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Extract from the Story
One day he found a bright green
praying-mantis
perched on a branch, peering at him with bulging eyes. Rakesh let it remain there; it was the cherry tree’s first visitor.
The next visitor was a hairy caterpillar, who started making a meal of the leaves. Rakesh removed it quickly and dropped it on a heap of dry leaves.
‘Come back when you’re a butterfly,’ he said.
The next visitor was a hairy caterpillar, who started making a meal of the leaves. Rakesh removed it quickly and dropped it on a heap of dry leaves.
‘Come back when you’re a butterfly,’ he said.
Summary in Bullet Points
- The tree is now becoming a tiny habitat. Other living creatures begin to use it.
- Rakesh allows the mantis to stay. He recognises it as a harmless visitor.
- He removes the caterpillar because it is eating the leaves. Even then he jokes, “Come back when you’re a butterfly.”
- Care means attention, not control of everything. Rakesh learns to decide what helps or harms the tree.
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Let us Think and Reflect
Let us Think and Reflect
Why did Rakesh let the praying-mantis remain on the branch of the cherry tree?
How to answer:
Answer in complete sentences and use specific incidents from the story.
View Answer
He saw the mantis as the tree’s first visitor and it was not harming the plant, so he allowed it to stay.
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
Why does Rakesh treat the praying mantis and the caterpillar differently?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the key point and one relevant detail from this section.
View Answer
Answer: The mantis merely rests on the branch, so Rakesh leaves it alone. The caterpillar eats the leaves, so he removes it to protect the tree.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
How does this episode show that the cherry tree is becoming part of an ecosystem?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the idea and connect it with the story’s development.
View Answer
Answer: Insects begin visiting and feeding on or resting in the tree. The tree is no longer only Rakesh’s plant; it is becoming a small living space connected with other creatures.
