Three Questions
A thought came to the mind of a certain king. He thought he would never fail in anything if he knew three things: (1) the right time for an action; (2) the right people to listen to; and (3) the most important thing to do.
The king sent messengers throughout his kingdom. He promised a large sum of money to anyone who would answer these questions. Many wise men came to the king with their answers. But their answers were all different. In reply to the first question, some said the king must prepare a timetable, and follow it strictly. Others said it was impossible to decide in advance the right time for everything. Therefore, the king should notice everything and do whatever seemed necessary at that particular time. Yet others said the king should have a council of wise men to tell him the right time for every action. Some others said the king must have magicians. Only magicians could look into the future and tell the right time for an action.
Equally different were the answers to the second question. Some said the right people for a king to listen to were his advisers. Others said his soldiers were most important for him; and so on.
To the third question, some said the most important thing was science. Others said it was warfare; still others said it was religious worship.
All the answers were so different that the king was not satisfied.
He gave no one any reward. Now he decided to seek the advice of a certain hermit who was known for his wisdom. This hermit lived in a wood which he never left. He met none but common people. So the king put on very simple clothes. Before reaching the hermit’s hut, he got off his horse. He left the horse with his bodyguard and went on alone.
As the king came near the hermit’s hut, he saw the hermit digging the ground in front of his hut. The hermit greeted the king and continued digging. The hermit was old and weak. As he worked, he breathed heavily.
The king went up to the hermit and said, “O wise hermit, I have come to know from you the answers to three questions: How can
I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the most important people for me? And what affairs need my first attention?”
The hermit listened to the king, but said nothing. He went on digging. “You are tired,” said the king. “Let me have the spade and dig for you.”
“Thanks!” said the hermit. He gave his spade to the king, and sat down on the ground. When the king had dug two beds, he stopped and repeated his questions. Still the hermit gave no answer.
He stood up, stretched out his hand for the spade, and said to the king, “You can rest for a while, and let me work.”
But the king did not give him the spade. He continued digging for a long time. The sun had gone down behind the trees. At last the king stuck the spade into the ground, and said, “O wise hermit, I came to you to know the answers to my questions. If you have none to give, please tell me so. I will go back home. It is getting late.”
“Here comes someone running,” said the hermit.
The king turned round and saw a bearded man running towards them. His hands were pressed against his stomach from which blood was flowing. When he reached the king, he fainted and fell to the ground. The king and the hermit removed the man’s clothing and found a large wound in his stomach. The king washed and covered the wound with his handkerchief, but the blood would not stop flowing. The king dressed the wound again and again. At last the bleeding stopped.
The man felt better and asked for something to drink. The king brought fresh water and gave it to him. By this time the sun had set and the air was cool. The king and the hermit carried the wounded man into the hut and laid him on the bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quiet. The king was feeling tired by the day’s digging. He lay down on the floor and slept all night. When he awoke, he saw the bearded man looking at him.
“Forgive me!” said the bearded man in a weak voice.
“I do not know you, and there is nothing to forgive you for,” said the king.
“You do not know me, but I know you,” said the bearded man.
“I am an enemy of yours. I had sworn to have revenge on you, because you put my brother to death and seized our property. I knew you had come here. I had made up my mind to kill you on your way back. But the day passed and you did not return. When I came out of my hiding-place, your bodyguard recognized me and wounded me. I escaped from him but I would have died if you had not dressed my wounds. I wished to kill you, but you have saved my life.
Now, if I live, I will serve you as your most faithful servant. Please forgive me!”
The king was very happy to have won an enemy so easily as a friend.
He forgave him and said that he would send his own doctor to look after him. He also promised to give him back his property.
Leaving the wounded man, the king went out of the hut. He looked round for the hermit. Before going back, he wished once more to ask the hermit for answers to his questions. The hermit was sowing seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before. The king went up to the hermit and said, “O wise hermit, for the last time I beg you to answer my questions.”
“Your questions have already been answered!” said the hermit.
“Have been answered! What do you mean?” said the king
“Yes, look here,” replied the hermit. “If you had not helped me yesterday and had not dug these beds for me, you would have gone away. Then that man would have attacked you. Then you would have wished you had stayed here with me. So the most important time was when you were helping me and digging the beds for me. And I was the most important man at that time. To do me good was your most important business.
“Later, when that man came running to us, the most important time was when you were nursing him. If you had not dressed his wounds, he would have died. You could not have won him as a friend.
So he was the most important person at that time. What you did for him was your most important business. “Remember then: There is only one time that is important. That time is ‘NOW’. It is the most important time because it is only ‘NOW’ when we have any power to act.
“The most important person is one with whom you are at a particular moment. You never know what will happen in the future. You don’t know whether you will ever meet that man again or not.
Thus, the most important business is to do that person good. And for this purpose alone was man sent into this world.”
New Words / Phrases and their Use
1. messenger (one who carries messages) – I got the summons through a
Messenger from the court.
2. prepare (to make something or somebody ready) – I am working hard to prepare for the exams.
3. necessary (that is needed) – Hard work is necessary for success in life.
4. satisfied (pleased) – My boss is satisfied with my work.
5. sow (plant or spread seeds in the ground) – The farmers are sowing seeds in their fields.
6. revenge (something done in return for the harm done to you) – Forgiveness is the best form of revenge.
7. spade (a tool used for digging) – The farmer was digging in his land \ with a spade.
8. look after (to take care of) – Parents look after their children with love.
9. hermit (one who lives a very simple life for religious reasons) – The hermit lived in a wood outside the city.
1. purpose (aim, intention) – I don’t know the purpose of his coming here so late in the night.
Textual Comprehension
Answer each question very briefly:
1. What were the king’s three questions?
Ans. The three question were-What is the right time for an action? Who are the people one should listen? What is the most important thing to do?
2. What were the different answers to the king’s first question?
Ans. The different answers to the king’s first question were that the king must prepare a time table, the king should notice everything and do whatever seemed necessary at that particular time, the king should have a council of wise men or the king must have magicians to tell the right time for an action.
3. What different answers did the king get to his second question?
Ans. To his second question, some said that the right people for a king to listen were his advisers. Other said his soldiers were most important for him.
4. What different answers were offered for his third question?
Ans. To the third question of the king, some said the most important thing was science. Other said it was warfare. Some even said that it was religious worship.
5. Why did the king decide to go to the hermit?
Ans. the king decided to go to the hermit because he was not satisfied with any of the answers as all the answers were very different.
6. Where did the hermit live?
Ans. The hermit lived in a hut in the woods.
7. What kind of clothes did the king wear and why?
Ans. The King wore very simple clothes because the hermit used to meet only common people and none else.
8. Why did the king not go to the hermit with his bodyguard?
Ans. The king did not go to the hermit with his bodyguard so that the hermit should not suspect that he was a king.
9. What was the hermit doing when the king reached there?
Ans. When the king reached near the hermit’s hut, he saw the hermit digging the ground in front of his hut. He was preparing the soil to sow seeds.
10. What did the king do for the hermit and why?
Ans. The king helped the hermit by taking his spade and digging the ground for him because the hermit was tired. Moreover, the king wanted to give him enough time to answer his question.
11. Who had wounded the stranger and why?
Ans. The king’s bodyguard had wounded the stranger because he had come with an intention to kill the king.
12. How did the king help the wounded person?
Ans. The king dressed his wounds till his bleeding stopped. The king brought fresh water and gave it to him.
Vocabulary Enrichment
Fill in the blanks with the opposites of the given words:
1. I am not an enemy of yours. (friend)
2. He is a very faithful servant of mine. (master)
3. The old man was to weak to walk. (strong)
4. The hermit was known for his wisdom. (folly)
5. I have warned him for the last time. (first)
6. The farmer was sowing seeds in his field. (reaping)
7. It is impossible to bring the dead back to life. (possible)
8. They have made peace with their enemy. (war)
9. You should remember these rules of grammar. (forget)
10. They are going to reward him for his bravery. (punishment)
11. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. (yesterday)
12. The past is dead and gone; we can’t bring it back. (future)
Grammar in Use
Study the following sentences:
1. He answered my questions. (Active)
My questions were answered. (Passive)
2. God always punishes the sinners. (Active)
The sinners are always punished. (Passive)
When our main focus is on the action done and not the subject, we often use the Passive form of the verb. In such sentences the Object of the Active Verb is made the Subject of the Passive Verb.
• Learn the Passive form of the verb in these three tenses:
Present Simple Past Simple Future Simple
Active V1 (+s / es) V2 will / shall+V1
Passive is / am / are+V3 was / were+V3 will / shall+be+V3
I. Fill in the blanks with the Passive form of the italicised verbs:
1. We answer all the letters regularly.
All the letters are answered regularly.
2. We answered all the letters regularly.
All the letters were answered regularly.
3. We shall answer all the letters regularly.
All the letters will be answered regularly.
4. They give special care to the education of girls.
Special care is given to the education of girls.
5. They gave special care to the education of girls.
Special care was given to the education of girls.
6. They will give special care to the education of girls.
Special care will be given to the education of girls.
7. They make butter and cheese from milk.
Butter and cheese are made from milk.
8. They will make butter and cheese from milk.
Butter and cheese will be made from milk.
Pronunciation Practice
Rule: When the letter c is followed by the vowels a / o / u, it has a hard sound. Hard c has a k sound. When c is followed by e / i / y, it usually has a soft sound. Soft c has an s sound. Cat cot cut rice city spicy
Now say aloud each word in the box. Then write in two separate groups the words that contain a hard c sound and the words that contain a soft c sound:
cow price recess palace doctor grocery
coat cattle pencil decide chance because
once caller surface corner cinema become
carriage decorate
Composition Writing
I. Reproduce in the form of a dialogue and in you own words the king’s questions and the answers given by the hermit:
Ans.
King: What is the right time for an action?
Hermit: ‘Now’ is the right time for an action?
King: who are the right people to listen to?
Hermit: The persons who is with you at a particular moment.
King: What is the most important thing to do?
Hermit: The most important thing is to do that person good.
II. Suppose your younger brother wastes too much of his time in useless things. Write him a letter advising him regarding the value of time and how best he should make use of it.
What is the right.........................?
Examination Hall
……………….City.
April 20, 20………
Dear Yuvi,
I received your progress report from your headmaster. I was greatly upset. The report says that you move in a bad company. You waste your time unless activities. You see movies and miss classes. You do not take studies seriously. You have failed in all the subjects. It is indeed very sad.
Dear Yuvi, we expect a lot from you. Time has a great value. Make the best use of it. Now is the time when you can make you future. Time once past cannot be recalled. I hope you will act upon my advice. Work hard to get good marks.
With love
Your affectionately
Mriul
Address
Mridul Kapoor
Boy’s hostel
XYZ School
……….City.
