In the Kingdom of Fools

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Summary

This is an interesting story about a Kingdom of Fools. The king and his minister ordered that
night should be considered as a day and vice-versa. They ordered that the people should
keep awake at night and sleep during the day.
One day a guru and his disciple visited the kingdom. To their utter surprise the city looked
deserted during the day time and by evening the shops opened and they purchased food to
eat. The price of everything was the same – one ‘duddu’.
The disciple felt happy at the cheap rate of good eatables and decided to stay back, while
the guru rejected the idea.
One day a thief entered the house of a merchant but before he could steal anything the wall
fell, on him and he died. The brother of the thief complained to the king against the
merchant whose weak-wall had taken that life of his poor brother. Ultimately the merchant
blamed the mason, the mason blamed the dancing girl, the dancing girl blamed the
goldsmith and the goldsmith blamed the family of the merchant. It was decided that
merchant should be executed as he had inherited all his father’s wealth as well as his sins.
The merchant was thin and would not fit the stake.
Therefore, that king ordered that a fat man should be found. The king’s men brought the
disciple to the stake. The disciple prayed to his guru who had magic powers. The guru
hatched a plan .He said to the king that the person who is executed first on this holy stake, will be reborn as a king of this kingdom and the one second will be reborn as minister . The
king and the minister disguised themselves as the guru and the disciple and were executed.
The guru and his disciple became the king and the minister of the kingdom.

Comprehension Questions

a) Why were the people of the kingdom confused when they saw the dead bodies of the
king and his minister?
The people of the kingdom were confused as to how their king and the minister were
dead instead of the Guru and the disciple. The people were not able to see through the
plan which was executed by the Guru against their king and minister.

b) When does the disciple remember the words of his Guru?
The disciple did not pay any heed to the advice of his Guru, when the Guru asked him to leave the kingdom. Later, when the king decided that the disciple was the suitable
person for execution, he remembered the words of the Guru.

c) Why did the Guru want that he and his disciple should die first?
The king had ordered the execution of the rich merchant. Since the rich merchant
could not be executed the disciple was chosen to the stake. The disciple’s Guru had a
vision and saw everything. In order to save his disciple, the Guru hatched a plan.

d) On what conditions did the Guru and his disciple agree to rule the kingdom of fools?
He laid the condition that he would be free to change all the old and foolish laws.
Hence night was considered as night and day was regarded as a normal working day.
Even the cost of the things would be changed according to the value of the material.

e) Why did the Guru not want to stay in the Kingdom of fools?
The Guru did not want to stay in the Kingdom of fools as the people over there were
foolish. He was not sure about them and felt that they could harm him.

f) Why does the disciple not want to leave the Kingdom of the fools?
The disciple did not want to leave the place because of the sale of cheap eatables and
other commodities and since everything was easily available and life seemed to be very
simple and easy.

g) Why did the king decide not to execute the Guru and his disciple?
The Guru befooled the king. He told him that the stake in their kingdom was new and
was the stake of the god of justice. It had never had a criminal on it. So, first one who
dies on it will be reborn as the king and the next one to die will be reborn as the
minister. The foolish king fell for the words of the Guru and decided not to execute
them.

h)What advice did the Guru give to the disciple before going out of the city?
The Guru told his disciple that it was dangerous to stay in a Kingdom of fools. He said
that there was no justice only foolish, unpredictable behaviour. According to him the
kingdom would not last long and one couldn’t tell what they would do to one later.

i) Why did the king want to punish the merchant?
The king wanted to punish the merchant because the wall of his house collapsed and it
fell on the thief who had entered his house, killing him. The merchant pleaded that the
wall had been built during his father’s time. But the king decreed that since the
merchant had inherited his father’s wealth, he had inherited his sins too. Therefore, he
should be punished.

j) Who became the new king and the prime minister of the kingdom?
As the kingdom was without a king, the people of the kingdom persuaded the Guru
and the disciple to take over the throne. So, the holy man became the king and his
disciple took the charge of the Minister.

Long Answer Type Questions (100-150 words)

a) What light does the story throw on the importance of not giving in to temptation and
listening to good advice?
The disciple in the story didn’t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty
decision of not leaving the kingdom of fools. The disciple was tempted by the prices of
the commodities. Anything could be bought with a ‘Duddu’. Either it could be a mass
of rice or a bunch of bananas. All the disciple wanted was good, cheap food. So, the
disciple decided to stay back and did not listen to his Guru who advised his disciple
that it was dangerous to stay back in the kingdom of fools as there was no justice,
prevalent in such kingdom. One wouldn’t be able to tell what they would do next.
It was when the disciple was chosen as the suitable person for execution that he
realized his mistake. He regretted his decision of staying back. Just one small decision
almost cost him his life.

b) How did the Guru and his disciple become the king and the minister of the kingdom?
The Guru knew that the king and his minister were fools. In order to save his disciple,
Guru hatched a plan. He told him that the first one to be executed at the state would
become the king in the next life and the second to be executed would be the king’s
minister.
The foolish king and his minister got themselves executed. The people panicked and
were confused when they saw that their king and minister were dead. They mourned
and discussed the future of the kingdom. Suddenly someone thought of the guru and
the disciple .The people begged them to be the king and the minister.

c) “Guru was a wise man” – how does the story ‘The Kingdom of fools’ reflects it?
‘The Kingdom of Fools’ clearly reflects that Guru was a wise man as he advised his
disciple not to stay in that kingdom. The disciple did not want to leave the place. He
was tempted by the good and cheap food. He did not pay any heed to his Guru and
stayed on. When he was imprisoned by the King’s men, he realized the significance of
his Guru’s words and repented on his not following his Guru’s advice. So, it is proved
that Guru was really very wise. And it was because of his wisdom that disciple was
saved and they were made king and minister of the kingdom.


Answers to Text book questions:

1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of fools?
Everything was different in the kingdom of fools. People worked in the night and slept
during the day. Not only have the human beings even the animals stayed awake at
night. Anything and everything could be bought for a ‘Duddu’. A ‘Duddu’ could buy a
mass of rice as well as a bunch of bananas.

2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
The disciple thinks of the easy life ahead. He didn’t want to leave the kingdom because
everything was cheap. The disciple wanted only good cheap food. He dreams of
relishing every rich food on offer as everything cost same in that kingdom.
In the end the idea did not prove good for the disciple was chosen to be executed a he
fit the stake due to his large size.

3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.
The merchant was the first accused because his house wall collapsed and killed the
thief. The next person was the bricklayer as it was thought his bad workmanship
created a weak wall. Then the dancer was accused of distracting the bricklayer
resulting in poor quality of the wall. Next accused was the goldsmith who called the
dancer time and again to deliver the jewellery which in turn led to the distraction of
the bricklayer. The goldsmith passed the blame on the merchant’s father who wanted
his order to be completed first hence the goldsmith couldn’t finish the dancer’s work.
At last the wheel turned full circle and the blame came back to the original merchant.

4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape from the punishment?
Although it was the merchant’s father who was believed to be responsible for the
collapse of the wall that killed the thief, the king proclaimed that he had inherited
everything from his criminal father so the rich merchant was the real culprit according
to the King. It was found that the rich merchant was too thin to be properly executed
on the newly made stake. The worried king foolishly ordered his servants to look for a
fat man to fit the stake. Thus, the merchant escaped the punishment.

5. What is the Guru’s wisdom? When does the disciple realize this?
The Guru’s wisdom was that there was no justice in the Kingdom of fools and due to
the unpredictable behaviour of the fools; he wanted to leave the kingdom at once. The
disciple remembers these words when the king decides that the disciple was the
suitable person to fit the new stake.

6. How did the Guru manage to save his disciple?
It is often believed that our prayers are often heard and answered which was proved in
the story. ‘In the Kingdom of Fools’. The king had ordered the execution of the disciple
because he fit the new stake. The disciple prayed to the Guru to save him. The Guru
saw everything in a vision because he had magic powers. He could see far, the future,
the past and the present.When the guru came, he whispered something in the disciple’s and then asked the kingto execute him first and then the disciple. The disciple wanted to be the first on the
stake. The two began fighting. The king was puzzled.The guru explained to the king that the stake in his kingdom was new and was the stake of the god of justice. It had never had a criminal on it. So, first one who dies on it will be reborn as the king and the next one to die will be reborn as the minister. The king did not want to lose the kingdom in the next life. The king and the minister
went to the prison and disguised themselves as the guru and the disciple. Hence, they
were executed. It was his Guru’s advice and presence of mind that saved the disciple. The disciple
realized his mistake of Guru’s not listening to the Guru’s words of wisdom.

PRACTICE SHEET

Q1 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) “Please listen to me before you give your orders. It’s true I built this wall and it was no
good. But that was because my mind was not on it.”
i. Who is the speaker of the above lines and to whom is he speaking?
The bricklayer says the above lines before the king.
ii. Why had he been summoned before the king?
The bricklayer had been summoned before the king because he had built the
wall in the merchant’s house that had fallen on the thief and killed him.
iii. Why was the speaker’s mind not on building the wall?
The bricklayer’s mind was not on building the wall because he was distracted by
a dancing girl who was going up and down that street all day with her anklets
jingling.
iv. Explain the meaning of the phrase- ‘no good’
of no use or value

(b) “What should we do?” he said, when suddenly it struck him that all they needed to do
was to find a man fat enough to fit the stake.
i. What problem did the speaker face?
It was found that the rich merchant who was to be executed was somehow too
thin to be properly executed on the stake.
ii. What orders were given by the speaker to the servants?
The king sent the servants all over the town looking for a man who would fit the
stake.
iii. Whom did the servants find to fit the stake?
The servants found the disciple who had fattened himself for months on
bananas, rice, wheat and ghee.
iv. Give the meaning of the word ‘struck’
to occur ( in the mind)

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.

(a) On what conditions did the Guru and his disciple agree to rule the kingdom of fools?
He laid the condition that he would be free to change all the old and foolish
laws. Hence night was considered as night and day was regarded as a normal
working day. Even the cost of the things would be changed according to the
value of the material.

(b) Why did the king want to punish the merchant?
The king wanted to punish the merchant because the wall of his house collapsed
and it fell on the thief who had entered his house, killing him. The merchant
pleaded that the wall had been built during his father’s time. But the king
decreed that since the merchant had inherited his father’s wealth, he had
inherited his sins too. Therefore, he should be punished.

(c) What did the dancing girl say in her defence?
The dancing girl said that she had given some gold to the goldsmith to make
some jewellery. The goldsmith made many excuses and did not give the
jewellery to her. So she had to walk up and down his house many times.

(d) What advice did the Guru give to the disciple before going out of the city?
The Guru told his disciple that it was dangerous to stay in a Kingdom of fools. He
said that there was no justice only foolish, unpredictable behaviour. According
to him the kingdom would not last long and one couldn’t tell what they would
do to one later.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-150 words each.

(a) 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?
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.

(b) Who all were tried in the king’s court? What were the reasons for their trial?
The merchant was the first accused because his house wall collapsed and killed
the thief. The next person was the bricklayer as it was thought his bad
workmanship created a weak wall. Then the dancer was accused of distracting
the bricklayer resulting in poor quality of the wall. Next accused was the
goldsmith who called the dancer time and again to deliver the jewellery which in
turn led to the distraction of the bricklayer. The goldsmith passed the blame on
the merchant’s father who wanted his order to be completed first hence the
goldsmith couldn’t finish the dancer’s work. At last the wheel turned full circle
and the blame came back to the original merchant.

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