- A Fight Between a Lion and a
Crocodile
Literal
Comprehension:
It
was late evening. The narrator and his friend being to sleep drowsily on the
bank of the river. They could hear a different kind of roaring sound. Job told
them to look to the water toward them. They sow the lion’s signing eyes as one
of was 15 feet away. Leo fired at the lions and she died. A fully grown male
was to step behind her. Suddenly there was a rush and disturbance of the water.
The lion uttered a roar. A crocodile had cut him by the leg. The lion pulls the
crocodile on to the bank and clawed its head, and one of its eyes turned. Both
of them were struggling fiercely. The lion’s body up to the hive was in the
crocodile’s jaws. The lion clawed the crocodile’s throat apart. The lion felt
on the crocodile’s back and died. After a while, the crocodile also died.
Interpretation:
This story might be trying to tell us that there are many
more wonderful things in the world of nature. All living things are closely
related to their environment and are equally important in their own place. The
lion is the king of the jungle, but the crocodile can defeat him in the water,
which is not the kingdom of the lion.
Critical
Thinking:
There
are many things in the story, which seem unbelievable. How can people try to
fall as sleep when they hear the rearing sound? How can people feel safe in
such a place? Can is a crocodile strong enough to grip a lion? Since this story
seems to be realistic, we have to accept many things without questions.
Assimilation:
After reading this story I am fully convinced that all
animals are equally important in the ecosystem. Every animal has its importance
in its own place. But if it goes to the place to other animals, it will be
defeated. Therefore, every living thing identifies its habit act and lives
accordingly.
Shep’s
Hobby
Literal
Comprehension:
James Herriot, the narrator, was going to Mr. Bailes’s
place to see how his cow Rose was. She was suffering from stomach trouble of
unknown nature. As the narrator was passing between the two walls, shep
suddenly jumped and frightened him. He jumped up into the air and his heart was
beating violently. After giving the Lawage to the cow he went to home. The next
day he was passing through Mr. Bailes’s field to see the farmer in the barn.
The midday sun, the sweet breeze, the greenery, and the solitude impressed
James very much. All of a sudden, the sky darkens and roared. It was Shep
again. James was so afraid that he almost evacuated (empty) his bowel
(stomach). After giving some treacle to the cow, he came again the next day.
Now he was happy to see rose all right. But it was the postman who had cured
the cow by making her run. Then James was lost in deep thought and solid his
hand. To wash the hand as he was going to Mr.Bailes’s kitchen, he was
frightened again the dog. This time he was so angry that he punished the dog by
scolding and threatening. When he comes to Mr. Bailes next time Shep did not
frighten him and he was sorry because he had deprived the dog of its pleasure.
But later when he found the dog frightening a tinker (pot maker), the speaker
was happy.
Interpretation:
This story might be trying to tell us that any animal has
the right to make fun and that there is not much difference between dogs and
men so far as recreation is concerned.
Critical
Thinking:
This lovely animal story has some points which might be
unacceptable. How could a postman cure the cow which a vet could not? Has a
dog’s sense of timing so perfect as to frighten the people? Is the story
convincing enough? Perhaps we have raised such questions because we have not absence
dogs as closely as a vet.
Assimilation:
This story has changed my attitudes to animals completely. Before I read this
story, I would run away if a dog comes close to me. I would think that it had
come to bite me. But now I think that it has come to play with me. Now I love a
dog and want to make friend with it.
Stickeen
Literal
Comprehension:
John Muir, the narrator, in spite of his objection, had to take the dog
Stickeen to the dog in an icy cold region of Alaska at the request of its
master. The creature proves to be an interesting company on the journey. It
always followed the narrator even leaving its own master. It never complains.
It did not love anyone and did not allow anyone to do so. It did not leave the
narrator when he was making the most measurable journey in his life. That day
he left the camp early in the raring morning with breakfast in his pocket. The
dog somehow follows him. They were walking in the snow. There were many
crevasses on the way. The narrator crossed them carefully but the dog was
moving like the flying cloud. It did not notice any danger. After reaching the
end, they were returning to the camp. On the way, they were trapped on the
island surrounded by crevasses (holes). The only way to cross it was Silver
Bridge. The narrator cut notches (V shape holes) on the bridge. After he
crossed the bridge, he again had to cut the holes at the other end to climb up.
After he reached the other side he called the dog. But it did not come because
it had wisely sensed the danger. When the writer repeatedly threatened to leave
it there, it very carefully crossed the bridge. And afterwards, it was so happy
that it cried and danced and dashed. From that day on, it likes to be close to
the narrator. It might have thought that the narrator was its god.
Interpretation:
This story might be trying to tell us that experience
teaches us more than anything else. The dog Stickeen changed completely after
it successfully crosses the silver bridge and saves its life. It may also be
interpreted to mean that there are many things which we find in animals and
human beings equally. Friendship and gratitude are equally found in animals.
Critical
Thinking: This beautiful story has many points which are normally
unacceptable to us. Why do people explore such remote place by putting their
lives in danger? Don’t they die of cold when they are wet in the icy cold
region? Otherwise, this story is really impressive. It makes us feel as if we
are with the writer making the journey.
Assimilation:
After reading this story I came to know so many things
about Alaska. I also learned that beauty in nature and danger are interwoven
that experience makes one perfect is true even in the case of animals.
- The Parrot In The Cage
Literal
Comprehension: Lekhanath Poudel
composed the poem “The Parrot in the Cage”. The theme of the poem is about
freedom, justice, happiness, and serenity. The poem is a bitter satire on the
then Rana regime that deprived Nepalese people freedom. The speaker has
carefully painted the conditions that surround the parrot’s life. The speaker
is disappointed by the harsh reality of man’s life. Away from its family, home,
kin, friends, and the natural freedom man has forced the parrot to live a
tragic life. Similar is the condition of human life in Nepal of that period.
Being a worshipper of nature, Poudel expresses his deep affinity to the natural
world that provides him childhood appetite, which he wants in his later life.
Having compelled to live away from his family, home and friends, Poudel pains
for it and expresses nostalgia towards it. Finally, through the medium of
parrot, voices of political, social, religious, spiritual and habitual
lifestyle and situation of human beings are exhumed in the poem. The poem
clearly advocates the human instinct to live a free and struggled life away
from the crowd.
Interpretation: In this poem “The Parrot in the Cage”, the poet is
trying to advocates the freedom of people in the Rana regime. The Nepalese
people had been ruled by the Ranas for one hundred and four years. During this
period, people were deprived of enjoying all kinds of freedom. The speaker in
the poem is disappointed by the harsh reality of man’s life. Besides, man has
been found to live away from his family, home, kin, friends, and the spiritual
freedom that surround him in rural life. Thus, man has been forced to live a
caged life like the parrot. Man’s indifference to animal’s plight and the
mentality of getting entertainment from imprisoning lower animals has been
criticized in the poem. Living away from the natural man has invited more
tragedy and sorrow in his life.
Critical thinking: The speaker has carefully painted the conditions
that surround the parrot’s life. Through the plight of the parrot, the speaker
compares the sorrowful description of human life, lack of justice and freedom,
the aggression and the cruelty prevalent in the society. Being a worshipper of
nature, Poudel expresses his deep affinity to the natural world that provides
him childhood appetite, which he wants in his later life. Having compelled to
live away from his family, home and friends, Poudel pains for it and expresses
nostalgia towards it. More than that, Hindu tradition to pray and appeal to God
at the time of difficulty is spread all over the poem. In the philosophical level,
the poem may be faultless, but I have reservation towards the voices of the
parrot. In real life, does a parrot speak like a human to express his sorrows?
Assimilation: After reading this poem, I have realized how
cruel the Rana regime was. I always stand for the freedom of human beings. As
Jean jacks, Rousseau said, “Man is born free and wants to live free”. Thus, I
request all the human beings not to capture any animal as well as not any
citizens at the name of the ruling system or any pleasure.
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