CBSE Class 7 English Literature Worksheet

Topic - The Medicine Man Comes
The Invention of Shoe

I) Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:

Question i) “What shall we do?” she cried. “We can't do anything. We have to listen to him.”
a) Who is the speaker referring to?
Answer: The speaker is referring to the medicine man who has come to treat their ailing mother.
In simple words: The speaker is talking about the medicine man whose instructions they are forced to follow.

Exam Tip: Identify characters in the extract by analyzing the context of illness or treatment in the story.

Question i) b) What situation is the speaker in?
Answer: The speaker is in a helpless and distressed situation as their mother is seriously ill, and they feel compelled to obey whatever the medicine man demands or prescribes.
In simple words: She is worried about her sick mother and feels helpless because she must obey the medicine man.

Exam Tip: State both the emotional state and the physical circumstances to score full marks.

Question i) c) Why does the speaker have to listen to him?
Answer: The speaker has to listen to him because they are desperate for their mother's recovery and believe that the medicine man is the only one who can cure her illness.
In simple words: She listens to him out of desperation to save her mother.

Exam Tip: Connect the obedience of the characters directly to their desperation and hope for healing.

Question ii) “It's a rank plot to foil me,
My own soil to soil me.”
a) Who said the above sentence?
Answer: King Hobu said this sentence.
In simple words: King Hobu uttered these words when his feet got dirtied.

Exam Tip: Memorize key dialogue attributions from poems like 'The Invention of Shoes'.

Question ii) b) To whom is he speaking?
Answer: He is speaking to his ministers, specifically addressing Gobu and the wise men of his kingdom.
In simple words: He is talking to his ministers and wise men.

Exam Tip: Keep track of the audience during royal decrees and royal complaints in narrative poems.

Question ii) c) What is the problem faced by the speaker?
Answer: The speaker's problem is that whenever he walks outside, the dust and soil of his own kingdom touch and dirty his royal feet, which infuriates him.
In simple words: His feet get dirty from the dust of the ground, which makes him very angry.

Exam Tip: Clearly mention the core conflict of the poem - dust soiling the king's feet.

Question iii) “The king remarked, now really score
To clear the dust, they've added more”
a) Explain the above sentence.
Answer: The king is expressing his frustration that instead of clearing away the dust as ordered, the servants and workers ended up spreading even more dust and dirt while trying to clean the kingdom, making the situation worse.
In simple words: The king is complaining that the cleaners made the dust worse instead of cleaning it.

Exam Tip: Explain the irony in the lines - efforts to remove dust only created more dust.

Question iii) b) Name the poet.
Answer: The poet is Rabindranath Tagore.
In simple words: The poem was written by Rabindranath Tagore.

Exam Tip: Always learn the poets and authors for all prose and poetry pieces in the syllabus.

Question iv) “Lila wailed” suddenly, no longer able to speak calmly.
c) Give the meaning of the word wailed here.
Answer: The word 'wailed' means to cry out in a loud, sorrowful, and emotional manner due to pain, grief, or distress.
In simple words: Wailed means to cry loudly in deep sorrow.

Exam Tip: Provide precise contextual meanings for vocabulary words from the text.

Question iv) d) Why was the speaker unable to speak calmly?
Answer: The speaker was unable to speak calmly because she was overwhelmed by grief, fear, and pain regarding her mother's worsening condition and the harsh demands of the medicine man.
In simple words: She was too upset and distressed to speak normally.

Exam Tip: Link emotional outbursts in stories to the underlying grief or pressure on the character.

Question iv) e) To whom was the speaker speaking?
Answer: The speaker was speaking to her sibling and those present in the house during the tense situation with the medicine man.
In simple words: She was talking to her family members.

Exam Tip: Identify conversational partners by reviewing dialogue exchanges in the text.

Question v) ‘Have you any medicine for making her strong?’
Answer: This was said by one of the daughters (or children) of the sick mother.
In simple words: The sick woman's daughter asked this question.

Exam Tip: Attribute dialogue accurately to the family members seeking medical help.

Question v) b) Why was the speaker requesting for medicine?
Answer: The speaker was requesting medicine because her mother was bedridden, weak, and suffering from a severe illness that required immediate cure.
In simple words: She wanted medicine to help her sick mother get better and regain her strength.

Exam Tip: Highlight the urgency and care for the mother as the primary motivation.

Question v) c) Name the lesson.
Answer: The lesson is titled 'The Medicine Man Comes'.
In simple words: The lesson name is 'The Medicine Man Comes'.

Exam Tip: Ensure exact spelling of lesson titles. Do not miss articles like 'The'.

Question vi) ‘They studied and brooded and scanned.’
Answer: 'They' refers to the wise men and ministers summoned by King Hobu.
In simple words: 'They' means the wise men and ministers.

Exam Tip: Clearly state pronoun antecedents based on context.

Question vi) b) Write down the three things done by them.
Answer: The three things done by them are: 1. Studied ancient texts and problems, 2. Brooded deeply over how to solve the king's issue, 3. Scanned maps and scriptures for a solution.
In simple words: They studied, thought deeply (brooded), and examined (scanned) various plans.

Exam Tip: Use bullet points or numbered lists when asked for a specific number of items.

Question vi) c) Why did they do so?
Answer: They did so to find a quick and effective solution to rid the kingdom of dust so that the king's feet would never get soiled again.
In simple words: They did this to find a way to remove all dust and keep the king's feet clean.

Exam Tip: Tie the actions of the wise men back to King Hobu's primary demand.

Question vii) ‘The Minister railed’
‘Or bind him and throw him in prison.’
Answer: 'Him' refers to the helpless worker or person held responsible for failing to keep the ground clean.
In simple words: 'Him' refers to the person being blamed for the dust.

Exam Tip: Identify characters who face punishment in royal courts.

Question vii) b) Name the poem. What was the punishment suggested for him?
Answer: The poem is 'The Invention of Shoes'. The punishment suggested was to bind him and throw him into prison.
In simple words: Poem: 'The Invention of Shoes'. Punishment: to tie him up and put him in jail.

Exam Tip: Combine the poem name and the exact punishment in your answer.

Question viii) ‘Why, what are you wise man worth?’
Answer: This was said by King Hobu.
In simple words: King Hobu asked this question to the wise men.

Exam Tip: Note the frustrated tone of the king addressing his ministers.

Question viii) b) Was the King happy with his ministers? Why?
Answer: No, the King was not happy with his ministers because despite all their studying and brainstorming, dust continued to soil his feet and their plans failed to solve the problem.
In simple words: No, he was unhappy because their plans failed and his feet still got dirty.

Exam Tip: Explain the contrast between the ministers' efforts and the king's dissatisfaction.

Question viii) c) Name the poet.
Answer: The poet is Rabindranath Tagore.
In simple words: Rabindranath Tagore wrote the poem.

Exam Tip: Reinforce poet names whenever asked across different extracts.

Question ix) With these he treated the villagers for their boils, aches and fever.
a) Whom does ‘he’ refer to?
Answer: 'He' refers to the medicine man.
In simple words: 'He' means the medicine man.

Exam Tip: Connect pronouns to the central character of the prose lesson.

Question ix) c) With what did he treat the villagers?
Answer: He treated the villagers with local herbs, roots, traditional remedies, and concoctions.
In simple words: He treated them using traditional herbal medicines and remedies.

Exam Tip: Mention traditional herbs and remedies as the medicine man's treatment method.

Question ix) d) Name the author.
Answer: The author of the lesson 'The Medicine Man Comes' is Norah Burke.
In simple words: The author is Norah Burke.

Exam Tip: Memorize prose authors separately from poetry authors.

Question x) ‘Then he went in to see their mother at last.’
a) What did he demand before he went in to see their mother?
Answer: He demanded special offerings, payments, or specific conditions to be met before agreeing to examine the sick mother.
In simple words: He demanded payment and special conditions before seeing the mother.

Exam Tip: Highlight the demanding and mercenary nature of the medicine man in this scene.

Question x) b) Was Lila happy with the treatment of her mother by the medicine man? Why?
Answer: No, Lila was not happy because she found the medicine man's methods harsh, demanding, and ineffective, causing further distress to her family.
In simple words: No, she was unhappy because his treatment was harsh and unhelpful.

Exam Tip: Contrast the family's expectations with the actual harsh treatment received.

Question x) c) What was their mother suffering from?
Answer: Their mother was suffering from a severe illness, high fever, and bodily aches.
In simple words: Their mother was suffering from a severe fever and illness.

Exam Tip: State the physical ailments clearly based on the story details.

Question II) Write the summary of the Invention of Shoes.
Answer: 'The Invention of Shoes' by Rabindranath Tagore is a humorous and satirical poem about King Hobu and his minister Gobu. One morning, the king steps out and is upset when dust soils his royal feet. He summons his wise men and orders them to rid the entire kingdom of dust so that his feet never get dirty again. The ministers sweep and scrub the earth, using up millions of brooms and emptying lakes and rivers to wash the land. As a result, dust turns into thick mud, choking the kingdom and ruining everything. When the king complains again, a leather-worker comes forward and offers a simple solution: instead of changing the whole earth, cover the king's feet in leather. This clever idea leads to the invention of the first pair of shoes, solving the problem effortlessly.
In simple words: King Hobu gets angry when dust touches his feet. His ministers try to wash and sweep away all the dust, turning the kingdom into muddy chaos. Finally, a leather-worker invents shoes to cover the king's feet, solving the problem simply.

Exam Tip: Structure summaries with an introduction, problem, climax (muddy chaos), and resolution (invention of shoes).

Question III) Write the character sketch of 'THE MEDICINE MAN' from the lesson 'THE MEDICINE MAN COMES'.
Answer: In Norah Burke's story 'The Medicine Man Comes', the medicine man is portrayed as a shrewd, pompous, and imposing figure in the village. He relies on traditional herbs and remedies, cultivating an air of mystery and authority to impress the simple villagers. He is business-minded and demanding, insisting on proper respect, offerings, and compliance before offering his services. While he possesses some practical knowledge of local healing herbs, his arrogant demeanor and mercenary attitude highlight the tension between blind faith in traditional healers and genuine medical care.
In simple words: The medicine man is a proud, strict, and business-minded village healer who uses herbs but acts very important and demanding.

Exam Tip: Include traits like arrogant, shrewd, and traditional when describing the medicine man.

Question IV) Write the character sketch of 'KING HOBU' from the lesson 'THE INVENTION OF SHOES'.
Answer: King Hobu, from Rabindranath Tagore's poem, is depicted as an eccentric, whimsical, and easily annoyed ruler. He is completely detached from practical reality, expecting nature and his entire kingdom to bend to his royal whims. When dust soils his feet, instead of accepting natural conditions, he throws tantrums and issues absurd commands to clear away all the dust on earth. His impatience and lack of common sense create chaos in his kingdom, yet he is ultimately dependent on the practical wisdom of ordinary subjects like the leather-worker to solve his problems.
In simple words: King Hobu is a silly and impatient king who gets angry over small things like dust on his feet and gives impossible orders to his ministers.

Exam Tip: Emphasize King Hobu's impracticality, impatience, and reliance on commoners' clever solutions.

Question V) Imagine yourself as 'Minister Gobu' and write a 'DIARY ENTRY' about how you felt when King Hobu scolded you for his feet getting sullied by the soil of his land.
Answer:
15th October
Dear Diary,
Today has been the most stressful day of my life as a minister. His Majesty King Hobu stepped out this morning and threw a terrible temperamental fit because a speck of dust touched his royal feet. He glared at me and scolded us all severely, demanding that we rid the entire country of dust immediately. How is it even possible to eliminate all dust from the earth? My head is spinning, and my fellow wise men and I are at our wits' end trying to figure out a way to satisfy his impossible demand without landing in prison. I only hope we can find a solution before the king loses his temper completely!
Yours anxiously,
Gobu
In simple words: A diary entry expressing Gobu's fear and stress after King Hobu scolded him for getting dust on his feet.

Exam Tip: Use a personal tone, date, and expressive vocabulary suitable for a diary entry.

VI) Answer the following questions:

Question 1. When the poem opens, what kind of mood is king Hobu in? Why?
Answer: When the poem opens, King Hobu is in an angry, irritated, and foul mood because the dust and soil of the ground have touched and sullied his royal feet.
In simple words: He is in a very angry mood because his feet got dirty with dust.

Exam Tip: State the emotional state clearly and link it directly to the soiled feet incident.

Question 2. Who was Pinto? How do you know?
Answer: Pinto was the clever leather-worker who came forward with the practical solution of making leather shoes for the king. We know this from the later part of the poem where he explains that covering the feet with leather prevents dust from touching them.
In simple words: Pinto was the shoemaker who suggested covering the king's feet in leather.

Exam Tip: Identify Pinto as the leather-worker who resolved the central conflict.

Question 3. Describe the preparations done by the medicine man before attending Lila's mother.
Answer: Before attending to Lila's mother, the medicine man demanded special offerings, arranged his herbal ingredients, put on a theatrical display of authority, and made the family meet his strict preliminary conditions.
In simple words: He demanded offerings and set up his herbal medicines before seeing the sick mother.

Exam Tip: Highlight his dramatic preparations and demands for offerings.

Question 4. The Wise Men is the poem 'Invention of Shoes' haf suggested many ways to settle down the dust. Write down three suggestions given by the wise man.
Answer: The three suggestions given by the wise men were: 1. Sweeping the entire earth with millions of brooms, 2. Pouring water from rivers and lakes to wash away every particle of dust, 3. Creating massive shields or coverings over the land.
In simple words: 1. Sweep all dust with brooms. 2. Wash the whole land with water. 3. Cover the earth with barriers.

Exam Tip: List the sweeping, washing, and covering strategies proposed by the ministers.