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Three Questions
Comprehension Check (Page 9)
1. Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
Answer:
The king wanted to know the answers to three questions because he wanted to be a successful ruler.
2. Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom
(i) to fetch wise men.
(ii) to find answers to the questions.
(iii) to look for the wise hermit.
(iv) to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Mark your choice.
Answer:
(iv) to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.
Comprehension Check (Page 14)
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 |
Answers:
1. Many wise men answered the king’s questions, but their answers were so varied that the king was not satisfied.
2. Someone suggested that there should be a council of wise men to help the king act at the right time.
3. Someone else suggested that the king should have a timetable and follow it strictly.
4. The king requested the hermit to answer three questions.
5. The king washed and dressed the bearded man’s wound, but the bleeding would not stop.
Working with the text
Answer the following questions:
1. Why was the king advised to go to magicians?
Answer:
Some of the wise men thought that in order to decide the right time for doing something, one must look into the future. Since only magicians were able to foresee the future, they advised the king to go to the magicians.
2. In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?
Answer:
The responses to the second question were varied. Some wise men believed that the advice of his councillors was most necessary for the king, some others believed that the advice of priests would be preferable, a few other wise men thought that the doctors’ advice was of prime importance, and yet others believed that the king’s soldiers were of utmost importance.
3. What suggestions were made in answer to the third question?
Answer:
In response to the third question, some wise men held that science was the most important thing, some others believed that fighting was the essential thing for a king to do, and yet others said that religious worship should take precedence over all other activities.
4. Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not?
Answer:
No, none of the wise men won the reward. That is because all of them came up with different answers and the king was not satisfied with any of those answers.
5. How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
Answer:
At first, the king cleaned the wound by washing it, then he covered it with his handkerchief. But the bleeding did not stop, so he re-dressed the wound until the blood stopped oozing completely. Then the king gave some water to the wounded man to drink. The king and the hermit together carried the wounded man inside the hut and laid him on the bed to rest at night.
6. (i) Who was the bearded man?
(ii) Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?
Answer:
(i) The bearded man was the king’s sworn enemy. He had come there to take revenge on the king for ordering his brother’s death and seizing his property.
(ii) He asked for the king’s forgiveness because he had come with the intention of killing the king, whereas the king saved his life. He was grateful to the king now.
7. The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to show his forgiveness?
Answer:
The king forgave the bearded man because he was happy to have won over a bitter enemy so easily. He showed his forgiveness by offering to send his servants and his own doctor to take care of the wounded man. He also promised to return his property.
8. What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answer do you like most, and why?
Answer:
The hermit’s answers to the three questions were:
1. The most important time is “now” because it is only in the present that we have the power
to act.
2. The most necessary person is the person you are with at a particular moment because no one
knows what will happen in the future and whether we will meet anyone else.
3. The most important business is to do good to that person because we were sent here on earth for that purpose alone.
I like the first answer because it offers very practical advice that we should live and act in the present and not pine for the past or worry over the future.
Working with language
1. Match items in List A with their meanings in List B.
| A | B |
| wounded | got up from sleep |
| awoke | give back |
| forgive | small patches of ground for plants |
| faithful | severely injured |
| pity | pardon |
| beds | loyal |
| return | feel sorry for |
Answer:
| A | B |
| wounded | severely injured |
| awoke | got up from sleep |
| forgive | pardon |
| faithful | loyal |
| pity | feel sorry for |
| beds | small patches on ground for plants |
| return | give back |
Use any three of the above words in sentences of your own. You may change the form of the word.
Answer:
1. I returned the book I had borrowed from my neighbour.
2. The field doctors treated the wounded soldiers with care.
3. My mother forgave me for accidentally breaking the crystal vase.
2. Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of
the word given in brackets
- The ________ said that only fresh evidence would make him change his ________. (judge)
- I didn’t notice any serious ________ of opinion among the debaters, although they _______ from one another over small points. (differ)
- It’s a fairly simple question to _______,but will you accept my ________ as final? (answer)
- It isn’t _______ that ________ should always be the mother of invention. (necessary)
- Hermits are ________ men. How they acquire their ________ no one can tell. (wise)
- The committee has _________ to make Jagdish captain of the team. The _________ is likely to please everyone. (decide)
- Asking for ________ is as noble as willingness to ________. (forgive)
Answer:
- The judge said that only fresh evidence would make him change his judgement. (judge)
- I didn’t notice any serious difference of opinion among the debaters, although they differed from one another over small points. (differ)
- It’s a fairly simple question to answer, but will you accept my answer as final? (answer)
- It isn’t necessary that necessity should always be the mother of invention. (necessary)
- Hermits are wise men. How they acquire their wisdom no one can tell. (wise)
- The committee has decided to make Jagdish captain of the team. The decision is likely to please everyone. (decide)
- Asking for forgiveness is as noble as willingness to forgive. (forgive)
Speaking and Writing
1. 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…
Answer:
The wise men answered my questions, but I was not satisfied with their answers. One day I decided to go and meet the hermit who was well known for his wisdom. I went dressed in plain clothes and left my horse with my bodyguard before reaching the hut because he met only ordinary people. I saw him digging the earth with great difficulty. He greeted me and continued to dig. I asked him if he could answer the three questions that were tormenting me. But he continued to dig without responding. I saw that the effort of digging was wearing him out, so I offered to help him dig. The wise man handed me his spade and sat down in silence. After I had dug two beds, I repeated my question. Again, he did not respond but reached for the spade. I did not return the spade but continued digging. After a couple of hours, when the sun had set, I asked him whether he would answer my questions, if not, I would return home. The old man then pointed towards a bearded man approaching us.
2. 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 he was the king…
Answer:
One day I was digging in my garden. A man in ordinary clothes came to see me. I knew he was the king but did not reveal it. I greeted him and continued to dig the earth. He told me that he sought answers to three questions and wanted me to answer those. I listened to him but did not reply. I was feeling exhausted from the effort of continuously digging. Seeing this, the king offered me help. I quietly accepted the offer and handed over the spade to him. He began to dig and after he had dug two beds, he repeated the same three questions. Again, I chose not to respond, but offered to take over the digging while he rested. He refused and continued to dig till the sun had set. Then, he told me that he had come to see me in the hope of getting answers to his questions, if I could not answer them, I should tell him so, and he would return home.
Just then, I saw a man running toward us and drew his attention to the newcomer.
Extra Questions for NCERT Class 7 English – Honeycomb Unit 1 – “Three Questions”
A. Multiple Choice Type Questions:
Choose the correct option:
1. How did the wise men respond to the first question?
(i) The king must prepare a timetable
(ii)The king needed a council of wise men who would help him decide the proper time
(iii)The king would have to get help from magicians
(iv) All of the above
2. According to the wise men, which people should the king listen to?
(i) The councillors
(ii)The priests
(iii) the soldiers
(iv) All of the above
3. According to the wise men, what is the most important thing that the king must do?
(i) Enjoy foolish pleasures
(ii) Go hunting
(iii) Travel around the kingdom
(iv) None of the above
4. Who was the wounded man?
(i) A friend of the king
(ii) A loyal subject
(iii) A sworn enemy of the king
(iv) All of the above
5. Why did the bearded man want revenge?
(i) Because the king had abducted his brother
(ii) the king had killed his sister
(iii) the king had killed his brother
(iv) The king had tried to kill him
6. What did the wounded man ask for?
(i) advice
(ii) a doctor to treat his wounds
(iii) food
(iv) forgiveness
7.The king said that he would send ____to look after the bearded man.
(i) his servants
(ii) his own doctor
(iii) his cook
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)
8. The king dug the beds because…
(i) he needed some exercise
(ii) to help the hermit
(iii) to test his stamina
(iv) none of the above
9. What is the right time according to the hermit?
(i) the moment that has just passed
(ii) the time that lies ahead of us
(iii) Now – the present moment
(iv) None of the above
10. How did the king feel after hearing the hermit’s answer to his questions?
(i) confused
(ii) dissatisfied
(iii) he was indifferent
(iv) satisfied
Answer:
1. (iv) All of the above
2. (iv) All of the above
3. (iv) None of the above
4. (iii) A sworn enemy of the king
5. (iii) the king had killed his brother
6. (iv) forgiveness
7. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)
8. (ii) to help the hermit
9. (iii) Now – the present moment
10.(iv) satisfied
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:
| time | peace | pitied | ‘Now’ | enemy |
| brother | weakness | property | revenge | friend |
1. If you had not ________ my _________yesterday and had not dug the beds for me, you would have gone away.
2. The king was very happy to have made______with his ________ so easily and have won him over as a _________.
3. I am an enemy of yours who swore________ on you because you put my _______to death and seized my _________.
4. Remember there is only one _______that is important and that time is ______.
Answer:
1. If you had not pitied my weakness yesterday and had not dug the beds for me, you would have gone away.
2. The king was very happy to have made peace with his enemy so easily and have won him over as a friend.
3. I am an enemy of yours who swore revenge on you because you put my brother to death and seized my property.
4. Remember there is only one time that is important and that time is ‘Now’.
C. Match the words in column A with those in column B
| A | B |
| hermit | A small forest |
| council | Small patches of ground for plants |
| affairs | A group of people chosen to give advice to rulers |
| Wood | A person who lives alone and leads a simple life |
| bed | Business;matters |
Answer:
| A | B |
| hermit | A person who lives alone and leads a simple life |
| council | A group of people chosen to give advice to rulers |
| affairs | Business matters |
| Wood | A small forest |
| bed | Small patches of ground for plants |
D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:
1.The king was not satisfied with the answers to his questions given by the many wise men because they were so different.
2. The hermit met only important and distinguished people.
3. The bearded man grew impatient while waiting for the king to return, so he came out of hiding and was wounded by the king’s bodyguard.
4.The wise hermit told the king that the most important time was to come.
5.The hermit told the king that the most important business is to do good for people who are with us at a particular moment because we are sent into this world for that purpose alone.
Answer:
1. True
2. False – The hermit met only simple people.
3. True
4. False – the hermit told the king that the most important time was ‘Now’ or the present moment because it is the only time when we have any power to act.
5. True
E. Very Short Answer type Questions:
1. What would the king gain by finding out the answers to the three questions?
Answer:
The king hoped that the answers to the three questions would help to make him a successful ruler.
2. Why did the king send messengers throughout his kingdom?
Answer:
The king sent messengers throughout his kingdom promising a handsome sum of money to anyone who would answer these three questions.
3. Was the king happy with the answers of the wise men?
Answer:
The king was not happy with the answers of the wise men because they were so varied that he was confused.
4. Did the king reward the wise men?
Answer:
No, he did not reward the wise men because their responses did not satisfy him.
5. Why was the king advised to make a time table?
Answer:
Some wise men suggested that the king should make a timetable and follow it strictly as that was the only way he could do everything at the proper time.
6. Why did some oppose a timetable?
Answer:
Some people thought that a time table was impractical because it was not possible to decide in advance what was the right time for doing something.
7. Why did some recommend a council of wise men to assist the king?
Answer:
Some recommended that a council of wise men should assist the king to help him act at the right time.
8. What is a council?
Answer:
A council is a group of people who give advice to the ruler.
9. Whose advice did the king decide to seek when all the wise men failed to answer his questions satisfactorily?
Answer:
The king decided to consult a certain hermit whose wisdom was known far and wide.
10. Where did the hermit live?
Answer:
The hermit lived in a wood which he never left.
11. Why did the king wear ordinary clothes ?
Answer:
The king wore ordinary clothes because he had heard that the hermit only met ordinary people so the king dressed very simply before meeting him.
12. Why did the king leave his bodyguard and horse behind before proceeding to the hermit’s house?
Answer:
The king left his bodyguard and horse behind before proceeding to the hermit’s house because they would have given away the king’s identity.
13. Where did the king find the hermit?
Answer:
The king found the hermit digging the ground in front of his hut.
14. In what physical condition did the king find the hermit?
Answer:
The king found that the hermit was old and very weak. He was breathing heavily as he dug the ground after greeting the king.
15. What did he king say to the hermit?
Answer:
The king greeted the hermit respectfully and asked him the answer to the three questions which were troubling him.
16. Why did the king ask for the hermit’s spade?
Answer:
The king felt sorry for the old, frail and tired hermit, so he asked for his spade to do the work himself.
17. Whom did the king see when he turned around ?
Answer:
The king saw a bearded man running towards them when he turned around.
18. Who was the bearded man?
Answer:
The bearded man was the king’s sworn enemy.
19. Why were his hands pressed against his stomach?
Answer:
His hands were pressed against his stomach to stop the blood from flowing out of his wound.
20. What happened as he reached the king?
Answer:
The man fainted and fell to the ground when he reached the king.
21. What did the king do to stop the blood from flowing?
Answer:
The king washed the wound and dressed it with his handkerchief, but the bleeding continued. So, the king re-dressed it until the blood stopped oozing.
22. Why did the wounded man call the king his enemy?
Answer:
The wounded man called the king his enemy because the king had killed the wounded man’s brother and seized all his property.
23.Where had the bearded man planned to kill the king?
Answer:
The bearded man had planned to kill the king on his way home because he knew the king would be unprotected.
24. Why did he come out of his hiding place?
Answer:
He grew tired of waiting for the king to return, so he came out of his hiding place.
25. What happened when he came out of hiding?
Answer:
The king’s bodyguard recognised him and attacked him.
26. What did he ask the king?
Answer:
The wounded man asked the king for forgiveness.
F. Short Answer Type Questions:
1. What were the three questions to which the king sought answers:
Answer:
The king sought answers to the following questions:
(i) What is the right time to begin something?
(ii) Which people should he listen to?
(iii) What is the most important thing for him to do?
2. What did the king do in order to get answers to his questions? What was the result?
Answer:
The king sent his messengers throughout the kingdom promising a large reward to anyone who could answer the three questions. Although many wise men approached the king, their answers varied so widely that the king was not satisfied. So he did not give out any reward.
3. What divergent opinions were expressed by the wise men in response to the King’s third question, ‘Which is the most important thing for him to do?
Answer:
In reply to the third question, some wise men suggested that science was the most important thing so, the king should devote himself to the pursuit of science.
Others felt that war was most essential for a king, so the king must wage war, both to defend his borders against enemies and to conquer new lands.
Yet others thought that religious worship was the most important thing, so the king should be primarily engaged in religious matters.
4. What was the hermit like?
Answer:
The hermit, who was widely known for his wisdom, lived in a wood which he never left. He never met anyone but simple folk. The king found him digging the ground in front of his hut for sowing seeds. He was old and frail and the effort of digging made him weary.He was a man of few words.
5. Who was the bearded man? Why had he come to the woods?
Answer:
The bearded man was a sworn enemy of the king. The king had put his brother to death and seized his property. So the man had sworn to kill the king to avenge his brother’s death.
The bearded man knew that the king would be visiting the hermit unaccompanied by his bodyguard. So he intended to strike when the king was on his way back home.That is why he hid in the wood waiting for the king to return home.
6. How did the bearded man get wounded?
Answer:
The bearded man got impatient waiting for the king to return, so he emerged from his hiding place to investigate. But, the king’s bodyguard who recognised him, attacked him immediately and wounded him.
7. What was the nature of the wounded man? Why did he have a change of heart?
Answer:
The bearded man was the king’s sworn enemy . His heart was filled with thoughts of vengeance and he followed the king into the wood where the hermit lived with the intention of killing him. Because he was impatient, he emerged from his hiding place and was recognised by the king’s bodyguard who attacked and wounded him. But he managed to flee from the bodyguard and fainted when he reached the hermit’s hut.
The king’s care and compassion touched his heart profoundly and he repented because he had thought of killing the kind king who saved his life. In the morning he asked for the king’s forgiveness.
8. The lesson suggests that we should help people in need. Do you agree?
Answer:
I think that we should always try our best to help people in need. Compassion and empathy are two qualities which make us human. According to the hermit, we are sent into this world to do good towards others. Helping someone or bringing a smile on someone’s face are rewarding enough because we feel good too. Acts of kindness stimulate and satisfy both the doer and the receiver.
9. What can we learn from the king’s behaviour?
Answer:
When the king went to meet the hermit, he set aside his royal robes, and went dressed in ordinary clothes. In the same way, he set aside his regal attitude and offered to dig the beds for the frail old hermit. He laboured hard all day long, but made no fuss about sleeping on the floor of the hut.The king demonstrates that even if one is used to living in the lap of luxury, there are times when circumstances demand that adjustments have to be made. We should adjust to changed circumstances gracefully like the king instead of complaining about things that cannot be changed.
G. Long answer Type Questions
1. What were the different responses given by the wise men to the first question, ‘What is the right time to begin something?’
Answer:
In reply to the first question, some wise men suggested preparing a time table and following it strictly so that the king could do everything at the right time.
Others thought it was not possible to anticipate the right time for doing something. They suggested that the king should observe everything that was going on, avoid foolish pleasures and do whatever seemed necessary at that time.
Yet others thought that the king needed a council to help him act at the proper time since it was not possible for one man to decide which was the right time for every action.
But others differed because pressing matters may arise when there would be no time to consult the council.They suggested that to determine the right time for doing something, one needed to look into the future. Since only magicians can foresee the future, The king should consult magicians.
The king was confused and annoyed by such widely divergent advice.
2. What kind of a person was the king? Do you think that he would make a good ruler?
Answer:
The king was eager to be a good ruler so he sought answers to three questions which he thought would enable him to achieve his goal.
He was brave and went to meet the hermit on his own without the protection of his bodyguard.
He was kind-hearted and offered to dig the beds because he found that the old hermit looked tired and was breathing heavily from the strenuous effort.
When the wounded man fainted at his feet, the king washed the wound and covered it with his handkerchief. He kept on dressing the wound till the blood stopped oozing. He even brought fresh water for the man to drink. With the help of the hermit, he carried the wounded man into the hut ans laid him on the bed.
In spite of his royal lineage he was down to earth and did what had to be done at the moment without hesitation. He wore simple clothes to be able to meet the hermit and spent the night sleeping on the floor of the hermit’s hut.
The bravery, kindness and compassion that the king showed lead me to conclude that he would make a great king.
3. Do you think that the king did things at the right time? Give instances to support your opinion.
Answer:
I think that the king instinctively knew how to act at the right time.
The king had heard that the hermit only met ordinary men. He succeeded in meeting the hermit because he wore simple clothes and left his bodyguard and horse in the wood.
He took the spade from the old and weak hermit and took upon himself the task of digging the beds all day. As a result of his action at the time, the bearded man’s plan to kill him was foiled.
As soon as the wounded man fainted at his feet, the king washed his wound and dressed it with his handkerchief and kept on dressing it till the blood stopped flowing. He also lifted him off the ground, carried him inside and laid him on the bed inside the hut with the help of the hermit. He brought fresh water for the thirsty man to drink.
His act of kindness and compassion won over the wounded man’s heart and transformed him from a bitter enemy to a loyal friend.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On NCERT Solutions to Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 1- “Three Questions”
Our team of competent English experts have crafted these accurate solutions taking into account every detail and presenting them in the most easy-to-understand way possible. Every single aspect of the story has been explained in a clear and lucid manner. We recommend that you go through them in detail to extract maximum benefit from them.
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The king thought that he could succeed in becoming a great ruler if he knew the answers to three questions. The questions were: What is the right time to begin something? Which people should he listen to? What is the most important thing for him to do?
The king sent messengers throughout his kingdom offering a large sum of money to anyone who would be able to answer these questions.
The king was confused with the answers of the wise men. They had given very different answers to the same questions. The king was not satisfied, so he refused to give the reward to anyone.
The hermit’s answers to the three questions were as follows:
(i) The most important time is “now” because it is only in the present that we have the power and ability to act.
(ii) The most necessary person is the person you are with at a particular moment because no one knows what will happen in the future and whether we will meet anyone else.
(iii) The most important business is to help that person because we were sent here on earth for that purpose alone.
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