In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?
People said that the advice of councillors or doctors or priests, would be important to the king.
What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answer do you like most, and why?
How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
Imagine you are the king. Narrate the incident of your meeting the hermit. Begin like this: The wise men answered my questions, but I was not satisfied with their answers. One day I decided to go and meet the hermit...
(i) Who was the bearded man?
(ii) Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?
1. Match items in List A with their meanings in List B.
fainted: lost consciousness
A. B
(i) wounded. got up from sleep
(ii) awoke. give back
(iii) forgive. small patches ofground for plants
(iv) faithful. severely injured
(v) pity. pardon
(vi) beds. loyal
(vii) return. feel sorry for
Use any three of the above words in sentences of your own. You may change the form of the word.
Why was the king advised to go to magicians?
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of the word given in brackets.
He has to help me. Do you think
he will remember his ? (promise)
He has promised to help me. Do you think he will remember his promise?
(i) The said that only fresh evidence would make him change his .(judge)
(ii) I didn’t notice any serious of opinion among the debaters, although they from one another over small points. (differ)
(iii) It’s a fairly simple question to ,but will you accept my as final? (answer)
(iv) It isn’t that should always be the mother of invention. (necessary)
(v) Hermits are men. How they acquire their no one can tell. (wise)
(vi) The committee has to make Jagdish captain of the team. The is likely to please everyone. (decide)
(vii) Asking for is as noble as willingness to . (forgive)
Imagine you are the hermit. Write briefly the incident of your meeting the king. Begin like this: One day I was digging in my garden. A man in ordinary clothes came to see me. I knew it was the king...
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.
What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
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 king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
Why did the neighbours kill the dog?
What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
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.
Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?
Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
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
Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following sentences.
(i) The king lost his temper easily.
(ii) Gopal was a madman.
(iii) Gopal was a clever man.
(iv) Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes.
(v) The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong.
Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for thefirst time? Give reasons for your answer.
Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Ravi has a lot to say about M.P.Poonai. This shows that (i) he is merely trying to impress Mridu. (ii) his knowledge of history is sound. (iii) he has a rich imagination. (iv) he is an intelligent child.Which of these statements do you agree/disagree to?
Complete each sentence below by appropriately using any one of the following: if you want to/if you don’t want to/if you want him to
(i) Don’t go to the theatre
(ii) He’ll post your letter
(iii) Please use my pen
(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella
(v) My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor
(vi) Don’t eat it
Discuss in small groups
1.If you want to give away something of your own to the needy, would it be better to ask your elders first?
2.Is there someone of your age in the family who is very talkative? Do you find her/him interesting and impressive or otherwise? Share your ideas with others in the group.
3.Has Rukku Manni done exactly the same as the children? In your opinion, then, is it right for one party to blame the other?