Comprehension Check – I
1. What tasks, do you think, were assigned to the dog and the ox?Ans. The dog was assigned to fetch and carry things for humans, and the ox was assigned to plough the fields.
2. Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?
Ans. The camel lived in the middle of the desert because he did not want to work and preferred to stay alone.
3. What made the dog, the horse and the ox very angry?
Ans. They became very angry because the camel refused to work, and the man made them work double-time to make up for it.
4. How did the Djinn know the horse was complaining against the camel?
Ans. The Djinn understood it was about the camel when the horse described a creature in the desert with a long neck and long legs who refused to work.
Comprehension Check – II
1. The camel was looking at his own reflection in the pool. What does it suggest to you about the camel?Ans. It suggests that the camel was proud of his appearance and somewhat vain.
2. The camel said, “Humph” repeatedly. How did it affect him?
Ans. Repeating “Humph” made his back puff up and turn into a hump as a punishment for his laziness.
3. What, according to the Djinn, was the use of the “humph”?
Ans. The Djinn explained that the hump allowed the camel to work for three days without eating, compensating for the three days he had missed.
4. “...he has never yet learnt to behave”. In the light of this, what is the writer’s opinion about the camel?
Ans. The writer’s opinion is that the camel remained lazy and stubborn, never truly changing his nature.
Exercise
1. Can this story be factually true?
Ans. No, this story cannot be factually true because it is a fable. It uses imagination and personification, showing animals talking and a Djinn giving a hump to the camel as punishment.
2. What, according to you, is the story about?
Ans. The story is mainly about why everyone should do his or her share of work seriously. It also explains, in a humorous way, how the camel got his hump.
3. What did you do over the weekend? Were you generally active or idle? Please check your back before starting to discuss or answer the question.
Ans. Over the weekend, I completed my pending homework, helped in household chores, and played outdoor games. I was generally active and did not waste my time.
4. There are broadly two categories of workers — those who prefer to do today what they can do tomorrow, and those who prefer to do tomorrow what they can do today. Where do you belong?
Ans. I belong to the first category. I prefer to finish my work on time or even earlier so that I can stay stress-free and enjoy my leisure time without pending tasks.
