Class 7 English Notes Chapter 2 (Bringing Up Kari) – An allienhand Hand Supplymentry Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 2 from your 'An Alien Hand' supplementary reader, "Bringing Up Kari". This is an important chapter detailing the unique bond between a boy and a baby elephant, and it often features in examinations due to its themes and specific details. Pay close attention to these notes.

Chapter 2: Bringing Up Kari - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction:
This chapter narrates the experiences of a young boy (the narrator) who is given the responsibility of caring for Kari, a five-month-old baby elephant. It highlights the challenges, joys, and learning involved in raising an elephant, emphasizing the intelligence and sensitivity of these animals.

2. Characters:

• Kari:
  • A five-month-old baby elephant at the beginning of the story.
  • Lives in a pavilion with a thatched roof resting on thick tree stumps.
  • Playful, sensitive, intelligent, and sometimes mischievous.
  • Requires about forty pounds of tender twigs daily.
  • Enjoys bathing in the river, squealing with pleasure.
  • Learns commands and understands right from wrong eventually.
  • Develops a strong bond with the narrator.
  • Shows bravery (saving the drowning boy) and cunning (stealing bananas).
• The Narrator:
  • A nine-year-old boy.
  • Kari's keeper, friend, and teacher.
  • Responsible and observant.
  • Takes Kari to the river for his bath daily.
  • Collects tender twigs for Kari, often having to climb trees.
  • Initially scared during the drowning incident but helps Kari save the boy.
  • Discovers Kari's mischief (banana theft) and disciplines him.
  • Teaches Kari signals like 'Dhat' and 'Mali'.

3. Key Plot Points & Summary:

• Kari's Upbringing: Kari, the five-month-old elephant, is entrusted to the care of the nine-year-old narrator. Kari lives in a specially built pavilion.
• Daily Routine: The narrator takes Kari to the river daily for bathing. Kari loves lying down in the water while the narrator rubs him with clean sand. Afterwards, Kari enjoys rubbing against the narrator.
• Feeding Kari: Finding the right food is crucial. Kari needs about forty pounds of tender twigs daily. The narrator has to climb various trees, especially the banyan tree, using a sharp hatchet to get the most delicate and tender twigs, as Kari refuses to eat mutilated ones.
• The River Incident (Saving a Drowning Boy):
  • One day, the narrator hears Kari trumpeting and calling near the river.
  • He finds Kari struggling at the edge of the water.
  • He sees a boy drowning in the river current.
  • The narrator, unable to swim well, jumps in but is pulled under by the current.
  • Kari, seeing his friend in danger, stretches out his trunk, helps the narrator ashore, and then pushes the drowning boy to safety with his trunk. This highlights Kari's intelligence and instinct to help.
• Kari's Mischief (The Banana Thief):
  • Kari develops a taste for ripe bananas kept on the dining table.
  • Bananas start disappearing mysteriously. Initially, the narrator and the servants are blamed.
  • One day, the narrator sees a "black thing," resembling a snake, coming through the window and taking the bananas.
  • He follows this 'snake' out and discovers it is Kari's trunk reaching for the fruit from his pavilion.
  • The narrator scolds Kari, pulling him by the ear. Kari understands his mistake and squeals, seemingly ashamed. He never steals again. This incident shows Kari's capacity for learning right from wrong.
• Teaching Kari Signals:
  • Elephants need to be taught signals or commands.
  • The narrator teaches Kari 'Dhat' (pronounced like 'that') by pulling his ear and saying the word, which means 'sit down'.
  • He teaches 'Mali' (pronounced 'mah-lee') by pulling his trunk forward and saying the word, which means 'walk'.
  • These commands are relatively easy for Kari to learn.
• The Master Call:
  • This is the most difficult signal to teach an elephant.
  • It takes about five years to learn properly.
  • It's a strange hissing, howling sound made in the elephant's ear.
  • Its purpose is crucial: If the master is lost in the jungle, this call signals the elephant to pull down trees in front of him, creating a path and frightening other animals away. This is essential for survival.

4. Themes:

• Human-Animal Bond: The deep friendship and understanding between the young narrator and Kari.
• Responsibility: The narrator's dedication to caring for Kari despite his young age.
• Animal Intelligence and Sensitivity: Kari's ability to learn, feel emotions (shame, pleasure), solve problems (saving the boy), and even be mischievous.
• Learning and Teaching: The process of teaching Kari commands and Kari's capacity to learn, as well as the narrator learning about elephant behaviour.
• Nature: The descriptions of the river, the jungle, and the importance of understanding the natural world.

5. Important Details for Exams:

• Kari's age at the start: Five months.
• Narrator's age: Nine years old.
• Kari's daily food requirement: Forty pounds of twigs.
• Kari's living place: A pavilion with a thatched roof on tree stumps.
• The command to sit down: 'Dhat'.
• The command to walk: 'Mali'.
• The most difficult command: The Master Call (takes five years to learn).
• The fruit Kari stole: Bananas.
• How Kari saved the drowning boy: Pushed him ashore with his trunk after helping the narrator.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. How old was Kari when the narrator was given charge of him?
   a) One year old
   b) Five months old
   c) Two years old
   d) Nine months old

2. Where did Kari live?
   a) In a stable
   b) Inside the narrator's house
   c) Under a large banyan tree
   d) In a pavilion with a thatched roof

3. Approximately how many pounds of twigs did Kari need daily?
   a) Ten pounds
   b) Twenty pounds
   c) Forty pounds
   d) Sixty pounds

4. What did the narrator use to cut down twigs for Kari?
   a) A large knife
   b) A saw
   c) A sharp hatchet
   d) His bare hands

5. What incident showed Kari's bravery and intelligence near the river?
   a) He caught a large fish.
   b) He saved a drowning boy.
   c) He warned the narrator about a snake.
   d) He found a hidden path.

6. What fruit did Kari develop a taste for and steal?
   a) Mangoes
   b) Apples
   c) Guavas
   d) Bananas

7. How did the narrator discover Kari was the fruit thief?
   a) He saw Kari eating them in the pavilion.
   b) The servants told him.
   c) He saw Kari's trunk reaching through the window like a snake.
   d) Kari confessed by trumpeting.

8. What does the command 'Dhat' mean for Kari?
   a) Walk
   b) Stop
   c) Sit down
   d) Trumpet

9. Which command was considered the most difficult and took years to learn?
   a) Dhat
   b) Mali
   c) The Master Call
   d) Fetch

10. What was the primary purpose of the 'Master Call'?
    a) To call Kari for his bath.
    b) To signal Kari to find food.
    c) To help the master find a way out if lost in the jungle.
    d) To make Kari perform tricks.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b) Five months old
2. d) In a pavilion with a thatched roof
3. c) Forty pounds
4. c) A sharp hatchet
5. b) He saved a drowning boy.
6. d) Bananas
7. c) He saw Kari's trunk reaching through the window like a snake.
8. c) Sit down
9. c) The Master Call
10. c) To help the master find a way out if lost in the jungle.

Study these notes carefully. Understanding the sequence of events, character traits, and the specific details like the commands is crucial. Good luck with your preparation!