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Extract from the Story
Even the wisest rulers face moments of disharmony, and at one such time, the king had a quarrel with his queen, Thirumalambal, over a seemingly
trivial
matter. For weeks, he did not utter a single word to her, and in his frustration, stopped visiting her altogether. His absence cast a shadow over the palace, and the once cheerful corridors seemed quiet and
forlorn
.
Summary in Bullet Points
- The king and Queen Thirumalambal quarrel over a seemingly trivial matter. trivial = small or unimportant
- Instead of clearing the misunderstanding, the king stops speaking to the queen and stops visiting her—for weeks .
- His private anger changes the atmosphere of the whole palace; the cheerful corridors become quiet and forlorn . forlorn = lonely and sad
- The phrase “cast a shadow over the palace” is not about a real shadow. cast a shadow = made the mood sad, tense and gloomy
- The pattern to notice: small misunderstanding + hurt pride + no communication = a conflict much bigger than the original problem.
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Let us think and reflect · II.3
NCERT Poorvi page 8
Let us think and reflect · II.3
How did the quarrel between the king and the queen affect the palace?
How to answer:
Use the exact event or wording from the story and explain it in one or two complete sentences.
View Answer
The king stopped talking to and visiting the queen. His absence spread a
gloom
over the whole palace - the once-happy corridors went quiet and sad. So the fight changed the mood of the entire palace.
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Fill in the Blank · Vocabulary
1 mark
The writer calls the cause of the quarrel a “__________ matter” to show that it was small and unimportant.
How to answer:
Use the exact adjective from the text.
View Answer
trivial
trivial = small and unimportant
trivial = small and unimportant
MCQ · Phrase Meaning
1 mark
“His absence cast a shadow over the palace” means that:
How to answer:
Do not interpret the phrase literally. Identify the emotional effect.
View Answer
Answer: (B)
— the king being away made the palace mood gloomy and unhappy.
Short Answer · Writer’s Purpose
2 marks
Why does the writer begin this event with “Even the wisest rulers face moments of disharmony”?
How to answer:
Explain the contrast between the king’s wisdom and his behaviour in the quarrel.
View Answer
The line reminds us that
being wise doesn't mean you never make mistakes
. Krishnadeva Raya is a respected, wise king, yet he still handles a small fight badly. This sets us up for him learning and growing later.
