Class 6 English Notes Chapter 6 (The Monkey and the Crocodile) – A Pact with the Sun Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 6 from your 'A Pact with the Sun' book, "The Monkey and the Crocodile". This is a popular story, originally from the Panchatantra tales, and it carries important lessons often tested in various exams. Pay close attention to the details.

Chapter 6: The Monkey and the Crocodile - Detailed Notes

Source: Adapted from the Panchatantra (ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose).

Characters:

1. The Monkey:
   • Lived alone in a fruit-laden tree (Jamun tree mentioned in many versions, though the text just says 'fruit tree') on a riverbank.
   • Happy and generous, but lonely.
   • Intelligent, quick-witted, and resourceful.
   • Values friendship but is wise enough to recognise betrayal.
2. The Crocodile:
   • Lived in the river with his wife.
   • Initially friendly towards the monkey.
   • Becomes conflicted between his friendship with the monkey and his wife's demands.
   • Ultimately proves to be weak-willed, treacherous, and foolish.
3. The Crocodile's Wife:
   • Selfish, greedy, and cunning.
   • Becomes jealous of her husband's friendship with the monkey.
   • Plots to kill the monkey to eat his heart, believing it to be sweet from the fruits.
   • Manipulative, feigning illness to force her husband's hand.

Setting:

• A lush riverbank.
• A tall tree laden with sweet fruits, home to the monkey.
• The river flowing nearby, home to the crocodile and his wife.

Plot Summary:

1. Friendship Begins: The monkey lived happily on his tree but lacked company. A crocodile appeared on the riverbank. The monkey, being kind, offered him fruits from the tree. The crocodile enjoyed the fruits and started visiting the monkey daily. They spent time talking and became good friends.
2. Sharing with the Wife: The crocodile began taking fruits home for his wife. Initially, she liked them.
3. The Wife's Jealousy and Plot: The wife grew tired of just the fruits and perhaps jealous of the time her husband spent with the monkey. She conceived a wicked plan. She desired to eat the monkey's heart, believing that eating sweet fruits daily must have made his heart exceptionally sweet.
4. Manipulation: The wife pretended to be seriously ill and told the crocodile that the only cure was a monkey's heart. She demanded he bring her the monkey's heart.
5. The Crocodile's Dilemma: The crocodile was horrified. He loved his friend and protested, calling the idea wicked. He argued that the monkey was his friend who provided them with fruit. However, his wife was adamant, threatening him (possibly implying she would die if he didn't comply).
6. Betrayal: Torn and ultimately giving in to his wife, the crocodile reluctantly agreed. He went to the monkey and invited him home for a meal, saying his wife wanted to meet him.
7. The Journey and Revelation: The monkey was happy to visit but couldn't swim. The crocodile offered to carry him on his back across the river. The monkey agreed. When they were in the middle of the river, where the monkey couldn't escape, the foolish crocodile revealed the real reason for the invitation – his wife wanted to eat the monkey's heart to cure her supposed illness.
8. The Monkey's Quick Wit: The monkey was terrified but didn't show it. He quickly thought of a plan. He calmly told the crocodile that he would gladly give up his heart for his friend's wife, but lamented that he had unfortunately left his heart behind on the tree! He explained that he never carried it around with him. He suggested they must go back immediately to fetch it.
9. The Foolish Crocodile: The gullible crocodile believed the monkey's story. Thinking only of getting the heart, he turned around and swam back quickly to the riverbank.
10. Escape and End of Friendship: As soon as they reached the bank, the monkey leaped off the crocodile's back and climbed swiftly up his tree to safety. From the tree, he revealed the trick, scolded the crocodile for his foolishness and betrayal, and declared their friendship over. He told the crocodile never to return.
11. Consequences: The crocodile realised his foolishness. He had lost a dear friend and the supply of delicious fruits, all because of his wife's greed and his own weakness and betrayal. He went home empty-handed, having shed "crocodile tears" (insincere tears) over his mistake.

Themes:

• True Friendship vs. False Friendship/Betrayal: The story contrasts the monkey's genuine friendship with the crocodile's eventual betrayal under pressure.
• Intelligence and Wit over Brute Strength: The monkey, though physically weaker and in a perilous situation, outsmarts the stronger crocodile using his intelligence.
• Greed Leads to Loss: The wife's greed for the monkey's heart and the crocodile's weakness in giving in lead to the loss of friendship and resources (fruits).
• Consequences of Foolishness: The crocodile's inability to see through his wife's manipulation and the monkey's obvious trick highlights the dangers of being foolish and gullible.
• Importance of Thinking Before Acting: The crocodile's mistake was revealing the plan mid-river and then blindly believing the monkey's story about leaving his heart behind.

Moral of the Story:

• Choose your friends wisely.
• Presence of mind and quick thinking can save you from dangerous situations.
• Greed and betrayal destroy relationships.
• Don't blindly trust everyone, especially when something seems too good or strange to be true.

Key Vocabulary:

• Lacked: Did not have.
• Delicious: Very tasty.
• Hesitated: Paused before saying or doing something, especially through uncertainty.
• Declared: Announced clearly, firmly, publicly, or officially.
• Furious: Extremely angry.
• Treacherous: Guilty of or involving betrayal or deception; dangerous.
• Sheer relief: Complete feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.
• Shed crocodile tears: To shed false or insincere tears.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. Where did the monkey live?
   a) In a cave near the river
   b) On a fruit tree on the riverbank
   c) Inside the river with the crocodile
   d) In a forest far from the river

2. Why did the crocodile first visit the monkey?
   a) He was looking for food.
   b) He was lonely and wanted a friend.
   c) His wife sent him to get fruits.
   d) He was attracted by the monkey eating fruits.

3. What did the crocodile's wife want from the monkey?
   a) More fruits
   b) His friendship
   c) His heart
   d) His tree

4. Why did the crocodile's wife want the monkey's heart?
   a) She hated the monkey.
   b) She believed it would cure her illness.
   c) She thought it would be very sweet from eating fruits.
   d) She wanted to become intelligent like the monkey.

5. How did the crocodile plan to take the monkey to his home?
   a) By building a bridge
   b) By carrying him on his back across the river
   c) By asking him to use a boat
   d) By tricking him into a net

6. When did the crocodile reveal his true intentions to the monkey?
   a) Before they started the journey
   b) As soon as they reached the crocodile's home
   c) While they were in the middle of the river
   d) After the monkey gave him fruits

7. What clever lie did the monkey tell the crocodile to save himself?
   a) That his heart was poisonous
   b) That he had left his heart on the tree
   c) That he knew a better cure for the wife's illness
   d) That other monkeys would attack if he was harmed

8. What does the phrase "shed crocodile tears" mean in the context of the story?
   a) The crocodile was genuinely very sad.
   b) The crocodile cried tears made of river water.
   c) The crocodile pretended to be sad but wasn't truly sorry for his actions initially.
   d) The crocodile was crying because his eyes hurt.

9. What is the main moral lesson derived from the monkey's actions?
   a) It is always good to share your food.
   b) One should never trust crocodiles.
   c) Quick thinking and intelligence can overcome difficult situations.
   d) Never leave your home tree.

10. What was the ultimate consequence for the crocodile?
    a) He got the monkey's heart for his wife.
    b) He became the king of the river.
    c) He lost both his friend and the supply of fruits.
    d) The monkey forgave him and they remained friends.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b
2. d (Implied, as he saw the monkey, approached, and accepted fruits) or a (He was likely looking for food initially) - Option 'd' is slightly better based on narrative flow, but 'a' is plausible. Let's stick with d as the primary interaction starter. Correction: The text says the crocodile rested under the tree, the monkey asked if he wanted fruit. So the initial reason wasn't explicitly stated as hunger, but accepting food implies it. Let's re-evaluate. The friendship developed because the monkey offered fruit. The reason for the crocodile being there isn't explicitly 'looking for food' but rather resting. However, the interaction leading to friendship involved food. Let's refine the question or options. Let's assume the most direct trigger for the interaction. The crocodile came to the bank, the monkey offered fruit. Let's re-select a) He was looking for food as a general motivation for being near a fruit source, although the text doesn't state it explicitly as the reason for visiting the monkey specifically the first time. Self-correction: Rereading the text, "One day a crocodile swam up to the bank and rested under the tree." The monkey offered fruit. The friendship started here. The reason he came to the bank isn't specified beyond resting. But the interaction began with fruit. Let's reconsider the options based on the development of the friendship. The friendship grew because the monkey shared fruits and they talked. Option d captures the start of the interaction best. Let's finalize d.
3. c
4. c
5. b
6. c
7. b
8. c
9. c
10. c

(Final check on Q2 - The most accurate trigger for the interaction leading to friendship is the monkey offering fruits after seeing the crocodile. So 'd' seems the most appropriate choice reflecting the story's sequence.)

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the characters' motivations and the sequence of events is crucial. Good luck with your preparation!