NCERT Class 4 English Santoor Chapter 05 The Old Stag PDF Download

Chapter 5: The Old Stag

Let us Read

In a lush forest lived an old stag who was known for his kindness. Each day, he warmly greeted his fellow animals and birds. Though the forest offered plenty of food, the stag preferred staying on a small hillock with tender grass. The hillock was covered in soft, green grass, which the old stag enjoyed. Every day, he would come down to meet his friends, and all the animals and birds loved him.

One day, the stag fell ill. He struggled to reach the hillock. The stag knew that fresh, healthy food and proper rest would help him to get well soon, so he ate the tender grass and decided to rest for a while.

The old stag could not go down the hillock to greet his friends. His friends were worried. When they learnt that the stag was unwell, they came to check on him.

"Dear stag! How are you?" asked a deer.

"Too weak to come down and meet you all," replied the stag.

"Get well soon, dear stag!" said the deer.

The animals wished him a speedy recovery and left. However, before they went back into the forest, the animals ate the fresh green grass growing on the hillock.

"The grass is so tender and nice," said an elephant.

"I have never eaten such juicy green leaves," said a giraffe.

Word soon spread about the tender green grass. Soon, all the animals who came to visit the stag feasted on the tender grass. Anyone who came to visit the stag would also eat the grass.

Soon, there was not much grass left for the old stag to eat. He started becoming weaker as days passed. His friends felt ashamed. They realised how their greed had made them forget about their friend, the old stag.

They understood that not much grass was left for the stag to eat and recover. The animals decided to find food elsewhere in the

Teacher's Note

Notice how the animals' attitude toward the stag changes during the story. At first they care about him and wish him well, but then they forget about his need when they discover the tasty grass. Think about what made them change their behavior - was it carelessness, or did they simply not think about the consequences of their actions? This is why it is important to consider how our actions affect others, even when we are focused on something we want.

Key Points

• The old stag was kind and loved by all the animals in the forest, who would visit him regularly.
• When the stag fell ill, he needed the tender grass on his hillock to recover, but his visiting friends began eating it instead.
• The animals' greed and thoughtlessness caused them to forget about their sick friend's needs, making him weaker each day.
• When the animals realized what their behavior had done, they felt ashamed and decided to help by finding food elsewhere.

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