📘 Chapter – Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish
The story “Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish” is a humorous comic story.
It was the season of hilsa-fish, and everyone in the kingdom talked only about this fish. The king became very irritated and ordered that no one should talk about hilsa-fish in the palace.
Gopal was a clever courtier. The king challenged him to bring a hilsa-fish to the palace without anyone talking about it.
To do this, Gopal acted strangely. He half-shaved his face, smeared ash on his body, and wore odd clothes. People thought he had gone mad and talked only about his strange appearance, not about the fish.
When Gopal reached the palace, everyone again discussed only his behaviour. No one mentioned the hilsa-fish. Then Gopal proved to the king that he had succeeded.
The king realised that Gopal was truly clever.
📗 सारांश (सरल हिंदी में)
“गोपाल और हिलसा मछली” एक मज़ेदार कहानी है।
हिलसा मछली के मौसम में हर कोई सिर्फ उसी की बातें कर रहा था। राजा इससे परेशान हो गया और आदेश दिया कि महल में कोई भी हिलसा मछली की बात नहीं करेगा।
राजा ने गोपाल को चुनौती दी कि वह बिना किसी को हिलसा मछली की बात किए महल में मछली लाए।
गोपाल ने अजीब हरकतें कीं—आधा चेहरा मुंडवा लिया, शरीर पर राख लगा ली और अजीब कपड़े पहन लिए। लोग उसे पागल समझने लगे और सिर्फ उसी के बारे में बात करने लगे।
इस तरह कोई भी हिलसा मछली की बात नहीं कर पाया। राजा समझ गया कि गोपाल बहुत चतुर है।
📝 Word Meanings (English → Hindi)
| Word | Meaning | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Hilsa | A type of fish | हिलसा मछली |
| Courtier | A person serving the king | दरबारी |
| Irritated | Annoyed | परेशान |
| Challenge | A difficult task | चुनौती |
| Mystic | Strange / mysterious | रहस्यमय |
| Comical | Funny | हास्यास्पद |
| Smeared | Spread over | मलना |
| Guard | Soldier who protects | पहरेदार |
❓ Chapter Question–Answers
1. Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
Because everyone talked only about hilsa-fish and it annoyed the king.
2. What did the king ask Gopal to do?
He asked Gopal to bring a hilsa-fish to the palace without anyone talking about it.
3. What three things did Gopal do before buying the fish?
He half-shaved his face, smeared ash on his body, and wore strange clothes.
4. How did Gopal get inside the palace?
The guards thought he was a madman and took him inside to show the king.
5. Why did no one talk about the hilsa-fish Gopal bought?
Because everyone was busy talking about Gopal’s strange behaviour.
6. Write True or False:
| Statement | Answer |
|---|---|
| The king lost his temper easily | ❌ False |
| Gopal was a madman | ❌ False |
| Gopal was a clever man | ✅ True |
| Gopal was too poor to afford clothes | ❌ False |
| The king got angry when proven wrong | ❌ False |