Chapter 3
Golu Grows a Nose
1. Why was Golu considered different from other baby elephants?
Answenr: Golu was considered different from other baby elephants because he had no trunk, only a bulgy nose that looked like a boot. He was also very curious and constantly asked difficult questions, unlike other animals.
2. What kind of questions did Golu usually ask his relatives?
Answer: Golu always asked strange and difficult questions like why the ostrich doesn’t fly, why the giraffe’s skin is spotty, why the hippopotamus’s eyes are always red, and why melons taste like melons.
3. How did Golu’s relatives react to his continuous questioning?
Answer: His relatives became annoyed because they could not answer his difficult questions. They called him a naughty baby and avoided his curiosity.
4. What question made Golu most curious, leading him to set out on a journey?
Answer: Golu was most curious to know what the crocodile eats for dinner. Since nobody could answer, he decided to go to the Limpopo river to find out himself.
5. Who advised Golu to visit the Limpopo river, and why?
Answer: The mynah bird advised Golu to go to the Limpopo river because that was where the crocodile lived, and Golu could ask the crocodile directly about his food.
6. Describe Golu’s journey to the Limpopo river.
Answer: On his way to the Limpopo river, Golu ate sugarcanes, bananas, and melons. After days of walking, he finally reached the grassy banks of the river.
7. What did Golu first see on the riverbank, and what did he mistake it for?
Answer: On reaching the riverbank, Golu saw what looked like a log of wood. However, it was actually a crocodile lying motionless on the mud.
8. How did the crocodile prove to Golu that it was not a log of wood but a real crocodile?
Answer: The crocodile winked at Golu and lifted half of his tail out of the mud. He even shed crocodile tears to convince Golu of his identity.
9. What did Golu ask the crocodile once he knew who he was?
Answer: Golu asked the crocodile politely what he had for dinner, since that was the question troubling him all along.
10. How did the crocodile trick Golu into coming closer?
Answer: The crocodile told Golu to come near so that he could whisper the answer to him. This was a trick to catch Golu and eat him.
11. Describe what happened when Golu put his head close to the crocodile’s snout.
Answer: When Golu leaned closer, the crocodile suddenly caught him by the nose and declared that a baby elephant would be his dinner that day.
12. How did Golu react when the crocodile caught him by the nose?
Answer: Golu screamed in pain and begged the crocodile to let him go because his nose was hurting.
13. Who had been silently following Golu, and how did he come to help?
Answer: The python had been silently following Golu. When the crocodile attacked, the python advised Golu to pull as hard as he could to save himself.
14. Describe the struggle between Golu and the crocodile.
Answer: The crocodile pulled Golu into the river with great sweeps of his tail, while Golu pulled back with all his strength. The python coiled himself around Golu’s stomach and joined the effort, helping him pull harder.
15. What happened to Golu’s nose during the struggle?
Answer: During the tug-of-war, Golu’s nose stretched longer and longer. It hurt badly, but eventually, the nose grew five feet long before it was freed from the crocodile’s grip.
16. How did Golu treat his injured nose after the struggle?
Answer: Golu wrapped his nose in a large banana leaf and hung it in the river to cool. He sat like that for two days, waiting for it to shrink back.
17. Did Golu’s nose shrink back to its original shape? Explain.
Answer: No, Golu’s nose did not shrink. It remained long and became the trunk that elephants still have today.
18. How did Golu first discover the usefulness of his long nose?
Answer: When a fly stung Golu on the shoulder, he used his long trunk to swat it dead. He realized that he could not have done this with a small nose.
19. What did the python call the first advantage of a long nose?
Answer: The python told Golu that with a long nose, he could easily pluck grass, dust it, and put it into his mouth—something impossible with a small nose.
20. What was the second advantage of Golu’s long nose according to the python?
Answer: The python said that Golu could now scoop mud or water with his long trunk and cool himself when the sun was too hot.
21. What was the third advantage mentioned by the python?
Answer: The python pointed out that Golu could now drive away flies or insects that troubled him, something he could not do with a small nose.
22. How did Golu express his gratitude to the python?
Answer: Golu thanked the python politely and said he would always remember his advice before returning to his family.
23. How did the crocodile try to deceive Golu emotionally?
Answer: The crocodile shed false crocodile tears to appear truthful and innocent, so that Golu would trust him and come closer.
24. Why was the python’s role important in saving Golu?
Answer: Without the python’s advice and physical help, Golu would have been dragged into the river and eaten by the crocodile. The python not only guided him but also gave him strength in the struggle.
25. What lesson does the story teach about curiosity?
Answer: The story shows that curiosity can be risky, but it can also lead to new discoveries. Golu’s curiosity put him in danger but eventually gave elephants their most useful feature—the trunk.
26. Why do you think the author gave Golu the nature of asking questions?
Answer: The author gave Golu a questioning nature to show that curiosity is part of learning. Through questions, Golu set out on an adventure that changed his life.
27. How did the other animals treat Golu’s habit of questioning, and what does it show?
Answer: Other animals called him naughty and avoided him. This shows that sometimes society discourages curiosity, though it is actually a path to knowledge.
28. What does the crocodile symbolize in the story?
Answer: The crocodile symbolizes danger, deception, and the risks that curiosity can bring when one is too trusting.
29. How did the python’s guidance after the struggle help Golu adapt to his new nose?
Answer: The python explained one by one the advantages of a trunk, helping Golu to realize that his long nose was a blessing, not a curse.
30. Why did Golu wrap his nose in banana leaves?
Answer: Golu’ s nose was painful and stretched, so he wrapped it in banana leaves and dipped it in water to cool and heal.
31. What was Golu’s emotional state when his nose was first stretched?
Answer: He was in pain, frightened, and confused. He thought his nose might shrink back, but he also felt relieved when it was finally free from the crocodile.
32. What new abilities did Golu gain after his nose became long?
Answer: He could pluck grass, eat easily, bathe himself with water or mud, and drive away insects, all of which were impossible earlier.
33. How does the story explain the origin of the elephant’s trunk?
Answer: The story explains it as a result of Golu’s struggle with the crocodile at the Limpopo river, during which his small nose stretched into a long trunk.
34. What role does patience play in Golu’s transformation?
Answer: Golu patiently waited for two days by the river, cooling his nose, instead of panicking. This patience allowed him to adapt to his new trunk.
35. How does the story highlight the importance of help in times of crisis?
Answer: The python’s timely help saved Golu’s life, showing that in times of crisis, support and teamwork are essential.
36. Why did Golu finally decide to return to his family?
Answer: After realizing the usefulness of his trunk and thanking the python, Golu felt ready to go back to his family with his new gift.
37. How does the python’s wisdom contrast with the crocodile’s cunning nature?
Answer: The python used wisdom, patience, and guidance to save Golu, while the crocodile used cunning tricks and false emotions to trap and harm him.
38. What moral values can children learn from this story?
Answer: Children learn to be curious, cautious of strangers, grateful for help, and adaptive to changes in life.
39. Why is the story titled “Golu grows a Nose”?
Answer: It is titled so because the central event is Golu’s transformation—his small bulgy nose stretched into a long trunk, making him the elephant we know today.
40. How does this story connect imagination with natural history?
Answer: The story blends imagination with natural history by giving a fanciful explanation of how elephants got their trunks, making learning fun and memorable.
Answer by Mrinmoee
