8th Standard, English First Language SUPPLEMENTARY READING – SECTION 17
KING SINDBAD AND HIS FALCON
Extract from Arabian Nights.
Pre-reading task:
Read the following questions and answer:
- Do you like pets?
Answer: Yes, I like pets.
- Name the pets that you have in your home.
Answer: Pinki and Chunki
- What are the facilities provided to these pets?
Answer: Milk, Food and play
- How do you take care of the pets?
Answer: bathing, medicine when they sick.
- How do masters often punish pets that disobey them?
Answer: Don’t punish, teach them.
Glossary :
subordinate : lower in rank or position
valley : a low area between hills
prey : an animal hunted and killed by another for food
maze : a complicated network of paths
thwart : prevent from succeeding
murmur : something that is said quietly
accomplish : achieve or complete successfully
talons : the claws of a bird of prey
wander : walk or move in a casual way
gauntlet : a strong glove with long loose wrists
annoy : make slightly angry
slake : satisfy
viper : a poisonous snake
repent : feel regret or sorry
gasp : a sudden catching of breath
saddle : a seat with a raised ridge at the front and back, fastened on to the back of a horse for riding
I. Comprehension:
A. Answer in two – three sentences each:
1. Who was Sindbad? What was he fond of?
Answer: Sindbad was a king. The king was very fond of racing and hunting.
2. What had the king brought up? What did he tie around its neck? Why?
Answer: The king had brought up a falcon as his pet. The king had a golden cup tied around her neck to provide her drink during hunting.
3. What did the falcon suggest to the king one day?
Answer: One day when the king was sitting in his palace in a leisurely mood, the falcon suggest that, ‘the time is suitable for hunting now’.
4. How did the king threaten the hunting troop?
Answer: The king threatened the hunting troop “Beware! Whoever allows the gazelle to escape from here, will be punished to death”.
5. Why does the falcon upset the cup with the “dripping liquid”?
Answer: The falcon upset the cup with the “dripping liquid” because that liquid was the poison of Viper.
6. When did the falcon succumb to death?
Answer: As soon as the king reached the camp and sat comfortably, the falcon, which was bearing the pain till then, suddenly gasped and succumbed to death.
7. What was the king’s reaction?
Answer: The repentant king cried aloud to lose his faithful companion who had saved his life.
B. Answer in three – four sentences each:
1. How did the king look after the falcon?
Answer: The king look after the falcon like his own family member. Wherever the king went, the bird went with him. Even at night, the falcon stayed with him on his fist. The king had a golden cup tied around her neck to provide her drink during hunting.
2. How did the gazelle escape?
Answer: The net was lifted by the king’s hunting troop from all the sides. Gradually, they began narrowing the net circle to trap the gazelle. She too moved towards the king and stood on her hind legs. She then lifted her forelegs up to her breast, suddenly jumped above the head of the king, and escaped out of the maze, thus thwarting the whole effort.
3. How did the falcon help the king to kill the gazelle?
Answer: The falcon, the king’s hunting mate, flew high up and traced the fleeing gazelle. She at once swooped down and blinded the gazelle with her talons. The king immediately struck his mace at the blinded gazelle and ended the matter forever.
4. Why did the king take out the cup?
Answer: The King took out the cup for filing the water in the cup for falcon. It was mid-day, the king and his horse were thirsty. As his falcon was very thirsty, the king took out the cup from her neck and filled it with the dripping liquid. He then placed the cup in front of the falcon.
5. What activity of the falcon made the king become furious?
Answer: The King placed the cup in front of the falcon. But surprisingly enough, the falcon overturned the cup instead of drinking it. The king picked up the cup, filled it again and placed in front of the falcon. But the falcon upset it again with her talons. Next time, he filled the cup with the dripping liquid and placed it in front of his horse. However, annoyingly enough, the falcon hastily upset it again. This activity of the falcon made king became furious.
6. Why did the king cut off the wings of the falcon?
Answer: The King placed the cup in front of the falcon. But surprisingly enough, the falcon overturned the cup instead of drinking it. The falcon did this again and again. The king filled the cup with the dripping liquid and placed it in front of his horse. The falcon upset it again. This action of the falcon made king furious and he cut off the wings of the falcon.
7. What did the falcon indicate to the king?
Answer: The falcon indicated the king to look up by raising her head. The king’s eye’s followed the falcon. He saw a poisonous viper lying up above the tree. The liquid, which he mistook as water, was drops of the snake’s poison.
8. How did the king’s men trap the gazelle?
Answer: His men formed a circular shroud of a net intended for the victim. Soon, a gazelle was trapped within the net. The net was lifted by the king’s hunting troop from all the sides. Gradually, they began narrowing the net circle to trap the gazelle. That is how the king’s men trap the gazelle.
9. Why did the falcon upset the cup again and again?
Answer: The falcon saw the Viper which is laying down the branch of a tree. The water was seen dripping through the leaves of that tree. The king collected the dripping water and offered falcon to drink. The liquid king offered her is poison of a snake. That is why the falcon upset the cup again and again.
10. Why did the king repent?
Answer: The king has repented because he lost his faithful friend falcon from his own mistake and foolishness. The repentant king cried aloud to lose his faithful companion who had saved his life. The falcon saved king from the poison of Snake. But the king misunderstood falcon and killed the faithful bird. This was the reason for repent of king.
11. Why did the king call his pet unlucky and foolish thing?
Answer: The falcon not willing to slake his thirst, nor was he allowing the horse to drink it. That is why king called his pet falcon as unlucky and foolish thing. The king called his pet unlucky because he decided punish the arrogance of falcon.
12. How did the falcon save the king’s life?
The falcon save the king’s life by sacrificing himself. It was mid-day, after successful hunting the king and his horse were thirsty. The king went further in search of water. In a place, where water was seen dripping through the leaves of a tree. As his falcon was very thirsty, the king took out the cup from her neck and filled it with the dripping liquid and placed the cup in front of the falcon. The falcon overturned the cup instead of drinking it. The falcon know that the water dripping from leaves is poison of a snake. Therefore the falcon didn’t allowed horse to drink the liquid. The falcon upset the liquid cup again and not allowed anybody to drink the poison. The king became furious and chopped off the wings of the falcon. Finally king realised the truth, but it was late. That is how the faithful bird falcon saved king’s life and dead.
C. Answer the following questions in six – eight sentences each:
1. How did the king look after the pet falcon?
Answer: The king look after the pet falcon like his family member. The king had brought up a falcon as his pet. Wherever the king went, the bird went with him. Even at night, the falcon stayed with him on his fist. The king had a golden cup tied around her neck to provide her drink during hunting. Sometimes the pet may be a good counsellor to the king. However, one day when the king was sitting in his palace in a leisurely mood the falcon suggests to the king that it was the good time for hunting. The king liked her suggestion. He ordered his subordinates to make the necessary arrangements for the hunt. The king set out hunting with the falcon on his fist.
2. How did the king hunt the gazelle?
Answer: Gazelle lifted her forelegs up to her breast, suddenly jumped above the head of the king, and escaped out of the maze. The king galloped on his horse, on the route that the gazelle had fled. The falcon, the king’s hunting mate, flew high up and traced the fleeing gazelle. She at once swooped down and blinded the gazelle with her talons. The king immediately struck his mace at the blinded gazelle and ended the matter forever. He then cut the gazelle’s throat, removed its skin from the body, and hung the spoils on the saddle.
3. What made the king cry aloud?
Answer: The king was annoyed at the falcon’s strange behaviour. Next time, he filled the cup with the dripping liquid and placed it in front of his horse, the falcon hastily upset it again. The furious king took out his sword and chopped off the wings of the falcon. She then indicated the king to look up by raising her head. The king’s eye’s followed the falcon. He saw a poisonous viper lying up above the tree. The liquid, which he mistook as water, was drops of the snake’s poison. The king was very remorseful for cutting off the wings of his loyal and beloved falcon. As soon as the king reached the camp and sat comfortably, the falcon, which was bearing the pain till then, suddenly gasped and succumbed to death. The repentant king cried aloud to lose his faithful companion who had saved his life. The death of his faithful falcon made the king cry aloud.
4. How did the falcon prove himself a faithful companion of the king?
Answer: The pet falcon will accompanies the king wherever he goes. Wherever the king went, the bird went with him. Even at night, the falcon stayed with him on his fist. One day the king set out hunting with the falcon on his fist. As his falcon was very thirsty, the king collected the dripping water and offered falcon to drink. The liquid king offered her is poison of a snake. The falcon overturned the cup instead of drinking it. The falcon know that the water dripping from leaves is poison of a snake. Therefore the falcon didn’t allowed horse to drink the liquid. The falcon upset the liquid cup again and not allowed anybody to drink the poison. The king became furious and chopped off the wings of the falcon. Finally king realised the truth, but it was late. That is how bird falcon prove himself a faithful companion of the king in his death.
II. Activities:
- Imagine you are King Sindbad who is in the forest and your pet falcon has upset the cup filled with dripping liquid…………….
Conclude the story with a different ending.
Answer: Pet falcon has upset the cup filled with dripping liquid. The king became furious. Again the king filled the cup with the water that was falling drop by drop and placed it in front of the horse. Even then the falcon upset it. The king became angry. He ordered the soldiers to leave the falcon in a distant forest. The king finished hunting and returned to the palace, bored. He entered the palace with a heavy heart after the falcon’s departure. There, a surprise awaited him. The pet falcon was sitting next to his throne!
III. Your teacher will read an interesting story for you. Listen to it carefully and answer the following questions:
One day a young mother left her sleeping toddler on the floor and went out to fetch water in a pot, leaving her pet mongoose in charge of the baby. When she returned a little later, she found the mongoose with its mouth full of blood lying near the doorstep. Presuming that the mongoose had killed the sleeping baby, in her anguish, she took the iron rod lying nearby, and killed the animal with it. Later, when she entered the room where she had left her babe asleep, she saw a venomous viper lying dead, next to the baby’s bed, its body in pieces strewn around. She gasped in horror as she took in the scene, realizing that her baby had been unharmed as the mongoose had fought with the snake and had killed it.
All her remorse and lament could not bring her pet mongoose back to life.
Questions:
- Who took care of the baby when the woman went to fetch water?
Answer: Her pet mongoose took care of the baby when the woman went to fetch water.
- Why was the mongoose’s mouth covered with blood?
Answer: The mongoose’s mouth covered with blood because the mongoose had fought with the snake and had killed it.
- What made the woman kill the mongoose?
Answer: Presuming that the mongoose had killed the sleeping baby, in her anguish, the woman kill the mongoose.
- Why did the woman shed tears?
Answer: The women repented for killing the mongoose and the death of mongoose made women shed tears.
- What do you learn from this story?
Answer: Haste caused the accident.
V. Given below are five proverbs. Match them with their meanings:
1. Haste makes waste. – If you rush when you are doing something, you will make a mistake.
2. A Jack of all trades and master of none. – One should excel in one’s trade rather than
dabbling in too many.
3. A poor workman blames his tools. – An incapable person blames others for his failures.
4. A penny saved is a penny earned. – One must understand the importance of saving
money.
5. A person is known by the company he keeps.- One is judged according to the friends he has.
