The Old Stag: NCERT Class 4 English Story (Santoor Chapter 5)

etmantra3 Nov 20264 min read

This Panchatantra tale shows how even good friends can forget others when they are greedy. Children enjoy the animals, and they also learn to share and to use nature wisely.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 4, unit “My Beautiful World”. Chapter 5.

What your child learns

Sharing and not being greedy
Using nature's resources wisely
Words that tell how: warmly, slowly, quickly
Describing words: lush forest, tender grass

What the story is about

A kind old stag lives in a lush forest and greets all the animals and birds every day. He likes to stay on a small hillock covered with soft, tender grass. One day he falls ill and is too weak to come down, so his friends visit him on the hillock and wish him well.

But the visitors, like the elephant and the giraffe, start eating the tasty grass. Word spreads, and soon almost no grass is left for the stag, who grows weaker. His friends feel ashamed of their greed. They find food elsewhere and bring him fresh leaves. After good rain, the grass grows back and the stag gets well. The animals learn that nature has enough for all, if we use it wisely.

New words, with Hindi meanings

lush: thick and green with plants (हिंदी: हरा-भरा)
stag: a male deer (हिंदी: बारहसिंगा, हिरन)
hillock: a small hill (हिंदी: टीला)
tender: soft and young (हिंदी: कोमल)
recovery: getting well again (हिंदी: ठीक होना)
feasted: ate a lot of good food (हिंदी: दावत उड़ाई)
ashamed: feeling bad about something wrong you did (हिंदी: शर्मिंदा)
greed: wanting more than you need (हिंदी: लालच)

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.

Why did the animals love the old stag?
Why did the stag become weaker after his friends visited?
What did the animals do when they understood their mistake?
Tell about a time you shared something you liked.

Answers for parents

He was kind and greeted everyone warmly every day.
His friends ate the grass on the hillock, so little was left for him.
They found food elsewhere in the forest and brought him fresh leaves.
For example: I shared my birthday sweets with my whole class.

Grammar corner: Words that tell how (adverbs)

Some words tell us how something is done. Many of them end in -ly, like warmly and slowly. They make our sentences clearer and more interesting.

The giraffe ate the leaves quickly.
The old stag walked slowly up the hillock.
The animals spoke softly so the stag could rest.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank: The stag greeted his friends ___. (warmly / warm)
Pick the word that tells how: soon, loudly, nearby
Make a sentence with 'tender'.

Answers: 1. warmly · 2. loudly · 3. For example: The baby goat ate the tender grass.

Try this

Play 'Share the Plate'. Put a small number of snacks, like peanuts, on one plate for everyone. Each person may take one at a time. Before the plate is empty, stop and check: has everyone had enough? Talk about what would happen if one person took too many.

Tip for parents

Tell the story in Hindi and ask, 'Jaanvaron ne kya galti ki?' Let your child answer in Hindi first, then help with one English line, like 'They were greedy.' Mixing languages is fine; praise your child for trying.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Old Stag?

Nature has enough for everyone, but we must use its resources wisely and not be greedy.

Who are the characters in The Old Stag?

The old stag and his animal friends, including a deer, an elephant and a giraffe. The story is adapted from the Panchatantra.

Is The Old Stag in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 5 in NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 4.

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 →