NCERT Solutions for Class 7th English Chapter 1 Three Questions

Comprehension Check

Question 1:
Why did the king want to know answers to three questions?
Solution:
The king wanted to know answers of his three questions because he wanted to be a successful ruler.

Question 2:
Messengers were sent throughout the kingdom

1. to fetch wise men.
2. to find answers to the questions.
3. to look for the wise hermit.
4. to announce a reward for those who could answer the questions.

Solution:
2.to find answers to the questions.

Check
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 beared man’s wound  ……………….

Solution:

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.
Question 1:
Why was the king advised to go to the magicians?
Solution:
Some of the wise men thought that in order to decide right time for doing something, one must look into the future and only magicians were able to do that. So, they advised the king to go to the magicians.

Question 2:
In answer to the second question, whose advice did the people say would be important to the king?
Solution:
In answer to the second question some people, suggested to seek advice of councillors, the priest or the doctors or the soldiers.

Question 3:
What suggestions were made in answer to the third question?
Solution:
For the third question some people said science was the most important business while there were others who believed it was fighting and then there were those who believed religious worship should take the first place.

Question 4:
Did the wise men win the reward? If not, why not?
Solution:
No, the wise men didn’t win the reward because their answers were so different from each other and king was not satisfied with their answers.

Question 5:
How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
Solution:
The king washed the wound and covered the wound of the man with his handkerchief and kept on dressing it until the bleeding stopped completely.
The king also offered the wounded man water to drink. The hermit helped the king to bring the wounded man inside his hut and allowed the man to spend his night in the hut.

Question 6:

1. Who was the bearded man?
2. Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?

Solution:

1. The bearded man was an enemy of the king. He wanted to take revenge of his brother’s death by killing the king and taking away all his property.
2. The bearded man asked for the king’s forgiveness because he wanted to kill the king but the king has saved his life. He was grateful to the king now.

Question 7:
The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to show his forgiveness?
Solution:
The king showed his forgiveness by promising the man that he will send his doctor and servants to look after him and also promised to return him all his property.

Question 8:
What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions? Write each answer separately. Which answers do you like the most and why?
Solution:
The most important time, the hermit said, is our present because it is the only moment when we have the power to act. The most important person at a moment is we ourselves because the future is unknown and we don’t know whether we will meet anyone in the future or not.
So, we should listen to ourselves.
The most important business is to be kind and good to others because we have been sent in this world to serve this noble cause.
I liked the third answer the most because helping someone in need is like serving God. It makes us a good person and brings a sense of satisfaction and contentment.

Working with Language
Question 1:
Match items in List A with their meanings in List B.
fainted: lost consciousness

Use any three of the given words in sentences of your own. You may change the form of the word.
Solution:

Question 2:
Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of the word given in the brackets.
He has ………………. to help me. Do you think he will remember his  ………………. ? (promise)
He has promised to help me. Do you think he will remember his promise?

1. The  ………………. said that only fresh evidence would make him change his  ………………. (judge)
2. I didn’t notice any serious of  ……………….  opinion among the debaters, although they ……………….  from one another over small points.(differ)
3. It’s fairly simple question to ……………….  but will accept my  ………………. as final? (answer)
4. It isn’t ……………….  that  ………………. should always be the mother of invention. (necessary)
5. Hermits are ……………….  men. How they acquire their  ………………. no one can tell. (wise)
6. The committee has ……………….  to make
   Jagdish captain of the team. The  ………………. is likely to please everyone. (decide)
7. Asking for ………………. . is as noble as willingness to  ………………. (forgive)

Solution:

1. judge, judgement
2. difference, differed
3. answer, answer
4. necessary, necessity
5. wise, wisdom
6. has decided, decision
7. forgiveness, forgive

Speaking and Writing
Question 1:
Imagine you are the king. Narrate the incident of your meeting with 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….
Solution:
I knew the hermit used to help only ordinary men, so I left behind my servants and bodyguards. I went to meet him wearing simple clothes. The hermit was an old man and used to live in a hut amidst the woods. He was digging the ground in front of his hut when I arrived there. He greeted me and continued his work. I informed him the purpose of my visit, but still he continued digging the ground. He looked tired so I offered my help. He agreed, so I took the spade from him and started digging the ground.
After digging for many hours I again repeated my questions, but the hermit did not answer.
Evening was approaching and now I thought of returning. Suddenly, the hermit showed me a bearded man who was running towards us.

Question 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 it was the king….
Solution:
but still pretended to be unaware of his identity. He told me that he has come to me to get answers for his three questions.
I greeted him and continued digging the ground. I was tired digging the ground; the king noticed this and offered his help. I agreed and gave my spade to him.
After digging two beds in the ground the king repeated his questions, I ignored him again and rather asked him if he was tired and would like me to dig the ground. But he refused to do so and continued the task.
Evening was approaching and it seemed that he was ready to leave, at that very moment we saw a man running towards us.

Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
Why did the king send two messengers throughout his kingdom?
Solution:
The king sent his messengers to look for wise people.

Question 2:
How did the king promise to reward the person who would answer his questions correctly?
Solution:
The king promised to reward the person with a huge sum of money.

Question 3:
Whose advice did the king finally think of seeking?
Solution:
The king finally thought of seeking the hermit’s advice who lived in a distant jungle.

Question 4:
Who did go alongwith the king to meet the hermit?
Solution:
No one went alongwith the king.

Question 5:
During which time of the day would the hermit would leave the forest and go out?
Solution:
The hermit never used to go out of the forest.

Question 6:
Why did the bearded man press his stomach with his hand?
Solution:
The bearded man pressed his stomach because he was wounded and wanted to stop blood flowing out from his wound.

Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
Why was the king advised to listen to his soldiers?
Solution:
Some wise men thought that it were soldiers who used to fight wars for the king and help him extend his territory and power. So, according to them they thought soldiers were the most important people whom the king should follow.

Question 2:
Why did the king refuse to give reward to anyone?
Solution:
The king was not satisfied with the answers of the wise men.
They all had given different answers to the same questions because of which he was unable to come to a conclusion, so he refused giving the reward to anyone.

Question 3:
Why the king changed his clothes and left behind his bodyguards and horse before meeting the hermit?
Solution:
The king was aware that the hermit would meet only simple people.
So, he dressed up like an ordinary man, left behind his horse and bodyguards and went to meet the hermit in his hut in the woods all alone.

Question 4:
Describe the hermit in one or two sentences.
Solution:
The hermit was a weak old man and used to live amidst the woods which he would never leave. He was digging the ground in front of his hut for sowing seeds when the king arrived and the tedious task had made him tired.

Question 5:
“Here comes someone running”. Who has been referred to in this sentence?
Solution:
The bearded man is being referred to in these lines. He had planned to attack the king, but was instead attacked by the king’s bodyguards, as they had recognised him. He had received a wound in his stomach. He was rushing towards the hermit’s hut for help.

Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1:
What were the replies the king received for his first question?
Solution:
In reply to his first question, the king was advised to follow a timetable by some men. There were some people who were of the opinion that it was impossible to decide the right time in advance. The king was suggested to keep a note of all the happenings around him, avoid indulging in excessive pleasure and do everything that seemed important at any particular time. Along with this he should have a team of intelligent people to guide to him to the right thing at the right time.

Question 2:
Describe the king in your own words.
Solution:
The king wanted to be a good ruler. He was seeking answers for the three questions which he thought would help him in his mission. The king was kindhearted, when he found the old man tired of digging the ground, he offered him his help. He kept on bandaging the bearded man’s wound until blood stopped coming out from it. He was down to earth, he dressed up like a common man and spent the night sleeping on floor at the hermit’s hut.

Question 3:
Describe the bearded man in your own words.
Solution:
The bearded man was courageous. He wanted to avenge his brother’s death killing the king. He lacked patience because when the king didn’t return by evening, he became anxious and left his hiding place. He was thankful and obliged by the king’s act.
He repented for his act and asked for forgiveness. He returned the favour by promising the king faithfulness of his entire family for the kingdom.

Question 4:
The king had done right things at the right time. Explain giving three examples.
Solution:
The king had known the hermit’s nature of meeting only ordinary men. So, he gave up his king’s attire, left behind his soldiers and the horse and went alone to meet him.
He offered the hermit his help in digging the ground. He did this till evening. This helped him avoid the attack planned by the bearded man.
He helped the bearded man bandaging his wound and offered him water. He saved his life. This helped him made friends with his enemy.

Value Based Questions
Question 1:
Do you think we should help people in need? Why so?
Solution:
We should always help people in need. We have been sent to this world to do good to others. If we are good and kind towards other, people will respect us for our kindness. Being kind and helpful keeps us happy from within. We feel happiness when we bring smile on the face of others. We earn their good wishes and blessings in return. It makes us a good human being. To help others is the greatest motto of humanity and we should adhere to it.

Question 2:
The king helped the hermit in digging the beds. He even slept on the floor of the hut and lived like a simple man in the hermit’s hut. What lesson we learn from this?
Solution:
The king found the old hermit tired digging the beds so he offered his help to the man. He was accustomed of comfort and lavishness in his palace still at hermit’s home he slept on the floor. At our homes we get all the luxuries but if one day there comes a situation where we have to live without them we should be prepared for that.
In life we might become very rich and affluent one day still we should be simple from heart and must not be ashamed of embracing it at any moment