Class 9 Moments Supplementary Reader Chapter 4 Question Answers - In the Kingdom of Fools

Q1. On what condition did the guru and his disciple agree to rule the kingdom?

Ans: The guru and his disciple agreed to rule the kingdom on the condition that they could change all the existing laws. They aimed to restore normalcy by reversing the order of night and day and adjusting the prices of goods, ensuring that everything returned to a more reasonable state.

Q2. Why did the guru want to leave the kingdom quickly? Why did the disciple stay on?

Ans: The guru, being wise, sensed danger in remaining in the kingdom of fools and wanted to leave quickly. In contrast, the disciple chose to stay because everything was incredibly cheap, and he was primarily interested in enjoying good food at low prices. Despite the guru's warnings about the foolishness of the people, the disciple's desire for affordable meals kept him from leaving.

Q3. What was foolish about the king’s trial of the merchant?

Ans: The king's decision to execute the merchant for the accidental death of a thief was foolish. The thief died when a wall collapsed on him, yet the king held the merchant responsible, demonstrating a lack of reason and justice.

Q4. Who was finally blamed for the crime and why?

Ans: The rich merchant was ultimately blamed for the crime because his deceased father had ordered faulty jewellery. Since his father was no longer alive, the merchant was held accountable in his place.

Q5. Now justice had come full circle, thought the king. What argument did the merchant come up with? What counter-argument did the king give?

Ans: The merchant argued that he should not be punished because it was his father who had ordered the jewellery, not him. He claimed innocence, stating, “He’s dead! I’m innocent!” However, the king responded by saying that the merchant had inherited both his father’s wealth and his sins, making him equally responsible for the crime.

Q6. Why was it decided to execute the disciple?

Ans: The king decided to execute the disciple because the rich merchant was too thin to be properly executed on the stake. The king ordered his servants to find a man who was fat enough to fit the stake. They soon found the disciple, who had become overweight from indulging in food.

When the disciple protested his innocence, claiming to be a sanyasi, the guards replied that it was the royal decree to find a suitable man for execution. As he awaited his fate, he remembered his guru's warning about the foolishness of the city. Ultimately, the king and his minister decided that someone must be punished, and despite the disciple's innocence, he was chosen for execution.

Q7. How did the kingdom become normal again?

Ans: The people of the kingdom sought the guru and his disciples to take on the roles of king and minister. They agreed, but only if they could change the old laws. Once they took charge, they restored order, ensuring that night was night and day was day, bringing the kingdom back to normal.

Q8. How did the guru get rid of the foolish king?

Ans: The guru outsmarted the foolish king by persuading him that whoever died first on the stake would be reborn as the king. The gullible king believed this and chose to have himself executed, thinking it would guarantee his return as the ruler.

Q9. What did the dancing girl say in her defense?

Ans: The dancing girl defended herself by stating that she had given gold to the goldsmith to create jewellery. However, the goldsmith delayed the work, causing her to walk back and forth in front of his house multiple times.

Q10. How did the guru come to know that his disciple was in trouble?

Ans: The guru, endowed with magical powers, had a vision that revealed his disciple was in danger. This ability allowed him to see not only the present but also the future. Upon realising his disciple's plight, he arrived swiftly to offer assistance, having been alerted by his vision.

Q11. What did the king and his minister do at night?

Ans: At night, the king and his minister secretly freed the guru and the disciple from prison. They disguised themselves as the two prisoners and were executed in their place, following a plan they had arranged with loyal servants.

Q12. Who were the people questioned during the course of the trial, and what was each person’s defense?

Ans: The first person questioned was the house owner, who claimed that the bricklayer was responsible for constructing a faulty wall. The bricklayer then shifted the blame to the dancing girl, stating that her presence distracted him while he worked. In response, the dancing girl pointed to the goldsmith, saying he delayed her jewellery order. The goldsmith explained that he was under pressure to complete jewellery for a wealthy man's wedding, which turned out to be the original house owner.

Q13. Why did the guru want him and his disciple to die first?

Ans: The guru suggested that whoever died first on the stake would be reborn as a king and minister. He feigned weariness from his ascetic lifestyle and expressed a desire to die first, hoping to enjoy the privileges of rulership in his next life.

Q14. Who became the king and the minister of the kingdom in the end? Why?

Ans: The guru and his disciple became the king and minister after the foolish king and his minister died. The people, worried about the future of their kingdom, urged them to take on these roles. They agreed, but only if they could change the old laws.

From that point on, the natural order was restored: night was night, and day was day, making the kingdom more like any other place.

Q15. How did the king and his minister die in place of the guru and his disciple?

Ans: The king ordered the executioners to kill the first two men they sent the next morning. That night, he and his minister secretly freed the guru and his disciple, disguising themselves as them. The following morning, the king and minister were executed in their place.

Q16. How was the Kingdom of Fools different from any other place?

Ans: The Kingdom of Fools was unique because it was governed by a foolish king and minister. In this kingdom, the people worked at night and slept during the day. Surprisingly, all goods, regardless of their value, were priced the same—only one duddu.

Q17. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple found in the Kingdom of Fools?

Ans: The two strange things observed by the guru and his disciple in the Kingdom of Fools were that people and cattle worked at night and slept during the day. Additionally, everything, regardless of its actual value, was sold for just one duddu. This unusual system amazed the visitors, as they could buy all the food they wanted for a single rupee.

Q18. Why didn’t the people go against the order of the king and minister?

Ans: The people feared disobeying the king and minister because they were warned that anyone who did would face the death penalty.

Q19. Why did the guru not want to stay in the Kingdom of Fools?

Ans: The guru, being wise, recognised that living among fools was perilous due to their unpredictability. He understood that their foolish system of governance would not endure for long.

Q20. Why did the disciple not want to leave the Kingdom of Fools?

Ans: The disciple did not want to leave the Kingdom of Fools because he enjoyed the cheap food available there. In this peculiar place, everything cost just one duddu, whether it was a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas. This made it easy for him to eat well without spending much money.

Q21. Why did the thief’s brother accuse the rich merchant?

Ans: The thief's brother accused the rich merchant because the thief was killed when a wall in the merchant's old house collapsed. The brother believed this was due to poor construction and held the merchant responsible for his brother's death.

Q22. Who was blamed by the merchant for the death of the thief?

Ans: The merchant held the bricklayer responsible for the death of the thief. He claimed that the bricklayer had constructed a faulty wall during the time of the merchant's father, which ultimately led to the thief's demise.

Q23. Why was the bricklayer found not guilty?

Ans: The bricklayer was found not guilty because he explained that he was distracted by a dancing girl. She was walking up and down the street, jingling her anklets, which made it difficult for him to focus on his work.

Q24. What was ironic about the king’s judgment holding the dancing girl as the culprit?

Ans: The irony in the king's judgment is that he called the thief “innocent” and expressed sympathy for him, while blaming the dancing girl for the death of a lawbreaker. This reflects a complete lack of reason in his decision-making process.

Q25. How did the goldsmith escape punishment?

Ans: The goldsmith escaped punishment by claiming he had delayed the dancing girl's jewellery because he was busy fulfilling an urgent order for a wealthy merchant preparing for a wedding. He explained that the merchant's impatience had forced him to prioritise that order over the dancer's request.

Q26. Why were the people of the kingdom confused when they saw the dead bodies of the king and his minister?

Ans: The people were confused upon seeing the dead bodies of the king and his minister because they were unaware of the secret plan devised by the two leaders. This left them without a ruler and uncertain about how to proceed.

Q27. Who was the real culprit according to the king? Why did he escape punishment?

Ans: The king concluded that the real culprit was the rich merchant's father, who had constructed the wall. However, since the father had already passed away, the king decided that the punishment should fall on his son.

Q28. What problem arose before the final execution of the criminal?

Ans: Before the merchant's execution, it was revealed that he was too thin to fit on the stake. This created a significant problem, as the execution orders could not be fulfilled.

Q29. Why did the king’s servants catch the disciple?

Ans: The king’s servants captured the disciple because they needed a fat man for the execution. The disciple had become overweight after indulging in cheap food for several months.

Q30. What was the fight between the guru and his disciple about? Why?

Ans: The guru and his disciple argued over who should be the first to die at the stake. This was part of a clever plan to deceive the king into believing that the one who died first would become the next ruler. The disciple, motivated by his desire for food, initially found himself in this predicament, but the guru intervened to save him.

When the guru insisted on being executed first, the disciple protested, leading to a chaotic scene that confused the king. The guru explained that they sought to die together, as they had never encountered a city or king like this one. Ultimately, they managed to trick the king and escape their fate.