1. Introduction to Three Questions
Hello students! Welcome to the complete study notes for Class 7 English Chapter 1: “Three Questions” (JAC Board & NCERT). Written by the famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy, this story is highly philosophical yet easy to understand. It is about a king who wants to know the answers to three questions so he will never fail in life. The story beautifully teaches us about the importance of living in the present moment, paying attention to the people around us, and making kindness our priority. Let’s dive into the chapter!
2. Characters Detail
- The King: A ruler who is eager to find the secret of success by finding the answers to three questions. He is practical, helpful, and compassionate enough to forgive his enemy.
- The Hermit: An old, frail, and extremely wise man who lives alone in the woods. He doesn’t give direct answers but uses real-life situations to teach profound lessons.
- The Bearded Man: The king’s sworn enemy who came to kill him but got wounded. The king saves his life, and he transforms into the king’s most loyal servant.
3. Full Summary: Three Questions Class 7
The King’s Quest for Answers
Once, a king thought that he would never fail in life if he knew the answers to his three questions: What is the right time to begin something? Which people should he listen to? What is the most important thing for him to do? He sent messengers throughout his kingdom, promising a large reward to anyone who could answer them correctly.
The Wise Men’s Conflicting Advice
Many wise men came to the king, but they all gave different answers. For the first question, some suggested making a timetable, while others said he needed a council of wise men. For the second question, some said councilors were most important, while others chose priests, doctors, or soldiers. For the third question, answers ranged from science to fighting to religious worship. Unsatisfied, the king gave no reward to anyone.
Meeting the Hermit
The king decided to consult a famous, wise hermit who lived in the woods. Since the hermit only met ordinary people, the king dressed in simple clothes, left his horse and bodyguards behind, and went alone. He found the weak hermit digging the ground in front of his hut. The king asked his three questions, but the hermit listened silently and continued digging. Seeing the hermit tired, the king took his spade and started digging the beds for him.
The Wounded Stranger
Evening approached, and the king asked for his answers once more. Suddenly, a bearded man came running out of the wood. He had a large wound in his stomach and fainted. The king and the hermit immediately removed his clothing, washed the wound, and the king bandaged it using his handkerchief until the bleeding stopped. They carried the man inside the hut to rest.
The Enemy’s Confession
The next morning, the bearded man woke up and begged the king for forgiveness. He confessed that he was the king’s enemy. The man had hidden in the woods to kill the king on his way back. Instead, the king’s bodyguards spotted and wounded him. The man realized that the king he wanted to kill had just saved his life. The king happily forgave him and promised to return his property.
The Hermit’s Final Answers
Before leaving, the king asked the hermit his questions one last time. The hermit replied that the answers had already been given through the events of the previous day.
1. The most important time is “Now” (the present) because it is the only time we have power over.
2. The most important person is the one you are with at a particular moment.
3. The most important business is to do good to that person, because we are sent into this world for that purpose alone.
4. Multiple Choice Questions (10 MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of the story “Three Questions”?
(a) Ruskin Bond | (b) Leo Tolstoy | (c) William Wordsworth | (d) Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: (b) Leo Tolstoy
Q2. What was the king’s first question?
(a) What is the right time to begin something? | (b) How to win a war? | (c) Who is the richest man? | (d) Where is God?
Answer: (a) What is the right time to begin something?
Q3. Why did the king want to know the answers to the three questions?
(a) To become famous | (b) To never fail in life | (c) To test his ministers | (d) To write a book
Answer: (b) To never fail in life
Q4. Whom did the king decide to consult when the wise men failed?
(a) A magician | (b) A neighboring king | (c) A wise hermit | (d) His queen
Answer: (c) A wise hermit
Q5. Why did the king dress like an ordinary man to meet the hermit?
(a) Because he was poor | (b) Because the hermit only met ordinary people | (c) He was hiding from enemies | (d) He lost his royal clothes
Answer: (b) Because the hermit only met ordinary people
Q6. What was the hermit doing when the king arrived?
(a) Sleeping | (b) Praying | (c) Reading a book | (d) Digging the ground
Answer: (d) Digging the ground
Q7. Who was the wounded bearded man?
(a) A thief | (b) A friend of the hermit | (c) The king’s sworn enemy | (d) A lost traveler
Answer: (c) The king’s sworn enemy
Q8. Who wounded the bearded man?
(a) The king | (b) The hermit | (c) A wild animal | (d) The king’s bodyguards
Answer: (d) The king’s bodyguards
Q9. According to the hermit, what is the most important time?
(a) The past | (b) The future | (c) “Now” (The present) | (d) Midnight
Answer: (c) “Now” (The present)
Q10. According to the hermit, what is the most important business?
(a) Earning money | (b) Fighting wars | (c) Doing good to others | (d) Worshipping
Answer: (c) Doing good to others
5. Short Answer Questions (30-40 Words)
Q1. Why did the wise men’s answers not satisfy the king?
Ans. The wise men could not satisfy the king because they all gave totally different and conflicting answers to his questions. Since no two answers matched, the king gave the reward to none.
Q2. How did the king help the hermit?
Ans. When the king reached the hermit’s hut, he saw that the old hermit was weak and panting while digging the ground. Feeling pity, the king took his spade and dug the beds for him.
Q3. Why did the bearded man ask for the king’s forgiveness?
Ans. The bearded man came to assassinate the king but got wounded. The king nursed his wounds and saved his life. Filled with guilt and gratitude, he asked for the king’s forgiveness.
Q4. How did the king dress before going to meet the hermit and why?
Ans. The king dressed in ordinary clothes, left his horse, and asked his bodyguards to stay behind. He did this because the hermit only interacted with simple, common people.
Q5. How did the king and the hermit care for the wounded man?
Ans. The king and the hermit unfastened the man’s clothing. The king washed his bleeding stomach wound and tightly bandaged it with his handkerchief and the hermit’s towel until the bleeding stopped.
6. Long Answer Questions (60-80 Words)
Q1. What were the three questions the king wanted answers to? Why was he desperate?
Ans. The king wanted to know the answers to three specific questions:
1. What is the right time to begin something?
2. Which people should he listen to?
3. What is the most important thing for him to do?
He was desperate to find these answers because he firmly believed that if he knew these three things, he would be a perfect ruler and never fail in his life.
Q2. Why was the bearded man sworn to kill the king and how did they become friends?
Ans. The bearded man wanted to kill the king because the king had put his brother to death and seized his property. He hid in the woods to ambush the king, but the king’s bodyguards wounded him. Unaware of his identity at first, the king cleaned his wounds and saved his life. Touched by the king’s compassion, the man confessed, repented, and they became loyal friends.
Q3. “You have already been answered!” said the hermit. How did the hermit explain the answers?
Ans. The hermit explained the answers to the three questions using the past day’s events. When the king was digging, the most important time was ‘then’, the hermit was the most important person, and helping him was the business. When the wounded man arrived, caring for him was the most important time and business. Thus, the most important time is always “Now,” the most important person is “the one you are with,” and the most important business is “doing good to them.”
