The Wit that Won Hearts Questions & Answers | Class 8 English | CBSE NCERT

(b) — The text clearly states that his reign is often called the Golden Era of the Vijayanagara Empire.

(c) — A patron of learning supports the arts; the king did this and also wrote acclaimed works himself.

(a) — 'Illustrious' means respected and famous, as the glossary in the text also confirms.

Amuktamalyada.

During the Golden Era, art, literature, and architecture flourished in the Vijayanagara Empire.

Yes, it is an unusual and remarkable combination, because a ruler must divide his time between governing and warfare; finding the sensitivity to write poetry as well shows that he had many sides to his personality. (Any reasonable personal view is acceptable.)

(a) — The text states that the eight celebrated poets were collectively known as the Ashtadiggajas.

(b) — His quick wit and humour earned him a place as both a poet and a witty advisor.

(b) — 'Insurmountable' means undefeatable; Rama could solve even such problems.

True — he is named along with Tenali Ramakrishna among the eight poets.

Tenali Ramakrishna was especially known for his quick wit and his humour, which made him a beloved figure in the empire's history.

It suggests that people across the empire admired and loved him, because his clever solutions helped solve problems that seemed impossible to fix, so he won their hearts and their affection.

(c) — The text says that for weeks he did not utter a single word to her.

(b) — The extract says the quarrel was over a seemingly trivial matter.

(a) — 'Forlorn' means lonely; the once cheerful corridors now seemed quiet and deserted.

trivial (unimportant).

The king's absence cast a shadow over the palace, and the once cheerful corridors seemed quiet and forlorn.

Yes, small misunderstandings can grow when people stop talking to each other, just as the king's silence made matters worse. In my opinion, the best way to prevent this is to speak openly and listen patiently before judging the other person. (Any sensible personal view is acceptable.)

(c) — With no other alternative, she sought the help of Tenali Rama, the court's brilliant and witty poet.

(b) — Since the poem was filled with vague expressions and made no sense, the ministers found it hard to praise it, so they avoided the situation politely.

(a) — 'Vague' means unclear; the expressions like 'sun, moon, stars' did not convey a clear meaning.

False — her voice was trembling, which shows she was distressed and upset.

Rama listened patiently as the queen recounted the incident in detail.

It shows that she had great trust and faith in Rama's wisdom and wit. She had tried her best and failed, so she considered him her last hope for bringing the king around.

(b) — The queen says she was so exhausted after a tiring day that she yawned several times; it was not intentional.

(b) — He believed her yawning was a sign of disrespect, when it was only natural tiredness.

(b) — She regrets that the king recited the poem on a day when she was too tired to listen attentively.

several.

The king came to the queen late in the evening, seeking an audience, after his ministers had avoided his recital.

It shows complete trust in Rama's wisdom and skill. She believes that only he can gently make the king see the truth of the misunderstanding without hurting his pride further.

(b) — Rama clearly says the matter needs a well-planned approach and time to find the right strategy.

(b) — He knew that a wrong move could annoy the king further, so he wanted a careful plan first.

(a) — The queen thanked him profusely, that is, in large amounts, showing her relief and gratitude.

strategy.

It tells us that the queen had already tried every other way to make peace with the king and failed, so Rama was her final hope of ending the quarrel.

Patience keeps tempers calm, and planning ensures the right words are used at the right moment; acting hastily can hurt someone's pride and make the quarrel worse. (Any reasonable personal view is acceptable.)

(b) — The extract says that despite the lively chatter, a tension hung in the air.

(c) — The king sat on his ornate, that is, decorative, throne.

(b) — 'Gnawed at' here means kept troubling or bothering him, like something chewing away inside him.

False — the court was bustling with activity and filled with ministers, scholars, and courtiers.

The courtroom had intricately carved pillars towering towards the high ceiling, sunlight streaming through the open windows, and a floor adorned with exquisite rugs, with the king seated on his ornate throne.

The detailed description creates a vivid picture in the reader's mind and builds the atmosphere; the contrast between the lively court and the king's stern mood hints that something interesting is about to happen.

(b) — The discussion was centred on improving paddy cultivation in the empire.

(a) — Some ministers suggested expanding irrigation networks, while others advocated better manure.

(c) — He stood quietly, observing everyone with an amused smile.

edge.

It suggests that Rama already has the seed of a plan in his mind; instead of joining the discussion, he is calmly watching and waiting for the right moment to put his strategy into action.

It teaches us that wise people do not rush to speak; they observe, think and choose the right moment to act. Quiet observation can be more powerful than loud argument. (Any sensible view is acceptable.)

(b) — Rama claimed that if the seeds were sown, the yield would be three times greater.

(c) — One whispered sarcastically about 'magic seeds', another joked about the moon, and snickers rippled through the court.

(a) — Sarcasm is mockery; the courtier's 'magic seeds' remark was a mocking way of disbelieving Rama.

water.

The chatter in the court died down as all eyes turned to Rama, who approached the throne carrying a plateful of paddy seeds.

No, it is not fair, because the courtiers judged Rama's idea without understanding its real purpose; mocking someone can also close our minds to a clever possibility. (A well-reasoned answer in either direction is acceptable.)

(b) — The king muttered, "That sounds absurd."

(c) — He felt that special cultivation was risky and if something went wrong, the farmers would suffer.

(a) — 'Unfazed' means not worried; Rama stayed calm despite the king's dismissal.

False — the king frowned, was unimpressed, and called the idea absurd.

Rama said the real issue lay not with the seeds themselves but with the person who sows them.

Rama was never serious about the seeds in the first place; the seeds were only a device to catch the king's attention, so the objections about soil and manure did not matter to his real plan.

(b) — Rama asked what would happen if the person had a habit of yawning while sowing.

(b) — Even the king sighed and instinctively yawned, which was exactly the moment Rama was waiting for.

(a) — 'Sceptical' means doubtful; the courtiers still doubted Rama's words.

breathing.

By making the whole court laugh and by talking about yawning, Rama made the king sigh and instinctively yawn, showing that yawning is a natural act that no one can always control.

He asked this question to make the king realise, in front of everyone, that the queen's yawn was natural and unavoidable, and not a deliberate insult to his poem.

(b) — He remembered scolding her harshly and realised how unfair he had been.

(c) — The king says, "I let my pride blind me," accepting that his ego had clouded his judgement.

(b) — Recognising one's own mistake and apologising sincerely shows maturity and self-awareness.

orchestrated (arranged).

The queen, who had longed for this moment, smiled and forgave him; she offered to leave the quarrel behind and said she would very much like to listen to his poem.

It teaches that pride can make us misjudge even those we love, and that a sincere apology and a forgiving heart can restore any relationship, filling a home with joy and laughter once again. (Any thoughtful personal view is acceptable.)

Krishnadeva Raya was a wise and powerful monarch of the Vijayanagara Empire, who ruled from 1509 to 1529 CE. He was an eminent warrior, a great patron of learning, and a gifted poet.

His reign is called the Golden Era because it was a time when art, literature, and architecture flourished in the empire, and his court was adorned by celebrated poets like the Ashtadiggajas.

The two works are the epic Amuktamalyada and the Sanskrit drama Jambavati Parinayam. Both are acclaimed even today.

The Ashtadiggajas were the eight celebrated poets in Krishnadeva Raya's court, including Allasani Peddana and Tenali Ramakrishna, who enriched the literary tradition of the empire with their masterpieces.

The queen, Thirumalambal, was distraught because the king had not spoken to her for weeks over a misunderstanding. She had tried her best to resolve the issue but failed, so with no other alternative, she sought the help of the court's brilliant and witty poet.

The poem was filled with vague expressions such as sun, moon, stars, and the beautiful sky, but it made no sense. Even the ministers avoided hearing it by making excuses.

When the king recited his poem to her late in the evening, the exhausted queen yawned several times. The king thought she was disrespecting his poem and stormed off, and since then he did not speak to her.

The king stopped visiting the queen altogether. His absence cast a shadow over the palace, and the once cheerful corridors seemed quiet and forlorn.

Rama nodded thoughtfully and said he would try his best to resolve the matter, but it needed a well-planned approach, and he might need time to find the right strategy.

The court discussion was centred on improving paddy cultivation in the empire. Some ministers suggested expanding irrigation networks, while others advocated better manure.

Bowing low before the throne, Rama claimed that he had brought a revolutionary type of paddy seeds which, if sown, would give a yield three times greater than the current results.

A murmur swept through the room. One sarcastic courtier whispered about 'magic seeds' that might grow without water, another joked that Rama had found them on the moon, and snickers rippled through the court.

The king felt that such cultivation would need special soil, manure, and pest and insect repellents, and if something went wrong, the farmers would suffer. So he found the claim illogical and risky.

Rama said that the real issue lay not with the seeds themselves but with the person who sows them, hinting that careless sowing, not the seeds, ruins a harvest.

Rama calmly explained that sowing without proper care would give a poor harvest, and then jokingly asked what would happen if the sower had a habit of yawning while sowing — wouldn't the seeds scatter unevenly?

When the court erupted into laughter, even the king was caught off guard, sighed, and instinctively yawned. Rama then asked whether there was anyone in the world who did not yawn, saying it is as natural as breathing.

The king realised how unfair he had been in scolding the queen harshly for yawning; he thought that if he had known yawning was not a sign of disrespect, he would not have taken her gesture so personally.

That evening, the king approached the queen with a softened expression and, in a gentle voice, admitted that he had been foolish, that he had overreacted and let his pride blind him, and said, "I'm so sorry."

Rama felt victorious because the royal couple's bond was restored through his plan. The king and the queen presented him with valuable gifts for his service, and the palace brimmed once again with joy and laughter.

'Roared' — The king roared in anger when he was confused. 'Murmur' — A murmur swept through the room when Rama spoke. (Other correct choices: snickers, whispered, muttered, sighed, laughter.)

Rama did not scold the king or plead with him directly. Instead, he waited for the court discussion on paddy cultivation and presented imaginary 'revolutionary' seeds. When the king dismissed the idea, Rama cleverly shifted the topic to the person who sows the seeds and asked what would happen if the sower kept yawning. As the whole court laughed, the king himself yawned, and Rama pointed out that yawning is as natural as breathing. In this gentle, humorous way, the king understood how unfair he had been to the queen.

A king is proud, and direct criticism might have insulted him and made him angrier. Rama's method made the king discover the truth himself, in front of the whole court, without feeling humiliated. Humour softened the message, and the king's own yawn became the proof of the queen's innocence. Thus wit achieved what argument could not.

The queen comes across as gentle, patient and forgiving. Even after being scolded unfairly, she tried her best to resolve the quarrel before seeking help. When the king finally apologised, she smiled and forgave him immediately, saying she would very much like to hear his poem. Her readiness to forget the quarrel shows a large heart and true love for the king.

In the morning, the king sat on his ornate throne with a stern expression, his sharp eyes scanning the room, and the unresolved quarrel still gnawed at him; he even roared at Rama in irritation. But as realisation dawned, his expression shifted, and regret filled his heart. By evening, his expression had softened, and he apologised to the queen in a gentle voice, admitting he had let his pride blind him.

Krishnadeva Raya was a wise monarch and a gifted poet, yet he misread the queen's tired yawn as disrespect and stopped speaking to her for weeks. His pride blinded him even though the matter was trivial. This shows that wisdom does not make a person perfect; anyone can misjudge others when the ego takes over.

Humour removed the sting from the truth. Rama's joke about the yawning farmer made the whole court, including the king, laugh, and the earlier sarcasm was replaced by genuine amusement. Laughter relaxed the tense atmosphere of the court, and in that light moment the king could see his own mistake without feeling attacked. Humour thus healed what anger had broken.

The story conveys that wit used with kindness can solve problems that power and anger cannot. It also teaches us not to judge others' actions hastily — the queen's yawn was natural tiredness, not disrespect. Finally, it shows that a person who realises his mistake should have the humility to apologise, and the one who is wronged should have the grace to forgive.

No, they were not justified. They judged Rama's idea before understanding it, and one of them, known for his sarcasm, mocked the seeds as 'magic seeds'. Their behaviour shows how people often ridicule what they do not understand. Their snickers, however, turned to genuine laughter when Rama's cleverness became clear.

The queen's yawn was simply the result of exhaustion after a tiring day, but the king took it as an insult to his poem and stopped speaking to her for weeks. This teaches us that unexplained actions are easily misinterpreted; a small gesture became a royal quarrel only because it was not talked about. Clear and calm communication can stop small misunderstandings from growing.

Without Rama's clever plan, the quarrel might have continued for much longer. The king would have kept believing that the queen had insulted his poem, and the palace would have remained quiet and forlorn. The queen had already failed in all her attempts to resolve the matter, so the misunderstanding may never have been cleared, and the royal couple's bond may have remained broken.

Tenali Rama is the hero of the story, known for his quick wit and humour, which earned him a special place in the king's court as both a poet and a witty advisor. He is patient and respectful — when the distraught queen came to him, he listened patiently as she recounted the incident in detail. He is thoughtful and never hasty; he tells her, "this needs a well-planned approach, and I may need time to find the right strategy." He is observant — in court he stands quietly at the edge, watching everyone with an amused smile. He is calm under pressure — when the king calls his idea absurd and the courtiers sneer, he remains unfazed and smiles. Above all, he is clever and kind: instead of confronting the king, he invents a tale of revolutionary seeds and jokes about a yawning farmer so that the king realises his own mistake. Because he orchestrated the settlement so gracefully, the royal couple's bond was restored, and they rewarded him with valuable gifts. Truly, his wit won hearts rather than arguments.

Krishnadeva Raya is shown as a wise and powerful monarch whose reign was the Golden Era of the Vijayanagara Empire, when art, literature, and architecture flourished. He is talented — an eminent warrior and a gifted poet whose works, Amuktamalyada and Jambavati Parinayam, are acclaimed even today. However, the story also shows his human weaknesses. He is sensitive and takes great pride in his poetry, so when his tired queen yawned during his recital, he thought she was disrespecting his poem and stormed off. His silence lasted for weeks, casting a shadow over the palace. Yet he is not stubborn by nature: when Rama's joke made him yawn in court, realisation dawned on him quickly and regret filled his heart. Most importantly, he is humble enough to accept his mistake. That very evening he went to the queen, admitted, "I have been foolish... I let my pride blind me," and apologised sincerely. His ability to say sorry shows that beneath the pride of a king lies a fair and feeling human being.

The central theme of the story is the power of wit and gentle humour to resolve conflicts. A quarrel had grown because of a simple misunderstanding: the exhausted queen yawned while the king recited his poem, and he took it as disrespect. Direct efforts to patch things up failed — the queen herself could not persuade the king. It was Tenali Rama's clever strategy that succeeded: he brought 'revolutionary' paddy seeds to court, drew the discussion towards the person who sows them, and joked about a farmer who yawns while sowing. When the king himself instinctively yawned amid the laughter, Rama asked, "is there anyone in this world who does not yawn? It is as natural as breathing." The theme also includes pride and forgiveness — the king admits, "I let my pride blind me," and the queen readily forgives him. The story thus shows that wisdom lies not in force but in understanding, and that a light heart can heal what a heavy ego breaks.

The story teaches several lasting values. First, we should not judge others hastily: the king assumed that the queen's yawn was disrespect, when she was merely exhausted after a tiring day. Second, patience and planning matter: Rama refused to rush and said he needed "a well-planned approach" and time to "find the right strategy." Third, humility to accept mistakes: the king approached the queen, admitted he had overreacted, and said, "I'm so sorry." Fourth, the grace to forgive: the queen, who had longed for this moment, smiled and agreed to leave the quarrel behind, asking instead to hear his poem. Finally, wit with kindness: Rama used humour without insulting anyone, and the palace "brimmed once again with joy and laughter." Together, these values show how understanding, patience and forgiveness keep relationships strong.

The lesson — that misunderstandings grow from unexplained actions and can be dissolved with patience and gentle wisdom — applies to everyday life. For instance, if a friend does not reply to a message, we may assume we are being ignored, when the friend may simply be busy or unwell, just as the queen's yawn was only tiredness. Instead of reacting angrily, we should talk calmly and listen to the other side. In families, a small act like someone leaving the room during an argument can be misread as disrespect, when it may mean nothing at all. Like Tenali Rama, a neutral and wise person — a teacher, a parent or a friend — can sometimes help both sides see sense where direct argument fails. And like the king, we must learn to say sorry when we realise we were wrong, and like the queen, to forgive quickly, so that homes and friendships brim with joy and laughter rather than silence.

(An imaginative answer based on the text.) It began on a late evening when the king came to me seeking an audience and began reciting his poem. I had been exhausted after a tiring day, and before I could stop myself, I yawned — not once, but several times. He thought I was disrespecting his poem and stormed off. For weeks he did not utter a single word to me, and he stopped visiting me altogether; the once cheerful corridors seemed quiet and forlorn, and my heart grew heavier each day. I tried my best to resolve the issue but failed. At last, with no other alternative, I went to Tenali Rama and recounted everything, my voice trembling. He promised to try his best, though he said he needed time to find the right strategy. The next day, in court, he worked his clever wonder with paddy seeds and a joke about a yawning farmer. That evening the king came to me with a softened expression and said, "I have been foolish... I let my pride blind me. I'm so sorry." I had longed for this moment. I smiled and replied, "If you like, we can leave this quarrel behind us. I would very much like to listen to your poem." And joy returned to the palace once more.

(An imaginative answer.) If the king had not been in court, Rama's seed trick would have failed, but his goal — making the king realise that yawning is natural — could still be reached in other witty ways. For example, Rama could have composed a humorous poem or song in praise of a hero who yawns bravely after hard work, and arranged for it to be sung before the king, so that the king heard his own situation laughed at gently and understood the truth. Or Rama could have pretended to fall asleep — and yawned loudly — while the king recited a new poem, and then apologised, saying, "Your Majesty, my body was tired, but my heart was listening," which would have reminded the king how unfairly he had judged the queen. He might even have staged a small play in the court about a poet and a tired listener, letting the king see his own error in the mirror of humour. In every case, Rama's strength would remain the same: he would make the king discover the truth himself, without ever embarrassing or confronting him directly.