The Yellow Butterfly Class 3 NCERT Unit 5 Guide

Story Summary: Sonu and the Yellow Butterfly

The story begins with a bright, beautiful yellow butterfly flying around Sonu's green garden. Sonu is fascinated by its color and runs to catch it. However, the butterfly is very clever and quick; it flies from the red rose to a white lotus leaf floating on the pond, and then up to a pink peach tree. Sonu tries very hard to catch it by climbing the tall peach tree, but the butterfly slips away.

Eventually, the butterfly flies near a guava tree and gets trapped in a sticky spider's web. A hungry spider is slowly crawling towards the butterfly to make it its meal. Seeing the butterfly in danger, Sonu feels sad and wants to save it. He runs and gently rescues the butterfly from the web. Although he wanted to keep the beautiful creature, he notices that the butterfly looks sad in his closed hands. Sonu wants the butterfly to be happy, so he opens his hands and lets it fly away freely into the blue sky.

Key Words & Meanings

Flutter

To flap wings quickly and lightly to fly.

Chase

To run after someone or something in order to catch them.

Escape

To get free from danger or capture.

Pond

A small body of still water, smaller than a lake.

Hungry

Feeling the need or desire to eat food.

How Sonu Followed the Butterfly

1. The Red Rose — The yellow butterfly first sat peacefully on a red rose. Sonu walked silently to catch it, but it flew away instantly.
2. The Floating Lotus — It then landed on a round lotus leaf in the water pond. Sonu waded into the water to reach it, but it fluttered away again.
3. The Peach Tree Flowers — Next, it sat on the pink flowers of a peach tree. Sonu climbed up the tree, but the butterfly slid down and escaped.
4. The Spider's Web Rescue — Finally, the butterfly flew into a guava tree and got caught in a sticky spider's web. Sonu saved it before the hungry spider could eat it.

The Core Moral of the Story

When writing answers about why Sonu let the butterfly go, always highlight the theme of freedom. The butterfly was beautiful because it was free. Once it was caught in Sonu's hand, it became sad. Sonu's love for the butterfly made him realize that its happiness lay in its freedom, not in being trapped. Remembering this central moral will help you write deep, high-scoring answers in your exams!

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Why did Sonu run after the butterfly? A: Step 1: Understand why Sonu was attracted to the butterfly in the first place. Step 2: Sonu saw that the yellow butterfly was very colorful and pretty. Final answer: Sonu ran after the butterfly because it was extremely beautiful and he wanted to catch it to look at it closely.
• Q: Where did the butterfly go to escape from Sonu's reach? A: Step 1: List the different spots in the garden where the butterfly rested. Step 2: Recall the flow of the story (Rose -> Lotus -> Peach Tree -> Web). Final answer: The butterfly went to a red rose, then to a floating lotus leaf in the pond, then to the pink flowers of a peach tree, and finally to a guava tree to escape from Sonu.
• Q: Why did Sonu let the butterfly go in the end? A: Step 1: Think about how the butterfly looked inside Sonu's hand. Step 2: Sonu wanted the butterfly to be happy, but it looked sad when captured. Final answer: Sonu let the butterfly go because it looked very sad in his hand. He wanted to see it happy and flying freely in the garden.
• Q: Who wanted to eat the yellow butterfly in the guava tree? A: Step 1: Identify the predator waiting in the guava tree. Step 2: The story mentions a spider web with a spider inside. Final answer: A hungry spider crawling on its sticky web wanted to catch and eat the yellow butterfly.

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