Chapter 3: Gopal and the Hilsa Fish

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Chapter 3: Gopal and the Hilsa Fish

Class: VII

Exercise number-1

Question 1

Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?

Answer 1

It was the season for hilsa-fish and everyone was talking about it continuously, so he was annoyed with all the talk about it that’s why the king did not want any more talk about the hilsa-fish.

Question 2

What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?

Answer 2

The king asked Gopal to buy a huge hilsa-fish and bring the fish to the palace without getting the fish noticed and without anyone asking about it. This was asked in order to prove that he was clever.

Question 3

What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?

Answer 3

Before he went to buy hilsa-fish, Gopal half-shaved his face, smeared himself with ash, and wore disgraceful rags.

Question 4

How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?

Answer 4

After he had bought the fish, Gopal came back to the palace and he told the guards that he wanted to see the king. The guards denied him, so Gopal began singing and dancing loudly so that he can get noticed by the king. When the king heard this along with the people who were passing comments on watching the man sing and dance, he asked for the man to be brought before him.

Question 5

Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought.

Answer 5

There were many reasons why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought. Some people found Gopal comical, his appearance was ridiculous, others thought that he is a little mad or a madman, and still other thought that he was a mystic. The hilsa-fish went unnoticed because people were so engrossed in discussing his appearance.

Question 6

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following sentences.
(i) The king lost his temper easily.___________
(ii) Gopal was a madman. ____________
(iii) Gopal was a clever man. _____________
(iv) Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes. ____________
(v) The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong. _______________

Answer 6

(i) True
(ii) False
He wanted to divert people’s attention from the hilsa-fish that he was carrying, that’s why he acted like a madman.
(iii) True
(iv) False
He wanted people to notice him and his rags that he wore so that the hilsa-fish would be unnoticed.
(v) False
For achieving the impossible yet again, the king laughed and congratulated Gopal.

Question 1

Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech. The first one has been done for you.
(i) How much did you pay for that hilsa?
The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven?
Gopal’s wife asked him_____________
_________________
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
Gopal told the king________________
______________
(iv) I want to see the king.
Gopal told the guards___________________
________________
(v) Bring the man to me at once.
The king ordered the guard__________________
_______________

Answer 1

(ii) Why is your face half-shaven?
Gopal’s wife asked him why his face was half-shaven
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
Gopal told the king that he accepted the challenge.
(iv) I want to see the king.
Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the king.
(v) Bring the man to me at once.
The king ordered the guard to bring the man to him at once.

Question 2

Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
Challenge mystic comical courtier smearing

Answer 2

(i) Challenge
The first serious challenge of this new government is to bring the budget under control.
(ii) Mystic
Many separate but related religious groups of that era shared similar mystic.
(iii) Comical
Mickey Mouse is a very comical character and is well known for his fun-loving attitude.
(iv) Courtier
Birbal was Akbar’s most trusted courtier.
(v) Smearing
Gopal’s hand was smeared with dirt.

Question 3

Complete the following word ladder with the help of the clues given below.

Clues
1.Mother will be very ____________________if you don’t go to school.
2. As soon as he caught ___________________of the teacher, Mohan started writing.
3. How do you like my ________________kitchen garden? Big enough for you, is it?
4. My youngest sister is now a __________________old.
5. Standing on the _________________, he saw children playing on the road.
6. Don’t make such a _____________________. Nothing will happen.
7. Don’t cross the ____________________ till the green light comes on.

Answer 3