By Jyoti Verma
NCERT Class 6 English A Pact with the Sun Book Chapter 6 The Monkey and the Crocodile Summary, Explanation, and Question Answers
The Monkey and the Crocodile – NCERT Class 6 English A Pact With The Sun book Lesson 6 detailed explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words. All the exercises and Question Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered.
Introduction to The Monkey and the Crocodile
This story gives a message that we should not trust anyone blindly. We must think before taking any decision. This message has been conveyed through a friendship drama between a monkey and a crocodile.
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The Monkey and the Crocodile Summary
This is a story of a friendship between a monkey and a crocodile. A monkey lived alone in a fruit-laden tree on a riverbank. He was very happy but used to feel lonely. He wanted to have someone to talk to.
One day, a crocodile came near that tree and the monkey offered him fruit to eat. The crocodile found it delicious and started coming daily. Soon they became very good friends. They both liked each other’s company.
They discussed everything around them like birds, animals, villagers and their problems. Their closeness grew day by day.
The crocodile did not just eat the fruit himself but also carried some fruits for his wife. But his wife didn’t like his friendship with the monkey. She expressed a wish to eat the monkey’s heart.To keep his wife’s words he invited his friend monkey to have dinner with him. While taking the monkey to his home, he told him the truth about his wife’s wish.
Hearing that the monkey asked the crocodile to return back to the river as he had forgotten his heart on the tree. The crocodile swam back and reached the river bank.
Monkey quickly jumped onto the tree and threw some fruits to the crocodile and bid goodbye to the crocodile.
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The Monkey and the Crocodile Explanation
Passage – ONCE, on the bank of a river, a monkey made a home for himself in a tree laden with fruit. He lived in it happily eating to his heart’s content the fruit of his choice. The monkey was happy but lonely and wanted a companion to talk to and share the fruits with. But there was no one around, not even another monkey, till one day a crocodile appeared on the riverside. “Hello, there,” said the monkey. “Do you live in this river? Would you like to eat some fruit?” “Good morning,” replied the crocodile politely. “I did come here in search of food for myself and my wife. Nice of you to offer me fruit.”
Explanation of the above passage – A monkey lived on a tree laden with fruit. He was able to have fruit as per his heart’s desire. He didn’t have any friends to talk to, so he used to feel lonely. One day a crocodile came on the riverside. Monkey asked him if he lived in that river and if he would like some fruit.The crocodile softly wished him good morning and told him that he came there in search of food for himself and his wife.The crocodile also expressed his gratitude for offering him fruit.
Passage – The monkey plucked some from the nearest branch and threw them down. The crocodile found them delicious. “Thanks,” he said. “May I have some on my next visit?” “Certainly, as many as you like and some for your wife too,” said the monkey. “Do come again. I’m rather lonely here. ” The crocodile visited the monkey regularly and ate the fruits which his host threw down. He took some home for his wife. The monkey and the crocodile were now the best of friends. They talked and were never tired of talking. They talked about birds and animals, about the villages nearby and the difficulties villagers faced in raising good crops for lack of rain.
Explanation of the above passage – The monkey plucked and threw some fruit to the crocodile. The crocodile found it very tasty, thanked the monkey for it and asked if he could have fruit on his next visit too.The monkey assured that he could have as much fruit as he wished. He also asked him to visit again.The crocodile started visiting him daily. He used to eat the fruit thrown by the monkey and used to take some home for his wife as well. They both became good friends. They talked endlessly. They talked about birds and animals, about villagers and their challenges in raising good crops because of less rain.
Passage – One day, the crocodile stayed with the monkey longer than usual. His wife was annoyed waiting and waiting for managing the little crocodiles that had just been hatched. She said, “Who is this friend of yours you are so fond of?” “Oh, he is a very nice monkey,” he replied. “He lives on a fruit-tree. He sends fruits for you everyday. You don’t expect me to climb trees, do you?”
Word meaning
Hatched : process of emergence of young baby from an egg
Explanation of the above passage – One day the crocodile got later than usual to be with a monkey than usual. His wife got angry for waiting and managing the little crocodiles all alone. She asked him who was that friend whom he loved so dearly. The crocodile replied that he was a monkey and he lived on a fruit tree. It was he who gave him fruit everyday.
Passage – “A nice monkey, I’m sure,” replied the wife with obvious sarcasm. “If you ask me, this monkey should be my food. I want to eat his heart so much.” “What a foolish thing to say!” shouted the crocodile. “I can’t kill a friend, though I won’t mind a monkey occasionally gh I won’t mind a monkey occasionally for a change of taste.”
Explanation of the above passage – His wife replied sarcastically that the monkey was nice and she wished to make that monkey her food. The crocodile shouted in anger and said that he could not kill a friend. Though for a change of taste, he could have a monkey to eat.
Passage – “You bring him here,” ordered the wife. “I want to see him.” “So you can eat him. Never!” declared her husband.
His wife was furious and she dived in to hide herself at the bottom of the river leaving the little ones to pester their father.
Word meaning
pester : to irritate someone by asking something repeatedly
Explanation of the above passage – His wife asked him to bring the monkey to her. The crocodile refused which angered the wife. She plunged into the river leaving the children to trouble the father.
Passage – The crocodile was in a serious dilemma. He loved his wife and was very fond of his friend too. Finally, he decided to be on the side of his wife. She was his life-partner after all. ‘I know it’s a sin to betray a friend, but I have no choice,’ he said to himself. ‘I’ll invite the monkey home and hope for the best.’
Word meaning
Dilemma: to be or not to be a situation where one has to make a difficult choice
Explanation of the above passage – The crocodile was in a difficult situation as on one side it was his dear wife and on the other side it was his beloved friend. But in the end, the crocodile thought to be on his wife’s side. He thought that she was his life partner. Though it was a sin to cheat a friend, he had no choice and therefore, he decided to invite his friend.
Passage – “My wife wants you over for a meal, dear friend,” said the crocodile when he visited the monkey next. “You must come home with me today.” “With pleasure,” said the monkey. “I’m no swimmer, but can ride on your back.” And they set out.
Explanation of the above passage – The crocodile visited the monkey and invited him home. The monkey accepted his invitation with pleasure and said that he was not a swimmer but he could ride on the crocodile’s back.
Passage – In the middle of the river, where the current was the strongest, the crocodile could no longer hide his intention.
“Sorry, my friend,” he said hesitatingly, “but I have to go underwater now. I’ve brought you here to kill you. My wife cannot survive without eating your heart. Good bye.”
Explanation of the above passage – Both of them started their journey and in the middle of the river, where the flow of the water was very strong, the crocodile could not hide what he had in his mind.So he disclosed to the monkey that he had brought him to kill him and for this he had to go underwater now. His wife was unable to survive without eating the monkey’s heart. So he asked sorry and bid him goodbye.
Passage – The monkey was scared and distressed. But he was sensible and clever like all monkeys. He kept a cool head. Calmly he said, “I’d do anything for you and your family. You are my only friend. After all, what is a monkey’s heart compared with the life of a crocodile’s wife? But how foolish could you be? Why didn’t you tell me before? I’d have brought my heart along.”
Explanation of the above passage – The monkey was disturbed to hear that. He knew that his life was in danger but he kept cool. He was wise. He told the crocodile that he was ready to do anything for his family. After all, what was the value of a monkey’s heart before his wife. But why didn’t the crocodile tell him all that on the tree itself. He would have brought his heart along.
Passage – “But where is your heart?” asked the crocodile innocently.“I thought you carried it all the time.”
“Of course not. It’s there on the tree. Let’s swim back at once and get it. Your wife must be waiting,” replied the monkey gaining confidence.
Explanation of the above passage – The crocodile asked innocently where the monkey’s heart was? In his view, the monkey must be carrying it with him all the time.The monkey refused confidently and replied that it was there on the tree. So, he suggested that they swim back so that he could get it.
Passage – “Oh dear! What a mistake!” hissed the crocodile. They laughed loudly as the crocodile took a full turn to reach the tree.
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Explanation of the above passage – The crocodile murmured over such a foolish mistake and took a turn to go back to the tree. Both of them laughed aloud.
Passage – On the river-bank, the monkey jumped on to the tree and heaved a deep sigh of relief. He plucked a fruit or two from the nearest branch and throwing them down said, “Let your wife have some fruit rather than my heart. Fresh fruits are good for mind and body. Good bye, friend, and if you don’t mind, we won’t meet again.” The crocodile, sadder and wiser, shed a few tears which were genuine and turned back to go home. He was in a hurry to tell his wife a thing or two.
Explanation of the above passage – The monkey jumped on to the tree and felt relieved. He pulled one or two fruits and threw them down. He told the crocodile to give those fruits to his wife rather than his heart as fresh fruits were better for health.He asked him not to meet again and bid him farewell for ever.
Hearing that the crocodile felt sad and went back home shedding tears.
The Monkey and the Crocodile Question Answers
Q1.The monkey was happy living in the fruit tree, but his happiness was not complete. What did he miss?
A. He missed a companion. He wanted to have someone to talk to.
Q2. What did the two friends generally talk about?
A. They talked about birds and animals, villagers and their challenges.
Q3. Why was the crocodile’s wife annoyed with her husband one day?
A. She was annoyed because he got late and she had to manage the little ones all alone. She wanted to know who was so dear to him.
Q4. Why was the crocodile unwilling to invite his friend home?
A. He was unwilling because he knew that his wife would eat the monkey and he didn’t want to cheat him.
Q5. What did the crocodile tell the monkey midstream?
A. The crocodile told his intention of taking him home midstream.He told that his wife wanted his heart to eat.
Q6. How did the monkey save himself?
A. The monkey saved himself very cleverly in a wise manner. He told him that he had forgotten his heart on the tree.
Q7. What does the last sentence of the story suggest? What would the crocodile tell his wife?
A.The last sentence suggests that the crocodile repented losing a good friend. He would tell his wife about his foolishness. He would tell her that it was not a wise decision to pay attention to her words and cheat a friend.
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