Bringing Up Kari Summary Class 7 English An Alien Hand

Introduction

The story "Bringing Up Kari" is about a boy and his baby elephant, Kari. They grow up together, and the boy shares his sweet experiences with Kari, making us love the elephant. The bond between them is very pure and heartwarming. Kari loves to take baths in the river, and the boy takes him there every morning. Their friendship is very touching. One day, Kari pushes the boy into the stream to save another drowning boy. Even though the boy can't swim, Kari saves them both. Kari also gets into trouble for stealing bananas but learns his lesson. The boy teaches Kari many tricks, ending with the final Master call.

Summary 

• Kari was a five-month-old baby elephant. The narrator, a nine-year-old child, took care of him. 
• Both grew together. Kari grew tall earlier than the boy.
• He lived in a shed with a straw roof. Kari once saved the life of a boy drowning in the river. He ate 40 pounds of twigs a day.
• Every morning he was taken to the river for his bath.
  
  Baby Elephant - Kari
• The narrator rubbed his body with ash sand for an hour. Kari loved to roll in water for a long time.
• The narrator led him by the ear to the border of a jungle. He liked to eat the tasty and sweet-smelling leaves of the banyan tree.
• One spring day in March, the narrator suddenly heard the call of Kari. He went to the river bank. He saw some creature trying to save itself from drowning. He felt helpless.
• Kari pushed him into the water to save the boy. Kari also stood on the bank for help. Kari saw the narrator being carried away by the current.
• He rushed into the water and spread out his trunk around the boy's neck. He then pulled them both to the bank.
  
  Question for Summary: Bringing Up Kari

  Try yourself:What did the narrator do with the clean sand?

  • A.

    He ate it
  • B.

    He rubbed it on Kari's body
  • C.

    He rubbed it on his own body
  • D.

    He used it to draw on the ground

  Explanation

  The narrator rubbed his body with clean sand for an hour.

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Kari and Narrator

• Kari was like a baby. He had to be trained to be good. He was naughty also.
• One day somebody gave him some bananas to eat. Very soon he developed a great love for ripe bananas.
• He then started taking away fruits from the dining table. One day all the bananas on the table disappeared.
• The family blamed the narrator and servants for eating all the fruit. The narrator's child couldn't convince them that he was innocent.
• Then one day he saw Kari picking up fruits, with its trunk, through the window. He then found Kari eating bananas in its pavilion.
• He pulled the thief by the ear and presented him before his parents. He scolded Kari for that. 
• Afterward, Kari never stole anything. He accepted the punishment for his mischief quietly.
  
  Question for Summary: Bringing Up Kari

  Try yourself:How was Kari caught stealing the bananas?

  • A.

    The narrator's child saw him eating them in the pavilion
  • B.

    The servants found the bananas in Kari's pavilion
  • C.

    The narrator's child saw Kari picking up fruits through the window
  • D.

    Both a) and c)

  Explanation

  The family blamed the narrator and servants for eating all the fruit. The narrator's child couldn't convince them that he was innocent. Then one day he saw Kari picking up fruits, with its trunk, through the window. He then found Kari eating bananas in its pavilion.

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  Kari  
• Kari was a fast learner. He learned what to do when the narrator said "Dhat" or Mali, Dhat was a signal to sit down while 'Mali' meant to walk. He took three weeks to learn Dhat.
• The most difficult thing to teach an elephant is the master call. Kari took five years to learn it properly.
• The master call is a strange hissing and howling sound, as if a snake and a tiger were fighting with each other.
• Each sound was to be made in Kari's ear. It was necessary to teach him such a sound.
  If someone got lost, the only thing to do then was to give the master call. Kari would instantly come for his help.

Theme

The primary theme of the story seems to revolve around the bond between the narrator and Kari, the young elephant, and the journey of their friendship as they learn from each other. It also touches upon the challenges and joys of raising and training a young elephant, showcasing the patience and understanding required in such a relationship.

Difficult words and their Meanings

• Notorious - Famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or deed.
• Mischievous - Causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.
• Pavilion - A large tent or a building used for entertainment or shelter.
• Squealing - Making a high-pitched sound or cry.
• Trunk - The elongated, prehensile nose of an elephant.
• Scolding - A harsh or angry reprimand.
• Hissing - Making a sharp sibilant sound, like that of escaping steam.