The Riddle
Textual Questions & Answers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Activity 1
Choose the correct answers from the given
alternatives: (i) in his palace
(ii) in the royal garden
(iii) in the house of Birbal.
Ans: (ii) in the royal garden.
(i) most trusted and faithful minister
(ii) greedy and unfaithful minister
(iii) rival
Ans: (i) most trusted and faithful minister
(i) happy
(ii) calm
(iii) worried
Ans: (iii) worried
(i) the human mind
(ii) bullock cart
(iii) horse
Ans: (i) the human mind
(i) Akbar
(ii) Birbal
(iii) the neighbour’s friend
Ans: (ii) Birbal
Activity 2
Ans: True , Supporting Statement: “But the great emperor Akbar did not have peace of mind………..”
Ans: False , Supporting Statement: “His garden was lined with trees which produced the tastiest juiciest fruits in the whole kingdom. There were flowers of all shapes and sizes.”
Ans: False , Supporting Statement: “Wise Birbal, noticing this, asked Akbar, ‘O great the powerful king, what is troubling you?”
Ans: True , Supporting Statement: “He said, ‘ Your majesty, it is the human mind!’
Activity 3
It is a →
(i) play
(ii) essay
(iii) story
Ans: (iii) story
Give
another title to the story. Give reasons for your answer:
Ans: The other title of the story may be ‘Power of human mind’ because in this story Birbal proved how fast a human mind could solve a problem.
Complete the sentences meaningfully:
(a) Akbar asked Birbal
to solve a riddle that was troubling him.
(b) Most people of the
court of Akbar were puzzled hearing the question of Akbar.
(c) The
neighbour realized that he was outwitted and withdrew his claim
immediately.
(d) The speed
of the human mind is the fastest thing on earth.
Fill in the chart with information from the text:
Activity 4
Ans: The other title of the story may be ‘Power of human mind’ because in this story Birbal proved how fast a human mind could solve a problem.
Activity 5
Activity 6
Cause |
Effect |
1. Emperor Akbar
could not find the answer to a riddle. |
1. Akbar was troubled. |
2. Emperor Akbar asked
Birbal to solve a riddle. |
2. Birbal solved the
riddle and proved that it was the human mind. |
3. The neighbour has
sold the well only, not the water in it. |
3. The neighbour wanted
to change money for drawing water from the well. |
Activity 7
Ans: The great emperor Akbar loved arts, science, literature, and music.
Ans: Akbar did not have peace of mind because he couldn’t find the answer to a riddle.
Ans: The problem presented by the man was that he bought a well from a neighbour but when he wanted to draw water from the well, he charged money for it.
Ans: Birbal asked the neighbour to give rent for keeping the water in other’s well. Then the seller realized his mistake and withdrew his claim. Thus Birbal solved the problem.
Activity 8
(b) demand → claim
(c) argument → logic, reasoning
(d) surprised → amazed
Activity 9
Activity 10