Class-5th - English L3

 

LESSON 3: How the cat became

Reading comprehension

A. Complete these sentences

1. the hollow of a tree in the wood

 2. of the sounds produced when he would tune his violin

 3. to find a job and start working

 4. the three birds—Jay, Magpie and Parrot—went after him shouting ‘Get a job!’ all day long

 5. no other creature had ever dared to come up to the farm and knock on his door

B. Answer the questions.

1. Name the creatures that lived in the wood

Ans. The creatures that lived in the wood were bats, Cat, Beaver, Weasel, Jay, Magpie, Parrot, Deer, Wild Boar, Bear, Ferret, Mongoose, Porcupine and different kinds of birds.

 2. Why did the creatures form a Committee?

Ans. The creatures formed a Committee so that the members of the Committee could persuade Cat to take up a job and start working than lounge around all day and sleep in the sun.

 3. What did Jay, Magpie and Parrot start doing all day long?

Ans. Jay, Magpie and Parrot started chanting, ‘Get a job! Get a job!’ wherever Cat went, pestering him to take up work.

 4. How did Cat find a job?

Ans. Cat wanted a job that was comfortable and would leave him with time to practise playing his violin. So, he went to Man’s farm and asked him for a job. Man gave him the job of catching rats and mice in his farm.

 5. Why would Cat catch just a few rats and mice each night when he could have easily caught so many more?

Ans. Cat was clever. He knew if he caught all the rats and mice in the farm, then there would not be any rats or mice to catch very soon. That would mean he would not be required any more. So, in order to keep his job for a much longer time, he would catch just a few rats and mice each night.

C. Read these sentences from the story and answer the questions that follow.

1. He’s a bad example,’ said Beaver. ‘He never does a stroke of work!’

a. Who was Beaver talking about?

Ans. Beaver was talking about Cat.

 b. Why was ‘he’ considered ‘a bad example’?

Ans. The creatures of the wood worked hard to gather their food. They respected hard work, but Cat hardly did any work. He would simply sleep throughout the day and play his violin at night, disturbing the rest of the creatures. The creatures did not want the other animals or their children to follow his example because they thought to do no work and laze around all day would set a ‘bad example’ for other animals.

 c. What did the creatures of the wood ask the ‘bad example’ to do?

Ans. The creatures of the wood asked Cat to get a job for himself.

 d. Was Beaver’s view of the ‘bad example’ right? Give a reason for your answer

Ans. Yes, Beaver was correct in thinking that Cat could set a bad example for other animals of the wood. Everyone needs to work hard to earn their living, and it is not good to be utterly lazy and do nothing all day long.

2. I’ve come for a job,’ he said.

‘A job?’ asked Man, hardly able to believe his ears.

a. Why did Cat ask for a job?

Ans. Cat asked for a job because he wanted to start working and earn his living as he had left the wood to get rid of the creatures pestering him to work.

 b. What work did Man give Cat?

Ans. Man asked Cat to catch rats and mice in his farm.

 c. What pay would Cat get for his work?

Ans.  Cat would get milk, meat and a place by the fireside for resting.

 d. What difficulty did Cat face at the beginning of his job?

Ans. The rats and mice teased Cat a lot at the beginning of his job. They pulled his tail and bit his ears. They even dropped down on him from the rafters in the barn in the dark.

D. Think and answer.

1. Compare Cat’s attitude towards work and life with the attitude of the other creatures in the wood.

Ans. Cat was laidback in his attitude towards life. The other creatures spent their day in the pursuit of food and shelter, but Cat thought that he was a musician and had better things to do. So, he would sleep in the sun all day long and practised playing his violin at night, disturbing the rest of the creatures. The other creatures respected hard work to earn their living, but Cat was too lazy to do the same.

 2. Imagine you are Cat. Would you have misused your job by working for only a short while each day and then retiring into the barn to play the violin for hours on end? Share your response in class.

Ans. The clear answer is NO. One should not misuse their job at any cost as it is unethical to do so.