Today, in this post, ‘The Little Girl Summary Class 9 English’, we’ll read the short and detailed summary of Class 9th NCERT English Beehive chapter 3, The Little Girl.
Table of Contents
About the Lesson: The Little Girl
“The Little Girl” by Katherine Mansfield explores the relationship between a little girl named Kezia and her father. Initially, Kezia views her father as a strict and harsh figure, fearing his authoritative presence. However, as the story progresses, an incident changes her perspective, revealing her father’s deep love and care. The lesson highlights parent-child relationships, fear, misunderstanding, and emotional bonding. It teaches us not to judge people solely by their outward behavior.
About the Author: Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) was a renowned modernist writer from New Zealand. She is considered one of the most influential short-story writers of the early 20th century. Her works often focus on human relationships, childhood experiences, and psychological realism. Mansfield’s stories are known for their emotional depth, sensitivity, and impressionistic style. Some of her famous works include “The Garden Party,” “The Doll’s House,” and “Bliss.”
Short Summary of The Little Girl
The story is about Kezia, a little girl who fears her strict father. She sees him as a giant figure who commands respect and discipline. Whenever she makes mistakes, she is scolded or punished, which increases her fear. One day, her grandmother advises her to make a birthday gift for her father. Kezia makes a pin-cushion and fills it with papers, unknowingly tearing her father’s important speech. This angers him, and he punishes her harshly, reinforcing her belief that he is cruel.
Later, when her mother falls sick and her grandmother is away, Kezia has to sleep alone. She gets terrified at night, but her father comforts her by taking her to his room. She realizes that her father is not cruel; he works hard and loves her deeply, even if he doesn’t express it openly. Kezia feels sorry for misunderstanding him. The story concludes with Kezia acknowledging the hidden warmth behind her father’s stern nature.
The Little Girl Summary
The story revolves around Kezia, a little girl who is initially afraid of her father because of his strict and commanding nature. Her father is a busy man who hardly spends time with her. Whenever Kezia sees him, she feels nervous and uncomfortable. She finds him to be a cold and harsh figure who does not express affection openly.
Kezia’s grandmother notices her fear and suggests that she should try to understand her father better by interacting with him. She also advises Kezia to make a gift for her father’s birthday. Taking her advice, Kezia decides to make a pin-cushion. She stitches it using yellow silk cloth and needs something soft to fill it. Without knowing their importance, she tears up some papers from her father’s study and uses them as stuffing. Unfortunately, those papers contain an important speech her father had prepared for the Port Authority.
When her father discovers this, he becomes extremely angry and beats Kezia with a ruler as punishment. This incident deepens her fear and makes her believe that her father is a cruel man who does not love her. She wonders why God made fathers at all.
However, things take a turn when Kezia’s mother falls ill and has to go to the hospital. Kezia is left at home with the cook, Alice. At night, Kezia feels lonely and scared while sleeping alone. She has a nightmare about a butcher with a knife and cries out in fear. Her father comes to her room, comforts her, and takes her to his bed. He puts her to sleep beside him and tries to make her feel safe by telling her to rub her feet against his legs to get warm.
Kezia realizes at that moment that her father is not a bad man but someone who works hard and cares for her in his own way. He might not express his love like her grandmother, but deep inside, he loves her. She feels sorry for misjudging him and understands that behind his strictness lies affection and concern.
Key Takeaways from the Summary
- The story highlights the gap between parents and children when there is lack of communication.
- It shows that love is not always expressed through words or soft gestures—sometimes it is hidden behind responsibility and strictness.
- The ending emphasizes understanding and empathy in relationships.