Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 3 Gopal and the Hilsa-fish.
Honeycomb Chapter 3 Gopal and the Hilsa-fish
Working with the Text
Q:1 Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
Ans: The king did not want any more talk about the hilsa-fish because it was the season for hilsa-fish and no one could stop talking about it for even five minutes. He was very much fed up with the common talk about the hilsa-fish.
Q:2 What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
Ans: In order to prove that Gopal was clever, the king asked him to buy a huge hilsa-fish and bring it to the palace without anyone asking anything about the fish.
Q:3 What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?
Ans: Before Gopal went to buy hilsa-fish, he half-shaved his face, smeared ash on his body, and put on disgraceful rags.
Q:4 How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
Ans: After he had bought the fish, Gopal reached the palace and told the guards that he wanted to see the king. When the guards did not let him in, he began to dance and sing loudly. When the king heard this, and also the comments of the people watching the man sing and dance, he asked for the man to be brought before him.
Q:5 Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought.
Ans: Because of Gopal’s outfit and his peculiar look, no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which he had bought. Some people found him comical, others thought he was a madman, still others thought he was a mystic. They were so engrossed in discussing his appearance that the hilsa-fish went unnoticed.
Q:6 Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following sentences.
(i) The king lost his temper easily.___________
(ii) Gopal was a madman. ____________
(iii) Gopal was a clever man. _____________
(iv) Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes. ____________
(v) The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong. _______
Ans:
(i) True (ii) False (iii) True (iv) False (v) False
Working with Language
1. Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead what they say is put in a speech ‘bubble’. However, if we wish to repeat or ‘report’ what they say, we must put it into reported speech.
Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech. The first one has been done for you.
(i) How much did you pay for that hilsa?
The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven?
Gopal’s wife asked him _________________________
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
Gopal told the king _____________________________
(iv) I want to see the king.
Gopal told the guards ___________________________
(v) Bring the man to me at once.
The king ordered the guard ______________________
Ans:
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven?
Gopal’s wife asked him why his face was half-shaven
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
Gopal told the king that he accepted the challenge.
(iv) I want to see the king.
Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the king.
(v) Bring the man to me at once.
The king ordered the guard to bring the man to him at once.
Q:8 Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
| Challenge | mystic | comical | courtier | smearing |
Answer:
(i) Challenge (A call to take part in a contest or competition.)
- Rohan accepted the challenge of his Principal and won the first prize in the annual sports day celebrations.
(ii) Mystic (Spiritual, occult)
- The sufi saints like Salim Chishti were mystic.
- This world is full of mystic forces.
(iii) Comical (amusing, funny)
- Mr Bean is one of the most famous comical characters on television.
- Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu are the best comical characters.
(iv) Courtier (a person, who attends a royal court as a companion or advisor to the king or queen.)
- Birbal was Akbar’s most trusted courtier.
(v) Smearing (coat or mark carelessly with grease or oil.)
- The saint smeared ash on his body.
- Gopal smeared his face with ash in order to look funny.
Q 4. Complete the following word ladder with the help of the clues given below.
Clues:
1. Mother will be very ________________ if you don’t go to school.
2. As soon as he caught _______________ of the teacher, Mohan started writing.
3. How do you like my ____________ kitchen garden? Big enough for you, is it?
4. My youngest sister is now a ______________ old.
5. Standing on the ____________, he saw children playing on the road.
6. Don’t make such a ________________. Nothing will happen.
7. Don’t cross the _________________ till the green light comes on.
Ans: 1. cross 2. sight 3. tiny 4. year 5. roof 6. fuss 7.street
