Story: The Wit that Won Hearts
English Summary
King Krishnadeva Raya became angry with Queen Thirumalambal because she yawned while he was reciting his poem. The king thought she had insulted him and stopped talking to her. The queen asked Tenali Rama for help. Tenali Rama cleverly brought some “special paddy seeds” to the court and said they would grow only if the person sowing them never yawned. Everyone laughed because yawning is natural. The king realised that the queen had not insulted him. He apologised to the queen, and they became happy again. Tenali Rama’s wisdom solved the problem.
हिन्दी सारांश
राजा कृष्णदेवराय अपनी कविता सुनाते समय रानी तिरुमलाम्बल के जम्हाई लेने से नाराज़ हो गए। उन्हें लगा कि रानी ने उनका अपमान किया है, इसलिए उन्होंने रानी से बात करना बंद कर दिया। रानी ने तेनाली राम से सहायता माँगी। तेनाली राम ने दरबार में विशेष धान के बीज लाकर कहा कि ये केवल वही व्यक्ति बो सकता है जो कभी जम्हाई न ले। सभी हँस पड़े क्योंकि जम्हाई लेना स्वाभाविक है। तब राजा को अपनी गलती का एहसास हुआ। उन्होंने रानी से माफी माँगी और दोनों फिर से खुशी-खुशी रहने लगे।
Moral (सीख):
बुद्धिमानी, धैर्य और समझदारी से बड़ी से बड़ी समस्या हल की जा सकती है।
Unit 1: The Wit that Won Hearts
Let Us Discuss – I. Rectify the False Statements
1. False: The queen insulted the king by speaking against the quality of his poem.
Correct: The queen did not insult the king. She only yawned because she was tired while listening to his poem.
2. False: Tenali Rama immediately went to the king and convinced him to talk to the queen.
Correct: Tenali Rama first made a clever plan and then helped the king realise his mistake in the royal court.
3. False: The courtiers admired the king’s poem and praised his literary talent.
Correct: The ministers avoided listening to the king’s poem by making excuses.
4. False: The ministers in the court were eager to hear Tenali Rama’s idea about paddy cultivation.
Correct: The courtiers laughed and doubted Tenali Rama’s idea about the special paddy seeds.
5. False: The king never realised his mistake and continued to stay angry with the queen.
Correct: The king realised his mistake, apologised to the queen, and they became friends again.
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Let Us Think and Reflect – I (Extract 1)
(i) Why does the queen believe that only Tenali Rama can help the king understand?
Answer: Because Tenali Rama was wise, intelligent, and known for solving difficult problems with his wit.
(ii) What does the queen’s statement suggest about her feelings?
Answer:B. She regrets the unintended misunderstanding.
(iii) How does Tenali Rama’s response reflect his wisdom and problem-solving skills?
Answer: He remained calm, made a clever plan, and helped the king realise his mistake without hurting his feelings.
(iv) Fill in the blank.
The king’s reaction shows that he is sensitive and takes great pride in his poetry.
In the next reply, I’ll continue with Extract 2 and then Section II – All Short Answer Questions exactly from the PDF.
Unit 1: The Wit that Won Hearts
Let Us Think and Reflect – I (Extract 2)
(i) Complete the following with a suitable explanation.
Q. When the king said, “I let my pride blind me”, he means that ________.
Answer: He realised that his pride had stopped him from judging the situation fairly and he had wrongly misunderstood the queen.
(ii) Why does the queen say, “If you like, we can leave this quarrel behind us”?
Answer: The queen wanted to forgive the king, forget the misunderstanding, and restore peace and happiness in their relationship.
(iii) Fill in the blank.
The king acknowledges that his pride clouded his judgement, which shows maturity and self-awareness.
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(iv) State any one characteristic that the queen’s response to the king’s apology shows about her.
Answer: The queen is forgiving and kind-hearted.
II. Answer the Following Questions
1. Why was the Vijayanagara Empire considered to be in its ‘Golden Era’ during Krishnadeva Raya’s reign?
Answer: It was considered the Golden Era because art, literature, architecture, and learning flourished during King Krishnadeva Raya’s rule. He was also a great patron of scholars and poets.
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2. How did Tenali Ramakrishna gain a special place in the king’s court?
Answer: Tenali Ramakrishna gained a special place because of his quick wit, humour, and clever solutions to difficult problems. He served as both a poet and a wise adviser.
3. How did the quarrel between the king and the queen affect the palace?
Answer: The king stopped talking to the queen and stopped visiting her. The palace became quiet and unhappy instead of cheerful.
4. What strategy did Tenali Rama use to make the king realise his mistake?
Answer: Tenali Rama brought “special” paddy seeds and said they could only be sown by a person who never yawned. This made the king realise that yawning is natural and the queen had not insulted him.
In the next part, I’ll give Question 5, Question 6, and all the Fill in the Blanks (Let Us Learn – I & II) exactly from the PDF.
Unit 1: The Wit that Won Hearts
II. Answer the Following Questions (Continued)
5. What was the reaction of the courtiers when Tenali Rama introduced his ‘special’ paddy seeds?
Answer: The courtiers laughed at Tenali Rama’s claim. Some mocked him, saying the seeds were magical and joking that they might grow without water or had come from the moon.
6. How does the story conclude, and what lesson can be learnt from it?
Answer: The king realised his mistake, apologised to the queen, and they reconciled. Tenali Rama was rewarded for his wisdom, and happiness returned to the palace.
Lesson: We should not judge others in haste. Wisdom, patience, and understanding can solve even difficult problems.
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Let Us Learn – I
Fill in the blanks
Answers:
1. cast a shadow
2. rippled through
3. stormed off
4. hush fell over
5. mind raced back
6. cast a shadow
1. Let Us Learn – II
Fill in the blanks (Sound Words)
1. murmur
2. sighed
3. mumble
4. gasped
5. whispers
6. thud
7. groan
8. rattle
9. roared
10. whispered
2. Poem: A Concrete Example
English Summary
The poem is about the speaker’s neighbour, Mrs. Jones, who has a very unusual garden full of stones. She loves every part of her garden and proudly shows it to the speaker. The plants are tiny and hidden among the stones. At the end, the speaker discovers that the beautiful flower they were searching for had been under the speaker’s feet all along. The poem is humorous and shows that different people see beauty in different ways.
हिन्दी सारांश
यह कविता मिसेज़ जोन्स के अनोखे बगीचे के बारे में है, जो पत्थरों से भरा हुआ है। उन्हें अपने बगीचे की हर चीज़ बहुत प्रिय है। वे छोटे-छोटे पौधे पत्थरों के बीच लगाती हैं। अंत में पता चलता है कि जिस सुंदर फूल को वक्ता ढूँढ़ रहा था, उसी पर वह अनजाने में खड़ा था। कविता हास्यपूर्ण है और बताती है कि हर व्यक्ति सुंदरता को अलग-अलग तरीके से देखता है।
Central Idea (मुख्य भाव):
प्रकृति की सुंदरता देखने वाले की दृष्टि पर निर्भर करती है। हर व्यक्ति की पसंद और सोच अलग होती है।
Moral (सीख):
दूसरों की पसंद और दृष्टिकोण का सम्मान करना चाहिए।
Unit 1 – A Concrete Example
Let Us Think and Reflect – I
Extract 1
(i) What kind of garden does Mrs. Jones have?
Answer: Mrs. Jones has an unusual garden full of stones, with a crazy path, a lily pond, a rockery and a sundial.
(ii) Choose the correct answer.
The phrase “a garden full of stones” suggests that the garden is—
Answer: unusual and different from ordinary gardens.
(iii) Why does the speaker describe the sundial as having “a strange device”?
Answer: The speaker finds the sundial unusual, though Mrs. Jones likes it very much.
(iv) What does this extract tell us about Mrs. Jones?
Answer: Mrs. Jones enjoys unique and uncommon things and is proud of her unusual garden.
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Let Us Think and Reflect – II
1. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct answer.
(a) The poet uses the word ‘stones’ in all the stanzas to emphasise her obsession with a stony garden.
(b) The poet uses imagery to help readers visualise the garden’s peculiar nature.
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III. Pick examples of alliteration from the poem.
Answer:
lily pond
strange device
tiny flower
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IV. Identify the refrain from the poem.
Answer: “has got a garden full of stones.”
Unit 1: A Concrete Example
Let Us Think and Reflect – II
Answer the following questions
1. Why does Mrs. Jones’ garden seem unusual to the speaker?
Answer: Mrs. Jones’ garden seems unusual because it is filled with stones instead of colourful flowers and green plants like an ordinary garden.
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2. What surprise does the speaker get at the end of the poem?
Answer: At the end, the speaker discovers a tiny, delicate flower hidden among the stones and realises that they had been standing on it.
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3. What does the poem suggest about beauty?
Answer: The poem suggests that beauty can be found in unexpected places and that different people have different ideas of what is beautiful.
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4. Why is the title A Concrete Example appropriate?
Answer: The title is appropriate because it has a double meaning. It refers to the concrete and stones in the garden and also gives a clear (“concrete”) example of Mrs. Jones’ unusual gardening habits.
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5. What message does the poem convey?
Answer: The poem teaches us to appreciate different viewpoints and not judge things only by their outward appearance.