Class 9 English - CBSE
Supplementary: In the Kingdom of Fools
Supplementary: In the Kingdom of Fools is a Kannada folktale translated by A.K. Ramanujan, featured in the CBSE Class 9 English curriculum. It is a humorous yet satirical story about a foolish king and his idiot minister who turned the night into day and day into night, and ordered everything to cost the same single duddu. The chapter matters greatly for board exams as it tests narrative comprehension, critical thinking, and moral understanding of how foolish governance and blind justice ultimately lead to self-destruction. Students often encounter long-answer and value-based questions from this text.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Absurd Governance
The king and his minister reversed day and night, forcing citizens to sleep by day and work by night under threat of death.
Uniform Pricing
Everything in the kingdom, from a measure of rice to a bunch of bananas, cost the same single 'duddu' (money), making it a haven for the disciple.
Chain of Blame
When a thief dies during a burglary, a comical chain reaction of accusations involves the merchant, bricklayer, dancing girl, and goldsmith.
Blind Justice
The foolish king fails to identify the real culprit and instead decides that the fat disciple is the right size for the newly made stake.
Wisdom vs. Folly
The clever guru saves his disciple's life by tricking the king into believing that whoever dies first on the stake will be reborn as the king of the kingdom.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In CBSE Class 9 English board and school exams, this chapter typically carries about 4 to 6 marks. Common question types include short answer questions testing plot details and character motivations, as well as long-answer value-based questions evaluating the guru's wisdom and the theme of foolishness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the guru want to leave the kingdom of fools?
The guru was wise and realized that staying in a kingdom ruled by fools was dangerous because their behavior was unpredictable and unsafe.
Why did the disciple refuse to leave?
The disciple was tempted by the extremely cheap food available everywhere for just a single duddu, as everything cost the same.
How did the guru save his disciple's life?
The guru tricked the king by claiming that the stake was holy and whoever died on it first would be reborn as the king in their next life, making the king and minister eager to die on it themselves.
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