Chapter 1
Skill of judging
1. Question: Who invited the king Krishna Deva Rai and the courtiers, and why?
Answer: The chief of the army of Vijaynagar invited King Krishna Deva Rai and the courtiers to dinner to celebrate the birth of his son and to receive the king’s blessings for the child.
2. Question: What did the king say to the newborn child?
Answer: The king said, “God bless you, child! May you become a great warrior like your father!”
3. Question: What was Tenali Raman standing nearby, and what did he comment?
Answer: Tenali Raman, the witty and intelligent courtier, was standing nearby. He commented that the child would become a greater warrior than his father.
4. Question: How did the king react to Tenali’s statement?
Answer: The king was surprised and asked Tenali Raman how he could judge the child’s future just by looking at him.
5. Question: What question did some jealous courtiers raise about Tenali’s prediction?
Answer: Some jealous courtiers questioned Tenali Raman, saying, “How can you predict what the baby will grow up to be?”
6. Question: How did the king respond to the courtiers’ doubt?
Answer: The king agreed with the courtiers that Tenali’s prediction should be tested and asked them to suggest a way to test him.
7. Question: What plan did the courtiers make to test Tenali Raman?
Answer: The courtiers planned to make two identical gold pots, one solid and the other hollow, hang them from the ceiling with chains, and ask Tenali to identify which was solid and which was hollow without touching them.
8. Question: Why did the courtiers think Tenali would fail the test?
Answer: They thought Tenali would fail because it seemed impossible to judge which pot was hollow and which was solid only by looking from a distance without touching them.
9. Question: How did the king implement the courtiers’ plan?
Answer: The king asked his servants to make all arrangements, and two gold pots were made by the goldsmith and hung by chains from the ceiling for Tenali to observe.
10. Question: What was Tenali Raman asked to do in the test?
Answer: Tenali Raman was asked to tell which pot was hollow and which was made of solid gold by just observing them from a distance.
11. Question: What answer did Tenali Raman give?
Answer: Tenali Raman said, “The one on the right is made of solid gold, and the one on the left is hollow.”
12. Question: How did the king and courtiers react to Tenali’s answer?
Answer: The king and the courtiers were surprised and amazed that Tenali had answered correctly without touching the pots.
13. Question: How did Tenali justify his judgement?
Answer: Tenali observed that the chain of the solid gold pot was straining due to its weight, while the hollow pot was lighter and swaying slightly. This allowed him to judge which pot was solid and which was hollow.
14. Question: What quality of Tenali Raman does this story highlight?
Answer: The story highlights Tenali Raman’s skill of observation, intelligence, and cleverness in making accurate judgments.
15. Question: What does this story teach about careful observation?
Answer: The story teaches that careful observation of small details can help in making accurate decisions, even when a task seems impossible.
16. Question: Who were the main characters in this story?
Answer: The main characters were King Krishna Deva Rai, Tenali Raman, the jealous courtiers, the chief of the army, and the goldsmith.
17. Question: What was the role of the goldsmith in the story?
Answer: The goldsmith made the two identical gold pots, one solid and one hollow, as part of the test to judge Tenali Raman’s intelligence.
18. Question: Why did some courtiers feel jealous of Tenali Raman?
Answer: They were jealous because Tenali Raman was witty, intelligent, and often praised by the king, which made them feel inferior.
19. Question: How did Tenali Raman prove the courtiers wrong?
Answer: He proved them wrong by accurately identifying the solid and hollow pots using his observation skills, thereby showing his wit and intelligence.
20. Question: What can we learn about Tenali Raman’s character from this story?
Answer: Tenali Raman was clever, observant, confident, and had the ability to solve problems logically and quickly.
21. Question: Why did the king want to test Tenali Raman?
Answer: The king wanted to test Tenali Raman because the courtiers were questioning his judgment and wanted to verify if Tenali’s skills were genuine.
22. Question: How did Tenali notice the difference between the two gold pots?
Answer: He noticed the difference by observing the strain on the chain of the solid gold pot and the swaying of the hollow pot.
23. Question: What does the word “witty” mean in the context of Tenali Raman?
Answer: “Witty” means intelligent, clever, and quick in making smart or humorous observations and remarks.
24. Question: How is Tenali Raman’s judgment described in the story?
Answer: Tenali Raman’s judgment is described as accurate, logical, and based on careful observation of small but important details.
25. Question: What was the purpose of tying the pots with identical chains?
Answer: The purpose was to make the test fair and challenging, so Tenali could not use any clues other than careful observation.
26. Question: How does the story show that Tenali Raman was confident?
Answer: Tenali Raman confidently identified the solid and hollow pots without hesitation, showing that he trusted his own observation and reasoning.
27. Question: What role did the jealous courtiers play in the story?
Answer: The jealous courtiers tried to humiliate Tenali Raman by challenging his judgment and creating a test to prove him wrong.
28. Question: What lesson does the story teach about handling jealousy?
Answer: The story teaches that jealousy should not distract or harm your abilities. Instead, focus on your skills and knowledge to succeed.
29. Question: How did Tenali Raman impress the king?
Answer: He impressed the king by correctly identifying which pot was solid and which was hollow using only observation, demonstrating his intelligence.
30. Question: How did the king reward Tenali Raman’s skill?
Answer: The king praised Tenali Raman, expressing his admiration and acknowledging that Tenali could judge correctly by appearance.
31. Question: What is the meaning of “courtier” in the story?
Answer: A courtier is a person who is part of the king’s court and helps him in administration or serves him in various ways.
32. Question: Why was the pot test considered challenging?
Answer: It was challenging because Tenali Raman had to identify which pot was solid and which was hollow without touching them, relying only on observation.
33. Question: What does the story teach about reasoning?
Answer: The story teaches that reasoning based on careful observation and logical thinking can solve problems effectively.
34. Question: What was Tenali’s method to judge the pots without touching them?
Answer: Tenali observed the tension on the chains and the slight swaying of the pots to determine which was heavier (solid) and which was lighter (hollow).
35. Question: What can we learn about human perception from this story?
Answer: Human perception, when combined with observation and reasoning, can accurately analyze situations that seem impossible at first glance.
36. Question: How does Tenali Raman’s wit benefit the kingdom?
Answer: Tenali Raman’s wit helps the king make correct decisions, solve problems, and maintain order in the court while exposing deceit or folly.
37. Question: Why did the courtiers try to humiliate Tenali?
Answer: The courtiers were jealous of Tenali Raman’s intelligence and the king’s favor toward him, so they tried to challenge and humiliate him.
38. Question: How does this story inspire students?
Answer: The story inspires students to develop observation skills, reasoning abilities, and confidence in their judgment to solve problems effectively.
39. Question: How does the king show his admiration for Tenali Raman?
Answer: The king expresses admiration by praising Tenali’s skill of judging and acknowledging that his intelligence is remarkable.
40. Question: Summarize the main moral of the story.
Answer: The main moral of the story is that careful observation, logical reasoning, and intelligence can help one solve difficult problems, and true skill can overcome jealousy and challenges.
Answer by Mrinmoee
