CBSE Class 9 English Moments Chapter 4: In the Kingdom of Fools NCERT Solutions

Solution: The guru and his disciple encountered two peculiar and unusual customs in the Kingdom of Fools:

1. The inhabitants of this kingdom followed a reversed daily schedule. They all slept soundly throughout the day and conducted all their activities and work only during the night.
2. The pricing system in the market was remarkably uniform and illogical. Regardless of the item purchased – whether it was a small measure of rice or a bunch of bananas – the cost was exactly the same, just one duddu (which was equivalent to one rupee).

Solution: The disciple decided to stay in the Kingdom of Fools primarily because he was extremely pleased with the affordability of everything. He found it delightful that all goods were sold at a single, low price of one duddu. He was particularly happy about the availability of good food at such cheap rates, which appealed to his simple needs and desires.

However, according to the Guru, it was not a good idea for them to stay. The Guru recognized that the people were foolish and their strange ways were unsustainable. He was concerned that this unusual situation might not last and that they could face unforeseen dangers or difficulties in the future due to the kingdom's irrational nature.

Solution: A series of individuals were brought to trial in the king's court, each facing accusations stemming from the burglar's death:

1. The Merchant: He was the first to be tried because a burglar broke into his house, and the wall of his house was weak. This weak wall collapsed on the burglar, killing him instantly. The merchant was held responsible for the weak construction of his property.
2. The Bricklayer: He was summoned because he was the one who had built the weak wall. The king accused him of constructing a wall that was not sturdy enough, leading to the burglar's death.
3. The Dancing Girl: The bricklayer blamed the dancing girl. He claimed that she had distracted him by walking up and down the road repeatedly, jingling her anklets, while he was building the wall. This distraction, he argued, caused him to build the wall poorly.
4. The Goldsmith: The dancing girl, in turn, accused the goldsmith. She stated that she had to visit his shop numerous times because he did not complete her order for jewelry on time. This delay meant she was walking past the construction site repeatedly, distracting the bricklayer.
5. The Merchant (again): The goldsmith then shifted the blame to the merchant. He explained that he had been busy finishing an order for the merchant's father. The merchant's father had persuaded him to complete his order first, which consequently delayed the dancing girl's jewelry. Since the merchant's father was dead, the king decided the merchant must take responsibility and be executed in his father's place.
6. The Disciple: Finally, when the execution stake was prepared, it was found that the merchant was too thin to fit it properly. The king wanted to execute someone immediately to satisfy justice. Since the disciple was very fat and fit the stake perfectly, he was arrested and sentenced to be executed in the merchant's place.

Solution: According to the king, the real culprit was the merchant. However, the king acknowledged that it was actually the merchant's deceased father who had pressured the goldsmith, leading to the chain of events. Since the father was dead, the king decided the merchant should be punished in his father's stead.

The merchant, however, managed to escape punishment because he was too thin. The execution stake had been newly made, and it required a person of substantial weight to fit it correctly. The merchant's thin physique meant he could not be executed on the stake, thus he was released.

Solution: The Guru's words of wisdom were a stern warning about the nature of the Kingdom of Fools. He told his disciple that it was a city of fools and that they should leave immediately. He cautioned the disciple, saying, "We don't know what they will do next." The Guru sensed danger in the irrationality and foolishness of the kingdom's inhabitants and their rulers.

The disciple, who had been enjoying the cheap food and had decided to stay on, only remembered these crucial words of wisdom when he found himself in a dire situation. He recalled the Guru's warning precisely when he was arrested and about to be executed on the stake, realizing the peril he was in due to the kingdom's foolish justice system.

Solution: The guru masterfully saved his disciple's life through a clever and dramatic ruse that played on the king's superstitions and desire for power.

First, the guru created confusion by expressing his own desire to be executed before his disciple. He then told the king a fabricated story: he claimed that he and his disciple were a guru and a disciple who had lived many lives before. He asserted that they were both great saints and that the stake they were about to be executed on was, in fact, the "stake of justice." He further prophesied that whoever was executed on this stake first would become the king of the kingdom in their next life, and the other would become his minister.

This story deeply intrigued the king, who was greedy for power and feared that the guru might use his influence to usurp the throne. To prevent this and to ensure he himself would be reborn as king, the king secretly agreed to the guru's request. He ordered that the guru and his disciple be executed that very night, and then he and his minister would take their place. The executioners, following the king's secret command, executed the guru and the disciple. In reality, the guru and disciple had swapped places with the king and minister, and the guru's plan ensured their escape from the foolish kingdom under the cover of darkness.