The Tsunami Summary Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 2

Key Points of the Story

• The story focuses on the tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004, affecting Thailand and parts of India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Tamil Nadu coast.
• A tsunami is a large and powerful wave caused by underwater earthquakes.
• Several personal stories of bravery and survival are highlighted, showcasing how individuals reacted during the disaster.
• Sanjeev, a policeman on Katchall Island, managed to save his family but risked his life to help others.
• Meghna, a thirteen-year-old girl, survived for two days in the ocean while holding onto a wooden door after being swept away with her family.
• Almas Javed, a ten-year-old girl, experienced the tsunami while visiting her family for Christmas and lost many loved ones in the chaos.
• Tilly Smith, a British schoolgirl, recognized the signs of a tsunami from a geography lesson and warned her family, helping them escape unharmed.
• Many animals seemed to sense the tsunami before it hit, leading to very few reported animal casualties compared to human losses.
• The story illustrates the courage and quick thinking of both individuals and animals in the face of disaster.
• The narrative concludes with a reflection on the importance of awareness and preparedness in such natural calamities.

Detailed summary

This chapter deals with the inspiring incidents that took place when the Tsunami hit different parts of the world. The first part includes stories from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The first story is of Igneous. He was the manager of a cooperative society in Katchall. At around 6 a.m., his wife woke him up, sensing an earthquake. He put the television set on the floor in order to save it while the family rushed out of the house. When the earth stopped shaking, they could see the sea rising. The tsunami swept his wife, two children, father-in-law, and brother-in-law.

The second story is about a policeman, Sanjeev. Sanjeev was able to save himself, his wife, and his daughter. But, after hearing the cries of the guest house cook John’s wife, he jumped into the water in order to save her. He could not save her as well as himself, and both got drowned.

The third story is about a 13-year-old girl, Meghna. The tsunami swept her along with her parents and seventy-seven other people. But fortunately, she held on to a wooden door. After floating for two days, a wave brought her back to the shore and saved her. The last story is about Almas, a ten-year-old girl. Her father saw the water receding after the tremors and understood that it would come back with immense force. He thus woke everybody so that they could go to a safe place. In all this chaos, her grandfather fell down, and her father went to help him. A big wave swept them away during this. Her mother and aunts swept away along with the tree that they were holding onto. While Almas climbed on a floating wooden log and fainted. She was taken to the hospital in Kamorta.

The second part of the chapter consists of a story from Thailand. This is the story of an intelligent girl, Tilly. It was 26th December, and Tilly, along with her family, were on the beach. Tilly and her family were originally from England and had come to Thailand to celebrate Christmas. Tilly and her mother saw the sea rise slowly, start to foam, and make whirlpools. Her mother was not worried about these signs, but Tilly was told that these were the signs of a tsunami. She informed about this to her family and they, along with other people on the beach, returned to the hotel. Luckily, the hotel building withstood the force of the Tsunami, and they all were saved.

The third part of the chapter speaks about the sixth sense of the animals. Around 1,50,000 people lost their lives but only a few animals died. For instance, in the Yala National Park situated in Sri Lanka, 60 visitors died while only two animals died. Also, in the same park people noticed that three elephants ran away from the beach an hour prior to the struck of Tsunami. Another incident is also from Galle in Sri Lanka. Here, the two dogs refused to go to the beach for the walk. Their master also thus could not go and was saved.

Theme/Message

• The primary theme of the story is survival in the face of natural disasters. It emphasizes the strength of the human spirit and the instinct to protect loved ones.
• Another important theme is the connection between humans and animals, showcasing how both can sense danger and react accordingly.
• The narrative highlights the importance of knowledge and awareness, as seen through Tilly’s experience, showing how education can save lives.
• The message of the story encourages readers to be aware of their surroundings and to learn about natural disasters to be better prepared for unexpected events.
• It also conveys a sense of hope and resilience, as many individuals showed remarkable courage and selflessness during the tsunami.

Difficult Words

• Archipelago– a group of many islands and the surrounding sea
• Cooperative society– A co-operative society is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs 
• Tremor– a slight shake (Earth tremors: the Earth’s shake during an Earthquake)
• Chaos– complete disorder or confusion 
• Relief helicopters- helicopters bringing help to people (e.g. during floods)
• Daze– a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment 
• Port Blair– Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal
• Nancowry island– an island in the central part of the Nicobar Islands
• Recede– move back from where it was 
• Clinging– hold on tightly to
• Uprooted– pull (comething, especially a tree or a plant) out of the ground 
• Kamorta– one of the Nicobar islands
• Traumatized– greatly shocked and distressed 
• Sumatra– it is a large Indonesian island

• Hysterical– affected by or deriving from uncontrolled emotion; when you are hysterical, you shout, laugh or cry in a wild excited way, without any control over yourself

• Refuge– shelter or protection from danger
• Withstood– endured without collapsing
• Surge– force; momentum
• Forewarned– inform someone of possible future danger or problem 
• Slammed– hit something with great force
• Fled– run away from a place or situation of danger
• Eyewitness– a person who has seen something happen and can give a first-and description of it
• Enticed– attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage. 
• Acute hearing– reacting readily to stimuli or impressions; sensitive 
• Perished– die, especially in a violent or sudden way
• Carcasses- the dead body of an animal