Class 9 English Notes Chapter 4 (In the Kingdom of Fools) – Moments Supplimentary Reader Book

Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 4, 'In the Kingdom of Fools' from your 'Moments' reader. This is an interesting Kannada folktale retold by A.K. Ramanujan, and it carries important lessons often tested in various ways. For your exam preparation, pay close attention to the characters, the sequence of events, the underlying themes, and the story's message.

Chapter 4: In the Kingdom of Fools - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction & Setting:

• The story is set in a peculiar kingdom ruled by a foolish king and his equally foolish minister.
• Defining Characteristic: They decided to reverse the natural order: night was treated as day, and day as night. People worked at night and slept during the day.
• Economic Policy: Everything, regardless of value (a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas), cost the same – a single 'duddu'.
• This setting immediately establishes the absurdity and lack of logic governing the kingdom.

2. Characters:

• The Guru:
  • Wise, perceptive, and possesses foresight.
  • Quickly understands the danger of the kingdom ("This is no place for us... They are all fools. This won't last long, and you can't tell what they'll do to you next.").
  • Values safety and wisdom over comfort and cheap goods.
  • Resourceful: Devises a clever plan to save his disciple and ultimately rid the kingdom of its foolish rulers.
• The Disciple:
  • Impulsive, greedy, and lacks foresight.
  • Primarily motivated by his love for food and the cheap prices in the kingdom ("Everything was cheap here... All he wanted was good, cheap food.").
  • Ignores his Guru's warnings due to his gluttony.
  • Becomes fat, which ironically makes him the perfect candidate for the king's execution stake.
  • Learns his lesson the hard way and remembers his Guru in times of trouble.
• The King:
  • Idiotic, arbitrary, and easily swayed.
  • His decisions are illogical and based on whims (reversing day/night, the single price).
  • His concept of justice is flawed and leads to a comical yet dangerous chain of blame.
  • Ultimately, his foolishness and greed for power (even in the next life) lead to his demise.
• The Minister:
  • A sycophant who blindly follows and agrees with the king.
  • Shares the king's foolishness and lack of independent thought.
  • Meets the same end as the king due to the same foolish desire.
• Minor Characters:
  • Thief: Dies when a wall collapses on him. His death initiates the main conflict.
  • Thief's Brother: Demands justice, setting the king's flawed judicial process in motion.
  • Rich Merchant: Owner of the house whose wall collapsed. Becomes the primary accused.
  • Bricklayer: Blamed for building a weak wall.
  • Dancing Girl: Blamed for distracting the bricklayer.
  • Goldsmith: Blamed for delaying the dancing girl, causing her to distract the bricklayer.

3. Plot Summary & Key Events:

• Arrival: The Guru and Disciple arrive and are astonished by the reversed routines and the single price for all goods.
• Guru's Departure: The Guru recognizes the inherent danger in such a foolish place and leaves.
• Disciple Stays: The Disciple, tempted by cheap food, ignores the warning and stays, enjoying the inexpensive lifestyle and growing fat.
• The Incident: A thief breaks into a rich merchant's house, but the old wall collapses and kills him.
• The Complaint: The thief's brother complains to the King, demanding justice for his brother's "innocent" death during his "ancient trade".
• The Chain of Blame (The King's 'Justice'):
  1. Merchant: Summoned as the owner of the house. Blames the bricklayer.
  2. Bricklayer: Summoned. Blames the dancing girl for distracting him years ago with her jingling anklets while he was building the wall.
  3. Dancing Girl: Summoned (now an old woman). Blames the goldsmith for delaying her jewellery order, making her walk up and down the street multiple times.
  4. Goldsmith: Summoned. Blames the rich merchant's father for pressuring him to finish a jewellery order urgently, causing the delay for the dancing girl.
  5. Back to the Merchant: Since the merchant's father is dead, the King decides the son (the rich merchant) must inherit his father's sins along with his riches and be executed.
• The Execution Dilemma: A new stake is built for the execution. However, the rich merchant is too thin to fit the stake properly.
• Search for a Fat Man: The King orders his men to find someone fat enough for the stake.
• The Disciple Chosen: The servants find the Disciple, who has grown fat on bananas, rice, wheat, and ghee. He is chosen for execution despite his innocence.
• Guru's Intervention: The terrified Disciple prays to his Guru. The Guru, using his magical powers/vision, sees his disciple's plight and arrives instantly.
• The Guru's Plan: The Guru whispers a plan to the Disciple. They then stage a loud argument about who should be executed first.
• The Trick: The intrigued King asks the reason for their eagerness to die. The Guru (after extracting a promise that the King won't reveal the secret) explains that it's a holy stake, and whoever dies on it first will be reborn as the King of this kingdom, and the second to die will be reborn as the Minister.
• The Foolish King's Decision: The King, wanting to secure his kingship in the next life, postpones the execution. He and his minister decide to take the place of the Guru and Disciple.
• The Execution: That night, the King and Minister secretly release the Guru and Disciple and take their places. The executioners carry out the sentence, killing the King and Minister.
• New Rulers: The next morning, the people find the bodies of their King and Minister. They realize the Guru and Disciple are wise and beg them to become their new King and Minister.
• Resolution: The Guru agrees (initially reluctant, but persuaded). They restore normalcy – day becomes day, night becomes night, and prices are set according to value.

4. Themes:

• Foolishness vs. Wisdom: The central theme. The actions of the King, Minister, and initially the Disciple highlight foolishness, while the Guru embodies wisdom, foresight, and rational thinking.
• Greed: The Disciple's greed for cheap food puts his life in danger. The King and Minister's greed for power (even after death) leads to their downfall.
• Justice: The story satirizes justice systems that are arbitrary, illogical, and easily manipulated. The King's pursuit of 'justice' is absurd.
• Consequences: Actions have consequences, even seemingly unrelated ones (the chain of blame). Staying in a foolish environment can lead to danger (Guru's warning).
• Appearances vs. Reality: The cheapness and apparent ease of life in the kingdom hide its underlying danger and foolishness.

5. Message/Moral:

• One should stay away from foolish people and environments, as their actions are unpredictable and potentially harmful.
• Wisdom is superior to foolishness and can overcome difficult situations.
• Greed leads to trouble.
• One should think critically and not be swayed by tempting but illogical situations.

6. Literary Style:

• Folktale: Simple narrative, clear moral, elements of fantasy/magic (Guru's powers), and humour derived from absurdity.
• Satire: Criticizes foolish leadership and flawed justice through exaggeration and irony.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What was the most unusual rule implemented by the King in the Kingdom of Fools?
   a) Everyone had to sing at noon.
   b) Day was treated as night, and night as day.
   c) Only gold coins were used for currency.
   d) Animals were allowed to roam freely in houses.
   Answer: b)

2. What was the standard price for all goods in the Kingdom of Fools?
   a) One rupee
   b) One gold coin
   c) One duddu
   d) Ten paise
   Answer: c)

3. Why did the Guru decide to leave the Kingdom of Fools?
   a) He did not like the food.
   b) He found the people unfriendly.
   c) He realized the danger posed by the foolishness of the King and the system.
   d) He wanted to find a richer kingdom.
   Answer: c)

4. Why did the Disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools?
   a) He wanted to become the King.
   b) He loved the peculiar rules.
   c) He found a good job there.
   d) Everything was very cheap, especially food.
   Answer: d)

5. Who was initially blamed for the thief's death?
   a) The bricklayer
   b) The dancing girl
   c) The rich merchant
   d) The goldsmith
   Answer: c)

6. According to the bricklayer, who distracted him while building the wall?
   a) The merchant shouting orders
   b) A dancing girl walking by with jingling anklets
   c) A noisy street vendor
   d) The King's procession
   Answer: b)

7. Why was the rich merchant ultimately sentenced to death by the King?
   a) Because he built the weak wall himself.
   b) Because he inherited his father's riches and therefore his sins.
   c) Because he confessed to the crime.
   d) Because he bribed the goldsmith.
   Answer: b)

8. Why couldn't the rich merchant be executed immediately?
   a) He escaped from prison.
   b) The Guru intervened and stopped it.
   c) He was too thin for the newly made execution stake.
   d) The executioner refused to do it.
   Answer: c)

9. What secret did the Guru tell the King about the execution stake?
   a) It was cursed and would bring bad luck.
   b) It was made of gold.
   c) Whoever died on it first would be reborn as the King, and the second as the Minister.
   d) It would break if used on an innocent person.
   Answer: c)

10. Who ultimately became the new King and Minister of the Kingdom?
    a) The rich merchant and the bricklayer
    b) The Guru and the Disciple
    c) The thief's brother and the goldsmith
    d) Two wise men from a neighbouring kingdom
    Answer: b)

Study these notes carefully, focusing on the cause-and-effect relationships in the plot and the motivations of the characters. Understanding the themes will help you answer analytical questions. Good luck with your preparation!