This is Jodyโs Fawn by Marjorie Kinnan
Introduction
โThis is Jodyโs Fawnโ is a heartwarming short story about a small child and his conscience. It is centred on the emotions of a small child, Jody, who has a sensitive mind and is unable to forget a doeโs sacrifice to save his fatherโs life. The lesson takes you on Jodyโs journey, from discovering the fawn to bringing it home. Hereโs a summary of the story โThis is Jodyโs Fawn.โ
Summary of This is Jodyโs Fawn
Jodyโs father is bitten by a rattlesnake in this storey. He promptly dispatches a doe and extracts the poison from its heart and liver. Jody is concerned about what will happen to the baby fawn who has been abandoned by its mother.
Jodyโs thoughts was haunted by the image of a fawn. He walked to his fatherโs bedside silently. He inquired as to how he was feeling. Then he asked him to consider the fawn. He requested permission to carry the fawn home. Jody wanted to be the one to parent him. The father initially dismissed it, but when Jody continued on reminding him of his responsibility, the father accepted. He let Jody bring the fawn home. He urged him to inform his mother before bringing the fawn in.
Jodyโs thoughts was haunted by the image of a fawn. He walked to his fatherโs bedside silently. He inquired as to how he was feeling. Then he asked him to consider the fawn. He requested permission to carry the fawn home. Jody wanted to be the one to parent him. The father initially dismissed it, but when Jody continued on reminding him of his responsibility, the father accepted. He let Jody bring the fawn home. He urged him to inform his mother before bringing the fawn in.
Jody approached his mum and sat down calmly. The mother was filling the cup with coffee. When Jody mentioned bringing the fawn home, she was taken aback. When Jody saw his motherโs hesitation, he informed her what his father had said. He stated that Penny had stated that leaving the fawn to starve would be ungrateful.
Jody rode with Mill-Wheel on his horse, assuring his mother that he would arrive home before dinner. After some time, they got closer to the spot where his father had been bitten. Jody wanted to continue on his own because he did not want Mill-Wheel to see his disappointment if they did not find the fawn. If, on the other hand, he located the fawn, he wanted to enjoy the joy of it all alone because he expected their meeting to be powerful, emotional, and hence intimate. Thus, he continues on, assuring Mill-wheel of his understanding of instructions and capacity to care for himself.
When Jody arrived at the location where his father had been bitten, he discovered buzzards hovering over the dead doeโs carcass. He also discovered cat traces, and for a brief moment, he feared for the fawnโs life. He finally spotted the fawn behind a bush after a long hunt. Jody spotted the fawn shivering and felt suspicious. He attempted to soothe the fawn and reach some sort of understanding with him.
Despite the fact that the fawn tolerated Jody’s presence, he did not move. Jody then made the decision to carry the fawn all the way home. He gently lifted the fawn after patting him. He proceeded around the spot where his father had been attacked and where the fawn’s mother’s body lay, afraid that the fragrance of his mother would agitate the fawn. He had to stop frequently for breaks since he was struggling with the weight of the fawn and the vines and bushes that were in his way. Despite the fact that Jody’s arms were hurting, he continued on his journey. He even gained the trust of the fawn, who gradually became eager to follow him.
Comprehension Questions
1.ย What had happened to Jodyโs father?
Ans. Jodyโs father was bitten by a rattlesnake.ย
2.ย How did the doe saveย Pennyโs life?
Ans. Doeโs heart and liver were used to save Jodyโs father.
3.ย Why doesย Jody want to bring theย Fawn home?
Ans. Jody wants to bring the fawn home because he doesnโt want to leave it alone in the jungle
4.ย How doesย Jod know that the fawn is aย male?
Ans. Jodyโs father had taught him to identify the differences between a male fawn and a doe fawn. In a male fawn, the spots were all in a line, whereas in a doe โfawn the spots were in different directions over the body.
5.ย Jody didnโt wantย Mill-wheel with him for two reasons.ย What were they?
Ans. Jody did not want Mill-wheel with him for two reasons:
(i) if he did not find the fawn at the place he might feel sad and disheartened;
(ii) if he found the fawn there he would be very much emotional to meet it. In both cases, he did not want to share any of them with anyone else.
6.ย Why wasย Mill-wheel afraid to leaveย Jody alone?
Ans. Mill-wheel was afraid of his feeling that Jody might get lost or bitten by a snake.
7.ย How didย Jody bring the fawn back?
Ans. Jody got the fawn around the place where the doe was killed. He took the fawn in his arms and carried it home.
8.ย Jody was filled with emotion after he found the fawn.ย Can you find at least three words or phrases which show how he felt?
Ans. The words โstartledโ, โtumbled backwardโ, โdeliriousโ show Jodyโs emotion in the text.
9.ย How did the deer drink milk from the ground?
Ans. Jody dipped his fingers below the level of milk and the fawn sucked his fingers.
10.ย Why didnโt the fawn followย Jody up the steps as he had thought it would be?
Ans. The fawn was not able to follow Jody up steps due to its weak legs.
Extra Questions of This is Jodyโs Fawn
1. Why did Penny Baxter allow Jody to go find the fawn and raise it?
Ans. Penny Baxter allowed Jody to raise the fawn because he was obliged to the doe that was killed to save his own life. Also he could not deny Jodyโs wish, for he loved him dearly.
2. What did Doc Wilson mean when he said, โNothing in the world ever comes quite freeโ?ย ย
Ans. According to Doc Wilson, โnothing in the world comes quite freeโ meant that they had to pay a price for everything. Raising the dead doeโs fawn could be their price for the doeโs sacrifice.
3. How did Jody look after the fawn, after he accepted the responsibility for doing this?
Ans.Jody sacrificed his portion of milk in order to feed the fawn. He also took care of the needs of the fawn, teaching him how to sip milk from the gourd, climbing stairs and so on.
4. How does Jodyโs mother react when she hears that he is going to bring the fawn home?Why does she react in this way?
Ans. Jodyโs mother became anxious when she heard that Jody was bringing the fawn home. She becomes worried because the family could not afford sufficient food for the fawn. There was no extra milk or food to be given to the fawn.