A Short Monsoon Diary

The Bear Story
1.Most people keep dogs and cats as pets. Can you think of some unusual pets that people keep?
A.This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The
answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text
carefully and try attempting it on your own.
2.The second bear did not attack the lady because he was afraid of her. Do you agree?
A.The second bear did not attack the lady because he too was a friendly bear. He was charging
towards her and it seemed as if he wanted to sit near her heels. Thinking that he was her pet bear, the
lady scolded him and even hit him with her parasol. The bear did not respond angrily, and slowly
turned around and went away, perhaps sad at being shouted at.
3.What did the bear eat? There were two things he was not allowed to do. What were they?
A.The bear ate bread, porridge, potato, cabbage, and turnip. He was not allowed to pluck apples off
the trees. He learnt later that it was against the law. He was also not allowed to touch the beehives. He
was punished for doing so by being put on the chain.
4.When was the bear tied up with a chain? Why?
A.The bear was tied up with a chain at night. He was also tied up on Sundays as his mistress used to
spend the afternoon with her married sister. She did so because she did not think it was good for him
to wander about in the forest with all its temptations.
5.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?
A.One Sunday when the lady was going to her sister’s house, she saw a bear coming along at full
speed. Thinking that he was her pet, the lady got very angry. Being already late for lunch, she scolded
him and told him to go back. She saw that he had even lost his new collar. This made her angrier, and
she hit him on his nose with her parasol. The parasol broke in two. The bear opened his mouth several
times as if he wanted to say something, and then it turned around and went on its way.
6.Why was the bear looking sorry for himself in the evening? Why did the cook get angry with
her mistress?
A.The bear was looking sorry for himself in the evening because he had been chained all day and he
could not do his usual activities. When his mistress returned, she scolded him, thinking that it was
him she saw in the forest. She said that as punishment, he would have to remain chained for two more
days. The cook loved the bear as her child and could not bear to see the bear being scolded like that.
This was why she got angry. She told the mistress that the bear had been very good the whole day,
and had been sitting outside his kennel, looking at the gate and waiting for her to come back.
A Tiger in the House
1.“I became one of the tiger’s favourites”. Who is ‘I’ in the statement? Why did he think so?
A.In the statement, ‘I’ is the narrator of the story. Timothy had the habit of stalking anyone who
would play with him. When the narrator went to live with Grandfather, he became Timothy’s
favourite playmate. One of his games was to slowly creep towards the narrator and then suddenly
make a dash for his feet, pretending to bite his ankles.
2.Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?
A.During the day, Timothy’s favourite place in the house was the drawing-room and was the most
comfortable on the long sofa. He slept at night in the cook’s quarters.
3.What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?
A.Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook was that one day Timothy would make a meal of
Mahmoud. It did not come true. However, the tiger had begun to stalk Mahmoud about the house
with a villainous intent.
4.What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?
A.When Timothy was about six months old, he grew less friendly. When he was out for a walk with
the narrator, he would try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog.
Sometimes at night, they would hear frenzied cackling from the poultry house. In the morning, they
would find feathers lying all over the verandah. Timothy had to be chained up more often. And
finally, when it began to stalk Mahmoud about the house with a villainous intent, Grandfather
decided it was time to transfer it to a zoo.
5.Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?
A.Grandfather wanted Timothy to be put in another enclosure as the leopard in the next cage would
constantly rush at Timothy. Whenever this happened, the frightened Timothy would slink to a corner.
6.What shocked Grandfather in the end?
A.While he was petting Timothy, Grandfather happened to notice the keeper who had been there
when Timothy had been brought to the zoo. He was watching Grandfather with alarm. When
Grandfather asked him to transfer Timothy to another cage, he said that the tiger in the cage was not
Timothy. He said that Grandfather’s tiger had died two months back because of pneumonia. The tiger
that Grandfather mistook to be Timothy was actually a very dangerous tiger and was trapped the
previous month. This was what shocked Grandfather.

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The Bear Story

4.When was the bear tied up with a chain? Why?

4.What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?

5.Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?

6.What shocked Grandfather in the end?

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