8.7 Going Deeper (Exam Prep)

Real-world connections

Gopi’s brush is a symbol of any gift or power — talent, knowledge, money, authority. The poem asks the question we all face: will I use what I have for myself, or for others? Doctors, teachers, scientists, and leaders hold “magic brushes” of their own; the good ones, like Gopi, use them to help the many rather than to enrich the few. The tale is centuries old, yet its question is completely modern.

Quick revision card

Quick Revision Card

  • Form: a narrative poem, adapted from a folk tale; rhyme mostly ABCB.
  • Heroine: Gopi, a poor, kind, clever village girl.
  • The rule: use the brush only for the poor, never the rich.
  • Good deeds: khichdi, muffler, plough, shawl, fan.
  • Villain: the greedy Zamindar, who demands a fortress and treasures.
  • Gopi’s escape: paints a road and horse; stops pursuers with a river and the threat of a beast.
  • Theme: responsible use of power; good triumphs over greed.

Exam Corner

Objective / one-mark questions

  1. Who gave Gopi the magic brush, and what condition came with it?
  2. What was the first thing Gopi painted in the village?
  3. What did the Zamindar order Gopi to paint?
  4. How did Gopi stop the Zamindar from chasing her?
  1. A mysterious man; she was to use it only for the poor, never the rich. 2. A bowl of khichdi. 3. A grand fortress, jewels, and treasures. 4. She painted a wide, deep river and threatened to paint a beast to devour them.

Short-answer questions (2–3 marks)

  1. How did Gopi use the brush to help the poor villagers?
  2. Why did Gopi refuse the Zamindar’s order?
  3. How did Gopi escape from the cell?
  1. She painted things the poor needed — a bowl of khichdi, a muffler for a farmer, a plough for another man, a shawl for a grandmother, and a fan for a girl.
  2. She had promised to use the brush only to help the needy, not the rich; serving the greedy Zamindar would break that promise and her principles.
  3. While the Zamindar slept, she painted a road leading out of the prison and a strong horse, and rode away to freedom.

Long-answer questions (5–6 marks)

  1. Contrast the characters of Gopi and the Zamindar, with examples from the poem.
  2. “The poem shows that good triumphs over greed.” Discuss.
  1. Gopi is poor but kind, honest, brave, and selfless — she uses the brush for others and keeps her promise even under threat. The Zamindar is rich but greedy, cruel, and arrogant — he wants the brush only for wealth and power and uses force. Their opposite values drive the story.
  2. Gopi’s generosity and courage defeat the Zamindar’s greed: she refuses him, escapes, and turns his own pursuit into his downfall, while the village celebrates. The greedy man is left with nothing — a clear victory of good over greed.

HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking)

  1. The man said the brush must be used only for the poor. Why do you think such a rule was attached to a magical gift?

The rule turns a magical object into a moral test. Without it, the brush could simply make anyone rich; with it, the brush rewards generosity and resists greed. The condition ensures the power serves justice and the needy, showing that how a gift is used matters more than the gift itself.

Assertion–Reason

  1. Assertion (A): Gopi refused to paint treasures for the Zamindar. Reason (R): She had promised to use the magic brush only to help the poor and needy.

Choose: (a) Both A and R true and R explains A; (b) Both true but R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

(a) Both statements are true, and R correctly explains why Gopi refused.

A pinch of folklore

Did You Know? The magic-paintbrush story is best known from the Chinese folk tale of Ma Liang, a poor boy whose brush brings drawings to life and who, like Gopi, uses it for the poor and outwits a greedy ruler. Such tales travel across countries and centuries because their message — kindness and justice over greed — belongs to everyone.