A Gift of Chappals Summary Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2

Introduction

In this, a girl named Mridu went to her relatives’ house with Tapi, her grandmother. As Rukku Manni, the girl’s aunt opened the door, Ravi and Meena, her cousins rushed out and brought Mridu inside. Mridu took off her slippers and placed them neatly beside another pair of slippers. However, before she could think and ask whom they belonged to, Ravi dragged her to the backyard to show her something secretive. The story also highlights moments of kindness and mischief, especially when the children give away a pair of new chappals (slippers) to a beggar.

Detailed Summary

Mridu was a young girl who lived in Madras. One day, she went to visit her aunt, Rukku Manni, with her grandparents, Amma and Thatha. Her aunt greeted her with a warm smile, and Mridu was also welcomed by her two cousins, Ravi and Meena. As she entered the house, she noticed a pair of large chappals. The chappals were black but looked grey because of the dust on them. They had clear toe marks, and the two big toes looked long and thin.

Before Mridu could think much about the chappals, Ravi pulled her to the backyard, behind a thick bitter-berry bush. There, Mridu saw a kitten resting in a torn football that had a sack inside and was filled with sand. The kitten was drinking milk from a coconut shell. Ravi and Meena had secretly brought the kitten home and decided to keep it as a pet. Meena told Mridu that it was their little secret. Ravi complained about how grown-ups always talk about being kind to animals but never allow them inside the house. He explained how hard it was to get some milk for the kitten—he had to drink half the milk himself, pour the rest into a coconut shell, and quickly clean the tumbler so Paati wouldn’t get suspicious. They named the kitten Mahendran.

Ravi began telling Mridu and Meena funny stories about the kitten’s ancestors. He said the kitten came from a great family, including the Pallava lion, the Mahabalipuram Rishi Cat, and the Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet. He even called the kitten M.P. Poonai. While they listened to Ravi’s stories, a strange noise suddenly scared the kitten, causing it to tumble over some chillies and cry out in fear. The noise was the sound of Lalli practising the violin. Her playing sounded like a train going off its tracks.

Curious, the three children went to see Lalli practising. They peeked through the window and saw her sitting with intense focus. She was being taught by a thin, bald man with a small fringe of oiled hair and a tuft at the back of his head. He wore a gold veshti, and his thin toe, sticking out from under it, was tapping the floor. The children noticed a big difference between the two. The master’s music was smooth and pleasant, like a train moving perfectly on its tracks, but Lalli’s playing was rough and off-key.

While this was happening, a beggar came to their house. Paati asked Ravi to send him away because he had been coming every day for a week. The beggar sat under the tree and explained that he survived because of the kind ladies in the house. However, Paati firmly told him there was no food to give. The beggar agreed to leave but asked to rest under the tree because his feet were blistered from the hot sun. The children felt sorry for him and decided to give him a pair of chappals. They found the dusty grey ones that Mridu had noticed earlier and thought they would fit him well. They gave the chappals to the beggar, not knowing whose they were.

Later, Lalli’s violin master came out looking for his chappals but couldn’t find them. He asked Lalli for help, and soon the whole house, except the three children, started searching for the missing chappals. Rukku Manni quickly realized that the children were responsible. When she asked them, they admitted to giving the chappals to the beggar. Rukku Manni was upset but decided to give the master a new pair of chappals belonging to Gopu Mama. The master was happy with the new chappals and left.

Rukku Manni then explained to the children that they should only give away what belongs to them, not what belongs to someone else. She used the example of Karna to teach them about generosity. Though she was angry at first, she laughed when she imagined how Gopu Mama would react when he found out his chappals were gone.

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Theme & Message of the Story

Theme

The story focuses on compassion, selflessness, and the innocence of childhood. It shows how children can be kind and generous, even in unexpected ways, and highlights the value of helping others, whether animals or people.

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