The King Who Limped 9th English Literature book

prepared by Daya Sir

Story :- 

 यह एक साधारण-सा हास्यरस का नाटक है। यह ऐसे लोगों का मजाक उड़ाता है जो चापलूसी के द्वारा दूसरों को खुश करने की कोशिश करते हैं। उन्हें ‘जी-हजूर’ या ‘चमचे’ कहा जाता है। इस तरह के लोग उस पदवी के पात्र नहीं होते जहां वे लगे होते हैं। अपनी पदवी को बनाए रखने के लिए वे चापलूसी को एक हथियार के रूप में इस्तेमाल करते हैं। किन्तु एक बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति उनकी दुष्टता को तुरन्त समझ जाता है और उन्हें स्वयं से दूर रखता है। इस नाटक में एक नया राजा अपने दरबार में एक हास्यजनक टोप पहने हुए और लंगड़ाते हुए आता है। वह देखना चाहता है कि क्या उसके दरबार में कोई चापलूस किस्म के लोग हैं। राजा को प्रसन्न करने के लिए उसका प्रधान मंत्री, और प्रधान धर्माधिकारी (राजपुरोहित) और एक मोटी-सी दरबारी सेविका भी लंगड़ाने लगते हैं। वे उस तरह के टोप भी मंगवा लेते हैं जो कि राजा पहने हुए है। राजा को तुरन्त पता चल जाता है कि इन लोगों में बिल्कुल कोई योग्यता नहीं है। उन्हें एक साधारण-सी समस्या का समाधान करना भी नहीं आता है। राजा इन चापलूसों को उनके पदों से हटा देता है। वह उन लोगों को नियुक्त कर देता है जो वास्तव में ही इसके पात्र हैं।

It is a simple, humorous play. It makes fun of people who try to please others by flattery. They are sycophants. They have no worth of their own. Such people don’t deserve the position they hold. They use flattery as a tool to maintain their position. But a wise person at once sees through their cunning and keeps them at arm’s length. In this play, a new king comes to his court limping and wearing a funny hat. He wants to see if there are any sycophants in his court. In order to please the King, the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and a fat lady-in-waiting start limping. They also get the kind of hat the King is wearing. The King at once sees that these people have no worth at all. They don’t know how to decide even a simple case. The King removes these sycophants from their positions. He appoints those who really deserve it.

 

Written/Test work 

The King who Limped

Question 1.
Why were the courtiers anxious ?
(दरबारी उत्सुक क्यों थे ?)
Answer:
They were anxious to meet the new King.
वे नए राजा से मिलने के लिए उत्सुक थे।

Question 2.
How did the King look like ?
(राजा देखने में कैसा लगता था?)
Answer:He looked like a stupid.

Or

He is wearing a black hat. And he walks with a  limp.
 उसने एक काला टोप पहने होता है और वह  लंगड़ा कर चलता है।

Question 3.
Who did the King bring with him ? Why ?
(राजा अपने साथ किसे ले कर आया? क्यों?)
Answer:
The King brought with him two men. The two men were neighbours. They were fighting in the street over a dog. Each claimed over dog’. The King wants decide their dispute.

राजा अपने साथ दो आदमी ले कर आया। वे दोनों आदमी पड़ोसी थे। वे गली में एक कुत्ते के बारे में लड़ रहे थे। उनमें से प्रत्येक कुत्ते का मालिक होने का दावा कर रहा था। राजा उनके झगड़े का फैसला करना चाहता है ।

Question 4.
Why were the two men fighting ?
(वे दो आदमी क्यों लड़ रहे थे?)
Answer:
They were fighting over a dog. Each claimed over the dog.

वे एक कुत्ते के बारे में लड़ रहे थे। प्रत्येक कुत्ते का असली मालिक होने का दावा कर रहा था।

Question 5.
Why did the Chancellor and the Prime Minister walk with a limp ?
(राजपुरोहित और प्रधान मन्त्री लंगड़ा कर क्यों चल रहे थे?)
Answer:
They saw that the King had a limp. In order to please the King, they pretended to limp.

उन्होंने देखा कि राजा लंगड़ी चाल से चलता था। राजा को खुश करने के लिए वे लंगड़े होने का नाटक करते हैं ।

Question 6.

Who else did not walk properly ? Why?

(अन्य कौन था जो ठीक ढंग से न चला ? क्यों ?)

Answer:

One of the two Ladies-in-waiting did not walk properly. She said she had a sprained ankle. But in fact, she was only pretending to. She thought she would thus please the King.

दो दरबारी-सेविकाओं में से एक ठीक ढंग से न चली। उसने कहा कि उसके टखने में मोच आ गई थी। किन्तु वास्तव में वह लंगड़े चलने का नाटक कृति है। । वह समझती थी कि इस तरह वह राजा को खुश कर देगी।

Question 7.

How did the King return the dog to the right owner ?

(राजा ने कुत्ता सही मालिक को कैसे लौटाया?)

Answer:

It was suggested that the dog should be divided in two. The two men could then have half each. The first neighbour agreed to it . But the second one said, “It is a good little dog. Don't kill it. Let him have the dog.” Thus the King saw that the second neighbour was the real owner of the dog. He gave the dog to 2nd man and sent the 1st  man to prison.

यह सुझाव दिया गया था कि कुत्ते को दो हिस्सों में बांट दिया जाए। दोनों पडोसी तब आधा-आधा ले सकते थे। पहला पड़ोसी इसके लिए तुरन्त सहमत हो गया। किन्तु दूसरे ने कहा, “यह एक छोटासा सुन्दर कुत्ता है। इसे न मारो। कुत्ता उसे ही दे दीजिए।” इस तरह राजा जान गया कि दूसरा पड़ोसी कुत्ते का असली मालिक था। उसने कुत्ता इस आदमी को दे दिया और दूसरे को जेल भेज दिया।

Question 8.

Why did the King send the first neighbour to prison ?

(राजा ने पहले पड़ोसी को जेल क्यों भेज दिया?)

Answer:It was suggested that the dog should be divided in two. The two men could then have half each. The first neighbour agreed to it . But the second one said, “It is a good little dog. Don't kill it. Let him have the dog.” Thus the King saw that the second neighbour was the real owner of the dog. He gave the dog to 2nd man and sent the 1st  man to prison.

Or 

The first neighbour had told a lie. He had also shown how cruel he was. So the King sent him to prison.

पहले पड़ोसी ने झूठ बोला था। उसने यह भी दिखा दिया था कि वह कितना निर्दय था। इसलिए राजा ने उसे जेल भेज दिया।

Question 9.

Why was the King not pleased with the Chancellor and the Prime Minister ?

(राजा राजपुरोहित और प्रधान मन्त्री से प्रसन्न क्यों नहीं था ?)

Answer:

The King saw that both of them were sycophants/ flattering. Their suggestions to cut dog in two parts. So the King was not pleased with them.

राजा ने देखा कि वे दोनों चापलूस थे। उन्होंने  सुझाव दिया कि कुत्ते को दो हिसों मे काट दो।। इसलिए राजा उनसे प्रसन्न नहीं था।

Question 10.

How was the first lady rewarded ?

(पहली औरत को कैसे पुरस्कृत किया गया?)

Answer:

She was made the chief Lady-in-waiting.

उसे मुख्य दरबारी-सेविका बना दिया गया।

Question 11.

Why were the courtiers amazed at the King’s behaviour ?

(दरबारी राजा के व्यवहार पर चकित क्यों रह गए?)

Ans. Because the king was not limping at the end and he was wise.

Objective Type Questions

Answer the following in one word / phrase / sentence :

Question 1.

Who is the writer of the play, ‘The King Who Limped’?

Answer:

Monica Thorne.

Question 2.

Where does the play open ?

Answer:

In the audience room of the king’s palace.

Question 3.

Who were the courtiers waiting for?

Answer:

They were waiting for the new king.

Question 4.

Why are the courtiers anxious to meet the new king ?

Answer:

Because none of them has seen the king before.

Question 5.

How does the king look when he enters the court ?

Answer:

He wears a bowler hat and walks with a big limp.

Question 6.

Who were the two men whom the king had brought ?

Answer:

They were the men who had been seen fighting in a street.

Question 7.

What does everyone stare at ?

Answer:

At the king’s bowler hat.

Question 8.

What did the previous king wear ?

Answer:

A crown.

Question 9.

What happens to the officials in the end ?

Answer:

The king removes them from their posts.

Question 10.

Who becomes the new Prime Minister ?

Answer:

The Courtier.

Complete the following :

1. The play opens in …………………. of the palace.

2. All the officials have not seen …………… before.

3. The king enters with the blowing of ……………..

4. The Second Lady says that the king is wearing a ……………….. hat.

5. The two men accompanying the king had been ……………….. in a street.

6. The two men were charged with …………………. of peace.

Answer:

1. the audience room

2. the king

3. the trumpets

4. funny

5. fighting

6. breach.

Write True or False against each statement :

1. The king walked with a big limp.

2. The king was wearing a crown.

3. The two men were gossiping in the middle of a street.

4. Each of the neighbours was claiming the dog as his.

5. The Chancellor was promoted to a higher rank.

6. The Courtier was made the Prime Minister.

Answer:

1. True

2. False

3. False

4. True

5. False

6. True.

Choose the correct option for each of the following :

Question 1.

The king was …………

(a) very wise

(b) very kind

(c) justice-loving

(d) a big fool.

Answer:

(d) a big fool.

Question 2.

The officials behaved ….. before the king.

(a) foolishly

(b) wisely

(c) strangely

(d) arrogantly.

Answer:

(a) foolishly

Question 3.

The Prime Minister did not like ………………. sitting on the arm of the throne.

(a) the Chancellor

(b) the First Lady

(c) the Courtier

(d) one of the neighbours.

Answer:

(a) the Chancellor

Question 4.

The king sees everybody staring at ……….

(a) the First Lady

(b) the neighbours

(c) his bowler hat

(d) the dog.

Answer:

(c) his bowler hat

Prepared by :- Daya Sir

Theme :-

The play, The King who Limped is a criticism of people who please their superiors for their favours. Commonly referred to as sycophants, these people go to any extends to please the almighty ones whom they serve.