CBSE Class 4 English: Hiawatha NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by NCERT Help Editorial Team · Updated on 29 Jul 2026

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 4 PDF

This section provides detailed NCERT Solutions for Class 4 English, Chapter 7, titled 'Hiawatha'. It covers questions related to the character of Hiawatha, his grandmother Nokomis, and the secrets he learned about birds and beasts. The solutions also include activities for listening, speaking, and vocabulary building, focusing on words with the 'qu' sound and 'h' sound. These solutions aim to help students understand the narrative, improve their comprehension skills, and enhance their vocabulary, making exam revision more effective.

Home

Quick info

Board	CBSE
Class	Class 4
Subject	English
Session	2026
Language	English
Type	NCERT Solutions
Chapter	07 Hiawatha

Chapter summary

Chapter 7, 'Hiawatha', focuses on the story of a young Native American boy and his connection with nature. The NCERT Solutions provide answers to questions about Hiawatha's learning experiences, particularly his ability to understand the languages and secrets of birds and animals. It also includes interactive exercises for listening, speaking, and practicing words with specific sounds, reinforcing comprehension and language skills.

Learning outcomes

Understand the story of Hiawatha and his relationship with nature.
Identify key characters like Hiawatha and Nokomis.
Explain the secrets Hiawatha learned about birds and beasts.
Practice vocabulary related to the 'qu' and 'h' sounds.
Engage in listening and speaking activities to improve communication skills.

Topics covered

Paper topics

Hiawatha's character
Nokomis
Learning about birds
Learning about beasts
Animal secrets
Listening activities
Speaking activities
Vocabulary: 'qu' sound
Vocabulary: 'h' sound
Describing words and naming words

Important topics

Understanding Hiawatha's connection with nature
Secrets of birds and beasts
Vocabulary practice
Listening and speaking skills

PDF preview

Read page by page below. PDF is streamed from the official NCERT website — no download button on this page.

Loading document …

Page of

Loading page …

Questions and Solutions

Reading is Fun, Question 1

Who was Hiawatha?

Solution: Hiawatha was a young Native American boy, often referred to as a Red Indian boy in older texts. He had a special connection with nature.

Reading is Fun, Question 2

Who was Nokomis?

Solution: Nokomis was Hiawatha's old grandmother. She played a significant role in his life and upbringing.

Reading is Fun, Question 3

What did he learn about birds?

Solution: Hiawatha learned many things about birds. He was able to understand their language, know their names, and discover their secrets. These secrets included how they build their nests and where they hide themselves during the winter season.

Reading is Fun, Question 4

What secrets did he learn about beasts?

Solution: Hiawatha learned fascinating secrets about beasts. He discovered how beavers construct their lodges, where squirrels conceal their food, the reason behind the swiftness of the reindeer's run, and why the rabbit is naturally timid.

Let's Listen, Activity 1

Whisper a secret in your partner's ear. The partner will in turn whisper his secret in your ear. Now talk about the secret aloud.

Solution: This is an interactive activity designed to be done with a partner. First, you whisper a secret to your partner. Then, your partner whispers a secret back to you. After exchanging secrets, you are encouraged to share the secret you received aloud. For example, one might say, "I have seen a whale with a polka dot tail," or "I have seen a bee with a fractured knee." The purpose is to practice communication and sharing.

Let's Listen, Activity 2

Form a circle and whisper a secret into the ear of the person on your right. He in turn whispers into the ear of the person on the right. Pass the secret on till it goes around the circle. The last person will tell the secret aloud. Is the secret the same as what the first child had whispered?

Solution: This activity involves playing a 'whisper down the lane' game in a circle. You start by whispering a secret to the person on your right. That person whispers it to the next person on their right, and so on, until the secret reaches the last person in the circle. The last person then says the secret aloud. It is common for the final secret to be different from the original one due to mishearing or changes during the whispering process. This exercise highlights how messages can change as they are passed along.

Let's Talk, Question 1.a

Do you think that Hiawatha liked learning new languages?

Solution: Yes, it is highly likely that Hiawatha enjoyed learning new languages. The text mentions he learned the language of birds and understood their secrets, which suggests a keen interest and aptitude for understanding different forms of communication.

Let's Talk, Question 1.b

Do you think Hiawatha called the birds 'chickens' and the beasts 'brothers'? What do you think this shows?

Solution: While the text doesn't explicitly state Hiawatha called birds 'chickens', it does imply he referred to beasts as 'brothers'. Calling beasts 'brothers' shows that Hiawatha felt a deep sense of kinship and friendliness towards animals. It indicates he viewed them not just as creatures, but as fellow beings with whom he shared a connection.

Let's Talk, Question 1.c

Do birds have secrets?

Solution: Yes, according to the story, birds do have secrets. Hiawatha learned these secrets, which included details about how they build their nests and how they manage during the winter.

Let's Talk, Question 1.d

Do you know the secret language of any animal? Tell the class about it.

Solution: This question asks for personal experience. Most students may not know the secret language of animals in the way Hiawatha did. A typical answer would be 'No, I don't know the secret language of any animal.' However, one could share observations about animal behaviour that seem like communication, such as a dog barking to signal danger or a cat meowing for food.

Say Aloud Practice

Practice saying these words aloud: squirrel, quarrel, queen, quick, quill, quilt, quiet, quality.

Solution: These words all contain the 'qu' sound, which is often pronounced like 'kw'. It is important to practice pronouncing them clearly. For example:

Squirrel: pronounced 'skwirl'
Quarrel: pronounced 'kwor-el'
Queen: pronounced 'kween'
Quick: pronounced 'kwik'
Quill: pronounced 'kwil'
Quilt: pronounced 'kwilt'
Quiet: pronounced 'kwy-et'
Quality: pronounced 'kwol-i-tee'

Practicing these words helps improve pronunciation and familiarity with the 'qu' sound.

Use words beginning with H sound, Activity 1

Use words beginning with the 'H' sound like: hat, house, hen, hide, horse, heart, hand etc. Make a pair of words, one a 'describing word' and one a 'naming word'. Examples: Happy Hiawatha, hungry hippopotamus, high horse, heavy hand.

Solution: This activity focuses on using words that start with the 'H' sound to create descriptive phrases. A describing word (adjective) tells more about a naming word (noun). Here are some examples:

Active hen (Active describes hen)
New hat (New describes hat)
Kind heart (Kind describes heart)
Beautiful house (Beautiful describes house)

These pairs combine an adjective starting with 'H' or describing a noun, with a noun, to create vivid imagery.

Have you seen, Question 1.a

Have you seen a hen in a beehive?

Solution: This is a question asking about personal observation and imagination. Typically, a hen would not be found in a beehive, as it is the home of bees. So, the answer is usually 'No'. It encourages students to think about where different animals live.

Have you seen, Question 1.b

Have you seen a hippopotamus in a hat?

Solution: This question is imaginative and humorous. Hippopotamuses are large animals and do not typically wear hats. Therefore, the answer is generally 'No'. It prompts creative thinking about animals and objects.

Have you seen, Question 1.c

Have you seen a horse drink honey?

Solution: Horses usually drink water and eat grass or hay. While they might be curious, drinking honey is not a common behaviour for them. So, the answer is typically 'No'. This question encourages thinking about the natural diets of animals.

Have you seen, Question 1.d

Have you seen a helicopter with hair?

Solution: A helicopter is a machine, and it does not have hair. This is an imaginative and nonsensical question. The answer is 'No'. It plays on the idea of combining unrelated things for fun.

Common mistakes

Misinterpreting Hiawatha's relationship with animals.
Difficulty in recalling specific secrets learned by Hiawatha.
Pronunciation errors with words containing 'qu' and 'h' sounds.

Revision tips

Reread the story of Hiawatha to grasp the main events and characters.
Focus on the details of what Hiawatha learned about birds and animals.
Practice saying the 'Say Aloud' words clearly and distinctly.
Discuss the 'Let's Talk' questions with classmates to understand different perspectives.

Practice MCQs

Q1. Who was Hiawatha?

Q2. Who was Nokomis?

Q3. What did Hiawatha learn about birds?

Q4. What does Hiawatha calling beasts 'brothers' show?

Q5. Which of these words starts with a 'qu' sound?

Frequently asked questions

What is Chapter 7 of Class 4 English NCERT about?

Chapter 7, 'Hiawatha', is about a young Native American boy named Hiawatha and his special ability to understand the languages and secrets of birds and animals.

Who is Nokomis in the story?

Nokomis is Hiawatha's old grandmother, who is a character in the story.

What kind of secrets did Hiawatha learn?

Hiawatha learned secrets about birds, such as how they build nests and hide in winter, and about beasts, like how beavers build lodges and why rabbits are timid.

Are there any activities in the Hiawatha NCERT Solutions?

Yes, the solutions include 'Let's Listen', 'Let's Talk', and 'Say Aloud' activities to help students practice listening, speaking, and vocabulary.

How do these solutions help with revision?

These solutions provide clear answers to comprehension questions and reinforce learning through vocabulary and speaking exercises, aiding effective revision of the chapter.

Content reviewed by the NCERT Help team. Editorial Team and update policy

NCERT Solutions PDF PDF on NCERT Help. URL unchanged for search indexing.