BROWN WOLF

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
●● infer the predicament of a lost dog.
●● recognise the patience and love of its new masters.
●● relate to the decision of the masters to honour the dog’s choice.
●● infer its homing instinct.
●● infer the dog’s choice.

Pre-reading
1. Why do you think the title of this story about a dog is Brown Wolf?
2. What would this animal story be about?
3. What kind of a relationship would you expect between the dog and its master?

Understanding the Text What was the sign that Wolf had accepted them
and their home? (He allowed them to touch him but
Read the text / Play the audio from the Smart Book.
snarled when anyone else tried.) What was strange
They called him Wolf…ever heard him bark even about the dog? (He never barked.)
once.
As Walt and Madge walked along…only seen him for
Ask students: five minutes.”

Describe Wolf? (He was a timber-wolf in size but Ask students:

instead of being grey he was reddish-brown as if he
How is the stranger introduced? (As a person
wanted to be seen as a dog.) Why were Walt and
coming from a colder place with the temperature
Madge fond of Wolf? (It was because he was not a
touching zero) Why had he come to that locality?
friendly dog and took a long time to respond to their
(He was looking for his sister, Mrs William Johnson.)
affection.) Why did he disappear from time to time?
How did Walt and Madge recognise him? (They
(He came whenever he was tired and hungry but
had heard much from Mrs Johnson about her brother
went away from time to time looking for his previous
who lived in the Klondikes in Canada.) How did Skiff
home.) Why does Walt call Wolf’s disappearance
Miller react on seeing Wolf? (He was surprised to see
his homing instinct? (Every time Wolf left home he
the dog. ‘Well! Well!’ he said, as if he recognised him.)
went north. So Walt presumed he was looking for his
Describe Wolf’s first meeting with Skiff Miller. (Wolf
previous home in that direction.) What did Walt do
flattened his ears and opened his mouth as if he was
to save Wolf from getting lost? (He put an identity
laughing at the sound of Miller’s voice. He went up to
plate with his name and address on the dog’s collar.)
him and smelt his hands and then licked them. The
Why did Wolf eventually decide to settle down?
dog had recognised the stranger.) Why was Madge
(After searching for a year for his previous home,
surprised at Wolf’s behaviour? (The dog had never
Wolf decided to settle down with Walt and Madge.)
been friendly with strangers.)

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 Discuss: (She was torn between her love for the dog and her
sense of justice that Miller had the right to take him.
How can we make out that Miller knew Wolf? (He
So, she tried to take the choice out of their hands and
examines Wolf’s forepaws and finding them soft
to leave it to the dog to make the decision.) How did
says the dog had not drawn sleds in a long time.
Miller feel about Madge's suggestion? (The idea
This shows that Miller owned Wolf as a sled-dog
was new to him. He had never thought the animal too
previously.) What else did Wolf do to surprise
should be given a choice and that its choice should
Walt and Madge? (Rubbing familiarly against the
be respected. And he knew Madge was right.) How
stranger’s legs, the dog barked for the first time.) Why
did Madge prevail upon Miller? (She used emotional
did Madge think Miller was making a joke when he
blackmail saying that, if he loved his dog enough, he
said he too was hearing the dog bark for the first
would let him choose where he would like to live.)
time? (Miller had been there for just a few minutes
How do we know Miller was fair-minded? (He knew
and, naturally, was hearing the dog bark that once
Madge was just in giving the dog the right of choice.
only. So she thought he was being funny in echoing
He said he would walk away and the dog was free to
her statement that it was the first time she had heard
choose either to follow him or to stay back, without
the dog bark.)
persuasion from either party.)
Skiff Miller looked at her sharply…We’ll play fair,”
Madge said. Discuss:
What does this tell us about Miller? (He respected
Ask students:
fair-play though it hurt him to walk away from his
How did Miller explain himself? (He told Madge dog, knowing that the dog could choose to stay
that he thought she had made out that the dog behind.)
was his and that he had named it Brown, perhaps
“Well, then, I might as well…the curve of the trail and
because of its colour.) How did Miller prove that
was gone.
the dog was his? (Miller showed Walt and Madge
how the dog responded to his commands. He called Ask students:
him Brown and the dog responded by flattening his
ears in submission. Then he first commanded him to How did the dog make out that Miller was leaving?
turn right and then to halt and the dog obeyed both (He could make out from Miller’s voice, as he took
commands.) What was Brown’s position in Miller’s leave that his master was leaving.) How did the dog
sled-team? (He had been the lead dog.) Why did respond to the leave-taking? (He could make out
Madge get worried? (She thought Miller would want that the shaking of hands was a form of leave-taking.
to take Brown with him.) What did Walt suggest? (He He stood on his hind legs, leaning on either Madge or
suggested that they would buy the dog from Miller.) Walt and licking Miller’s hand as if he were upset with
What was Miller’s stand? (He did not want to sell his what was happening.) How did he further show his
dog and he knew he had the right to take him away.) anxiety at the separation? (As Miller walked away,
How can we make out that the three people loved the dog dashed towards him to try and make him
the dog? (Walt and Madge had grown to love the dog stop. Failing, he ran back to Walt and tried to drag him
that had come to them on his own and were sad to towards Miller. As even that did not work, he tried to
send him away, though they knew Miller had a right beg Madge to bring Miller back.) What could the dog
over him. Miller was happy to find his lead-dog and be trying to tell his masters? (That instead of being
would want to take him back with him.) What was with one or the other he preferred that they should
the alternative Madge suggested? (She said the dog all live together.) What was the dog’s decision? (He
had the right to choose between his owners, the old chose to go along the trail with Miller, his former
and the new.) What does this tell us about Madge? master.)

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 Post-reading
Discussion:
1. Do you think it is a good idea to have a pet? Explain your viewpoint.
2. Do you have stories about the loyalty of dogs? Share them.
3. What can we learn from our pets?

Appreciating the Text The human characters are supporting characters

respecting the decision of their pet despite the
The main character is the dog known as Wolf and
heartache that ensues.
Brown. Madge and Walt call him Wolf because he
was a timber-wolf but brown in colour instead The dual name of the dog in the title is justified
of the usual grey. And Miller called him Brown because he responds to both identities as the pet
because of his colour. His loyalty is to his master, of two masters. But, ultimately, he chooses the life
Miller, though he does learn to love his new his breed has known, that of a sled-dog.
masters, Walt and Madge who feed him and care
for him.

Grammar adverb phrases and clauses

Recap Phrases and Clauses with students.

Adverb Phrases
Tell students:
●● An adverb phrase does the work of an adverb in a sentence. It may include an adverb, along with
other words like prepositions, nouns, verbs and modifiers that together do the work of an adverb.
I saw Amita only two days ago.
After a lot of thought, we came up with a plan.

Adverb Clauses
●● An adverb clause performs the function of an adverb in a sentence. Since they are subordinate
clauses, they are connected to the main clause by a subordinating conjunction like when, while,
because, although, before, after, since, so, even though, and so on.
We enjoyed the holiday, although we had a lot of trouble planning it.
Many people love him, because he is very friendly.
Write on the board:
I do my homework before going out to play.
Ask students:
●● How many clauses does this sentence have?
●● Which clause in the sentence tells you the time it happened?
Tell them that they are the adverbial clauses of time.
Underline and read the clauses.
Point out to them that the adverbial clause has a subject and a verb.

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 Some different types of adverb clauses
1. I do my homework before going out to play. – adverbial clause of time
2. I start jogging wherever I see a track. – adverbial clause of place
3. She speaks as though she were a native speaker. – adverbial clause of manner
Guide students to do the exercise in the Reader.

Words in Use meanings of phrases

Encourage students to guess the meanings of the words from the context.
Ask them to make their own meaningful sentences with the phrases given in the Reader.
Now, guide them to do the exercise given in the Reader.

Writing stating opinions

In an opinion essay,
●● The writer supports one main point.
●● A clear stand is taken in the opening paragraph.
●● The argument is developed in the body of your essay.
●● Each paragraph contains a single, clear idea that supports the writer’s point of view.
●● Examples, illustrations, cause-and-effect reasoning, comparison/contrast or other methods of
development can be used to support the argument.
●● Research: back up with documentation from outside sources.
●● Remember that a paragraph has three to five sentences that develop a single, clear idea.  A good
paragraph often begins with a topic sentence that sums up your main idea.
●● Complete the essay with a “call to action”—tell the reader what you would like them to do as a
result.

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 WORKSHEET
BROWN WOLF GRAMMAR

Name of Student: Class:

Complete the sentences using adverbial clauses.

1. He did not attend the wedding because .

2. The doctor will work till 10 p.m. if .

3. I wanted to attend the meeting but .

4. While , the doorbell rang.

5. She was walking in the park when .

BROWN WOLF VOCABULARY

Match the following meanings of phrases in column A to those in column B.

A B
1. size and shape of one’s body a. spotted
2. saw b. on the right track
3. was seen c. got to his feet
4. going in the right direction d. came into view
5. at that point of time e. have some weight
6. be meaningful and have some value f. build
7. stood up g. at this juncture

Make meaningful sentences with the words / phrases in Column B.

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 BROWN WOLF WRITING

Name of Student: Class:

Pretend that you are Brown Wolf and write a paragraph stating why, in your opinion, your choice
was right. Here is an outline to guide you.

It was a tough choice to choose between the two masters but I had to do it. Walt and Madge…
(Explain what they meant to you, how you learnt to respond to their love when you thought
you had lost Miller.) But when Miller came…(Describe how you felt to see him again, to see
that you were going to lose him again.) So I decided to go with…

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 ANSWER KEY TO THE WORKSHEETS

BROWN WOLF
Answer key to the grammar worksheet
Free response

Answer key to the vocabulary worksheet

1. build  2. spotted  3. came into view  4. on the right track  5. at this juncture
6. have some weight   7. got to his feet

QUESTION BANK WITH ANSWER KEY

BROWN WOLF
1. Read the lines and answer the questions.
And this would have been the end of him if Walt had not spotted him along the railway line and brought
him back to the cottage.
a. Who is being referred to in the above lines?
b. Who is ‘Walt’? Why was he looking for him?
c. Why would that be the end of him?
Answers:
a. The narrator is speaking about the dog named ‘Wolf’.
b. Walt Irvine stayed in the mountain cottage and Wolf the dog arrived at his cottage from nowhere.
Wolf, the dog had been treated by him and Walt tried to win his love. But after recovering the dog
just disappeared.
c. Wolf was very unsociable. Further more, he was found beside the railway line. He could have been
hit by a train if Walt had not found him on time.

2. Answer in brief.
a. How did Wolf treat Walt and Madge? How did they gain his confidence?
Answer: Walt and Madge had to struggle a lot to get close to Wolf. Wolf would run away and had
to be found and brought back by Walt. They both loved the dog but got very little in return. Soon
their persistent effort won them the confidence of Wolf. They were the only ones he allowed to
touch him. All others were greeted with a growl.
b. How did Wolf react to Skiff Miller? What did he do for the first time after he saw him?
Answer: Wolf went close to him voluntarily which surprised Walt and Madge a lot. Wolf never
felt comfortable with strangers. But with Miller he was very friendly. He rubbed against the
newcomer’s legs, and for the first time since Walt and Madge discovered him, he barked.

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 3. Answer in detail.
How did Wolf choose Skiff Miller over Walt and Madge?
Answer: Wolf was the name given by Walt and Madge but it reacted when Miller called him Brown,
proving that Wolf was indeed Skiff Miller’s lost lead dog. But when the time came to leave he had to
decide between his old master and the new ones. In his own way, he tried to stop Miller from going.
Failing that, he tried to persuade Walt to go along with Miller. Then he tried to beg Madge to move.
When everything failed, he had to make up his mind. So then, he broke away from Walt and Madge
and ran towards Miller cutting sharply across the curve of the trail and soon he was gone.

4. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)

How do you think both Walt and Madge would have felt after seeing Wolf run away from them?
Free response Suggested answer: Both Walt and Miller would have been devastated after Wolf left
them. They had taken great efforts to win Wolf’s love and when finally that happened their joy
knew no bounds. But destiny had a different plan. Skiff Miller, who was the original owner appeared
suddenly and chanced upon his lost dog Brown, who was now called Wolf. Wolf, ultimately decided to
go after his original owner. This must have come as a shock to Walt and Madge. Their lonely life was
filled with activity because of Wolf. Now they would be lonely again. It would take months for them to
come to terms with the fact that Wolf would not return to them again.

STUDENTS’ BOOK ANSWER KEY

BROWN WOLF
Style Focus
1. The writer shows us that something is about to happen here by describing Skiff Miller’s reaction.
He tells us that Miller has a look of wonder on his face which is followed by the exclamation,
Well! Well!”. We thus understand that the sight of the dog perhaps means something to Miller
and that there is a possible connection between the two that can set off a chain of events.
2. The writer helps us understand that the dog belongs to Miller through their interaction with each
other. We see that the dog is very affectionate with Miller who is able to handle him with ease and
confidence, something that Walt and Madge have never been able to do. The dog then barks at Miller,
as if recognizing him and seeking his attention.
3. We understand the feelings of the characters from the way they react to the dilemma that they have
found themselves in. Madge is very close to tears—this is obviously because she cannot bear the
thought of losing the dog. Walt tries to act firm and decisive with Miller to show that he is not backing
down. Miller meanwhile is not considering the possibility of not getting his dog back. Through their
arguments and entreaties, we are able to understand their confusion—each one wants to do the
right thing but no one wants to give the dog up. Also, none of them have considered how the other
person might feel at giving up the dog.
4. “It ain’t going to be easy, I can tell you that,” were the Klondiker’s last words, as he turned and went
slowly up the trail.

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 Understanding the Text
A. 1. NT; When the dog arrived at their cottage, Walt and Madge did not know where he came from.
2. NT; Wolf kept running away from Walt and Madge’s home because of his homing instinct which
made him want to return to where he came from.
3. NT; Wolf’s reaction to Skiff Miller tells us that he was familiar with the man.
4. T
5. T
B. 1. Madge and Walt had to work so hard to win over the dog because he was very unfriendly at first
and rejected all their attempts to make friends with him. Therefore, it took them a lot of time to
make him trust and accept them.
2. Walt ensured that the dog would be returned to him whenever he ran away by attaching a metal
plate to his collar on which Walt’s name and address were inscribed.
3. From Wolf’s repeated disappearances, Walt and Madge noticed that every time he escaped, he
headed in the northern direction. This told them that he probably had come from somewhere up
North.
4. Madge and Walt met a man called Skiff Miller who had come from Klondike, a region in north-
western Canada.
5. ‘He’ is Skiff Miller. Based on Wolf’s behaviour in the past, it seems unlikely that he would have let a
stranger touch him like this. We know that it took him a whole year to allow Madge and Walt, who
sheltered and looked after him to win him over. So, there was not a chance that he would have let
a stranger touch and examine him the way Skiff Miller did.
6. When Miller expressed surprise that Wolf barked, Madge thought he was trying to be funny
because she did not realise that the dog recognized Miller and belonged to him. No, he was not
making a joke. His friendly interaction with the dog tells us that they knew each other very well.
7. ‘It’ refers to the dilemma that Miller, Walt and Madge were facing i.e. who should be allowed to
keep the dog. Skiff was thinking about Madge’s suggestion that the dog should choose who he
wants to live with. He was debating the matter because he had missed the dog very much and did
not want to lose him again. But he also wanted the dog to be happy, even if it meant letting him
live with Walt and Madge.
8. Yes, the dog tried to make Walt, Madge and Skiff stay together. He kept trying to first convince
Skiff to stay back. But when he saw Skiff retreating, he tried to tug at Walt’s hand in a bid to make
him go along with Skiff.
9. Yes, the dog made a firm decision in the end. We know this because he ran after Skiff and didn’t
once turn back.

Appreciating the Text

a. (Suggested answer. Accept any logical answer)
Walt and Madge called the dog, ‘Wolf’. When he first appeared, he was unfriendly and kept trying
to break free and run away. Thus, the name Wolf was appropriate for such an animal who was wild
and didn’t want to be tamed by strangers. When he saw Miller, he was very affectionate. He licked
him and nudged him affectionately, much in the way a pet would. Thus, the name Brown seemed
suitable because it gives us the impression of a tame, trained pet animal.
b. Free response

Grammar and Usage

A. 1. phrase  2. clause  3. clause  4. phrase  5. phrase  6. phrase

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 B. 1. Kumar met his aunt after many years.
It was after many years that Kumar met his aunt.
2. The result was announced on our arrival.
The result was announced when we arrived.
3. Gowri feeds the fish before leaving for school.
Gowri feeds the fish before she leaves for school.
4. It is best to practise in a place with no disturbance.
It is best to practise in a place where we will not be disturbed/you will not be disturbed.
5. We have to start now to catch the train.
We have to start now if we want to catch the train/if we are to catch the train.
6. The match was exciting right till the end.
The match was exciting right till it ended.

Words in Use
A. 1. build   2. spotted   3. (a long time) went by   4. came into view   5. on the right track
6. at this juncture   7. have some weight in them   8. got to his feet
B. 1. c  2. e  3. a  4. d  5. b

Speaking
Free response

Writing
Free response

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