Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 3

Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish Working with the text (Page-42)

Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
Why did the King want no more talk about the Hilsa-fish ?
Answer:
During the season of Hilsa-fish, everybody talked about the fish. The King was fed up.So he did not want to talk more about the fish.

Question 2.

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

Answer:]

Gopal might halt the discussion about Hilsa-fish for five minutes.

Question 3.

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

Answer:

Gopal covered his half face. He smeared his face with ash. And then he wore disgraceful rags on.

Question 4.

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

Answer:

He acted like a lunatic once he arrived at the palace. He started dancing and singing loudly. He was forced to appear before the King at the palace since the populace thought he was insane.

Question 5.

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

Answer

When he got to the palace, he started acting crazy. He began loudly singing and dancing. Since the people believed he was mad, he was compelled to come before the King in the palace.

Question 6.

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following sentences.

(i) The king lost his temper easily.

(ii) Gopal was a mad man.

(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:

(i) True

(ii) False

(iii) True

(iv) False

(v) False.

Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish Working with language (Page-42)

Question 1.

Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead

what they say is put in speech ‘bubble’. However, if we wish to repeat or “report what they say, we must put it into Reported Speech.

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:

(ii) Gopal’s wife asked him why his face was half-shaven.

(iii) Gopal told the king that he accepted the challenge.

(iv) Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the King.

(v) 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:

(i) challenge : an invitation to compete

I accept your challenge now

(ii) mystic : relating to mystery

Gulliver was a mystic character.

(iii) comical : funny

Johny Walker was a comical character in Bollywood.

(iv) courtier : subjects in the court

Birbal was a courtier in the court of Akbar.

(v) smearing : rubbing

He was smearing his body with colours.

Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish Picture Reading (Page-44)

Question 2.

Now ask your partner questions about each picture.

(i) Where is the stag ?

Answer:

The stag is near a pond.

(ii) What is he doing ?

Answer:

He is drinking water.

(iii) Does he like his antlers (horns)?

Answer:

Yes, he does like his antlers.

(iv) Does he like his legs?

Answer:

No, he does not like his legs.

(v) Why is the stag running ?

Answer:

The hunters are chasing him.

(vi) Is he able to hide in the bushes ?

Answer:

No, he is unable to hide in the bushes.

(vii) Where are the hunters now ?

Answer:

The hunters are very near to the stag.

(viii) Are they closing in on the stag ?

Answer:

Yes, they are closing in on the stag.

(ix) Is the stag free?

Answer:

Yes, he is free and out of danger.

(x) What does the stay say about his horns and his legs ?

Answer:

He was proud of his horns. They could have caused him death. But his legs saved his life. Previously, he was ashamed of his legs.

Question 3.

Now write the story in your own words. Give it a title.

There once was a stag, to be exact. He was using a pond as a source of water. In the lake, he observed his own reflection. A smile crossed his lips as soon as he noticed his thorns. He commended them. He was embarrassed by his skinny legs as he looked at them. He suddenly heard a sound. Nearby, there were hunters. He moved as quickly as he could. In the bushes, he had cover. His shoulders were stuck in. He took off, disappearing from view in a brief period of time. He considered his antlers. His skinny legs, which he was ashamed of, prevented him from dying, thereby saving his valuable life. He gave God thanks.

An Ineffective Stag