CLASS 6 ENGLISH (POORVI)

CHAPTER 2: THE RAVEN AND THE FOX

Page 13

Before You Read

Q1. We know that frogs croak. Did you know that ravens also croak?

Answer:

Yes. Ravens also make a croaking sound. They use different calls to communicate with other ravens.

Q2. Which animal is shown to be cunning in stories?

(a) Tiger

(b) Fox

Answer: (b) Fox

Page 14

Let Us Discuss

A. Fill in the Blanks

Stanza 1

1. Mr Raven is a bird.

2. The name of the fox is Reynard.

3. Mr Raven had a piece of food in his beak.

Stanza 2

1. The Fox calls the Raven a good-looking bird.

2. The Fox asks the Raven to sing.

3. The Raven and the Fox live in the woods.

Stanza 3

1. The Raven forgot that he croaked.

2. The Raven opened his beak to sing.

3. The food fell down.

Stanza 4

1. The Fox laughed at the Raven.

2. It is not wise to be too proud of oneself.

3. The Raven learnt a lesson.

B. Match the Following

Word| Meaning

Perched| Sat on a branch

Morsel| A small piece of food

Seek| To look for something

Pride| Feeling that you are better than others

Eyed| Looked with interest

Limb| Branch of a tree

Woods| A small forest area

Pages 15–16

Let Us Think and Reflect

Picture Sequence

Correct Order: 2 → 4 → 1 → 3

Extract 1

“Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird.

Such feathers! If you would only sing,

The birds of these woods would call you King.”

(i) ‘Such feathers’ refer to:

(a) shiny and beautiful ✔

(b) black and dull

(d) short and unattractive

(ii) Why would the birds call the Raven ‘King’?

Answer:

The Fox suggests that if the Raven could sing as beautifully as he appeared, all the birds would admire him and regard him as their king.

(iii) Why does the Fox address the Raven as ‘Sir’?

Answer:

The Fox uses respectful language to flatter the Raven and make him feel important.

Extract 2

“The Raven, who did not see the joke,

Forgot that his voice was just a croak.

He opened his beak, in his foolish pride—”

(i) Why did the Raven open his beak?

Answer:

The Raven opened his beak because he wanted to sing and impress the Fox.

(ii) Complete:

Fox : clever :: Raven : ________

Answer: foolish

Short Answer Questions

Q1. Why does the Raven forget that his voice is just a croak?

Answer:

The Raven becomes overly proud after hearing the Fox’s praise and forgets his actual singing ability.

Q2. How does Reynard make the Raven sing?

Answer:

Reynard praises the Raven’s appearance and tells him that he would be the king of the birds if he could sing. This flattery encourages the Raven to open his beak.

Q3. Why does Reynard say that pride is not wise?

Answer:

Reynard believes that excessive pride can lead people to make poor decisions. Because of his pride, the Raven lost his food.

Q4. Give one reason why the teaching is quite a surprise.

Answer:

The Raven did not realise that the Fox’s compliments were part of a trick. Therefore, the lesson comes as an unexpected surprise.

Q5. Imagine someone praises you too much. How would you react?

Answer:

I would thank the person politely while remaining humble and cautious. I would not allow excessive praise to influence my judgement.

Pages 16–17 – Let Us Learn

Rhyming Words

Stanza 1

– limb – him

– beak – seek

Stanza 2

– word – bird

– sing – king

Stanza 3

– joke – croak

– pride – eyed

Stanza 4

– know – glow

– unwise – surprise

Alliteration

Examples

– big beak

– song of sweet birds

– woods would

Opposites

Word| Opposite

perched| flew

forgot| remembered

foolish| wise

pride| humility

laughed| cried

ignore| notice

glow| dim

Sentences

1. The sparrow perched on a branch and later flew away.

2. I forgot my notebook yesterday but remembered it today.

3. A wise person thinks carefully before acting.

4. The candle began to glow in the dark room.

Theme of the Poem

The poem conveys that one should not become arrogant because of praise. Flattery can be used to deceive others, and humility and wisdom help people avoid mistakes.

Moral of the Poem

“Beware of flatterers.”

“Pride goes before a fall.”

Character Sketch

Mr Raven

– Proud

– Easily influenced

– Sometimes foolish

– Learns an important lesson

Reynard the Fox

– Clever

– Cunning

– Intelligent

– Uses flattery to achieve his objective

1. Why did the Raven lose his food?

2. How did the Fox trick the Raven?

3. What lesson did the Raven learn?

4. Why is pride considered unwise?

5. What is the moral of the poem?

One-Line Summary

The poem illustrates how a clever Fox deceives a proud Raven through flattery and teaches him that pride can lead to loss.