Homeless Man and His Friends: A True Story — Class 8 English (Samacheer Kalvi)
TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 English, Supplementary 6. A true story about kindness returned by loyal friends.
1. About the lesson
This is a true story about Cesar, a homeless man in Rio do Sul, South Brazil, and the stray dogs he befriended. It shows how kindness comes back to us like a boomerang.
2. Summary
Though he had very little, Cesar often sacrificed his own food to feed the stray dogs around him. One day he fell very sick and had to be rushed to hospital, being admitted at about 3 a.m. A gang of dogs accompanied him all the way to the emergency room and waited loyally for him.
In the hospital, when the nurses offered Cesar food, he ate a little and saved some to give the dogs later. When he was discharged, four dogs accompanied him as he left — faithful companions who returned the love and care he had shown them. His kindness to the animals had come back to him as their unwavering loyalty.
3. Theme
The story shows that kindness and compassion are always rewarded — Cesar's love for the stray dogs was repaid by their loyalty, warmth and friendship. Good companions make both the best and worst times of life easier.
4. Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| homeless | having no home |
| stray | (of an animal) having no owner |
| sacrifice | to give up something for others |
| loyalty | faithfulness |
| reciprocal | given and received in return |
5. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)
A. Read and answer
- Who is the hero of the story? — Cesar, a homeless man.
- Where did the story happen? — In Rio do Sul, South Brazil.
- What did Cesar do for the stray dogs? — He shared his own food with them.
- Who accompanied Cesar to the hospital? — A gang of dogs.
- How many dogs accompanied him when he left the hospital? — Four dogs.
B. Think and answer 6. What did Cesar do with the food offered by the nurses? — He ate some and saved a bit for the dogs. 7. How did Cesar's kindness come back to him? — As the dogs' loyalty and companionship ("like a boomerang").
6. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Thinking the story is fiction. Fix: It is described as a true story.
- Mistake: Saying Cesar ignored the dogs once he was ill. Fix: Even in hospital he saved food for the dogs.
- Mistake: Missing the theme. Fix: The story shows that kindness is rewarded with loyalty and love.
7. Quick revision
- Supplementary 6 · Homeless Man and His Friends: A True Story (Cesar, Rio do Sul, Brazil).
- Cesar, though homeless, shared his food with stray dogs.
- When he fell sick (admitted ~3 a.m.), a gang of dogs accompanied him to the emergency room.
- He saved hospital food for them; four dogs went with him when he left.
- Theme: kindness comes back to us — repaid here by the dogs' loyalty and love.
