Chapter 5: The Old Stag
Chapter Introduction
“The Old Stag” is a thoughtful and meaningful story adapted from The Panchatantra. It tells us about an old stag who lived in a lush green forest and was loved by all the animals for his kindness. Every day, he greeted his friends warmly and lived peacefully on a small hillock covered with tender grass.
One day, when the stag fell ill, his friends came to visit him. However, their greed caused them to eat the fresh grass meant for him. Slowly, they realised their mistake and learnt an important lesson about sharing and using nature wisely. The story teaches us that nature has enough for everyone, but we must not be greedy.
Detailed Notes (Explanation)
In a beautiful lush forest, there lived an old stag. He was kind and friendly. Every day, he greeted the animals and birds warmly. All the animals loved him because he was gentle and caring.
The stag lived on a small hillock covered with soft, green, tender grass. Even though the forest had plenty of food, he preferred staying there peacefully.
One day, the stag fell ill. He became weak and could not go down the hill to meet his friends. His friends were worried and came to visit him. They wished him a speedy recovery.
However, before going back, they ate the fresh green grass growing on the hillock. They found it very juicy and tasty. Soon, more animals came to visit the stag, and they too ate the tender grass.
After some days, very little grass was left for the old stag. Because of this, he became weaker. The animals then realised that their greed had harmed their friend. They felt ashamed of their behaviour.
The animals decided to find food elsewhere and not disturb the hillock. Some of them even brought fresh leaves for the stag. It rained well that week, and the grass grew back again. Slowly, the old stag recovered.
At the end, the animals learnt an important lesson:
“Nature has enough for everybody, but we must use its resources wisely.”
Message of the Story:
Greed can harm others.
We must care for our friends.
Nature provides enough for everyone.
We should use natural resources wisely.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Lush | Green and full of life |
| Stag | A male deer |
| Hillock | A small hill |
| Tender | Soft and young |
| Recovery | Becoming healthy again |
| Shaded | Covered from sunlight |
Question & Answers
1. Why was the old stag popular in the forest?
The old stag was popular because he was kind, friendly, and greeted all the animals warmly every day.2. Where did the old stag live?
The old stag lived on a small hillock covered with soft, green, tender grass.3. Why did the stag not go down the hillock one day?
He did not go down because he had fallen ill and was too weak to meet his friends.4. What did the animals do when they visited the stag?
When they visited the stag, they ate the tender green grass growing on the hillock.5. Why did the green cover of the hillock slowly vanish?
The green cover vanished because many animals kept eating the tender grass.6. How did the stag become weaker?
The stag became weaker because there was not enough grass left for him to eat and recover.7. Did the animals realise their mistake?
Yes, the animals realised that their greed had harmed their friend.8. What did the animals do after realising their mistake?
They decided to find food elsewhere and some even brought fresh leaves for the stag.9. How did the stag finally recover?
It rained that week, the grass grew back, and the stag slowly regained his strength.10. What important lesson did the animals learn?
They learnt that nature has enough for everyone, but we must use its resources wisely.11. What quality of the stag made everyone love him?
His kindness and friendly nature made everyone love him.12. Why did the animals feel ashamed?
They felt ashamed because their greed had caused harm to their sick friend.13. What would have happened if the animals had not realised their mistake?
If they had not realised their mistake, the stag might have become even weaker and not recovered.14. How can we apply this lesson in real life?
We should not waste food or natural resources and must think about others before taking more than we need.15. What does the story teach us about greed?
The story teaches us that greed can hurt others and we should always be thoughtful and fair.