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CBSE Class 4 English★ 4-5 marks through reading comprehension, vocabulary, proper nouns, and short writing tasks in CBSE Class 4 English (Santoor)

Hekko

A CBSE Class 4 English (Santoor) Unit 3 folk story and traditional game from Nagaland. "Hekko" means "challenging the tiger". Children meet Aami (the Man) and Aakho (the Tiger) and learn how courage, teamwork, and fair play come together in this game. These notes give the story, the game, summary, theme, vocabulary, comprehension Q&A, grammar, writing tasks, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

⏱ 14 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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

1Tell where Hekko comes from and what the word means
2Retell the folk story of Aami and Aakho
3State how the game is organised into teams
4Use capital letters for names of places and games
5Write about a traditional game from their area

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Why this chapter matters

Hekko introduces a folk story and traditional game from Nagaland, building cultural awareness. Children learn the meaning of the word, the tale of Aami and Aakho, and values of courage, teamwork, and fair play.

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Class 3 English foundations

Reading a short story and naming places and games.

Hekko — Class 4 English (CBSE)

From the current Class 4 English Santoor textbook, Unit 3: Fun with Games, Chapter 9. A folk story and a traditional game from the beautiful state of Nagaland.

1. Chapter at a glance

Text type: A folk story that explains a traditional game.
Where it is from: Nagaland (the Mokokchung district).
Main "characters": Aami (the Man) and Aakho (the Tiger).
Main theme: Courage, teamwork, and fair play through a traditional game.

2. The Story and the game

Long ago in Nagaland, there was a friendly disagreement between Aami (the Man) and Aakho (the Tiger) about who was stronger and braver. This old folk tale gave birth to the game called Hekko.

The word "Hekko" means "challenging the tiger" — "Hek" means to challenge and "ko" means tiger. It is a well-known traditional sport of Nagaland, especially in the Mokokchung district.

In the game, there are two teams named after the story — Aami and Aakho — with eleven players in each team. The teams test their strength, courage, and teamwork, just like the Man and the Tiger in the tale. Hekko shows that traditional games are not only fun but also bring people together and make them strong and united.

3. Summary

"Hekko" is a folk story and traditional game from Nagaland. The word means "challenging the tiger". It comes from a tale about Aami (the Man) and Aakho (the Tiger) arguing about who is stronger. The game has two teams, Aami and Aakho, with eleven players each, who show courage and teamwork. The chapter teaches that traditional games keep people united, strong, and joyful.

4. Theme and values

Courage — facing a challenge bravely, like challenging the tiger.
Teamwork — eleven players working together.
Fair play — playing by the rules.
Pride in tradition — keeping local games and culture alive.

5. New words and meanings

Word	Meaning
Hekko	a Naga game meaning "challenging the tiger"
challenge	to invite someone to a contest of strength or skill
traditional	passed down through generations
courage	bravery; facing fear
unite	to come together as one

6. Let Us Think (comprehension)

Where does the game Hekko come from? From Nagaland, especially the Mokokchung district.
What does the word "Hekko" mean? "Challenging the tiger" — Hek means challenge and ko means tiger.
Who are Aami and Aakho? Aami is the Man and Aakho is the Tiger in the folk story; the two teams are named after them.
How many players are there in each team? Eleven players in each team.
What values does the game teach? Courage, teamwork, and fair play.

7. Language and grammar practice

Word meanings from other languages

Hek + ko = Hekko (challenge + tiger). Many words are made by joining parts — like rain + bow = rainbow.

Capital letters for names of places and games

Write with capitals: Nagaland, Mokokchung, Hekko, Aami, Aakho.

8. Writing and speaking practice

Writing: Write 5–6 lines about a traditional game played in your area.
Speaking: Tell a friend what "Hekko" means and where it comes from.

9. Common mistakes

Mistake: Thinking Hekko is just a story, not a game. Fix: Hekko is both a folk story and a traditional game with two teams.
Mistake: Forgetting the meaning of the word. Fix: Hekko = "challenging the tiger" (Hek + ko).
Mistake: Writing place names in small letters. Fix: Nagaland and Mokokchung start with capital letters.

10. Practice set

Where does Hekko come from?
What does the word "Hekko" mean?
Who are Aami and Aakho?
How many players are in each team?
Write the capital-letter words in: "hekko is played in nagaland."

11. Answer key

From Nagaland (the Mokokchung district).
"Challenging the tiger" — Hek (challenge) + ko (tiger).
Aami is the Man and Aakho is the Tiger; the teams are named after them.
Eleven players in each team.
Hekko, Nagaland.

12. Fun activity

Games of India Map

On a map of India, mark Nagaland. Find and write one traditional game from two other states.

13. Quick revision

Unit 3: Fun with Games · Chapter 9 · a folk story and game from Nagaland.
Hekko means "challenging the tiger" (Hek + ko).
It comes from the tale of Aami (Man) and Aakho (Tiger).
Two teams, Aami and Aakho, with eleven players each.
Theme: courage, teamwork, and fair play.

Unit 3: Fun with Games

This chapter is part of Unit 3: Fun with Games. The three chapters in this unit are:

Chapter 7: Fit Body, Fit Mind, Fit Nation — a poem about fitness
Chapter 8: The Lagori Champions — a story about a traditional game
Chapter 9: Hekko — a folk story and game from Nagaland

Key formulas & results

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

Text type

folk story explaining a traditional game

Read it for the tale of Aami and Aakho and the game Hekko.

Main theme

courage, teamwork, and fair play through a traditional game

Traditional games unite people and keep culture alive.

Answer habit

Use facts from the chapter

Support answers with a fact, such as Hekko meaning 'challenging the tiger'.

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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 Hekko is just a story, not a game

✓ Hekko is both a folk story and a traditional game with two teams.

WATCH OUT

✗ Forgetting the meaning of the word

✓ Hekko means 'challenging the tiger' (Hek + ko).

WATCH OUT

✗ Writing place names in small letters

✓ Nagaland and Mokokchung start with capital letters.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

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

Read, observe, and discuss

Discuss the tale of Aami and Aakho and traditional games you know before writing answers.

Questions

Notebook practice

Short answers on the meaning of Hekko, the teams, and capital letters for names.

Questions

Project or activity

Mark Nagaland on a map of India and find one traditional game from two other states.

Questions

Practice problems

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

Q1EASY· Recall

Where does Hekko come from?

▶ Show solution

From Nagaland, especially the Mokokchung district.

Q2MEDIUM· Vocabulary

What does the word 'Hekko' mean?

▶ Show solution

'Challenging the tiger' - Hek means challenge and ko means tiger.

Q3EASY· Comprehension

Who are Aami and Aakho?

▶ Show solution

Aami is the Man and Aakho is the Tiger in the folk story; the two teams are named after them.

Q4EASY· Recall

How many players are there in each team?

▶ Show solution

Eleven players in each team.

Q5EASY· Grammar

Write the capital-letter words in: 'hekko is played in nagaland.'

▶ Show solution

Hekko, Nagaland.

Q6HARD· Writing

Write 5-6 lines about a traditional game played in your area.

▶ Show solution

Mention the game's name, how it is played, and the values it teaches.

5-minute revision

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

•Hekko is Chapter 9 of Unit 3: Fun with Games in the Class 4 Santoor textbook.
•Text type: a folk story and traditional game from Nagaland.
•Hekko means 'challenging the tiger' (Hek + ko).
•It comes from the tale of Aami (Man) and Aakho (Tiger).
•Two teams, Aami and Aakho, with eleven players each.
•Theme: courage, teamwork, and fair play.

CBSE marks blueprint

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

Typical chapter weightage: 4-5 marks in school tests, oral checks, notebooks, and activities

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Very Short	1	2-3	Origin, teams, or capital letters
Short Answer	2	1-2	Meaning of Hekko or the folk story
Activity / Project	3	0-1	Map work or writing about a local game

Prep strategy

Learn the meaning and origin of Hekko
Recall the tale of Aami and Aakho
Practise capital letters for place and game names
Write about a traditional game you know

Where this shows up in the real world

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

Appreciating culture

Learning a Naga game builds respect for India's diverse traditions.

Teamwork and courage

The game teaches children to be brave and to work together.

Writing names correctly

Using capital letters for places and games improves writing.

Exam strategy

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

Underline the command word: where, what, who, or write
Give the exact meaning of Hekko
Capitalise names like Nagaland and Mokokchung
Answer in complete sentences

Going beyond the textbook

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

Find one more traditional game from north-east India and write a line about it.
Make a word from two parts, like Hek + ko, and explain its meaning.

Where else this chapter is tested

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

CBSE Class 4 School AssessmentHigh

Class 4 Foundation / Olympiad PracticeMedium

Notebook and Activity EvaluationHigh

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Questions students ask

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

Hekko means 'challenging the tiger' and is a traditional game from Nagaland, especially the Mokokchung district.

In the folk story, Aami is the Man and Aakho is the Tiger who argue about who is stronger. The two teams in the game are named after them.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 4 mock tests

CBSE Class 4 PYQs

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English flashcards

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