NCERT Solutions
Exercises (NCERT Page 57)
Answer the following questions.
- Where did the lady find the bear cub? How did she bring it up?
Ans. The lady found the bear in the forest in a half dead state because of hunger. The lady brought him up with love and affection as her pet.
- The bear grew up but “he was a most amiable bear”. Give three examples to prove this.
Ans. The bear was a very friendly bear.
(i) He was so big and strong that he could have easily slain a cow. But, he did not desire to do so.
(ii) He looked in a friendly manner at the cattle grazing on the fields.
(iii) He would play with dogs and children, alike. Sometimes they would sleep peacefully near his paws.
- What did the bear eat? There were two things he was not allowed to do. What were they?
Ans. The bear ate the same food as the dogs ate and usually from the same plate as them. He ate bread, porridge, potato, cabbage and turnip.
He specially relished apples. He was not allowed to climb up the trees and roam around freely on Sundays.
- When was the bear tied up with a chain? Why?
Ans. The bear was tied up with a chain when in the process of climbing the tree he was hurt by the bees in the bee hive. As a punishment, the bear was kept in chains for 2 days.
- What happened one Sunday when the lady was going to her sister’s house? What did the lady do? What was the bear’s reaction?
Ans. One Sunday when the lady was going to her sister’s house and was half way through the forest, she saw the bear rushing towards her in full speed.
The lady was furious on seeing the bear as she thought that the bear had disobeyed her. She, therefore, scolded the bear and asked him to go back home.
She also hit him with her umbrella. The bear stayed there for a few minutes, but then he went back the same way he came.
- Why was the bear looking sorry for himself in the evening? Why did the cook get angry with her mistress?
Ans. The bear looked sorry for himself because he had been waiting the entire day for the return of his mistress. However, when his mistress returned she did not have any love, but anger in her eyes.
The cook got angry with the mistress because the cook thought that the mistress was unduly scolding the bear.
Discuss the following topics in groups.
- Most people keep dogs and cats as pets. Can you think of some unusual pets that people keep?
Ans. Some people love to keep tortoise as pets. We have seen fish being kept in aquariums as pets. Certain others keep rats as their pets.
- The second bear did not attack the lady one because he was afraid of her. Do you agree?
Ans. The bears are vegetarians, if given a chance. It is possible that the second bear did not intend to harm the lady.
Despite being badly hit by the lady, the second bear waited for some time, opened his big mouth so as to say something and then went the same old way, from where he had come.