How a Camel got its Hump

How the Camel Got His Hump

by Rudyard Kipling

1

In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work; and when anybody spoke to him he said “Humph!” Just “Humph!” and no more.

2

Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.”

3

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.

4

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.”

5

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.

6

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.”

7

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.

8

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, “Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you (with the world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it.”

9

Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic) . . .

10

“Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for any one to be idle, with the world so new-and-all?”

11

“Certainly not,” said the Djinn.

12

“Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle of your Howling Desert with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke of work since Monday morning.”

13

“Whew!” said the Djinn, whistling, “that’s my Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say about it?”

14

“He says ‘Humph!’” said the Dog and the Ox.

15

“Very good,” said the Djinn. “I’ll humph him if you will kindly wait a minute.”

16

The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing across the desert, and found the Camel looking at his own reflection in a pool of water.

17

“My long and bubbling friend,” said the Djinn, “what’s this I hear of your doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?”

18

“Humph!” said the Camel.

19

The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think a Great Magic. “You’ve given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning,” said the Djinn; and he went on thinking Magics, with his chin in his hand.

20

“Humph!” said the Camel.

21

“I shouldn’t say that again if I were you,” said the Djinn. “Bubbles, I want you to work.”

22

And the Camel said “Humph!” again; but no sooner had he said it than he saw his back puffing up into a great big humph.

23

“Do you see that?” said the Djinn. “That’s your very own humph that you’ve brought upon your very own self by not working. Today is Thursday, and you’ve done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now you are going to work.”

24

“How can I,” said the Camel, “with this humph on my back?”

25

“That’s made a-purpose,” said the Djinn, “all because you missed those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three, and behave.”

26

And the Camel, humph and all, went away to join the Three. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call it “hump” now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world.

"How the Camel Got His Hump" by Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories. In the public domain.

1.Select two sentences that describe the Djinn and the Camel.

• A.The Djinn is fooled by the Camel.

• B.The Djinn speaks to the Camel.

• C.The Djinn leaves the Camel alone.

• D.The Djinn performs magic on the Camel.

• E.The Djinn walks away from the Camel.

Who leaves the camel alone?

• The Man

• The Djimm

Who is fooled by the camel?

• The man

• Djinn

Who speaks to the camel?

• The man

• Djinn

Who realizes what the camel is doing?

• The Man

• Djinn

What is the structure of the text?

• The structure is cause/effect, and the author explains what caused the camel to look how he does.

• The structure is compare/contrast, and the author reports how the animals are similar and different.

• The structure is description, and the author focuses on what each of the animals looks like.

• The structure is problem/solution, and the author describes how the animals solved a problem.

What is the meaning of the word idle in paragraph 10?

“Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for any one to be idle, with the world so new-and-all?”

• lonely

• lazy

• asleep

• Though the camel does not say much, the word “idle” is not the same as the word “quiet.”

Which detail of the story provides context to the meaning of the word idle?

• The camel spends his time by himself.

• The camel has very little to say.

• The camel lives in the middle of the desert.

• The camel works less than the other animals.

Read this sentence from paragraph 12.

“Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle of your Howling Desert with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke of work since Monday morning.”

• a swing

• an illness

• an act

• a touch

Which statement BEST describes the theme of the text?

• Sneaky animals sometimes succeed.

• Everyone should be patient with others.

• Teamwork is important for all.

• Wisdom comes from growing older.