NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 1 How the Camel Got His Hump

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 1, How the Camel Got His Hump, help students understand the moral and message of this popular story by Rudyard Kipling. The story is set at the beginning of the world and focuses on a camel who refuses to work and always replies with “Humph!” when asked to help others.

Because of the camel’s laziness, other animals like the horse, dog, and ox have to do extra work. Their complaints reach a magical being called the Djinn, who decides to teach the camel an important lesson. As punishment, the Djinn gives the camel a hump on its back. This hump allows the camel to store food and energy, helping it survive long journeys in the desert without eating.

Through this imaginative tale, Kipling highlights the negative effects of laziness and the importance of sharing responsibilities. The story also shows that hard work makes life easier for everyone, while avoiding work creates problems for others.

These Class 8 English chapter 1 How the Camel Got His  Hump questions and answers help students understand the characters, theme, and moral of the story clearly. They are useful for exam preparation, quick revision, and improving reading comprehension skills.

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Class 8 Chapter 1 How the Camel Got His Hump Questions and Answers

Question 1 What tasks were assigned to the dog and the ox?

Answer: The dog was assigned the task of fetching and carrying sticks. The ox was assigned the task of ploughing the fields.

Question 2 Why did the camel live in the middle of the desert?

Answer: The camel lived in the middle of the desert because he did not want to work. He was very lazy and did not want to help man or the other animals. He spent his time eating sticks, thorns, and prickles and only said “Humph” when anyone spoke to him.

Question 3 What made the dog, the horse, and the ox very angry?

Answer: They were angry because they had to do the camel’s work along with their own. Since the camel refused to work, man gave his work to them, which made them work extra.

Question 4 How did the Djinn know that the horse was complaining against the camel?

Answer: The horse described an animal with a long neck and long legs who lived in the desert and had not done any work. From this description, the Djinn immediately understood that the horse was talking about the camel.

Comprehension Check (Page 5)

Question 1 The camel was looking at his own reflection in the pool. What does this suggest about him?

Answer: This suggests that the camel was proud and self-satisfied. He was not worried about work and was only thinking about himself.

Question 2 The camel said “Humph” repeatedly. How did it affect him?

Answer: Because the camel kept saying “Humph” and refused to work, a big hump grew on his back. It was a punishment for his laziness and bad behaviour.

Question 3 What, according to the Djinn, was the use of the hump?

Answer: The Djinn said that the hump would help the camel to store food in his body. Because he had missed three days of work, the hump would allow him to work without eating while he completed the extra work.

Question 4 “…he has never yet learnt to behave.” What does this tell us about the writer’s opinion of the camel?

Answer: The writer thinks that the camel is lazy and disobedient. He does not like to work and does not behave properly with others. Even after getting the hump, he still does not learn to behave well.

Exercise (Page 6)

Question 1 Can this story be factually true?

Answer: No, this story cannot be factually true. It is a fictional and imaginative story written to explain how the camel got his hump.

Question 2 What is the story mainly about?

Answer: The story is mainly about:
(iv) How the camel got his hump.

Question 3 What did you do over the weekend? Were you active or idle?

Answer: Last weekend, I woke up early and did some exercise. I helped my family with household work and played games in the evening. I was active throughout the weekend. I checked my back and found no hump.

Question 4 Which type of worker are you: one who does today’s work today or one who delays it?

Answer: I belong to the group of people who prefer to do today’s work today. I like to complete my tasks on time instead of delaying them.

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Mastering How the Camel Got His Hump Questions and Answers for Class 8

When you know the hidden humor and moral lessons of a story, English literature becomes a lot more interesting. When you read how the camel got its hump questions and answers class 8, you are looking at a time when animals simply started working for people. The horse, the dog, and the ox all did their bit, but the camel just sat in the middle of the desert eating thorns and milkweed.

A lot of students use how the camel got his hump questions and answers to be ready for tests on understanding and character analysis. The narrative shows that everyone has to do their part in society. If you don't work, you're not simply being lazy; you're making other people do your work for you. This chapter tells us that sometimes our physical qualities might show what we did or how we felt in the past.

The Setting: The Beginning of the World

The story takes place "in the beginning" when the world was new and animals were just starting to work for Man. Most animals were diligent, but one lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he didn't want to work. This setting establishes the contrast between the organized world of humans and the chaotic idleness of the camel. Studying how the camel got his hump passage questions and answers can help you visualize this desolate setting more clearly.

The Camel’s Laziness and the Three Animals

Three animals approached the camel on three different days to ask for his help. Each time, the camel gave the same frustrating response.

1. The Horse: Asked the camel to trot like the rest of them.

2. The Dog: Asked the camel to fetch and carry.

3. The Ox: Asked the camel to plough like the rest of them.

To all of them, the camel simply said, "Humph!" and nothing more. Because the camel wouldn't work, the Man told the three animals they had to work double-time to make up for it. This made the three very angry, and they held a "panchayat" at the edge of the desert.

The Role of the Djinn of All Deserts

The Djinn, who was in charge of all deserts, arrived in a cloud of dust. The animals complained to him about the camel’s idleness.

The Djinn agreed that it wasn't right for anyone to be idle when the world was so new. He decided to "humph" the camel—meaning he intended to set him right. He found the camel looking at his own reflection in a pool of water, which showed the camel's vanity alongside his laziness.

The Transformation: From "Humph" to Hump

Since the camel missed three days of work, the hump would allow him to work for three days without eating, as he could live on his hump. If you are reviewing how the camel got his hump extra questions and answers, you’ll notice how the Djinn turns a punishment into a practical solution. The Djinn told the camel to leave the desert, join the three, and behave. Although the camel started working, he never quite caught up with the three days he missed at the beginning of the world, and he hasn't yet learned how to behave.

• The Purpose: The Djinn explained that this hump was a result of the camel's own "humphing."

• The Function: Since the camel missed three days of work, the hump would allow him to work for three days without eating, as he could live on his hump.

The Djinn told the camel to leave the desert, join the three, and behave. Although the camel started working, he never quite caught up with the three days he missed at the beginning of the world, and he hasn't yet learned how to behave.

The Lesson: How to Get Over Being Lazy

At the end of the day, the story serves as a humorous warning against procrastination. The camel's hump is a permanent reminder of his refusal to work. 

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