Chapter 6 

                                                         This is Jody's Fawn


Comprehension Check (Page 89)

1:What had happened to Jody’s father?

Answer:Jody’s father had suffered a bite from a rattlesnake.

 2:How did the doe save Penny’s life?

Answer: When Jody’s father, Penny, was bitten by a rattlesnake, he immediately killed a doe and used its heart and liver to draw out the venom, employing this home remedy to save Penny’s life.

 3:Why does Jody want to bring the fawn home?

Answer: Jody wants to bring the fawn home because its mother was killed to use her heart and liver to save his father’s life. Feeling guilty for leaving the orphaned fawn to face starvation, he considers taking it home to provide it with some food and care.

 4:How does Jody know that the fawn is a male?

Answer: Jody knows the fawn is male because his father, Penny, had explained that a male fawn has its spots arranged in a sequential line. This helped Jody identify its gender.

Comprehension Check (Page 90)

1:Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. What were they?

Answer: Jody didn’t want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons. First, if the fawn was dead or missing, he didn’t want Mill-wheel to witness his disappointment. Second, if the fawn was alive, their meeting would be so special and private that he couldn’t bear to share it with anyone.

2:Why was Mill-wheel afraid to leave Jody alone?

Answer: Mill-wheel was afraid to leave Jody alone because the boy was unfamiliar with the forest path. He worried that Jody might get lost in the woods or even suffer a rattlesnake bite like Penny.

Comprehension Check (Page 93)

 1:How did Jody bring the fawn back home?

Answer: Jody carefully tried not to frighten the fawn. He first stroked its neck gently and wrapped his hands around it, then carried it through the dense forest, protecting its face from sharp vines. When he grew tired, he rested for a while. Remembering that a fawn follows if it has first been carried, he put it down briefly; at first, it hesitated, but gradually it began to follow him. Upon reaching home, the fawn couldn’t climb the stairs, so Jody lifted it in his arms and carried it inside the house.

2:Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn. Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?

Answer: Jody was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing the fawn. Stroking its neck made him feel ‘delirious.’ When the fawn looked up at him, he felt ‘light-headed with joy’ and wanted to play and romp with it. Finally, when he brought the fawn home, it appeared to Penny that ‘the boy’s eyes were as bright as the fawn’s.’

 3:How did the deer drink milk from the gourd?

Answer: Jody poured milk into a small gourd and placed it before the fawn. The deer sniffed and nudged it but couldn’t manage to drink from the gourd. Carefully preventing the milk from spilling, Jody then dipped his fingers into the milk and gently guided them into the fawn’s soft mouth, allowing it to drink slowly from his hands.


 4:Why didn’t the fawn follow Jody up the steps as he had thought it would?

Answer: Being a wild animal, the fawn didn’t know how to navigate the stairs in a house. So, when it reached Jody’s home, it couldn’t follow him upstairs or drink the milk from the gourd, as it was unfamiliar with the new surroundings and unsure how to respond.


Working with the text (Page 93)

 1:Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?

Answer: Penny Baxter permitted Jody to find and raise the fawn because he felt guilty about the death of its mother, whose organs had been used to treat his snake bite. He supported Jody’s wish to bring the orphaned fawn home, not wanting it to starve through no fault of its own, and felt a sense of responsibility toward the little deer.

 2:What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, “Nothing in the world ever comes quite free”?

Answer: Penny had killed the doe to save his own life, so he felt morally responsible for the fawn, which might otherwise starve. Leaving the little deer alone in the forest would have been ungrateful. When Jody asked to bring the fawn home, Penny agreed, and Doc Wilson remarked to Jody’s mother that their decision was right, meaning ‘Nothing in the world comes completely free.’

 3:How did Jody look after the fawn after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?

Answer: After taking responsibility for the fawn, Jody cared for it very attentively. He gently stroked its neck and held it softly. While carrying it home, he carefully navigated through thick forest bushes, protecting its face from sharp vines. When tired, he rested along the way and encouraged the fawn to follow him, eventually lifting it up the stairs at home. At first, the deer didn’t know how to drink from the gourd, but gradually it began drinking milk from Jody’s hands as he guided it gently into its soft mouth.


4:How does Jody’s mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home? Why does she react in this way?

Answer: Jody’s mother was astonished when she learned that he wanted to bring the young fawn home. Upon realizing that the doe which had saved Penny’s life was the fawn’s mother, she was left speechless, even gasping and holding the coffee pot mid-air. She was hesitant about bringing a wild animal into the house, pointing out that they had only milk to feed it, which Jody would have to give up to care for the little deer.


Working with language (Page 93-95)

 1:Look at these pairs of sentences.

Penny said to Jody, “Will you be back before dinner?”

Penny asked Jody if he would be back before dinner.

“How are you feeling, Pa?” asked Jody.

Jody asked his father how he was feeling.

Here are some questions in direct speech. Put them into reported speech.

(i) Penny said, “Do you really want it son?”

Answer:(i) Penny asked his son if he really wanted the fawn.

(ii) Mill-wheel said, “Will he ride back with me?”

Answer:(ii) Mill-wheel asked if Jody would ride back with him.

(iii) He said to Mill-wheel, “Do you think the fawn is still there?”

Answer:(iii) Jody asked Mill-wheel if he thought the fawn was still there.

(iv) He asked Mill-wheel, “Will you help me find him?”

Answer:(iv) Jody asked Mill-wheel if he would help him find the fawn.

(v) He said, “Was it up here that Pa got bitten by the snake?”

Answer:(v) Jody asked Mill-wheel if it was up there that Pa got bitten by the snake.


Answer by Mrinmoee