This is Jody’s Fawn – Questions and Answers
Comprehension Check – I
Q1. What had happened to Jody’s father?
Ans. Jody’s father, Penny Baxter, had been bitten by a rattlesnake while out in the forest.
Q2. How did the doe save Penny’s life?
Ans. Penny killed a doe and used its liver and heart to draw out the snake venom from his wound, which helped save his life.
Q3. Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?
Ans. He feels responsible for the fawn because they had killed its mother to save his father, and he doesn’t want it to starve.
Q4. How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?
Ans. His father had told him that a male fawn’s spots are arranged in a straight line, unlike those on a doe-fawn, which are scattered.
Comprehension Check – II
Q1. Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What were they?
Ans. If the fawn was dead or missing, he didn’t want anyone to see his disappointment.
If the fawn was alive, he wanted the meeting to be private and personal.
Q2. Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?
Ans. He feared that Jody might get lost in the forest or be bitten by a snake.
Comprehension Check – III
Q1. How did Jody bring the fawn back home?
Ans. He first carried it in his arms, then let it follow him for short distances, and picked it up again when needed until they reached home.
Q2. Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?
Ans. “delirious,” “light-headed with joy,” “enchanted.”
Q3. How did the deer drink milk from the gourd?
Ans. Jody dipped his fingers in the milk, let the fawn suck them, and then slowly lowered them into the gourd so it could drink.
Q4. Why didn’t the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had thought it would?
Ans. The fawn balked at the steps because it was not used to climbing them.
Working with the Text
Q1. Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?
Ans. He agreed because they owed the fawn a chance to live after killing its mother to save his life, and he couldn’t refuse Jody’s compassionate request.
Q2. What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free”?
Ans. He meant that taking the doe’s life to save Penny created a moral debt — they owed something in return, like saving the fawn.
Q3. How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?
Ans. He carefully carried it home, let it walk when possible, fed it milk with his fingers in the gourd, and ensured it felt safe and cared for.
Q4. How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home? Why does she react in this way?
Ans. She is surprised and concerned about what to feed it, but agrees after realising they have milk for it.
Working with Language
1. Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.
(i) Penny said, “Do you really want it son?”
(ii) Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me?”
(iii) He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there?”
(iv) He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him?”
(v) He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?”
Answer:
(i) Penny asked Jody if he really wanted it.
(ii) Mill-wheel asked if he would ride back with him.
(iii) He asked Mill-wheel if he thought the fawn was still there.
(iv) He asked Mill-wheel if he would help him find it.
(v) He asked if it was up there that Pa had got bitten by the snake.
2. Say whether the verb in each sentence below transitive or intransitive. Ask
yourself a ‘what’ question about the verb, as in the example above. (For
some verbs, the object is a person, so ask the question ‘who’ instead of ‘what’).
(i) Jody then went to the kitchen. (Intransitive)
(ii) The fawn wobbled after him. (Intransitive)
(iii) You found him. (Transitive)
(iv) He picked it up. (Transitive)
(v) He dipped his fingers in the milk. (Transitive)
(vi) It bleated frantically and butted him. (Transitive)
(vii) The fawn sucked his fingers. (Transitive)
(viii) He lowered his fingers slowly into the milk. (Transitive)
(ix) It stamped its small hoofs impatiently. (Transitive)
(x) He held his fingers below the level of the milk. (Transitive)
(xi) The fawn followed him. (Transitive)
(xii) He walked all day. (Intransitive)
(xiii) He stroked its sides. (Transitive)
(xiv) The fawn lifted its nose. (Transitive)
(xv) Its legs hung limply. (Intransitive)
3. Here are some words from the lesson. Working in groups, arrange them in
the order in which they would appear in the dictionary. Write down some
idioms and phrasal verbs connected to these words. Use the dictionary for
more idioms and phrasal verbs.
close draw make wonder scrawnyparted clearing sweet light pick
Answer: close, clearing, draw, light, make, parted, pick, scrawny, sweet, wonder
Speaking
Q1. Do you think it is right to kill an animal to save a human life? Give reasons.
Ans. In emergencies, saving a human life is the priority, but such acts should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Every life is valuable, and killing animals disrupts nature’s balance.
Q2. Imagine you wake up one morning and find a tiny animal on your doorstep. You want to keep it as a pet but your parents are not too happy about it. How would you persuade them to let you keep it? Discuss it in groups and present your arguments to the class.
Ans. If I found a small animal on my doorstep, I would tell my parents it needs care and shelter. I’d promise to feed it, keep it clean, and ensure it doesn’t disturb anyone. I’d explain that helping it would teach kindness and responsibility.
Writing
Q1. Imagine you have a new pet that keeps you busy. Write a paragraph describing your pet, the things it does, and the way it makes you feel. Here are some words and phrases that you could use.
frisky, smart, disobedient, loyal, happy, enthusiastic, companion, sharing, friend, rolls in mud, dirties the bed, naughty, lively, playful, eats up food, hides the newspaper, drinks up milk, runs away when called, floats on the water as if dead
Ans. I have a frisky, playful puppy named Bruno. He runs around the house, hides my slippers, and licks my hands when I return from school. Sometimes naughty, sometimes calm, he is my best companion.
Q2. Human life is dependent on nature (that’s why we call her Mother Nature). We take everything from nature to live our lives. Do we give back anything to nature?
(i) Write down some examples of the natural resources that we use.
(ii) Write a paragraph expressing your point of view regarding our relationship with nature.
Ans. We depend on nature for air, water, food, shelter, and energy. Unfortunately, we take more than we give back. We must plant trees, protect wildlife, and reduce pollution to maintain this balance.
Q3. In This is Jody’s Fawn, Jody’s father uses a ‘home remedy’ for a snake bite. What should a person now do if he or she is bitten by a snake? Are all snakes poisonous? With the help of your teacher and others, find out answers to such questions. Then write a short paragraph on — What to do if a snake chooses to bite you.
Ans. Stay calm and keep the victim still. Call emergency services immediately. Keep the bitten area below heart level. Do not cut the wound or try to suck out venom. Apply a pressure bandage if advised by medical professionals. Not all snakes are poisonous, but every bite should be treated seriously.
