Class 7 English Notes Chapter 5 (Golu Grows a Nose) – An allienhand Hand Supplymentry Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 5, 'Golu Grows a Nose' from your 'An Alien Hand' supplementary reader. This is an interesting story, originally one of Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So Stories', explaining how the elephant got its trunk. Pay close attention, as understanding the details is crucial for your exams.

Chapter 5: Golu Grows a Nose - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction:

• The story is set a long, long time ago when elephants did not have trunks. They had only a 'bulgy nose', as small as a boot.
• It explains, in a fictional and humorous way, how the elephant developed its long trunk.

2. Main Character: Golu

• Golu: A baby elephant.
• Characteristics:
  • Curious: He was full of questions. He asked questions about everything he saw, heard, felt, smelt, or touched. He asked his tall aunt (ostrich), his huge uncle (hippopotamus), his hairy uncle (baboon), and the Mynah bird why they were the way they were or did the things they did.
  • Inquisitive Nature: His constant questioning often troubled other animals, but it drove the plot forward.
  • Brave (or Naive): He wasn't afraid to ask difficult or potentially dangerous questions.
  • Determined: Once he decided to find the answer to his question, he undertook a journey.

3. The Central Question:

• Golu's most pressing question becomes: "What does the crocodile have for dinner?"
• None of the animals he asks initially can or want to answer this question. They find it too dangerous or inappropriate.
• The Mynah bird advises him to go to the banks of the "great, grey-green, greasy Limpopo River" to find out.

4. The Journey to the Limpopo River:

• Golu sets off on his journey, carrying sugarcane, bananas, and melons as provisions.
• Encounter with the Python: On his way, he meets a python coiled around a branch.
  • Golu, in his usual manner, asks the python questions ("Have you ever seen a crocodile?", "What does he look like?", "What does he have for dinner?").
  • The python initially doesn't answer directly but eventually follows Golu, perhaps out of curiosity or concern.

5. The Encounter with the Crocodile:

• Golu reaches the edge of the Limpopo River.
• He sees what he thinks is a log of wood, but it is actually the crocodile.
• The crocodile winks and sheds 'crocodile tears' to show it's a real crocodile.
• Golu, innocently, asks the crocodile the question: "What do you have for dinner?"
• The Trick: The crocodile invites Golu closer, saying, "Come hither, little one, and I'll whisper."
• The Trap: As Golu puts his head down close to the crocodile's snout, the crocodile catches him by his small, bulgy nose.

6. The Tug-of-War and the Python's Help:

• The crocodile tries to pull Golu into the river.
• Golu digs his feet into the mud and pulls back. His nose begins to stretch.
• The python, who had followed Golu quietly, now comes to his rescue.
  • The python coils himself around Golu's stomach.
  • He tells Golu to pull harder.
  • Both Golu and the python pull together against the crocodile.

7. Golu Grows a Nose (Trunk):

• The pulling continues, and Golu's nose keeps stretching longer and longer.
• Finally, the crocodile gives up and lets go.
• Golu's nose is now very long – nearly five feet! It's sore and painful.
• He waits for two days for his nose (now a trunk) to cool down and shrink, but it doesn't.

8. Discovering the Advantages of the Trunk:

• A fly stings Golu on the shoulder. Instinctively, Golu lifts his long nose (trunk) and swats the fly dead.
  • Advantage 1: The trunk can be used to keep flies away. (The python points this out).
• Golu feels hungry. He uses his trunk to pull down a bundle of grass, dust it against his forelegs, and stuff it into his mouth.
  • Advantage 2: The trunk can be used to gather food easily. (The python points this out).
• Golu feels hot. He scoops up mud from the river bank with his trunk and slaps it on his head to cool down.
  • Advantage 3: The trunk can be used to collect water/mud for drinking or cooling off. (The python points this out).
• The python highlights these advantages, making Golu realize the usefulness of his newly acquired trunk.

9. Conclusion:

• Golu, now equipped with a useful trunk, goes back home to his family, grateful for the (painful) experience that led to this advantageous adaptation.
• The story implies this is how all elephants eventually got their trunks.

Themes:

• Curiosity: Golu's curiosity drives the story and leads to his transformation.
• Growth and Change: The story explains physical change (getting a trunk) resulting from experience.
• Learning from Experience: Golu learns a harsh lesson about danger but also discovers the benefits of his new feature.
• Adaptation: The trunk is shown as a highly useful adaptation for the elephant.

Key Setting:

• Africa, specifically the Limpopo River (described as "great, grey-green, greasy").

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What was Golu's nose like at the beginning of the story?
   a) Long and flexible
   b) Small and bulgy, like a boot
   c) Sharp and pointed
   d) Non-existent

2. What was the main question Golu wanted an answer to?
   a) Why does the ostrich have long legs?
   b) Why does the baboon have hair?
   c) What does the crocodile have for dinner?
   d) Where does the python live?

3. Who advised Golu to go to the Limpopo River?
   a) The Ostrich
   b) The Baboon
   c) The Python
   d) The Mynah bird

4. Which river did Golu travel to?
   a) The Nile River
   b) The Amazon River
   c) The Limpopo River
   d) The Ganges River

5. Whom did Golu mistake for a log of wood near the river?
   a) The Python
   b) The Hippopotamus
   c) The Crocodile
   d) A fallen tree

6. How did the crocodile try to trick Golu?
   a) By offering him food
   b) By asking him to come closer to whisper the answer
   c) By pretending to be asleep
   d) By shedding real tears of sadness

7. Who helped Golu when the crocodile caught his nose?
   a) The Mynah bird
   b) The Ostrich
   c) The Python
   d) The Baboon

8. How did the python help Golu?
   a) By biting the crocodile
   b) By shouting for help
   c) By coiling around Golu and telling him to pull
   d) By throwing stones at the crocodile

9. Which was the FIRST advantage of the long trunk that Golu discovered?
   a) Scooping mud to cool down
   b) Gathering food
   c) Drinking water
   d) Swatting a fly

10. What word best describes Golu's character at the start of the story?
    a) Lazy
    b) Fearful
    c) Curious
    d) Aggressive

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b) Small and bulgy, like a boot
2. c) What does the crocodile have for dinner?
3. d) The Mynah bird
4. c) The Limpopo River
5. c) The Crocodile
6. b) By asking him to come closer to whisper the answer
7. c) The Python
8. c) By coiling around Golu and telling him to pull
9. d) Swatting a fly
10. c) Curious

Study these notes carefully. Remember the sequence of events, the characters involved, and the lessons Golu learned. Good luck with your preparation!