14. Birbal Outwits The Cheat

A. Warmer :

Discuss the following questions before you start the lesson:

Have you ever cheated your friends in a game? Who were you playing with? Why did you want to cheat? Is it proper to cheat?

Ans. No, I have never cheated my friends in a game. It is not proper to cheat any person. This is a scene from the durbar of Emperor Akbar. He always had his trusted advisor and minister, Birbal, by his side. Birbal was known for his wisdom. Read and enjoy the following story to find out how Birbal helped Emperor Akbar to solve a case.

BIRBAL OUTWITS THE CHEAT

Emperor: What brings you to my durbar?

Farmer: Your Highness, I sold my well to Gopal last year.

Emperor: Hmm... Has he not paid for the well?

Farmer: Your Highness, he has only paid for the well.

Emperor: What is your complain?

Farmer: I have seen him using the water, although he has not paid me for it as yet. When I asked him last month, he refused to pay.

Emperor: Hmm... Not paid for the water?

Emperor: My trusted minister, Birbal. I have never heard such a complaint before! Have you?

Birbal: No, your highness , I too haven't heard of such things before!

Birbal: Gopal has paid you for the well. Does the well belong to him?

Farmer: Yes, Mantriji ... but only for the well.

Birbal: He didn't pay you for the water, so does the water belongs to you?

Farmer: Yes, Mantriji.

Birbal: So , your water is in his well! Well, now you pay him for that .... Or else....

.. take out your water immediately!

Emperor: Ha.. Ha.. Ha.. !

Farmer: Your Highness, I do not want any money for the water. I had tried to cheat Gopal. I will never do it again. Please forgive me.

BIRBAL OUTWITS THE CHEAT

B. Let's Comprehend :

B.1. Think and Tell :

Birbal Outwits The Cheat Question Answer

 Q. (a) Who was Birbal ?

Ans. Birbal was Akbar's trusted advisor and minister.

 Q. (b) Where did the man go to complain ?

Ans. The villager went to complain in the court of emperor Akbar.

Q. (c) Who bought the well?

Ans. Gopal bought the well.

B.2. Think and Write :

B.2.1. Match the following :

(a) Akbar                    minister 

(b) Birbal                    a person with a complaint

(c) Villager                 king

Ans. (a) Akbar = king 

(b) Birbal = minister 

(c) Villager = a person with a complaint

B.2.2. Tick out (✓) the answer to each of the questions given below :

1. Who was Gopal?

(a) the person who had bought the well.

(b) the person who had sold the well.

(c) the king. 

2. How was the villager trying to cheat Gopal ?

(a) He was trying to sell Gopal's well to Akbar.

(b) He was trying to make Gopal pay for using the water, even though Gopal had paid for the well.

(c) He was trying to destroy Gopal's well.

3. How did Birbal outwit the villager ?

(a) He told the villager that Akbar would buy both the water and the well.

(b) He told Gopal to steal water from the villager.

(c) He told the villager to pay for using Gopal's well or take out his water from the well immediately.

4. How would you describe Birbal in one word according to this story?

(a) clever (b) angry (c) talkative (d) sad

Ans. 1. (a), 2. (b), 3. (c), 4. (a)

B.2.3. Answer the following:

 Q. 1. What was the villager's complaint ?

Ans. The villager's complaint was that he had sold his well to Gopal the last year. He had not paid for the water in the well and had been using it.

Q. 2. Do you think that the villager was right? Why or why not?

Ans. The villager was not right. When a well is sold, it is understood to be sold with the water in the well.

Q. 3. Did Akbar and Birbal realise that the villager was trying to cheat Gopal ?

Ans. Yes, Akbar and Birbal at once realised that the villager was a cheat. They knew that he was trying to cheat Gopal.

C. Word-Study 

C.1. Find the right word:

 Help Box Well, Person, Emperor, Advisor, Water, Complaint, Court, Villager.

 

Fill in the blanks with the correct word. You can take help from the help box. Some words may be repeated.

Once there was an emperor __ named Akbar. His most trusted advisor __was Birbal. One day a villager came to Akbar's court __with a complaint __He said that he had sold his well __to a person __named Gopal. However, Gopal was not only using the well but also the water __in the well. He wanted Gopal to pay for the water,

too. Birbal realised that the person __ was trying to cheat Gopal. He told the villager that the __was Gopal's. The  __was in the well. So the villager must pay Gopal for taking water from it.