Class 8 English — Chapter 1: How the Camel got his hump

Chapter 1: How the Camel got his hump is a chapter in Class 8 English (It So Happened), part of the CBSE NCERT curriculum followed by over 25 million students across India. This chapter covers 8 topics including Character Analysis: The Lazy Camel, The Role of the Working Animals, The Djinn as the Problem-Solver. BrainWeave provides free AI-powered explanations — by voice or text, in Hindi or English — with no signup required.

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What you'll learn

▸Character Analysis: The Lazy CamelCore concept

CamellazyidleHumphreflection
▸The Role of the Working Animals

HorseDogOxdouble-timepanchayat
▸The Djinn as the Problem-SolverCore concept

Djinnmagicauthoritycomplaintsolution
▸Plot: The Central ConflictCore concept

conflictidlenessrefusal to workextra workcomplaint
▸The Origin and Purpose of the HumpCore concept

humpconsequencepuffing uppurposethree days
▸Theme: The Importance of Work and ResponsibilityCore concept

workresponsibilityidlenessmoralconsequences
▸Vocabulary and Key Phrases

Djinnremonstratedpanchayatwit's endvocabulary
▸Literary Genre: Fable and Origin Story

fablemoralorigin storypourquoi taleRudyard Kipling

Chapter Summary

Understand the Camel's personality as the central character. He is portrayed as lazy, idle, proud (looking at his reflection), and uncooperative, responding to every request with only the word 'Humph'.

Analyze the roles of the Horse, the Dog, and the Ox. They represent diligence and cooperation, and they suffer the consequences of the Camel's laziness by having to work 'double-time'.

Understand the character of the Djinn, the magical being in charge of All Deserts. He acts as the authority figure who investigates the complaint and delivers a just, magical solution to the problem of the Camel's idleness.

Identify the main conflict of the story: the Camel's refusal to work and the resulting burden placed upon the other animals. This conflict drives the narrative forward to the intervention of the Djinn.

Explain how the Camel got his hump. It magically appears as a direct consequence of his laziness and repeated use of 'Humph'. The Djinn explains its purpose: to store food, enabling the Camel to work for three days without eating to make up for the days he missed.

Analyze the central theme of the story, which is the moral that everyone has a responsibility to do their share of work and that idleness has negative consequences.

Learn the meanings of specific words and phrases from the chapter, such as 'Djinn', 'remonstrated', 'panchayat', and the idiom 'at his wit's end'.

Recognize the story as a fable (a short story with a moral, often with animal characters) and a 'pourquoi' or origin story, which explains how something (the camel's hump) came to be.

Practice Questions from this Chapter

Tap "Get Solution" on any question to ask our AI tutor.

Explain how a camel's hump works. Get Solution →
Name other animals adapted to deserts. Get Solution →
Describe the importance of working together. Get Solution →
What one word did the Camel say whenever anyone spoke to him? Get Solution →
Which animal came to the Camel on Monday morning with a saddle on its back? Get Solution →
Where did the Camel live at the beginning of the story? Get Solution →
What was the Ox's job, as indicated by the item on its neck? Get Solution →
Who was the Djinn in charge of? Get Solution →

Did you know?

💡 A camel's hump stores fat, which the camel converts into energy and water.
💡 Camels can drink up to 40 gallons of water in just a few minutes.
💡 Camel milk does not curdle easily and is a staple food in many desert regions.
💡 Camels have three eyelids and thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from sand.
💡 There are two main types of camels: Dromedary (one hump) and Bactrian (two humps).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many topics are covered in this chapter?

This chapter covers 8 key topics: Character Analysis: The Lazy Camel, The Role of the Working Animals, The Djinn as the Problem-Solver, Plot: The Central Conflict, The Origin and Purpose of the Hump, and more. The BrainWeave AI tutor explains each one with examples.

Is Chapter 1: How the Camel got his hump important for board exams?

Class 8 is a foundation year. Mastering this chapter now will help you build strong fundamentals for the higher classes.

Can I get NCERT solutions for this chapter in Hindi?

Yes. BrainWeave's AI tutor supports Hindi, English, and Hinglish for both voice and text chat. Just ask your question in your preferred language.

Is BrainWeave free for Class 8?

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Related Chapters

Chapter 2: Children at work

Chapter 7: Jalebis

Chapter 6: The fight

Chapter 3: The Selfish Giant

Chapter 5: Princess September

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