The Wise Caliph

Q.1 What was caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid known and respected for?

Ans. Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was famous for his wisdom and justice. The Caliph was wise in that manner as he used to disguise himself to know the problems and difficulties of the subject more freely and equality.

Q.2 Why did he go through the streets of Baghdad?

Ans. He would go through the streets of Baghdad to mingle with the common people in order to gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties. He believed that by adopting the common life style, he experienced the problems in true sense.

Q.3 What did the Qazi say to the Caliph?

Ans. Firstly Qazi approached to the Caliph saluted him and presented a puzzled case, which the Qazi could not solve. The mystery was disturbing the Qazi because the two men were claiming the ownership of the same horse.

Q.4 What was the dispute between the rich man and beggar?

Ans. The dispute between the rich man and the beggar because of a horse. Both of them were claiming the ownership of horse plus accusing each other of robbery.

Q.5 What did the rich man tell the Caliph?

Ans. The rich man told the Caliph that he was riding towards the city. On this way he saw a beggar, who asked for a ride up to city gate. Afterwards the beggar refused to get down from the horse and claimed that the horse ws his.

Q.6 What did the beggar tell the Caliph?

The beggar told the Caliph that he had spent all his money on the horse. That morning the beggar was riding to the city and saw the rich man walking along the road. He asked for a lift because he was in hurry but afterwards refused to discount claiming that the horse belonged to him.

Q.7 Why did the beggar refuse to go down the horse?

Ans. The beggar refused to get down the horse because he wanted to rob the rich man of his horse. He also fabricated a false story to claim his ownership.

Q.8 What did the horse do when the beggar touched it?

Ans. When the beggar touched the horse it winced as if it did not like the touch of his hand. This reaction of the animals show that it was not owned by the beggar.

Q.9 What did the horse do when the rich man touched it?

Ans. When the rich man touched the horse it neighed and snorted with pleasure. This reaction of the horse proved the true ownership of the rich man.

Q.10 What did the Caliph say to the beggar?

Ans. The Caliph pronounced the beggar that he was a lair and wicked man. And by forgiving him asked him to beg the pardon of the rich man. Afterwards the rich man forgave him.

Sentences

1. Afford …………………… I can’t afford such a heavy expense.
2. Puzzled ………………… Ali was puzzled with the sum.
3. Disguise ……………….. The magician disguised himself as a woman in a second.
4. Dispute ………………… The Kashmir dispute is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan.
5. Lend …………………….. Please lend me your physics book.

Synonyms

1. shiver – tremble
2. astonish – amaze
3. cling – stick
4. request – beg
5. stiffen – harden
6. severe – stern
7. utterly – completely
8. disguise – hide
9. obvious – clear
10. puzzled – confused
11. mingle – mix

Complete the Sentences

1. A large crowd had gathered outside the court.
2. The courtiers crowed round the Caliph.
3. The Caliph disguised himself as a common man.
4. The people recognized the Caliph inspite of his disguise.
5. His right leg is shorter than the left leg, so he has a limp in his walk.
6. The rich man saw the lame beggar limping along the road.
7. The beggar motioned to him to stop.
8. He stood still and made no motion.
9. He uttered a few words and then lost consciousness.
10. To his utter disappointment he failed in the examination.
11. The rich man went galloping along the road.
12. The horse was running at a gallop.
13. The rich man and the beggar both claimed the horse.
14. Whose claim was found to be true?

Verbs and Nouns

1. Beg – Beggary
2. Live – Life
3. Lend – Loan
4. Believe – Belief
5. Please – Pleasant
6. Give – Gift
7. Speak – Speech

Composition

1. Describe the dispute between the rich man and the poor beggar and how did the Caliph prove that the beggar was a liar?

The dispute between the rich man and the beggar was because of a white horse. Both of them were claiming the ownership of the horse plus accusing each other of the robbery. Firstly, rich man riding to the city, he saw the beggar limping along the road. He felt sorry for him and gave him a ride up city gate. Afterwards, the beggar refused to dismount claiming that horse belonged to him. The beggar also told the same story with few amendments.
The Caliph, being wise, settled the dispute in a minute. He ordered both the men to touch the horse. When the beggar touched the horse, it showed the displeasure by wincing. But when the rich man touched the horse, It neighed and snorted with pleasure. The reaction of the animal proved the true ownership of the rich man. In this manner the case was decided and the Caliph was able to prove that the beggar was a liar and wicked man.

2. What is the moral of the lesson “The Wise Caliph”?

The lesson “The Wise Caliph” teaches us that if someone is dishonest to you and treats you in the bad manner, you should not treat him in the smae manner in which her behaved. The best revenge for a bad deed is a good deed.