Gopal & the Hilsa Fish Summary Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 3

Introduction

"Gopal and the Hilsa-fish" is a humorous story written in the form of a comic strip. A comic strip presents a story using pictures and dialogues, making it more engaging and easy to understand.

This story highlights the intelligence and wit of Gopal. The story begins with an image of fishermen fishing at the sea; it was the season for Hilsa-fish. Everyone, including the courtiers at the palace, was talking about the fish.  The story revolves around a challenge given to Gopal by the king, where he has to bring a Hilsa fish to the palace without anyone discussing it.

Summary

It was the season for Hilsa-fish, and everywhere people were talking about it. Even in the royal court, the courtiers were discussing only Hilsa-fish, which made the king annoyed.

Frustrated, the king challenged Gopal to bring a Hilsa fish to the palace without anyone mentioning it. Gopal accepted the challenge.

To divert people's attention, Gopal came up with a clever idea.

• He half-shaved his face,
• Smeared ash on himself,
• Worn-torn and shabby clothes.

His wife was shocked and tried to stop him from going out like that, but Gopal ignored her and went to the market.

As he walked through the streets, people laughed at his appearance instead of noticing the Hilsa-fish he was carrying. Some called him a madman, others thought he was a joker, and some even considered him a saint.

When he reached the palace, the guards did not allow him inside because of his strange looks. To grab attention, Gopal started singing and dancing loudly.

Hearing the noise, the king ordered the guards to bring him in. When the king recognized Gopal, he was surprised by his funny appearance and asked why he was dressed so strangely.

Gopal replied, "Your Majesty, from the market to the palace, no one spoke about the Hilsa-fish!"

The king burst into laughter and praised Gopal for achieving the impossible task.

Theme / Message

Gopal is a courtier in the court. The king challenges Gopal to bring Hilsa fish in the palace without getting hyped about it. Gopal accepts the challenge. A few days later, Gopal gets half-shaven and smears ash on his face and takes on torn and dirty clothes. The lesson tells us about - Gopal and the Hilsa Fish,  that nothing is impossible in the world. Smart people will make intelligent decisions, and that's the most crucial factor in how things turn out good for you. Smart people can achieve anything in the world with his or her intelligence.

List of Difficult Words with Meanings