Chapter 2

                                           The Friendly Mongoose


Short Questions and Answers

  1. Who lived in the village?
    Answer: A farmer, his wife, and their small child.

  2. What pet did the family have?
    Answer:A baby mongoose.

  3. Why did the farmer want a pet?
    Answer:He wanted a companion for his son.

  4. How old was the mongoose when it grew fully?
    Answer:About five or six months.

  5. What was the appearance of the grown mongoose?
    Answer:It had two shining black eyes and a bushy tail.

  6. Who was sleeping in the cradle when the wife left for the market?
    Answer:The farmer’s baby son.

  7. What did the farmer tell his wife about the mongoose?
    Answer:That it was friendly and the best of friends with the baby.

  8. What did the wife notice when she returned home?
    Answer:The mongoose had blood on its face and paws.

  9. What was her first reaction to seeing the mongoose?
    Answer:She thought it had killed her baby.

  10. Where was the baby while the wife was gone?
    Answer:Sleeping safely in the cradle.

  11. What lay on the floor near the cradle?
    Answer:A black snake, torn and bleeding.

  12. Who actually killed the snake?
    Answer:The mongoose.

  13. How did the wife react after realizing the truth?
    Answer:She ran to the mongoose and cried, “Oh! You saved my child!”

  14. Was the mongoose aware of the wife’s cries?
    Answer:No, it lay dead and still.

  15. Why did the mongoose die?
    Answer:It died after killing the snake in defense of the baby.

  16. Where did the wife go after realizing the mongoose saved the child?
    Answer:She wiped her tears and went to feed her baby.

  17. From which collection is this story taken?
    Answer:The Panchatantra.

  18. What did the wife do hastily?
    Answer:She attacked the mongoose with a heavy basket.

 Long Questions and Answers

  1. Describe the family living in the village.
    Answer:A farmer, his wife, and their small child lived in a village, and they loved their child very much.

  2. Why did the farmer decide to get a mongoose as a pet?
    Answer:He wanted the mongoose to be a companion and friend for his son as he grew up.

  3. How did the farmer’s wife feel about leaving the baby with the mongoose?
    Answer:She was reluctant and worried but trusted her husband’s reassurance about the mongoose being friendly.

  4. Describe the growth of the mongoose over five to six months.
    Answer:The mongoose grew to full size, became a lovely animal with two shining black eyes and a bushy tail.

  5. What happened when the farmer and his wife went out one day?
    Answer:The baby was left alone with the mongoose, as both parents went out—wife to the market, farmer to the fields.

  6. What did the wife see upon returning home from the market?
    Answer:She saw the mongoose outside with blood on its face and paws and feared it had harmed her baby.

  7. What mistake did the wife make when she saw the blood on the mongoose?
    Answer:She rashly hit the mongoose with a heavy basket, assuming it had killed her child.

  8. How did the wife discover the truth about what happened?
    Answer:She saw her baby safe in the cradle and a black snake torn and bleeding on the floor, realizing the mongoose had saved the child.

  9. How did the mongoose save the baby?
    Answer:It killed a black snake that had entered the house, protecting the baby from harm.

  10. What emotions did the wife experience during this incident?
    Answer:She felt fear, anger, guilt, and finally relief and gratitude.

  11. How did the baby react during this incident?
    Answer:The baby was fast asleep and unharmed.

  12. How did the story end for the mongoose?
    Answer:The mongoose lay dead after killing the snake, unaware of the wife’s gratitude.

  13. Why did the mongoose die?
    Answer:It died after defending the baby from the black snake.

  14. What lesson does the story teach about haste?
    Answer:The story teaches not to act hastily or make assumptions without knowing the full truth.

  15. How did the ruse of the snake create misunderstanding?
    Answer:The blood on the mongoose misled the wife into thinking the pet had harmed her child.

  16. How does the story reflect the bond between humans and animals?
    Answer:It shows that animals can be loyal and protective, forming strong bonds with humans.

  17. Why did the farmer reassure his wife about leaving the baby with the mongoose?
    Answer:Because the mongoose had grown friendly and was a good companion for the baby.

  18. How does the story demonstrate courage in animals?
    Answer:The mongoose bravely fought and killed a dangerous snake to protect the baby.

  19. What is the significance of the baby remaining unharmed?
    Answer:It highlights the mongoose’s protective instincts and the importance of trust in loyal animals.

  20. From which collection is this story, and what is its moral?
    Answer:The story is from The Panchatantra, and the moral is to avoid rash actions and judgments without understanding the full situation.

Answer by Mrinmoee