Chapter 16 of 20
Chapter 16: The Mumbai Musicians
Town Musicians of Bremen Adaptation, Animal Band & The Ghost Feast | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Story comprehension: Old donkey Gopu, dog Dopu, cat Furry, and cock Booboo set out for Mumbai.
- Desire to become musicians when their farm masters turn them out.
- The house in the forest: Singing together outside the window to ask for food.
- The comical misunderstanding: Robbers inside think ghosts have attacked and flee; animals enjoy a feast.
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (15 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Reading is Fun • The Journey
Why did Gopu the donkey leave his master's house?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• Gopu had worked hard carrying sacks of corn for many years, but had grown old. His master said: 'Go and see the world before you become too old!' so Gopu decided to go to Mumbai to become a musician.
• Gopu had worked hard carrying sacks of corn for many years, but had grown old. His master said: 'Go and see the world before you become too old!' so Gopu decided to go to Mumbai to become a musician.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Master told him to see the world
1 M
Decided to become a musician in Mumbai
1 M
Q2
Reading is Fun • Meeting Friends
Who were the animal companions who joined Gopu on his journey?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
1. Dopu (the dog)
2. Furry (the cat)
3. Booboo (the cock/rooster).
1. Dopu (the dog)
2. Furry (the cat)
3. Booboo (the cock/rooster).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Dopu the dog
1 M
Furry the cat
1 M
Booboo the cock
1 M
Q3
Reading is Fun • The Light in the Forest
What did the hungry musicians see through the window of the house in the forest?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• They saw a brightly lit room with a table loaded with delicious food and drinks.
• They saw a brightly lit room with a table loaded with delicious food and drinks.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Lit room
1 M
Table with delicious food
1 M
Q4
Reading is Fun • The Concert Noise
What sound did each animal make when they started their concert?
(a) Gopu (b) Dopu (c) Furry (d) Booboo
[4 Marks]
(a) Gopu (b) Dopu (c) Furry (d) Booboo
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) Gopu: Bray (Hee-haw!)
(b) Dopu: Bark (Bow-wow!)
(c) Furry: Meow (Meow-meow!)
(d) Booboo: Crow (Cock-a-doodle-doo!)
(a) Gopu: Bray (Hee-haw!)
(b) Dopu: Bark (Bow-wow!)
(c) Furry: Meow (Meow-meow!)
(d) Booboo: Crow (Cock-a-doodle-doo!)
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 animal sounds correct
4 M (1 M each)
Q5
Reading is Fun • The Result
Why did the people inside the house run away into the dark forest?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The sudden, deafening chorus of four animals braying, barking, meowing, and crowing frightened them into believing that ghosts had arrived to attack them.
• The sudden, deafening chorus of four animals braying, barking, meowing, and crowing frightened them into believing that ghosts had arrived to attack them.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Deafening mixed noise frightened them
1 M
Thought ghosts had arrived
1 M
Q6
Animal Homes & Sounds
Match each animal to its home:
(a) Donkey (b) Dog (c) Rooster
Homes: (1) Kennel (2) Coop (3) Stable
[3 Marks]
(a) Donkey (b) Dog (c) Rooster
Homes: (1) Kennel (2) Coop (3) Stable
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Matching:
• (a) Donkey — (3) Stable
• (b) Dog — (1) Kennel
• (c) Rooster — (2) Coop
• (a) Donkey — (3) Stable
• (b) Dog — (1) Kennel
• (c) Rooster — (2) Coop
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 3 homes correctly matched
3 M (1 M each)
Q7
Opposites • Story Pairs
Write the opposite of:
(a) Delicious × _______
(b) Friend × _______
(c) Night × _______
[3 Marks]
(a) Delicious × _______
(b) Friend × _______
(c) Night × _______
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) Delicious × Tasteless / Terrible
(b) Friend × Enemy / Stranger
(c) Night × Day
(a) Delicious × Tasteless / Terrible
(b) Friend × Enemy / Stranger
(c) Night × Day
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
(a) Tasteless
1 M
(b) Enemy
1 M
(c) Day
1 M
Q8
City Knowledge • Mumbai
What is Mumbai famous for in India?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Answer:
• Mumbai is famous as the entertainment and film capital (Bollywood) and commercial hub of India, located by the Arabian Sea.
• Mumbai is famous as the entertainment and film capital (Bollywood) and commercial hub of India, located by the Arabian Sea.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Entertainment / film capital identified
1 M
Commercial hub / sea coast mentioned
1 M
Q9
Sentence Construction
Make a sentence using the word 'musician'.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Sample Sentence:
• The talented musician played the violin so beautifully that the audience gave a standing ovation.
• The talented musician played the violin so beautifully that the audience gave a standing ovation.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Meaningful sentence with 'musician'
2 M
Q10
Moral Reasoning • Senior Animals
How should human masters treat domestic animals when they become old and weak?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Step-by-Step Answer:
• Masters should treat elderly animals with gratitude, kindness, and loving care.
• They should never abandon or mistreat them after years of loyal service.
• Masters should treat elderly animals with gratitude, kindness, and loving care.
• They should never abandon or mistreat them after years of loyal service.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Gratitude and kindness
1 M
Not abandoning loyal old animals
1 M
Q11
Grammar • Past Tense
Write the past tense of:
(a) Sing — _______
(b) Hear — _______
(c) Run — _______
[3 Marks]
(a) Sing — _______
(b) Hear — _______
(c) Run — _______
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) Sing — Sang
(b) Hear — Heard
(c) Run — Ran
(a) Sing — Sang
(b) Hear — Heard
(c) Run — Ran
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
(a) Sang
1 M
(b) Heard
1 M
(c) Ran
1 M
Q12
Spelling Check • Musical Story
Fill in the missing letters: D _ L _ C _ O U S (tasty).
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• D E L I C I O U S = DELICIOUS.
• D E L I C I O U S = DELICIOUS.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
DELICIOUS correct
1 M
Q13
True or False
State True or False:
(a) The four animals reached Mumbai in the very first hour.
(b) The people in the house ran away because they thought ghosts had come.
[2 Marks]
(a) The four animals reached Mumbai in the very first hour.
(b) The people in the house ran away because they thought ghosts had come.
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answers:
(a) False. They stopped at the forest cottage on the way and stayed there.
(b) True. The weird animal singing sounded like ghosts.
(a) False. They stopped at the forest cottage on the way and stayed there.
(b) True. The weird animal singing sounded like ghosts.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
(a) False with reason
1 M
(b) True
1 M
Q14
Chapter Reflection
What is the heart-warming lesson of 'The Mumbai Musicians'?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Summary:
• No matter your age or limitations, when good friends unite with a common joyful purpose, they can overcome hardship, support one another, and find happiness.
• No matter your age or limitations, when good friends unite with a common joyful purpose, they can overcome hardship, support one another, and find happiness.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Friendship, teamwork, and resilience summarized
2 M
Q15
Reading is Fun • The Four Musicians
Name the four animal friends who set off together to become musicians in Mumbai.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Answer:
• The four animal friends were:
1. Goopu the donkey
2. Doopu the dog
3. Furree the cat
4. Kookdoo-koo the cock
• The four animal friends were:
1. Goopu the donkey
2. Doopu the dog
3. Furree the cat
4. Kookdoo-koo the cock
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All four animals named
2 M
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
The Four Forest Musicians' Concert
Four elderly animal friends — Gopu the donkey, Dopu the dog, Furry the cat, and Booboo the rooster — walked toward Mumbai to become musicians. Tired and starving in the forest, they saw a lit window with a table full of delicious food. They decided to sing together to earn dinner. Gopu brayed, Dopu barked, Furry meowed, and Booboo crowed: 'COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!'. Inside, the people thought ghosts had come, shrieked in terror, and ran into the woods.
Analytical Task: Why did the animals decide to sing outside the window? What happened when they sang all together? What did the animals do after the people fled?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
1. The animals sang because they were starving and wanted to earn food by giving a concert.
2. When they all sang together, the loud mixed noise sounded so wild and eerie that the people thought ghosts had come and ran away in fear.
3. The happy animals sat down at the table and ate up the delicious feast until they were completely full.
2. When they all sang together, the loud mixed noise sounded so wild and eerie that the people thought ghosts had come and ran away in fear.
3. The happy animals sat down at the table and ate up the delicious feast until they were completely full.
Rubric: 1 M for concert to earn food + 1 M for ghost misunderstanding + 1 M for enjoying the feast