Chapter 7
The Lost Camel
Q:1 Who were searching for their lost camel in the desert?
Ans: Two merchants were searching for their lost camel in the desert.
Q: 2Whom did the merchants meet while searching for the camel?
Ans: They met an old man on the way in the desert.
Q:3 What did the merchants ask the old man?
Ans: They asked him whether he had seen a camel.
Q: 4How did the old man respond to the merchants’ question at first?
Ans: The old man did not answer directly; instead, he asked them questions about the camel.
Q:5 What questions did the old man ask about the camel?
Ans: He asked if the camel was old, if it was lame in one leg, and if it was blind in the left eye.
Q:6 How did the merchants react when the old man asked about the camel’s blindness?
Ans: The merchants were surprised but confirmed that the camel was indeed blind in the left eye.
Q:7 What further questions did the old man ask about the camel?
Ans: He asked if the camel was carrying wheat on one side and honey on the other.
Q:8 How did the merchants respond to the old man’s question about the goods?
Ans: They confirmed it was true and became suspicious that the old man had seen the camel and possibly taken the goods.
Q:9 How did the merchants react after the old man mentioned the goods?
Ans: They caught hold of the old man and angrily asked if he had stolen the goods and killed the camel.
Q:10 What did the old man say when the merchants accused him of theft?
Ans: He calmly said, “I have not even seen the animal.”
Q:11 How did the merchants respond to the old man’s calm reply?
Ans: They were angry and said, “Do you think we are fools to believe your story?” Then they dragged him to the Khalifa’s court.
Q:12 What did the Khalifa ask the old man in court?
Ans: The Khalifa asked whether the old man had seen the camel.
Q:13 What was the old man’s answer to the Khalifa’s question?
Ans: He said he had never seen the camel in his life.
Q:14 How did the old man know the camel was lame?
Ans: He looked at the footprints in the sand, and one of them could hardly be seen, showing that the camel was lame in one leg.
Q:15 How did the old man know the camel was blind in one eye?
Ans: He observed that the camel had eaten leaves from bushes only on one side of the road.
Q:16 How did the old man know about the wheat and honey?
Ans: He saw ants carrying fallen grains of wheat from one side of the road and noticed bees flying around on the other side.
Q:17 Why did the Khalifa smile at the old man’s explanation?
Ans: Because the old man used careful observation rather than guessing, showing intelligence and reasoning.
Q:18 What advice did the Khalifa give to the merchants?
Ans: He told them to use their eyes and observe carefully to find the camel themselves.
Q:19 Why did the merchants initially think the old man had stolen the camel?
Ans: Because he described the camel’s exact condition and the goods it carried, making them suspicious.
Q:20 How did the old man manage to answer questions about the camel without seeing it?
Ans: He carefully observed the footprints, the leaves eaten, the ants carrying wheat, and the bees around the honey.
Q:21 What does “the ship of the desert” refer to in the story?
Ans: It refers to the camel, which is commonly called the “ship of the desert” for its endurance in the desert.
Q:22 What does “to turn a blind eye” mean in the text?
Ans: It means to ignore something deliberately.
Q:23 How is the word “angrily” used in the story?
Ans: It describes how the merchants reacted when they thought the old man had stolen their camel.
Q: 24How is the word “calmly” used in the story?
Ans: It describes how the old man responded to the merchants when they accused him.
Q:25 What is meant by “foolproof” in the context of the story?
Ans: Something that cannot fail; the old man’s reasoning about the camel’s condition was so careful it seemed foolproof.
Q:26 What does “footprints” refer to in the story?
Ans: Marks left by the camel’s feet in the sand.
Q:27 Explain the meaning of “perhaps” as used in the story.
Ans: It shows possibility; the merchants thought perhaps the old man had taken the goods.
Q:28 What does “dragged” indicate in the context?
Ans: It shows that the merchants forcefully took the old man to the Khalifa.
Q:29 Give an example of a “lame excuse” from the story.
Ans: The old man’s calm explanations could have seemed like a lame excuse to the merchants, but they were actually clever reasoning.
Q:30 What is a “merchant”?
Ans: A person who buys and sells goods, like the two men in the story.
Q:31 Why were the two merchants surprised at the old man’s questions?
Ans: Because he asked very detailed questions about the camel’s age, lameness, and blindness, showing unusual knowledge.
Q:32 Why did the merchants think the old man had seen the camel?
Ans: Because he knew so many details about the camel and its load.
Q:33 Why did the merchants take the old man to the Khalifa?
Ans: They wanted justice, thinking he had stolen their camel and goods.
Q:34 How did the old man know the camel was blind?
Ans: By observing that it ate leaves only from one side of the bushes along the road.
Q:35 Why were the bees flying only on one side of the road?
Ans: Because the camel was carrying honey on that side, attracting the bees.
Q:36 Why did the Khalifa not punish the old man?
Ans: Because the old man had not stolen the camel; he had simply used careful observation to answer questions.
Q:37 What lesson does the story teach about observation?
Ans: Careful observation and using one’s senses can help solve problems without needing direct experience.
Q:38 How did the old man prove that one can know things without seeing them directly?
Ans: He analyzed footprints, eaten leaves, ants, and bees to describe the camel accurately.
Q:39 What is the significance of addressing the Khalifa as “Your Honour”?
Ans: It is a sign of respect to a judge or ruler.
Q:40 Summarize the moral of the story in one sentence.
Ans: The story teaches that careful observation, reasoning, and using one’s senses wisely can solve problems and reveal the truth.
Answer by Mrinmoee
