StudyOSStudyOS CBSE Study Material, Class 5–12

How to Tell Wild Animals

NCERT Class 10 · English Based on NCERT Class 10 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

Everything you need to ace this chapter, in one place.
Notes · Mind Map · Quiz · Assertion-Reason · Case Studies · Question Bank · Past Papers

Get Full Study Kit →
Studying with friends? Send them this chapter.

Chapter Notes

Overview
This humorous poem by Carolyn Wells presents a series of whimsical and dangerous methods to identify wild animals, such as the Asian Lion, Bengal Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Crocodile, Hyena, and Chameleon. Included in the CBSE Class 10 English First Flight textbook, the poem uses irony, exaggeration, and playful language to entertain while subtly teaching about animal characteristics. The central message for board exams is that the poet deliberately distorts language and logic to create humour, and students must recognise both the literal descriptions and the poetic liberties taken.
Key Concepts (10)
Humorous Tone
A light-hearted, ironic, and playful attitude maintained throughout the poem, despite describing dangerous situations.
e.g. The suggestion that being eaten by a tiger helps you identify it: 'Just notice if he eats you.'
Irony
A contrast between expectation and reality; here, the 'helpful' advice leads to harm or death.
e.g. The 'simple rule' to identify a tiger is to see if it eats you, which is absurdly dangerous.
Exaggeration / Hyperbole
Overstatement for comic effect; the poet exaggerates the consequences of meeting wild animals.
e.g. The leopard 'will only lep and lep again' after attacking, implying repeated attacks.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of rhyming words at the end of lines; the poem uses a consistent AABB scheme.
e.g. Stanza 1: 'east/beast' (A), 'dyin’/Lion' (B).
Poetic Licence
The freedom poets take to bend grammar, spelling, or word order for effect.
e.g. Using 'lept' and 'lep' instead of 'leaped' and 'leap' to match the rhyme and rhythm.
Imagery
Vivid descriptive language that creates mental pictures; here, of animals and their actions.
e.g. 'A large and tawny beast' creates an image of a lion; 'hide with spots is peppered' for leopard.
Wordplay / Pun
Humorous use of words with double meanings or similar sounds.
e.g. 'Hyenas come with merry smiles; But if they weep they’re Crocodiles' plays on 'crocodile tears'.
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory statement that may contain a truth; here, the 'helpful' advice is actually fatal.
e.g. The 'simple rule' to learn the Bengal Tiger is to be eaten by it.
Repetition
Repeating words or sounds for emphasis or rhythm.
e.g. 'lep and lep again' emphasises the leopard's repeated attacks.
Satire
Using humour to criticise or mock; here, the poet gently mocks the idea of learning from dangerous experiences.
e.g. The entire premise of identifying animals by being attacked is satirical.
How It Works
Stanza 1 — The Asian Lion
  1. The poet imagines you are in eastern jungles and a large, tawny (yellowish-brown) beast approaches.
  2. If it roars at you while you are dying, you know it is an Asian Lion.
  3. The humour lies in the absurdity: you identify the lion only when it is too late.
💡 Students often miss that 'dyin’' is deliberately misspelled to rhyme with 'Lion' when pronounced with a drawl.
Stanza 2 — The Bengal Tiger
  1. You meet a 'noble wild beast' with black stripes on a yellow background.
  2. The 'simple rule' is to notice if it eats you — then you know it is a Bengal Tiger.
  3. The poet uses irony: the 'rule' is useless because you are already being eaten.
💡 Do not confuse the tiger's stripes (black on yellow) with the leopard's spots.
Stanza 3 — The Leopard
  1. You see a beast whose skin is covered with spots ('peppered').
  2. As soon as it jumps on you ('lept on you'), you know it is a Leopard.
  3. The poet warns that roaring in pain is useless because the leopard will keep attacking ('lep and lep again').
💡 The misspellings 'lept' and 'lep' are intentional for rhyme and humour — not errors.
Stanza 4 — The Bear
  1. In your yard, you meet a creature that hugs you very hard.
  2. That is a Bear, and if you doubt it, it will give you 'one more caress' (another hug).
  3. The humour comes from the euphemism: a bear's 'hug' is actually a deadly attack.
💡 The word 'caress' is ironic — it means a gentle touch, but here it is a violent squeeze.
Stanza 5 — Crocodile vs Hyena
  1. A beginner ('novice') might be confused between these two beasts of prey.
  2. The poet gives a simple distinction: Hyenas smile merrily, but Crocodiles weep (cry).
  3. This plays on the idiom 'crocodile tears' — fake tears of a predator.
💡 The contrast is based on popular beliefs, not scientific facts: hyenas 'laugh', crocodiles 'cry'.
Stanza 6 — The Chameleon
  1. The true Chameleon is small, lizard-like, has no ears, and no wings.
  2. The final 'rule' is paradoxical: if you see nothing on the tree, that is the chameleon (because it camouflages).
  3. This is the only animal in the poem that does not attack you — the humour is in the anti-climax.
💡 The chameleon's camouflage is the key point — 'nothing on the tree' means it is there but invisible.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing Tiger and Leopard markings
✗ The tiger has spots and the leopard has stripes.
→ The poem clearly states the tiger has 'black stripes on a yellow ground' and the leopard's 'hide with spots is peppered'.
✓ The Bengal Tiger has black stripes on a yellow background; the Leopard has spots all over its skin.
⚠ Thinking 'lept' and 'lep' are spelling mistakes
✗ The poet made spelling errors; the correct words are 'leaped' and 'leap'.
→ The poet deliberately uses 'lept' and 'lep' to maintain the rhyme scheme and create a humorous, playful tone.
✓ The poet uses poetic licence: 'lept' rhymes with 'peppered' and 'lep' with 'again', adding to the humour.
⚠ Misinterpreting the Bear's 'hug' and 'caress'
✗ The bear is friendly and gives loving hugs.
→ The poem is ironic — a bear's 'hug' is a deadly attack, and 'caress' is a euphemism for a violent squeeze.
✓ The poet uses irony: the bear's 'hug' and 'caress' are actually fatal attacks, not affectionate gestures.
⚠ Taking the identification methods literally
✗ The poem gives practical advice on how to identify wild animals in the jungle.
→ The poem is humorous and satirical; the 'methods' are absurd and dangerous, not meant to be taken seriously.
✓ The poem is a humorous piece that uses exaggeration and irony to entertain, not to provide real identification tips.
⚠ Confusing the Chameleon's description
✗ The chameleon is invisible because it has no ears or wings.
→ The chameleon is invisible because of its camouflage ability, not because it lacks ears or wings. The lack of ears and wings are separate physical traits.
✓ The chameleon is small, has no ears, no wings, and can camouflage itself so well that it seems like 'nothing on the tree'.
Compare & Contrast
Method of identification
Asian Lion
Bengal Tiger
Lion is identified by its roar while you are dying; Tiger is identified by being eaten (stripes on yellow ground).
Type of attack
Leopard
Bear
Leopard leaps on you repeatedly ('lep and lep again'); Bear hugs you very hard ('caress').
Facial expression / behaviour
Crocodile
Hyena
Hyenas come with merry smiles (laugh); Crocodiles weep (cry) — based on popular idioms.
Danger level
All other animals (Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Crocodile, Hyena)
Chameleon
All others are dangerous predators that attack; the Chameleon is harmless and simply camouflages.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: Typically appears as a 5-mark extract-based question (with 3-4 sub-questions) or a 2-3 mark short answer question in the literature section.
Most asked: Poetic devices used (irony, humour, rhyme, poetic licence) · Identification features of each animal as described in the poem · Explanation of 'crocodile tears' and 'bear hug' idioms · Why the poet uses misspelled words like 'dyin’', 'lept', 'lep' · Central theme of humour through danger
Don't skip: Explain the irony in the poem with examples from any two stanzas.; How does the poet use poetic licence to create humour? Give examples.; Compare and contrast the identification methods for any two animals.; What is the significance of the line 'If there is nothing on the tree, ’Tis the chameleon you see'?
Safe to skip: Nothing can be safely skipped — every stanza and device is examinable, but the Chameleon stanza is slightly less frequently tested.
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. The poem 'How to Tell Wild Animals' is written by Carolyn Wells.
  2. The poem is included in the CBSE Class 10 English First Flight textbook.
  3. The poem uses a humorous and ironic tone to describe dangerous ways of identifying wild animals.
  4. The Asian Lion is identified by its roar while you are dying.
  5. The Bengal Tiger has black stripes on a yellow background and is identified if it eats you.
  6. The Leopard has a spotted hide and attacks by leaping repeatedly.
  7. The Bear gives a deadly 'hug' or 'caress'.
  8. Crocodiles are distinguished from Hyenas because crocodiles weep (crocodile tears) and hyenas smile.
  9. The Chameleon is small, has no ears, no wings, and camouflages itself on trees.
  10. The poet uses poetic licence by misspelling words like 'dyin’', 'lept', and 'lep' for rhyme and humour.
  11. The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB.
  12. The central message is that the poet uses exaggeration and irony to entertain, not to give real advice.
  13. The idiom 'crocodile tears' refers to fake sadness.
  14. The poem satirises the idea of learning from dangerous experiences.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. What is the poet's primary intention in writing this poem?

  • A. To provide accurate methods for identifying wild animals scientifically
  • B. To entertain readers through humorous and deliberately incorrect animal identification methods ✓
  • C. To warn people about the actual dangers of wild animals
  • D. To educate children about wildlife conservation

Answer: B — The poem is deliberately humorous, using exaggeration and irony to provide absurd and dangerous advice as if it were genuine guidance.

Q2. Why does the poet spell 'lept' instead of the correct spelling 'leapt'?

  • A. It is a typographical error in the poem
  • B. To maintain the rhyme scheme and rhythm with 'wept' ✓
  • C. The poet is unfamiliar with correct English spelling
  • D. It is an archaic spelling from old English literature

Answer: B — The deliberate misspelling is a poetic licence chosen to maintain the AABB rhyme scheme and create humorous effect over grammatical correctness.

Q3. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic mentioned to identify the Chameleon?

  • A. It is small
  • B. It has no ears
  • C. It has a long, curled tail ✓
  • D. It is a lizard sort of thing

Answer: C — The poem states the Chameleon is small, lizard-like, has no ears and no wings; a long curled tail is not mentioned as an identifying feature.

Q4. What does the line 'He'll only lep and lep again' suggest about the Leopard's behaviour?

  • A. The Leopard jumps repeatedly to escape danger
  • B. The Leopard's repeated jumping makes it impossible to identify
  • C. The Leopard will keep attacking persistently if it misses ✓
  • D. The Leopard communicates by jumping in patterns

Answer: C — The repetition of 'lep' emphasizes that roaring with pain is useless; the Leopard will continue attacking, making identification through survival impossible.

Q5. Which literary device is most prominent in the couplet 'Hyenas come with merry smiles; / But if they weep they're Crocodiles'?

  • A. Alliteration
  • B. Metaphor
  • C. Antithesis and Irony ✓
  • D. Personification

Answer: C — The contrast between smiling Hyenas and weeping Crocodiles uses antithesis (opposing ideas) and irony (tears as a sign of being a Crocodile, contrary to emotion).

Q6. Based on the poem's structure, which statement is true? (NEGATIVE MCQ)

  • A. Each animal stanza follows a consistent AABB rhyme scheme
  • B. The poem maintains serious, factual tone throughout all stanzas
  • C. The poem is written in free verse without any rhyme pattern ✓
  • D. Only the first three stanzas follow a rhyming pattern

Answer: C — This is incorrect; the poem clearly maintains a regular AABB rhyme scheme throughout, making option C false—the correct statements are A (true) and B (false, tone is humorous).

Q7. If you encounter a creature that hugs you extremely hard in your yard, according to the poem, what should you conclude?

  • A. It is definitely a friendly domestic animal
  • B. It is a Bear, and if it hugs again, you can be sure ✓
  • C. It might be any wild animal from the jungle
  • D. It is an escaped zoo animal

Answer: B — The poem states: If a creature hugs you very hard, 'Be sure it is a Bear'; the poet adds that a second caress confirms this identification.

Q8. What is implied by the phrase 'Though to distinguish beasts of prey / A novice might nonplus'? (SCENARIO-BASED)

  • A. Beginners find it easy to differentiate between predatory animals
  • B. Experienced hunters have difficulty identifying wild animals
  • C. A beginner might be confused or puzzled when trying to distinguish predatory animals ✓
  • D. Only professionals can identify beasts of prey accurately

Answer: C — The phrase 'nonplus' means to confuse or puzzle; 'a novice might nonplus' means a beginner could be confused, which the poet illustrates with humorous Hyena-Crocodile distinction.

Q9. What is the overall tone and purpose of the line 'If there is nothing on the tree, / Tis the chameleon you see'?

  • A. A serious scientific fact about Chameleon camouflage
  • B. Absurd logic suggesting you identify an invisible animal by seeing nothing ✓
  • C. A poetic description of Chameleon habitat preferences
  • D. An explanation of why Chameleons are endangered

Answer: B — The humorous irony is that you identify a Chameleon by its invisibility; this absurd logic epitomizes the poem's satirical approach to animal identification.

Q10. Which characteristic does the poet use to identify the Asian Lion, and why is it deliberately problematic?

  • A. Its yellow colour, which distinguishes it from tigers
  • B. Its roar while you are dying, making survival impossible to verify ✓
  • C. Its presence in eastern jungles only
  • D. Its friendly behaviour towards humans

Answer: B — The identification method 'If he roars at you as you're dyin'' is problematic because you cannot survive to confirm the identification, making it completely impractical advice.

Flashcards

What is the main purpose of 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?

To provide humorous and deliberately dangerous (incorrect) ways to identify wild animals through exaggeration and wordplay.

How do you identify an Asian Lion according to the poem?

If a large tawny beast roars at you while you are dying, it is the Asian Lion.

What distinguishes a Bengal Tiger visually?

It has black stripes on a yellow ground, and you can identify it by whether it eats you.

What does 'peppered' mean in the context of the Leopard stanza?

Covered with or marked by spots; the Leopard's hide is peppered with spots.

Why does the poet spell 'lept' instead of 'leapt' or 'leaped'?

To maintain rhyme scheme and rhythm with 'wept,' prioritizing poetic effect over correct spelling.

How can you identify a Bear according to the poem?

If a creature in your yard hugs you very hard, it is a Bear; a second hug confirms this.

What is the difference between Hyenas and Crocodiles in the poem?

Hyenas come with merry smiles but if they weep, they are actually Crocodiles.

What are the physical characteristics of a true Chameleon?

It is small, lizard-like, has no ears, and no wings; if there is nothing on the tree, it is a Chameleon.

What literary device does the poet use most prominently in this poem?

Irony and exaggeration; the poet gives dangerous, absurd advice as if it were serious guidance.

What does 'nonplus' mean in the line 'A novice might nonplus'?

To puzzle, confuse, or surprise; the poet intentionally uses incorrect grammar for humorous effect.

Important Board Questions

Identify any two literary devices used by the poet to create humour in 'How to Tell Wild Animals' and give one example of each. [2 marks]

Consider irony (saying opposite of what is meant), exaggeration (extreme statements), and deliberate errors (spelling mistakes). Quote relevant lines from the poem.

Explain why the poet's advice for identifying wild animals is deliberately dangerous and absurd. How does this serve the poem's purpose? [3 marks]

Focus on the irony that the 'identification methods' lead to death or injury. Discuss how this absurdity is intentional for comic effect rather than practical guidance.

Analyse how Carolyn Wells uses language play, rhyme, and poetic licence to create a humorous effect in this poem. Discuss at least three specific examples with reference to the text, and explain why such linguistic liberties enhance rather than diminish the poem's effectiveness. [5 marks]

Discuss misspelling of 'lept,' use of 'nonplus,' rhyme scheme priority over grammar, exaggerated animal descriptions, and satirical tone. Explain how breaking language rules intentionally creates comedy and engages readers in appreciating the poet's cleverness.

Assertion-Reason Questions for How to Tell Wild Animals

Q1. Assertion (A):

The poet uses the word 'dyin’' instead of 'dying' to rhyme with 'lion'.

Reason (R):

The poet takes poetic license to maintain the rhyme scheme and rhythm of the poem.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true: 'dyin’' is used to rhyme with 'lion'. The reason correctly explains that this is an example of poetic license, where the poet alters spelling for rhyme and rhythm. Thus, both are true and the reason explains the assertion.

Q2. Assertion (A):

The poem suggests that you can identify a tiger by its roar.

Reason (R):

The poem says the Bengal Tiger has black stripes on a yellow ground.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — The assertion is false: the poem identifies the tiger by its eating you, not by its roar (the lion roars). The reason is true: the tiger does have black stripes on a yellow ground. So assertion false, reason true.

Q3. Assertion (A):

The poet uses the word 'nonplus' incorrectly in the line 'A novice might nonplus'.

Reason (R):

The correct grammatical form is 'A novice might be nonplussed'.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true: 'nonplus' is used incorrectly as an active verb. The reason is true: the correct form is passive 'be nonplussed'. The reason explains why the poet's usage is incorrect, so both are true and the reason is the correct explanation.

Unlock more Assertion-Reason questions in Premium — unlock →

Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for How to Tell Wild Animals

Case Study:

If ever you should go by chance To jungles in the east; And if there should to you advance A large and tawny beast, If he roars at you as you’re dyin’ You’ll know it is the Asian Lion...

Q1.

    Answer:

    Q2.

      Answer:

      Q3.

        Answer:

        Q4.

          Answer:

          Unlock more case studies in Premium — unlock →

          Next chapterThe Ball Poem →
          Found this useful? Share it with your class group.

          You've seen the free preview. Open the full interactive study kit — mind map, instant-graded quiz, progress tracking — free, no sign-in required.

          Open Full Study Kit — Free →

          Premium unlocks the full Question Bank, Daily Practice Papers, Chapter Quiz and Full Mock Papers for every chapter.