Hiawatha: NCERT Class 4 English Poem (Marigold Unit 6)

etmantra7 Oct 20217 min read

This poem shows a boy who grows up loving nature so much that he can talk to birds and animals. It encourages children to look closely at the creatures around them and be curious about how they live.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 4, unit 6. NCERT’s newer Class 4 book is Santoor, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Hiawatha

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Nature words: wigwam, beavers, lodges, reindeer
Describing words: swift, timid
Asking 'how', 'where' and 'why' questions about animals
Loving and caring for nature

What the poem is about

Hiawatha is a young boy. He lives with his old grandmother, Nokomis, in a wigwam. Nokomis teaches him about the wonders around them, such as the stars, trees, insects, birds and animals. Hiawatha grows up to love them all and can talk with the birds and animals.

The poem says he learns every bird’s language, their names and secrets, where they build their nests in summer and where they hide in winter. He calls the birds “Hiawatha’s Chickens”. He also learns the language of the animals: how beavers build their homes, where squirrels hide their food, why reindeer run so fast and why the rabbit is so timid. He calls the animals “Hiawatha’s Brothers”. The poem gives a warm feeling of friendship with nature.

New words, with Hindi meanings

wigwam: a round hut made of poles covered with skins or bark (हिंदी: झोंपड़ी)
wonders: amazing things that make you surprised (हिंदी: अजूबे)
language: the way someone speaks to share ideas (हिंदी: भाषा)
secrets: things that are hidden or not known to everyone (हिंदी: रहस्य)
beavers: furry animals with flat tails that build homes in rivers (हिंदी: ऊदबिलाव जैसा जानवर)
lodges: homes that beavers build from sticks and mud (हिंदी: घर)
swiftly: very fast (हिंदी: तेज़ी से)
timid: shy and easily frightened (हिंदी: डरपोक)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Who did Hiawatha live with, and what did she teach him?
What did Hiawatha call the birds? What did he call the animals?
Why does the poem say the reindeer and the rabbit are special?
Which bird or animal near your home would you like to talk to? What would you ask it?

Answers for parents

Hiawatha lived with his old grandmother, Nokomis. She taught him about the stars, trees, insects, birds and animals.
He called the birds 'Hiawatha's Chickens' and the animals 'Hiawatha's Brothers'.
Hiawatha learned why the reindeer ran so swiftly and why the rabbit was so timid.
For example: I would like to talk to the squirrel in our garden. I would ask where it hides its nuts.

Grammar corner: Question words: how, where and why

We use 'how' to ask the way something is done, 'where' to ask about a place, and 'why' to ask for a reason. The poem lists things Hiawatha learned using these words.

Where does the sparrow build its nest?
How does a spider make its web?
Why does the owl sleep in the day?

Practice at home

Choose 'how', 'where' or 'why': ___ do squirrels hide their food?
Fill in the blank: A shy and easily frightened animal is ___.
Make a sentence using 'swiftly'.

Answers: 1. Where · 2. timid · 3. For example: The deer ran swiftly into the forest.

Try this

Go on a nature watch at home, on the balcony or in a park. Ask your child to spot one bird and one animal or insect and notice where it lives, what it eats and how it moves. Then let them give each creature a name, just as Hiawatha did, and tell you one “secret” they learned about it.

Tip for parents

Talk in Hindi about a bird or animal you both know, like 'गिलहरी अपना खाना कहाँ छिपाती है?' Then help your child ask the same question in English: 'Where does the squirrel hide its food?' Let them mix languages while they think, and praise each question they try.

Questions parents ask

Who taught Hiawatha about nature?

His old grandmother, Nokomis, taught him about the stars, trees, insects, birds and animals around them.

Why did Hiawatha call the birds his chickens and the animals his brothers?

He learned their language, names and secrets and talked with them whenever he met them. They were like his own family, so he gave them these loving names.

Is Hiawatha in the new NCERT book?

Hiawatha is a chapter from NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 4. The newer NCERT English book for Class 4 is Santoor, so check your child's school book list to see which one the school uses.

Learn every Class 4 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →