The Wild Duck’s Nest Questions & Answers
Question 1: What was Colm’s reaction to the beautiful sight that greeted him when he reached the top of the hill?
Answer 1: When Colm reached the top of the hill, he was out of breath and watched the light radiating from the golden-edged clouds. As a flock of gulls flew over his head he picked up stones and threw them in the lake watching them make ripples. With delight he made the flat stones skim over the water.
Question 2: What happened when Colm was about to throw ‘a final stone’ into the lake?
Answer 2: When Colm was about to throw the final stone into the lake, a bird flew low over his head showing its strange neck and orange-coloured legs. It was a wild duck.
Question 3: What did Colm do after he saw the nest?
Answer 3: When he saw the nest, he instantly lifted the egg out of the nest. It was smooth and green with a faint tinge of yellow. But then he felt that he had done something wrong and quickly put it back. He was apprehensive that now the mother duck might forsake the nest.
Question 4: Describe how Colm made his way towards the nest.
Answer 4: Colm ran to the side of the lake opposite to which the duck had disappeared. In front he saw a muddy islet guarded by sedge and separated from the bank by a narrow channel of water. Colm got into the water and began to wade. However, as he neared the islet one of the rolled trouser legs fell. Colm tried to roll it up again, but lost his balance and made a splash. Alerted, the duck flew away with a loud squawk. Though frightened, Colm clambered on to the islet. He looked into each hummock and finally found the nest.
Question 5: How did Colm react when Paddy mocked him?
Answer 5: Colm felt as if he would choke or cry with vexation. His mind told him that Paddy was right but somehow he did not want to acknowledge it and replied that she will not forsake it.</p>
Question 6: Elaborate on how Colm was distracted in school.
Answer 6: In school, Colm’s faith wavered. Through the windows, he could see moving sheets of rain. Rain that dribbled down the panes filling his mind with the thoughts of the lake creased and chilled by wind. The nest sodden and black with wetness and the egg cold as a cave stone. He shivered from the thoughts and fidgeted with the inkwell cover, sliding it backwards and forwards mechanically. The school day dragged on interminably.
Question 7: State the conversation between Colm and Paddy.
Answer 7: The next day on the way to school, Colm told his friend Paddy McFall about the wild duck’s nest. Paddy was a little jealous of Colm’s find and expressed his doubts about being a wild duck’s nest. Paddy asked Colm where the nest was but the latter refused to tell him for he knew that Paddy would rob it. Paddy still refused to believe him. But Colm said that he knew it was a wild duck because he had held the greenish-white egg in his hands. Paddy then chanted the very words that Colm was afraid of hearing. Paddy told Colm that because he had touched the egg, the mother duck would forsake it. Although Colm refuted Paddy, he was left feeling unsure.
Question 8: Why was Colm happy in the end?
Answer 8: When Colm reached the place where the egg lay, he was relieved that the wild duck was there.but as Colm was about to leave, the duck moved and with a panicky flapping of wing, flew towards the sea. Colm felt rather guilty. He turned to go away when a thought made him look at the nest again. He was delighted when he saw that instead of one there were now two eggs in the nest.
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