Question 1:
What tasks, do you think, were assigned to the dog and the ox?
Answer:
The dog was asked to fetch and carry things and the ox was assigned the task of ploughing the land.
Question 2:
Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?
Answer:
The camel lived in the middle of the desert because he did not want to work. He ate sticks, thorns and prickles.
Question 3:
What made the dog, the horse and the ox very angry?
Answer:
The dog, the horse and the ox had to do extra work while the camel did not work. This made them very angry.
Question 4:
How did the Djinn know that horse was complaining against the camel?
Answer:
The Djinn came to know that the horse was complaining against the camel by the way the horse described the camel. The horse said that there was a thing in the middle of the desert with a long neck and long legs.
Question 5:
The camel was looking at his own reflection in the pool. What does it suggest to you about the camel?
Answer:
The camel was in love with himself. He admired himself from every angle by looking at his reflection. It is called ‘self-fascination’. He was selfish and could not think beyond himself.
Question 5:
The camel said ‘Humph’ repeatedly. How did it affect him?
Answer:
In the beginning by saying ‘Humph’, the camel was able to avoid work. But later he was punished for the same. He got a ‘hump’ on his back and he had to work as well.
Question 6:
What, according to the Djinn, was the use of the hump?
Answer:
The hump of the camel had a purpose that was to use the fat stored within it as nourishment during scarcity of food. In this manner, the camel could go without food for three days.
Question 7:
“...he has never yet learnt to behave.” In the light of this, what is the writer’s opinion about the camel?
Answer:
The writer feels that the camel has a high opinion of himself. He does not understand that everybody has to do his /her share of work. Nobody can afford to sit idle. The camel was punished for his irrational behaviour but it seems that he still has not learnt his lesson properly as a camel is, even now, considered a lazy animal.
Question 7:
Can this story be factually true?
Answer:
No, this story can’t be factually true. I don’t believe that there is a Djinn in charge of all deserts.
Question 8:
What, according to you, is the story about?
Consider the following:
(i) How the world began.
(ii) Why everyone should do his/her share of work seriously.
(iii) How animals are important to humans.
(iv) How the camel got his hump
Answer:
The story is about how everyone should do his/her share of work seriously.
Question 9:
What did you do over the weekend? Were you generally active or idle? Please check your back before starting to discuss or answer the question.
Answer:
I was very active during the last weekend. I arranged my cupboard; mowed the lawn; helped father washing the car, etc. In fact, I can’t sit idle. So, there is no question of getting a hump on my back. (Answer may vary from person to person.)
Question 10:
There are broadly two categories of workers–those who prefer to do today, what they can do tomorrow, and those who prefer to do tomorrow, what they can do today. Where do you belong?
Answer:
I belong to the category of workers who prefer to do today what they can do tomorrow. The work detained is detained for ever.