NCERT Solutions
Exercises (NCERT Page 14)
Answer the following questions.
- The enclosure in which Kari lived had a thatched roof that lay on thick tree stumps. Examine the illustration of Kari’s pavilion on page 8 and say why it was built that way.
Ans. Kari lived in a pavilion under a thatched roof with thick tree stumps. These thick tree stumps were there in order to prevent the roof from falling whenever Kari bumped into the poles. It was built in this way to accommodate the heavy weight of an elephant.
- Did Kari enjoy his morning bath in the river? Give a reason for your answer.
Ans. Kari felt really pleased after his morning bath in the river. He would spend a long time in the water and give a squeal after having his bath.
- Finding good twigs for Kari took a long time. Why?
Ans. Finding twigs for Kari was not an easy task. Elephants did not eat mutilate twigs. So, the narrator had to be very careful. This also required a sharp hatchet.
It took about half an hour to sharpen the hatchet. Also, the narrator had to climb all kind of trees in order to select delicate and tender twigs.
- Why did Kari push his friend into the stream?
Ans. Kari pushed his friend into the stream so that he could help the young boy from drowning.
- Kari was like a baby. What are the main points of comparison?
Ans. The narrator called Kari a baby because Kari was naughty and mischievous.
Once Kari developed a love for bananas he started stealing bananas from the fruit plates that were kept on the dining table in the narrator’s house. Furthermore, his call would sound to the narrator like a baby’s voice.
- Kari helped himself to all the bananas in the house without anyone noticing it. How did he do it?
Ans. Nobody noticed Kari stealing bananas because he would quietly come towards the dining room and through the large window near the table, he would sneak out bananas with his trunk.
- Kari learnt the commands to sit and to walk. What were the instructions for each command?
Ans. Kari had to be trained to learn that how to sit and walk. The word ‘dhat’ spoken in his ears was a signal for him to sit down. Uttering the word ‘mali’ and pulling his trunk was a signal for him to walk.
- What is ‘the master call’? Why is it the most important signal for an elephant to learn?
Ans. The master call was a strange hissing and howling sound, as if snakes and tigers were fighting. It was a very important signal for the elephants. Master call is a signal for the elephants to pull down the trees, thereby scaring all the other animals in the jungle.