Passage

The King of Kanchi set off to conquer Karnat. He was victorious in battle.The elephants were laden with sandalwood, ivory, gold and preoious stones taken from the conquered kingdom of Karnat. They would be a part of the victory parade for his subjects. On his way back home, he stopped at a temple; finished his prayers to the goddess and turned to leave. Around his neck was a garland of scarlet hibiscus and as was the custom for all, his forehead was anointed with red sandal paste. His Minister and the court jester were his only companions. At one spot, in a mango grove by the wayside, they spied some children play. The King said, Let me go and see what they are playing. The children had lined up two rows of clay dolls and were playing warriors and battles. The King asked, Who is fighting whom ? They said, Karnat is at battle with Kanchi.
The King asked, Who is winning and who is the loser ? The children puffed their chests up and said, Karnat will win and Kanchi will lose. The Minister froze in disbelief, the King was furious and the jester burst into laughter.
The King was soon joined by his troops and the children were still immersed in their game. The King commanded, Cane them hard. The childrens parents came running from the nearby village and said, They are naive, it was just a game, please grant them pardon. The King called his commander and ordered, Teach these children and the village a lesson so that they never forget the King of Kanchi. He went back to his camp. That evening the Commander stood before the King. He bowed low in shame and said, Your Majesty, with the exception of hyenas and vultures, all lie silent in the village. The Minister said, His Majestys honour has been saved. The priest said, The goddess has blessed our King. The jester said, Your Highness, please grant me leave to go now. The King asked, But why ? The jester said, I cannot kill, I cannot maim, I can only laugh at Gods gift of life. Trembling in the face of the kings anger he bravely continued, If I stay in your Majestys court, I shall become like you and I shall forget how to laugh.

1. Why was the king angry with the children?
(a) Because the game they were playing was dangerous
(b) They had lied to him
(c) They did not recognize him as king
(d) They had unknowingly insulted him

2. What excuse was given for the children's behavior?
(a) They were disobedient to their parents wishes
(b) They were unaware of the true facts of the battle
(c) They were upset that their army had lost
(d) They were in the habit of lying

3. Why did the jester laugh at the childrens reply to the king?
1. They correctly predicted the outcome of the battle.
2. Their reply was cheeky because they knew he was the king.
3. He wanted to show that their reply was a joke to save them from being punished by the king.
(a) Only ?
(b) Both 1 and 2
(c) Only 3
(d) None of these

4. Why were the elephants carrying loads of gold and other valuables?
(a) This was what the king had looted from Karnat to distribute among his soldiers as a reward
(b) This was the kings offering to the deity out of gratitude for making him victorious
(c) It was what the king had plundered from Karnat to display to the people of his kingdom as a sign of victory
(d) So that the people of the kingdom of Karnat acknowledged him as their new ruler

5. Why did the king anoint his head with red sandal paste?
(a) As a mark of celebration to show he had been victorious
(b) It was the usual practice for all devotees at the temple
(c) To show other devotees that he was king
(d) The priest requested him to do so

6. Which of the following is true in the context of the passage?
(a) The king stopped at the temple to see what else could be plundered
(b) The people of the village to which the children belonged developed great respect for the king
(c) The Commander was ashamed at having obeyed the kings orders to cane the children
(d) The jester was unhappy that the king had defeated the army of Karnat

7. Which of the following cannot be said about the jester?
1. He was not a loyal subject of the king.
2. He was afraid of the kings temper.
3. He did not support the kings war against Karnat.
(a) Both 1 and 3
(b) Only 1
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) All 1, 2 and 3

8. Which of the following describes the Minister?
1. He was jealous of the jester.
2. He was the king’s most valuable advisor.
3. He did not have a good sense of humour.
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 3
(c) Both 1 and 3
(d) None of these

9. Which of the following was/were the outcome (s) of the soldiers beating the children?
1. The animals began to howl and wanted to attack the soldiers.
2. The children’s parents went to the king to beg for mercy.
3. The priest offered prayers to the goddess of the temple.
(a) Only 1
(b) All 1, 2 and 3
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Only 2

10. Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage. Pardon
(a) punishment
(b) excuse
(c) convict
(d) intolerance

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