I Attila

RK Narayan

Ittila ruler of the Hunnic Empire, the territory o.fcentral

u,as the
attd eastern Europe. During his reign, he was one o;f the most
feared, enemies of the Roman Empire. Now, read this hilarious
story about a pet called Attila. Let's see ifhe liues up to his name,

a nrood of optirrrism, thel nanred him Atrilal \Vhat tlrel

Jn
ftvanted of a dog was strength, formidableness, and fight, and
hence he r,r,as named after the'scourge of Europel

Ihe puppy rvas only a corqrle of months old-he had square jaws,
red eyes, pug nose and a massive head, and there r,r,as every re.rson
to hope that he rvould do credit to his nar.ne. 1hc intrnediatc reason
fbr buying him rvas a serics of house-breakltgs ancl thcfts in the
neighbourhood, and our householclers dccided to put ntore trllst
in a dog than in the police. They searchecl far and rvide and ntet a
dog fancier. He held up a rnonth-old black-and-white puppv ancl
saicl, "Come and fetclr him a rnonth hence. hr sir months, he r,rrilt be

somcthing to be feared and respectedJ'He spread out before them

a pedigree sheet n hich was stunning. Tlre puppl hacl, running in
his r.eins, the choicest and the most ferocious blood.

formidableness the quality oforousing fear

s(outgc curse; plague

dogfandal a person who breeds dogs

pedigre€ record ofdescent
ferotious frighteninq and violent
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 fiwritins
The dog was named Attila
because of his formidable
appearance. The famity had
hoped,nu, n" *or,O?o* ,r,o
guard the house and
his fierce appearance *ortdi",O
,,i* ,o
Attira srew up .o o"
,Tffi:Iffit::ders' "",oi""tl "ont,.u,.v
Write a character sketch
of Attila based on your reading
the story. of
Remember to
. introduce the character
to those who have not read
the story.
. talk about the character
traits that you notice.
' give instances from
the story to demonstrate those
. make the character appear traits.
endearing by adding some
humour in your descriptions.
. use adjectives of quality.

#r,r.rssion
Work in pairs and discuss
the many benefits of keeping a pet.
Talk about
. the different kinds of pets.
. the difference between owning
a dog and a cat.
. whether you have a pet.
. your favourite pet.
 TEXTBOOK: COMMUNICATE WITH CAMBRIDGE

CLASS: VIII

SUBJECT: ENGLISH

CHAPTER 1 ATTILA (R.K. NARAYAN)

SUMMARY -

This is a story of a dog who is supposed to be a watch dog and the family purchases him because there have
been a series of robberies in their neighbourhood. Now the person who sells the puppy to the family, assures
them that the puppy is a descendent of brave and ferocious guard dogs and he will soon grow up into a
fearsome dog. The family brings the puppy home and names him Attila, after one of the most feared and
mighty ruler of Hunnic Empire. But soon they realize Attila cannot be trusted as a guard dog. He is too
friendly in his manner allowing anybody to enter the property he is supposed to be protecting. If anything
Attila is more like a pet dog with very timid and passive nature. He is easily wooed with good behaviour or
treat. But to his fortune, the youngest member of the family is hell-bent on supporting the innocent dog and
likes to think him to be an actual guard dog. He always defends Attila while everybody else can only see the
negative in Attila. It is the young defender's faith in Attila which ensures that he remains with the family
despite the fact that he is in reality not a guard dog at all.

The story takes a turn when the thief, Ranga, robs the house of the family and runs off with all the valuables
without getting a scratch from the supposed guard. Rather than doing anything constructive Attila ends up
following Ranga home to his house and becomes his friend. It does not enter Attila’s mind that his own
family’s house has been robbed and that it is his role to defend the property and family from intrusion. It is
also interesting that Attila forces himself completely on Ranga. Whether he is working or at home Attila is
constantly by Ranga’s side. Much to Ranga's annoyance, the dog stays rooting for him wherever he goes.

The story reaches its end when the eldest son of the house sees Attila on the street accidentally. He calls out
to Attila but Ranga, the thief, thinks that the young man has recognized him and he starts running. Attila
suspects that his new friend is trying to get rid of him and he too starts running after Ranga. In his urge to be
with Ranga, Attila comes in front of Ranga and clumsily blocks his way. As a result he trips over the dog and
falls down. A piece of jewellery flings from his hand reveling him as a thief. Ranga is caught. Rather than
seeing events as being fortunate everyone believes that Attila has been following Ranga all the time. They
consider Attila to be a detective. While the reader realises that this is not the case. What has happened is
purely an act of good fortune. The family’s faith in Attila as a guard dog is restored. Rather than viewing him
as a pet who likes to have fun, which he is. The family again bestows their trust in Attila. He is considered to
be a hero by all concerned in the family and the young defender feels justified that he has stuck by Attila’s
side when everybody else thought him to be a poor guard dog. In reality Attila has fooled everybody by way
of good fortune rather than by his abilities as a guard dog.