This is Jody’s Fawn, Class 8 English, Chapter 6 Notes

Class 8 English Chapter 6 This is Jody’s Fawn Notes

Summary 

Jody’s father Penny was bitten by a rattle-snake. He quickly killed a doe. Then he used the doe’s heart and liver to draw out the poison. Jody saw that the doe’s baby, a little fawn was left alone. The thought of fawn kept on haunting Jody’s mind. He quietly went to his father’s bed-side. He asked him how he was feeling. Then he asked him to think about the fawn. He asked him to permit him to bring the fawn home. Jody wanted to raise him.

At first Penny was in a dilemma. Jody argued that raising the fawn would not be a burden. Fawn could drink Jody’s milk until he started eating leaves and acorns. Jody also said that his family was responsible for the fawn’s plight. Penny agreed that it would be ungrateful to leave the fawn to starve. So he gave Jody his permission. He asked him to tell his mother about it before going to bring the fawn in. Jody came to the table and sat down very quietly. The mother was pouring coffee in the Cups. She was taken aback when Jody talked of bringing the fawn home. Seeing the mother reluctant, Jody told what his father had said. He said that Penny had said it would be ungrateful to leave the fawn to starve.

Before the mother could say anything, Dr. Wilson spoke. He told Jody’s mother that nothing in the world comes quite free. He meant that they must pay some price for having taken the life of doe. Here the price was to raise the fawn. Mill-wheel chipped in. He offered to take Jody on his horse to the forest. The mother felt helpless. She only told Jody that he could give the fawn his milk. She would not give him anything else to feed the fawn. Mill-wheel mounted his horse. He sat Jody behind him on the horse. Jody assured his mother Ma Baxter that he would be back before dinner. Now Mill-wheel asked Jody how he knew that the fawn was male. Jody said that the spots on the fawn were all in a line. This indicated that the fawn was male.

Once in the forest, Jody wanted Mill-wheel to go back. He wanted to be alone with the fawn. There were two reasons. First, it was possible that Jody might not get the fawn. For the fawn might have died or be not found. In that case, he would not like Mill-wheel to see his disappointment. Secondly, if he met the fawn, the meeting would be very lovely and secret. He would not like to share it with any one else. So Jody asked Mill-wheel to go. He said that the scrub was too thick for the horse to get  through. Mill-wheel was however afraid to leave Jody alone. He said that Jody could be lost in the forest or bitten by the snake. Jody however said Mill-wheel didn’t have to worry. He would be careful. So Mill-wheel went back.

After a while Jody came to the carcass of the doe. The fawn was not found nearby. He tried to look for the small hoof prints, but in vain. Then there was some movement directly in front of him. Jody was overjoyed to see his fawn. It was shaky but it didn’t try to rise or run. Jody laid his hand on the fawn’s soft neck. He was very happy to feel it. Jody lifted the swan from the grass very softly. He feared that the sight of its mother’s carcass might agitate the swan. So he avoided the clearing and went through the bushes. It was a difficult walk. He was carrying the fawn in his arms.

It was a long walk. He reached the trail. Then he came to the road that could take him home. Now he stopped to rest. He put the fawn down. It bleated and looked at Jody. Jody was charmed. “I will carry you after I get my breath”, he said. His father had told him that a fawn would follow if it had first been carried. So he started slowly. The fawn didn’t move. So he came back to pick him. He went ahead carrying the fawn in his arms. He could not go very far. He was too tired. This time, however, the fawn followed him as he walked on. He allowed it to walk a little. Then he picked it up again. He reached at the gate of his home carrying the fawn.

At the gate Jody had an idea. He would walk into his father’s room with the fawn after him, But at the steps, the fawn would not come up. So Jody reached his father’s bed with the fawn on him. Jody showed his father the fawn. The father was glad that Jody had found what he wanted. Jody offered the milk to the fawn. The milk was in the gourd. The fawn could not drink it. Then Jody dipped his fingers in the milk and thrust them into the fawn’s soft mouth. The fawn drank the milk greedily. Then he lowered – his fingers into the gourd. The fawn drank from the gourd now.

Word Meanings