In the kingdom of fools by A K Ramanujan

 1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools? 

 The guru and his disciple found two very strange things in the Kingdom of Fools. First, people there worked at night and slept during the day, which was completely unusual. Second, everything in the kingdom had the same price; all goods, whether cheap or costly, were sold for just one duddu. 

 2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea? 

 The disciple decided to stay in the Kingdom of Fools because he was tempted by the abundance of cheap food. Since everything cost only one duddu, he thought he could live there comfortably and eat to his heart’s content. However, it was not a good idea because the kingdom was ruled by foolish people whose strange laws could put anyone’s life in danger at any time. 

 3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.

 In the king’s court, several people were tried one after another. First, the merchant was accused because his weak house wall had fallen and killed a thief. Then the blame shifted to the mason who had built the wall, but he claimed he was distracted by a dancing girl passing by. The dancing girl, in turn, accused the goldsmith for delaying her orders, which forced her to walk up and down the street. Finally, the blame went back to the merchant’s father, who had originally built the house, but since he was dead, his son, the present merchant, was held guilty. 

 4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment? 

 According to the king, the real culprit was the merchant’s father because he had built the weak wall that collapsed and killed the thief. But since the father was already dead, he could not be punished. Instead, the king declared that his son, the present merchant, had inherited both his wealth and his sins, so he must be punished in his place. 

 5. What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them? 

 The Guru’s words of wisdom were that it was dangerous to live in a kingdom ruled by fools, because no one could predict what they might do. The disciple did not take this advice seriously at f irst and stayed back for cheap food. Later, when he was chosen to be executed in place of the merchant, he remembered his Guru’s warning and realized how true it was. 

 6. How does the Guru manage to save his disciple’s life? 

 The Guru managed to save his disciple’s life with his wisdom and presence of mind. When he learned that his disciple was to be executed, he whispered to him and then told the king that whoever died first would be reborn as the next king, and the one who died second would be the future minister. The foolish king and minister, greedy for power in their next life, decided to die instead of the disciple. In this way, the Guru cleverly saved his disciple’s life.