Short Summary of the chapter :  Bringing up Kari

Kari was a five-month-old baby elephant. He was given to a nine-year-old boy to take care of. Kari lived in a pavilion under a thatched roof placed on thick tree stumps.  

Kari ate about sixteen kilograms of twigs every day. His friend took him to the river for a bath daily. Kari loved lying on the sand and in the water. After his bath, his skin would shine like ebony.  

One day, Kari saved a boy from drowning in the river. He used his trunk to pull the boy and his friend safely to the shore.  

Kari was very playful and naughty too. He loved ripe bananas. He would steal bananas from the dining room by sneaking his trunk through the window. At first, his friend thought it was a snake, but later he caught Kari red-handed. When scolded, Kari felt very bad and never stole again.  

Kari learned commands like ‘Mali’ to walk and ‘Dhat’ to sit down. It took him three weeks to learn to sit.  

The most important thing Kari learned was the “master call,” which took five years. When this call was made, Kari would pull down trees to make a path through the jungle and scare away wild animals.  

Kari was a loving, intelligent, and loyal elephant.

Detailed Summary of the chapter :  Bringing up Kari

Kari Comes to Live with a Boy :Kari was a five-month-old baby elephant. He was given to a nine-year-old boy to take care of. The boy could touch Kari’s back only by standing on tiptoe. They grew up together, so the boy never noticed how tall Kari became. Kari lived in a small house called a pavilion. It had a thatched roof placed on thick tree stumps. This strong roof did not fall when Kari bumped into it while moving around.

Kari’s Daily Bath and Food :Every morning, the boy took Kari to the river for his bath. Kari lay down on the sand while the boy rubbed him with clean river sand. It took one hour. Then Kari lay in the water happily. After the bath, his skin became shiny like ebony (a dark black wood). The boy led him by the ear, as it is the easiest way to guide an elephant. He left Kari near the jungle and went to get fresh twigs for his food. Kari ate about 40 pounds (around 16 kg) of twigs daily.

Kari Saves a Boy from Drowning :One day in March, while the boy was cutting banyan tree branches, he heard Kari calling like a baby. He ran to the river and saw Kari’s trunk in the water. He thought Kari was drowning. But then Kari pushed him into the river. The boy saw another boy lying at the bottom of the river. The boy pulled him up but could not swim to the shore. Kari came quickly and helped both boys out using his trunk. Kari had actually saved the drowning boy.

Kari Steals Bananas :Later, Kari became fond of ripe bananas. Bananas kept disappearing from the dining room. First, the servants were blamed. Then the boy was blamed. One day, the boy found a banana in Kari’s pavilion. He then saw Kari’s trunk sneaking through the window and stealing bananas. The boy scolded Kari. Kari felt bad and never stole again. After that, if someone gave him fruit, he would squeal to say thank you.

Kari Learns Commands :Kari was trained like a child. The boy taught him commands to sit and walk. Saying “Dhat” and pulling his ear meant “sit”. Saying “Mali” and pulling his trunk meant “walk”. Kari learned “Mali” quickly in three lessons. But “Dhat” took him three weeks. This was important because Kari grew so tall that the boy needed him to sit to climb on his back.

The Master Call :The hardest thing for an elephant to learn is the “master call”. It takes five years to learn. The call sounds like a snake and tiger fighting. When the master call is given, the elephant pulls down trees to make a path in the jungle. It also scares away animals like monkeys, stags, and even tigers. This is helpful if someone is lost in the jungle.

Kari – A Loving and Loyal Elephant :Kari was not just big, he was also kind, helpful, and smart. He saved lives, learned commands, and showed love and respect. But if someone punished him without reason, he would remember it and return the same way. Kari was truly like a child and a good friend.

Pointwise Summary of the chapter :  Bringing up Kari

1. Kari was a five-month-old baby elephant given to a nine-year-old boy to take care of.  

2. Kari lived in a pavilion with a strong thatched roof resting on thick tree stumps.  

3. Every morning, the boy bathed Kari at the river, rubbing him with sand and water for one hour.  

4. Kari ate about 40 pounds (16 kilograms) of twigs every day, which the boy brought from the forest.  

5. One day, Kari saved a boy from drowning in the river by pulling him out with his trunk.  

6. Kari loved ripe bananas and secretly stole them from the dining-room table using his long trunk.  

7. The boy caught Kari stealing, scolded him, and after that, Kari never stole again.  

8. Kari learned the command “Mali” (to walk) easily, but “Dhat” (to sit) took him three weeks to learn.  

9. The “master call,” which takes five years to learn, helped Kari create a path through the jungle by pulling down trees.  

10. Kari was loving, playful, intelligent, and loyal, just like a child and a true friend.