The Wit that Won Hearts – Textual Notes

Let Us Do These Activities Before We Read

I. Select qualities of a person who uses wit from the box given below.

wise, serious, clever, powerful, humorous, stubborn, courageous, observant, charming, creative, punctual, confident, energetic

Answer: wise, clever, humorous, observant, charming, creative, confident

Now, discuss reasons for your choice of qualities.

Answer: A witty person is usually wise, clever, humorous, observant, charming, creative, and confident because these qualities help in solving problems and dealing with people effectively.

II. Work in pairs and answer the riddles that are given below.

1. I can be a friend or a foe, depending on how you use me. I can bring both joy or pain. What am I?

Answer: Words

2. What is always in front of you but can't be seen?

Answer: The future

3. I can be measured, but I cannot be touched. I can be spent, but I cannot be saved. What am I?

Answer: Time

4. What has to be shared before you can keep it?

Answer: A secret

Discuss in Pairs

1. Why are qualities like humour and wit important in a person?

Answer: Humour and wit help a person communicate effectively, solve problems creatively, and maintain good relationships with others.

2. Why do you think kings and queens preferred to have witty people among their courtiers?

Answer: Witty courtiers could give wise advice, solve difficult problems, and make the court lively and enjoyable.

3. If you were asked to solve a disagreement between two people, what approach would you take?

Answer: I would listen carefully to both sides, understand the issue, and try to find a fair solution.

4. Have you ever been in a situation where a small misunderstanding led to a big problem? How was it resolved?

Answer: Yes. It was resolved through open communication and clarification of the misunderstanding.

Let Us Discuss

I. Rectify the following false statements from the text.

1. The queen insulted the king by speaking against the quality of his poem.

Answer: The queen did not insult the king. She yawned because she was tired while listening to his poem.

2. Tenali Rama immediately went to the king and convinced him to talk to the queen.

Answer: Tenali Rama first planned a clever strategy to make the king realise his mistake.

3. The courtiers admired the king's poem and praised his literary talent.

Answer: The courtiers avoided listening to the king's poem and made excuses.

4. The ministers in the court were eager to hear Tenali Rama's idea about paddy cultivation.

Answer: The ministers and courtiers doubted Tenali Rama's idea and laughed at it.

5. The king never realised his mistake and continued to stay angry with the queen.

Answer: The king realised his mistake, apologised to the queen, and ended the quarrel.

Let Us Think and Reflect

I. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. “...The king thought I was disrespecting his poem and stormed off. Since then, he has not spoken to me. If I had known this would happen I would have chosen another day. Help me, please, Rama. Only you can help the king understand.”

(i) Why does the queen believe that only Tenali Rama can help the king understand?

Answer: The queen believes so because Tenali Rama is wise, intelligent, and known for solving difficult problems.

(ii) What does the queen's statement, “If I had known this would happen, I would have chosen another day”, suggest about her feelings?

A. She is angry at the king for overreacting.
B. She regrets the unintended misunderstanding.
C. She believes the poem was not worth listening to.
D. She is worried that the king might punish her.

Answer: B. She regrets the unintended misunderstanding.

(iii) How does Tenali Rama's response reflect his wisdom and problem-solving skills?

Answer: He listens carefully, understands the problem, and plans a thoughtful strategy instead of acting hastily.

(iv) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option from those given in the brackets.

The king's reaction shows that he is sensitive and _________ (has a lot of faith/takes great pride) in his poetry.

Answer: takes great pride

2. “That evening, the king approached the queen with a softened expression...”

(i) Complete the following with a suitable explanation.

When the king said, “I let my pride blind me”, he means that _________.

Answer: his pride prevented him from seeing the situation fairly and understanding the queen's innocence.

(ii) Why does the queen say, “If you like, we can leave this quarrel behind us”?

Answer: She wants to forgive the king and restore peace in their relationship.

(iii) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option from those given in the brackets.

The king acknowledges that his pride clouded his judgement, which shows _________.

(intelligence and courage / maturity and self-awareness)

Answer: maturity and self-awareness

(iv) State any one characteristic that the queen's response to the king's apology shows about her.

Answer: Forgiveness

II. Answer the following questions.

1. Why was the Vijayanagara Empire considered to be in its ‘Golden Era’ during Krishnadeva Raya's reign?

Answer: It was considered the Golden Era because art, literature, architecture, and culture flourished during his reign.

2. How did Tenali Ramakrishna gain a special place in the king's court?

Answer: He gained a special place through his quick wit, humour, wisdom, and clever solutions to problems.

3. How did the quarrel between the king and the queen affect the palace?

Answer: The palace became quiet, gloomy, and unhappy because the king stopped speaking to the queen.

4. What strategy did Tenali Rama use to make the king realise his mistake?

Answer: He spoke about special paddy seeds and connected their success to a person who yawns while sowing them, making the king realise that yawning is natural and not disrespectful.

5. What was the reaction of the courtiers when Tenali Rama introduced his ‘special’ paddy seeds?

Answer: The courtiers laughed, mocked him, and treated the idea as absurd.

6. How does the story conclude, and what lesson can be learnt from it?

Answer: The king apologised to the queen, they reconciled, and happiness returned to the palace. The lesson is that wisdom, humility, and understanding can resolve misunderstandings and conflicts.

Let Us Learn

I. Fill in the blanks and complete the paragraph by choosing suitable expressions from the box given below.

[cast a shadow, murmur swept through the room, hush fell over, mind raced back, stormed off, rippled through]

My mother is quite witty, and her sense of humour always lightens stressful moments. Once, at a family dinner, an argument began over a minor issue, and 1. ______ , making everyone feel uncomfortable. Just as things were getting serious, she made a clever remark and laughter 2. ______ the gathering, making everyone relaxed. The person who started the argument 3. ______. Everyone disapproved of the action and a 4. ______. My 5. ______ to how my mother had saved other situations like this. Without her, such moments would have 6. ______ over the gatherings. I hope that I grow up to be as witty as my mother.

Answers

1. cast a shadow

2. rippled through

3. stormed off

4. hush fell over

5. mind raced back

6. cast a shadow

II. Fill in the blanks with suitable sound words from the box given below.

[murmur, sighed, mumble, gasped, snickers, thud, groan, rattle, roared, whispered]

1. As the teacher began the riddle challenge, a __________ of excitement spread through the classroom.

Answer: murmur

2. Anaya __________ in relief—she loved riddles more than solving Mathematics problems.

Answer: sighed

3. ‘Think carefully,’ the teacher began to __________, as she wrote a riddle on the board.

Answer: whisper

4. When the question was revealed, a few students __________, realising it wasn't as easy as they had expected.

Answer: gasped

5. Some exchanged __________, wondering if anyone at all would be able to solve it.

Answer: snickers

6. Just then, Anaya tapped her book on the desk with a small __________, deep in thought.

Answer: thud

7. ‘Ah, I see it now!’ she said stretching with a __________, as if it had taken her great effort.

Answer: groan

8. A small breeze made the windows __________, adding to the suspense of the moment.

Answer: rattle

9. ‘So, what's the answer?’ the students __________, their voices filled with playful enthusiasm.

Answer: roared

10. Leaning forward with a smile, Anaya __________, ‘Sometimes, the trickiest questions have the simplest answers.’

Answer: mumbled

III. Create new compound words by matching words in Column 1 with those in Column 2.

Answers

(i) quick – witted = quick-witted

(ii) soft – spoken = soft-spoken

(iii) common – sense = common sense

(iv) house – hold = household

(v) book – store = bookstore

(vi) ill – tempered = ill-tempered

(vii) sky – blue = sky-blue

(viii) dance – hall = dance hall

Fill in the blanks with the words created in the previous question.

Ravi was (i) __________, always speaking calmly even in arguments. He grew up in a lively (ii) __________, where he learned to handle different

personalities. His friend Arun, however, was (iii) __________ and often lost his patience. Despite this, Arun admired Ravi’s (iv) __________ thinking. One evening, as they passed a (v) __________, they saw some performers rushing out. Ravi noticed that one of them dropped a (vi) __________ book on the ground. “Is this yours?” he asked. “Oh thank you, young man!” the performer smiled. “It’s a recent purchase from the (vii) ________ round the corner.” True to his nature Arun promptly said to Ravi, “ It’s (viii) ________ that it’s not from a bakery but bookshop!” Ravi smiled and they walked on.

Answers

(i) soft-spoken

(ii) household

(iii) ill-tempered

(iv) quick-witted

(v) dance hall

(vi) sky-blue

(vii) bookstore

(viii) common 

IV. Identify the subordinate and main clauses in sentences 2 and 3.

Sentence 2

Subordinate Clause: If, by chance, something were to go wrong

Main Clause: Our farmers would suffer

Sentence 3

Subordinate Clause: If I had known this would happen

Main Clause: I would have chosen another day

Match the subordinate clauses with the appropriate main clauses.

Answers

(i) – C

(ii) – E

(iii) – F

(iv) – A

(v) – B

(vi) – D

V. Complete the following sentences appropriately.

1. Your teacher will be unhappy if _______________________.

Answer: you do not complete your homework.

2. They would have caught the train if _______________________.

Answer: they had reached the station on time.

3. _______________________ if you continue to stay up late every night.

Answer: You will feel tired.

4. If she knew the answer, _______________________.

Answer: she would tell us.

5. _______________________ if she had studied harder.

Answer: She would have passed the examination.

6. If I had a million rupees, _______________________.

Answer: I would help the poor.

VI. Complete the following sentences.

1. If I were a tree, I would play with the wind and talk to the birds.

2. If I were the Head Teacher of my school, _______.

Answer: I would encourage creativity and discipline.

3. If I were a bird, _______.

Answer: I would fly around the world.

4. If I were a magician, _______.

Answer: I would make everyone happy.

5. If I had studied harder, _______.

Answer: I would have scored better marks.

Let us listen

 I You will listen to a womannarrating a story. As you listen, fill in the blanks in the following sentences by selecting the correct options.

  1. The rope tying the bundle of sticks was _____.

  (i) loose

  (ii) thick

  (iii) short

  2. The scholar is finally referred to as ________.

  (i) irritable

 (ii) mischievous

 (iii) arrogant

II You will once again listen to the story. As you listen, number the events of the story in the correct order of occurrence.

  1. The great scholar was ashamed because he did not know what to say.

  2. Rama accepted the challenge thrown by the visitor.

  3. Rama had a bundle tied in silk when he came to the palace.

  4. The king laughed at the explanation given by Rama.

  5. The visitor wanted to show his superiority over others in the palace.

  6. Rama showed the work to be a bundle of sticks tied together by a rope.

  7. The king wanted to know more about the work mentioned by Rama.

  8. The court scholars were afraid of the king’s anger.

Let us speak

I While asking questions, it is important to use the appropriate tone to convey the correct meaning.

  1. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions have a rising tone at the end.

Are you coming home? 

  2. ‘-Wh’ questions have a falling tone at the end.

When will you come home? 

This rise and fall in tone is called intonation. 

Now, work in pairs and mark the intonation in the questions given below.

Take turns to practise by saying them aloud with the correct intonation.

  (i) Is this your cat?

  (ii) What is the name of your cat?

  (iii) Will you be going to your village?

  (iv) Why are you going to your village?

  (v) Is this where you live?

  (vi) Where do you live?

  (vii) Can I meet your parents?

  (viii) How are your parents?

  (ix) Do you have any plans for tomorrow?

  (x) What are you going to do tomorrow?

  II ‘What’, ‘Why’, ‘When’, ‘How’, ‘Where’, and ‘Who’ are the words used to ask questions. These words are called question words. Let us use these words and make some questions.

    While making questions, remember the correct word order.

  • Who is the cleverest character in the story? (Correct)

  • Who the cleverest character is in the story? (Incorrect)

    Work in pairs and take turns to ask and answer questions about a trip that you are planning. Remember to use the correct intonation while asking these questions. 

    Here are some prompts for you.

  • The destination (Where…)

  • Purpose (Why…)

  • Mode of transport (How…)

  • Duration (When…)

  • Travel companions (Who…)

  • Activities (What…)

    Now, work in pairs and take turns to ask and answer the questions about

witty characters in folktales or stories you have read. Use the correct intonation while asking questions. 

    For example: Your favourite character in the folktale (Who...?)

    Who is your favourite character in the folktale?

  1. The name of the witty character (Who...?)

  2. The reason for her/his wit being important in the story (Why...?)

  3. The most famous trick or clever idea she/he used (What…?)

  4. The time period or setting of the folktale/story (When…?)

  5. The way she/he used her/his intelligence to solve a problem (How...?)

  6. The location where the story takes place (Where…?)

Questions 

1. Who is the witty character in the story?

2. Why is his/her wit important in the story?

3. What is the most famous trick or clever idea used by the witty character?

4. When does the story take place?

5. How does the witty character use his/her intelligence to solve a problem?

6. Where does the story take place?

Let us write

A narrative essay focuses on sharing a personal experience to convey a specific lesson, a reflection, or an idea. It has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

Now, write a narrative essay based on any one of the situations given below.

• The Day I Learnt the Value of Teamwork
• A Small Act of Kindness that Made a Difference

The Day I Learnt the Value of Teamwork

Last year, our school organised an inter-house science exhibition. Our class was asked to prepare a working model on rainwater harvesting. At first, everyone was excited, but soon disagreements arose. Some students wanted to make all the decisions, while others were unwilling to do their share of the work. As a result, our project was delayed, and we worried that we would not complete it on time.

Our teacher noticed the problem and advised us to work together. We divided the tasks according to our strengths. Some students collected materials, others prepared charts, and a few worked on building the model. I helped in preparing the presentation. We met regularly, shared ideas, and supported one another.

On the day of the exhibition, our model worked perfectly, and we won first prize. That experience taught me that teamwork makes difficult tasks easier. When people cooperate and work towards a common goal, success becomes possible for everyone.

A Small Act of Kindness that Made a Difference

One rainy evening, while returning home from school, I noticed an elderly man standing alone at a crowded bus stop. He looked worried and confused. As I approached him, I realised that he was having difficulty reading the bus numbers because of his poor eyesight.

I politely asked if he needed help. He explained that he wanted to visit his daughter but could not identify the correct bus. I checked the bus numbers, found the right one, and helped him get on safely. I also informed the conductor about his destination so that he could assist the old man during the journey.

The elderly man thanked me with a warm smile. A few days later, I met him again, and he told me that he had reached his daughter's house safely because of my help. That day, I learnt that even a small act of kindness can make a big difference in someone's life and bring happiness to both the giver and the receiver.