MATRIC ENGLISH SINDH BOARD THE WISE CALIPH

 

THE WISE CALIPH

 

Fill in the blanks.

i.                    The Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was known and respected for his justice and wisdom.

ii.                  The caliph would disguise himself as a common man.

iii.                The caliph would go through the streets of Baghdad.

iv.                The two men were holding between them a beautiful white horse.

v.                  When the beggar touched the horse, it winced as if it did not like the touch of his hand.

vi.                The rich man readily forgave the beggar and, feeling sorry for him,

vii.              He gave the beggar a handful of gold coins.

viii.           These two men here are fighting over a horse.

ix.                Each one of them claims and swears that this horse is his.

x.                  The caliph told the men to place their hands on the horse one by one.

xi.                The beggar was a liar and a wicked man.

xii.             This noble action of the rich man pleased everybody in the court.

xiii.           A large crowd had gathered outside the court.

xiv.            The courtiers crowed round the Caliph.

xv.              The people recognized the Caliph in spite of his disguise.

xvi.             The beggar’s right leg was shorter than the left leg, so he had a limp in his walk.

xvii.         The rich man saw the lame beggar limping along the road.

xviii.       The beggar motioned to him to stop.

xix.           The rich man went galloping along the road.

xx.              The rich man and the beggar both claimed the horse.

Question and Answers:

 

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 the Caliph saluted him and presented a puzzling 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 was on 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 the way, he saw a beggar, who asked for a ride up to the city gate. Afterwards, the beggar refused to get down from the horse and claimed that the horse was 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 dismount 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 animal showed 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.

 

Q. 11 Describe in ten sentences the dispute between the rich man and the

beggar.

Ans: 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, a 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.

 

Q.12 How did the Caliph prove that the beggar was a liar?

Ans: 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.

 

Reference to the context:

 

"O Leader of the Faithful! I've brought before you a dispute which I could not settle. It is a difficult case, but I am certain that with your knowledge and wisdom, you will pronounce a just decision.”

 

i.                   Name the chapter. Who spoke these words to whom?

Ans.     The name of the chapter is “The Wise Caliph”. Qazi spoke these words to Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid.

ii.                 What was the dispute which the Qazi could not settle down?

Ans.     The dispute which the Qazi could not settle down was over a white horse. There were two persons each one of them claimed that the horse belonged to him.

iii.               Why was the Qazi ascertained that the caliph would solve this case?

Ans.     The Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was known and respected for his justice, knowledge and wisdom due to this the Qazi was ascertained that he would pronounce a just decision.

 

"O Leader of the Faithful! I beg to believe me that whatever I say in your presence shall be the truth. This morning, when I was riding to the city, I saw this beggar limping along ahead of me, on hearing the sound of my horse's hoofs, he turned around and motioned to me to stop.”

 

i.                   Name the chapter. Who spoke these words to whom?

Ans.     The name of the chapter is “The Wise Caliph”. The well-dressed man spoke these words to Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid.

ii.                 Who saw the well-dressed man? What did he do?

Ans.     A beggar who was limping along the road saw him and motioned he to stop.

iii.               How was the well-dressed man riding? Where was he going?

Ans.     The well-dressed man was riding on a beautiful white horse. He was going to the city gate for some work.

 

"I shall decide it in a minute. Tell these men to place their hands on the horse, one by one. Let the beggar do it first."

           

i.                   Name the chapter. Who spoke these words to whom?

Ans.     The name of the chapter is “The Wise Caliph”. The Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid spoke these words to the Qazi.

ii.                 What did the caliph ask them to do?

Ans.     The caliph asked to touch the horse one by one. He asked the beggar to touch the horse first.

iii.               What happened when the beggar touched the horse?

Ans.     When the beggar touched the horse, it winced as it did not like the touch of the beggar.