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3. Wisdom Paves the Way (Play)
Unit 1: Wit and Wisdom | Poorvi (Class 8)
Video Lesson
Quick Revision Notes
🚶♂️ The Journey to Ujjain
Four young, unemployed friends—Ram Datt, Shiv Datt, Har Datt, and Dev Datt—have been travelling for ten days toward the city of Ujjain. They are hoping to gain an audience with the King, confident that he will recognize their talents and offer them employment.
🐪 The Lost Camel
While walking on the dusty road, they spot fresh tracks left by a camel. Being highly observant, they scrutinize the tracks and deduce several peculiar facts about the animal. Shortly after, a distressed merchant approaches them, asking if they have seen his lost camel.
😠 The Accusation
The four friends ask the merchant a series of questions: Is the camel lame in one leg? Is it blind in the right eye? Does it have a short tail? Does it have a stomach ache? The merchant is astonished because they describe his camel perfectly! However, when they admit they haven’t actually seen the camel, the merchant becomes indignant (angry). He accuses them of stealing the camel and drags them to the King’s court.
🧠 The Brilliant Deductions
In the King’s court, the men explain their flawless reasoning to the amazed King:
- Ram Datt (Lame Leg): Noticed only three footprints were clear, while the fourth was faint, indicating a limp.
- Shiv Datt (Blind Right Eye): The camel had only eaten foliage (leaves) on the left side of the road, leaving the right side untouched.
- Har Datt (Short Tail): Saw drops of blood from mosquito bites, indicating the camel didn’t have a long enough tail to swat the bugs away.
- Dev Datt (Stomach Pain): The front footprints were deep, but the hind footprints were very faint, showing the camel was drawing up its back legs due to belly pain.
👑 The Reward
The King marvels at their extraordinary insight and observational skills. He scolds the merchant for his false accusations and immediately offers the four young men the prestigious position of royal advisers in his court.
Comprehension Check
Vocabulary Master
Printable CBSE Worksheet
Includes Revision Map, Extract Questions, Subjective Q&A, and Teacher Key.
Smart English Resources Academy
cbse.smartresourcesacademy.com
Chapter: Wisdom Paves the Way
SECTION 1: COGNITIVE ANCHORS & REVISION
The Big Picture: This play highlights the incredible power of observation and logical deduction. Four unemployed friends use their sharp wits to accurately describe a camel they have never seen, proving that wisdom and intelligence are often more valuable than physical wealth.
Character & Element Check
- The Four Friends: Ram Datt, Shiv Datt, Har Datt, and Dev Datt. Intelligent, observant, and seeking employment in Ujjain.
- The Merchant: Indignant and quick to jump to conclusions; he falsely accuses the friends of stealing his camel.
- The King: A fair and wise ruler who recognizes true talent, rewarding the friends by making them royal advisers.
Plot Breakdown
The Setup
Four friends traveling to Ujjain stop on a dusty road and notice fresh camel tracks. They deduce four specific details about the animal’s physical condition.
The Conflict
A merchant arrives looking for his lost camel. The friends ask him questions that perfectly describe his camel. The merchant assumes they stole it and drags them to the King’s court.
The Climax
In court, the friends explain their brilliant logical deductions based on footprints, eaten foliage, and blood drops, proving their innocence to the King.
The Resolution
The King is amazed by their flawless reasoning. He scolds the merchant and hires the four friends as his royal advisers.
Vocabulary Mastery
| Target Word | Contextual Meaning | Usage in Text |
|---|---|---|
| Scrutinise | To examine or inspect something very closely and thoroughly. | They scrutinise every detail of the tracks… |
| Indignant | Feeling or showing anger at unfair treatment. | The merchant replied, indignant… |
| Foliage | Plant leaves collectively. | Nibbled only on the foliage to the left. |
| Flawless | Without any blemishes or imperfections; perfect. | Your reasoning is flawless. |
Smart English Resources Academy
SECTION 2: EXAM-PATTERN WORKSHEET
Part A: Reference to Context (8 Marks)
“I saw drops of blood on the road. They were from mosquito bites. The camel didn’t have a long enough tail to swat them away.”
1. Which of the four friends made this specific deduction? (1M)
2. What physical feature of the camel was deduced from the blood drops? (1M)
3. Why couldn’t the camel swat the mosquitoes away? (1M)
4. Find a word in the extract that means ‘to hit or slap with a flat object’. (1M)
“In the King’s court, the men explained their flawless reasoning to the amazed King. He marvelled at their insight and observational skills.”
5. Why were the men brought to the King’s court in the first place? (1M)
6. How did the King react after hearing their explanation? (1M)
7. What reward did the King give the four friends? (1M)
8. Which word in the extract means ‘perfect’ or ‘without any mistakes’? (1M)
Smart English Resources Academy
Part B: Subjective Questions (9 Marks)
9. (SAQ – 30 words): Why did the merchant accuse the four friends of stealing his camel? (2 Marks)
10. (SAQ – 30 words): How did Shiv Datt conclude that the camel was blind in its right eye? (2 Marks)
11. (LAQ – 100 words): Describe the specific observations and deductions made by Ram Datt and Dev Datt regarding the camel’s physical condition. (5 Marks)
Part C: Higher Order Thinking Skills
12. Extrapolative Writing: Imagine you are the King of Ujjain. Write a short diary entry expressing your amazement at the four friends’ logical reasoning and explaining why you decided to hire them as your royal advisers instead of punishing them. (5 Marks)
Smart English Resources Academy
SECTION 3: TEACHER’S EVALUATION KEY & SCAFFOLDING
Q1-Q4 (Extract 1)
1. Har Datt. 2. That the camel had a short tail. 3. Because its tail was too short to reach them. 4. Swat.
Scaffolding: For Q4, ask students: “Which verb in the text means to hit a bug away?”
Q5-Q8 (Extract 2)
5. Because the merchant accused them of stealing his camel. 6. He marvelled at their insight and was amazed by their reasoning. 7. He appointed them as his royal advisers. 8. Flawless.
Scaffolding: For Q8, guide students to look at the phrase describing their reasoning.
Q9 (SAQ) The merchant accused them because they were able to describe the exact physical features of his camel flawlessly, despite claiming they had never actually seen it.
Scaffolding: Provide sentence starter: “The merchant became suspicious because the friends could…”
Q10 (SAQ) Shiv Datt noticed that the camel had only eaten the foliage (leaves) on the left side of the road, leaving the right side untouched, meaning it couldn’t see the right side.
Scaffolding: Ask: “If you can only see out of your left eye, which side of the road will you eat from?”
Q11 (LAQ) Ram Datt deduced the camel was lame in one leg because he noticed only three footprints were clear, while the fourth was faint. Dev Datt deduced the camel had a stomach ache because the front footprints were deep, but the hind footprints were faint, showing the animal was drawing up its back legs due to belly pain.
Scaffolding: Provide a 2-step framework: 1. Explain Ram Datt’s clue (footprints). 2. Explain Dev Datt’s clue (front vs back footprints).
Q12 (HOTS) Diary Entry format. Markers: Amazement at their observation skills; realization that such sharp minds are rare; decision that they would be excellent assets to the kingdom rather than criminals.
Scaffolding: Give struggling writers a format skeleton (Date, Time, “Dear Diary”). Prompt: “Today, a merchant dragged four young men into my court. I thought they were thieves, but they turned out to be…”