Raintree 3 Padmini

 Summary: Padmini

Padmini was a wild elephant who was caught and wounded when bound with

ropes and chains. Amma coaxed her to eat and drink, but the elephant was in

too much pain to respond to Amma’s loving care. She was also frightened after

the painful experience. When Manoj Uncle, the animal vet, saw her, he told

Amma that the elephant had to be put to sleep using a medicine before she

could be treated. Then he stitched up her wounds and bandaged her trunk and

told Amma how to look after her. A few days later, Amma took her little

grandson to an old temple near the forest to feed other animals and birds. They

were happy to see Padmini looking much better. Amma told the elephant to take

care of herself and the little boy gave her plenty of water from a nearby stream

to drink. To him, his visit to the forest with his grandmother to care for the

animals was an unbelievable experience. It taught him to care for animals and

birds.

The story is special in many ways:

1. It teaches children to love and care for animals, showing them how cruel

some people can be to wild animals and how animal vets take care of those that

are wounded.

2. It shows that the love Amma has for the wounded wild elephant is no

different from that which she has for her own grandson. She gives the elephant

a name and talks to it as if it were a child.

3. It describes an on-going relationship between the child and his grandmother

from whom he learns not to fear animals but to take care of them. The story

shows how knowledge and good values are passed over from generation to

generation—from older to younger people.

UNIT 6: PADMINI

Warm Up

f r e e x h u r t

e b c d f e g h i

a n i m a l m k j

r s q p n p a i n

Embedded Questions

● because she was frightened

● scared / afraid

● to see Padmini

● because it is wounded - Manoj Uncle treated her and tied bandages around her trunk

● Yes

● The way the elephant is wounded, the way it heals, the way Amma takes care of it, the way the

speaker makes friends with it are all too magical to be true—just like a dream.

Comprehension

A. 1. Padmini was caught and held in ropes and chains. She hurt herself when she tried to break free.

The wounds gave her a lot of pain.

2. Padmini was weak because she could not eat or drink anything properly.

3. Amma had tears in her eyes because she thought Manoj Uncle was going to shoot down

Padmini.

4. We must never show animals that we are afraid because it makes them feel that we might harm

them.

B. 1. Manoj Uncle first saw Padmini and her wounds carefully. He observed that the wounds were deep.

He had to stitch them up. For this, he first used a gun with bullets that would help Padmini sleep.

Once Padmini was asleep, Manoj Uncle carefully stitched the wounds on her trunk. He then told

Amma how to look after Padmini.

2. Amma said these words to Manoj Uncle. She was talking about Padmini. After the hunters hurt

Padmini, she was still afraid.

3. Manoj Uncle had to first control Padmini and then stitch her wounds. Managing a large animal

like an elephant can be very tiring. Even if he was tired, Manoj Uncle was happy because he knew

Padmini would be alright soon.

4. Amma said these words to Padmini. She was not really angry with her. She gently scolded her out

of love for her. She wanted her to get better soon.

C. a. Amma wants to take care of the elephant.

b. “She cannot eat or drink properly and so she is weak.”

c. Amma looked at it (the gun) and had tears in her eyes.

d. “We must never show animals that we are afraid,”

e. She gave them (birds and animals) some food she had brought with her.

f. “How are you feeling, my child?” she asked softly.

g. “Remember what I told you. Don’t take off your bandages.”

D. Suggested answers (Accept any logical answer)

b. Give her own goldfish away to the shop because she was not interested in it anymore. If we have

pets, we must take good care of them. We must give them away if we are unable to take care of

them.

Grammar

A. 2. past 3. present 4. present 5. past

B. 1. went 2. screams 3. loves 4. told 5. are

C. 2. main verb: jumped 3. main verb: building; helping verb: is

4. main verb: painting; helping verb: is 5. main verb: playing; helping verb: were

D. 2. am 3. are 4. is 5. was

Vocabulary

2. afternoon 3. popcorn 4. storybook 5. supermarket 6. fireworks

Writing

16 March, 2017

 Manoj saw Padmini today. After he saw her, Manoj took out a gun! I felt very frightened. I thought

he was going to shoot Padmini. There were tears in my eyes. Then Manoj told me that he can stitch

Padmini’s wounds only when she is asleep. He said the gun has bullets that will make Padmini sleep

for a few hours. When he said that, I felt a little silly about that.

Manoj then gently stitched Padmini’s wounds. He looked tired but happy.

I hope she gets better soon.

Listening

Listening Text:

(Phone rings)

Jiya: Hello?

Lady: Hello, this is Deepa. May I speak with Bindu?

Jiya: Good afternoon Aunty, I’m Jiya. I’m sorry Ma is in the bathroom. Can I take a message?

Deepa: Thank you Jiya. Can you please tell your mother that I will be fifteen minutes late? Can you

also tell her that my phone is not working?

Jiya: Sure Aunty. I will tell her that you will be fifteen minutes late and your phone is not working.

Deepa: That’s right Jiya. Thank you very much. Bye.

Jiya: Bye

Answer: 1. Not True 2. True 3. Not True 4. Not True 5. True

Spelling

1. dolphin 2. elephant 3. telephone 4. cough 5. photograph

PADMINI

A. Answer in brief.

1. What was wrong with Padmini?

 Ans: Padmini was wounded with many cuts on her trunk. She could not eat or drink and

appeared very frightened.

2. Why did Manoj take out the gun?

 Ans: Manoj took out the gun to make Padmini sleep for a few hours. He had to do it so that he

could attend to Padmini’s wounds.

3. Was Padmini an obedient elephant? Explain.

 Ans: Yes, just as Amma had instructed her, Padmini never took off the bandages. This tells us that

she was an obedient elephant.

B. Answer in detail.

1. How did Padmini get injured and how did she feel after that?

 Ans: Padmini was caught and held in ropes and chains, while the rest of the herd escaped. She

was able to free herself with great difficulty. The wounds were giving her a lot of pain. She could

not eat or drink properly and so was weak and too frightened to eat or drink.

2. What happened when Padmini came up to Amma in the forest?

 Ans: Padmini, with bandages around her trunk, came up to Amma. Amma patted her trunk gently.

Amma asked her how she was feeling and held out two bananas, telling her not to take off her

bandages. Then they all walked to the water’s edge. Padmini knelt down and the boy poured

many buckets of water into her mouth.

C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

1. “Amma, tell me what happened to the elephant.”

 a. Who asked this and to whom?

 b. Why did he ask this question?

 c. What did he tell Amma after seeing the elephant?

 Ans: a. Manoj uncle asked Amma this.

 b. Manoj had come there to treat the elephant and wanted to know what had happened.

 c. He said that the elephant’s trunk was cut in many places and the wounds were deep.

2. “How are you feeling, my child?” she asked softly. She held out two bananas. “Remember what I told

you. Don’t take off your bandages.”

 a. Who is the child here and who called her a child?

 b. What did she give her?

 c. What did she tell her?

 Ans: a. The child here is Padmini, the wounded elephant.

 b. She gave her two bananas.

 c. She told her not to take off her bandages.