Chandni Summary, Explanation, Word Meanings Class 7

by | Oct 25, 2024 | CBSE Class 7 English Lessons Explanation, Notes, NCERT Question Answers, General | 0 comments

 

CBSE Class 7 English Chapter 4 Chandni Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from An Alien Hand Book

Chandni – Here is the Class 7 English An Alien Hand Lesson 4 Chandni Summary and Detailed explanation of the Lesson along with meanings of difficult words. Take Free Online MCQs Test for Class 7 Click Here

 

 

Chandni Introduction

The story is about an old man named Abbu Khan who loved keeping goats as his pets. 

Chandni Class 7 Video Explanation Part 1

Chandni Summary

Once upon a time, there lived an old man who was known as Abbu Khan. He loved keeping goats as pets and giving them funny names. He loved them as his own child. However, he was unlucky when it came to keeping the goats with him. Very often one of the goats would break the rope and disappear in the hill beyond. This was because goats in the hilly regions loved their freedom and all goats were of the best hill breed. So, they would break free from captivity even though the care, love and nourishment Abbu provided was the best. Abbu Khan, who did not understand why the goats would run away, would become very sad when he saw that another goat had run away. Many wolves resided on the hill. Abbu Khan could not understand why the goats would leave the best treatment they could be given, only to be eaten by the wolves. He sometimes wondered whether they were mad. Sometimes, he wondered if their love for freedom caused them to do such a thing. But he did not find freedom to be as valuable and beautiful as the goats did. So, this remained a mystery to him. One day, when all his goats had left him, he decided to live without them. But he started feeling too lonely and so he soon bought a snowy young goat. He thought that a young goat which was brought up with his care would not wish to leave him. The goat was named Chandni meaning ‘moonlight’. Several years passed, during which Chandni loved to be with her owner. But now, she too began to long for freedom. The beautiful hills, the refreshing breeze and the green fields attracted her. But she was tied up with a rope. She began to refuse food he gave and listened to his stories half-heartedly. She then lost all her appetite, grew too skinny as all she would do was just stare moodily at the hills. One day, she finally told Abbu Khan that she wanted to go to the hills. The earthen pot, which contained her breakfast fell from his hands and broke into a thousand pieces. He finally knew the problem, but did not like the solution to it. Abbu tried his best to change her mind and he offered better food and longer rope. When this did not work, he told her of the beastly wolves in the hills. At last he got annoyed and scolded the goat. Then he put her in a small compound from where she could not even look at the hills. But he forgot to shut the window and at the same night, Chandni used the window to escape. She was finally free, and she enjoyed running and playing on the hills. She wanted to savour her freedom and so she politely refused to join a herd of wild goats. When the sun went down, darkness enveloped the grass. It became quite still and quiet, except for a grunting sound coming from the bushes. She knew that these noises were of a wolf. She asked herself if she should go back to Abbu Khan for safety. But then she thought that death in an open field is far better than life in a small hut. The wolf had come out from the bush. Chandni was scared but she firmly held her ground. She stood in such a way which made her look courageous and as brave as a soldier. She wanted to put up a good fight. She was not worried about the result. The fight went on throughout the night. The moon, which had been watching the fight, grew pale and hid behind the clouds. The stars disappeared too. A faint light appeared in the east and the morning call for prayer came from a distant mosque. When the first rays of sunlight came upon the hill, it shone on the dead body of the goat which was completely soaked with blood and which was about to be devoured by the wolf. An assembly of birds perched on the top of a tree was discussing the results of the match. Most of the birds claimed the wolf to be the winner, but a wise old bird declared otherwise with confidence.

The Tiny Teacher Summary in Hindi

एक बार की बात है, एक अब्बू खान के नाम से बूढ़ा आदमी था । वह बकरियों को पालतू जानवर के रूप में रखना और उन्हें अजीब नाम देना पसंद करते थे। वह उन्हें अपने बच्चे की तरह प्यार करता था। हालाँकि, बकरियों को अपने साथ रखने के मामले में वह बदकिस्मत था। अक्सर बकरियों में से कोई न कोई रस्सी तोड़ देती और आगे की पहाड़ी में गायब हो जाती। ऐसा इसलिए था क्योंकि पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों में बकरियां अपनी स्वतंत्रता से प्यार करती थीं और सभी बकरियां सबसे अच्छी पहाड़ी नस्ल की थीं। इसलिए, वे कैद से मुक्त हो जाति, भले ही अब्बू ने जो देखभाल, प्यार और पोषण प्रदान किया वह सबसे अच्छा था। अब्बू खान, जिसे यह समझ नहीं आता था कि बकरियाँ क्यों भाग जाती हैं, वह जब देखता कि एक और बकरी भाग गई है तो वह बहुत दुखी हो जाता। पहाड़ी पर कई भेड़िये रहते थे। अब्बू खान को समझ नहीं आता था कि बकरियां उसका अच्छा व्यवहार छोड़ भेड़िये द्वारा खाए जाने को क्यों चुनती थीं । वह कभी-कभी सोचता था कि क्या वे पागल थीं ।

कभी-कभी, वह सोचता था कि क्या स्वतंत्रता के प्रति उनके प्रेम ने उन्हें ऐसा करने के लिए प्रेरित किया है। लेकिन उन्हें बकरियों की तरह कीमती और सुंदर होने की आजादी नहीं मिली। तो, यह उसके लिए एक रहस्य बना रहा।

एक दिन, जब उसकी सारी बकरियाँ उसे छोड़कर चली गईं, तो उसने उनके बिना रहने का फैसला किया। लेकिन वह बहुत अकेलापन महसूस करने लगा और इसलिए उसने जल्द ही एक बर्फीली बकरी खरीद ली। उसने सोचा कि एक बकरी का बच्चा जिसे उसकी देखभाल से पाला गया था, वह उसे छोड़ना नहीं चाहेगा। बकरी का नाम चांदनी रखा गया जिसका अर्थ है ‘मूनलाइट ‘। कई साल बीत गए, इस दौरान चांदनी को अपने मालिक के साथ रहना अच्छा लगता था। लेकिन अब, वह भी आजादी के लिए तरसने लगी। खूबसूरत पहाड़ियां, ताजगी भरी हवाएं और हरे भरे खेत उसे आकर्षित करते थे।

लेकिन उसे रस्सी से बांध दिया गया था। उसने उसके द्वारा दिए गए भोजन को मना करना शुरू कर दिया और उसकी कहानियों को आधे मन से सुनती रही। फिर उसने अपनी सारी भूख खो दी, वह बहुत पतली हो गई क्योंकि वह केवल पहाड़ियों पर मनभावन दृष्टि से देख रही थी।

एक दिन, उसने आखिरकार अब्बू खान से कहा कि वह पहाड़ियों पर जाना चाहती है। मिट्टी का बर्तन, जिसमें उसका नाश्ता था, उसके हाथ से गिर गया और एक हजार टुकड़ों में टूट गया। वह अंततः समस्या को जानता था, लेकिन उसे इसका समाधान पसंद नहीं था। अब्बू ने अपना मन बदलने की पूरी कोशिश की और उसने बेहतर भोजन और लंबी रस्सी की पेशकश की। जब यह काम नहीं किया, तो उसने उसे पहाड़ियों में जंगली भेड़ियों के बारे में बताया। अंत में वह नाराज हो गया और उसने बकरी को डांटा।

फिर उसने उसे एक छोटे से परिसर में रख दिया, जहाँ से वह पहाड़ियों को भी नहीं देख सकती थी। लेकिन वह खिड़की बंद करना भूल गया और उसी रात चांदनी ने भागने के लिए खिड़की का इस्तेमाल किया। वह अंततः मुक्त हो गई, और उसे पहाड़ियों पर दौड़ने और खेलने में मज़ा आया। वह अपनी स्वतंत्रता का स्वाद चखना चाहती थी और इसलिए उसने विनम्रतापूर्वक जंगली बकरियों के झुंड में शामिल होने से इनकार कर दिया। जब सूरज ढल गया तो घास पर अँधेरा छा गया। झाड़ियों से आ रही एक कर्कश आवाज को छोड़कर, यह काफी स्थिर और शांत हो गया। वह जानती थी कि ये आवाजें भेड़िये की हैं। उसने खुद से पूछा कि क्या उसे सुरक्षा के लिए अब्बू खान के पास वापस जाना चाहिए। लेकिन फिर उसने सोचा कि खुले मैदान में मौत एक छोटी सी झोपड़ी में जीवन से कहीं बेहतर है।

भेड़िया झाड़ी से बाहर आया था। चांदनी डर गई लेकिन उसने मजबूती से अपनी बात रखी। वह इस तरह से खड़ी थी जिससे वह एक सैनिक की तरह साहसी और बहादुर लग रही थी। वह एक अच्छी लड़ाई लड़ना चाहती थी। उसे परिणाम की चिंता नहीं थी। रात भर लड़ाई चलती रही। चाँद, जो लड़ाई देख रहा था, पीला पड़ गया और बादलों के पीछे छिप गया। तारे भी गायब हो गए। पूरब में एक फीकी रोशनी दिखाई दी और सुबह की प्रार्थना दूर की मस्जिद से आई। सूरज की पहली किरण जब पहाड़ी पर पड़ी तो उसकी चमक उस बकरी के शव पर पड़ी जो पूरी तरह से खून से लथपथ थी और जिसे भेड़िया निगलने वाला था।

एक पेड़ की चोटी पर बैठे पक्षियों की सभा मैच के परिणामों पर चर्चा कर रही थी। अधिकांश पक्षियों ने भेड़िये को विजेता होने का दावा किया, लेकिन एक बुद्धिमान बूढ़े पक्षी ने विश्वास के साथ अन्यथा घोषित किया।

Chandni Class 7 Video Explanation Part 2

Chandni Lesson Explanation

Passage: Once upon a time there lived an old man in Almora. He was popularly known as Abbu Khan. He lived all alone except for a few goats which he always kept as pets. He gave his goats funny names such as Kalua, Moongia or Gujri. He would take them out for grazing during the day and talk to them as one talks to one’s own children; at night he would bring them back to his little hut and put a string round the neck of each goat. 

Word Meaning
grazing: eating grass in a field.

Explanation of the above Passage: Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in a place called Almora. The old man was given a particular name by the people which was quite popular. The name was Abbu Khan. Abbu Khan lived all alone, meaning that he had no family members or anyone living with him. He was all alone except for a few goats which were his pets. He loved goats and enjoyed giving them funny names. These names were Kalua, Moongia and Gujri. These names were funny because such words were not in use in that area. Hence, people found these names funny because they were different and unheard of. Abbu Khan would take the goats out in fields where the goats would eat some grass. He talked to his pets in a way that was similar to how a person talked to his or her own children. Hence, he regarded the goats not as pets but as his own children. At night, he would bring all his goats back to his little hut. He would put a string round the neck of each goat so that they would not run away. Hence, the goats did not have the freedom to go anywhere at night.

Passage: Poor Abbu Khan was a little unlucky in the matter of his goats. Very often at night one of the goats would pull and pull at the string till it broke loose, and then would disappear in the hills beyond. Goats in hilly regions hate being tied to trees or poles. They love their freedom. Abbu Khan’s goats were of the best hill breed. They too loved their freedom. So whenever they got the chance, they would run away only to get killed by an old wolf who lived in the hills.

Word Meaning
beyond: at or to the further side of.
breed: a particular type, kind, or variety

Explanation of the above Passage: Abbu Khan was pitied by other people as he was a little unlucky in the matter of his goats. He was said to be unlucky because at night, one of the goats would pull and pull continuously at the string till it broke loose. They did this very often, and after the string would break they would go so far away from Abbu Khan’s little hut that it felt like they had disappeared in the further sides of the hills. There was a reason why the goats would do that. All the goats which were in hilly regions hated being tied to trees or poles. Hence, they hated being captivated and loved their freedom. Abbu Khan’s goats belonged to a type which was considered to be the best hilly goats. Like any other goat or any ordinary variety or breed, they too loved their freedom. So whenever they would get a chance, they would break from the string and run away towards the hills. However, a very sorrowful fate would meet them. They would get killed by an old wolf who lived in the hills.

Chandni Question AnswersPassage: 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 couldn’t solve the mystery.

Word Meaning
unfortunate: unlucky
jaw: each of the upper and lower bony structures in vertebrates forming the framework of the mouth and containing the teeth.
mystery: something that was weird and unknown 

Explanation of the above Passage:  Abbu Khan loved all his pet goats. So naturally, when one of his goats would disappear in the hills, he would become very sad. He did not understand why the goats would run away from him. He provided the goats a luxurious life, meaning that he gave them the juiciest grass and grains and other excellent facilities which most goats don’t get. However, the goats would leave all those things and run towards the hills, where they would run straight into the jaws of death. Here, jaws of death stand for the jaws of the wolves killing the goats. Hence, he did not understand why the goats would leave all the luxuries only to run into an unlucky fate which is to be killed by an old wolf. He then came to two explanations as to why the goats would do such a thing. One, the goats were mad. Second, they loved freedom. He thought that the reason could not be for their love for freedom because freedom meant struggle, hardship and even death. According to him, being free was not an enjoyable thing as it often led to dangerous circumstances which a free person had to overcome on its own, which led to their own death. Abbu Khan could not work out the reason for the goats’ strange behaviour and hence, this was a mystery to Abbu Khan.

Passage: One day, when all his goats had left him, Abbu Khan said to himself, “No more goats in my house ever again. I may yet live for a few more years but I’ll live without goats.” However, the poor old man was terribly lonely. He simply couldn’t do without his pets. Very soon he bought a young goat. He thought, “A young goat will stay with me much longer. She will soon begin to love me as well as the food I give her every day. She will never want to go to the hills.” And he laughed with joy.

Word Meaning
terribly: badly or seriously

Explanation of the above Passage: Then came one day when all the pet goats Abbu Khan had left him. On that day, he said to himself that he would not keep any goats in his house ever again. He thought that even though he would live on for a few years more, he would live on alone and without goats. However, he did not have the strength and the determination to keep living alone. He felt so lonely that it had started to affect him in a bad and serious way. He realised that he could not live without his pets. After that, he soon bought a young goat. There was a specific reason as to why he bought a young goat. He thought that a young goat would stay with him much longer than an adult goat. He thought she would love his care and food more than hills and freedom.

new goatPassage: The new goat was very pretty. She was white as snow, and had two little horns on her little head, and a pair of gleaming red eyes. She had a friendly temperament, and would listen to Abbu Khan’s tales with a lot of interest and affection. Abbu Khan called her Chandni, which means ‘moonlight’. He loved Chandni and would narrate to her stories of all his friends who were dead and gone. 

 

Word Meaning
gleaming: glittering, shining
temperament: a person’s or animal’s nature, especially as it permanently affects their behaviour
affection: a gentle feeling of love or fondness
moonlight: light coming from the moon
narrate: tell a story

Explanation of the above Passage: The new goat was very pretty. The new goat was a young goat whose colour was as white as snow. She had two little horns on her little head and a pair of red eyes which were red in colour and very glittery and shiny. The nature and behaviour of the young goat was friendly. She listened to Abbu Khan’s tales with interest and love. Hence, the young goat was everything Abbu Khan wanted in a new pet. The goat was really attached to him. The name given to the goat was Chandni, which means ‘moonlight’ in English. Moonlight means ‘light coming from the moon’. Abbu Khan loved Chandni and he used to tell stories of his friends who at that time were either dead or had gone away.

Passage: Several years passed; Chandni was still there. Abbu Khan believed that Chandni would never leave his compound for the free and fresh air of the hills beyond. Alas! He was mistaken again.

Word Meaning
compound: an open area enclosed by a fence
alas: grief, pain and sorrow

Explanation of the above Passage: Several years had passed since Abbu Khan had brought her. Even though many years had passed, Chandni was still there and she did not do anything against his wishes. Because of this, Abbu Khan believed that Chandni would never want to leave the open area surrounded by the fence (the place where she was kept). He believed that she would not want to feel the free and fresh air of the hills. However, he was very sad when he found out that he was mistaken. One day would come when the young goat would leave him too.

Passage: Every morning Chandni watched the hilltops bathed in the sunlight. “How beautiful those hills are!” she thought. “How refreshing the breeze that blows through them! And how lovely to run across those green fields!” She ran towards the hills but had to stop with a jerk—the rope round her neck wouldn’t let her go any further. How she hated that rope! 

Word Meaning
bathed: immersed in something
jerk: a quick, sharp, sudden movement

Explanation of the above Passage: Every morning Chandni would watch the top of the hills. The hills were filled with bright sunlight and looked very beautiful. She would look at the hilltops lovingly, thinking of how refreshing the breeze and lovely the green fields would be. After watching the beautiful scenery, she would run towards the hills as she was so attracted by the landscape’s beauty. But she could not go towards the hills. As she would start running towards the hills she had no choice but to stop suddenly. She could not go as the rope around her neck would stop her from going any further. When this would happen, she would hate the rope for stopping her from going to the hills.

Passage: She stopped eating the green grass Abbu Khan brought for her; nor did she listen to his stories with interest and affection. She lost her appetite, grew very thin and stared moodily at the hilltops bathed in sunlight. Abbu Khan did not understand Chandni’s anguish. At last, she decided to speak to him frankly. “Dear Abbu Khan,” she said, “let me go to the hills, please. If I stay on in your compound, I’ll die.” Now Abbu Khan understood Chandni’s problem, but it made him very unhappy. The earthen pot which contained Chandni’s breakfast fell from his hands and broke into a thousand pieces.

Word Meaning
appetite: hunger
moodily: in angry and unhappy way
anguish: grief, sorrow, sadness
frankly: honestly
earthen: made from earth

Explanation of the above Passage: Chandni lost her interest in all the things she liked before. She stopped eating the green grass Abbu Khan brought for her. She stopped listening to his stories with interest and affection. Hence, she lost her interest in everything Abbu Khan provided her and she now only wanted to have what nature provided her – the hills. Slowly, she lost her hunger and her will to eat. She did only one thing and that was staring at the hilltops with a mixture of anger and sadness. Since she had stopped eating anything, she grew thinner and thinner with each day. Abbu Khan, who noticed this change in not only her appearance but also in her behaviour, could not understand what was happening to her. He could not understand what she was going through and why she was so sad. Then, one day, Chandni decided to be honest with him and tell him why she was so sad. She requested Abbu Khan to let her go to the hills. She also said that if she stayed in his compound, she would die. Abbu Khan now finally understood that she too loved the hills. But he was unhappy to know this as he did not want to lose another goat. He did not wish to be lonely. He became so sad that the pot which was made of earth and contained Chandni’s breakfast, fell from his hands and broke into a thousand pieces.

Passage: “Why do you want to leave me, Chandni?” Abbu Khan asked.
“I want to go to the hills,” Chandni answered.
“Don’t you like the food here? I’ll give you tastier food and a much longer rope.”
“No, thank you. Let me go to the hills.”

Explanation of the above Passage:  Abbu Khan asked her why she wanted to leave him. Chandni answered that she just wanted to go to the hills. Abbu Khan asked if she did not like the food he provided. He then offered tastier food and a longer rope, hoping that this offer would stop her from leaving him. He thought that Chandni did not love him anymore or that she had grown tired of the same food. But the reason was something else – that she wanted to be free. So, Chandni politely turned down the offer. She thanked him and then repeated her request.

Passage: “Do you realise the risk you are running, you obstinate creature? There is a dangerous wolf in the hills. He’ll eat you up.” Abbu Khan did his best to warn her.
Chandni answered, “God has given me a pair of horns. I’ll fight the wolf.” 

Word Meaning
risk: danger
obstinate: stubborn, rigid

Explanation of the above Passage: Abbu Khan then decided to use another technique to make Chandni stay with him. He told her about the danger that was in the hills. He called Chandni an ‘obstinate creature’, meaning that she was being too stubborn and rigid to see the logic behind Abbu Khan’s sayings. He told her that a dangerous wolf lived in the hills who would eat her up. He did his best to warn her. However, this did not work. She answered that she would use the pair of horns God had provided her to fight the wolf. Hence, she did not want Abbu Khan’s protection and she was confident that she could take care of herself.

wolfPassage: “Fight the wolf, indeed! Have you forgotten the story of your sister Kalua who was the size of a big deer. She fought the wolf through the night but was killed in the morning.” Abbu Khan narrated Kalua’s story for the fiftieth time.
To all this Chandni had only one thing to say: “I want to go to the hills.”

Explanation of the above Passage: Abbu Khan did not believe that Chandni could fight the wolf all by herself. He then asked her if she had forgotten the story of her sister Kalua (one of the previous pet goats) who was as big as a big deer. According to the story, she had fought the wolf throughout the night but in the end, she got killed in the morning. He then began to tell the whole story again for the fiftieth time. To all of his explanations and to this story, Chandni had only one thing to say and that was that she wanted to go to the hills. At that moment, she was not afraid of any wolf, she just wanted to break free.

chandniPassage: Abbu Khan got very annoyed. He thundered, “You are not going anywhere. From today you’ll live in a small hut, and not move about freely in the compound. Ungrateful as you are, you must still be saved from the wolf.” He pushed her into a small hut and shut the door. But he forgot to close the small window at the back. The same night Chandni made that window her passage to freedom.

Word Meaning
thundered: speak loudly and forcefully or angrily to denounce or criticise
passage: a narrow way providing access to move in or out of the place

Explanation of the above Passage: Abbu Khan was expecting Chandni to obey him. When she remained determined to act against his wishes, he became very annoyed. He spoke loudly and angrily to Chandni and denounced or informed against her by taking away her freedom. Chandni was transferred to a small hut and now she did not have the freedom to roam freely in the compound. Abbu Khan said that even though she was ungrateful, it was important to save her from the wolf. He forcefully took her and pushed the goat into the small hut. He shut the door so that she could not escape. But he was so angry that he forgot to do one important task – to close the small window at the back. The same night, Chandni used that small window as her narrow way to freedom.

Passage: Chandni reached the hills. It seemed to her that the old hills were standing in a row to welcome her. She felt like a child meeting her parents after years of separation. 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. How different all this was from her past in the prison-house of Abbu Khan’s compound! It was the happiest day in Chandni’s life. 

Word Meaning
embrace: hug or join her physically
bloomed: matured or produced a flower
amuse: entertain
endless: something which never ends

Explanation of the above Passage: Chandni finally reached the hills, and the place seemed as if they were standing in a row to welcome her. She felt like she was a child who was meeting her parents after years of separation. Hence, she felt like she belonged to hills and nature. Wherever she went, the tall grass stood up to hug her. The plants produced flowers which entertained and welcomed the goat. The wind blowing on the hills sang a song of welcome which did not seem to end. All this made Chandni feel like her past in Abbu Khan’s compound was much different than being on the hills. She refers to the compound as a ‘prison-house’, meaning that she thought the compound to be a house in which she was imprisoned. The day she finally became free was the happiest day in Chandni’s life. She had never felt so happy while living with Abbu Khan.

Passage: That day she played for hours on the grassy slopes of the hills. She met a herd of wild goats who asked her to join their group. But Chandni politely refused. She wanted to enjoy her new freedom all by herself. 

Word Meaning
grassy: covered with or full of grass
herd: group

Explanation of the above Passage: That day (the day she became free), she played for hours on the slopes of the hills which were covered with grass. After that, she met a group of wild goats. The group asked her to join them. However, Chandni politely refused because she wanted to be alone. She wanted to enjoy her freedom all by herself.

Passage: The sun disappeared behind the hills, and soon darkness enveloped the grass, the flowers and the trees. The wind stopped blowing, and there was stillness all around except for a strange sound which was coming from the bushes. The sound was like a grunt. What was it? It wasn’t Abbu Khan’s voice calling her back to the compound; nor was it the voice of another goat. Then Chandni thought of the dangerous wolf who lived in the hills. She felt scared.

Word Meaning
enveloped: wrap up, cover, or surround completely
grunt: a low, short guttural sound made by an animal or a person

Explanation of the above Passage: Then, the sun disappeared behind the hills. Due to lack of sunlight, everything was surrounded with darkness, including the grass, the flowers and the trees. The wind stopped blowing and the pleasantness of the hills had been replaced with stillness. There was no sign of movement, except for a strange sound which was coming from the bushes. The strange sound was neither Abbu Khan calling her back nor of another goat. Then Chandni thought if the sound was of the dangerous wolf who lived in the hills, the one who had killed Kalua. When she thought of the wolf, she felt scared.

wolf and the goatPassage: Should she go back to the safety of Abbu Khan’s hut? “No,” she said to herself, “death in an open field is far better than life in a small hut”. The wolf had come out of the bushes, and was staring greedily at Chandni. His eyes were shining like burning coals in the darkness. He seemed in no hurry. He knew the new goat was his. 

Explanation of the above Passage: She asked herself if she should go back to Abbu Khan’s hut, where she would be safe. She answered no because she believed that dying in an open field when free is much better than spending your entire life in a small hut. The wolf who was making the grunting sounds had come out of the bushes. He was staring greedily at Chandni. His eyes were shining like burning coals. The darkness made his eyes more shiny. His eyes were shining like that because he was a fierce and determined creature. He was not moving fast, and so he looked as if he were in no hurry to kill the goat. This was because he knew that the new goat or his new target had no chance of escaping him. He knew that he surely would kill the goat.

Passage: The wolf and the goat sized up each other. The wolf was big and ferocious whereas the goat, though healthy, was small. But small is not weak. Chandni stood firm on her legs, head slightly bent and horns jutting out. She was a picture of courage. She looked like a brave soldier ready to fight a treacherous enemy. “I must put up a good fight,” Chandni thought; “success or failure is a matter of luck or chance.”

Word Meaning
Sized up: evaluated or calculated
ferocious: savagely fierce, cruel, or violent.
firm: determined
jut: extend out, over, or beyond the main body or line of something.
treacherous: someone who betrays people, unfaithful, selfish

Explanation of the above Passage: The wolf and goat calculated each other, deciding what is the weak point of the enemy and how to defeat them. The wolf was violent and big in size. Compared to him, the goat was totally the opposite. She was healthy but small. However, the fact that she was small did not mean that she was weak. Chandni was no longer scared of the big, fierce wolf. She stood determinedly on  her legs. Her head was slightly bent and her horns were extending out from the main part of the head. She looked like a picture of courage. She was looking as brave as a soldier fighting an enemy who betrays people for their own benefit. Chandni thought that she must put up a good fight. She decided to try her best and leave the result of the fight up to luck and chance. She did not worry about the result and if she would be able to win or not.

Passage: The fight began. It went on through the night. The moon, which had been watching the fight, began to grow pale and suddenly hid behind the clouds. The stars also began to disappear one by one. A faint light appeared in the east and the morning call for prayer came from a distant mosque.

Word Meaning
pale: weak, inferior
faint: light, weak

Explanation of the above Passage: The fight began. Both the creatures were so powerful that the fight went on through the night. The moon had been watching the fight. It became weak and it suddenly hid behind the clouds. The stars also began to disappear one-by-one. Hence, it suddenly became very dark. A weak light appeared in the east and the morning call for prayer came from a faraway mosque. 

Passage: The first rays of the sun saw Chandni lying on the ground. She was completely soaked in blood. The wolf, tired and sleepy, was getting ready to devour her.

Word Meaning
soaked: covered
devour: eat

Explanation of the above Passage: The first rays of sunlight came upon the dead body of Chandni which was lying on the ground. She was completely covered with blood. The wolf who had won the fight, was tired and sleepy. This meant that Chandni was a tough opponent to defeat. The wolf was now getting ready to eat her.

Passage: An assembly of birds perched on top of a tree nearby was debating the result of the fight. “Who is the winner?” one of them asked. “The wolf, of course,” most of them said. A wise old bird declaimed with confidence, “Chandni is the winner.” 

Word Meaning
assembly: group
perched: sitting on a surface
declaim: say words in an effective or impressive way, as if to an audience.

Explanation of the above Passage:  A group of birds sitting on top of a nearby tree were looking at the result of the fight. They were debating among themselves about the result of the fight. One of the birds asked everyone’s opinion on who they thought the winner was. The majority of the birds said that it was obviously the wolf who was the winner. However, there was a wise old bird in the group who said in an effective and impressive way that Chandni was the winner. 

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