Summary
Chapter 4 of NCERT Class 7 English (An Alien Hand), "Chandni", is an adaptation of a story by Zakir Husain. It follows Chandni, a young white goat kept by Abbu Khan of Almora, who yearns for the freedom of the hills despite the danger of a wolf that has killed every goat before her. When Abbu Khan locks her in a hut, she escapes through a back window, reaches the hills, and fights the wolf alone through the night. By morning she lies wounded, but a wise old bird declares her the winner — because she chose and defended her freedom to the last.
Abbu Khan, an old man in Almora, keeps goats as pets but loses them one by one to a wolf in the hills. He buys a young, snow-white goat and names her Chandni, meaning moonlight. For several years Chandni stays, but she too begins to long for the open hills. She stops eating, grows thin, and finally tells Abbu Khan she must go or she will die. When he confines her to a small hut, she escapes through a back window. In the hills she plays joyfully until dusk, then faces the wolf alone, fights through the night, and falls at dawn — yet a wise old bird declares her the true winner because she chose freedom over a safe but confined life.
Key points & formulas
- 01Abbu Khan lives alone in Almora and names his goats with affectionate names; all his previous goats eventually broke free and were killed by the wolf in the hills.
- 02Chandni is white as snow, has two small horns and gleaming red eyes, and is named after the word for moonlight.
- 03Chandni's longing for the hills makes her stop eating, grow thin, and stare moodily at the hilltops; she tells Abbu Khan directly, 'If I stay on in your compound, I'll die.'
- 04Abbu Khan warns Chandni about the wolf and recounts the story of Kalua — a goat as large as a big deer — who fought the wolf all night but was killed by morning.
- 05When Abbu Khan locks Chandni in a small hut, she escapes through a small window he forgot to close, reaching the hills on the same night.
- 06On the hills Chandni feels welcomed by the grass, flowers, and wind; she meets wild goats who invite her to join them but she politely refuses, preferring solitude.
- 07Chandni fights the wolf through the entire night; by morning she lies soaked in blood, but a wise old bird declares her the winner because she fought for and retained her freedom.
Frequently asked questions
01Who is Abbu Khan and where does he live?
Abbu Khan is an old man who lives alone in Almora. He keeps goats as pets, takes them out for grazing during the day, talks to them like his own children, and brings them back to his little hut at night.
02Why did Abbu Khan's goats keep running away?
Goats in hilly regions love their freedom and hate being tied. Abbu Khan's goats were of the best hill breed, so they too loved their freedom. They would pull at the string until it broke and then disappear into the hills.
03What happened to the goats that ran away to the hills?
Every goat that ran away was killed by an old wolf who lived in the hills.
04Why did Abbu Khan name the new goat Chandni?
The new goat was white as snow, and Abbu Khan called her Chandni, which means moonlight.
05How did Chandni show that she wanted to go to the hills?
Chandni stopped eating the green grass Abbu Khan brought her, lost interest in his stories, grew very thin, and stared moodily at the sunlit hilltops. She then spoke to him directly, saying she would die if she stayed in the compound.
06What did Abbu Khan offer Chandni to make her stay?
Abbu Khan offered to give her tastier food and a much longer rope, but Chandni refused both and insisted on going to the hills.
07Who was Kalua and what does her story tell us?
Kalua was one of Abbu Khan's earlier goats, the size of a big deer. She fought the wolf through the night but was killed in the morning. Abbu Khan narrated Kalua's story to warn Chandni about the danger of the wolf.
08How did Chandni escape from the hut?
Abbu Khan pushed Chandni into a small hut and shut the door, but he forgot to close the small window at the back. That same night Chandni used the window as her passage to freedom.
09What did Chandni feel when she first reached the hills?
Chandni felt as if the hills were standing in a row to welcome her, like a child meeting parents after years of separation. The tall grass rose to embrace her, the flowers bloomed to amuse her, and the wind sang a song of welcome. She described it as the happiest day of her life.
10Why did Chandni refuse to join the herd of wild goats she met in the hills?
Chandni wanted to enjoy her new freedom all by herself, so she politely refused the wild goats' invitation to join their group.
11What did Chandni say to herself before fighting the wolf?
Chandni said to herself, 'Death in an open field is far better than life in a small hut,' and resolved to put up a good fight, accepting that success or failure was a matter of luck or chance.
12Why did the wise old bird declare Chandni the winner even though the wolf was about to devour her?
The text asks this as a discussion question, and the answer the story implies is that Chandni chose freedom over safety, fought bravely through the night, and never surrendered — making her the moral and spiritual winner regardless of physical outcome.
13Who is the author of 'Chandni'?
The story is an adaptation of a work by Zakir Husain, as credited at the end of the chapter.
14Is the NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 4 PDF free to read?
Yes. The official NCERT PDF of An Alien Hand is available free of charge on CBSE PrepMaster — no sign-up or payment required.
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