Chapter 4 In the Kingdom of Fools

NCERT Solutions for In the Kingdom of Fools Chapter 4 Class 9 English Moments

Question 1 What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?

Answer The first strange thing observed by the guru and his disciple in the kingdom of fools is that people and even animals slept throughout the day. All work was done during night only.

Question 2 Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?

Answer The disciple decided to stay in the kingdom of fools because all the food available in the kingdom cost the same price and was very cheap. According to the Guru, staying there was not a good idea as they were all fools and he was not sure about what they would do in the future.

Question 3 Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.

Answer There were different persons who were tried in the king’s court. These were the merchant whose house was robbed because his house’s wall fell upon the thief and killed him, the bricklayer who built a weak wall, the dancing girl because she distracted the bricklayer’s mind when he was building the wall, the Goldsmith because he didn’t complete the dancing girl’s order on time, the merchant whose house was robbed because his father persuaded the goldsmith to finish his order.

Question 4 Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?

Answer According to the king, the real culprit was the rich merchant. The king believed that the merchant had inherited his father’s sins and crimes. Therefore, he decides to punish the merchant. The merchant escaped punishment because he was too thin to fit on the new stake made for him.

Question 5 What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?

Answer The guru’s words of wisdom were that it was the city of fools and nothing can be predicated about the behaviour of foolish people. He is to be hanged for no fault of his. The disciple remembers this when he was going to be executed.

Question 6 How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?

Answer The guru devised a plan. He and his disciple told the king that each one wanted to die first. The guru tries to confuse the king by telling him that whoever is executed first will become the king in the next birth. The king believes him and later on offers himself to be executed first so that he may remain king in the next birth. In this way, the guru was successful in saving his disciple’s life.