Animals, Birds and Dr. Dolittle — Class 7 English (CBSE)

From the current NCERT Poorvi Grade 7 book, Unit 2: Wit and Humour, Chapter 4. A funny, warm story by Hugh Lofting about a doctor who loved animals more than anything.

1. About the lesson

• Text type: A humorous story (an excerpt from The Story of Doctor Dolittle).
• Author: Hugh Lofting.
• Main characters: Dr. John Dolittle; his sister Sarah; Polynesia the parrot; the Cat's-meat-Man.
• Main theme: Love and kindness for animals — and the fun of being able to understand them.

2. Summary

Dr. John Dolittle is a doctor who loves animals. He keeps so many pets — a duck, a dog, a pig, a parrot and more — that his house fills up with animals. His sister Sarah complains that the house is no place to live in, and because of all the creatures, his human patients stop coming and he loses money.

One day the Cat's-meat-Man (a man who sells meat for cats) suggests that Dr. Dolittle should become an animal doctor instead, since he understands and loves animals. His clever parrot, Polynesia, then teaches him the language of the animals — she shows him that animals "talk" not only with their voices but with their ears, feet and tails too. Dr. Dolittle learns to understand them, and soon animals from far and near come to him to be cured. The story is funny and warm, and it celebrates kindness to all living creatures.

3. Theme and values

• Kindness to animals — caring for all creatures.
• Following your heart — Dolittle does what he truly loves.
• Humour — the over-full house and talking animals make us smile.
• Observation — animals "speak" through their bodies.

4. New words and meanings

5. Let Us Think (comprehension)

1. Why did Dr. Dolittle's patients stop coming? Because his house was full of animals and there was no room for the patients.

2. Who was Sarah, and why was she upset? His sister; she was upset that the house was full of animals.

3. What did the Cat's-meat-Man suggest? That Dr. Dolittle should become an animal doctor.

4. Who taught Dr. Dolittle the language of animals? His parrot, Polynesia.

5. How do animals "talk", according to Polynesia? Not only with their voices but also with their ears, feet and tails.

6. Language and grammar

Compound nouns

"Cat's-meat-Man", "animal doctor" — find two more compound words and use them.

Reported speech (intro)

Sarah said the house was full of animals. Turn one line of dialogue into reported speech.

7. Writing and speaking

• Writing: Write a funny paragraph (6–8 lines) about a pet (real or imagined) that did something silly.
• Speaking: If you could talk to one animal, which would it be and what would you ask?

8. Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking Dolittle stayed a doctor for people. Fix: He becomes an animal doctor.
• Mistake: Forgetting who taught him animal language. Fix: The parrot Polynesia did.
• Mistake: One-word answers. Fix: Explain with a detail from the story.

9. Practice set

1. Why was Dr. Dolittle's house unusual?
2. What problem did all the animals cause?
3. Who suggested he become an animal doctor?
4. How did Polynesia help him?
5. What is funny about this story?

10. Answer key

1. It was full of pets — a duck, a dog, a pig, a parrot and more.
2. Patients stopped coming and he lost money.
3. The Cat's-meat-Man.
4. She taught him the language of the animals.
5. The over-full house and the idea of a doctor talking to animals.

11. Quick revision

• Unit 2: Wit and Humour · Chapter 4 · story by Hugh Lofting.
• Dr. Dolittle loves animals; his house fills with pets.
• Patients stop coming; he loses money.
• Cat's-meat-Man suggests he become an animal doctor.
• Polynesia the parrot teaches him animal language.
• Theme: kindness to animals, humour, following your heart.

Unit 2: Wit and Humour

This chapter is part of Unit 2: Wit and Humour. The three chapters in this unit are:

• Chapter 4: Animals, Birds and Dr. Dolittle — a humorous story
• Chapter 5: A Funny Man — a humorous poem
• Chapter 6: Say the Right Thing — a humorous play