How the Camel got its Hump, Class 8 English, Chapter 1 Notes

Class 8 English Chapter 1
How the Camel got its Hump Notes

Summary

When the world was new the animals were just beginning to work for Man. There was a Camel who lived in the middle of a Howling Desert. He did not want to work. He ate sticks and thorns. He said “Humph” ! when anyone spoke to him.

The Horse went to him on Monday morning and asked the Camel to come out and trot. But the Camel said, “Humph”! The horse told the Man about it. The Dog came to him and asked him to work. But the Camel said, “Humph !” The Ox came to him and the Camel said to him too “Humph!”

The Man called the Horse, the Dog and the Ox. He told them about the Camel. To compensate the Camel’s work he asked them to work double-time. The three animals got very angry. They held a panchayat. There came the Djinn of All Deserts.

The Horse complained to the Djinn about the Camel. He told the Djinn that the Camel did not work. He said only “Humph !” The Djinn assured them that he would set the Camel right. The Djinn found the Camel in the desert. He was looking at his reflection in water. The Djinn asked him to work. But the Camel said “Humph ” only. But as soon as he said this, he saw something strange. He saw his beautiful back was puffing up. He was very proud of his back. Now it turned to be very ugly.

The Djinn told the Camel that it was his own hump. He himself had brought it upon him by not working. The Djinn ordered him to work. But the Camel said that he couldn’t work. The hump was a big hurdle. The Djinn told the Camel that the hump had a purpose. The Camel had not done work for three days. He would always be able to work for three days without eating. He could live on his hump. The Djinn asked the Camel to behave properly.

The Camel went away to join the three. From that day the Camel always has a hump. But he has not caught up with his three days. He had missed them at the beginning of the world. He has not yet learned to behave.