This PPT is very helpful for class 8 students, lesson explains the summary and some questions-answers of Princess September. The main purpose of creating the presentation is to provide quality education access for the students to understand the concept easily.

1. PRINCESS SEPTEMBER
BY WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM
CREATED BY ABHINAYA

2. MAJOR CHARACTERS
Princess September
The King
The Queen
The other eight princess
The singing bird

4. INTRODUCTION
It is a story about a princess September. The king had gifted a parrot to all the
nine princess. But princess September’s parrot died. While she was weeping
all alone in her room, a little bird came into her room. He sang about the
king’s garden, the goldfish, and the willow tree.
The princess caged the bird but it could not sing. Later, she understood her
fault and released him. The bird used to come to her and sing for her, she was
then married to the King of Cambodia and lived a happy life.

5. In this story, the King and Queen of Siam have nine
daughters. The Queen finds it confusing to remember all their
names. Thus, the King decides to name them after the months.
So, he named the youngest of them, September.
The king had the habit of giving gifts to others on his birthday.
One year on his birthday, he gave a green parrot in a golden
cage to each of his daughters. The princesses were happy and
they used to spend an hour daily with them. The parrots said
‘God save the king and Pretty Polly’ in seven languages.

6. One morning, princess September found her parrot dead. She
was very sad and wept and wept. The queen told the maids
not to put her to sleep without supper. But as they had to go
to a party, they left her crying and went. She saw a little bird
coming into her room. It started to sing about the King’s
garden, the goldfish, the willow tree, etc. In all this, she forgot
to have supper.
Bowing to the princess, the bird asked her if she would keep
it with her in place of the parrot. The bird was not pretty.
When the princess clapped her hands, it sang and she fell
asleep. She fed it with her own hands also bathed him. She
took him to the king, queen, and her sisters. Everyone was
delighted to see and hear its song. The king was very
impressed by the bird’s singing and said that he would love to
hear it sing. He is tired of listening to the parrots.

7. The other princesses were jealous of Princess September.
They asked September to buy a new parrot but she said that
she already has a pet bird. It sings sweet songs like a
nightingale and she does not need a parrot. They told her
that the bird flies in and out anytime. Thus, she should keep
him in a cage as someday it may not return
.
She was worried about the bird as it took too long to return.
So, she put it in the cage. On being asked by the bird, she said
that it will be safe in the cage from the cats. The bird asked
her to open the cage the next day. But she refused. Princess
September asked him to sing but it could not sing. It wanted
to see the trees, the river, etc. It did not eat food also.

8. The next day, the bird told her that if he is not free,
he cannot sing and will die. She thus set it free.
The bird flew away with a promise to return. She
kept her window open and the bird returned. It
sang lovely songs for her.
Princess September grew very beautiful and got
married to the King of Cambodia. However, her
sisters were ugly and were married to the king’s
councilors.

9. 1. Perch : An edge of something
2. Gilded : To cover a surface with thin layer of gold
3. Vexed : Feeling or showing irritation or distress
4. Glum : Disappointed or sad
5. Absurd : Stupid and unreasonable
6. Prowling : Moving slowly
7. Obstinate : Stubborn
8. Disagreeable : Unpleasant/ unattractive

10. Question 1: How many daughters did the royal couple have?
Answer: The royal couple of Siam had nine daughters who were named after the
months of the year.
Question 2:Why were they named after the months of the year?
Answer: The princesses were named after the months of the year because the Queen
of Siam found it difficult to remember so many names. Hence, the King decided to
name the princesses as per the months of the calendar year.

11. Question 3: The King had a peculiar habit. What was it? Why is it called
peculiar?
Answer: The King had a peculiar habit of giving gifts instead of receiving
gifts on his birthday. In one such year, on his birthday, he gave each of his
daughters a green parrot in a golden cage.
As a matter of fact, people receive gifts instead of giving away gifts on their
birthday. But the King followed an opposite tradition, and due to this
reason, his habit was peculiar.
Question 4:What did the sisters advise the Princess to do about her bird?
Answer: The sisters were very jealous of Princess September’s singing bird.
With an evil intention, they advised her to keep the bird in a cage,
otherwise, it would fly away forever.

12. Thank you… 🙂