Chapter 1
How the Camel Got its Hump
Q:1 Why did the camel choose to live in the desert instead of helping Man like other animals?
Ans: The camel chose to live in the desert because he did not want to work for Man. He preferred to eat thorns, sticks, and cactus stems all day, avoiding any kind of labor.
Q:2 How did the camel manage to moisten his throat in the desert?
Ans: The camel chewed cactus stems to moisten his throat because water was scarce in the desert, and the cactus helped him stay hydrated.
Q:3 How did the camel respond whenever any creature spoke to him?
Ans: Whenever any creature spoke to the camel, he always responded by saying, “Humph!” without showing any interest or effort to communicate.
Q:4 What message did the horse bring to the camel about working for Man?
Ans: The horse asked the camel to come and live like the rest of the animals and work for Man, implying that the camel should contribute to helping humans like others did.
Q:5 How did the camel react to the horse’s request to work?
Ans: The camel lazily opened one sleepy eye and said “Humph!” showing that he had no intention of working or changing his idle habits.
Q:6 What example did the dog give to the camel about helping Man?
Ans: The dog told the camel that he fetched sticks thrown by Man, showing that helping humans was easy and rewarding, and asked the camel to do the same.
Q:7 What did the ox request the camel to do, and why did it anger the camel?
Ans: The ox requested the camel to help plough the land like he did. This angered the camel because he was disturbed repeatedly while doing nothing.
Q:8 How did Man react when the camel refused to work?
Ans: Man became frustrated because the horse, dog, and ox had extra work to do since the camel refused to help, so he asked them to work double time.
Q:9 What did the horse, dog, and ox decide to do after being asked to work double time?
Ans: They held a meeting to decide how to deal with the situation and concluded that they needed to ask the Jinn of the desert for help.
Q:10 What question did the animals ask the Jinn of the desert?
Ans: The animals asked the Jinn whether it was right for someone to be idle, explaining that the camel refused to work and caused extra burden for others.
Q:11 How did the Jinn respond when the animals told him about the camel?
Ans: The Jinn said that being idle was certainly wrong and agreed to talk to the camel himself.
Q:12 How did the Jinn find the camel in the desert?
Ans: The Jinn rolled himself in his dust cloak and flew across the desert to reach the camel, showing that he had magical powers.
Q:13 How did the camel respond to the Jinn’s question about working for Man?
Ans: The camel simply said “Humph!” again, showing his laziness and unwillingness to change his behavior.
Q:14 What did the Jinn do after realizing the camel would not answer him properly?
Ans: The Jinn recited some magic words in his mind, preparing to teach the camel a lesson for his idleness.
Q:15 What happened to the camel’s back after the Jinn used his magic?
Ans: The camel’s back puffed up and formed a big hump, which was a magical punishment for being lazy.
Q:16 How did the Jinn explain the purpose of the camel’s hump?
Ans: The Jinn explained that the hump would help the camel work harder and better by allowing him to store food, so he would not need to eat every day.
Q:17 Why was the camel upset when he got his hump?
Ans: The camel was upset because he found it difficult to carry the big hump on his back and did not understand how it would help him.
Q:18 How could the camel use the hump to work without stopping?
Ans: The camel could store food in the hump and work for a week without needing to eat, making him more efficient for Man’s work.
Q:19 How did the Jinn make sure the camel realized his laziness was wrong?
Ans: The Jinn made the camel’s “Humph!” turn into a physical hump, showing the camel a visible consequence of his laziness.
Q:20 What lesson did the camel learn from the Jinn’s magic?
Ans: The camel learned that being idle was wrong and that he had to work for Man, even if it required effort and discipline.
Q:21 What does the word moisten mean in the context of the story?
Ans: “Moisten” means to make slightly wet. The camel chewed cactus stems to moisten his throat.
Q:22 Explain the meaning of the word hump.
Ans: A hump is a round projecting part of a camel’s back that stores fat or food, allowing the camel to survive without eating for several days.
Q:23 What is a yoke, and how is it used by oxen in the story?
Ans: A yoke is a wooden frame used to join oxen at the neck so they can plough land together.
Q:24 What does disturb mean, and how was the camel disturbed?
Ans: “Disturb” means to interrupt or annoy someone. The camel was disturbed by the horse, dog, and ox who tried to make him work.
Q:25 What is the meaning of creature in the story?
Ans: A creature refers to a living being, such as a horse, dog, ox, or camel.
Q:26 Explain the word extra with reference to the animals’ work.
Ans: “Extra” means more than needed. The horse, dog, and ox had to work extra because the camel refused to help.
Q:27 What does recite mean, and how could it relate to the story?
Ans: “Recite” means to say something aloud from memory. The Jinn recited magic words in his mind, which caused the camel’s hump to appear.
Q:28 What does especially mean in the glossary, and how does it apply to the camel?
Ans: “Especially” means particularly or in a special way. The camel’s hump was made especially for him to help him store food.
Q:29 What does store mean, and what did the camel store?
Ans: “Store” means to keep something for future use. The camel could store food in his hump to survive without eating every day.
Q:30 Explain realise in the context of the story.
Ans: “Realise” means to become aware of something. The Jinn realised that the camel would not answer him except with “Humph!”
Answer by Mrinmoee
