Anundoram Barooah Academy Class 8 English

All About a Dog Summary

“All About a Dog” is a humorous yet thought-provoking essay by A. G. Gardiner that highlights the misuse of authority and the blind application of rules without common sense. The essay narrates an incident that takes place on a cold winter night in a city bus. A young woman boards the bus carrying a small, quiet Pekinese dog on her lap. The dog causes no trouble to anyone, but the bus conductor, who appears bitter and rigid, insists that dogs are not allowed inside the bus and orders the woman to take it out.

Despite protests from the passengers, the conductor stops the bus and refuses to move until the dog is removed. The passengers sympathize with the woman and criticize the conductor for his cruelty and lack of humanity. Even the police fail to resolve the matter, as the conductor stubbornly sticks to the rule. Finally, to end the disturbance, the woman goes up to the open top of the bus with the dog, risking her health in the freezing weather.

Later, when the bus breaks down, she quietly returns inside with the dog, and the same drama begins again. At the end, the narrator explains to the conductor that rules should be followed with good sense and kindness, not as tools to harass people. The essay emphasizes that rules exist for human comfort, not human suffering.

Anundoram Barooah Academy Class 8 English

All About a Dog Summary in Assamese

“অল এবাউট এ ডগ” এ জি গাৰ্ডিনাৰৰ এখন হাস্যৰসময়ী অথচ চিন্তা-উদ্দীপক ৰচনা যিয়ে কৰ্তৃত্বৰ অপব্যৱহাৰ আৰু সাধাৰণ জ্ঞান অবিহনে নিয়মৰ অন্ধ প্ৰয়োগক উজ্জ্বল কৰি তুলিছে। ৰচনাখনত চিটিবাছত শীতকালৰ ঠাণ্ডা নিশা সংঘটিত হোৱা এটা কাণ্ডৰ বৰ্ণনা কৰা হৈছে। এগৰাকী যুৱতীয়ে কোলাত সৰু নিস্তব্ধ পেকিনিজ কুকুৰ এটা লৈ বাছত উঠে। কুকুৰটোৱে কাকো অসুবিধা নিদিয়ে যদিও তিতা আৰু কঠিন যেন লগা বাছ পৰিচালকজনে বাছৰ ভিতৰত কুকুৰ সোমাবলৈ দিয়া নহয় বুলি জোৰ দি মহিলাগৰাকীক উলিয়াই নিবলৈ নিৰ্দেশ দিয়ে।

 যাত্ৰীসকলৰ প্ৰতিবাদৰ পিছতো কণ্ডাক্টৰজনে বাছখন ৰখাই দিয়ে আৰু কুকুৰটো আঁতৰাই নিদিয়ালৈকে লৰচৰ কৰিবলৈ অস্বীকাৰ কৰে। যাত্ৰীসকলে মহিলাগৰাকীৰ প্ৰতি সহানুভূতিশীল হৈ পৰিচালকগৰাকীৰ নিষ্ঠুৰতা আৰু মানৱতাৰ অভাৱৰ বাবে সমালোচনা কৰে। আনকি আৰক্ষীয়েও বিষয়টো সমাধান কৰাত ব্যৰ্থ হয়, কিয়নো কণ্ডাক্টৰজনে জেদীভাৱে নিয়মত আঁঠু লৈ থাকে। অৱশেষত অশান্তিৰ অন্ত পেলাবলৈ মহিলাগৰাকীয়ে কুকুৰটোৰ সৈতে বাছৰ ওপৰলৈ উঠি যায়, ঠাণ্ডা বতৰত নিজৰ স্বাস্থ্যৰ বিপদ।

 পিছত বাছখন বেয়া হোৱাত তাই কুকুৰটোক লৈ মনে মনে ভিতৰলৈ উভতি আহে আৰু আকৌ একেখন নাটক আৰম্ভ হয়। শেষত বৰ্ণনাকাৰীয়ে পৰিচালকক বুজাই দিয়ে যে নিয়মবোৰ মানুহক হাৰাশাস্তি কৰাৰ আহিলা হিচাপে নহয়, সদ্বুদ্ধি আৰু দয়াৰে মানি চলিব লাগে। ৰচনাখনে গুৰুত্ব আৰোপ কৰিছে যে নিয়মৰ অস্তিত্ব মানুহৰ আৰামৰ বাবেহে, মানুহৰ দুখ-কষ্টৰ বাবে নহয়।

All About a Dog Summary Word Meaning in Assamese

GLOSSARY:

raved (v): blew wildly. সোঁ-সোঁকৈ বৈ গৈছিল। 

sealskin (n.): skin of seals (sea animals) prepared for garments. পোছাক তৈয়াৰ কৰাত ব্যৱহাৰ হোৱা সাগৰীয় চীল মাছৰ ছাল।

Pekinese dogs (n.): small Chinese dog with long, silky hair. এক প্ৰকাৰৰ দীঘল, চিল্কৰ দৰে নোম থকা চীনদেশীয় কুকুৰ।

beady-eyed (adj.): with eyes that are small, round and bright. সৰু, ঘূৰণীয়া আৰু উজ্জ্বল চকু থকা।

make the most of: use in the best possible way. সম্ভৱপৰ উত্তম পদ্ধতিৰে ব্যৱহাৰ কৰা।

grievence (n.): reason for complaint. অভিযোগৰ কাৰণ।

triumph: joy at success. বিজয়ী আনন্দ।

rumpus (n.): disturbance, noise. বিশৃঙ্খলা, হুলস্থুল।

slip away: go away without being noticed. লক্ষ্য নকৰাকৈয়ে আঁতৰি যায়।

avalanche (n.): great mass of snow and ice that slides down a mountain side. বৰফৰ নদী।

sourly (adv.): in a bad temprered manner. বেয়া মেজাজত।

triumphant (adj.): rejoicing at success. বিজয়োল্লাস।

amiably (adj.): in a good-tempered manner. বন্ধুসুলভভাৱেৰে।

savagely (adj.): very angrily. বৰ খণ্ডভাৱেৰে।

hard and fast rules: rules that can not be changed to fit special cases. ধৰা-বন্ধা নীতি বা আইন।

All About a Dog Class 8 English Question Answer

PRONUNCIATION:

  Divide the following words into three groups of three words so that the three words in each group rhyme:

tough scoff cow

now bough doff

cough enough rough

Ans:

Group-A: tough cough rough

Group-B: scoff doff enough

Group-C: now cow bough      

VOCABULARY:

1. Find in the text words which mean the following.

The paragraphs in which they occur have been mentioned:

empty (1)

chance (1)

planned (1)

not clear (1)

shut and open the eyes quickly (5)

having no knowledge (5)

not caring for (7)

Ans:

empty ......................... vacant

chance ........................ opportunity

planned ....................... intended

not clear ...................... vague

shut and open the eyes quickly ............ blink

having no knowledge ............. unaware

not caring for .......................... indifferent

All About a Dog Class 8 English Important Question Answer

2. Adverbs can be formed by adding the suffix- ly to adjective. e.g bitter: bitterly. Make adverbs from the following adjectives and use these adverbs to fill in the blanks in the following sentences:

wild, happy, silent, rude, calm

1, The child smiled .......... when she gave him a balloon. 

Ans: The child smiled happily when she gave him a ballloon.

2. She answered him .......... because he was in a bad mood.

Ans: She answered him rudely because he was in a bad mood.

3. The roof of the huts fell in because the wind blew ........... 

Ans: The roof of the huts fell in because the wind blew wildly.

4. Even though the crowd shouted and came towards him with sticks, Arun spoke .......... to them.

Ans: Even though the crowd shouted and came towards him with sticks, Arun spoke calmly to them.

5. They liked her because she didn't talk much but did her work ........... . 

Ans: They liked her because she didn't talk much but did her work silently.

3. Match each of the words under A with a connected word under B :

                     A                          B

                    bus                     policeman

                    army                  actor

                    law                     conductor

                   drama                 soldier

Ans:

                     A                         B

                   bus                     conductor

                   army                   soldier

                   law                      policeman

                   drama                 actor

Class 8 English All About a Dog Extra Question Answer

COMPREHESION:

I. 1. Was the writer one of the passangers in the bus or was he watching the scene from outside?

Ans: Yes, the writer was one of the passengers of the bus. No, he was watching the scene from inside. 

2. How many persons got on the bus at the bus stop?

Ans: Three persons got on the bus at the bus stop.

3. 'I won't go on the top in such a weather." What does the word 'top' mean here.

Ans: Here the word 'top' means the upper (second) stair of the bus.

4. Did the two companions of the woman with the dog support her against the conductor?

Ans: Yes, the two companions of the woman with the dog supported her against the conductor.

5. How did the passengers feel when the conductor stopped the bus?

Ans: The passengers felt distressed and became angry with the bus conductor when he stopped the bus.

6. Was the dog barking at the people in the bus?

Ans: No, the dog was not barking at the people in the bus.

7. Did the conductor return the passangers their fares?

Ans: No, the conductor did not return the fares to the passengers.

8. What did the driver mean when he said,

"Who is the conductor of this bus"?

Ans: When he said 'who is the conductor of the bus' the driver meant that he should start the bus.

9. Why did the policeman ask a passanger to give the conductor her name and address?

Ans: The policeman asked the passenger to give the conductor her name and address so that the conductor take legal action against the lady with the dog.

10. Why did the driver beat his arms across his chest?

Ans: The driver beat his arms across his chest because he got angry when the lady re-entered the bus.

3.11. Why did the woman with the dog come back to her seat downstairs?

Ans: The lady with the dog came to her seat downstairs becuase the weather was very cold.

12. Did she go on the top again?

Ans: Yes, the lady went on the top again.

13. Who was the last passenger to get off the bus?

Ans: The writer A. G. Gardiner was the last passenger to get off the bus.

14. What does the writer mean by 'there are rules and rules.'?

Ans: By 'there are rules and rules', the author means that there are some hard and fast rules which cannot be borken without danger to life. But some rules are only for our guidance which we can apply or ingore.

15. What impression of the conductor do you form on the basis of the last paragraph of the story?

Ans: From the last paragraph, we have known that the conductor was unaware of the uses of law. But when the author explained the necessity of judging a law from our common sense then the conductor seemed to be sorry for his ignorance.

II. Choose the best item:

1. The comment 'they stick by each other' means:

A. they hit each other with a stick.

B.they are loyal to each other.

C. they are stuck to each other with glee.

D. they resist each other.

Ans: D. they resist each other.

2. When the conductor stopped the bus the passengers:

A. made themselves comfortable.

B. made angry remarks.

C. made him return their fares.

D. requested the driver to start the bus.

Ans: B. made angry remarks.

3. Choose the correct alternative:

(i) The passengers were in a hurry to return home / not bothered about the delay.

Ans: (i) The passengers were in a hurry to return home.

(ii) Whereas some rules are for our guidance, some other should be strictly/ carelessly followed; it is dagerous to break /follow them.

Ans: Whereas some rules.are for our guidance, some other should be strictly followed; it is dagerous to break them.

(iii) Rules about carrying dogs on a bus used for the convenience /discomfort of the passengers.

Ans: Rules about carrying dogs on a bus used for the convenience of the passengers.

(iv) The conductor accepted the writer's advice willingly/grudgingly.

Ans: The conductor accepted the writer's advice willingly.

COMPOSITION:

Answer the following questions:

1. Why did the bus stop on the way?

Ans: The bus stopped on the way to take in three passengers.

2. How did the passengers behave when the bus stopped?

Ans: When the bus stopped, the passengers became angry and felt distressed. Some compared the conductor with a German, some asked to call police and some asked for their fares back.

3. Why was the policeman inactive? 

Ans: The policeman was inactive because he did not want to involve into the incident. He did not say anything to the bus conductor as the law was on his side.

4. What did the author say to the bus conductor when the latter said., 'I've got my rule'? 

Ans: When the latter (bus conductor) said that he got his rule, then the author said that rules were necessary things but there were some rules which were hard and fast rules that could not be broken without danger to life. On the other hand there were some rules which were meant for our guidance only. We should keep the rules without breaking their spirit.

Extra Question Answer from All About a Dog

1. Why did the conductor object to the dog on the bus?

Ans: The conductor objected because rules did not allow dogs inside the bus, and he followed the rule strictly without applying common sense or humanity.

2. How did the passengers react to the conductor’s behavior?

Ans: The passengers became angry and supported the woman, criticizing the conductor for his cruelty, rigidity, and lack of sympathy toward a harmless dog.

3. Describe the behavior of the dog during the incident.

Ans: The dog remained calm and quiet, sitting peacefully on the woman’s lap, blinking at the lights, completely unaware of the disturbance it had caused.

4. Why did the conductor stop the bus?

Ans: The conductor stopped the bus to force the woman to remove the dog, showing his authority and rigidly enforcing the rule despite passenger protests.

5. What role did the police play in the incident?

Ans: The police refused to interfere, saying the conductor had rules on his side, and stood aside without helping to resolve the situation.

6. Why did the woman finally go to the top of the bus?

Ans: The woman went to the top to end the disturbance, choosing discomfort and health risk rather than continuing the argument with the stubborn conductor.

7. What happened when the bus engine failed?

Ans: When the engine failed, the woman quietly returned inside with the dog, restarting the same conflict when the conductor noticed the dog again.

8. What does the conductor’s attitude reveal about his character?

Ans: The conductor appears rigid, harsh, and authoritarian, enjoying power by enforcing rules without sympathy or consideration for passengers’ comfort.

9. What message does the essay convey about rules?

Ans: The essay conveys that rules should be followed in spirit with common sense and kindness, not applied blindly to cause unnecessary trouble.

10. Why is the essay considered humorous?

Ans: The essay is humorous because of ironic situations, exaggerated authority, and the contrast between a harmless dog and the conductor’s extreme reaction.