The Bear Story | Lets Read - VII | Summary | Questions and Answers

 

JANDKNCERT - Free NCERT Solutions

English | Let’s Read VII
(Supplementary Reader in English for Class VII)

 

‘Let’s Read’ is another English Book for Class 7th. It is a supplementary reader in English for this class. JANDKNCERT.COM – will try to provide easy solutions for each and every lesson of this book. In the library of JANDKNCERT, you will find almost all kinds of study material including recently introduced English for JK UT students, that is, Let’s Read VII, and Melody VII ‘Honeycomb’ version of ncert. Some chapters in this series have already been added to Tulip Series of Class 7th and you can check these chapters by clicking this link https://www.jandkncert.com/p/free-ncert-solutions-for-class-7th_43.html. Here we will try to provide you easy solutions for the lesson ‘The Bear Story’.

You can also visit here to check the solutions of English 7th – Melody VII

Summary | Questions | Answers |

Lesson 5. The Bear Story (Axel Munthe)

Short Summary

"The Bear Story" by Axel Munthe is a heartwarming tale about a gentle bear raised by a kind woman in the countryside. The bear, although large and strong, is friendly and well-behaved, living harmoniously with the woman and her other animals. He enjoys the freedom of roaming the woods but always returns home by evening. One day, when the woman has guests, she ties the bear to a chain to ensure everyone's safety. The bear, misunderstanding the situation, escapes to the forest but later returns, proving his loyalty and gentle nature. The story highlight’s themes of kindness, trust, and the bond between humans and animals.

 

Exercise

Answer the following questions.

Question 1. Where did the lady find the bear cub? How did she bring it up?

Answer: The lady found the bear cub in the forest, half dead of the hunger, so small and helpless that it had to be brought up on the bottle by the lad and the old cook.

Question 2. The bear grew up but “he was a most amiable bear”. Give three examples to prove this.

Answer: The bear was amiable because he never harmed any of the other animals, including the sheep and cows. He played gently with the children of the household, never showing any signs of aggression. Additionally, even when he was tied up during the lady's guests' visit, he remained calm and didn't react violently, demonstrating his gentle and friendly nature.

Question 3. What did the bear eat? There were two things he was not allowed to do. What were they?

Answer: The bear ate a simple diet consisting of bread, porridge, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips. He was not allowed to climb trees and was also forbidden from entering the house.

Question 4. When was the bear tied up with a chain? Why?

Answer: The bear was tied up with a chain on Sundays when the lady visited her sister. She tied him up to prevent him from following her to church and potentially causing trouble or frightening people.

Question 5. What happened one Sunday when the lady was going to her sister’s house? What did the lady do? What was the bear’s reaction?

Answer: One Sunday, as the lady was heading to her sister's house, the bear broke free from his chain and followed her. The lady, upset and worried that he would scare people, scolded him and drove him back home using her parasol. The bear, though he initially hesitated, obediently returned home, displaying his usual gentle and compliant nature despite his evident confusion and hurt feelings.

Question 6. Why was the bear looking sorry for himself in the evening? Why did the cook get angry with her mistress?

Answer: The bear looked sorry for himself in the evening because he had been scolded and driven back home by the lady when he had only wanted to follow her out of affection. The cook got angry with her mistress because she revealed that the bear had been peacefully at home the entire day, implying that the lady had mistakenly scolded and chased away a different bear.

 

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. Most people keep dogs and cats as pets. Can you think of some unusual pets that people keep?

Answer: Yes, some unusual pets people keep include ferrets, which are playful and curious, sugar gliders, small marsupials that glide through the air, and pygmy goats, friendly miniature goats suitable for backyards. Additionally, tarantulas, exotic birds, and axolotls, aquatic salamanders with regenerative abilities, are also popular unconventional choices.

2. The second bear did not attack the lady because he was afraid of her. Do you agree?

Answer: No, I do not agree. The second bear did not attack the lady because he was not aggressive by nature and likely confused by the lady’s actions. This bear, possibly wild, was unexpectedly gentle, mirroring the behaviour of the lady's own tame bear, thus not posing a threat despite the misunderstanding.