake the day of her wedding?

19. What does Koly do with her silver earrings?

Chapter Two Vocabulary

1. Sass

2. Varanasi

3. Ganges River

4. Chandra

5.  Sassur

6.  Pyre

7. Charpoy

8. Neem Tree

1.     

Chapter Two Discussion Questions

1. What does Mr. Mehta do for a living?

2. Explain the household tasks that Koly performs on a daily basis.

3. What do people bring Hari while he is sick?

4. Why are they going to take Hari to Varanasi?

5. Why does Hari think he will be lucky if he dies in Varanasi?

6. What does Chandra tell Koly about why the family allowed Hari to marry despite his sickness?

7. Why does Koly worry about becoming a widow?

8. How does Hari use his sickness as an advantage towards his parents?

9. Explain why killing a cow is a terrible deed in India.

10. Why does the healer (Bhagat) sprinkle leaves of the neem tree on Hari?

Chapter Three Vocabulary

1.  Darshan

2. Wallahs

3. Rickshaw

4. Dal

5. Chapati

6. Camphor

7. Pilgrimage

8. Golden Temple of Vishvanath

9. Saffron

10. Sadhus

11. Ghat

12. Puja

13. Jains

14. Sikhs

    Chapter Three Discussion Questions

1. What does Chandra have to do in order to share in the sight of the Ganges?

2. Why does Koly think the many urns on the train where inauspicious?

3. Why does Sassur give money to the beggars?

4. What does Koly notice about the streets in Varanasi?

5. What does Hari become amazed at when they enter Varanasi?

6. Mr. Lal gives Hari a small jug of water.  What does Hari do and why is this significant?

7. What do they rub on Hari’s chest?

8. What does Koly notice about the surroundings as they make their pilgrimage to the Golden Temple?

9. What does Koly notice about the inside of the temple?

10. What does Koly describe is happening along the water’s edge?

11. How does Hari’s condition change after floating in the Ganges?

12. What did they do to Hari’s body after death?

13. What do they believe the scattering of Hari’s ashes over the Ganges will do?

14. Why does Sass purchase a white cotton sari for Koly?

    Chapter Four Vocabulary

1.  Dung cakes

2. Holi celebration

3. Bandicoot

4. Monsoon

5. Krishna’s birthday

6. Rabindranath Tagore

7. Gataka

8.  Untouchables

Chapter Four Discussion Questions

1.  How were things different at home after Hari’s death?

2. What does Sass tell Koly about the untouchables?

3. What does Koly begin to do in order to comfort herself?

4. How does Koly learn how to read?

5. Describe what Koly daydreams about.

6. How does Koly explain the results of the monsoons?

7. Why would Koly make sure she never spilled salt?

8. What is Koly’s favorite poem about?

 

    Chapter Five Vocabulary

1. Tali

2.  Pooris

3. Chutney

4. Sitar

 

Chapter Five Discussion Questions

1. What job does Chandra's future husband have?

2. How does Chandra respond when Koly asks her if she loves her future husband?

3. Why is Koly not able to help Chandra prepare for her wedding day?

4. Explain the food at the wedding celebration.

 

Chapter Six Pre-Reading Question

1. Is there something that has always been there for you?  Something that can always cheer you up?  (pet, toy, song, place, etc.) Explain your answer.

 

Chapter Six Vocabulary

1. Chula

2.  Kurta Pajama

3. Maa

4. Baap

5. Shrine

6. Pariah

7. Bandicoot

8. Mynah Bird

9. Widow Sari

 

Chapter Six Discussion Questions

1. List the daily chores that Koly does now that Hari and Chandra are gone.

2. How did the dog and bandicoot help Koly?

3. Why can’t Koly obtain her pension herself?

 

Chapter Seven Vocabulary

1. Ghee

2. Rupee

3. Muslin

4. Bangle

5. Okra

6. Impudent

 

Chapter Seven Discussion Questions

1. When Chandra returns home, what changes in her does Koly notice right away?  Changes she learns of later?

2. List the funeral customs mentioned in the description of Sassur’s funeral.  What does each mean or stand for?

3. Name the items that Sass sold to the moneylender.

4. What caused Koly to give up her silver earrings?  Why was this so significant?

5. What would it take for you to give up your “silver earrings” or item worth the most to you?

6. Why was the letter from Sass’s brother so important?

7. What ‘treat’ did Sass have in mind for Koly on their way to Delhi?

8. Sass’s demand for the rickshaw driver to “take us to the temple” was absurd.  Why?

9. Describe Koly’s reaction to the city once she had waited at the temple.

10. Koly was left with 47 rupees.  Approximately how much is this in American dollars?

11.  

Chapter Nine Discussion Questions

1. Mr. Govind gets very upset when jasmine flowers are delivered.  Why?

2. Explain how Koly helped solve this dilemma.

3. Describe how Tamu and Koly eventually get their own bangles.

4. Why can’t Raji read?

5. Why is Koly return favor to Raji so important?

6. Explain why the temple is called the “Hill of Govardham”.

7. According to the widows, they have two opposing views of the wealthy woman that comes to visit them.  Explain each view.

Chapter Ten Vocabulary

1. Phul Khana

2. Salwar Kameez

3. Skein

4. Deft(ly)

5. Bhang

6. Lassi

7. Tabla

Chapter Ten Discussion Questions

1. What new experiences does Koly have while traveling with Mrs. Devi?

2. Describe the events that lead to Mrs. Devi funding a widow house.

3. Why does Koly decide to stitch a heron?

4. Koly said that working was great because she was paid to do what she loved best, embroider.  What type of job would mean this much to you?  Why?

5. How does Koly end up getting Maa Kamala to let her go to Mala’s house?

6. What about Mala’s house does Koly find exciting?

7. What does she find scary or frightening?

 

Chapter Eleven Discussion Questions

1. Name three crops that Raji planted at his farm.

2. Why does Raji say he wants to marry Koly?

3. What reasons does Koly give for begin an unworthy bride?

4. Describe Raji’s letters to Koly.  What type of things does he tell her about?

5. What important items does Koly put on her fourth quilt?  Why?

6. Raji quotes in one of his letters, “He who plants a tree will have his reward”.  What does this mean to you?

7. At the end of the story, Koly plans to embroider a sari for Mrs. Devi with something from a Tagore poem.  She chooses the homeless bird.  How does the themes of homeless bird relate to Koly's life?