1.3 Understanding the Text
Try to answer each question on your own first, then click to reveal a model answer. Your wording need not match exactly — focus on the ideas.
A. Reading for details
1. Why did the king stop speaking to the queen?
The king was reciting one of his own poems to the queen. She yawned in the middle of it. The king felt insulted, believing the yawn meant she found his poetry boring, so out of hurt pride he stopped speaking to her.
2. How did the queen react to the king’s silence?
The queen was deeply upset and lonely (distraught and forlorn), but she did not argue or complain. She stayed calm and quietly looked for a way to mend the relationship, finally seeking Tenali Rama’s help.
3. What plan did Tenali Rama make, and why did he not go to the king directly?
Tenali Rama decided to stage a clever scene in court about magical paddy seeds and a yawning farmer, so that the king would realise his own mistake. He avoided telling the king directly because that would have hurt the king’s pride further and made him defensive instead of willing to change his mind.
4. What did Tenali Rama claim about the paddy seeds, and how did the courtiers react?
He claimed the seeds were revolutionary and could greatly multiply the harvest. The courtiers found the claim absurd and snickered and mocked him.
B. Reading between the lines
5. “A hush fell over the court.” Why did the court suddenly fall silent?
When Tenali Rama said a yawning farmer would ruin the crop, everyone realised he was really talking about the king’s quarrel with the queen, who had yawned. The silence shows that the courtiers understood the hidden meaning and were waiting to see how the king would react.
6. Why is the king’s quarrel described as being over something “trivial”?
A yawn is a small, natural, involuntary act. The king turned this tiny, harmless gesture into a serious quarrel that saddened the whole palace. Calling it “trivial” highlights how an unimportant thing was blown out of proportion by pride and misunderstanding.
7. How does the story show that Tenali Rama understood human nature well?
Tenali Rama knew the proud king would resist being told he was wrong, but would accept a truth he discovered himself. By wrapping the lesson in a funny, harmless story, he let the king save face while still learning his mistake. This shows deep insight into pride, emotion, and how people change their minds.
C. Thinking about characters and values
8. What qualities of Tenali Rama are revealed in this story?
Tenali Rama is intelligent, witty, calm, patient, and a sharp observer of people. He is a clever problem-solver who prefers humour and wisdom to anger or argument.
9. The king is powerful, yet the story still praises him. Why?
Although the king let pride get the better of him, he was honest and mature enough to recognise his mistake once he saw it, and he apologised to the queen. Accepting one’s mistake is a sign of greatness, so the king earns our respect.
10. What lesson does the story teach us about solving conflicts?
Conflicts are best solved with calm thinking, patience, humour, and understanding rather than with anger or pride. Helping someone realise their own mistake gently, and being willing to apologise, restores harmony.