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CBSE Class 7 English★ 4-6 marks in Class 7 English assessments; comprehension, theme, and symbolism (supplementary reader)

'Chandni'

'The story of a goat named Chandni who chooses death in freedom over life in captivity. A powerful fable about the value of liberty and the courage to fight for what matters most.'

⏱ 12 min readMedium difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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

1Summarise the story of Abbu Khan and Chandni
2Explain the conflict between freedom and security
3Explain why Chandni chose the hills despite the danger
4Describe the ending and its significance
5Identify the symbolism of Chandni's fight with the wolf

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Why this chapter matters

'Chandni' is a powerful fable about a goat who chooses death in freedom over life in captivity. It builds comprehension and reflection on the deep human value of liberty, courage, and the willingness to fight for what matters most.

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 fables and identifying morals

Comprehension and finding the message of a fable

Chandni

Introduction

'Chandni' is a story about a goat named Chandni and her owner, an old man named Abbu Khan. Abbu Khan loves his goats and keeps them in a shelter. But his goats keep running away to the hills. When he gets Chandni, he tries everything to keep her safe — but Chandni, too, longs for freedom. The story is a powerful fable about the value of liberty.

'Death in an open field is better than life in a small hut.' — The message of Chandni's choice.

2. Summary of the Story

Abbu Khan's Problem

Abbu Khan lives in a small village in the hills. He loves goats and keeps them as his companions. But his goats keep running away to the hills. They are seduced by the freedom of the mountains. One by one, all his goats leave him.

Chandni Arrives

Abbu Khan gets a new goat — a beautiful white goat he names Chandni (meaning 'moonlight'). He builds a strong shelter for her and feeds her well. He hopes Chandni will be different and stay with him.

The Call of the Hills

Every day, Chandni looks at the hills with longing. She wants to go to the mountains, to run free, to experience the wild. Abbu Khan warns her — there is a fierce wolf in the hills. But Chandni still wants to go.

The Escape

One day, Chandni breaks her rope and runs to the hills. Abbu Khan is heartbroken. He knows what will happen.

The Fight

In the hills, a wolf attacks Chandni. She fights bravely. The battle is fierce — she is wounded but does not give up. In the end, the wolf kills her. But Chandni dies free.

'Chandni knew the wolf was waiting in the hills. She knew she would probably die. But she chose death in freedom over life in a cage. That was her victory.'

3. Characters

Character	Role	Traits
Abbu Khan	Goat owner	Loving, lonely, understands but does not accept
Chandni	The goat	Beautiful, brave, longs for freedom
The wolf	Danger	Fierce, represents the cost of freedom

4. Themes

Theme	Explanation
Freedom vs security	The central conflict — safe captivity vs dangerous freedom
The call of the wild	Animals have an instinct to be free
Courage	Chandni fights the wolf even though she knows she might lose
Love and letting go	Abbu Khan loves his goats but cannot keep them
Sacrifice	Chandni sacrifices her life for freedom

5. Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
Seduced	Attracted or tempted
Longing	A strong desire
Fierce	Violent, aggressive
Wounded	Injured
Hut	A small, simple house

6. Important Questions

Why did Abbu Khan's goats keep running away?
Why did Abbu Khan build a strong shelter for Chandni?
What did Abbu Khan warn Chandni about?
Why did Chandni choose to go to the hills despite the danger?
What is the moral of the story?

7. Exam Focus

2-Mark Questions

Who was Abbu Khan?
Why did Abbu Khan's goats run away?
What did Abbu Khan name his new goat?
What was in the hills that Abbu Khan warned Chandni about?

5-Mark Questions

Explain the conflict between freedom and security in 'Chandni'.
Why did Chandni choose to go to the hills despite the wolf?
How does the story end? What is its significance?
What does Chandni's fight with the wolf symbolise?

8. Self-Test

Q1. What does 'Chandni' mean? A1. Moonlight.

Q2. Why did Abbu Khan keep goats? A2. He loved them as his companions.

Q3. What did Abbu Khan build for Chandni? A3. A strong shelter.

Q4. What did the wolf do to Chandni? A4. It attacked and killed her.

Q5. What is the moral of the story? A5. 'Death in an open field is better than life in a small hut' — freedom is worth fighting for.

Summary

Abbu Khan loves goats but they keep running away to the hills.
He gets a new goat, Chandni, and tries to keep her safe.
Chandni longs for freedom despite the danger of the wolf.
She escapes and fights the wolf bravely.
She dies free rather than live in captivity.
The story is a powerful fable about the value of liberty.

Key formulas & results

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

Central conflict

Freedom vs security -- safe captivity in Abbu Khan's hut versus dangerous freedom in the hills.

Chandni chooses freedom even at the cost of her life.

The moral

'Death in an open field is better than life in a small hut.'

Liberty is worth fighting and even dying for.

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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 Chandni's death means she failed

✓ Chandni's death is a victory of spirit -- she died free after bravely fighting, rather than living caged.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing the symbolism of the wolf

✓ The wolf represents the danger and cost of freedom; fighting it shows Chandni's courage.

WATCH OUT

✗ Portraying Abbu Khan as cruel

✓ Abbu Khan loves his goats; the conflict is between his loving wish to protect and the goats' longing to be free.

WATCH OUT

✗ Retelling plot when the theme is asked

✓ For theme questions, state the freedom-vs-security conflict and support it with Chandni's choice.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

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

Comprehension Check

Short questions on Abbu Khan, Chandni, and the hills

Questions

Working with the Text

The conflict, Chandni's choice, and the moral

Questions

Practice problems

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

Q1MEDIUM· Explain

Explain the conflict between freedom and security in 'Chandni'.

▶ Show solution

Abbu Khan offers his goats safety -- a strong shelter, good food, and protection from the wolf in the hills. But the goats, including Chandni, long for the freedom of the mountains. The conflict is between safe captivity and dangerous freedom. Chandni cannot bear life in a hut; she values liberty so highly that she escapes to the hills, even knowing the wolf may kill her.

Q2MEDIUM· Explain

Why did Chandni choose to go to the hills despite the wolf?

▶ Show solution

Chandni longed for freedom -- to run free in the wild mountains. Even though Abbu Khan warned her about the fierce wolf, she felt that a free life, however dangerous and short, was better than a safe life in captivity, so she chose the hills.

Q3EASY· Recall

How does the story end, and what is its significance?

▶ Show solution

Chandni escapes to the hills, bravely fights the wolf, and is finally killed. Yet she dies free. The ending shows that freedom is worth fighting for, and that dying free can be a victory of spirit.

Q4MEDIUM· Symbolism

What does Chandni's fight with the wolf symbolise?

▶ Show solution

Chandni's fight symbolises the courage to struggle for freedom against overwhelming odds. The wolf represents the dangers and cost of liberty, while Chandni's brave, unyielding fight represents the spirit that values freedom above safety, even unto death.

5-minute revision

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

•Abbu Khan loves goats, but they keep running away to the hills for freedom.
•He gets a beautiful white goat, Chandni ('moonlight'), and tries to keep her safe.
•Chandni longs for the freedom of the hills despite the danger of the wolf.
•She breaks her rope and escapes to the mountains.
•She fights the wolf bravely but is finally killed.
•She dies free -- 'death in an open field is better than life in a small hut'.
•Themes: freedom vs security, the call of the wild, courage, sacrifice.

CBSE marks blueprint

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

Typical chapter weightage: 4-6 marks, depending on school paper design

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Comprehension / Very Short	1-2	1-2	Abbu Khan, Chandni, the wolf
Short / Long Answer	3-5	1	Freedom vs security, Chandni's choice, symbolism
Value-based	3	0-1	The value of liberty

Prep strategy

Understand the freedom-vs-security conflict
Explain why Chandni chose the hills
Note the symbolism of the wolf and the fight
Memorise the moral about freedom

Where this shows up in the real world

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

Valuing freedom

The fable helps us appreciate liberty and understand why it is worth striving for.

Understanding fables

It shows how animal stories carry powerful human messages through symbolism.

Courage and choice

Chandni's choice prompts reflection on courage and standing up for what one believes in.

Exam strategy

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

Frame the central conflict as freedom vs security
Explain Chandni's choice with her longing for freedom
Interpret the wolf and the fight symbolically
Quote the moral about freedom for value questions

Going beyond the textbook

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

Compare 'Chandni' with other stories or poems that celebrate freedom and sacrifice.
Debate: 'A short free life is better than a long safe one.'

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 / reading comprehensionMedium

Value education and literary appreciationMedium

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Questions students ask

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

The goats were drawn by the freedom of the hills -- the open mountains and the wild. No matter how well Abbu Khan cared for them, their natural longing for liberty made them leave the safety of his hut.

Although Chandni is killed by the wolf, her death is a victory of spirit. She chose to live -- and die -- free rather than remain safely caged, and she fought bravely to the end. The story celebrates her courage and love of freedom.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 7 mock tests

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