Rama to the Rescue – Class 6 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 1 (Fables and Folk Tales) – “Rama to the Rescue”, a comic-strip story from Amar Chitra Katha: summary, theme, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every chart, fill-in and matching task is written out as readable text.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 1 – Fables and Folk Tales Type: Story (Amar Chitra Katha comic) Session: 2026–27
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About the chapter

“Rama to the Rescue” is a short comic-strip story from Unit 1, ‘Fables and Folk Tales’. One night a husband and wife are about to sleep when they hear a thief digging his way into their house. Instead of panicking, the wife thinks quickly. She wakes her husband, and together they pretend to chat loudly about ‘Rama’ – the name of the village kotwal (policeman) – so that the kotwal, who is passing by, hears his name being called and comes running. The thief is caught and the family is saved. The story celebrates presence of mind, courage and clever thinking in a moment of danger.

About the piece

“Rama to the Rescue” is taken from Amar Chitra Katha, India’s much-loved series of illustrated comic books. Founded by Anant Pai (fondly called ‘Uncle Pai’) in 1967, Amar Chitra Katha retells Indian myths, history, folk tales and moral stories in a colourful comic-strip form so that children can enjoy reading them. Because this piece is a comic, much of the story is told through pictures, while the words on the page are the characters’ dialogues. The tale itself is a folk story about quick thinking, told here in pictures and speech bubbles rather than by a single named author.

Summary

It is late at night. A tired man and his wife are getting ready to sleep after a hard day. Just as they settle down, the wife hears a strange scraping noise and signals her husband to be quiet and listen. They realise that somebody is trying to break into their house – in fact, a thief has dug a hole and crept inside, waiting in the dark to find out where the family keeps its money and jewels.

The wife does not scream or run; she keeps calm and thinks of a clever plan. She remembers that Rama is also the name of the village kotwal (the policeman). She decides to use this. First she speaks softly, then more loudly, calling out the name “Rama” again and again as if she is talking about someone, hoping the kotwal will hear his own name. The thief, hidden inside, listens closely, thinking the couple are about to reveal where their valuables are kept.

Outside, the kotwal Rama, who is on his night round, hears his name being called loudly from the house. Surprised, he says, “Oh, oh! Some thief has dug his way into this house,” and rushes to help. He enters the house, catches the thief red-handed, and the danger is over. The frightened couple are safe, thanks to the wife’s presence of mind. The story shows that in a difficult situation, staying calm and using one’s wits can be far more powerful than fear or force. Cleverness, courage and the timely help of the kotwal save the day.

Theme & message

The central theme is presence of mind and clever thinking in a moment of danger. When a thief breaks in, the wife does not give in to fear; she keeps calm and uses a trick – calling out the kotwal’s name – to summon help safely. The story’s message is that quick, intelligent thinking can solve problems that brute strength cannot, and that knowing whom to call for help (like the police) keeps us safe. It gently teaches children to stay calm, think clearly and seek the right help in an emergency.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
rescueto save someone from dangerबचाना / उद्धार करना
kotwala village policeman or guardकोतवाल / गाँव का सिपाही
thiefa person who stealsचोर
robberone who robs or steals by forceलुटेरा / डाकू
wondera feeling of surpriseआश्चर्य
yardan area outside a buildingआंगन / बाड़ा
chatterto talk for a long time about unimportant thingsबक-बक करना
insteadin place of someone or somethingबजाय / के स्थान पर
closelycarefully and attentivelyध्यान से / गौर से
perhapsmaybe; possiblyशायद / संभवतः
suspiciousmaking one feel that something is wrongसंदेहास्पद
dugmade a hole by removing earth (past of dig)खोदा (गठ्ठा खोदना)
plana clever way to do somethingयोजना / तरकीब
alertwatchful and readyसतर्क / चौकन्ना
emergencya sudden dangerous situation needing quick actionआपातकाल

Let us discuss

(While reading) Circle the odd one / identify the characters

I. Circle the odd one.1. The characters are: husband, wife, children2. Who entered the house? guest, robber, Kotwal

ANSWER 1. Odd one: children – the story is about the husband and the wife; there are no children in it. 2. Odd one: robber (the thief). A guest and a kotwal are welcome, but it is the robber/thief who secretly entered the house without permission.

(While reading) True or False

I. Write whether True or False.1. The man tells his plan to his wife.2. The thief wants to know where they kept their jewels.

ANSWER 1. False. It is the wife who thinks of the clever plan; the man does not make a plan and tell it to his wife. 2. True. The thief is hiding and waiting to find out where the couple keep their money and jewels.

(While reading) Calling out ‘Rama’

1. Along with your classmates, call out the name ‘Rama’ – softly, loudly and very loudly.
2. What do you think will happen next in the story?

ANSWER 1. (Classroom activity) Practise saying “Rama” first in a soft whisper, then in a normal loud voice, and finally very loudly – just as the wife does in the story, slowly increasing her voice so the kotwal can hear his name. 2. (Sample) I think the kotwal Rama, who is nearby, will hear his name being called loudly, become curious or alert, and come running to the house. He will then catch the thief, and the couple will be saved.

I. Match the words with their meanings

Work in pairs to match the words in Column A with the meanings in Column B.

Column AColumn B (meaning)
1. wonder(vi) a feeling of surprise
2. yard(iii) an area outside a building
3. chatter(iv) talk for a long time about unimportant things
4. instead(i) in place of someone or something
5. closely(ii) carefully
6. perhaps(v) maybe
ANSWER – matches1 → (vi), 2 → (iii), 3 → (iv), 4 → (i), 5 → (ii), 6 → (v).

II. Story map – fill in the boxes

Fill in the boxes with suitable words as you read the story: Main Characters, Other Characters, Setting, Problem, Solution.

ElementAnswer
Main CharactersThe man (husband) and his wife.
Other CharactersThe thief (robber) and Rama, the village kotwal (policeman).
SettingA house in a village, at night.
ProblemA thief digs his way into the house and hides, waiting to steal the family’s money and jewels.
SolutionThe wife cleverly calls out the kotwal’s name ‘Rama’ loudly; the kotwal hears it, comes to the house and catches the thief.

Let us think and reflect

I.1. Read the lines and answer.Man: What’s the matter? What are you looking at?Wife: Ssssh! Listen!Man: Somebody is trying to get in.Wife: I … I think he has got in … the noise has stopped.

ANSWER (i) What makes the man say the first line? The man notices that his wife is suddenly alert and staring towards the wall or door, listening to a strange noise. Her worried, watchful look makes him ask, “What’s the matter? What are you looking at?” (ii) The wife says ‘Ssssh! Listen!’. What does the word ‘Ssssh’ mean here? D. be silent. (iii) How can you tell that the wife was listening carefully? She hushes her husband at once and tells him to listen. From the small sounds she is able to make out that someone is trying to get in, and then that the person has actually got inside because the digging noise has stopped – this close attention shows she was listening very carefully.

I.2. Read the lines and answer.Rama, the village kotwal, ran to the house from which he heard his name being called.Rama: Oh, Oh! Some thief has dug his way into this house.

ANSWER (i) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the given lines. The villagers caught the thief and took him to the kotwal. (ii) What do the words “Oh, Oh!” show here? A. surprise. (iii) How can you tell that the kotwal was good at his job? The moment he heard his name being called, he ran straight to the house instead of ignoring it. He quickly guessed that a thief had dug his way in, and acted fast to help – showing he was alert, brave and dutiful at his job.

II. Give one reason why the man and his wife were not able to fall asleep.

ANSWERThey could not fall asleep because they heard a strange noise and realised that a thief was trying to dig his way into their house. The fear and worry of someone breaking in kept them awake and alert.

III. What did the thief wish would happen? Did it happen?

ANSWERThe thief, hidden inside the house, wished that the couple would talk about where they kept their money and jewels, so that he could easily steal them. No, it did not happen. Instead of revealing where their valuables were, the wife cleverly called out the kotwal’s name, and the thief was caught.

IV. How did the man and his wife get help from the kotwal?

ANSWERThe wife knew that ‘Rama’ was also the name of the village kotwal. So she began to call out the name “Rama” – first softly and then very loudly – as if talking in the house. The kotwal Rama, who was nearby, heard his name being called, came running to the house, and caught the thief. In this clever way the couple got help.

V. Do you think cleverness can help us solve our problems? Why do you say so?

ANSWERYes, cleverness can certainly help us solve our problems. In the story, the wife was in great danger, but instead of panicking she used her wits and called the kotwal by cleverly shouting his name. Her quick, intelligent thinking saved the family without any fight. This shows that staying calm and thinking smartly often solves a problem better than fear or force.

Let us learn

I & II. Contractions (the missing letter)

I. Study the highlighted words: ‘I’m feeling so sleepy.’ / ‘It’s a thief.’ / ‘They’re awake.’ Write the full words with the missing letter.

ANSWER 1. I’m = I am feeling so sleepy. 2. It’s = It is a thief. 3. They’re = They are awake. The apostrophe (’) marks the missing letter(s).

II. Expand the following contracted words (two examples done: what’s = what is; must’ve = must have).

ANSWER – expanded forms 1. what’s = what is   2. I’ll = I will / I shall   3. I’d = I would / I had 4. we’ll = we will / we shall   5. that’s = that is   6. we’re = we are 7. don’t = do not   8. you’ll = you will   9. must’ve = must have Sample sentences: (a) What’s the time now? (b) I’ll finish my homework soon. (c) We’re going to the park. (d) Please don’t make noise in class.

III. Present progressive tense

Study the sentences (I am feeling…, What are you looking at?, Somebody is trying…, etc.). The sentences 1–5 refer to actions that ____.

ANSWER… are going on at the time of speaking. Verbs that describe what someone or something is doing at the moment of speaking are in the present progressive tense (am/is/are + verb + -ing).

IV. Fill in the present progressive form

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.

ANSWER 1. I am studying in Grade 6. 2. My friend is reading a story book. 3. We are playing a board game. 4. I am learning a new language. 5. The teachers are sitting in the staff room. 6. My mother is cooking food in the kitchen.

V. Picture – present progressive verbs (sample)

Study the picture and fill in the blanks with the present progressive form of verbs.

ANSWER (sample, based on a typical playground picture) 1. Govind and Anu are playing football. 2. Pema is plucking / is watering flowers. 3. Anil is writing / is checking the score card. 4. The mother is reading a book. 5. The dog is running / is trying to catch the ball. 6. The birds are flying in the sky.

Note: V depends on the exact picture in your textbook; write the action you actually see, keeping the ‘is/are + verb + -ing’ form.

VI. Adverbs from the story

Study the sentences and complete the table with the question word (One example done: closely).

SentenceQuestionAdverb
(i) I’d better listen closely.How does he listen?a. closely (given)
(ii) When he’s in the house, I’ll call out softly to him.How does she call out?b. softly
(iii) Then I’ll call out very loudly.How does she call out?c. loudly
ANSWERWords that tell us how, when or where an action happens – closely, softly, loudly – are called adverbs.

VII. Fill in suitable adverbs (set 1)

Fill in the blanks with suitable adverbs (warmly, gracefully, smoothly, beautifully, funnily, quickly, hurriedly). Two extra words are not needed.

ANSWER 1. He solved the mathematics problem quickly. 2. The car moved smoothly along the highway. 3. The musician played the guitar beautifully. 4. Shobha danced gracefully. 5. Rohit left the house hurriedly. (The two unused words are warmly and funnily.)

VIII. Fill in suitable adverbs (set 2 – paragraph)

Fill in the blanks with suitable adverbs (honestly, brightly, peacefully, sweetly, angrily, slowly, tirelessly). Two extra words are not needed.

ANSWER 1. … animals lived peacefully. 2. The wise old tortoise moved slowly but always won the race. 3. The ants worked tirelessly, gathering food for the winter. 4. The kind-hearted lion ruled the jungle honestly. 5. The birds sang sweetly, making everyone in the forest happy. (The two unused words are brightly and angrily.)

IX. Exclamatory and interrogative sentences

Study the sentences from the story and choose the correct option.

ANSWER (i) Sentence 1 (“Oh, hum! What a hard day it has been!”) expresses a feeling of tiredness. (ii) Sentence 2 (“Ah, at last, they’ve stopped their chatter!”) expresses a feeling of relief. (iii) Sentences 3 and 4 ask questions.

X. Punctuate – exclamatory or interrogative

Punctuate the sentences and write whether they are exclamatory or interrogative.

ANSWER 1. Wow, what an intelligent man he is! – Exclamatory 2. Oh, how big the hole is! – Exclamatory 3. Do you like to read comic books? – Interrogative 4. What is your favourite story? – Interrogative

Let us listen / speak / write / explore

Let us listen – A security guard makes an announcement; fill in the blanks with one word you hear.

ANSWER (from the textbook transcript) 1. The security guard announced that robbery has been happening in that area. 2. He advised the kids to tell the adults as soon as they find anything different. 3. They should not forget that safety is the main thing. 4. He asked them to call 100 when they need immediate help.

Let us speak – II. Tick the suitable reasons why it is important to keep one’s house and oneself safe.

ANSWERSuitable reasons (tick): (i) To be safe from injury  (ii) To keep family members and pets safe  (iii) To stop accidents from happening  (v) To stop robbery. (Options iv ‘visit the doctor’, vi ‘pay the electricity bill’ and vii ‘save money’ are not about keeping safe.)

Note: Let us speak (saying the contractions and discussing safety in your own words), Let us write (telling the neighbour what happened – when, where, what, how, why), and Let us explore (who to call if you see a fire, a hurt person, a wounded animal, etc., and finding the right path for the kotwal in the maze) are speaking, writing and project tasks to be done in class or your notebook. A model opening for the writing task: “My wife and I were about to go to sleep last night when we heard someone digging into our house. I felt afraid, but my wife stayed calm and thought of a clever plan…” For ‘who to call’: fire → fire brigade (101); someone hurt → ambulance (102/108); a wounded animal → an animal rescue helpline or a vet; someone suspicious → the police (100); a lost child → the police or Childline (1098).

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. What problem did the man and his wife face one night?

ANSWEROne night, as they were about to sleep, they heard a strange digging noise. They realised that a thief had dug his way into their house and was hiding inside, waiting to find and steal their money and jewels.

2. Who was Rama in the story?

ANSWERRama was the village kotwal – the policeman or guard. ‘Rama’ was also a common name, and the wife cleverly used this fact to call him for help without the thief realising it.

3. What clever plan did the wife make?

ANSWERThe wife decided to call out the name “Rama” – first softly and then very loudly – as if talking in the house. She knew the kotwal Rama was nearby and would hear his own name and come to help.

4. How did the kotwal know that something was wrong?

ANSWERAs he passed by on his night round, the kotwal heard his name “Rama” being called loudly from the house. This made him alert; he guessed that a thief had dug his way in, and he rushed to the house to help.

5. What lesson does the story teach us?

ANSWERThe story teaches us to stay calm and think cleverly in a difficult or dangerous situation. Quick, intelligent thinking, and knowing whom to call for help, can solve problems far better than panic or force.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe how the wife’s presence of mind saved the family.

ANSWERWhen the couple heard a thief digging into their house at night, the husband was frightened and unsure what to do. The wife, however, kept her head. She first hushed her husband and listened carefully to confirm that the thief was inside. Then she remembered that ‘Rama’ was the name of the village kotwal who was on duty nearby. Without alarming the thief, she began calling out “Rama” – softly at first, then very loudly – as though chatting in the house. The kotwal heard his name, came running, and caught the thief. Thus the wife’s calmness and clever thinking, rather than fear, saved her family and their valuables.

7. Why is ‘Rama to the Rescue’ a good example of solving a problem with intelligence?

ANSWERIn a frightening situation, the couple could have screamed, run away, or tried to fight the thief – all of which were risky. Instead, the wife used her intelligence. She turned an ordinary name into a secret call for help: by shouting “Rama”, she summoned the kotwal without the thief understanding what was happening. The thief, expecting to hear about hidden jewels, was tricked and caught. No one was hurt and nothing was stolen. The story shows that a sharp, calm mind is a powerful tool: thinking quickly, using what we know, and seeking the right help can solve problems safely and successfully.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The word ‘rescue’ means to ____.

(a) make fun of someone   (b) save someone   (c) ask someone for help   (d) run away

ANSWER(b) save someone.

2. Who was Rama in the story?

(a) the thief   (b) the husband   (c) the village kotwal   (d) a neighbour

ANSWER(c) the village kotwal.

3. At what time of day does the story take place?

(a) early morning   (b) noon   (c) evening   (d) night

ANSWER(d) night.

4. How did the thief get into the house?

(a) through the front door   (b) by digging his way in   (c) over the roof   (d) through a window

ANSWER(b) by digging his way in.

5. What did the thief want to find out?

(a) the family’s names   (b) where they kept their money and jewels   (c) the way out   (d) the kotwal’s name

ANSWER(b) where they kept their money and jewels.

6. Who first noticed the noise of the thief?

(a) the husband   (b) the wife   (c) the kotwal   (d) a neighbour

ANSWER(b) the wife.

7. How did the wife call the kotwal for help?

(a) she ran outside   (b) she rang a bell   (c) she called out the name ‘Rama’ loudly   (d) she telephoned him

ANSWER(c) she called out the name ‘Rama’ loudly.

8. The words “Oh, Oh!” said by the kotwal show ____.

(a) anger   (b) pain   (c) surprise   (d) happiness

ANSWER(c) surprise.

9. What quality of the wife helped save the family?

(a) her great strength   (b) her presence of mind   (c) her loud voice only   (d) her wealth

ANSWER(b) her presence of mind.

10. From which comic-book series is ‘Rama to the Rescue’ taken?

(a) Tinkle   (b) Amar Chitra Katha   (c) Chacha Chaudhary   (d) Panchatantra Comics

ANSWER(b) Amar Chitra Katha.
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(d), 4-(b), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(c), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(b)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): The wife called out the name ‘Rama’ loudly.

Reason (R): ‘Rama’ was the name of the village kotwal, whom she wanted to bring to the house for help.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): The thief listened closely to the couple’s talk.

Reason (R): He hoped to learn where the family kept their money and jewels.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

3. Assertion (A): The kotwal ran to the house at once.

Reason (R): He heard his own name being called out loudly from inside.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): The husband made the clever plan to catch the thief.

Reason (R): It was the wife who stayed calm and thought of calling the kotwal by name.

ANSWER(d) A is false (the wife made the plan, not the husband), while R is true.

5. Assertion (A): The couple were able to fall asleep peacefully early in the night.

Reason (R): They heard a thief digging into their house and were frightened and alert.

ANSWER(d) A is false (they could not fall asleep), while R is true.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Remember the order of events: night → strange noise → thief digs in → wife’s plan → calls ‘Rama’ → kotwal comes → thief caught.
• Always name the helper correctly: Rama, the village kotwal (policeman).
• In value questions, highlight the wife’s presence of mind, calmness and clever thinking.
• Note that this is a comic from Amar Chitra Katha – the story is told through pictures and dialogues.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that the husband made the plan – it was the wife.
• Do not confuse the two ‘Ramas’: the wife calls out a name, and it happens to be the kotwal’s name.
• The thief did not break the door – he dug his way into the house.
• In contraction questions, place the apostrophe where the letter is missing (I’m = I am, it’s = it is).

FAQs

What is the story ‘Rama to the Rescue’ about?

It is about a husband and wife who hear a thief break into their house at night. The wife cleverly calls out the name of the village kotwal, Rama, who comes and catches the thief.

Who is Rama in the story?

Rama is the village kotwal, that is, the policeman or guard. The wife uses his name as a secret call for help, since shouting ‘Rama’ brings the kotwal to the house.

What is the main message of the story?

The story teaches us to stay calm and use clever, quick thinking in a dangerous situation, and to know whom to call for help, instead of panicking.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook; the summary, the note on the piece and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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