12 Questions
What did the neighbouring king demand from King Akbar?
The neighbouring king asked King Akbar to send him a potful of wisdom.
How did Birbal manage to get a potful of wisdom for King Akbar?
Birbal grew a pumpkin in a pot and gave it to Akbar.
What was the significance of the potful of wisdom in the story?
Wisdom is not a thing and cannot be measured. The neighbouring king wanted to insult King Akbar by asking for it.
How did the neighbouring king react upon receiving the potful of wisdom?
The neighbouring king was surprised, realized his mistake, and begged the emperor for forgiveness.
What was the outcome of the situation involving the potful of wisdom?
The neighbouring king fell at the Emperor's feet and asked for forgiveness.
How did Birbal's solution resolve the demand for wisdom?
Birbal's creative solution using a pumpkin showcased his cleverness and resolved the demand for wisdom.
What did Nagendra sell for a nickel?
Nagendra sold the wisdom, “It is not wise to stand and watch two people fighting”, for a nickel.
Why did Babu pretend to be mad?
Babu pretended to be mad as advised by Nagendra to escape the king’s anger and save himself from the king’s wrath.
How did Nagendra make Gupta realize the value of wisdom?
Nagendra made Gupta sign a document stating that his son would not make use of wisdom, and then charged Gupta a thousand rupees for advice.
Why was Babu very happy?
Babu was very happy because he followed Nagendra's advice, pretended to be mad, and successfully escaped the king's anger.
Why did Nagendra open a shop?
Nagendra was an orphan with no job, so he decided to open a shop and sell wisdom after learning many things by observing his father.
Why was Babu's father angry?
Babu's father was angry because he had paid a nickel for a worthless piece of wisdom and scolded his son for wasting money on a useless thing.
Study Notes
The Boy Who Sold Wisdom
- King Akbar received a letter from a neighboring king asking for a potful of wisdom.
- Birbal, Akbar's clever jester, grew a pumpkin in a pot and gave it to the king, who then sent it to the neighboring king.
- The neighboring king was surprised and realized his mistake, begging King Akbar for forgiveness.
Nagendra and the Wisdom Shop
- Nagendra, an orphan, opened a shop selling wisdom after learning many things from his father.
- Babu, a merchant's son, bought wisdom from Nagendra for a nickel, thinking it was a tangible thing.
- Nagendra sold the wisdom, "It is not wise to stand and watch two people fighting," for a nickel.
Babu and His Father's Adventures
- Babu's father was angry with Babu for wasting money on what he thought was useless wisdom.
- Nagendra made Gupta, Babu's father, realize the value of wisdom by making him sign a document and pay a thousand rupees.
- Babu and his father visited Nagendra twice, first to buy wisdom to escape the king's wrath, and second to save themselves from the king's anger.
The Maids' Quarrel
- Two maids quarreled over a pumpkin they wanted to buy from Nagendra's shop, as there was only one available.
- Babu pretended to be mad to avoid getting involved in the quarrel and potential punishment from the king.
The King's Reaction
- The king was angry with Babu for not supporting the maids' quarrel and threatened to chop off his head.
- Babu followed Nagendra's advice and pretended to be mad to escape the king's wrath.
Test your knowledge on the Chapter 2 of Class 8 English Prose - The Boy Who Sold Wisdom with this quiz. Questions cover key points, summary, and pre-reading tasks. Practice with questions and answers to ace your exams!
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