Back to: Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 9th English Guide and Notes
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Introduction
The story “Moti Guj-Mutineer” written by Rudyard Kipling, revolves around the relationship of a scattered mahout,Deesa and his powerful and uncontrollable elephant named Moti- Guj. Moti-Guj was kept by a coffee planter to uproot stumps in some forest land that was being cleared for coffee planting.
Once a week Deesa led Moti Guj down to the river. Deesa suddenly felt the desire to drink deep so he went to the planter and gave various excuses like his mother was dead, his wives were dying due to plague etc just to get a drink. But on being caught lying, Deesa informed honestly that he had not drunk for two months so all he want was a proper drink.
The planter was happy that he spoke truth so he agreed to give him leave for ten days. Moti Guj bid farewell to his master with his twinkling eyes and by saluting with the help of his trunk.
Deesa asked Moti Guj to work and obey the orders of Chihun for ten days. Nonetheless Moti Guj worked well, and the planter wondered.
The eleventh day
The morning of the eleventh day dawned, but Deesa did not return as he was busy enjoying his life. This made Moti Guj extremely angry who as a reaction swung clear, looked round, shrugged his shoulders, and began to walk away. Chihun, ran after him with a rope and caught him up.
Since Moti was not under control, Chihun reported the state of affairs to the planter, who came out with a dog- whip. Moti Guj chased the planter, hrrumping loudly, till he reached the veranda of his house. Chihun shouted at Moti and called him a wild elephant and asked him to go back to the jungle. Moti Guj noticed then Chihun’s little baby, who was rolling on the floor of the hut and then he swung out his trunk, and picked up the baby. Soon the baby was crowing in the air twelve foot above his father’s head.
“Great Lord,” said Chihun. “Flour cakes of the best, twelve in number, two feet across and soaked in liquor, shall be yours this minute, and two hundred pounds of fresh-cut young sugarcane. Only put down safely that small child who is my heart and my life.”
Moti Guj then tucked the baby comfortably between his forefeet, and ate the food and the baby crawled away. At dawn when Moti was out for breakfast, Deesa returned to the plantation and reported for work with many lies and salaams.
Deesa’s return
On hearing Deesa’s voice, Moti Guj fell into his arms trumpeting with joy, and the man and beast wept and slobbered over each other. Moti Guj swung Deesa up to get back to work and the two went to the coffee clearing to look for difficult stumps. The planter was too astonished to be very angry.
