Golu Grows a Nose

The Boot-Nose Era and Golu's Insatiable Curiosity

Chapter 3 of the BSEB Class 7 English supplementary reader An Alien Hand, titled 'Golu Grows a Nose', is a whimsical, timeless evolutionary fable adapted from the world-famous Just So Stories by the celebrated British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. Set in an ancient, mythological epoch when the animal kingdom was still taking its modern biological shape, the narrative explains how the elephant acquired its iconic, multipurpose long trunk through the adventurous escapades of an inquisitive baby elephant named Golu.

The Anatomy of Ancient Elephants: The Boot-Like Bulgy Nose

In those mythical days of yore, elephants possessed no long, flexible trunk as we know today. Instead, every elephant was born with merely a bulgy, dark nose about as big as a leather boot. This primitive snout had severe functional limitations:

• Restricted Movement: An elephant could wriggle and twist its boot-like nose from side to side in a comical fashion, but the organ lacked length, dexterity, and prehensile grasping ability.
• Inability to Pick Things Up: An elephant could not pick up a single piece of fruit, pluck a blade of grass from the earth, or spray water onto its back. If an elephant wished to eat, it had to bend its entire massive body down to the ground.

Golu's Insatiable Inquisitiveness and Bewildered Relatives

Into this ancient world was born Golu, an energetic baby elephant characterized by an overwhelming, unstoppable drive known as 'insatiable curiosity'. Golu was consumed by an endless desire to understand the natural mysteries surrounding him, and he incessantly barraged his diverse animal relatives with bold questions:

• To his tall aunt, the Ostrich: Golu asked, "Why don't you ever fly like other birds?" Baffled and annoyed, the tall ostrich gave Golu a sharp peck on his backside with her hard beak.
• To his tall uncle, the Giraffe: Golu inquired, "What makes your skin so spotty and patchy?" The towering giraffe, irritated by the insolence, delivered a swift kick with his hard hoofs.
• To his huge uncle, the Hippopotamus: Golu wondered, "Why are your eyes always so fiery and red?" The massive hippopotamus snorted furiously, blew bubbles through the mud, and glared menacingly.
• To his hairy uncle, the Baboon: Golu demanded, "Why do sweet melons always taste like melons?" The hairy baboon gave Golu a stinging slap with his rough paw.

Despite being constantly shushed, pecked, kicked, and slapped, Golu never harbored resentment. His innocent mind remained vibrant, relentlessly searching for deeper truths about the living creatures of the African savanna.

BSEB Exam Tip: When describing ancient elephants, emphasize that their noses were bulgy and as big as a boot, which they could wriggle from side to side but could not pick things up with.

The Dangerous Question and the Mynah's Direction

Golu's inquisitive spirit reached its turning point on a bright morning when a brand-new, unprecedented question entered his lively imagination. Approaching his gathered relatives in the clearing, Golu innocently asked: "What does the crocodile have for dinner?"

A Chorus of Terrified Silence

The moment the dread word 'crocodile' crossed Golu's lips, an eerie, paralyzing terror gripped the animal community. In the African wilderness, the crocodile was feared as an apex aquatic predator that lurked unseen beneath murky waters, dragging unsuspecting creatures to a violent watery grave. In absolute panic, all his aunts and uncles screamed in unison: "HUSH! Hush, Golu!" and fled into the deep forest, refusing to utter another syllable about the creature.

The Mynah Bird on the Bush

Undeterred by the community's terror, Golu wandered through the savanna seeking someone brave and knowledgeable enough to answer his query. Sitting peacefully in the middle of a thorny bush, he noticed a clever, observant Mynah bird. Golu approached politely and repeated his earnest question: "O Mynah, my family shushes me and runs away, but please tell me: What does the crocodile have for dinner?"

The wise Mynah bird looked at the innocent baby elephant with a mixture of amusement and solemnity. Understanding that true knowledge cannot be taught through hearsay but must be experienced firsthand, the bird gave Golu life-altering directions:

"Go to the banks of the great, grassy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and there you will find out for yourself!"

Packing Massive Provisions for the Expedition

Hearing this thrilling advice, Golu resolved to undertake the epic expedition immediately. Showing typical elephant resourcefulness, he packed an enormous traveling lunch to sustain himself across the wilderness:

• A hundred pounds of delicious sugar cane;
• Fifty dozen ripe, sweet bananas;
• Twenty-five refreshing, juicy melons.

Bidding a cheerful farewell to his dumbfounded family, who warned him of mortal peril, Golu announced bravely: "Goodbye, all! I am off to the great, grassy Limpopo River to discover what the crocodile eats for dinner!" With that heroic declaration, he strode boldly into the uncharted jungle.

BSEB Factual Recall: Remember Golu's exact travel rations: 100 pounds of sugar cane, 50 dozen bananas, and 25 melons. This specific detail is frequently tested in 1-mark objective questions.

Meeting the Python and Reaching the Limpopo River

Golu's solitary journey toward the southern horizon was a delightful adventure. As he walked across plains and savannas, he munched happily on his sugar canes, peeled bananas, and devoured juicy melons, leaving a distinctive trail of crushed melon rinds in his wake. After days of steady trekking, he approached the mystical territory of the fever-trees.

Encounter with the Coiled Python

Near the border of the river basin, Golu encountered an extraordinary creature: a massive Python coiled gracefully around the trunk of a tall tree. Golu had never seen a python before, yet his innate good manners and respectful demeanor shone through:

• Polite Inquiries: Bowing courteously, Golu said, "Good morning, noble stranger! Have you ever seen such a thing as a crocodile in these parts? What does he look like? And most importantly, what does he have for dinner?"
• The Python's Silent Scrutiny: The Python uncoiled himself slowly from the tree trunk, looked intently into Golu's wide, innocent eyes, and flicked his forked tongue. However, he uttered not a single word.
• Golu's Gentle Courtesy: Seeing that the Python remained silent, Golu did not get angry or rude. Instead, noting that the heavy serpent was struggling to re-ascend the bark, Golu gently used his boot-nose to help the Python coil himself back onto the branch, thanked him cordially, and continued on his way. This small act of selfless kindness would soon save Golu's life.

The Great, Grassy Limpopo River: The Log of Wood

A few hours later, Golu finally arrived at the edge of the great, grassy Limpopo River. The riverbanks were lined with lush green reeds, misty fever-trees, and swirling green waters. As Golu stood on the muddy bank peering into the river, he stepped right on what appeared to be a rough, mossy log of wood lying partially submerged in the mud.

To Golu's utter astonishment, the 'log of wood' suddenly blinked and slowly opened one yellow, reptilian eye! Golu had reached his destination, completely unaware that he was standing inches away from the very monster he had traveled hundreds of miles to interrogate.

BSEB Analytical Question: How did Golu treat the Python when they first met? Answer: Golu treated the Python with great courtesy, and when the Python did not answer, Golu politely helped him coil back onto the tree trunk before saying goodbye.

The Crocodile's Deceitful Trap and the Muddy Tug-of-War

When the rough, scaly creature winked, Golu politely stepped back into the mud and asked with his customary courtesy: "Excuse me, noble sir, but in your travels in this river, have you ever happened to see a crocodile?"

Crocodile Tears and the Sinister Whisper

The creature grinned a broad, terrifying smile, showing rows of razor-sharp, jagged white teeth. To convince the innocent baby elephant of his true identity, the creature performed a famous biological deceit:

• The Crocodile Tears: The beast began shedding genuine, glistening tears that trickled down into the mud. In natural history and folklore, 'crocodile tears' symbolize deceitful, insincere displays of emotion designed to lure unsuspecting prey into complacency.
• The Confirmation: The reptile said in a oily voice: "Come hither, little one, for I am indeed the crocodile!"
• Golu's Joyful Naivety: Overjoyed that his quest had succeeded, Golu exclaimed, "Oh, you are the very person I have walked so far to find! Please tell me what you have for dinner!"
• The Deadly Trap: Whispering softly, the crocodile replied, "Lean your head close to my mouth, little one, and I will whisper my dinner menu into your ear so no one else can hear."

The Snap: Seized by the Boot-Nose!

Innocently trusting the stranger, Golu lowered his little head toward the scaly jaws. In a flash of blinding speed, SNAP! The crocodile lunged forward and clamped his powerful jaws firmly onto Golu's little boot-like nose!

Thrashing the murky water with his spiked tail, the crocodile growled through his clenched teeth: "I think today, a tender baby elephant will make my dinner!" Golu, in agonizing pain, could only squeak through his pinched nostrils: "Led go! You are hurding be!"

The Epic Tug-of-War Begins

Realizing he was fighting for his very life, Golu sat back on his little haunches. He dug his four stubby legs deep into the sticky river mud and pulled with all the frantic desperation of youth. But the crocodile was a colossal monster of the deep; slipping backward into the river, the crocodile churned the water into a frothing foam of mud and slime, pulling with terrifying hydraulic strength. At each agonizing tug, Golu's short, boot-like nose began to stretch, pulling out like an elastic band!

BSEB Moral Concept: The phrase 'crocodile tears' refers to hypocritical, false tears shed by a predator to deceive its victim, as demonstrated when the crocodile tricked Golu into leaning close.

The Python's Intervention and the Five-Foot Stretched Nose

As Golu's strength rapidly drained away, his front feet began slipping toward the murky abyss of the river. The greedy crocodile was inexorably dragging the baby elephant into the deep water where drowning would be inevitable. At that catastrophic moment, Golu's earlier kindness to the coiled serpent bore miraculous fruit.

The Python to the Rescue

Gliding swiftly down from the fever-trees, the Python arrived on the muddy battlefield. Seeing Golu's dire predicament, the wise snake shouted an urgent warning: "Little one, if you do not pull with every ounce of strength you possess, the crocodile will drag you into the stream before you can blink!"

Springing into heroic action, the Python executed a brilliant cooperative maneuver:

• The Living Anchor: The Python swiftly looped his muscular, scaly body around Golu's plump stomach, knotting his coils securely.
• The Double Tug: With Golu digging his heels into the mud and the Python anchoring his powerful tail against the bank, both creatures pulled backward in a supreme, unified tug-of-war against the aquatic monster.
• The Agonizing Stretch: Suspended between the crocodile's clenched jaws and the Python's coils, Golu's nose stretched longer, thinner, and longer. At every pull, the nose elongated by inches, sending excruciating waves of pain through Golu's head.

The Crocodile Lets Go: A Five-Foot Appendage

Unable to overcome the combined traction of the baby elephant and the giant python, the crocodile's jaws finally slipped. With a thunderous, echoing SPLASH, the crocodile lost his grip and tumbled backward into the deep waters of the Limpopo, retreating defeated into the reeds.

Golu fell backward with a heavy thud onto the bank. Breathing heavily, he looked down at his poor face in utter shock: his little boot-like nose had been pulled out into an enormous, dangling appendage nearly five feet long!

Wrapping the Nose in Cool Banana Leaves

Golu sat on the bank for two whole days, tenderly wrapping his swollen, aching nose in broad, cool banana leaves, dangling the tip in the cool stream of the Limpopo River, waiting patiently for it to shrink back to its original boot-like size. But natural evolution is irreversible: the nose cooled down and the swelling subsided, but it never shrank by a single inch.

BSEB Exact Fact: After the tug-of-war, Golu's stretched nose was nearly five feet long. He waited two full days wrapped in banana leaves for it to shrink, but it never shrank.

The Three Great Advantages of the Stretched Trunk

As Golu sat miserably by the river mourning the loss of his compact boot-nose, his faithful ally, the Python, slithered onto the bank. The wise serpent recognized that what Golu regarded as an ugly physical deformity was, in biological reality, a miraculous evolutionary gift that would transform elephant life forever.

Advantage 1: The Personal Fly-Swatter

While Golu was lamenting, an annoying savanna fly landed on his exposed shoulder and bit him sharply. In the old days, Golu could have done nothing except twitch his skin helplessly. But now, the Python whispered: "Try using your new nose, little one!"

Instinctively, Golu lifted his five-foot trunk, swung it backward with effortless precision, and WHACK!—he swatted the biting fly stone dead in a fraction of a second! Astonished, Golu smiled as the Python remarked: "You could never have done that with a little boot-nose, could you?"

Advantage 2: Plucking Food Without Bending Down

A few moments later, Golu felt a pang of hunger. In the past, eating required an elephant to kneel down awkwardly on its forelegs to reach ground level. Following the Python's encouragement, Golu reached out his long, flexible trunk:

• He wrapped the prehensile tip around a lush bundle of sweet grass.
• He neatly plucked it out of the ground with a clean tug.
• He dusted the soil off against his front legs.
• He stuffed the delicious bundle straight into his mouth!

The Python smiled: "Advantage number two! You can feed yourself effortlessly from the ground or high tree branches without ever straining your knees!"

Advantage 3: The Cooling Mud-Shower

Soon, the midday African sun began beating down with scorching intensity, making the earth uncomfortably hot. Golu looked longingly at the cool river mud:

Reaching out his versatile trunk, Golu scooped up a large slab of cool, wet, squelchy mud from the riverbank and slapped it right on top of his head! The mud formed a soothing, protective cap that cooled his brain and shielded his delicate skin from blistering heat. Golu exclaimed in pure delight: "Thank you, Mr. Python! This new nose is indeed wonderful!"

BSEB High-Scoring List: The three advantages of the trunk demonstrated by the Python are: 1. Swatting away biting flies; 2. Plucking grass and food from heights easily; 3. Scooping mud and water to cool oneself during heat.

Return to the Herd, Evolutionary Parable, and BSEB Exam Strategy

Having mastered the three miraculous abilities of his new trunk, Golu warmly thanked the Python, packed his remaining melon rinds, and embarked on his triumphant journey back home. His return transformed not only his own status but the future of all elephant kind.

Golu's Triumphant Homecoming

When Golu arrived back at his native clearing, his family members were astounded. Seeing his long, dangling five-foot nose, his aunts and uncles initially mocked him: "Look at Golu's ridiculous nose! What an ugly thing!" But Golu was no longer the helpless infant they could bully:

• When his tall aunt, the Ostrich, tried to peck him, Golu extended his trunk and gently lifted her off the ground!
• When his tall uncle, the Giraffe, tried to kick him, Golu plucked ripe fruit from the highest acacia branch and dropped it before him.
• When his naughty cousins teased him, Golu gave them a swift, disciplinary spanking with his powerful trunk!
• Finally, Golu trotted to the river, filled his trunk with water, and gave all his hot, dusty relatives a refreshing shower, cooling them in the midday heat.

The Stampede to the Limpopo River

Witnessing the unmatched versatility, power, and comfort of Golu's new trunk, the other elephants realized that their boot-like noses were obsolete. Without wasting another moment, the entire herd stampeded across the savanna to the banks of the great, grassy Limpopo River, all seeking out the crocodile to have their own noses stretched into magnificent trunks!

BSEB Examination Mastery Blueprint

In the BSEB Class 7 English examination, answers should balance literary charm with factual precision:

• 2-Mark Questions: Answer directly in 20–30 words (e.g., Golu's questions to relatives, travel food items).
• 3-Mark Questions: Detail the three advantages of the trunk in distinct, bulleted points.
• 4 and 5-Mark Questions: Trace the narrative arc from Golu's question to the Limpopo tug-of-war, the Python's intervention, and the evolutionary transformation.

BSEB Topper Wisdom: Kipling's story carries a profound moral: Curiosity leads to discovery, and what begins as a painful challenge can, with courage and good friends, become our greatest strength and lifelong advantage.