NCERT Book Class 8 English How the Camel got his hump

How the Camel got his hump

IN the beginning, when the world was new and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work. He ate sticks and thorns and prickles, and when anybody spoke to him he said “Humph!” Just “Humph!” and no more. Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and said, “Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.” “Humph!” said the Camel, and the Horse went away and told the Man.Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.” “Humph!” said the Camel, and the Dog went away and told the Man. Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.” “Humph!” said the Camel, and the Ox went away and told the Man.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, “Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you; but that Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it.”

That made the Three very angry, and they held a panchayat onthe edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing cud and laughed at them. Then he said “Humph!” and went away again. Presently there came along the Djinn who was in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust “Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for anyone to be idle?”

“Certainly not,” said the Djinn. “Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle of your Desert with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won’t trot.” “Whew!” said the Djinn whistling, “that’s my Camel. What does he say about it?”

“He says ‘Humph!’, and he won’t plough,” said the Ox. “Very good,” said the Djinn. “I’ll humph him if you will kindly wait a minute.”

Comprehension Check

1. What tasks, do you think, were assigned to the dog and the ox?

2. Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?

3. What made the dog, the horse and the ox very angry?

4. How did the Djinn know the horse was complaining against the camel?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 8 English How the Camel got his hump