Summary
Chapter 4 of the Class 7 English NCERT textbook (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 away she escapes, 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 for choosing and defending her freedom.
- The longing for freedom — The story's core theme is the pull of freedom: Chandni, though safe and loved, stops eating and pines for the open hills, insisting she would rather die than live confined — a powerful portrait of the instinct for liberty over comfort.
- Freedom versus safety — Abbu Khan's protective confinement and his warning tale of Kalua set safety against liberty. Chandni knowingly chooses the dangerous hills over a caged life, dramatising the tension between security and the right to live on one's own terms.
- Courage and the meaning of winning — Chandni's night-long fight with the wolf, ending in her death, is reframed by the wise old bird as victory — teaching that true winning lies in bravely defending what one values, not in mere survival.
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.
More chapters in An Alien Hand
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