In the Kingdom of Fools Extra Questions and Answers Class 9 English

In the Kingdom of Fools class 9 English moments chapter 4 Extra Questions and Answers are available here. All these questions are divided into short type questions answers, long type question answers and extract based questions. These Class 9 extra questions are prepared by our expert teachers. Learning these questions will help you to score excellent marks in the board exams.

Extra Questions for Class 9 English Moments Chapter 4 In the Kingdom of Fools

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What things were different in the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer: In the Kingdom of Fools, the people did all their work at night. They slept during the daytime. Everything cost the same there — a single duddu.

2. Why did the guru want to leave this kingdom quickly? Why did the disciple stay on?
Answer: The guru did not think it wise to stay in a kingdom of fools. But the disciple stayed on because everything was cheap there. All he wanted was good, cheap food.

3. What was foolish about the king’s trial of the merchant?
Answer: The merchant’s wall had fallen upon a thief. The thief was killed. So the king ordered to execute the merchant. This judgement of the king was very foolish.

4. Who was finally blamed for the crime and why?
Answer: The rich merchant was blamed. His father had ordered the jewellery. But he was now dead. So the merchant was to be punished in his father’s place.

5. Now justice had come full circle, thought the king. What argument did the merchant come up with? What counter-argument did the king give?
Answer: The merchant argued that his father had ordered the jewellery. Therefore he (merchant) was innocent. The king said that the merchant had inherited the riches as well as the sins of his father.

6. Why was It decided to execute the disciple?
Answer: The rich man was too thin to be executed properly on the stake. A fat man was needed for this. So the disciple was chosen to be executed.

7. How did the kingdom become normal again?
Answer: The people requested the guru and the disciple to be their king and minister. They finally agreed and changed all the old laws. Thus the kingdom became normal again.

8. What did the dancing girl say in her defence?
Answer: The dancing girl said that she had given some gold to the goldsmith to make some jewellery. The goldsmith made many excuses. So she had to walk up and down his house many times

9. How did the guru come to know that his disciple was in trouble?
Answer: The guru had magical powers. He saw in a vision that his disciple was in trouble

10. What did the king and his minister do at night?
Answer: At night, the king and his minister went secretly to the prison. They released the guru and the disciple. They then disguised themselves as the two. Then they got themselves executed.

11. Why did the guru want to leave this Kingdom quickly? Why did the disciple stay on?

Answer: The guru realized that it was the Kingdom of Fools. He decided to leave the kingdom at once. He told his disciple that where fools ruled, their lives could be in danger. But the disciple was happy there. Everything was cheap in the kingdom. He did not want to go. So the guru left the kingdom. The disciple stayed on the sake of cheap food

12. What was ‘foolish’ about the king’s trial of the merchant?
Answer: The merchant had not killed the thief. He was being punished only because his wall had fallen on the thief. Secondly, he said that his father had been to blame. But because his father had died, the king ordered the merchant to be executed in place of his father.

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

Answer: First, the owner of the house was summoned. But he said that the bricklayer who had constructed the wall was responsible. The bricklayer said that when he was making a wall, a dancing girl distracted his attention. The dancing girl said that a goldsmith did not make jewellery in time. So she had to pass through the street several times. The goldsmith said that he had to make ornaments for a wedding in the rich man’s house. So he could not finish the jewellery of the dancing girl in time. He was the same owner who had been summoned first of all.

14. Who was finally blamed for the crime and why?
Answer: The rich owner of the house was finally blamed for the crime. He said that his father had ordered for the jewellery and he should have been responsible. But because his father had died, the king gave judgement that he would die in his father’s place.

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

Answer: The king told the executioners to put to death the first and second man who come to them the next morning. That night, the king and the minister went secretly to the prison. They released the guru and his disciple. They disguised its the guru and the disciple. The next morning, the executioners killed them.

16. How did the kingdom become normal again?

Answer: When the people came to know of the death of their king and minister, they mourned. They discussed the future of the kingdom. They requested the guru and the disciple to be their king and minister. They agreed to rule the kingdom, but on one condition. The old laws would be ‘changed. The good days returned to the kingdom. Thus the kingdom became normal again.

17. How was the Kingdom of Fools different from any other place?
Or
What was so strange about the Kingdom of Fools?

Answer: The Kingdom of Fools was strange and different from any other place. It was governed by an idiot king and his silly minister. They passed an order according to which people had to work at night and sleep during the day. Even the cattle were made to sleep during the day. In addition, everything had the same cost – one duddu.

18. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?
Or
What two things were different in the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer: The two strange things that the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools are that both people and their cattle worked at night and slept during the day. Also, the cost of all things was the same, a single duddu.

19. Why didn’t the people go against the order of the king and the minister?
Answer: The people did not go against the order of the king and the minister because of fear of death. They had been told that anyone who disobeyed would be punished with death.

20. Why did the guru not want to stay on in the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer: The guru did not want to stay on in the Kingdom of Fools because as a wise man he knew that fools are unpredictable and hence dangerous. In addition, he knew that the foolish system of governance and way of life would not last for long.

21. Why did the disciple not want to leave the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer: The disciple did not want to leave the Kingdom of Fools because here he could enjoy a comfortable life by getting good and cheap food for a nominal price. A measure of rice and a bunch of banana, both came for a duddu each.

22. Why did the thief’s brother accuse the rich merchant?
Answer: The thief had died because the wall of the merchant’s old house had collapsed and fallen on his head. According to the thief’s brother, the rich merchant was to be blamed for this because he had not built a good, strong wall.

23. Who was blamed by the merchant for the death of the thief?
Answer: The merchant blamed the bricklayer who had not built the wall right thus causing the thief’s death. This bricklayer had built the wall in the times of the rich merchant’s father.

24. Why was the bricklayer found not guilty?
Answer: The old bricklayer was found not guilty because he claimed that he got distracted by the jingling anklets of the dancing girl who went up and down the street many times on the day the wall was built by him.

25. What was ironical about the judgement passed by the king holding the dancing girl as the culprit?
Answer: In his judgement, the king termed the burglar as ‘poor’ and ‘innocent’. He blamed the dancing girl for causing the death of the ‘poor burglar’ and killing an ‘innocent man’. Expressing sympathy in this manner for a law-breaker was ironical.

26. How was the goldsmith able to escape punishment?
Answer: The goldsmith escaped punishment by pleading that he had made excuses to the dancing girl because of a rich merchant who had pressurized him to finish his order of jewellery first as there was a wedding in his family.

27. How, according to the king, had justice come full circle?
Answer: Justice had come full circle, according to the king, as the blame of the crime had come back to the rich merchant after being passed on to the bricklayer, the dancing girl, the jeweller, and his own father.

28. Why did the king want to punish the merchant?
Answer: The king wanted to punish the merchant because the thief had died due to the collapsing of a wall of the house owned by the merchant. Although the house had been built by his father just as he had inherited his father’s wealth, he had also inherited his sins.

29. Who was the real culprit according to the king? Why did he escape from punishment?
Answer: The real culprit according to the king was the rich man’s father who had built the house. But he escaped punishment because he was already dead. This punishment got transferred to his son for inheriting both wealth and sins from his father.

30. What problem arose before the final execution of the criminal?
Answer: Minutes before the execution of the merchant, the minister realized that the merchant was too thin and could not be properly executed on the stake. So the problem was that the execution orders had been issued but could not be completed because the accused did not fit the stake.

31. Why did the king’s servants catch the disciple?
Or
Why was the disciple chosen to replace the merchant at the stake?
Answer: The servants of the foolish king caught the disciple because they wanted a fat man to replace the rich merchant who was very thin and did not fit the stake. The disciple had grown fat after feasting for months on bananas, rice, wheat, and ghee and fitted the stake properly.

32. When does the disciple remember the words of his guru?
Or
What are the guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?
Answer: The disciple remembered the words of his guru when the king’s servants carried him to the place of execution. He remembered how his guru had warned him about the unpredictability of the fools’ behavior and their irrational system of governance in the kingdom.

33. Why does the disciple decide to stay on in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?

Answer: The disciple decides to stay on in the Kingdom of Fools because he thinks that he can live comfortably and afford all pleasures of life over there since everything cost one duddu each. It certainly is not a good idea because such foolish things do not last long. This is proved true when he is caught to be executed for a crime he is not even remotely linked with.

34. Why did the guru want that he and his disciple should die first?

Answer: The guru claimed that whosoever died on the stake of the god of justice, would become the king and minister in the next life. He said that they were sick of their ascetic way of life and wanted to die first to enjoy themselves as a king and a minister in their next life.

35. What was the fight that the guru and his disciple got into? Why?

Answer: The guru and his disciple fought over the right to be the first one to die at the stake. They had got into this fight as part of the plan to rescue the disciple. They wanted to make the king believe that getting killed on the stake of the god of justice would make the person the next king.

36. Why did the king decide to postpone the execution of the guru and his disciple?

Answer: The king postponed the execution to the next day in order to consult his minister in secret and find a way to prevent someone else from becoming the king and the minister of their kingdom in the next life.

37. How did the guru get rid of the foolish king?
Or
How did the guru succeed in befooling the king?
Or
Why did the foolish king decide to die at the stake?

Answer: The guru succeeded in getting rid of the foolish king by befooling him. He convinced the king that the person to die first at the stake of the god of justice would be reborn as king. The foolish king believed this and readily agreed to die at the stake lest his kingdom was taken over by someone else.

38. What did the king and his minister decide in secret? Why?

Answer: The king and his minister decided to go to the stake themselves and be reborn as the king and the minister again. They decided so because they did not feel it right to give their kingdom to others in next life and also because they believed that holy man did not tell lies.

39. What was the final order of the king to the executioners?
Answer: The king told the executioners that two criminals would be sent to them at night and they should put them to death in the order they arrive. He instructed them not to make any mistake in executing this final order.

40. How did the executioners mistake the king and his minister for the guru and his disciple?

Answer: The king had ordered the executioners to kill the two men that would be sent at night. These two men were the king and his minister themselves. They had disguised themselves as the guru and his disciple respectively after setting the duo free. Th executioners made a mistake because they promptly followed the order without confirming the true identity of the two men sent for execution.

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

Answer: The people were confused when they saw the dead bodies of the king and his minister because they had no idea about the turn of events that led to the revised execution orders. Their kingdom was without a ruler and they did not know what to do.

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

Answer: In the end, the guru and his disciple became the king and the minister respectively. It happened so because the people were worried about the future of their kingdom after losing the foolish king and his minister. They begged, argued and finally persuaded the two of them to agree.

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

Answer: The guru and his disciple agreed to rule the kingdom on the condition that they could change all the old laws. They made the kingdom normal again by reversing the order of night and day and revising the prices of things.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What did the Guru and his disciple see in the Kingdom of the Fools? Why did the guru decide to leave the kingdom at once?

Answer: There was a Kingdom of Fools. In this country, the king as well as his minister, both were fools. They ordered all things to be reversed. People were ordered to work during the days and sleep during the nights. Anyone who did not obey this order would be put to death. So out of fear people obeyed the king. One day, a guru and disciple arrived in the city. They were surprised to find that everyone was sleeping during the day. There was no activity. Then the night fell and everyone got up. They started doing their normal work. The guru and the disciple were hungry. They purchased some food items. They were surprised to find that the price of everything was the same—one duddu. The guru realised that it was the Kingdom of Fools. He decided to leave the kingdom at once. He told his disciple that where fools ruled, their lives could be in danger. But the disciple was happy there. Everything was cheap in the kingdom. He did not want to go. So the guru left the kingdom. The disciple stayed on the sake of cheap food

2. Describe in brief the strange case brought to the king and the king’s judgement.

Answer: One day, a thief broke into the house of a rich man, A wall of the house fell on him and he died on the spot. The brother of the thief complained to the king that the rich man was responsible for the thief’s death because the wall of his house was weak. The owner of the house was summoned. But he said that the bricklayer who had constructed the wall was responsible. The bricklayer said that when he was making a wall, a dancing girl passed several times through the street. She distracted his attention. So she was responsible.

The dancing girl told the king that she had ordered a goldsmith to make jewellery for her. He did not make it in time. So she had to pass through the street several times. The goldsmith was called. He said that he had to make ornaments for a wedding in the rich man’s house. So he could not finish the jewellery of the dancing girl in time. He was the same owner of the house where the thief had died. He said that his father had placed the order. The king and his minister decided that since the rich man’s father had died, he would be executed in his father’s place

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

Answer: The merchant was the first person to be tried in the king’s court because the wall in his house had collapsed and had killed the thief. The next person to be tried was the bricklayer because the merchant had claimed that his bad workmanship had led to the making of a weak wall. Then, the dancer was accused of distracting the bricklayer by the jingling of her ankles when she walked up and down the street during the construction of the wall. Next, the goldsmith was accused of calling the dancer time and again for picking up her jewellery. Then, the merchant’s father was blamed for pressurizing the goldsmith to complete his order first. Finally, the blame came back to the merchant who had inherited the house (where the thief died) from his father.

4. How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?

Answer: The guru used his wisdom and magic powers to save his disciple’s life. He reached the kingdom instantly when his disciple prayed in his heart for help. He first confused the king by expressing his desire to be killed before his disciple. Then, he tricked the king by flattering him and telling him that the stake was the stake of the god of justice and whoever died first would become the king after rebirth. The second person to be executed would become the minister after rebirth. Ultimately the king fell in this trap and set the guru and his disciple free. He got his minister and himself executed in their place in the hope of being reborn as the rulers of their kingdom. Hence, the guru not only saved his disciple’s life but also got rid of the foolish king and his silly minister.

5. Fools cannot continue with their follies for long. How can you justify this statement in relation to the story?

Answer: The king and his minister had made new but foolish laws for their people. They just wanted to be different from other kings, so they decided to change day for night and night for day. They continued with their follies for quite some time until they were caught in their own trap. The wise guru skillfully tackled them and not only managed to save his disciple’s life but also rid the kingdom of the foolish rule. The follies could not be continued for long since the king or his minister could not see through the plan of the guru. Not willing to give away his kingdom, the king and his minister disguised themselves as the guru and his disciple and walked into their self-made death trap.

6. The guru was as wise as King Solomon. Discuss.
Or
Wisdom and far-sightedness were the most important qualities of the guru’s character. Discuss.

Answer: By saving his disciple’s life and eventually becoming the ruler of the Kingdom of Fools, the guru exhibited the positive value of wisdom. He managed to solve even the most difficult problem only because he was wise enough to stay calm during the moments of crisis. His character proves that wisdom is an invaluable asset that helps one get over tricky situations. Like King Solomon of Israel, the guru too was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of rescuing his disciple from the senseless execution orders of the foolish king. Being a much travelled and learned man, he was quick to perceive that the Kingdom of Fools was being misruled and the follies of the king could not continue for long. The dangers sensed by him came true when his disciple was caught and condemned to be executed simply because he was fat and his neck could fit the stake. The wise guru made a clever plan not only to save his disciple’s life but also to get rid of the foolish king and his silly minister. Thus, wisdom triumphed over foolish and unbridled power.

7. Decisions should be made with a cool and rational mind. Discuss with reference to the story “In the Kingdom of Fools”.
Or
Hasty decisions are often wrong decisions. Discuss with reference to the story “In the Kingdom of Fools”.

Answer: The story, “In the Kingdom of Fools” teaches us an important lesson that decisions should be made with a cool mind and rational thought. Hasty decisions always have dangerous consequences. The disciple got tempted by the cheap goods available in the Kingdom of Fools and did not heed his guru’s advice. Instead of thinking rationally, he made a hasty decision to stay back. Ultimately he fell a victim to the senseless judgement of the foolish king and came on the verge of losing his life. If he had taken some time to review his desire to stay back, he would have certainly realized the importance of the guru’s advice. The king’s and his minster’s decision too was in haste that cost them their lives. If they too had reviewed their decision of going to the stake to fulfil their greed to be the king and minister in their next life, they would have certainly lived on as the king and the minister. Thus, the story emphasizes the value of making decisions wisely by weighing all the pros and cons. A hasty or a foolish decision can have disastrous consequences.

8. Arguing with a fool proves there are two. How does the wise guru find a way out without arguing with the king?

Answer: Arguing with a fool is a futile effort because he does not have the humility to listen to others. The foolish king misused his authority to force decisions on his subjects. No one could disobey his orders. This made him intolerant and he could not be made to see reason. The wise guru knew from experience that arguing with such a fool would make him also look like a fool. Hence, he found his way out of the difficult situation that threatened the life of his disciple by resorting to flattery and by appealing to the king’s dumbness. He aroused the curiosity of the king by faking a fight with his disciple over going to the stake. Then, he eulogized the king, his kingdom, and his fine sense of judgement. This entrapped the foolish king and eventually, he got himself and his minister killed in the place of the guru and his disciple. Thus, the kingdom got rid of the foolish king and his equally foolish minister and the guru and his disciple’s lives were saved, too. Thus, by not arguing, the wise guru resolved the tricky situation.

9. What values set the guru apart from his disciple?
Or
Values determine character. Discuss this statement with reference to the characters of the guru and the disciple.

Answer: The values of farsightedness, wisdom, calmness, and rationality made the guru different from his disciple. Although the guru and his disciple were both ascetics, it was the guru who made a good use of the knowledge that he had accumulated over the years. The danger of staying in the Kingdom of Fools was sensed very quickly by the guru while the disciple easily succumbed to the temptation of throw-away prices. Again, the wise guru left the kingdom but the foolish disciple stayed back and ultimately fell prey to the king’s whim. The values of calmness and rationality, possessed by the guru, stood in good stead whereas the anxiety and greed of the disciple put him in the throes of death. Thus, the positive values of the guru not only made him different from his disciple but also helped in saving the disciple’s life.

10. Imagine you are the disciple. You have just been sworn in as the new minister of the Kingdom of Fools. Draft a speech to be delivered in the court-room addressing the people on the new vision with which the kingdom would be governed henceforth.

Answer: Dear Citizens of the Kingdom. It is a new morning and we are here to begin a fresh chapter in the history of this great kingdom. This beautiful land shall be different from other places because of its new vision. The senseless regime when the day was night, and the night was day is over and a new rule of reason and justice has dawned.

We shall move ahead together under the able leadership of our wise king, my guru. His fine sense of judgement and vast experience of the ways of the world shall guide us towards a promising future. Our coming generations shall be proud of us and this great kingdom shall stand as a tall example of good governance.

Our new king has revoked all previous orders from this moment onwards and commands you all to resume life in a normal way. Henceforth, no one will be denied the opportunity of presenting the difference of opinion and all decisions will be taken in a rational and just manner after proper consultation with the wise advisors of the royal court. Let us dedicate ourselves to the well-being of our new kingdom. Hail the king and long live our great motherland! Thank you!

11. Why, according to you, is it always risky to live among the fools? Elaborate your answer with reference to the story “In the Kingdom of Fools”.

Answer: It is always risky to live among the fools as one never knows what a fool has in his mind. He can create any trouble for himself as well as for others. The guru in the story tells his disciple, “They are all fools. They won’t last very long and you can’t tell what they will do to you next. Their behaviour is not predictable”. The disciple did not follow the advice of his guru and got into trouble. The king, the most foolish creature of the kingdom, had a unique way of judgment. He did not apply his mind in passing judgement on cases. At last, with the wisdom of the guru, the disciple was saved and the king became a victim of his own foolishness and died.

12. Discuss the importance of wisdom in life.

Answer: Life is a precious gift of God. We should enjoy it. We can make our lives both a bed of roses and a bed of thorns. It depends upon our wisdom. Life without wisdom is useless. It becomes dangerous too many a time. One who leads a life without wisdom can never enjoy it. We can enjoy our life when we are full of wisdom. Life is a combination of positive and negative aspects. It depends upon us what side we chose. It is our wisdom only that helps us distinguish between wrong and right. Wisdom makes our life full of comfort and provides us with various sources of enjoyment. Life without wisdom has no meaning.

13. The disciple fails to obey his Guru and did not follow his advice. What was the danger that occurred to him?

Answer: Everything was cheap in the Kingdom of Fools. The disciple had a liking for food. He was tempted by the cheap food. So, he decided to stay in that kingdom. It was not a good idea to stay there for a long time as one could be in danger any time because of the unpredictable behaviour of fools. The king ordered him to be executed. But as soon as he was taken to the stake, the stake did not fit him. It was important to test the stake for the first time. Hence, the king ordered that a person should be found who could fit the stake. The king’s men caught the disciple and found him fit for the stake. The disciple had become healthy due to overeating. The king ordered him to be executed. But his Guru saved him. It was such a situation which none could imagine in real life. It becomes quite clear that living in such a kingdom is dangerous. Anything could happen here.

14. The people of the Kingdom of Fools were not so foolish after all. They made the Guru as their kings. Comment.

Answer: In the Kingdom of Fools, everything looked odd. The disciple was arrested in place of the rich merchant. He was to be executed soon but the disciple started praying. The guru reached there and made a plan to save the disciple’s life. The king and his minister became the victims of this plan and got themselves executed. Now there was no king in the kingdom. The throne was vacant. People wanted that a wise person should become the king. After the death of the king and the disciple, the people were impressed by the wisdom and power of the Guru. They thought that if the Guru and his disciple became the king and the minister, there would be peace all around. So the people chose to crown the Guru and his disciple.

15. What is the role of the guru (teacher) in our life? Comment with reference to the story ‘In the Kingdom of Fools’.

Answer: One who removes the darkness of our ignorance and gives the light of knowledge is called a guru. Guru is the person who guides us to take the right path. So, one who gives us knowledge is sacred and deserves the highest respect. Those who obey their guru and follow the guided path face no trouble. The teacher plays the greatest enabling role by helping one to cultivate and refine the use of one’s thinking ability. The knowledge provided by the teacher helps one to mould one’s character. In the story, “In the Kingdom of Fools” it was the guru who guided his disciple about impending danger in that kingdom of fools and when the disciple fell into trouble, he realised his mistake and remembered his guru. The guru came forward and saved his life with his wit.

16. Does obeying guru (teacher) bring misery? Comment on the basis of “In the Kingdom of Fools”.

Answer: A Guru is always a well-wisher of his disciple. The disciple who does not obey his guru falls in misery while those who follow the path told by Guru live a happy and healthy life. In the story, the disciple did not obey his Guru and so fall into trouble. If he had followed his Guru and left the kingdom he would not have been in trouble. He was greedy and decided to remain in the kingdom because everything was so cheap there. He used to eat to his fill and became fat. One day he fell into trouble as he was chosen to be executed due to his fatness. The Guru was a wise man. He was right in his predictions. And his predictions came true. It was he who came on his call and saved his life with his wisdom.

17. The Guru come back at the right time and saves his disciple. Comment on the love the Guru had for his disciple.

Answer: The disciple was arrested and was to be executed soon. At that moment, he recalled the words of his Guru and prayed to save his life. The Guru was a divine figure and heard the prayer. He reached there at once and created a drama. They started quarrelling for the stake. They expressed their willingness to choose the stake before the other. On seeing this situation the king got confused and could not decide what to do. On being asked, the Guru told that whoever chose the stake first would become the king in the next birth and whoever would die next, would become the minister. Both the king and the minister were tempted and chose the stake one by one. In this way, the Guru could save his disciple.