NCERT solutions for class 8 English It So Happened How The camel got his hump

Comprehension Check (Page 3)

Question 1:
What tasks, do you think, were assigned to the dog and the ox?
Answer:
The dog was assigned the task of fetching and carrying. The ox was made to plough the fields.

Question 2:
Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?
Answer:
The camel lived in the middle of the desert because it didn’t want to work.

Question 3:
What made the dog, the horse and the ox very angry?
Answer:
The dog, the horse and the ox were angry because man, their master, told them to work double time to make up for the camel’s idleness.

Question 4:
How did the Djinn know the horse was complaining against the camel?
Answer:
The Djinn was the master of deserts. So he was able to know easily who the ani­mal with a long neck and long legs was.

How The camel got his hump Comprehension Check (Page5)

Question 1:
The Camel was looking at his own reflection in the pool. What does it suggest to you about the camel?
Answer:
This statement suggests that the camel loved its own image in the pool. Perhaps he considered himself handsome looking.

Question 2:
The camel said, “Humph” repeatedly. How did it affect him?
Answer:
The word ‘Humph’ annoyed the Djinn. He turned ‘humph’ into the hump on the camel’s back.

Question 3:
What, according to the Djinn, was the use of the ‘humph?
Answer:
The camel’s hump contained food material. It helped the desert animal go without
any food for three days.

Question 4:
“…he has never yet learnt to behave.” In the light of this, what is the writer’s opinion about the camel?
Answer:
The writer is of the opinion that the camel has not changed its nature and habits to this day.

How The camel got his hump EXERCISE (PAGE 6)

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 1:
Can this story be factually true?
Answer:
No, the story is not factually true. It is just an imaginary one.

Question 2:
What according to you, is the story about?
Consider the following:

(1) How the world began.
(2) Why everyone should do his/her share of work seriously.
(3) How animals are important to humans.
(4) How the camel got his hump.

Answer:

(4) How the camel got his hump.

Question 3:
What did you do over the weekend? Were you generally active or idle? Please check your back before starting to discuss or answer the question.
Answer:
On weekend I got up late and relaxed. Late evening I watched my favourite TV serial. 1 played cricket in the afternoon. I have checked my back and there is no hump.

Question 4:
There are broadly two categories of workers— those who prefer to do today what they can do tomorrow, and those who prefer to do tomorrow what they can do today. Where do you belong?
Answer:
I personaly believe in doing my work promptly and well in time.

How The camel got his hump Extra Questions

I.SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Why did early man domesticate a few animals?
Answer:
Early man domesticated animals for different purposes. They used them to carry heavy loads, draw carts and plough the field.

Question 2:
Which animal in your opinion is man’s best friend and most useful too?
Answer:
The dog is man’s best friend. It provides security and even draws the sledge on ice. It is known for its faithfulness. The horse and the elephants have also been very friendly to man.

Question 3:
Do you think the camel renders no service to man?
Answer:
The camel is rightly called the ship of the desert. It renders a variety of services to man. It is the chief means of transport across the desert. It ploughs the fields and gives milk and meat to its master.

Question 4:
Do yon think hump on a camel’s back has no use?
Answer:
The hump on a camel’s back is an obstruction in riding. But it is vary useful. It coma ins fat arid food. A camel can get its food from the hump for several days.

Question 5:
Who was Djinn? How did he set the camel right?
Answer:
Djinn was in-change of all deserts. So the horse, ox and the dog complained to him about the camel’s laziness. The Djinn scolded the camel, gave a hump on its back and ordered it to serve man as did other animals.

II. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question 1:
What made the Three very angry?
Answer:
The Three (the Dog, the Horse and the Ox) were hard working animals. They did different works for men. The Dog carried heavy loads, the Horse drew carts and the Ox ploughed the field. These three were fed up with the Camel because he didn’t do any work. So one day they complained to Man about the Camel’s laziness. At this the Man became angry. He told the three to leave the Camel alone and work double time to compensate his (Camel’s) work. That made the three very angry. They held a panchayat but it proved invain. The camel came chewing and laughed at them.

Question 2:
How did the Camel get a hump?
Answer:
In the beginning the camel was a lazy animal. He didn’t want to work and lived in the middle of a desert away from other working animals. But the animals never forgot him and his nature. They wanted him to work like them. They complained against him to the Djinn, who was in-charge of all deserts. The Djinn decided to punish such an idle animal. He told the Camel to work like other animals but the Camel showed no willingness to work. This made the Djinn angry. He put a curse on the Camel. Soon the Camel’s back puffed up into a big bump. This is how the Camel got a hump.