Maharashtra Board Class 9 English Poem A Play 2.5 Solutions

Warming Up!

 

Chit-chat

 

Question 1. Do you like to watch plays?
Answer: Yes, I really like to watch plays. Watching actors perform live on stage is a wonderful and thrilling experience that brings stories to life right in front of us.
In simple words: Yes, I enjoy watching plays because seeing real people act live on stage is very exciting.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering personal preference questions, always give a clear 'Yes' or 'No' followed by a brief reason to support your choice.

 

Question 2. Which is the last play you saw?
Answer: The last play I saw was a historical drama about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was performed by a local theatre group in our town.
In simple words: The last play I watched was a historical story about Shivaji Maharaj performed live.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mentioning a specific genre (like historical, comedy, or drama) makes your answer sound more authentic and complete.

Warm-Up Questions

• Do you watch TV serials? Which ones?
• Do you like slow-moving serials?
• Do you like stories from the past?
• What type of stories do you like?

Two Truths, One Lie

Make groups of 10-15. In this game, each person writes three sentences about himself/herself, two of which are true and the third one is a lie. Read aloud your sentences, while others guess which two are true and which is a lie.
Examples: Hello, everyone! I am Sonali. I have a brother and a sister. I live in Amalner. We have a pet dog at home.

 

Question 1. Make groups of 10-15. In this game, each person writes three sentences about himself/herself, two of which are true and the third one is a lie. Read aloud your sentences, while others guess which two are true and which is a lie.
Examples: Hello, everyone! I am Sonali. I have a brother and a sister. I live in Amalner. We have a pet dog at home.
Answer:
1. Hello everyone!
I am Sahil.
I live in Pune at Shivaj inagar.
I am one of the most studious students of our class.
I visited Sri Lanka last month with my parents.

2. Hello everyone!
I am Ruta.
I am Bharat Natyam dancer.
I have won many dance competitions.
But I want to be a classical singer. These examples show how you can share interesting facts about yourself while playing the game with your classmates.
In simple words: This is a fun classroom game where you share three statements about yourself, including one lie, and your friends have to guess which one is not true.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing your sentences, make sure the lie sounds believable so that it is challenging and fun for your classmates to guess.

Lost and Found

 

Question 1. Divide the students into groups of five. They sit in a circle. They choose one object of daily use such as a bag, wallet, box, etc. The group leader writes four sentences about it.
Answer: I have found a water bottle. It’s pink. It’s cylindrical in shape. It’s transparent. It has a steel cap. I found it in our school library.

Others, too, write four sentences each:
• I have lost a tiffin box.
• Its colour is pink.
• It’s square in shape.
• I lost it in our school canteen.

They all open and read their lines, beginning with the group leader. The player whose description matches the group leader’s the most gets the object. This interactive classroom game helps students improve their descriptive vocabulary and communication skills.
In simple words: This is a fun group game where one student describes an object they found, and others describe what they lost to see whose descriptions match best.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing descriptions for activities, use simple adjectives like colors, shapes, and locations to make your sentences clear.

Part I

 

Question 1. List the characters that have appeared so far in the play.
Answer: Fourth Guard, Messenger, Thief, Thief's friend, King, Merchant, Bricklayer, Mortar-maker. These characters set up the humorous and chaotic tone of the play's opening scene.
In simple words: These are all the people who have entered the stage or spoken in the first part of the story.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always list the characters in the order they appear in the play to keep your answer organized and easy to read.

 

Question 1. List all the different titles they use to address the King.
Answer: The different titles used to address the King are 'Your Highness', 'O Noble King', 'Most Merciful King', and 'Your Majesty'. These titles show the exaggerated respect the subjects pay to their ruler.
In simple words: These are the respectful names and terms of honor that people use when they speak to the King.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to capitalize titles of respect like 'Your Majesty' and 'Your Highness' when writing them down.

 

Question 1. Copy the exclamations from the play. (At least 5)
Answer:
1. How boring!
2. Oh, Most Great King!
These expressions show the strong emotions of the characters. (Students can copy such examples from the play on their own.)
In simple words: Exclamations are short, exciting sentences that show strong feelings like surprise or anger, and they always end with an exclamation mark.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, look for sentences ending with an exclamation mark (!) in the text and copy them exactly as they are written.

 

Question 1. Copy the orders (imperative sentences) from the play.
Answer:
1. Spare my daughter.
2. Bring the money-lender’s daughter.
3. Summon the mortar-maker at once.
4. Show mercy to this humble potter.
These sentences are commands given by the characters in authority to direct others.
In simple words: Imperative sentences are commands or requests that tell someone exactly what action to take.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that imperative sentences usually start with an action verb, which helps you identify them quickly in a passage.

 

Question 1. Use your imagination and the details from the play and draw a map of Andher Nagari.
Answer: (Students can draw the map using their imagination.) You can include landmarks like the king's court, the marketplace, and the houses of the characters mentioned in the play to make your map detailed.
In simple words: This is a creative task where you draw a map of the fictional town based on the events in the story.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use a pencil to sketch the layout first and label key places like the marketplace and the palace clearly to make your map look neat.

 

Write What Each of the Following Should Have Said After Listening to the Complaint Against Him/Her:

 

Question 1. Write what each of the following should have said after listening to the complaint against him/her:
(a) Daughter …………………
(b) Potter …………………….
(c) Mortar-maker …………………
(d) Bricklayer ………………..
(e) Merchant ………………………….
Answer:
(a) Daughter: Daughter should have said that, she was going to get married next week, so she should be excused from being punished. She was only preparing for her big day and meant no harm.
(b) Potter: I never make defective pots. Mortar-maker might have brought it from somewhere else.
(c) Mortar-maker: I always use a bottle-necked pot to pour water, it is the bricklayer’s idea to blame me.
(d) Bricklayer: Extremely sorry to say, My Lord. I have never worked carelessly in my entire life. I am faithful to my profession.
(e) Merchant: If I had been the merchant, I would have asked the king to punish the thieves as they were trying to break in my house when my whole family was not there at home and it is a crime. So they should be punished.
In simple words: Each person in the story tried to defend themselves by giving excuses or shifting the blame to someone else to avoid getting punished by the king.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing character defenses, use direct or indirect speech consistently as requested by the prompt to show clear understanding of each character's perspective.

 

Question 1. What should the king have said to the thief ?
Answer: The king should have said to the thief that it was the fault of him and his friend and not of the merchant. As they had entered his house with the intention of stealing when his family was away. Stealing is a serious crime that deserves strict punishment rather than sympathy. So he and his friend were totally responsible for what had happened.
In simple words: The king should have told the thief that he was the one at fault because he broke into someone's house to steal, so he cannot blame the owner for the weak wall.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the moral irony in this question by emphasizing that a thief cannot claim justice for an accident that happened while committing a crime.

 

Question 1. Will a thief appear in a court on his own? Why does this Thief dare to do so?
Answer: No, a thief would never normally appear in a court on his own because they fear being arrested and punished. However, this thief dared to do so because he knew that the king of this state was foolish and made illogical decisions. He hoped to exploit the king's lack of wisdom to get compensation or blame someone else for his partner's death.
In simple words: Normally, thieves run away from courts, but this thief went to court because he knew the king was foolish and could be easily tricked into blaming the house owner.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the contrast between normal thief behavior and this specific thief's behavior to show a deep understanding of the story's humorous theme.

Language Study

 

Question 1. Read the following sentences and find the subject and the verb in each.
Answer: Identifying the subject and verb helps us understand the basic structure of any English sentence. The completed table below lists the subject and verb for each sentence:

Sentence	Subject	Verb
1. You are a stranger.	You	are
2. I am a visitor here.	I	am
3. You have heard right.	You	have heard
4. The king will not hang me.	The king	will hang
5. He must pay with his life.	He	must pay

In simple words: The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about, and the verb is the action word or state of being.

🎯 Exam Tip: To easily find the subject, first locate the verb and ask "who" or "what" is performing that action.

 

Question 1. Read the following sentences. Tick the ones in passive voice. Copy them correctly.
1. I have heard amazing stories [ ]
2. I am especially impressed by the fact [ ]
3. I am quite happy about it. [ ]
4. I beg for justice. [ ]
5. ……. and my friend was instantly killed [ ]
6. My house has been recently built [ ]
7. It is the fault of the bricklayer [ ]
Answer:
1. I have heard amazing stories …. [ ]
2. I am especially impressed by the fact…. [✓]
3. I am quite happy about it. [ ]
4. I beg for justice. [ ]
5. … and my friend was instantly killed ….. [✓]
6. My house has been recently built …. [✓]
7. It is the fault of the bricklayer …. [ ] Identifying passive voice helps us understand where the focus of the action lies.
In simple words: In passive voice, the action is done to the subject rather than the subject doing the action. For example, "my house has been built" focuses on the house being built, not who built it.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for helping verbs combined with past participles (like 'was killed' or 'has been built') to easily identify passive voice sentences.

Part II

 

Question 1. List the characters that appear for the first time in this part of the play. Write one or two lines about each of them.
Answer:
1. Goldsmith: He was dutiful and tried to follow the king’s order by setting aside all his work. He prioritized the royal command above his other daily tasks.
In simple words: The goldsmith is a new character who is very obedient to the king. He stopped all his other work just to complete the king's order first.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing characters, use precise adjectives like 'dutiful' or 'obedient' to make your answers more impactful and score better marks.

2. Hangman: He was also faithful towards his duties. He tried to follow the King’s order. He was an executioner who hangs the culprits.
3. Sage: A wise man from a neighbouring forest who smartly saved his disciple from the punishment given by King Choupat.

 

Question 1. Say whether the following sentences are true or false:
(a) The Goldsmith blamed the King for the delay in his work.
(b) The King thought that the Goldsmith had a good reason to delay the Daughter’s work.
(c) The Goldsmith was hanged.
(d) The noose did not fit the Goldsmith’s neck.
(e) The noose did not fit the disciple’s neck.
(f) The Sage wanted to die on that day.
(g) The Sage wanted to save his Disciple.
(h) The King wanted to be King again in his next birth.
Answer:
(a) The Goldsmith blamed the King for the delay in his work. – True
(b) The King thought that the Goldsmith had a good reason to delay the Daughter’s work. – False
(c) The Goldsmith was hanged. – False
(d) The noose did not fit the Goldsmith’s neck. – True
(e) The noose did not fit the disciple’s neck. – False
(f) The sage wanted to die on that day. – True
(g) The sage wanted to save his disciple. – True
(h) The king wanted to be king again in his next birth. – True. These responses accurately reflect the humorous and chaotic events that took place in the kingdom.
In simple words: This exercise helps us identify which statements about the story of Andher Nagari are correct and which ones are incorrect.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read each statement carefully and recall the specific events from the play to avoid confusing the characters' actions.

 

Question 1. Write any three instances of funny rules and twisted logic used in Andher Nagri.
Answer:
1. The King ordered that whoever has a neck that fits the oversized noose should be hanged, even if they are completely innocent.
2. The King blamed the goldsmith for delaying the work, ignoring the fact that the delay was caused by his own royal summons.
3. The King readily agreed to be hanged himself because he believed the twisted logic that anyone who dies on that auspicious day would become a king in their next life. This absurd reasoning highlights the complete lack of justice in the kingdom.
In simple words: The kingdom of Andher Nagari had ridiculous rules, like hanging someone just because their neck fit the rope, and the king foolishly chose to die just to become king again in his next life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly list the three distinct examples of twisted logic with numbered points to make your answer easy for the examiner to read.

Question. Give examples of the illogical events that took place in Andher Nagari.
Answer:
1. The disciple came to Andher Nagari to pay respects to the mighty King Choupat but to his surprise the king ordered the Hangman to hang him without delay.
2. The blame game continued one after another and the king ordered the Hangman everytime to hang the person without verifying his/her mistake.
3. The king requested the guards to take him to the gallows and hang him without any delay to become the next king of the same kingdom in his next life. These absurd events perfectly illustrate the foolish nature of the king and his administration.
In simple words: These examples show how the foolish king made ridiculous decisions without thinking, which eventually led to his own foolish end.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing examples from a play, write them in chronological order as they happen in the story to show a clear understanding.

 

Question 1. List the proverbs and sayings used in the play.
Answer:
1. Justice delayed is justice denied.
2. Our actions speak louder than words. These traditional sayings highlight the moral lessons embedded within the humorous events of the play.
In simple words: The play uses these famous sayings to show that delaying justice is wrong and that what we actually do is much more important than what we say.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize these proverbs exactly as they are written in the textbook to score full marks in vocabulary questions.

 

Question 1. Read the entire play and complete the following blame game flow chart.
Answer: The complete sequence of the blame game flow chart is as follows:
1. Thief (blames the owner of the house)
2. Owner of the house (blames the bricklayer for building a weak wall)
3. Bricklayer (blames the mortar-maker for mixing too much water)
4. Mortar-maker (blames the water-carrier for pouring too much water)
5. Water-carrier (blames the potter for making a pot with a very large mouth)
6. Potter (blames the money-lender's daughter for distracting him with her jingling anklets)
7. Money-lender's daughter (blames the goldsmith for delaying her jewelry)
8. Goldsmith (blames the King's executioner or the merchant). This chain of excuses highlights the absolute chaos and lack of justice in the kingdom.
In simple words: Everyone in the kingdom kept passing the blame to someone else to save themselves from punishment, starting from the thief and ending back at the king's court.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the sequence of characters in the blame chain, starting from the thief to the goldsmith, to write a perfect flow chart.

 

Question 1. Complete the blame-game flow chart based on the story.
Answer:

Who is blaming?	Who does he blame?	For what does he blame that person
Thief	Owner of the house	For not constructing a strong wall
Owner of the house	Bricklayer	For careless work in building a weak wall
Merchant	Bricklayer	For building a weak wall that collapsed
Bricklayer	Mortar-maker	For mixing too much water in the mortar
Mortar-maker	Potter	For making a pot with a very large mouth

In simple words: This table shows how each character in the story shifts the responsibility to someone else to avoid getting punished for the collapsed wall.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize the sequence of characters in the story to easily fill out flow charts and sequence-based questions in exams.

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Question 1. Complete the table showing who is blaming whom and for what reason in the story.
Answer: The chain of blame shown in the diagram is as follows:

• Potter → Money-lender's Daughter
• Money-lender's Daughter → Goldsmith
• Goldsmith → King

Who is blaming?	Who does he blame?	For what does he blame that person?
Thief	Owner of the house	For not constructing a strong wall.
Owner of the house (Merchant)	Bricklayer	For carelessly building a weak wall.
Bricklayer	Mortar-maker	For mixing too much water in Mortar.
Mortar-maker	Potter	For making a defective pot with a large mouth.
Potter	Money-lender's Daughter	For disturbing him with tinkling of anklets.
Money-lender's Daughter	Goldsmith	For delay in the delivery of her ornaments.
Goldsmith	King	For giving orders to set aside all other work to make the Queen's ornaments.

In simple words: This table shows how each character in the story shifts the blame to someone else to avoid getting punished, creating a funny chain of excuses.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize the sequence of characters in this chain of blame to quickly and accurately answer flow-chart or table-based questions in your exams.

 

Question 1. Form groups. Translate one page of the play into your mother tongue as a group activity. Gather the pages translated by different groups and prepare a translated script of the entire play.
Answer: This is an interactive group activity to be performed in the classroom. Students should divide themselves into small groups, select one page of the play, and translate it into their respective mother tongues. Finally, compile all the translated pages in the correct sequence to create a complete translated script. This exercise will greatly enhance your translation skills and deepen your understanding of the characters.
In simple words: Work with your classmates to translate different pages of the play into your own language, and then join them together to make a full translated script.

🎯 Exam Tip: When translating, focus on capturing the emotion and meaning of the dialogue rather than doing a word-for-word translation.

Language Study

Divide the Play (Part I as Well as Part II) Into Sections

Form groups and assign roles. Practise your lines in groups. Hold play reading sessions in the classroom. Which group/student presents the most effective reading?
Note the features that make an oral presentation effective. Some of them are:

• Meaningful reading – taking proper pauses (breaking the speech into meaningful chunks)
• Using suitable intonation
• Speaking clearly
• Good pronunciation – using English sounds and stress patterns
• Pleasant and confident appearance of the speakers.

 

Question 1. Look up the following entries in the Language Study pages given at the end: stress, intonation, sound, consonant, vowel.
Answer:
(i) Stress: The extra force or emphasis used when pronouncing a particular syllable or word to make it stand out.
(ii) Intonation: The variation of pitch in the voice while speaking, which helps convey emotions, questions, or statements.
(iii) Sound: The auditory effect produced by the vocal organs during speech.
(iv) Consonant: A speech sound made by partially or completely blocking the flow of air through the mouth using the tongue, teeth, or lips.
(v) Vowel: A speech sound produced with an open vocal tract, allowing the breath to escape without any obstruction.
In simple words: These terms explain how we use our voice, breath, and mouth to pronounce English words clearly and expressively.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize these basic linguistic terms as they are frequently asked in grammar and oral assessment exams.

 

Question 1. Note the way the dialogue in the play is presented. Look up the word ‘colon’ in the ‘Language Study’ pages and note how ills used in the play.
Answer: In the play, the dialogue is presented with the speaker's name written first, followed by a colon (:), and then the actual words spoken by them. The colon is used to separate the speaker's name from their dialogue, indicating who is speaking without using quotation marks. This punctuation mark helps readers easily identify the speaker and follow the conversation flow.
In simple words: A colon (:) is a punctuation mark placed after a character's name in a play. It shows us exactly who is speaking without needing to use speech marks.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing a script or play, always place a colon directly after the character's name before writing their dialogue.

 

Question 1. Listen carefully and write the verbs in the appropriate column.
Teacher: can, give, following, commanded, get, has, been, spare, does, take, hand, have, fall, forgive, let, drag, return, will, is, try, has, must, be, resist, force, speak, are, were, should, had, thought, lost, would, says, was, are, does, may, cannot, demand, shall, shouldn’t, become, reign
Answer: The given verbs can be classified into main verbs, auxiliary verbs, and modal auxiliaries as shown in the table below:

Main verb	Auxiliary verb	Modal auxiliary
give, following, commanded, get, spare, take, hand, fall, forgive, let, drag, return, try, resist, force, speak, thought, lost, says, demand, become, reign	has, been, does, have, is, be, are, were, had, was	can, will, must, should, would, may, cannot, shall, shouldn’t

In simple words: Main verbs show the actual action being done. Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs that show the time of action, and modal auxiliaries show things like ability, permission, or duty.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that helping verbs like 'is', 'was', and 'has' are auxiliary verbs, while words expressing ability or duty like 'can', 'should', and 'must' are modal auxiliaries.

give, following, commanded, spare, take, hand, fall, have, forgive, drag, get, does, return, try, resist, become, force, speak, demand, reign, says, thought, lost

has, been, let, is, be, are, were, had, was, does

can, will, must, should, would, may, cannot, shall, shouldn’t

Read the following passage and do the activities:

Simple Factual Activities:

 

Question 1. Name the following:
Answer:
1. Name of the kingdom – Andher Nagari
2. Name of the king – Chaupat
3. The person who was not alert – Second guard
4. The forest from where a visitor came – Ghangor
These specific names and roles help establish the unique setting and characters of the play.
In simple words: This question asks us to identify key names and details from the play, such as the kingdom's name and the king's name.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to proper nouns like names of places and characters, and ensure they are spelled correctly to secure full marks.

 

Question 2. State whether the following statements are Right or Wrong:
Answer:
1. The first guard was at ease, all day. – Wrong
2. The visitor was a disciple of the Wise Sage from the Ghangor forest. – Right
3. Taka ser bhaji, taka ser khaja is an Indian proverb. – Right
4. The disciple wanted to attend the court to pay his respects to the mighty King Chaupat. – Right
Understanding these statements helps us follow the plot and character motivations more accurately.
In simple words: Here, we decide if each statement about the characters and events in the play is true (Right) or false (Wrong).

🎯 Exam Tip: Read each statement carefully against the text of the play to avoid making quick assumptions about whether it is right or wrong.

 

Question 3. Complete the following sentences:

 

Question 3. Complete the following sentences:
Answer:
1. The thieves were hard working and honest.
2. Both the thieves were true to their profession.
3. The house in which the thief peered through the hole belonged to a merchant.
4. According to the merchant, brick layer had carelessly built the wall of his house. This careless construction eventually caused the structure to become unstable.
In simple words: These sentences describe the characters, showing that the thieves took their job seriously and the merchant blamed a careless builder for his weak wall.

🎯 Exam Tip: Underline the filled-in words in your answer sheet just like in the textbook to make it easy for the examiner to grade.

 

Question 4. Complete the following sentences:
Answer:
1. The mortar-maker’s family comprised of his wife and two young children.
2. According to the mortar-maker excess water poured down into the mortar mixture because the pot had an extraordinary large mouth. This wide opening allowed too much water to escape all at once.
In simple words: The mortar-maker lived with his wife and two kids, and he accidentally ruined his mixture because his water pot had a very wide opening.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always write the complete sentence when answering "complete the following" questions, rather than just writing the missing words.

 

Question 5. Who said to whom:
1. “I was merely following your Highness’s order.”
2. “Take him to the gallows without further delay.”
Answer:
1. The goldsmith said to the King.
2. The King commanded the Hangman and guards. These statements highlight how everyone had to obey the ruler's strict commands.
In simple words: First, the goldsmith told the King he was only doing what he was ordered to do. Next, the King ordered his guards to execute someone immediately.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly mention both the speaker (who said it) and the listener (to whom it was said) to secure full marks.

Choose the Correct Alternative to Answer the Following Questions:

 

Question A. Who was the old man?
(a) a king
(b) a sage
(c) a guard
(d) a stranger
Answer: (b) a sage
In simple words: The old man in the story was a wise person, also known as a sage.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read all the options carefully before marking your answer, as some options might sound similar but only one matches the story.

 

Question B. Who had a wonderful fate in his next life?
(a) the king
(b) the disciple
(c) the sage
(d) the hangman
Answer: (a) the king
In simple words: The story tells us that the king was the one destined to have a great and wonderful life in his next rebirth.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the character roles in the story to easily identify who is predicted to have a great future.

 

Question C. Who was going to be hanged?
(a) the young stranger
(b) the hangman
(c) the guard
(d) the sage
Answer: (a) the young stranger
In simple words: The young stranger was the person who was selected to be executed by hanging.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the sequence of events in the play to correctly identify the character facing execution.

 

Question D. According to the sage how was the king?
(a) holy
(b) wise
(c) generous
(d) great
Answer: (c) generous
In simple words: The sage described the king as a very giving and kind-hearted person.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for specific adjectives used by characters to describe each other in the textbook passage.

 

Question 6. State whether the following statements are True or False:
Answer: The old man was a wise and learned sage. – True. He possessed deep knowledge and guided others with his wisdom.
In simple words: This statement is true because the old man was indeed a very smart and educated teacher.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing True or False answers, always write the complete statement along with the correct label to ensure clarity.

 

Complex Factual Activities

 

Question 1. Why did a disciple of the Wise Sage from the Ghangor forest come to Andher Nagari?
Answer: A disciple of the Wise Sage from the Ghangor forest had heard amazing stories about Andher Nagari and the great King Chaupat. He was impressed by the fact that everything in the market is sold at the same price. So it was a good idea to settle in that land. So to pay his respects to the mighty King Chaupat, the disciple had come to Andher Nagari.
In simple words: A disciple came to Andher Nagari because he heard that everything there was sold for the same cheap price and wanted to see this strange kingdom.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention both the cheap market prices and the desire to see King Chaupat to get full marks.

 

Question 2. Arrange the following sentences in chronological order:
1. The wall collapsed while entering the house and the thief’s friend was instantly killed.
2. One day they made a hole in the wall of a merchant’s house.
3. There were two hardworking and honest thieves in the great land of Andher Nagari.
4. They were very true to their profession from the last several years.
Answer:
3. There were two hardworking and honest thieves in the great land of Andher Nagari.
4. They were very true to their profession from the last several years.
2. One day they made a hole in the wall of a merchant’s house.
1. The wall collapsed while entering the house and the thief’s friend was instantly killed.
In simple words: This puts the story events in the correct order, starting with introducing the thieves, their work, their break-in, and finally the wall collapsing.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read all sentences carefully first to identify the introduction, action, and conclusion of the story sequence.

 

Question 3. List the characters that have appeared so far in the passage :
Answer: Mortar-maker, Fourth Guard Messenger, Potter, Money-lender and his daughter. These characters all play a role in the chain of blame for the collapsed wall.
In simple words: The characters mentioned in this part of the story are the mortar-maker, the guard, the potter, and the money-lender with his daughter.

🎯 Exam Tip: List all characters exactly as they are named in the passage without missing any.

 

Question 4. What is the Mortar-maker’s excuse? Is it believable?
Answer: According to the Mortar-maker, he poured water with an extraordinary large mouth-pot into the mortar mixture, making it too wet and weak. This excuse is not believable because a professional builder should know the correct amount of water to use.
In simple words: The mortar-maker blamed a large pot for putting too much water in the mix, which is a silly excuse because he should have been more careful.

🎯 Exam Tip: State the excuse clearly first, and then give a logical reason why it is not convincing.

 

Question 5. Is the Daughter’s complaint about the Goldsmith true?
Answer: Yes, it is true the daughter was going to get married the next week and her jewellery was not ready. She had to leave the house to request the Goldsmith to work faster and hand over her ornaments on time for her marriage. She wouldn’t have gone out of her house if there wouldn’t be such an urgency. This delay on the goldsmith's part caused her great anxiety during her wedding preparations.
In simple words: The daughter's complaint was genuine because her wedding was very close and her jewelry wasn't finished. She only went out because it was an urgent emergency.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering character-based questions, support your 'yes' or 'no' with specific reasons from the story to secure full marks.

 

Question 6. What is the goldsmith’s excuse?
Answer: The king commanded the goldsmith to set aside all his work and get the Queen’s ornaments ready before Her Highness’s birthday. So there had been a delay in making the lady’s (the money lender’s daughter’s) bridal ornaments. This was the goldsmith’s excuse for not making the lady’s ornaments. He felt he had no choice but to obey the royal order first.
In simple words: The goldsmith blamed the king for the delay. He said he had to stop all other work to make the Queen's birthday jewelry first.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly identify the external pressure (the King's command) that the character uses as an excuse.

 

Question 7. What was the sage’s request? Why did he make such a strange request?
Answer: The sage’s request was that he should be hanged instead of his disciple because he wanted to save his disciple at any cost by using some tricks. He knew that a clever plan was the only way to outsmart the foolish king.
In simple words: The wise sage asked to be executed instead of his follower. He did this as a clever trick to rescue his disciple from death.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the sage's motive (saving his disciple) and his method (using a trick) to write a complete answer.

 

Question 8. What does the King want to know?
Answer: The King wants to know why the sage, being a wise and holy man wishes to obstruct the course of justice. He also wants to know why the sage wanted to be hanged in place of his disciple. This curiosity ultimately leads the king to make a foolish decision.
In simple words: The king was confused about why a wise holy man would want to die. He wanted to understand the secret reason behind this strange request.

🎯 Exam Tip: Break down the king's questions into two parts: why the sage is interfering with justice, and why he wants to die.

Question 9. Why did the King want to die?
Answer: The sage told the King that, the great prophets had foretold that one who would be hanged on that day, in that kingdom, would become the next king and conquer many more nations. The King wanted to become the next great king of Andher Nagari. He also wanted to be a famous royal monarch. So he wanted to die to become the king of Andher Nagari. This foolish belief led him to make a hasty and fatal decision.
In simple words: The King believed that if he died on that specific day, he would be reborn as a powerful king who would rule over many lands. His greed for power made him want to be executed.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly mention the prophecy told by the sage as it is the main reason behind the King's foolish decision.

Activities Based on Vocabulary

 

Question 1. Make a list of describing words used for King Chaupat in the form of a web: (Answers are directly given.)
Answer: Describing words (titles) used for King Chaupat:

• noble
• revered
• gracious
• learned
• royal
• great
• mighty

These adjectives highlight the exaggerated praise given to the ruler.
In simple words: These are the fancy words and titles used to describe King Chaupat in the story.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to list words from a web diagram, write them down clearly as bullet points to make it easy for the examiner to read.

 

Question 2. Find out synonyms from the extract for the following: (Answers are directly given.)
Answer:
1. delicious – delectable
2. awesome – amazing
3. knowledgeable – learned
4. make – enliven
Learning these synonyms helps expand your vocabulary and improves comprehension.
In simple words: Synonyms are words that have the same or very similar meanings, like how 'delicious' means the same thing as 'delectable'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Match the synonyms exactly as they appear in the textbook extract to ensure you get full marks.

p>Question 3. Find out the adverbs which are used along with the following verbs:
Answer:
1. instantly killed
2. recently built
3. immediately bring
4. recently collapsed
These descriptive adverbs help clarify exactly when or how each action occurred.
In simple words: Adverbs are words that describe actions. Here, words like "instantly" and "recently" tell us more about when or how the actions happened.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify an adverb, look for words that describe or add more meaning to a verb, often answering questions like 'how', 'when', or 'where'.

 

Question 4. Pick out the verbs and state their kind:
1. My friend peered through the hole.
2. The merchant was living in a house.
Answer:
1. peered – Past Tense
2. was living – Past Continuous.
Identifying the correct tense helps us understand the timing of the events in the story.
In simple words: Verbs show action. "Peered" is in the simple past tense because the action is finished, while "was living" is in the past continuous tense because the action was ongoing in the past.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that continuous tenses always use an '-ing' form of the verb along with an auxiliary verb like 'was' or 'were'.

 

Question 5. Find out minimum four infinitives from the passage:
Answer: Infinitives – to blame, to pour, to urge, to work.
Infinitives act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence while remaining in their base form.
In simple words: An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, usually starting with the word "to", like "to work" or "to pour".

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for the word 'to' followed immediately by an action word to easily spot infinitives in a passage.

 

Question 6. Find out a suitable word from the extract and complete the following sentences:
Answer:
1. If you disturb the class, your teacher will give you punishment.
2. Most of the women are crazy for ornaments.
3. King Shibi was very generous.
4. It is our duty to follow our parent’s orders.
Using context clues from the passage helps in selecting the most appropriate vocabulary word for each blank.
In simple words: Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the story that make the sentences complete and meaningful.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read the entire sentence first to understand its context before choosing a word from the passage to fill in the blank.

 

Question 7. Arrange the following words in the following columns as per their meanings:

 

Question. Words: force, excuse, order, apologise, forgive
Answer:

Orders	Requests
1. order	(1) pardon
2. command	(2) apologise
3. force	(3) excuse
4. shout	(4) forgive

In simple words: Words like "order", "command", "force", and "shout" are used to give strong commands, while "pardon", "apologise", "excuse", and "forgive" are polite requests.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the tone of the word; strong or demanding words go under orders, while polite or pleading words go under requests.

 

Question 8. Match the following words in Column ‘A’ with their meaning in Column ‘B’ :

‘A’	‘B’
1. yonder	(a) give the right to
2. conquer	(b) over there
3. recluse	(c) favouring a solitary life
4. entitled	(d) capture

Answer:

‘A’	‘B’
1. yonder	(b) over there
2. conquer	(d) capture
3. recluse	(c) favouring a solitary life
4. entitled	(a) give the right to

In simple words: This matching exercise helps us pair difficult words with their simple meanings, like "yonder" meaning "over there" and "recluse" meaning someone who likes to live alone.

🎯 Exam Tip: When matching columns, write the correct pair directly opposite to each other in a clean table to make it easy for the examiner to grade.

 

Question 9. Write any suitable noun from the passage for the given adjectives to make correct combination!
1. generous ....................
2. wonderful ....................
3. great ....................
4. learned ....................
Answer:
1. generous king
2. wonderful prophet
3. great fate
4. learned sage.
These combinations help us describe the characters and elements in the story more vividly.
In simple words: We match describing words (adjectives) with naming words (nouns) to make meaningful pairs. For example, a king can be described as generous.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always read the passage carefully to find the exact nouns that are paired with the given adjectives in the text.

 

Activities Based on Contextual Grammar

 

Question 1. Identify the types of the following sentences:
1. Give your identity.
2. How boring!
3. You have heard right.
4. What brings you here?
Answer:
1. Imperative sentence (order)
2. Exclamatory sentence
3. Statement (simple sentence)
4. Interrogative sentence (wh-question)
Understanding sentence types helps us comprehend the tone and purpose of the speaker.
In simple words: Sentences can show orders, strong feelings, simple facts, or ask questions. Identifying them helps us understand how a sentence is being used.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for punctuation marks like exclamation marks (!) for exclamatory sentences and question marks (?) for interrogative sentences to identify them quickly.

 

Question 2. Frame Verbal Questions:
1. There was too much of water mixed in it.
Answer:
1. Was there too much of water mixed in it?
Verbal questions, also known as yes/no questions, always begin with an auxiliary verb.
In simple words: To make a verbal question, we move the helping verb (like 'was') to the very beginning of the sentence so it can be answered with a simple yes or no.

🎯 Exam Tip: Do not forget to place a question mark (?) at the end of a verbal question to secure full marks.

Question 2. My friend was instantly killed.
Answer:
1. Was there too much of water mixed in it?
2. Was my friend instantly killed?
In simple words: These sentences show how to turn statements into questions by moving the helping verb to the front.

🎯 Exam Tip: When changing a statement into a question, always remember to end the sentence with a question mark.

 

Question 3. It is the fault of the bricklayer. He carelessly built such a weak wall. (Combine the sentence with ‘who’)
Answer: It is the fault of the bricklayer who carelessly built such a weak wall. This relative pronoun helps connect the person directly to their action.
In simple words: We combined the two sentences into one by using 'who' to describe the bricklayer.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use 'who' for people to combine sentences smoothly without repeating the pronoun 'he' or 'she'.

 

Question 4. Pick out the subject and object in the following sentences:
1. The guards dragged the goldsmith.
2. You commanded me
3. he Hangman forced the disciple.
4. The Hangman overpowers them.
Answer:

Subject	Object
1. The guards	1. the goldsmith
2. You	2. me/I
3. The Hangman	3. the disciple
4. The Hangman	4. they

In simple words: The subject is the doer of the action, while the object is the receiver of the action in a sentence.

🎯 Exam Tip: To find the subject, ask 'who' or 'what' performed the action; to find the object, ask 'who' or 'what' received the action.

 

Question 5. Add a tail tag to the following sentences: (Answers are directly given.)
Answer:
1. You have not carried out my orders, have you?
In simple words: Since the main sentence is negative ('have not'), we add a positive question tag ('have you') at the end.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember that a negative statement takes a positive question tag, and a positive statement takes a negative question tag.

Question 6. Make the following sentences Assertive:
(a) What a strange appeal!
(b) What a wonderful fate in my next life – a king once again!
Answer:
(a) It was indeed a strange appeal. This unexpected plea left everyone in the courtroom completely astonished.
(b) A king once again in my next life is really a wonderful fate. Such a glorious future is something anyone would deeply desire.
In simple words: To change an exclamation into a regular statement, we remove the surprise words and use words like "indeed" or "really" to show how strong the feeling is.

🎯 Exam Tip: When converting exclamatory sentences to assertive ones, make sure to remove the exclamation mark and add words like 'very', 'indeed', or 'truly' to maintain the original emphasis.

 

Question 7. Rewrite using ‘as well as’:
1. He is a wise and learned sage from the forest.
2. The old man begged and pleaded that he should be hanged instead of the young stranger.
Answer:
1. He is a wise as well as learned sage from the forest. His vast knowledge makes him highly respected by everyone who meets him.
2. The old man begged as well as pleaded that he should be hanged instead of the young stranger. His desperate actions showed his ultimate willingness to sacrifice himself for another.
In simple words: We use 'as well as' to connect two similar descriptions or actions together in a sentence instead of just using the word 'and'.

🎯 Exam Tip: When using 'as well as' to join two adjectives or verbs, simply replace the 'and' with 'as well as' while keeping the rest of the sentence structure exactly the same.

Personal Response

 

Question 1. Do you think this is a good land to settle in? Why?
Answer: Yes, I think the land of Andher Nagari is a good land to settle in because it is the only land where everything is sold at the same price. There will be no complications. We can settle there very well even if our income is low. This uniform pricing makes daily living highly affordable and predictable for everyone.
In simple words: Andher Nagari seems like a nice place to live because everything costs the same cheap price, making it very easy for anyone to buy what they need.

🎯 Exam Tip: For personal response questions, always state your opinion clearly in the first sentence and support it with at least two logical reasons from the text.

 

Question 2. Can we call the thieves truly hard-working and honest?
Answer: No, not at all. Thieves cannot be hard-working and honest as they rob the possessions earned by others by working hard. If they are honest, they would not do such crimes. True honesty lies in respecting other people's efforts and property.
In simple words: Thieves cannot be called honest or hard-working because they steal things that other people worked hard to get. Honest people do not commit crimes.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state 'No' at the beginning of your answer and explain how stealing contradicts the values of honesty and hard work.

 

Question 3. Do you think the potter is telling the truth? Why?
Answer: The potter said when he was shaping the mouth of the pot he heard the sweet, delicate tinkling of anklets of money-lender’s daughter. I think he must be telling the truth as it might have disturbed his work and the mouth of pot became too wide. A sudden distraction can easily ruin a craftsman's delicate focus.
In simple words: Yes, the potter is telling the truth because the distracting sound of the anklets made him lose focus, which ruined the shape of the pot.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention the specific distraction (the tinkling of the anklets) and its direct physical effect on the pot to score full marks.

 

Question 4. Why is the daughter so confident that the king will not hang her? Does her prediction come true?
Answer: The daughter was very much confident that the king will not hang her because she knew that she was not guilty and she also knew the king very well. Yes, her prediction came true. Her deep understanding of the king's foolish nature gave her the confidence to stand up for herself.
In simple words: The daughter knew she did nothing wrong and understood how the king thinks, so she was sure she would not be punished. In the end, she was proven right.

🎯 Exam Tip: Make sure to answer both parts of the question: why she was confident, and whether her prediction came true.

 

Question 5. Is the Goldsmith telling the truth? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer: Yes, I think the Goldsmith was telling the truth. After making that ladies ornaments the Goldsmith could have received the money from her. But he did not think about the money whereas he thought about the respect and honour of the King. So he started making the Queen’s ornaments instead of that lady’s bridal ornaments. Prioritizing royal orders was a matter of survival and duty in those times.
In simple words: The goldsmith was telling the truth because he chose to work on the Queen's jewelry first out of respect for the King, even though he could have made money from the lady's ornaments.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the contrast between the goldsmith's financial gain and his duty/respect toward the King to justify his truthfulness.

 

Question 6. What is your opinion about the king is he ? wicked, greedy, stupid or all of these? Which of his actions/words show that?
Answer: I think the king is stupid. He believes every person of his kingdom without any logical reasoning or proper investigation. His inability to judge situations rationally makes him completely unfit to rule.
In simple words: The king is foolish because he blindly believes whatever anyone tells him without checking the facts first.

🎯 Exam Tip: State your opinion clearly (e.g., 'stupid') and support it by pointing out his habit of believing everyone without proof.

 

Question 7. Was the King willing to hang the Sage? Why?
Answer: No, the King was not willing to hang the sage because the sage told him that the one who would be hanged on that day, in that kingdom, would become the next king. So to become the next great king of Andher Nagari, he didn’t want to hang the sage whereas he wanted himself to be hanged. This foolish greed ultimately led to his own sudden downfall.
In simple words: The King wanted to become the next king in his next life, so he chose to be hanged himself instead of hanging the wise sage.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state the King's motive of wanting to rule in his next life to explain his sudden change of mind.

Activities Based on Language Study

Do the Following as Instructed:

 

Question 1. Complete the words by using correct letters:
1. c o _ r t
2. g u _ r d
3. g _ e a t
4. f a u _ t
Answer:
1. c o u r t
2. g u a r d
3. g r e a t
4. f a u l t. These words are all commonly used in the story of the foolish king.
In simple words: Fill in the missing blank spaces with the correct letters to make complete, meaningful words.

🎯 Exam Tip: Double-check the spelling of each completed word to ensure it forms a real and contextually correct English word.

 

Question 2. Copy the following sentences correctly in your notebook:
Answer:
1. Why have you not carried out my orders?
2. What a wonderful fate in my next life a king once again! Paying close attention to punctuation marks like question marks and exclamation points is essential when copying text.
In simple words: Write down the given sentences exactly as they are, making sure to copy all punctuation marks correctly.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to punctuation marks like question marks and exclamation marks to score full marks in copying exercises.

 

Question 3. Put the following words in alphabetical order:
1. forgive, excess, mercy, guilty.
2. moulding, mortar, Majesty, measure.
Answer:
1. excess, forgive, guilty, mercy.
2. Majesty, measure, mortar, moulding. Alphabetical order helps us find words quickly in a dictionary.
In simple words: To put words in alphabetical order, look at their first letters and arrange them like the A-B-C song. If the first letters are the same, look at the second letters.

🎯 Exam Tip: When words start with the same letter, compare the second and third letters carefully to avoid mistakes.

 

Question 4. Punctuate the following sentences:
1. oh do not fret father the king will not hang me said daughter
2. the king said ah justice at last take him to the gallows without further delay
Answer:
1. “Oh, do not fret, father. The king will i not hang me,” said daughter.
2. The King said, “Ah! Justice at last! Take him to the gallows without further delay.” Proper punctuation makes the speaker's emotions and pauses clear to the reader.
In simple words: Punctuation marks like capital letters, commas, and quotation marks show where a sentence starts, stops, and who is speaking.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember to enclose direct speech inside double quotation marks and start the spoken sentence with a capital letter.

 

Question 5. Write four small words (minimum 3 letters each) using the letters in the given word: ‘explanation.’
Answer:
1. explain
2. nation
3. plain
4. plant. Finding smaller words within a larger word is a great way to build vocabulary.
In simple words: You can make new, smaller words by picking out and rearranging the letters found inside the word 'explanation'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Make sure each new word you write has at least three letters and uses only the letters available in the main word.

 

Question 6. Spot the error and rewrite the correct sentences:
1. O Noble King, you were most generous.
2. The great prophets has foretold that the one who will be hanged on this day shall become the next king and conquer many more nations.
Answer:
1. O Noble King, You are most generous.
2. The great prophets have foretold that the one who will be hanged on this day shall become the next king and conquer many more nations. Correcting grammatical errors ensures that our sentences are clear and correct.
In simple words: We need to fix the grammar mistakes, like using 'You are' instead of 'you were' for respect, and 'have' instead of 'has' for plural words.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always check for subject-verb agreement, such as using 'have' with plural subjects like 'prophets'.

 

Question 7. Write related words as shown in the example:
Answer:
• person
• incident
• game
• story
• news
In simple words: These are words that describe things that can be interesting, like an interesting story or an interesting person.

🎯 Exam Tip: When writing related words, think of adjectives or nouns that naturally pair with the central word in everyday sentences.

 

Question 8. Complete the following word-chain of adjectives. Add four words, each beginning with the last letter of the previous word:
young → …………. → …………. → ………….. → ………….. .
Answer: young → great → terrible → equal → lovely. This chain shows how each new adjective starts with the final letter of the word before it.
In simple words: A word chain is like a game where the last letter of a word becomes the first letter of the next word.

🎯 Exam Tip: Make sure all the words you add to the chain belong to the correct part of speech, which in this case is adjectives.

Do As Directed:

 

Question 1. Make your own meaningful sentence by using the phrase ‘to say goodbye’.
Answer: It is quite difficult to say goodbye to our school. Saying goodbye to friends and teachers at the end of the year is always an emotional moment.
In simple words: Use the phrase in a sentence that makes complete sense and shows you understand its meaning.

🎯 Exam Tip: Underline the given phrase in your final sentence to make it easy for the examiner to see your answer.

 

Question 2. Add a prefix or suffix to make new words and use any one of the root words in your own sentence:
1. mercy
2. complicate
Answer:
1. mercy – merciful
2. complicate – complication

Sentence: The kind king showed mercy to the captured soldiers.
In simple words: Add letters to the beginning or end of a word to make a new word, then write a sentence using one of the original words.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always read the instructions carefully to ensure you complete both parts of the question: making the new words and writing the sentence.

 

Question 3. Add a clause to expand the sentence meaningfully:
The teacher suggested …………………..
Answer: The teacher suggested that we should follow the rules and regulations of our country. This addition helps complete the thought by providing a clear and meaningful action.
In simple words: We need to add a group of words with a subject and a verb to make the sentence complete. Here, we added what the teacher suggested.

🎯 Exam Tip: When expanding a sentence with a clause, ensure the new clause contains a subject and a verb, and connects logically using a conjunction like 'that'.