Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
The king did not want more talk about the hilsa-fish because he fed up of listening only about hilsa-fish.
Complete the following word ladder with the help of the clues given below.
Now write the story in your own words. Give it a title.
Now ask your partner questions about each picture.
(i) Where is the stag?
(ii) What is he doing?
(iii) Does he like his antlers (horns)?
(iv) Does he like his legs?
(v) Why is the stag running?
(vi) Is he able to hide in the bushes?
(vii) Where are the hunters now?
(viii) Are they closing in on the stag?
(ix) Is the stag free?
(x) What does the stag say about his horns and his legs?
(i) How much did you pay for that hilsa? The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven? Gopal’s wife asked him
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty. Gopal told the king
(iv) I want to see the king. Gopal told the guards
(v) Bring the man to me at once. The king ordered the guard
Look at the pictures and read the text aloud.
Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
challenge mystic comical
courtier smearing
What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?
How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought.
What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu inthe backyard
What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
Why did the neighbours kill the dog?
What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom
(i) to fetch wise men.
(ii) to find answers to the questions.
(iii) to look for the wise hermit.
(iv) to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Mark your choice.
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
Mark the right item.
(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog
(a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work.
(b) as if it was their own baby.
(c) as they were kind to all living beings.
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they
(a) gave the dog better food.
(b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.
(c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make
(a) rice pastry and bean sauce.
(b) magic ash to win rewards.
(c) a pile of gold.
Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom
(i) to fetch wise men.
(ii) to find answers to the questions.
(iii) to look for the wise hermit.
(iv) to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Mark your choice.
Complete the following sentences by adding the appropriate parts of the sentences given in the box.
1. Many wise men answered the king’s questions,
2. Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men
3. Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable
4. The king requested the hermit
5. The king washed and dressed the bearded man’s wound,
• but the bleeding would not stop.
• to answer three questions.
• but their answers were so varied that the king was not satisfied.
• and follow it strictly.
• to help the king act at the right time.
Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill in the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.
Ravi Kant is a writer and ………….. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written …………….. . I find his books a little hard to understand ………………… .
(i) Who was the bearded man?
(ii) Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs.
The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its meanings below.
(i) finger tips – be about to say something
(ii) the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn
(iii) tip the water out of – the ends of one’s fingers the bucket
(iv) have something on – give a rupee to him, the tip of your tongue to thank him
(v) tip the boat over – empty a bucket by tilting it
(vi) tip him a rupee – the pointed end of your nose
(vii) the tip of the bat – if you take this advice
(viii) the police were – the bat lightly touched tipped off the ball
(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned
How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?