SUPPLYMENTARY READING-2
THE HAPPY CURE
THE HAPPY CURE
RETOLD BY:ROSE DOBBS
I. Four alternatives are given. Choose the best alternative: -
1) The king was bored to …………..
A] death B] live C] happiness D] sacrifice
2) The king called Physicians and Surgeons as ……….
A] idiots B] dolts C] foe D] strangers
3) The ………….. suggested a cure to the king.
A] happy man B] courtiers C] old woman D] the stable man
4) The people in the ………. might be happy if majesty didn’t tax them so heavily.
A] east B] west C] north D] south
5) The …………… was a happy man.
A] stable boy B] stranger C] king D] doctors
6) King said that he was at …………
A] dream B] death’s door C] room D] dream
7) ………. and ……….. came from far and wide.
A] Friends & Family B] Workers & Soldiers
C] Doctors & Teachers D] Physicians & Surgeons
8) A simple ………….. came to see the king.
A] young lady B] old woman C] physician D] doctor
9) Moan means ………..
A] gentle manner B] painful sound C] stupid person D] look closely
10) A happy man’s …………. was the cure for the king.
A] pant B] work C] shirt D] song
II. Answer the following questions:-
1. Why was the king being bored to death?
Ans.: The king said he was at death’s door. However, the truth of the matter was that the king
was suffering from having nothing to do. Therefore, he was bored to death.
2. What was the report given by the people of the west?
Ans.: The people in the west might be happy if they did not have to work o long and so hard, so
they might have a little time to enjoy singing and dancing.
3. How the soldiers, couriers, messengers and herald followed the command of the king?
Ans.: The king commanded ‘Start off at once’, and brings the shirt of a happy man. The soldiers
and couriers, messengers and herald travelled everywhere from east to west, from north to south,
across seas and deserts; through cities and over mountains, from one end of the kingdom to the
other.
4. Why the stranger burst into laughter?
Ans.: The stable boy said to the stranger ‘The whole kingdom is looking for you. The king is
very ill and only if he can sleep one night in the shirt of a happy man he can be cured’. Take off
your shirt! Therefore, the stranger burst into laughter that he did not posses a shirt.
5. What the old woman said to the king and what was the cure she said?
Ans.: The simple old woman peered into the king’s face a long time. Then she said,’ Your
majesty, you are suffering from a stranger and rare disease’. So rare and strange, that no name
exists for it. The cure you must sleep one night in the shirt of a happy man and he will be cure
instantly.
6. How Physicians and Surgeons treated the king?
Ans.: Physicians and Surgeons came from far and wide. They looked down the king’s throat,
they tapped his chest, and they felt his pulse. They hemmed, hawed, and stroke their beards.
However, they could find nothing wrong.
III Read each of the following extracts and answer the questions given below:
1. “Physicians and Surgeons are dolts”
a. What does ‘dolts’ mean?
Ans.: ‘Dolts’ means Stupid person.
b. Why did he say so?
Ans.: Physicians and surgeons came from far and wide. They looked down the king’s throat,
they tapped his chest, and they felt his pulse. They hemmed hawed and stroke their beards.
However, they could find nothing wrong. Therefore, the king cried Physicians and Surgeons are
dolts.
2. “He was being bored to death”
a. Who does ‘He’ refer to?
Ans.: ‘He’ refers to foolish king
b. Why he was bored to death?
Ans.: The king was at the death’s door. However, the truth of the matter was that he was
suffering from having nothing to do. Therefore, he was bored to death.
3. “Aren’t there any plain, ordinary doctors in the kingdom”
a. Who said this?
Ans.: The foolish king said this.
b. Why did he ask for plain doctors?
Ans.: The king was suffering from having nothing to do. He was bored to death. Physician and
Surgeons came from far and wide. They checked his body. However, they could find nothing
wrong. Soothe king asked for plain, ordinary doctors to suggest a cure.
4. “Plain ordinary doctors are idiots”
a. Who said this?
Ans.: The foolish king said this.
b. Why did he say so?
Ans.: The ordinary doctors felt the king’s pulse; they tapped his chest and looked down his
throat. They hawed and hemmed took of their spectacles. However, even they could find nothing
wrong. Therefore, the king said this.
5. “Your majesty, you are suffering from a strange and rare disease”
a. Who said this?
Ans.: The old woman said this.
b. How did the king react to this?
Ans.: When the old woman said the king, ‘There I knew it’ cried in glee. ‘I kept telling all of
them, the fools, that I’m a sick man’.
6. “A very sick man”
a. Who said this?
Ans.: The old woman said this.
b. Who was very sick man? What was the cure for his disease?
Ans.: The foolish king was very sick man. The cure for his disease is to sleep one night in the
shirt of a happy man.
7. “I sing from joy”
a. Who does ‘I’ refer to?
Ans.: ‘I’ refers to the happy man.
b. Why does the stranger sang from joy?
Ans.: The stranger loved his fellow man. He owned but little and wanted less. This made the
stranger happy. So that stranger sang from joy.
8. “My shirt, he gasped”
a. Who said this?
Ans.: The happy man said this.
b. To who was it said. Why?
Ans.: It was said to a stable boy. Because the king was ill and only if he can sleep one night in
the thirst of a happy man he can be cure. Therefore, the boy asked a happy man’s shirt.
9. “And is there no cure for me?”
a. Where does ‘me’ refer?
Ans.: ‘Me’ refers to the foolish king.
b. What was the cure suggested by the woman?
Ans.: The old woman suggested to sleep one night in the shirt of a happy man and he will be
cured instantly.
10. “Start off at once”
a. To who was it said.
Ans.: It was said to guard, soldiers, couriers, messengers and herald.
b. How did they obey his order?
Ans.: The soldiers and couriers, messenger and heralds travelled far and wide from east to west,
from north to south, across seas and deserts; through cities and over mountains from one end of
the kingdom to the other.
11. “What makes you sing so merrily?”
a. Give the similar meaning for merrily?
Ans.: ‘Happily’ gives the similar meaning.
b. Why the stranger was singing happily?
Ans.: The stranger loved his fellow man, he own, but little and want less. Therefore, he was a
happy man and he was singing happily.
12. “Only I can cure my own folly”
a. Whom does ‘I’ refer to?
Ans.: ‘I’ refers to the foolish king.
b. When was it said?
Ans.: The little stable boy said that the happy man didn’t possess a shirt. The king hung his head,
ashamed and quoted the statement.
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