The Tiger and the Mosquito: NCERT Class 1 Story (Marigold Unit 8)

etmantra7 Jul 20207 min read

A huge tiger and a tiny mosquito make a funny pair. Children laugh as the tiger keeps hitting himself, and they learn a simple, lasting lesson: even small creatures matter.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 1, unit 8. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: The Tiger and the Mosquito

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

Big and small: tiger and mosquito
Body words: paw, cheek
Action words in the past: walked, buzzed, called
The lesson that everyone is important in their own way

What the story is about

A tiger is dozing under a tree when a mosquito comes buzzing by. The tiger tells it to go away, but the mosquito says it is not afraid of him. The angry tiger hits out with his paw, but the mosquito flies off, and the tiger's paw strikes his own cheek. It begins to bleed.

The tiger tries again with his other paw, and again he only hits himself. He cannot do anything, and the mosquito keeps buzzing. At last the tiger gets up and quietly walks away. The mosquito calls after him not to be so proud, because everyone is great in their own way.

New words, with Hindi meanings

dozing: sleeping lightly (हिंदी: ऊँघना)
mosquito: a tiny flying insect that bites (हिंदी: मच्छर)
buzzing: making a humming sound, like a bee (हिंदी: भिनभिनाना)
paw: the foot of an animal like a tiger or a cat (हिंदी: पंजा)
cheek: the soft side of the face (हिंदी: गाल)
bleed: to lose blood from a cut (हिंदी: खून बहना)
helpless: not able to do anything (हिंदी: बेबस)
proud: thinking you are better than others (हिंदी: घमंडी)

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.

What was the tiger doing when the mosquito came?
What happened each time the tiger hit out with his paw?
What did the mosquito say to the tiger at the end?
Can a small person do something big? Tell me about a time you helped someone.

Answers for parents

The tiger was dozing under a tree.
The mosquito flew off, and the tiger hit his own cheek. The first time, his cheek began to bleed.
It told him not to be so proud, because everyone is great in their own way.
For example: Yes. I helped my grandmother find her lost spectacles.

Grammar corner: Past tense with -ed

When something has already happened, we often add -ed to the action word. Walk becomes walked, and call becomes called. The story uses many of these because it tells us what happened.

A mosquito buzzed near my ear last night.
The cat walked quietly into the kitchen.
Grandpa called out to me from the garden.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with the -ed word: The tiger ___ (walk) away quietly.
Choose big or small: The tiger is ___. The mosquito is ___.
Make a sentence with the word “proud”.

Answers: 1. walked · 2. The tiger is big. The mosquito is small. · 3. Sample: The proud boy did not say thank you to his friend.

Try this

Act out the story. One person is the sleepy tiger and another is the mosquito, buzzing around. The tiger swipes with a soft, slow paw and pretends to hit his own cheek. Then talk about small things that are important, such as ants, bees or a little seed.

Tip for parents

Ask your child in Hindi first: “शेर बड़ा है या मच्छर?” Then give the English: “The tiger is big. The mosquito is small.” Let your child buzz and swipe while saying the new words in any mix of Hindi and English, and clap for every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of The Tiger and the Mosquito?

Do not be proud, because everyone is great in their own way. Even a tiny mosquito could make a big tiger give up and walk away.

Who are the characters in The Tiger and the Mosquito?

There are two characters: a big tiger who was dozing under a tree, and a tiny mosquito who was not afraid of him.

Which NCERT book has The Tiger and the Mosquito?

It is Unit 8 of NCERT’s older Marigold book for Class 1. 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 →