Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug-such as bears are thought to give, as they attack you! Again, hyenas are thought to laugh and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language(s)?

Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?

How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?

Does ‘Dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’ ? Can you say it in such a way that it does?

We have seen that some contracted forms can stand for two different full forms : I’d = I had or I would Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what these are.

Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words. For example : I’ve = I have