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Extract from the Play
DEV DATT
:
I noticed, Your Majesty, that the prints of the camel’s forefeet were deep and clear, while those of the
sound
hind foot were faint. This indicated that the camel was drawing up its hind legs, likely due to discomfort. It moved cautiously, burdened by a pain in its belly, trying to spare itself further suffering with every step.
KING
:
(Marvelling)
Extraordinary! You have not seen the camel, yet you know it
intimately
.
Summary in Bullet Points
- Dev Datt notices that the camel’s front-foot marks are deep, while the mark of its healthy back foot is faint.
- This shows that the camel is putting more weight on its front legs and lifting its back legs more carefully.
- Dev Datt understands that the camel is doing this because its stomach hurts.
-
The King is amazed that Dev Datt can learn so much only from the way the camel walked.
forefeet
= front feet
sound = healthy
discomfort = pain or uneasiness
cautiously = carefully
intimately = in a detailed way
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
Which prints were deep and which were faint in Dev Datt’s observation?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Name the forefeet and the healthy hind foot.
View Answer
Answer: The forefeet prints were deep and clear, while the print of the healthy hind foot was faint.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
How did the footprint depth lead Dev Datt to conclude that the camel had stomach pain?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the camel’s effort to protect itself from discomfort.
View Answer
Answer: The camel placed more weight on its forefeet, making deep prints, and drew up its hind legs, making a faint print from the healthy hind foot. Dev Datt understood that it was moving cautiously to reduce pain in its belly. Therefore, he concluded that it had stomach pain.
