Back to: CBSE Class 6 English Summary & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
This chapter tells the story of a farmer’s family and their pet Mongoose. Taken from the famous Panchatantra Tales, this story exemplifies the bond between humans and animals. It shows how a lack of trust between the two can lead to fatal consequences.
Summary
A farmer and his wife lived in a village. They had a baby son. They felt a need of a companion for their son. Hence, the farmer brought home a tiny Mongoose.
The Mongoose grew rapidly in a period of six months. The son was still a baby and always lay in his cradle. One day, the farmer’s wife left home to go to the Bazaar. Distrustful of the Mongoose, she asked her husband to look after the baby who was asleep in his cradle.
Seeing that the baby was deep in sleep, the farmer also left home to have a quick look at his fields. As the farmer’s wife returned with a basket loaded with groceries, the Mongoose waited at the entrance to welcome her.
The sight of the Mongoose with blood smeared all over his body made the woman fearful and angry. Taking it to be her son’s blood, the woman assumed that the Mongoose had killed their son. In a fit of anger, she landed the heavy basket on the innocent Mongoose with full force.
As she walked indoors, she saw a bloodied snake lying dead on the floor near the cradle. The baby was safe and lay fast asleep in his cradle. She immediately realised her mistake but the poor animal was already dead by then.
Conclusion
The story concludes that trust is very important in any bond. The Mongoose was loyal to the farmer’s family but the wife’s mistrust of him led to its unfortunate death. Loyalty should be repaid with trust and understanding. It also teaches us that our actions should not be guided by quick and reckless judgements. We should think responsibly before we act.
