IN THE KINGDOM OF FOOLS - Q&A

THINK ABOUT IT

1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?
Answer:
The guru and his disciple found two very strange things in the Kingdom of Fools:
1. Reversed Cycle of Day and Night: The people slept during the day and worked at night. Even the animals had been taught to sleep during the day. Anyone who disobeyed this rule was punished with death.
2. Uniform Pricing: Everything in the shops cost the same amount—a single "duddu"—whether it was a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas.

2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
Answer:
Why he stays: The disciple decides to stay because he is a food lover and is delighted by the cheap prices. He realizes he can buy all the food he wants—rice, wheat, ghee, and sweets—for very little money.

Is it a good idea?: No, it is not a good idea. The guru warns him that it is a kingdom of fools and their behavior is unpredictable ("This won't last very long, and you can't tell what they'll do to you next"). Staying in such a place puts him in danger, which is proven true later in the story.

3. Name all the people who are tried in the king's court, and give the reasons for their trial.
Answer:
A series of people are blamed for the death of a thief who died when a wall collapsed on him. The people tried are:
1. The Merchant: Accused because the wall of his house was weak and fell on the thief.
2. The Bricklayer: Accused by the merchant for building a bad wall.
3. The Dancing Girl: Accused by the bricklayer for distracting him by walking up and down the street with jingling anklets while he was building the wall.
4. The Goldsmith: Accused by the dancing girl for making her walk up and down because he delayed her jewelry order.
5. The Merchant (again): The goldsmith claimed he was busy with a rich merchant's order (the current merchant's father). Since the father was dead, the king decided the son must be punished in his place.

4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?
Answer:
Real Culprit: According to the king's twisted logic, the real culprit is the rich merchant (the owner of the house). Although his father was the one who ordered the jewelry that caused the delay, the king ruled that the son had inherited his father's sins just as he inherited his wealth.

Escape from Punishment: He escapes punishment because when the execution stake was prepared, it was found to be too big for him. He was too thin to fit the stake properly. The king, worried that the execution could not proceed, ordered his men to find someone fat enough to fit the stake, leading them to the disciple.

5. What are the Guru's words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?
Answer:
Words of Wisdom: The Guru's words were: "They are all fools. This won't last very long, and you can't tell what they'll do to you next."

When remembered: The disciple remembers these words when he is arrested by the king's men simply because he is fat enough to fit the execution stake. While waiting for his death, he realizes his guru was right about the danger of living among fools.

6. How does the guru manage to save his disciple's life?
Answer:
The guru saves his disciple using his wisdom and understanding of the fools' nature:
1. Creating a Mystery: He arrives and scolds the disciple, then demands to be executed first.
2. The Trap: When the king asks why, the guru whispers a "secret" to him: that the stake is the "stake of the god of justice" and whoever dies on it first will be reborn as the king of the country, and the second person will be the minister.
3. The Outcome: The foolish king and minister, wanting to remain in power in their next lives, decide to die on the stake themselves. They release the guru and disciple and are executed in secret instead.

TALK ABOUT IT

In Shakespeare's plays the fool is not really foolish. If you have read or seen Shakespeare's plays such as King Lear, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, you may talk about the role of the fool.
Answer:
(This is a discussion-based question. Here is a summary of the concept):
In Shakespearean plays, the "Fool" or court jester is often one of the smartest characters. Unlike the kings and nobles who are blinded by power or emotion, the Fool sees the truth. For example, in King Lear, the Fool is the only one who dares to tell the King that he made a mistake by giving away his kingdom. He uses humor, riddles, and songs to speak harsh truths without getting punished. This contrasts with the "Kingdom of Fools" in the story, where the people are literally foolish and lack wisdom.

Do you know any stories in your language about wise fools, such as Tenali Rama or Gopal Bhar? You can also read about them in Ramanujan's collection of folk tales.
Answer:
(This is a self-attempt question. Here is a brief example):
Yes, Tenali Rama is a famous "wise fool" character from the court of Krishnadevaraya. While he often acted funny or silly, his actions always had a deep wisdom that solved complex problems or taught the king a lesson. For instance, in the story where he paints only the tail of a horse on a wall and claims it's a beautiful painting, he teaches the king that art requires imagination, mimicking the king's earlier statement.