In The Kingdom of Fools - A.K.
Ramanujan
Answers to NCERT Questions
THINK ABOUT IT
1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom
of Fools?
Ans: The two strange things, the guru and his disciple found in the Kingdom of Fools
was that the king had ordered to change night into day and day into night. They would
all thereby, work at night and sleep during the day. Secondly, everything in the kingdom
had a fixed cost, a single duddu.
2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good
idea?
Ans: The disciple did not want to leave the place because the most important thing in
life for him was food. And in the Kingdom of Fools, food was very cheap and good. The
disciple therefore, stays back in the kingdom, refusing to listen to his guru’s advice. It
eventually turned out to be a very foolish idea because he eats without a respite and
begins to resemble a street-side overfed sacred bull.
3. Name all the people who are tried in the King’s court, and give the reasons for
their trial.
Ans: The reason for the trial that ensued in the King’s court was that, a robber had died
when he had got crushed under a weak wall, that had collapsed while he was sneaking
in, to pursue his ancient trade. The people who were tried were the merchant whose
house was burgled, he blamed the mason/bricklayer who inturn blamed the dancing girl
who distracted him. The dancing girl blamed the goldsmith whom she referred to as a
lazy scoundrel. The goldsmith blamed the merchant for not finishing the dancing girl’s
order. The enquiry completed an entire circle and settled on the same merchant at
whose house the robber had been crushed by a weak wall. He was summoned again,
and in his defense, he claims that it was his dead father who had ordered for the
jewellery and not him. He was condemned to death.
4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape
punishment?
Ans: The king consulted his minister and concluded that the real culprit was the
merchant. Though the merchant asserted that it was his father who had ordered the
jewellery, and claimed innocence, the king sentenced him to death. A new stake was
ordered to be made. The minister observed that it was too big for the merchant who was
very thin. He appealed to the common sense of the king and stalled the execution of the
merchant. Thus, the merchant escaped punishment.
5. What are the guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember
them?
Ans: The search for a candidate that would be suitable for the new stake was on. The
servants spotted the disciple who had fattened himself by feasting on bananas, rice,
wheat and ghee. He cried aloud saying that he was an innocent sanyasi, but it was of
no avail. The king’s servants hauled him towards the stake. It was at this unfortunate
moment that he remembered the words of his guru, “This is a city of fools. You don’t
know what they will do next. He advised his disciple to accompany him out of the foolish
kingdom.
6. How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?
Ans: The guru took advantage of the fact that everybody in the kingdom was foolish.
After the mock fight between him and his disciple, on who should go to the gallows first,
the guru extracts a promise in secrecy from the king that he should be killed first. He
tells the king that the first person who is executed on the new stake which is the God of
justice, will be reborn as the king of the country, while the second person will be the
minister. The foolish king believed this tale, and convinced his minister that it should be
they and not an outsider who should rule the kingdom. Both of them disguise as the
sanyasi and the disciple, and get executed. With his wit, sharpness and intelligence, the
guru rescues his disciple.
Additional Questions
Short Answer Questions (30-40 words: 2 Marks each)
1. How did the king justify the execution of the merchant?
Ans: The investigation regarding the person, responsible for the death of the robber,
concludes with all fingers pointing towards the merchant. He tried to claim innocence,
while shifting the blame on to his dead father. Not willing to accept any excuses, the
king says that along with the riches and property, he has also inherited the sins of his
father. He will therefore, have to die to make ammends for his father’s sins.
2. Who had gone to the king with a complaint? Explain the irony.
Ans: A thief had broken into a merchant’s house, and while he was escaping with the
loot, a wall collapsed crushing him under the debris. It was this thief’s brother who had
gone with a complaint to the king, seeking justice and compensation. It was ironical that
the king was trying to avenge a criminal, who claimed that robbery was their ancient
trade, instead of punishing or reprimanding him. He did not consider the robbery as a
crime. Alternately, he wanted to punish the merchant who was nearly robbed because
the robber had died in his house. The death was accidental and not a deliberate
murder.
