One Little Kitten: NCERT Class 1 English Poem (Marigold Unit 3)

etmantra25 Jun 20207 min read

This rhyme counts from one to fifteen with a funny animal group for every number. Children practise numbers, animal names and describing words all at once, and the silly pictures in the lines make them smile.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 1, unit 3. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: One Little Kitten

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

Counting from one to fifteen in English
Animal names: kitten, seals, seagulls, eels, alligators, whales
Describing words: big, fat, sad, silly, nervous, brave
Saying a rhyme aloud with a steady beat

What the poem is about

The poem is a counting rhyme. It starts with one little kitten and two big cats, and goes on number by number. Each number brings a new group of animals, often with a describing word, such as sad seals, silly seagulls, happy eels, nervous lizards and brave bees.

The animals come from land, sea and air: butterflies, rats, fishes, elephants, fleas, alligators, whales and donkeys. It ends with fifteen donkeys and their fifteen tails. The poem is playful and helps children count and learn new words.

New words, with Hindi meanings

kitten: a baby cat (हिंदी: बिल्ली का बच्चा)
seals: sea animals with smooth skin that swim well (हिंदी: सील (समुद्री जीव))
seagulls: white birds that live near the sea (हिंदी: समुद्री पक्षी)
eels: long fish that look like snakes (हिंदी: बाम मछली)
nervous: a little bit afraid or worried (हिंदी: घबराया हुआ)
brave: not afraid (हिंदी: बहादुर)
fleas: tiny insects that jump and bite animals (हिंदी: पिस्सू)
alligators: big animals like crocodiles (हिंदी: मगरमच्छ)

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.

How many big cats are in the poem?
Which animals were brave? How many were there?
What number comes with the donkeys?
Which animal in the poem do you like best? Have you ever seen one?

Answers for parents

There are two big cats.
The bees were brave. There were ten of them.
Fifteen comes with the donkeys, and they have fifteen tails.
For example: I like the kitten best. I saw a kitten near our house.

Grammar corner: Describing words (adjectives)

A describing word tells us more about a person, animal or thing. In this rhyme it comes just before the animal's name, like 'big' in 'big cats'. It tells us how the animal looks or feels.

The little kitten drinks milk.
A fat rat ran under the bed.
The brave bee flew near the flower.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: Two ___ cats (big / little)
Choose the right number: How many brave bees are in the poem? (five / ten / fifteen)
Say aloud: one describing word for an animal you see at home, like 'a sleepy dog'.

Answers: 1. Two big cats · 2. ten · 3. For example: a noisy crow, a sleepy cat, a tiny ant

Try this

Count and act. Say each line and hold up the right number of fingers, then move like that animal: flap like butterflies, swim like fishes, buzz like bees, stomp like elephants. Later, count real things at home, such as five spoons or ten buttons.

Tip for parents

Say the number and animal in Hindi first, like 'दो बड़ी बिल्लियाँ', and then let your child say 'two big cats'. If your child mixes the two, such as 'do big cats', that is fine; repeat the full English gently and praise the try.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem One Little Kitten about?

It is a counting rhyme. Each number from one to fifteen comes with a group of animals, starting with one little kitten and ending with fifteen donkeys and their tails.

Which animals are in One Little Kitten?

A kitten, cats, butterflies, rats, fishes, seals, seagulls, eels, lizards, bees, elephants, fleas, alligators, whales and donkeys.

Which book is One Little Kitten from?

It is from NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 1 (Unit 3). The newer NCERT books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →