Back to: CBSE Class 7 English Summary & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Written by Zakir Husain, this chapter tells the story of Abbu Khan’s favourite goat. This story shows that all creatures value their freedom over all other comforts. It also shows the risk involved in freedom.
Summary
Abbu Khan was an old man who lived alone in Almora. He kept some pet goats to keep him company. He was very fond of his goats and gave them funny names like Kalua, Moongia or Gujri.
Though Abbu Khan loved his pets and took good care of them, his goats left him one by one. Despite the good food and comfort at Abbu Khan’s place, the goats escaped to the hills for freedom. In the hills, they enjoyed their freedom briefly until being eaten by the wolf.
When all his goats had abandoned him, Abbu Khan grew very sad. He then brought home a new white goat and called her Chandni. Chandni was a young goat with beautiful horns and red eyes. The goat listened to Abbu Khan’s stories with interest and the two enjoyed each other’s company.
But tied by a rope, Chandni also grew sad in captivity. She stopped eating the fresh food that Abbu Khan offered. She too longed for the lush green hills. Chandni expressed her desire to leave but Abbu Khan was disheartened. He warned her about the dangers in the hills and moved her to a smaller hut to make sure that she would not escape.
But the young white goat escaped to the hills. She was determined to have her freedom. Because Chandni valued her freedom, she refused the offer of a herd of goats to be a part of their group. She delighted in the green grass and fresh air in the hills until she came face to face with the wolf.
Conclusion
Though Chandni was young and healthy, she wasn’t as powerful as the wolf. She nevertheless resolved to fight for her freedom. The two animals fought throughout the night but the morning in the hills saw Chandni lying on the ground with her white body soaked in blood. Though the Wolf had defeated the young goat, a wise old bird declared Chandni the winner because she had fought with courage for her freedom.
