Detailed Summary: My Early Home | Oxford English for Class 4 PDF Download

Key Points of the Story

• The story begins with the narrator remembering a beautiful meadow with a clear pond, shady trees, and a flowing brook.
• The narrator is a young horse who was raised by his mother, Duchess, and spent his early days learning and playing in the meadow.
• As a foal, the narrator relies on his mother’s milk and enjoys close companionship with her. They find shade in the trees during hot days and stay warm in a shed during cold nights.
• There are six other colts in the meadow who are older and larger than the narrator. The narrator enjoys playing with them, running and galloping around the field.
• One day, during rough play, the narrator's mother warns him to be careful and teaches him about good manners and behavior, emphasizing the importance of being gentle and kind.
• Duchess shares the proud history of their family, mentioning the narrator’s notable father and grandmother, encouraging him to maintain good behavior.
• The narrator admires his mother, who is well-respected by their master, a kind man who treats the horses with love and care.
• The master enjoys spending time with the horses, even calling the narrator “Darkie” because of his black coat and giving him treats like bread and carrots.
• A ploughboy named Dick sometimes comes into the meadow to have fun by throwing stones and sticks at the colts, which annoys them.
• One day, the master catches Dick mistreating the colts and scolds him, telling him he is no longer welcome on the farm.
• After this incident, the narrator and the other horses feel safe and happy, knowing they have a caring master and a gentle caretaker named Old Daniel.

Detailed Summary

In a beautiful and big meadow, a young horse named Darkie lives with his caring mother, Duchess, and their kind master. The meadow has a clear pond, shady trees, and a small brook, making it a perfect place for the horses to play and stay safe. When Darkie was little, he stayed close to his mother, drinking milk and playing with other young colts. As he grew older, Darkie loved running and having fun with his friends.

One day, while playing, Duchess taught Darkie to be kind and gentle, reminding him of their good family and how important it is to behave well. The master of the farm always took good care of the horses, giving them tasty treats and making sure they were happy. A ploughboy named Dick used to bother the colts by throwing stones and sticks at them, but the master saw what he was doing and told Dick to stop and leave the farm.

After Dick left, Darkie and the other colts felt safe and happy again. Darkie learned important lessons about kindness, good behavior, and the love of his family. The meadow wasn’t just a place to play; it was where Darkie learned to be a good horse and appreciated the beauty of nature around him.

Theme/ Message

Difficult Words

• Meadow: A field of grass and flowers.
• Pond: A small body of water.
• Rushes: Tall, slender plants that grow in wet areas.
• Gallop: To run fast, like a horse.
• Whinnied: The sound that a horse makes; a neigh.
• Well-bred: Raised in a good family; having good manners.
• Temper: A person’s mood or behavior; how they act.
• Pat: To touch gently, usually with the hand.
• Market: A place where people buy and sell goods.
• Ploughboy: A young boy who works with a plow on a farm.
• Chase: To run after someone or something.
• Frustration: Feeling upset or annoyed because something is difficult.
• Galloping: Running quickly, like a horse does.
• Caretaker: A person who takes care of someone or something.
• Respect: To treat someone with kindness and consideration.