Chapter 5 of Class 10 English textbook, First Flight, is a prose piece titled The Hundred Gowns Part 1 about Wanda Petronski, a young girl who was often taunted by her classmates for her clothes, despite the fact that she always claimed to have a hundred dresses. Here is a synopsis of the text in the form of CBSE English Notes for Class 10. Students enrolled in CBSE Class 10 may get a prose synopsis of The Hundred Dresses Part 1 here. Additionally, when students prepare for their Board examinations, they may consult the CBSE Class 10 English Prose Notes – The Hundred Dresses Part 1.
CBSE Class 10 English notes will assist students in studying the topic thoroughly and clearly.
These CBSE Class 10 English notes were written by subject experts who made the study material very basic, both in terms of language and format.
Wanda Petronski in Class
Wanda Petronski was a Polish girl attending an American school. She sat next to the last seat in the corner of Room Thirteen, where all the bad boys sat. There was a lot of noise, laughter, and dirt in the corner.
Nobody knows why Wanda sat there. It was because she was from Boggin Heights and her feet were usually covered in dry mud. Wanda, on the other hand, was quieted. As a result, nobody gave her much thought.
Wanda’s absence
Wanda was absent both on Monday and Tuesday. Nobody in her class noticed her absence. Peggy and Maddie, two of her classmates, noticed it on Wednesday. When Peggy and Maddie waited for Wanda to tease her on the way to school, they realised that Wanda had been absent for the previous few days.
Wanda and the Other Students
Wanda had no friends. She used to walk to school alone in her faded dress. As a result, she stood out from the crowd and was teased. Her name was made fun of by the students. Her name was both difficult to pronounce and amusing to them. Other children’s names were simple to pronounce, such as Thomas, Smith, or Allen.
Peggy and Maddie
Peggy and Maddie were good friends. Peggy was the most popular girl in school. She was attractive and intelligent. Peggy was not cruel because she protected younger girls from bullies and used to cry if she saw an animal being mistreated. Maddie, on the other hand, was a poor girl who wore clothes given to her by Peggy’s mother.
Peggy Makes Fun of Wanda
When Peggy and Maddie found Wanda alone in the schoolyard, they asked her how many dresses and shoes she had. They were surprised when Wanda told them she had a hundred beautiful dresses and sixty pairs of shoes. Peggy devised this game to amuse Wanda.
Wanda was teased because she wore the same faded blue dress to school every day and lied about having a hundred dresses.
Maddie’s Note to Peggy
Maddie was embarrassed when Peggy teased Wanda. She wanted Peggy to stop teasing Wanda, so she decided to write Peggy a note. So, after finishing her math homework, she sat down to write a note to Peggy.
Maddie knew she lacked the courage to tell Peggy to stop teasing Wanda. She tore the note and threw it away later, picturing herself being teased by Peggy and her other classmates for wearing Peggy’s old dresses. Maddie remembered Wanda mentioning one of her dresses, which was pale blue with coloured trimmings, as well as the brilliant jungle green dress with a red scarf.
The Drawing and Coloring Contest
The following day, a drawing and colouring contest was organised in the classroom. Girls were supposed to design dresses for this competition, while boys were supposed to design motorboats. Maddie predicted that Peggy would win the contest because she drew better than anyone else in the class.
Wanda’s Classmates’ Reactions
Wanda created all of the design drawings in their class, according to the teacher, and each drawing was deserving of the prize. Wanda, on the other hand, was absent from class and thus was unable to receive her prize.
The teacher then directed the students’ attention to Wanda’s beautiful drawings. The children all applauded Wanda’s drawings and whistled as they looked at them. Peggy and Maddie noticed a blue and a green dress that Wanda had mentioned to her classmates.
A Summary of the Chapter
Wanda Petronski, a Polish immigrant, is the subject of this story. Wanda was teased by her classmates, Peggy and Maddie. But, in the end, her talent for designing dresses impresses everyone. Peggy and Maddie both realised they had misjudged Wanda and felt terrible for not believing her about the hundred dresses she possessed. Their story is also about the realisation that people in mainstream society are forced to make about other people with similar potential and emotions.
Wanda Petronski
A poor Polish girl who always wears a blue dress to school and boasts of having a hundred dresses.
Peggy Wanda’s classmate who was always making fun of her. She was the most popular girl in school.
Maddie Peggy’s best friend, who was always with Peggy. She is poor and dresses in Peggy’s old dresses.
Miss Mason Wanda’s class teacher who helps and supports the students.