Std 8 English chapters › Unit 1 · Question Answers ↓ · Take the lesson test ↓
In short: A runaway slave pulls a thorn out of a lion's paw in the forest; later, when he is thrown to the same lion in an arena, the lion recognises him, and both are set free.
(पळून गेलेला एक गुलाम जंगलात सिंहाच्या पंजातील काटा काढतो; पुढे त्याला शिक्षा म्हणून त्याच सिंहापुढे टाकले जाते, तेव्हा सिंह त्याला ओळखतो आणि दोघांनाही मुक्त केले जाते.)
- Type: Story
- Characters: Androcles (a slave), a lion, the emperor
- Unit: 1
Summary in English
Androcles was a kind, gentle slave whose cruel master starved and whipped his slaves. At the first chance, he ran away and lived in a forest, happy to be free. One day he met a lion that did not attack him but looked at him in pain. Androcles bravely went near and found a big thorn in its swollen paw.
He pulled out the thorn and bandaged the paw with a piece of his clothing. The lion licked his arm in gratitude. Androcles cared for the lion until it could walk, and they became friends. But soldiers searching for the runaway slave caught both of them. Androcles was put in prison and the lion in a cage.
Running away was a serious crime, so Androcles was thrown to a hungry lion in the arena before the emperor. The lion rushed at him, then stopped, recognised its friend and rubbed its nose against him. Amazed, the emperor heard the story, set Androcles free, and at Androcles' request freed the lion too. The two friends returned to the forest.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
अँड्रोक्लिस हा दयाळू, सौम्य गुलाम होता; त्याचा क्रूर मालक गुलामांना उपाशी ठेवून चाबकाने मारत असे. संधी मिळताच तो पळून जंगलात राहू लागला आणि स्वतंत्र असल्याने आनंदी होता. एके दिवशी त्याला एक सिंह दिसला, जो हल्ला न करता वेदनेने त्याच्याकडे पाहत होता. अँड्रोक्लिस धैर्याने जवळ गेला आणि त्याला सिंहाच्या सुजलेल्या पंजात मोठा काटा दिसला.
त्याने काटा काढला आणि आपल्या कपड्याचा तुकडा फाडून पंजाला पट्टी बांधली. कृतज्ञता म्हणून सिंहाने त्याचा हात चाटला. सिंह चालू लागेपर्यंत अँड्रोक्लिसने त्याची काळजी घेतली आणि ते मित्र झाले. पण पळालेल्या गुलामाचा शोध घेणाऱ्या सैनिकांनी दोघांनाही पकडले. अँड्रोक्लिसला तुरुंगात आणि सिंहाला पिंजऱ्यात ठेवले.
पळून जाणे हा गंभीर गुन्हा असल्याने सम्राटासमोर रिंगणात अँड्रोक्लिसला एका भुकेल्या सिंहापुढे टाकले गेले. सिंह त्याच्यावर धावून आला, पण थांबला, आपल्या मित्राला ओळखले आणि त्याच्या अंगाला नाक घासू लागला. आश्चर्यचकित सम्राटाने सगळी कहाणी ऐकली, अँड्रोक्लिसला मुक्त केले आणि त्याच्या विनंतीवरून सिंहालाही मुक्त केले. दोघे मित्र जंगलात परत गेले.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Kindness is never wasted; even a wild animal remembers and returns gratitude.
दयाळूपणा कधीच वाया जात नाही; एखादा वन्य प्राणीसुद्धा उपकार लक्षात ठेवतो आणि त्याची परतफेड करतो.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| courteous | सभ्य, नम्र | The courteous boy greeted his teacher. |
| piteously | दयनीयपणे | The puppy cried piteously. |
| cautiously | सावधपणे | He crossed the road cautiously. |
| deftly | कौशल्याने व चपळाईने | She deftly tied the knot. |
| ferocious | हिंस्र, क्रूर | A ferocious tiger lives in the forest. |
| dismayed | निराश, घाबरलेला | He was dismayed by the bad news. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Learn phrases from the lesson: face to face, summon up courage, put up a brave front, moved by, rage melted.
- Language study: auxiliary verbs (be, do, have) and modal auxiliaries (can, could, must, should, would). See Modal Verbs.
1.2 Androcles and the Lion: English Workshop Question Answers
Every English Workshop activity for this story, as games. Score points, earn stars and challenge a friend on WhatsApp! (खेळा, गुण मिळवा आणि मित्रांना आव्हान द्या!)
🎬 Warm-up: Put the story in order
What happens to Androcles?
- Androcles runs away from his cruel master.
- He meets a lion in pain in the forest.
- He pulls a thorn out of the lion's paw.
- Soldiers capture Androcles and the lion.
- Androcles is thrown into the arena.
- The hungry lion recognises him and becomes gentle.
- The emperor sets both of them free.
🦁 Warm-up: Facts about lions
👉 Tap the correct word.
Lions are called ___ of the jungle.
Answer: The lion is called the king of the jungle.
Lions belong to the ___ family.
Answer: Lions, tigers and leopards are big cats.
Lions are ___ animals.
Answer: They eat flesh. (मांसाहारी.)
A group of lions is called a ___.
Answer: A pride of lions.
Lions attack only when they are ___.
Answer: They hunt for food.
🤔 Think as you read
Why was the lion in pain?
Answer: Its paw was wounded, sore and swollen.
How did the emperor reward Androcles?
Answer: Androcles asked nothing for himself, only freedom for the lion.
Q1 (A). Match the phrases
🧩 Choose the meaning, then tap Check. One option is extra.
Phrase → meaning
Q1 (B). Three meanings of ‘bound’
🧩 Choose the meaning of ‘bound’ in each sentence.
Sentence → meaning
Q1 (C). Marathi translation
- त्यांना कायद्याने आपल्या मालकाचे आज्ञापालन करणे भाग होते.
- त्या दयाळू माणसाने सिंहाच्या जखमी पंजाला पट्टी बांधली.
- सिंह पुन्हा अँड्रोक्लिसकडे उड्या मारत धावला.
Q2 (A). Antonyms game
🎯 Tap a word and its opposite from the story.
Opposites
Q2 (B). Sounds made by the lion
👉 Which word is NOT a lion sound in the story?
Pick the odd one out.
Answer: Dogs bark. The lion’s sounds in the story: growled, roared, moaned, whimpered, purred.
Q3. Action and reaction
🧩 Choose what happened next.
Action → reaction
Q4 and Q5. Write in your own words
✍️ Q4. Slaves, Androcles’ qualities, animal friends. Try, then compare
(1) Slaves in ancient Rome: Slaves had no freedom and no rights. They had to obey their masters, however cruel. Many were starved and whipped. Running away was a serious crime.
(2) Qualities of Androcles: He was kind, gentle and courteous. He was brave enough to help a wounded lion. He was caring, nursing the lion till it healed, and unselfish, asking freedom for the lion instead of a reward.
(3) Wild animals as friends: Animals respond to love. The lion remembered Androcles’ kindness and refused to harm him. If we treat animals kindly, even wild ones can trust us.
✍️ Q5. A short story about kindness to animals
The Thirsty Sparrow
One hot May afternoon, Ravi saw a sparrow lying weak on his terrace. He gently gave it a few drops of water and kept a bowl of water and some grains in the shade. The next morning the sparrow was back, chirping happily with its friends. From that day, Ravi kept water out every summer, and his terrace was always full of birdsong.
Language Study: auxiliary verbs
👉 Tap the auxiliary (helping) verb.
Reena is injured badly.
Answer: ‘is’ is a form of ‘be’.
You must wear clean clothes.
Answer: ‘must’ is a modal auxiliary.
They did not help me.
Answer: ‘did’ is a form of ‘do’.
A big thorn had pierced the lion’s toe.
Answer: ‘had’ is a form of ‘have’.
They could not leave him.
Answer: ‘could’ is a modal auxiliary.
Primary auxiliary or modal auxiliary?
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Have you ever helped an animal or a person in need? What happened?
- Why did the lion not attack Androcles in the arena?
- What does this story teach us about gratitude?
Online test · 15 questions
1.2 Androcles and the Lion: Lesson Test
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शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the lesson in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it and do not reproduce its text.