Std 6 English · Unit Four

4.1 The Song of the Mischievous Dog

Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six English.

About the poem

This funny poem is told by a naughty dog. People say many silly things about animals, but the dog does not care. He loves bones, chasing rabbits and stones, and biting a plump calf. He cheerfully admits his mischief and hopes we will not think him too vicious.

Key points

Form: a humorous rhyming poem, spoken by the dog himself.
Theme: the playful mischief of a pet dog.
The dog loves bones and likes to chase rabbits and stones.
His greatest delight is to take a bite at a plump calf.
Figures of speech: simile (“as rare as a donkey that’s red”) and repetition (“There are…”).
Message: pets have their own nature; we should accept a little mischief with humour.

Words to remember

mischievous – naughty in a playful way
cherish – to hold something dear
plump – fat and round
vicious – cruel; fierce
bliss – great happiness

2State whether the following statements are true or false.

(i) The dog loves bones and enjoys playing. — True
(ii) The dog dislikes to chase rabbits and stones for fun. — False (He loves to chase them.)
(iii) The dog enjoys taking a bite at a plump calf. — True
(iv) The dog hopes people won’t think he is too vicious. — True
(v) The dog never does anything wrong and is always gentle. — False (He bites a calf.)

3Find the words that describe the actions of the dog.

cherish — “I cherish a passion for bones”
risk — “I’m willing to risk it” (the biscuit)
chase — “love to chase rabbits and stones”
take a good bite — “to take a good bite at a calf”
indulge — “if I indulge in a bite at a bulge”
have moments of bliss — “I have moments of bliss”

4Write the rhyming pairs and construct humorous sentences using them.

say – day: They say every dog has his day, but ours sleeps through all of them!
think – pink: I think our puppy turned pink after sitting in the paint tin.
course – horse: Of course our dog can ride a horse — in his dreams.
bones – stones: He buried his bones so well that now he digs up only stones.
bite – delight: His only delight is one more bite of the neighbour’s lunch.
indulge – bulge: He indulges in too many treats — look at that bulge on his tummy!

5Choose the correct rhyme scheme of the poem.

(ii) abcb

Why: In each stanza, the second and fourth lines rhyme (bones – stones, delicious – vicious). The first and third lines do not rhyme with them.

6Find the figures of speech ‘Simile’ and ‘Repetition’ from the poem.

Simile (comparison using as or like):

“Is as rare as a donkey that’s red” — something rare is compared to a red donkey.

Repetition:

“There are many who say…” / “There are others who think…” / “There are fewer, of course…” — the words There are are repeated.
“a good bite at a calf … a bite at a bulge” — the word bite is repeated.

7Answer the following.

(i) What mischievous activities did the dog do?
The dog loves bones. He risks eating a biscuit. He chases rabbits and stones. His greatest delight is to take a good bite at a plump calf.

(ii) Justify the naughtiness of the dog.
The dog chases rabbits and stones for no reason. He bites a harmless calf only because it looks plump and delicious. He knows this is wrong, but he does not say sorry. He only hopes we will not think him too vicious. This shows that he is naughty.

(iii) What does the poet tell us about pets through this poem?
The poet tells us that pets have their own likes and dislikes. They enjoy small pleasures in life. A little mischief is part of their nature. We should accept it with love and humour.

8‘Are mischievous pets better than well-behaved ones?’ Collect views from different people around you and conclude with your opinion.

This is a survey activity. Students should collect views from people around them and write their own conclusion.

Views students may hear: Mischievous pets — lively, playful and fun. Well-behaved pets — safe with small children, easy to keep and do not damage things.

9Write Do’s and Don’ts about behaving with stray animals.

Sr. No.	Do’s	Don’ts
1.	Provide drinking water and food. (given)	Don’t hit or physically harm. (given)
2.	Keep a bowl of clean water outside in summer.	Don’t throw stones at them or chase them.
3.	Inform an animal welfare group if an animal is hurt.	Don’t tease or frighten them.
4.	Approach them slowly and gently.	Don’t disturb them while eating or sleeping.
5.	Wash your hands after touching them.	Don’t feed them spoiled or spicy food.

10Create your own joke.

Teacher: Why are you late again?
Student: Because of the sign on the road, Sir.
Teacher: Which sign?
Student: The one that says, “School Ahead — Go Slow.”

Customer: Do you have books on turtles?
Librarian: Hardback?
Customer: Yes, with little heads and four legs.

Students should also write one joke of their own.

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