NCERT Textbook - This is Jody’s Fawn | English Class 8 PDF Download

 Page 1


This is Jody’s Fawn 83 83 83 83 83
Before you read
Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
‘home remedies’ for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, “How are you feeling, Pa?”
“Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasn’t it a close shave!”
“I agree.”
Penny said, “I’m proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.”
drift back to:
go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Reprint 2024-25
Page 2


This is Jody’s Fawn 83 83 83 83 83
Before you read
Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
‘home remedies’ for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, “How are you feeling, Pa?”
“Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasn’t it a close shave!”
“I agree.”
Penny said, “I’m proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.”
drift back to:
go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 84 84 84 84 84
hemmed in:
(here) caught
in a situation
where one
can’t say ’no’
acorns:
small brown
nuts
“Pa-”
“Yes, son.”
“Pa, do you recollect the doe and the fawn?”
“I can never forget them. The poor doe saved me,
that’s certain.”
“Pa, the fawn may be out there yet. It might be hungry
and very scared.”
“I suppose so.”
“Pa, I’m a big boy now and don’t need to drink milk.
Why don’t I go and see if I can find the fawn?”
“And bring it here?”
“And raise it.”
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
“Boy, you’ve got me hemmed in.”
“It won’t take much to raise it, Pa. It’ll soon start
eating leaves and acorns.”
“You are smarter than boys of your age.”
“We took its mother, and it wasn’t to blame.”
 “Surely it seems ungrateful to leave it to starve. Son, I can’t
say ‘No’ to you. I never thought I’d live to see another day.”
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


This is Jody’s Fawn 83 83 83 83 83
Before you read
Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
‘home remedies’ for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, “How are you feeling, Pa?”
“Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasn’t it a close shave!”
“I agree.”
Penny said, “I’m proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.”
drift back to:
go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 84 84 84 84 84
hemmed in:
(here) caught
in a situation
where one
can’t say ’no’
acorns:
small brown
nuts
“Pa-”
“Yes, son.”
“Pa, do you recollect the doe and the fawn?”
“I can never forget them. The poor doe saved me,
that’s certain.”
“Pa, the fawn may be out there yet. It might be hungry
and very scared.”
“I suppose so.”
“Pa, I’m a big boy now and don’t need to drink milk.
Why don’t I go and see if I can find the fawn?”
“And bring it here?”
“And raise it.”
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
“Boy, you’ve got me hemmed in.”
“It won’t take much to raise it, Pa. It’ll soon start
eating leaves and acorns.”
“You are smarter than boys of your age.”
“We took its mother, and it wasn’t to blame.”
 “Surely it seems ungrateful to leave it to starve. Son, I can’t
say ‘No’ to you. I never thought I’d live to see another day.”
Reprint 2024-25
This is Jody’s Fawn 85 85 85 85 85
“Can I ride back with Mill-wheel and see if I can
find it?”
“Tell your Ma I said you can go.”
He sidled back to the table and sat down. His mother
was pouring coffee for everyone.
He said, “Ma, Pa says I can go bring back the fawn.”
She held the coffee pot in mid-air.
“What fawn?”
“The fawn belonging to the doe we killed. We used
the doe’s liver to draw out the poison and save Pa.”
She gasped.
“Well, for pity sake—”
“Pa says it would be ungrateful to leave it to starve.”
Doc Wilson said, “That’s right, Ma’am. Nothing in
the world comes quite free. The boy’s right and his
daddy’s right.”
Mill-wheel said, “He can ride back with me. I’ll help
him find it.”
She set down the pot helplessly.
“Well, if you’ll give it your milk—we’ve got nothing
else to feed it.”
Mill-wheel said,
“Come on, boy. We’ve got
to get riding.”
Ma Baxter asked
anxiously, “You’ll not be
gone long?”
Jody said, “I’ll be back
before dinner for sure. ”
Mill-wheel mounted
his horse and pulled
Jody up behind him.
He said to Mill-wheel,
“Do you think the fawn’s
still there? Will you help
me find him?”
sidled back:
walked back
quietly, trying
not to be
noticed
Reprint 2024-25
Page 4


This is Jody’s Fawn 83 83 83 83 83
Before you read
Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
‘home remedies’ for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, “How are you feeling, Pa?”
“Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasn’t it a close shave!”
“I agree.”
Penny said, “I’m proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.”
drift back to:
go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 84 84 84 84 84
hemmed in:
(here) caught
in a situation
where one
can’t say ’no’
acorns:
small brown
nuts
“Pa-”
“Yes, son.”
“Pa, do you recollect the doe and the fawn?”
“I can never forget them. The poor doe saved me,
that’s certain.”
“Pa, the fawn may be out there yet. It might be hungry
and very scared.”
“I suppose so.”
“Pa, I’m a big boy now and don’t need to drink milk.
Why don’t I go and see if I can find the fawn?”
“And bring it here?”
“And raise it.”
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
“Boy, you’ve got me hemmed in.”
“It won’t take much to raise it, Pa. It’ll soon start
eating leaves and acorns.”
“You are smarter than boys of your age.”
“We took its mother, and it wasn’t to blame.”
 “Surely it seems ungrateful to leave it to starve. Son, I can’t
say ‘No’ to you. I never thought I’d live to see another day.”
Reprint 2024-25
This is Jody’s Fawn 85 85 85 85 85
“Can I ride back with Mill-wheel and see if I can
find it?”
“Tell your Ma I said you can go.”
He sidled back to the table and sat down. His mother
was pouring coffee for everyone.
He said, “Ma, Pa says I can go bring back the fawn.”
She held the coffee pot in mid-air.
“What fawn?”
“The fawn belonging to the doe we killed. We used
the doe’s liver to draw out the poison and save Pa.”
She gasped.
“Well, for pity sake—”
“Pa says it would be ungrateful to leave it to starve.”
Doc Wilson said, “That’s right, Ma’am. Nothing in
the world comes quite free. The boy’s right and his
daddy’s right.”
Mill-wheel said, “He can ride back with me. I’ll help
him find it.”
She set down the pot helplessly.
“Well, if you’ll give it your milk—we’ve got nothing
else to feed it.”
Mill-wheel said,
“Come on, boy. We’ve got
to get riding.”
Ma Baxter asked
anxiously, “You’ll not be
gone long?”
Jody said, “I’ll be back
before dinner for sure. ”
Mill-wheel mounted
his horse and pulled
Jody up behind him.
He said to Mill-wheel,
“Do you think the fawn’s
still there? Will you help
me find him?”
sidled back:
walked back
quietly, trying
not to be
noticed
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 86 86 86 86 86
“We’ll find him if he’s alive. How you know it’s a he?”
“The spots were all in a line. On a doe-fawn, Pa says
the spots are every which way…”
Comprehension Check
1. What had happened to Jody’s father?
2. How did the doe save Penny’s life?
3. Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?
4. How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?
II
Jody gave himself over to thoughts of the fawn. They
passed the abandoned clearing.
He said, “Cut to the north, Mill-wheel. It was up here
that Pa got bitten by the snake and killed the doe and I
saw the fawn.”
Suddenly Jody was unwilling to have Mill-wheel with
him. If the fawn was dead, or could not be found, he
could not have his disappointment seen. And if the fawn
was there, the meeting would be so lovely and so secret
that he could not endure to share it.
He said, “It’s not far now, but the scrub is very thick
for a horse. I can make it on foot.”
“But I’m afraid to leave you, boy. Suppose you got
lost or got bitten by the snake, too?”
“I’ll take care. It might take me a long time to find
the fawn, if he’s wandered. Leave me off right here.”
“All right, but you take it easy now. You know north
here, and east?”
“There, and there. That tall pine makes a bearing.”
“So long.”
“So long, Mill-wheel. I’m obliged.”
He waited for the sound of the hooves to end, then
cut to the right. The scrub was still. Only his own
crackling of twigs sounded across the silence. He
wondered for an instant if he had mistaken his direction.
makes a
bearing:
acts as a
compass and
helps to
identify
directions
every which
way:
in different
directions
Reprint 2024-25
Page 5


This is Jody’s Fawn 83 83 83 83 83
Before you read
Often, instead of rushing to the doctor to treat a small
cut or burn, we find quick and effective cures using
things available at home. Can you think of some such
‘home remedies’ for
a cut on your knee?
a burn on your arm?
a bee sting?
In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart
and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what
will happen to the little fawn left without a mother.
I
Jody allowed his thoughts to drift back to the fawn. He
could not keep it out of his mind. He had held it, in his
dreams, in his arms. He slipped from the table and went
to his father’s bedside. Penny lay at rest. His eyes were
open and clear, but the pupils were still dark and dilated.
Jody said, “How are you feeling, Pa?”
“Just fine, son. O1d Death has gone thieving elsewhere.
But wasn’t it a close shave!”
“I agree.”
Penny said, “I’m proud of you, boy, the way you kept
your head and did what was needed.”
drift back to:
go back to
dilated:
enlarged
a close shave:
a narrow
escape
kept your
head:
stayed calm in
a difficult
situation
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 84 84 84 84 84
hemmed in:
(here) caught
in a situation
where one
can’t say ’no’
acorns:
small brown
nuts
“Pa-”
“Yes, son.”
“Pa, do you recollect the doe and the fawn?”
“I can never forget them. The poor doe saved me,
that’s certain.”
“Pa, the fawn may be out there yet. It might be hungry
and very scared.”
“I suppose so.”
“Pa, I’m a big boy now and don’t need to drink milk.
Why don’t I go and see if I can find the fawn?”
“And bring it here?”
“And raise it.”
Penny lay quiet, staring at the ceiling.
“Boy, you’ve got me hemmed in.”
“It won’t take much to raise it, Pa. It’ll soon start
eating leaves and acorns.”
“You are smarter than boys of your age.”
“We took its mother, and it wasn’t to blame.”
 “Surely it seems ungrateful to leave it to starve. Son, I can’t
say ‘No’ to you. I never thought I’d live to see another day.”
Reprint 2024-25
This is Jody’s Fawn 85 85 85 85 85
“Can I ride back with Mill-wheel and see if I can
find it?”
“Tell your Ma I said you can go.”
He sidled back to the table and sat down. His mother
was pouring coffee for everyone.
He said, “Ma, Pa says I can go bring back the fawn.”
She held the coffee pot in mid-air.
“What fawn?”
“The fawn belonging to the doe we killed. We used
the doe’s liver to draw out the poison and save Pa.”
She gasped.
“Well, for pity sake—”
“Pa says it would be ungrateful to leave it to starve.”
Doc Wilson said, “That’s right, Ma’am. Nothing in
the world comes quite free. The boy’s right and his
daddy’s right.”
Mill-wheel said, “He can ride back with me. I’ll help
him find it.”
She set down the pot helplessly.
“Well, if you’ll give it your milk—we’ve got nothing
else to feed it.”
Mill-wheel said,
“Come on, boy. We’ve got
to get riding.”
Ma Baxter asked
anxiously, “You’ll not be
gone long?”
Jody said, “I’ll be back
before dinner for sure. ”
Mill-wheel mounted
his horse and pulled
Jody up behind him.
He said to Mill-wheel,
“Do you think the fawn’s
still there? Will you help
me find him?”
sidled back:
walked back
quietly, trying
not to be
noticed
Reprint 2024-25
 Honeydew 86 86 86 86 86
“We’ll find him if he’s alive. How you know it’s a he?”
“The spots were all in a line. On a doe-fawn, Pa says
the spots are every which way…”
Comprehension Check
1. What had happened to Jody’s father?
2. How did the doe save Penny’s life?
3. Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?
4. How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?
II
Jody gave himself over to thoughts of the fawn. They
passed the abandoned clearing.
He said, “Cut to the north, Mill-wheel. It was up here
that Pa got bitten by the snake and killed the doe and I
saw the fawn.”
Suddenly Jody was unwilling to have Mill-wheel with
him. If the fawn was dead, or could not be found, he
could not have his disappointment seen. And if the fawn
was there, the meeting would be so lovely and so secret
that he could not endure to share it.
He said, “It’s not far now, but the scrub is very thick
for a horse. I can make it on foot.”
“But I’m afraid to leave you, boy. Suppose you got
lost or got bitten by the snake, too?”
“I’ll take care. It might take me a long time to find
the fawn, if he’s wandered. Leave me off right here.”
“All right, but you take it easy now. You know north
here, and east?”
“There, and there. That tall pine makes a bearing.”
“So long.”
“So long, Mill-wheel. I’m obliged.”
He waited for the sound of the hooves to end, then
cut to the right. The scrub was still. Only his own
crackling of twigs sounded across the silence. He
wondered for an instant if he had mistaken his direction.
makes a
bearing:
acts as a
compass and
helps to
identify
directions
every which
way:
in different
directions
Reprint 2024-25
This is Jody’s Fawn 87 87 87 87 87
Then a buzzard rose in front of him and flapped into
the air. He came into the clearing under the oaks.
Buzzards sat in a circle around the carcass of the doe.
They turned their heads on their long scrawny necks
and hissed at him. He threw his bough at them and
they flew into an adjacent tree. The sand showed large
cat prints but the big cats killed fresh, and they had left
the doe to the carrion birds.
He parted the grass at the place where he had seen
the fawn. It did not seem possible that it was only
yesterday. The fawn was not there. He circled the
clearing. There was no sound, no sign. The buzzards
clacked their wings, impatient to return to their
business. He returned to the spot where the fawn had
emerged and dropped on all fours, studying the sand
for the small hoof prints. The night’s rain had washed
away all tracks except those of cat and buzzards.
Comprehension Check
1. Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What
were they?
2. Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?
III
Movement directly in front of him startled him so that
he tumbled backward. The fawn lifted its face to his. It
turned its head with a wide, wondering motion and
shook him through with the stare of its liquid eyes. It
was quivering. It made no effort to rise or run. Jody
could not trust himself to move.
He whispered, “It’s me.”
The fawn lifted its nose, scenting him. He reached
out one hand and laid it on the soft neck. The touch
made him delirious. He moved forward on all fours until
he was close beside it. He put his arms around its body.
A light convulsion passed over it but it did not stir.
quivering:
shaking
slightly
delirious:
(here)
extremely
excited
convulsion:
shiver
buzzard:
a large bird
like the
vulture that
eats the flesh
of dead
animals
adjacent:
nearby
parted:
moved or
pushed aside
Reprint 2024-25