Class 1 English Notes Chapter 4 (Once I Saw a Little Bird; Mittu and the Yellow Mango) – Marigold Book

Okay, here are the detailed notes for NCERT Class 1 English, Marigold Book, Chapter 4, focusing on aspects relevant for government exam preparation.

Chapter 4: Once I Saw a Little Bird (Poem); Mittu and the Yellow Mango (Story)

Part 1: Poem - 'Once I Saw a Little Bird'

1. Theme and Summary:

• Theme: Observation of nature, interaction between humans and animals, the fleeting nature of such moments.
• Summary: The poem describes a child's experience of seeing a small bird land near the window. The child invites the bird to stop, but as the child approaches, the bird shakes its tail and flies away. It captures a simple, common childhood experience.

2. Key Vocabulary and Meanings:

• Saw: Past tense of 'see'; looked at.
• Little: Small in size.
• Bird: A creature with feathers and wings, usually able to fly.
• Come: Move towards someone or something.
• Hop: Jump on one or both feet.
• Stop: Cease moving or doing something.
• Window: An opening in the wall of a building to let in light and air.
• Sill: The ledge or shelf at the bottom of a window.
• Shake: Move quickly back and forth or up and down.
• Tail: The part extending from the rear end of an animal's body.
• Flew away: Departed by flying (Past tense of 'fly away').

3. Rhyming Words:

• The primary rhyming pair in the poem is hop / stop.
• Exam questions might ask to identify rhyming words from the poem or provide words that rhyme with words from the poem (e.g., bird, sill, tail, away).

4. Action Words (Verbs):

• The poem uses simple action words, primarily in the past tense:
  • Saw
  • Come
  • Hop
  • Stop
  • Shake
  • Flew (away)

5. Comprehension Focus:

• Who saw the bird? (The speaker/child)
• What kind of bird was it? (A little bird)
• Where did the bird come? (To the window)
• What did the bird do on the window sill? (It hopped)
• What did the child say to the bird? ("Stop, stop, stop!")
• What did the bird do before flying away? (Shook its little tail)
• Did the bird stay? (No, it flew away)

6. Grammar Points:

• Simple Past Tense: The poem predominantly uses verbs in the simple past tense (saw, came, hopped, shook, flew). Understanding this tense is important.
• Prepositions: Use of 'to' (to my window), 'upon' (upon my sill).

Part 2: Story - 'Mittu and the Yellow Mango'

1. Theme and Summary:

• Theme: Cleverness, problem-solving, desire, overcoming fear and obstacles.
• Summary: Mittu, a green parrot with a red beak, loves mangoes. He sees a big yellow mango on a tree but is scared away by a loud, black crow guarding it. Mittu finds a red balloon, gets an idea, and uses the balloon to scare the crow. He pecks the balloon behind the tree, it bursts with a loud 'Bang!', frightening the crow away. Mittu then enjoys the tasty mango.

2. Characters:

• Mittu: A parrot. Key characteristics: Green body, red beak, likes mangoes, initially afraid, becomes clever and brave.
• Big Black Crow: Antagonist. Key characteristics: Big, black, loud voice ('Caw, caw'), guards the mango, easily scared by the loud noise.

3. Key Vocabulary and Meanings:

• Parrot: A tropical bird known for its bright colours and ability to mimic sounds.
• Mango: A sweet, fleshy tropical fruit.
• Yellow: A primary colour, the colour of the ripe mango in the story.
• Liked: Found pleasant or enjoyable (Past tense of 'like').
• Fly down: To descend from the air by flying.
• Tree: A tall plant with a trunk and branches.
• Crow: A large, black bird known for its loud 'caw' sound.
• Loud voice: A sound produced with great volume.
• Afraid: Feeling fear or scared.
• Red: A primary colour, the colour of the balloon.
• Balloon: An inflatable rubber bag, often used as a toy.
• Under: Below or beneath something.
• Idea: A thought, plan, or suggestion.
• Picked up: Took hold of and lifted (Past tense of 'pick up').
• Careful: Cautious; avoiding potential danger or mistakes.
• Behind: At the back or rear of something.
• Pecked: Struck or bit something with a beak (Past tense of 'peck').
• Burst: Broke open suddenly, especially due to internal pressure (Past tense, same form as present).
• Bang: A sudden loud noise.
• Fell off: Dropped from a place (Past tense of 'fall off').
• Naughty: Mischievous or disobedient (used here playfully for Mittu).
• Tasty: Having a pleasant flavour; delicious.

4. Sequence of Events:

• Mittu sees a yellow mango.
• Mittu wants to eat it.
• A crow tells Mittu to go away.
• Mittu is afraid and flies away.
• Mittu sees a red balloon under a tree.
• Mittu gets an idea.
• Mittu picks up the balloon.
• Mittu flies carefully to the mango tree.
• Mittu hides behind the tree.
• Mittu pecks the balloon.
• The balloon bursts with a loud 'Bang!'.
• The crow gets scared and flies away.
• Mittu eats the big yellow mango.

5. Moral/Learning:

• Intelligence and cleverness can overcome challenges, even when faced with someone seemingly stronger or louder.
• Thinking creatively can help solve problems.

6. Comprehension Focus:

• Who was Mittu? (A parrot)
• What colour was Mittu? (Green with a red beak)
• What did Mittu see on the tree? (A big yellow mango)
• What did Mittu like? (Mangoes)
• Who else was on the tree? (A big black crow)
• What did the crow say? ("Caw, caw. Go away!")
• Why did Mittu fly away initially? (He was afraid of the crow)
• What did Mittu find under the tree? (A red balloon)
• What was Mittu's idea? (To use the balloon to scare the crow)
• How did Mittu scare the crow? (By bursting the balloon, which made a loud bang)
• What happened to the crow? (It got scared and flew away)
• Did Mittu get the mango? (Yes)
• How was the mango? (Nice and tasty)

7. Grammar Points:

• Nouns: Identification of persons, places, animals, things (Mittu, parrot, mango, tree, crow, balloon, beak, voice, idea, bang).
• Adjectives: Describing words (little, yellow, big, black, red, loud, afraid, careful, naughty, nice, tasty).
• Simple Past Tense: Frequent use (liked, saw, flew, said, was, found, got, picked up, pecked, burst, fell off, ate).
• Prepositions: under, on, behind, to.
• Sound words (Onomatopoeia): Caw, caw; Bang!

Overall Chapter Skills for Exam Preparation:

• Reading Comprehension: Understanding the plot, characters, setting, and sequence of events in both the poem and the story.
• Vocabulary: Knowing the meanings of key words and being able to use them in context.
• Grammar: Identifying nouns, adjectives, verbs (especially simple past tense), and prepositions. Recognizing rhyming words.
• Inferential Skills: Understanding character feelings (e.g., Mittu's fear, the crow's fright) and motivations (Mittu's desire for the mango, his idea).
• Observation Skills: Noting details like colours (green parrot, red beak, yellow mango, black crow, red balloon).

Potential Question Types for Exams:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) based on facts, vocabulary, and character traits.
• Fill in the Blanks using words from the text or appropriate grammatical forms.
• Match the Following (e.g., characters to descriptions, words to meanings, rhyming words).
• True/False statements.
• Short Answer Questions testing comprehension of events and characters.
• Identifying pictures related to the story/poem.
• Sequencing sentences from the story.

These notes cover the essential elements of Chapter 4 for thorough preparation, focusing on comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and potential assessment areas.