Chapter 5

                                              THE WICKED MONEYLENDER


1.Who was Kanhaiya Lal and what was his nature?

Answer: Kanhaiya Lal was a very rich moneylender. He was miserly, greedy, and wicked, often cheating poor villagers by charging very high interest on loans.


2.Why did the villagers have to borrow money from Kanhaiya Lal?

Answer: The poor villagers had no other option because there were no banks in those days to provide loans. They were forced to borrow from him despite his wickedness.


3.How did Kanhaiya Lal become richer day by day?

Answer: He became richer by taking advantage of the poor villagers, charging them high interest, and cheating them whenever possible.


4.What did Kanhaiya Lal lose on his way home from the market?

Answer: He lost a bag containing twenty gold coins on his way home.


5.Why did Kanhaiya Lal announce a reward for the lost bag?

Answer: He announced a reward of one gold coin to anyone who found and returned the bag. However, he intentionally avoided mentioning the total number of coins to cheat the finder.


6.How many coins were actually in the bag?

Answer: There were twenty gold coins in the bag that Bhola found, but Kanhaiya claimed that there were twenty-one coins.


7.Who found the lost bag?

Answer: A poor and honest farmer named Bhola found the bag of gold coins and came to Kanhaiya Lal’s house to return it.


8.How did Kanhaiya Lal try to cheat Bhola?

Answer: He falsely claimed that the bag originally had twenty-one coins and that Bhola had already taken the reward, so he tried to avoid giving him the promised coin.


9.What was Bhola’s response to Kanhaiya Lal’s accusation?

Answer: Bhola protested his innocence, saying, “God is my witness, I have not opened your bag,” showing he was honest and truthful.


10.How did Kanhaiya Lal treat Bhola when he denied taking a coin?

Answer: Kanhaiya Lal shouted at Bhola, called him a liar, and ordered him to leave the house, demonstrating his cruel and deceitful nature.


11.What lesson can be learned from Bhola’s honesty?

Answer: The story shows that honesty is always rewarded in the end. Bhola remained truthful despite Kanhaiya Lal’s attempts to cheat him.


12.Where did Bhola go after Kanhaiya Lal insulted him?

Answer: Bhola went straight to the village Mukhiya and narrated the entire incident truthfully.


13.What question did the Mukhiya ask Kanhaiya Lal?

Answer: The Mukhiya asked, “When you lost the bag, how much money was in it?” and later also asked, “How much money is there in the bag that Bhola found?”


14.What did Kanhaiya Lal claim about the bag when asked by the Mukhiya?

Answer: He said the lost bag originally had twenty-one coins, but the bag Bhola found contained only twenty coins.


15.What conclusion did the Mukhiya reach about the bag?

Answer: The Mukhiya decided that Bhola had found a different bag, and since no one else claimed it, Bhola could keep it, ensuring justice.


16.What does the Mukhiya’s decision teach us?

Answer: It teaches that justice favors the honest and that unfair or greedy behavior will not succeed in the long run.


17.How did Kanhaiya Lal feel after the Mukhiya’s judgment?

Answer: He felt ashamed and learned a lesson that cheating the honest will not work and that people notice injustice.


18.Why was Kanhaiya Lal’s plan to avoid giving the reward unfair?

Answer: He tried to manipulate the truth about the number of coins to cheat a poor farmer, which was both dishonest and immoral.


19.How did Bhola behave when he found the lost bag?

Answer: Bhola acted honestly and responsibly. He did not take any coins and immediately went to return the bag.


20.Why is Kanhaiya Lal called a miser in the story?

Answer: He is called a miser because he loved money excessively, did not give rewards fairly, and tried to keep more wealth for himself.


21.What does the story teach about greed?

Answer: The story teaches that greed and dishonesty may bring temporary gain but ultimately fail when justice prevails.


22.How did the villagers feel about Kanhaiya Lal?

Answer: The villagers likely feared him and were forced to obey him because he had wealth and there were no alternatives for loans.


23.What role did the Mukhiya play in the story?

Answer: The Mukhiya acted as a fair and wise authority who ensured that Bhola, the honest farmer, received justice.


24.What was the main conflict in the story?

Answer: The main conflict was Kanhaiya Lal trying to cheat Bhola after he found the lost bag of gold coins.


25.How did Bhola show that he was honest?

Answer: Bhola did not take any coin from the bag, returned it immediately, and testified truthfully about the incident to the Mukhiya.


26.Why did Kanhaiya Lal think no one would know about his cheating?

Answer: He thought that since Bhola was poor and uneducated, he could manipulate the situation and avoid giving the reward without anyone noticing.


27.How did the Mukhiya verify the truth?

Answer: He asked Kanhaiya Lal about the original number of coins and compared it with the coins in Bhola’s bag to reach a fair conclusion.


28.Why did the Mukhiya allow Bhola to keep the bag?

Answer: Because the bag Bhola found was not the original bag lost by Kanhaiya Lal, and no one else claimed it, so it was rightful for Bhola.


29.What is the moral of the story?

Answer: The moral is “Justice favors the honest”, and dishonesty or greed will not succeed in the long run.


30.What does the story tell us about fairness in society?

Answer: It shows that leaders or authorities, like the Mukhiya, should protect the rights of honest people and prevent cheating.


31.How did Kanhaiya Lal try to manipulate the announcement about the lost bag?

Answer: He offered a reward without revealing the total coins so he could claim the finder had already taken it and avoid paying.


32.What does Bhola’s behavior demonstrate about character?

Answer: Bhola’s actions demonstrate honesty, integrity, and responsibility, as he did not act selfishly.


33.Why did Kanhaiya Lal shout at Bhola?

Answer: He shouted out of anger and greed, trying to intimidate Bhola into leaving without receiving the reward.


34.How does the story portray Kanhaiya Lal’s greed?

Answer: The story shows Kanhaiya Lal as always scheming, never satisfied with money, and willing to cheat even honest people.


35.What could have been Kanhaiya Lal’s fate if the Mukhiya had not intervened?

Answer: If the Mukhiya had not intervened, Bhola might have lost his rightful reward, showing that authority is needed to ensure justice.


36.Why did Kanhaiya Lal lie about the number of coins?

Answer: He lied because he wanted to avoid giving Bhola the promised gold coin and keep all the money for himself.


37.What lesson does the story teach about honesty versus deceit?

Answer: The story teaches that honesty is always rewarded, and deceit or cheating eventually fails.


38.How does this story reflect social justice in villages?

Answer: It shows that even in rural areas, fair leaders like the Mukhiya can protect the honest and ensure justice against greedy or wicked people.


39.What qualities of Bhola make him a good role model?

Answer: Bhola is honest, courageous, truthful, responsible, and respectful of others’ property, making him a good example for all.


40.Summarize the story in one sentence.

Answer: The story narrates how a greedy moneylender, Kanhaiya Lal, tried to cheat a poor but honest farmer, Bhola, but justice was served by the Mukhiya, proving that honesty is always rewarded.

Answer by Mrinmoee