Class 9 English - HARYANA
Supplementary: In the Kingdom of Fools
In the Kingdom of Fools is an interesting folk tale adapted from Kannada folklore, included in the Class 9 English supplementary reader 'Moments' for Haryana Board (BSEH) students. The story revolves around a foolish king and his idiot minister who decide to change night into day and day into night, punishing the innocent and reversing all rules of logic. This chapter is very important for board exams as it tests a student's comprehension of satirical narrative, irony, and moral storytelling. Questions from this chapter frequently appear in the Haryana Board exams as both short-answer questions assessing plot details and long-answer questions focusing on the central theme of wisdom versus foolishness.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
The Kingdom of Fools
A fictional kingdom ruled by a foolish king and a silly minister who order everyone to sleep during the day and work at night.
The Cheap and Uniform Price
In this kingdom, everything—whether a bunch of bananas or a measure of rice—cost the same single 'adu', making it a dangerous place for a wise man.
The Absurd Chain of Blame
When a thief dies during a house robbery, a ridiculous trial takes place passing the blame from the owner to the bricklayer, dancing girl, goldsmith, and finally the merchant's dead father.
The Execution Dilemma
Finding nobody fit to be executed on the newly made stake because everyone was too thin, the king orders the fattest man—the disciple—to be put to death.
The Guru's Wisdom
The wise guru saves his foolish disciple by tricking the king through a clever play on words regarding who would die first on the stake of justice.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Haryana Board (BSEH) Class 9 English exams, this chapter usually carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions typically include short-answer questions about the plot twists, character sketches of the guru and the disciple, and long-answer questions explaining the moral or the ironical ending of the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the guru and his disciple find the kingdom strange?
They found it strange because everyone, including animals, slept during the day and worked at night, and everything in the market cost the exact same price of one duddu.
Why did the disciple decide to stay back in the kingdom?
The disciple decided to stay back because food was extremely cheap and available in abundance, satisfying his greed for cheap and good food.
How did the guru save his disciple's life?
The guru tricked the king and his minister by telling them that the stake was holy and whoever died on it first would be reborn as the king in the next life, making the foolish king and minister sacrifice themselves.
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