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CBSE Class 7 English★ 3-5 marks in Class 7 English assessments; narrative poetry comprehension and humour

'Dad and the Cat and the Tree'

'A hilarious poem about a father who tries to rescue a cat stuck in a tree, only to get stuck himself. A slapstick comedy in verse that celebrates the triumph of determination over common sense.'

⏱ 12 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Narrate the story told in the poem
2Describe the humour and slapstick comedy
3Explain the irony of the ending
4Identify poetic devices (irony, personification, rhyme)
5Write a character sketch of Dad

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Why this chapter matters

'Dad and the Cat and the Tree' is a humorous narrative poem about a father who tries to rescue a cat from a tree and ends up stuck himself. It builds comprehension of narrative poetry and an understanding of irony and slapstick humour.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 6 English: Reading narrative and humorous poems

Following a story in verse and identifying humour

Dad and the Cat and the Tree

Introduction

'Dad and the Cat and the Tree' is a humorous narrative poem about a father who attempts to rescue a cat stuck in a tree. Confident in his ability, the father climbs the tree but soon finds himself stuck. The poem is a classic example of slapstick comedy — the more the father tries, the worse the situation becomes.

'Every child knows that dads are not always as capable as they think they are. This poem proves it — hilariously.'

2. The Poem

A cat was stuck in the tree, And Dad said, 'I'll get it out of there! I've climbed so many trees before, I'm sure I'll get it.'

He looked at the tree and said, 'That's easy!' He stepped on a branch — crack! — it broke. He fell and landed on his back. The cat looked down and smiled.

Dad got up and said, 'Now I'll do it properly.' He climbed again, and this time he reached The branch where the cat was sitting. The cat jumped down, and Dad was left Stuck in the tree.

Mom came out and said, 'What are you doing?' Dad said, 'I'm getting the cat down.' But the cat was already down. And Dad was in the tree.

3. Summary

A cat is stuck in a tree. The father (Dad) confidently says he will rescue it. He tries to climb but a branch breaks and he falls. The cat watches from above, seemingly amused. Dad tries again, determined. This time he reaches the cat's branch. But the cat jumps down by itself. Now Dad is stuck in the tree and the cat is free. The poem ends with Mom asking what Dad is doing up there.

4. Poetic Devices

Device	Example
Irony	Dad ends up stuck while the cat frees itself
Humour	Slapstick comedy — falls, broken branches, pride deflated
Personification	The cat 'smiled'
Rhyme	tree/there, break/back, down/crown
Narrative poem	Tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end
Repetition	Dad's repeated attempts

5. Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
Slapstick	Comedy based on physical humor (falls, accidents)
Narrative poem	A poem that tells a story
Confident	Sure of one's abilities
Determined	Not giving up easily
Triumph	Victory or success

6. Think and Answer

What was stuck in the tree?
How did Dad's first attempt go?
How did the cat react to Dad's fall?
How did Dad's second attempt end?
Who saved the cat in the end?

7. Exam Focus

2-Mark Questions

Who is stuck in the tree at the start?
What happens when Dad climbs the tree the first time?
Who saves the cat?
Who is stuck in the tree at the end?

5-Mark Questions

Describe the humor in 'Dad and the Cat and the Tree'.
How does the poet build comedy through Dad's character?
What is ironic about the ending?
Write a character sketch of Dad as shown in the poem.

8. Self-Test

Q1. What was stuck in the tree at the beginning? A1. A cat.

Q2. Why did Dad's first attempt fail? A2. A branch broke and he fell.

Q3. What did the cat do while Dad was climbing? A3. It looked down and smiled.

Q4. How did the cat get down? A4. It jumped down by itself.

Q5. Who is stuck in the tree at the end? A5. Dad.

Summary

A cat is stuck in a tree.
Dad confidently attempts to rescue the cat.
He falls on his first attempt when a branch breaks.
He tries again and reaches the cat's branch.
The cat jumps down on its own.
Dad is left stuck in the tree.
The poem is a slapstick comedy about overconfidence and irony.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Narrative poem

A poem that tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Here, Dad's attempts to rescue the cat form the story.

The irony

Dad sets out to rescue the cat, but the cat frees itself while Dad gets stuck in the tree.

The rescuer ends up needing rescue.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking Dad successfully rescued the cat

✓ The cat jumped down by itself; Dad ended up stuck in the tree -- that is the comic irony.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing the slapstick humour

✓ The comedy comes from physical mishaps -- the broken branch, the fall, and Dad's deflated pride.

WATCH OUT

✗ Ignoring Dad's overconfidence

✓ Dad's repeated boasting that the task is 'easy' sets up the humour when he fails.

WATCH OUT

✗ Listing lines when a character sketch is asked

✓ For a character sketch, give traits (overconfident, determined, comical) with examples from the poem.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Working with the Poem

The story, the humour, and the irony

Questions

Think and Answer

Dad's attempts and the cat's escape

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1MEDIUM· Explain

Describe the humour in 'Dad and the Cat and the Tree'.

▶ Show solution

The humour is slapstick and ironic. Dad confidently boasts he will easily rescue the cat, but on his first attempt a branch breaks and he falls on his back while the cat looks down and 'smiles'. On his second attempt he reaches the cat, but the cat simply jumps down by itself, leaving Dad stuck in the tree. The comedy comes from his overconfidence, the physical mishaps, and the reversal of roles.

Q2MEDIUM· Explain

What is ironic about the ending?

▶ Show solution

It is ironic that Dad, who set out to rescue the cat, ends up stuck in the tree himself, while the cat -- the one supposedly in need of rescue -- gets down safely on its own. The rescuer becomes the one who needs rescuing.

Q3EASY· Recall

What happens when Dad climbs the tree the first time, and who saves the cat?

▶ Show solution

On the first attempt a branch breaks and Dad falls on his back. In the end the cat saves itself by jumping down on its own.

Q4MEDIUM· Character

Write a short character sketch of Dad as shown in the poem.

▶ Show solution

Dad is overconfident -- he boasts that rescuing the cat will be easy. He is determined -- he tries again after falling. But he is also comical and a little foolish, ending up stuck in the tree while the cat escapes on its own. He is a loving father whose enthusiasm exceeds his skill.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•A cat is stuck in a tree and Dad confidently offers to rescue it.
•On his first attempt, a branch breaks and Dad falls on his back.
•The cat looks down and 'smiles' as Dad struggles.
•On his second attempt, Dad reaches the cat's branch.
•The cat jumps down on its own, and Dad is left stuck in the tree.
•Devices: irony, slapstick humour, personification (the cat smiles), rhyme.
•It is a narrative poem about overconfidence and comic reversal.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 3-5 marks, depending on school paper design

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Very Short / MCQ	1-2	1-2	The cat, Dad's attempts, the ending
Short / Long Answer	3-5	1	Humour, irony, character of Dad
Appreciation	3	0-1	What makes the poem funny

Prep strategy

Be able to narrate the story in sequence
Explain the slapstick humour and irony
Prepare a short character sketch of Dad
Identify devices: irony, personification, rhyme

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Appreciating humour in poetry

The poem shows how a simple everyday mishap can become delightful comedy in verse.

Understanding narrative poems

It models how a poem can tell a complete story with characters and a twist.

Humility

Dad's overconfidence gently teaches us not to assume tasks are easy.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Narrate the story in clear sequence
Point out the slapstick humour and the ironic ending
Give traits with examples in a character sketch
Name devices: irony, personification, rhyme

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Write your own short, funny narrative poem about a everyday mishap.
Compare this poem with another humorous narrative poem and discuss how each builds comedy.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 7 School ExamHigh

Olympiad / poetry comprehensionMedium

Creative writing and recitationMedium

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Giving the cat a human smile is personification. It adds to the humour, suggesting the cat is calmly amused by Dad's clumsy efforts, which contrasts comically with Dad's struggle.

Lightly, the poem reminds us not to be overconfident. Dad's certainty that the rescue would be 'easy' leads to his comic downfall, showing that things do not always go as planned -- and that we should be humble about our abilities.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 7 mock tests

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