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Find Solutions to NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 4 “Chandni,” here.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did Abbu Khan’s goats want to run away? What happened to them in the hills?
Answer:
Abbu Khan’s goats wanted to run away because, like all hill goats, they loved their freedom. They wanted to be able to run around on the grassy slopes of the beautiful hills by themselves and enjoy their freedom.When they ran away an old wolf who lived in the hills invariably killed them.
2. Abbu Khan said, “No more goats in my house ever again.” Then he changed his mind. Why?
Answer:
Abbu Khan could not understand why his goats traded the love, comfort and security he offered them for a life of struggle, uncertainty or even death. He felt so sad when they escaped and were eventually killed that he decided not to keep any more goats.However, he changed his mind because he felt very lonely.
3. Why did he buy a young goat?
Answer:
He preferred to buy a young goat because he thought that the young goat would stay with him much longer. Moreover, she would soon begin to love him as well as the food he gave her every day, so she would never want to go to the hills or seek freedom.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did Chandni hate the rope round her neck?
Answer:
Chandni hated the rope around her neck because it restrained her from going to the beautiful hills which she loved passionately like all other hill goats. She wanted to be free of it even though she knew of the probable consequences she would face if she broke free.
2. “Now Abbu Khan understood Chandni’s problem…” What was Chandni’s problem?
Answer:
Chandni’s problem was that she was homesick and yearned to go to the hills. Although she knew the consequences of leaving the security of Abbu khan’s home, she was willing to take the risk because she felt that death in an open field is preferably to life in captivity.
3. Abbu Khan pushed Chandni into a small hut. This shows that he
(i) was cruel.
(ii) loved her and wanted to save her life.
(iii) was selfish.
Answer:
(ii) loved her and wanted to save her life.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did Chandni refuse to join the group of wild goats?
Answer:
Chandni refused to join the group of wild goats because she wanted to enjoy her new found freedom fully.
2. Chandni fought the wolf because she
(i) was stronger than the wolf.
(ii) hated the wolf.
(iii) had to retain her freedom at all costs.
Answer:
(iii) had to retain her freedom at all costs.
Exercises
Discuss the following topics in groups.
1. Why did the wise old bird say, “Chandni is the winner”?
Answer:
The wise old bird said, “Chandni is the winner” because she put up a good fight not caring for the outcome. Although a small goat, she faced her big and ferocious opponent fearlessly. Like a brave soldier she defended her freedom till her last breath.
2. “Death in an open field is better than life in a small hut,” Chandni said to herself. Was it the right decision? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
“Death in an open field is better than life in a small hut,” Chandni said to herself.
I think Chandni’s decision to opt for a life of freedom in the open field rather than lead a life of captivity cooped up in a small hut is the right one. No sacrifice can be too great for attaining freedom.
3. Freedom is life. Discuss this with reference to ‘Chandni’ and ‘I Want Something in a Cage’.
Answer:
Chandni embraces a life of freedom knowing fully well the dangers she would encounter. She dies fighting for her freedom because she believed it was preferable to leading a lifetime in captivity.
Extra Questions on NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 4 “Chandni”
A. Multiple Choice type Questions
1. How did Abbu take care of his goats ?
(i) he gave them the juciest grass and grains
(ii) he showered them with love
(iii) he would talk to them as if they were his children
(iv) All of the above
2. Which of the following was not Abbu Khan’s goat?
(i) Kalua
(ii) Gujri
(iii) Dulari
(iv) Moongia
3. Abbu khan’s new goat __________ .
(i) was white as snow
(ii) had a pair of gleaming red eyes
(iii) had rough temperament
(iv) both (i)and (ii) above
4. What happened to Kalua?
(i) She broke loose the string around her neck and disappeared
(ii) She fought the wolf through the night
(iii) she was killed in the morning
(iv) all of the above
5. How did Abbu Khan know that Chandni was anguished?
(i) she stopped eating the green grass
(ii) she did not listen to his stories with interest
(iii) She grew thin and moody
(iv) All of the above
6. What did Chandni tell Abbu khan one day?
(i) She wanted to stay with him forever
(ii) she asked him to let her go to the hills
(iii) she would die if she stayed in his compound
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
7. How did Abbu Khan try to dissuade her from leaving?
(i) he told her about the dangerous wolf in the hills
(ii) he told her that she would starve to death
(iii) he told her that she would fall sick if she lived on her own
(iv) he told her he would not ever take her back if she left.
8. On reaching the hills, chandni felt _________ .
(i) excited and happy
(ii) tired and hungry
(iii) missed her kind master
(iv) None of the above
9. Abbu Khan was unlucky because ___________
(i) his goats did not love him
(ii) he could not understand their feelings
(iii) all his goats were devoured by the wolf
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
10. A wise old bird said _________ .
(i) the wolf won the battle
(ii) the goats won the battle
(iii) Chandni lost the battle
(iv) Chandni won the battle
Answer:
1. (iv) All of the above
2. (iii)Dulari
3. (iv) both (i)and (ii) above
4. (iv) all of the above
5.(iv) All of the above
6. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
7. (i)he told her about the dangerous wolf in the hills
8. (i) excited and happy
9. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
10. (iv) Chandni won the battle
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following passage:
| jaws | freedom | disappeared | struggle | sad |
| juiciest | mystery | showered | wondered | unfortunate |
Whenever one of his goats _________, Abbu Khan was very ______. He did not understand why even the _________ grass and grains that he gave them, and all the love that he _________ on them, would not stop these ________ goats from running straight into the _____of death. Are these goats mad, he wondered! Or was it their love for _______ ! But freedom meant _______, hardship, even death. Abbu Khan could not solve the _____.
Answer:
Whenever one of his goats disappeared, Abbu Khan was very sad. He did not understand why even the juiciest grass and grains that he gave them, and all the love that he showered on them, would not stop these unfortunate goats from running straight into the jaws of death. Are these goats mad, he wondered ! Or was it their love for freedom ! But freedom meant struggle, hardship , even death. Abbu Khan could not solve the mystery–
C. Match the words in column A with those in column B
| A | B |
| The moon | began to disappear one by one |
| The stars | came from a distant mosque |
| A faint light | perched on top of a tree |
| The morning call for prayer | began to grow pale |
| An assemby of birds | appeared in the east |
Answer:
| A | B |
| The moon | began to grow pale |
| The stars | began to disappear one by one |
| A faint light | appeared in the east |
| The morning call for prayer | came from a distant mosque |
| An assemby of birds | perched on top of a tree |
D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:
1. Goats in hilly regions hate being tied to trees or poles.
2. Chandni would listen to Abbu Khan’s tales with a lot of interest and affection
3. Chandni lived with Abbu khan for several years without becoming restless.
4.Chandni did not want to leave her master.
5. Kalua was the size of a big deer and had won her fight against the wolf.
Answer:
1. True
2. True – At first she would listen intently to Abbu Khan’s stories, but when she started pining for the hills, she stopped listening to his stories.
3. True
4. False – Chandni told her master that she would die if she stayed on in his compound.
5. False – Kalua fought the wolf through the night , but was killed in the morning.
E. Very Short Answer type Questions:
1. Who was Abbu Khan?
Answer:
Abbu khan was an old man who lived in Almora.
2. Who lived with him?
Answer:
He lived all alone except for a few goats which he always kept as pets.
3. What is the special characteristic of the hill breed of goats?
Answer:
Goats of the hill breed do not like being tied up to poles or trees, They love their freedom.
4. What was the fate of the goats who escaped to the hills?
Answer:
They were devoured by an old wolf who lived in the hills.
5. What did Chandni watch every morning?
Answer:
Every morning Chandni watched the hilltops bathed in the sunlight.
6. What happened when she ran towards the hills?
Answer:
Chandni ran towards the hills but was stopped short with a jerk as the rope round her neck prevented her from proceeding further.
7. What did Chandni say to Abbu Khan frankly when he would not understand the cause of her anguish?
Answer:
Chandni told Abbu Khan to let her go to the hills because she would die if she stayed cooped up in his compound.
8. How did Abbu khan react to Chandni’s request?
Answer:
Abbu Khan understood Chandni’s problem, but it made him feel very unhappy.
9. How did the old man try to make Chandni change her mind?
Answer:
The old man tried to make Chandni change her mind by telling her about the dangerous wolf lurking in the hills.
10. How did Chandni react to the old man’s warning about the wolf?
Answer:
Chandni was not afraid of the wolf. She said God had given her a pair of horns to fight the wolf.
11. What happened to Kalua?
Answer:
Kalua who was the size of a big deer fought the wolf bravely through the night, but was killed in the morning.
12. How did Chandni escape?
Answer:
Chandni escaped from the small hut through the window at the back which Abbu Khan had forgotten to shut.
13. How did Chandni feel when she reached the hills?
Answer:
Chandni felt elated like a child meeting her parents after years of separation.
14. How did the wolf look in the morning after the fight with Chandni?
Answer:
The wolf looked tired and sleepy after the prolonged fight.
15. What tribute did the wise bird pay to Chandni?
Answer:
The wise bird paid a tribute to Chandni’s dauntless spirit by declaring her the winner.
F. Short Answer Type Questions:
1. How did Abbu Khan look after the goats? What precaution did he take so that they did not leave the hut at night?
Answer:
Abbu Khan would take his goats out for grazing during the day and talk to them as if they were his own children. He fed them the juiciest grass and grain and showered them with love.
At night he would bring the goats back to his little hut and tie a string round the neck of each goatso that they could not escape.
2. Why did Abbu Khan decide that he would spend the rest of his days alone without goats? Why did he change his mind?
Answer:
Abbu khan decided that he would not keep any more goats as pets since they invariably escaped and left him heart-broken because he loved them as if they were his own children.
He changed his mind because he grew terribly lonely.
3. What was the mystery that Abbu Khan could not solve?
Answer:
Abbu Khan could not understand why the goats would abandon the comfort and security of his home and willingly choose to embrace the constant struggle, uncertainty, hardship and even death which accompanied freedom. This was the mystery which the old man could not solve.
4. What was the new young goat like? What did Abbu khan call her?
Answer:
The new goat was very pretty. She was white as snow and had two little horns on her head and a pair of shining red eyes. She had a friendly disposition and would listen to Abbu Khan’s tales with interest and affection. Abbu called her Chandni, meaning moonlight.
5. Why was Abbu khan mistaken about Chandni?
Answer:
Chandni lived for several years with Abbu khan and seemed content, so the old man began to believe that Chandni would never leave his compound to enjoy the fresh and free air of the hills beyond. But he was mistaken again because Chandni started pining for the beautiful hills and the fresh breeze that blows through them soon after.
6. What changes took place in Chandni as she pined for the hills?
Answer:
Chandni lost her appetite as she pined for the hills. She grew thin because she stopped eating the green grass Abbu khan brought for her. She did not listen to his stories with interest and affection. She stared broodingly at the hilltops bathed in sunlight.
7. Why did the earthen pot which held Chandni’s breakfast fall from Abbu Khan’s hand and get smashed?
Answer:
Abbu Khan’s was so unhappy and shocked to hear that Chandni wanted to set off for the hills that he dropped the bowl which broke into a thousand pieces just like the old man’s heart.
8. Why did Abbu Khan get angry? What did he do with Chandni?
Answer:
Abbu Khan got angry when Chandni remained adamant about her desire to go to the hills. He realised that she would not heed his warnings, so he locked her up in a small hut and shut the door so that she would not fall prey to the wolf.
9. What did the wolf do after spotting Chandni?
Answer:
The wolf came out of the bushes and stared greedily at Chandni. His eyes shone like burning coals in the darkness. He took his time to look over his prey because he knew the new goat was his.
G. Long answer Type Questions
1. What did Chandni do to enjoy her newly found freedom?
Answer:
Chandni felt as if the hills were standing in a row to greet her. Nature seemed to rejoice with her. Wherever she went, the tall grass rose to embrace her, the flowers bloomed to amuse her and the wind sang an endless song of welcome. All day she played for hours on the grassy slopes of the hills . She refused to join a herd of wild goats because she wanted to savour every moment of her newly found freedom by herself. She did not want to submit again to bondage of any kind.
2. What happened after sunset? Was Chandni afraid? What did she decide to do?
Answer:
As the sun disappeared behind the hills, darkness descended and hid from view the grass, the flowers and the trees. The wind died down and there was an eerie stillness all around except for a strange sound which emanted from the bushes.The sound was like a grunt. Chandni thought of the fierce wolf and felt scared. She wondered for a fleeting moment whether she should return to the safety of Abbu khan’s hut, but dismissed the thought immediately because she believed that death in the open field is far better than life in a small hut and she resolved to fight the wolf.
3. Describe the fight that Chandni put up against the wolf?
Answer:
The wolf and the goat sized up each other. The wolf was big , confident and ferocious, the goat though small was healthy and by no means weak.
Chandni stood firm on her legs, head slightly bent and horns thrust forward ready for battle. She was a picture of courage. She looked like a soldier ready to take on a treacherous enemy. She thought that come what may, she must put up a good fight. Success or failure is a matter of chance, but she must give her best during the fight.
The fight began and went on through the night which proves that the little goat’s spirit was unflagging. The first rays of the sun found Chandni lying on the ground soaked in blood having fought valiantly till the end for her freedom.
Frequently Asked Questions on NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 4 “Chandni”
Our team of competent English experts have crafted these accurate solutions taking into account every detail and presenting them in the most easy-to-understand way possible. Every single aspect of the lesson has been explained in a clear and lucid manner. We recommend that you go through them in detail to get a clear conception. The simple yet and elegantly phrased answers will help you to develop your own distinctive style.
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Abbu Khan would take his goats out for grazing during the day and talk to them as if they were his own children. He fed them the juiciest grass and grain and showered them with love.
At night he would bring the goats back to his little hut and tie a string round the neck of each goat so that they could not escape.
In spite of his best efforts, the old man could not keep them safe. The goats yearned for freedom and tugged at the string till it broke loose and they ran to the hills only to be devoured by the big old wicked wolf who lay in wait for them.
Abbu khan decided that he would not keep any more goats as pets since they invariably escaped and left him heart-broken because he loved them as if they were his own children.
He changed his mind because he grew terribly lonely.
The new goat was very pretty. She was white as snow and had two little horns on her head and a pair of shining red eyes. She had a friendly disposition and would listen to Abbu Khan’s tales with interest and affection. Abbu called her Chandni, meaning moonlight.
Yes, certainly. Our team of competent English teachers have carefully anticipated all the queries you may have about the story and crafted these excellent solutions which draw your attention to every detail. We suggest that at first you read the story closely and look up the meanings of unfamiliar terms. Then read the solutions taking in all the details. Do not learn by heart because the key to learning lies in understanding the story.
Our experts have painstakingly provided many extra questions which are similar to exam questions and are designed to give you sufficient practice.
Go through the solutions before the exam and practice writing out some answers within a specified time period. The efficacy of this simple step should not be underestimated because practice not only makes perfect, but also boosts your self-confidence. You will be calm and ready to take on any challenge that your examiner may pose! Good luck!
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