🏰 IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS
✍️ By A. K. Ramanujan
📚 Class 9 – Moments (Supplementary Reader)
✅ 1–40: Short Question Answers (2–3 lines)
- 🔵 Who wrote “In the Kingdom of Fools”?
▪️ A. K. Ramanujan wrote this satirical story. - 🟢 Who ruled the kingdom?
▪️ A foolish king and his equally foolish minister ruled the kingdom. - 🟡 What was strange about the kingdom?
▪️ Day was considered night, and night was day. - 🔴 Why was everything cheap in the kingdom?
▪️ The king ordered that all goods cost the same, whether rice or gold. - 🔵 Who came to the kingdom one day?
▪️ A guru and his disciple entered the kingdom. - 🟣 What surprised the guru and disciple?
▪️ People slept during the day and worked at night; everything was cheap. - 🟢 Why did the guru leave the kingdom?
▪️ He sensed danger and believed that fools cannot be trusted. - 🟡 Why did the disciple stay?
▪️ He was greedy and loved the cheap, tasty food available there. - 🔴 What crime happened in the kingdom?
▪️ A thief died when a wall collapsed during his robbery attempt. - 🔵 Whose house did the thief try to rob?
▪️ A rich man’s house. - 🟣 Who was blamed first for the thief’s death?
▪️ The rich man whose wall fell. - 🟢 What was the rich man’s defence?
▪️ He said the wall was built by a mason long ago. - 🟡 What happened to the mason?
▪️ He was brought to court and blamed a dancing girl for distracting him. - 🔴 What did the dancing girl say?
▪️ She blamed the goldsmith for delaying her jewellery. - 🔵 Why was the goldsmith delayed?
▪️ He was busy with a rich man’s orders — who turned out to be the disciple’s father. - 🟣 Who was finally sentenced to death?
▪️ The disciple, because he was the “right-sized man” to fit the stake. - 🟢 Why was the disciple chosen for execution?
▪️ Because he was fat and would fit the stake perfectly. - 🟡 What did the disciple do before execution?
▪️ He prayed to his guru to save him. - 🔴 How did the guru save the disciple?
▪️ By creating confusion and tricking the king with clever logic. - 🔵 What trick did the guru use?
▪️ He claimed that the person to die next would become the future king. - 🟣 How did the king react to the guru’s words?
▪️ He believed the guru and wanted to die himself to become king in the next life. - 🟢 What happened to the minister?
▪️ He also wanted to die with the king. - 🟡 Who were executed in the end?
▪️ The king and his minister were executed instead of the disciple. - 🔴 What did the people do after the king’s death?
▪️ They begged the guru and disciple to rule the kingdom. - 🔵 Did the guru agree to rule the kingdom?
▪️ Only after changing the foolish laws. - 🟣 What changes did the guru make?
▪️ He made laws rational and re-established order. - 🟢 What does the story teach about wisdom?
▪️ That wisdom can defeat foolishness and save lives. - 🟡 Why is the story humorous?
▪️ Because of its absurd situations and irrational characters. - 🔴 What is the central theme of the story?
▪️ The dangers of stupidity in power and the importance of wisdom. - 🔵 Why did the guru call the kingdom foolish?
▪️ Because the rules made no sense and logic was absent. - 🟣 How is irony shown in the story?
▪️ The disciple is punished for being innocent, and the guilty escape. - 🟢 What is the disciple’s flaw?
▪️ His greed for cheap food overpowers his common sense. - 🟡 Why is the guru a strong character?
▪️ He is wise, clever, and able to outsmart the fools. - 🔴 How did the guru use intelligence?
▪️ By manipulating the foolish king with spiritual talk. - 🔵 What do the king and minister represent?
▪️ Foolish rulers who harm society through absurd laws. - 🟣 Why did the people accept the guru as king?
▪️ They were helpless and needed a ruler after the king died. - 🟢 What is the role of superstition in the story?
▪️ The king’s blind belief leads to his downfall. - 🟡 Why is the story titled “In the Kingdom of Fools”?
▪️ Because it takes place in a land where foolishness rules. - 🔴 What quality of the guru saved both lives?
▪️ His presence of mind and wisdom. - 🔵 What does the story tell about justice?
▪️ That justice suffers when fools are in power.
✅ 41–45: Long Question Answers (100–120 words)
- 🟦 Describe the character of the guru.
▪️ The guru is wise, calm, and far-sighted. He quickly understands that the kingdom of fools is dangerous due to its illogical rules. He warns his disciple to leave but is ignored. When the disciple gets into trouble, the guru shows bravery and intelligence. Instead of confronting the system directly, he cleverly manipulates the foolish king by predicting spiritual rewards. His presence of mind saves both their lives. He later agrees to rule only after ensuring logical laws are in place. The guru represents wisdom, patience, and the ability to solve problems with intellect. - 🟩 What lesson do we learn from the disciple’s behavior?
▪️ The disciple in the story is a symbol of greed and shortsightedness. Despite his guru’s warning, he chooses to stay in the foolish kingdom only because food is cheap. His desire for comfort blinds him to the dangers of living under foolish rulers. This decision nearly costs him his life. The disciple’s situation teaches us that greed can lead to danger. We should always listen to wise advice and not ignore warning signs for temporary pleasures. In the end, he learns to value wisdom and follows his guru’s teachings. - 🟥 How does the story highlight the dangers of foolish rulers?
▪️ The story shows that when rulers are foolish, their decisions can be dangerous for everyone. The king and his minister pass absurd laws, like reversing day and night and making all things cost the same. They do not investigate properly and sentence an innocent man to death just because he fits the stake. Their obsession with meaningless logic leads to chaos. The guru saves the day, but only after their foolishness results in their own execution. The story teaches that leaders should be wise and just, or the people will suffer. - 🟨 Explain the satire in “In the Kingdom of Fools.”
▪️ The story uses satire to mock foolish rulers and blind faith. The actions of the king and minister are exaggerated to show how dangerous ignorance in power can be. Everything is upside down — people work at night and sleep during the day, and justice is based on size, not crime. Even the king is fooled by the guru’s trick. This creates humor while also criticizing irrational governance. The story reminds us that without logic, a kingdom cannot function, and blind belief can lead to disaster. - 🟧 What role does intelligence play in the story?
▪️ Intelligence is the key to resolving the crisis in the story. While the kingdom is run by fools who lack sense, the guru uses his wisdom to handle the situation. His ability to think calmly under pressure and manipulate the king saves both himself and the disciple. Unlike the king, who believes in superstition, the guru understands human psychology. His clever plan makes the king and minister sacrifice themselves. The story proves that intelligence is more powerful than strength or authority when dealing with tricky situations.
✅ 46–50: Value-Based Questions
- 🟦 What value does the guru teach his disciple?
▪️ He teaches the importance of wisdom, caution, and listening to experience. - 🟩 What message does the story convey?
▪️ The story warns against blindly following foolish rulers and highlights the power of intellect. - 🟥 What does the disciple learn in the end?
▪️ He learns that greed can lead to danger and wisdom is always the best guide. - 🟨 How should rulers behave according to the story?
▪️ Rulers should be just, logical, and thoughtful in making laws and judgments. - 🟧 Why is presence of mind important?
▪️ Because in difficult times, quick thinking can save lives and change fate — as shown by the guru.