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Extract from the Play
HAR DATT
:
I discovered that the camel’s tail is short, Your Highness.
KING
:
Explain how you came to such a conclusion.
HAR DATT
:
I noticed small droplets of blood along the track, likely from mosquito bites. A camel with a long tail would have
fended off
these pests with ease. These small specks told me of an animal lacking such defence, hence the short tail.
KING
:
(Impressed)
You reasoned with great
insight
, showing both observation and deduction.
(Turning to Dev Datt)
And you, what did you observe that set you apart from your companions?
Summary in Bullet Points
- Har Datt tells the King that the camel has a short tail.
- He had seen small drops of blood on the road, probably from mosquito bites.
- A camel with a long tail could have moved the insects away. Since this camel could not do that, Har Datt understood that its tail was short.
-
The King is impressed because Har Datt gets an exact answer from a very small clue.
fended off
= drove away or protected itself from
pests = troublesome insects or small animals
insight = clear understanding
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
How did mosquito bites help Har Datt identify a short tail?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Explain what a long tail would normally do.
View Answer
Answer: A long tail would swat mosquitoes away. The blood spots from bites showed that the camel could not protect itself properly, so Har Datt concluded that its tail was short.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
What makes Har Datt’s clue especially impressive?
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain why the clue is small and indirect.
View Answer
Answer: Har Datt notices tiny drops of blood rather than an obvious footprint. He then connects mosquito bites with the camel’s inability to drive pests away. The clue is small, but his reasoning gives it meaning.
