Q.1 : The enclosure in which Kari lived had a thatched roof that lay on thick tree stumps. Examine the illustration of Kari’s pavilion on page 8 and say why it was built that way.
ANS : The enclosure in which Kari lived was built of thatched roof which rested on thick tree stumps so that it could not fall in when Kari bumped against the poles as he moved about.
Q.2 : Did Kari enjoy his morning bath in the river? Give a reason for your answer.
ANS : Yes, Kari enjoyed his morning bath in the river because he would squeal with pleasure as water was rubbed down his back.
Q.3 : Finding good twigs for Kari took a long time. Why?
ANS : Finding good twigs for Kari took a long time because it was not an easy job to get twigs and saplings for him. One had to have a very sharp hatchet to cut down these twigs. It took half an hour to sharpen the hatchet because if a twig is mutilated an elephant will not touch it. Also the boy had to climb all kinds of trees to get the most delicate and tender twigs as Kari was very fond of the young branches of the banyan tree which grew like a cathedral of leaves and branches.
Q.4 : Why did Kari push his friend into the stream?
ANS : Kari pushed his friend, the narrator into the stream because there was a boy lying flat at the bottom of the river and he wanted him to save the drowning boy.
Q.5: Kari was like a baby. What are the main points of comparison?
ANS : Kari was like a baby because he had to be trained to be good
and if one did not tell him when he was naughty, he was
up to more mischief than ever.
Q.6: Kari helped himself to all the bananas in the house without anyone noticing it. How did he do it?
ANS : Large plates of fruit used to be kept on a table near a window in the dining-room of the narrator’s house. Kari would put his trunk in through this window and pick up all the bananas kept in the plate. He would then eat these stolen bananas in his pavilion.
Q.7: Kari learnt the commands to sit and to walk. What were the instructions for each command?
ANS : Kari learnt the commands to sit and to walk. If the boy said 'Dhat' and pulled him by the ear, he would sit down. Similarly, if he said 'Mali' and pulled his trunk forward, he would walk.
Q.8 : What is “the master call”? Why is it the most important signal for an elephant to learn?
ANS : The "master call" is a strange hissing, howling sound, as if a snake and a tiger were fighting each other, and one had to make that kind of noise in his ear. It is the most important signal for an elephant to learn because if one is lost in the jungle and there is no way out, then the only thing to do is to give the master call and at once the elephant would pull down the trees in front of him with his trunk. This frightens all the animals away and soon you will find that he has made a road right through the jungle straight to your house.
