The Raven and the Fox – Class 6 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “The Raven and the Fox,” Class 6 English NCERT. This fable teaches children important life lessons about not falling for flattery and staying humble. Through the clever fox and the proud raven’s story, students learn that excessive pride can lead to foolish decisions. The story also emphasizes the importance of being careful of people who praise too much with hidden motives.

Summary of the Poem

The poem “The Raven and the Fox” tells the story of a raven who has a piece of food in his beak while sitting on a tree branch. A cunning fox named Reynard spots the food and wants it. He flatters the raven by praising his looks and feathers, suggesting he could be the king of birds if he could sing. The proud raven, forgetting his voice is just a croak, opens his beak to sing. The food falls down, which the fox grabs, teaching the raven a lesson about pride and flattery.

कविता का सारांश: “द रेवन एंड द फॉक्स” एक कौवे की कहानी है जो एक पेड़ की डाली पर बैठा है और उसकी चोंच में एक खाने का टुकड़ा है। एक चालाक लोमड़ी रेनार्ड खाने को देखकर उसे पाना चाहता है। वह कौवे की सुंदरता और पंखों की प्रशंसा करके उसकी चापलूसी करता है, यह सुझाव देते हुए कि अगर वह गा सकता है तो पक्षियों का राजा बन सकता है। घमंडी कौवा यह भूल जाता है कि उसकी आवाज सिर्फ एक कर्कश आवाज है और गाने के लिए चोंच खोलता है। खाना नीचे गिर जाता है, जिसे लोमड़ी उठा लेती है, और कौवे को घमंड और चापलूसी का सबक सिखाती है।

Word Meanings

Let us do these activities before we read

1. We know that frogs croak. Did you know that ravens also croak?

Yes, ravens make a distinctive croaking sound. Their voice is deep and harsh, often described as “croak” or “caw.” This croaking sound is one of their main characteristics and plays an important role in this story.

2. Which animal is shown to be cunning in stories? Circle the correct answer.

The correct answer is (b) fox. In most fables and folk tales, the fox is portrayed as a cunning and clever animal who uses its wit to achieve its goals. This story also shows the fox’s craftiness in getting what it wants through clever tactics.

Let us discuss

1. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct option.

a) Stanza 1

• (i) Mr Raven is a bird
• (ii) The name of the fox is Reynard
• (iii) Mr Raven had a piece of food in his beak

b) Stanza 2

• (i) The Fox calls the Raven a good-looking bird
• (ii) The Fox asks the Raven to sing
• (iii) The Raven and the Fox live in the woods

c) Stanza 3

• (i) The Raven forgot that he croaked
• (ii) The Raven opened its beak to sing
• (iii) The food fell down

d) Stanza 4

• (i) The Fox laughed at the Raven
• (ii) It is not wise to be too proud of oneself
• (iii) The Raven learnt a teaching

2. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B

1. perched – (d) sat on a branch
2. morsel – (a) a small piece of food
3. seek – (e) to look for something
4. pride – (c) feeling that you are better than others
5. eyed – (b) looked with interest at something
6. limb – (g) branch of a tree
7. woods – (f) a smaller area of forest with similar kind of trees

Let us think and reflect

2. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow

(a) “Sir Raven, you are a handsome bird.
Such feathers! If you would only sing,
The birds of these woods would call you King.”

(i) ‘Such feathers’ refer to shiny and beautiful feathers.

(ii) The birds of the woods would call the Raven ‘King’ because the fox cleverly suggests that the Raven’s singing voice would be as beautiful as his appearance. This is flattery used by the fox to trick the Raven.

(iii) The Fox addresses the Raven as ‘Sir’ to show fake respect and make his flattery more convincing. It’s part of his cunning plan to make the Raven feel important and proud.

(b) “The Raven, who did not see the joke,
Forgot that his voice was just a croak.
He opened his beak, in his foolish pride–”

(i) The Raven opened his beak because he became proud of his supposed singing ability and wanted to prove that he could sing beautifully, just as the fox suggested.

(ii) Fox : clever : : Raven : foolish

3. Why does the Raven forget that his voice is just a croak?

The Raven forgets that his voice is just a croak because he becomes overwhelmed by the fox’s flattery. The excessive praise about his appearance and potential singing ability makes him so proud that he forgets his own limitations.

4. How does Reynard make the Raven sing?

Reynard makes the Raven sing through clever flattery. He first praises the Raven’s appearance, calling him handsome and admiring his feathers. Then, he suggests that if the Raven could sing, he would be considered the king of all birds. This manipulation appeals to the Raven’s pride and makes him want to show off his voice.

5. Why does Reynard say that pride is not wise?

Reynard says that pride is not wise because it can make someone act foolishly, just as the Raven did. When someone becomes too proud, they might forget their limitations and make poor decisions. In this case, the Raven’s pride made him forget that his voice was just a croak, leading him to lose his food.

6. Give one reason why the teaching is quite a surprise.

The teaching is quite a surprise because it comes from the fox who just tricked the Raven. It’s ironic that the deceiver becomes the teacher, giving a moral lesson to his victim about the dangers of pride and falling for flattery.

7. Imagine someone praises you too much. How would you react?

If someone praises me too much, I would: – Thank them politely but remain humble – Be careful and think about why they are praising so much – Remember this story and not let the praise affect my judgment – Stay true to my abilities and limitations – Not do anything foolish just to prove myself

Let us learn

1. Write the rhyming words from the poem.

Stanza 1: – limb – him – beak – seek

Stanza 2: – word – bird – sing – King

Stanza 3: – joke – croak – pride – eyed

Stanza 4: – know – glow – wise – surprise

2. Study the underlined words in the poem

Example of alliteration from Stanza 2: “sweet song” – Both words begin with the ‘s’ sound.

3. Choose the correct opposites from the box and complete the table

Sentences using words from the table:

1. The wise old owl gave good advice to all the forest animals.
2. She remembered to bring her lunch box to school today.
3. The stars glow brightly in the night sky.
4. We should never ignore our parents’ advice.

Let us speak

Here’s a story version with a different ending:

This is a story about a clever fox named Reynard and Mr Raven. One day, Mr Raven was sitting on a tree branch with a delicious piece of food in his beak. Reynard the fox spotted him and wanted the food. He decided to use flattery to get it.

Reynard praised Raven’s beautiful feathers and suggested that he must have a wonderful singing voice. The proud Raven, wanting to show off, opened his beak to sing. However, just before the food could fall, a wise old owl swooped in and caught it. The owl then shared the food between Raven and himself, teaching both Raven and Reynard a lesson about greed and pride.

Let us write

Conversation between Reynard and Mr Raven:

Reynard: Good morning, Mr Raven! You seem to be awake so early!
(Mr Raven nods his head while holding the food carefully)

Reynard: Oh, Mr Raven, you look absolutely magnificent today! Those feathers of yours are gleaming in the sunlight.
(Mr Raven puffs up his chest proudly)

Reynard: I bet you have the most beautiful voice in these woods. Won’t you sing a song for me?
(Mr Raven looks hesitant but pleased)

Reynard: Just one song? All the birds would surely make you their king!
(Mr Raven opens his beak to sing, dropping the food)

Reynard: (catching the food) Ha! Pride goes before a fall, my friend. Thank you for breakfast!
(Mr Raven hangs his head in shame)

Reynard: Remember, never let flattery get to your head!
(Mr Raven nods sadly, learning his lesson)

Let us listen

Mark these statements as True or False:

Note: Since the transcript on page 37 is not available in the given text, I will provide likely answers based on the story’s context:

(a) The crow was unhappy that he lost his food – True
(The Raven would naturally be unhappy about losing his food through his own foolishness)

(b) The crow thought that his lovely feathers made him smart – False
(The Raven’s pride in his feathers actually made him act foolishly)

(c) The crow wanted to tell his friends not to be proud – True
(After learning his lesson, the Raven would likely want to warn others about the dangers of pride)

Let us explore

Making stick puppets and enacting the poem:

To create and use the stick puppets:

1. For the Fox puppet:
   • Follow the step-by-step origami folding instructions shown in the green panels
   • Add eyes, nose, and ears as shown
   • Attach to a stick for handling
2. For the Raven puppet:
   • Cut out the black paper pieces as shown
   • Assemble them to create the raven shape
   • Add eyes and beak
   • Attach to a stick for handling
3. Use these puppets to act out the story, moving them according to the poem’s narrative
4. You can add voice effects – a smooth voice for the fox and croaking sounds for the raven