Use point + evidence + explanation.

1. How does the setting create both hardship and hope at the beginning of the play? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use details about the road, sun and distant city.
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Answer: The dusty road and high midday sun show that the journey is tiring. At the same time, Ujjain is visible ahead and its distant noise reaches the travellers. The city therefore represents the hope of work and a better future.

2. What do the first few speeches tell us about the difficulty of their journey? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use the length of the journey and Ram Datt’s physical action.
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Answer: Ram Datt wipes his brow, showing heat and tiredness. The men have been away from their village for ten days, and every day feels longer. Their words show that the journey is physically tiring and that the search for work is uncertain.

3. What qualities do Dev Datt and Ram Datt show while talking about Ujjain? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use Dev Datt’s patience and Ram Datt’s confidence.
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Answer: Dev Datt shows patience and a wide way of looking at their struggle. He believes ten days are short in the larger journey of life. Ram Datt shows confidence because he believes the King will recognise their talents. Together, they remain hopeful despite uncertainty.

4. How do Har Datt and Dev Datt show practical thinking in this exchange? 3 Marks
How to answer: Compare planning with taking the next immediate step.
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Answer: Har Datt recognises that hope alone is not enough and that they need a strategy. Dev Datt suggests reaching the city gates first and then thinking carefully. Both men connect hope with practical action.

5. What is meant by “They may tell us more than meets the eye”? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain how tracks can give hidden information.
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Answer: Ram Datt means that the tracks may reveal information that is not obvious at first. By studying their shape, depth and pattern, the men may learn about the camel’s body and condition without seeing it.

6. How does the approaching Merchant change the situation in Scene I? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain the shift from private discovery to a possible problem.
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Answer: Before the Merchant arrives, the men are simply studying tracks and planning to share their findings. His distressed arrival connects their discoveries to a real missing camel. It also creates the possibility that their unusual knowledge may be misunderstood.

7. Why does the Merchant become increasingly surprised during this exchange? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain how the questions match his camel exactly.
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Answer: The Merchant has only asked whether they have seen his camel, but the men begin describing its exact physical problems. The first two details—lameness and blindness in the right eye—are both correct. Their knowledge seems impossible to him because they have not yet said how they learnt it.

8. Why does the Merchant first think Dev Datt may be a healer? 3 Marks
How to answer: Connect Dev Datt’s exact knowledge with the camel’s illness.
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Answer: Dev Datt correctly identifies a stomach pain that the camel has suffered for two weeks. The Merchant cannot imagine that a traveller could know this from tracks, so he assumes Dev Datt must be a healer who can diagnose and cure the animal.

9. How does the Merchant’s accusation show the danger of jumping to conclusions? 3 Marks
How to answer: Separate what he knows from what he merely assumes.
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Answer: The Merchant knows only that the men can describe his camel. He has no proof that they stole it. Instead of asking how they reached their conclusions, he immediately assumes theft. His anger turns an unexplained fact into an unfair accusation.

10. How does the ending of Scene I prepare Scene II? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain what remains unresolved and where it will be decided.
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Answer: Scene I ends with the Merchant taking the four men to the palace. The accusation has not been settled, and the camel is still missing. Scene II must therefore decide whether the men are thieves or wise observers.

11. How does Scene I change from a journey in search of work into a serious conflict? 3 Marks
How to answer: Trace the main stages from the road to the accusation.
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Answer: Scene I begins with four tired but hopeful men travelling to Ujjain for work. Their careful study of camel tracks reveals four facts about a missing camel. When the Merchant arrives, their exact knowledge first amazes him and then makes him suspicious. Because they say they have never seen the camel, he accuses them of theft and takes them to the King.

12. Compare the behaviour of the four young men with that of the Merchant in Scene I. 3 Marks
How to answer: Use calm observation versus hurried judgement.
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Answer: The four young men observe quietly, study details and speak calmly. The Merchant arrives distressed and quickly moves from surprise to anger. The young men rely on evidence, while the Merchant relies on assumption. This contrast prepares the play’s main lesson about wisdom and judgement.

13. What do the entrance and behaviour of the four men show about them? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use their bow and their calmness despite the accusation.
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Answer: The four men bow respectfully and remain calm even though they have been accused. This shows self-control, respect for the court and confidence that they can explain the truth.

14. How does the King’s first response differ from the Merchant’s judgement? 3 Marks
How to answer: Compare accusation with the King’s request for clear evidence.
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Answer: The Merchant has already decided that the men are thieves. The King does not accept the charge immediately. He asks the Merchant to state it clearly and then gives Ram Datt a chance to speak. This shows a fairer and more careful approach.

15. Explain Ram Datt’s reasoning from clue to conclusion. 3 Marks
How to answer: Write the chain: footprint pattern → uneven weight → limp.
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Answer: Ram Datt saw that only three footprints were clear and the fourth was faint. A healthy animal would place its weight more evenly. The faint fourth print showed that the camel was protecting one leg and walking with a limp. Therefore, he concluded that it was lame.

16. Why does eating only from the left side suggest blindness in the right eye? 3 Marks
How to answer: Connect what the camel could see with the side it chose.
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Answer: A camel that could see both sides would notice leaves on both sides of the road. This camel nibbled only the left-side foliage and left the right side untouched. Shiv Datt therefore reasoned that it could not see with its right eye.

17. What makes Har Datt’s clue especially impressive? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain why the clue is small and indirect.
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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.

18. How did the footprint depth lead Dev Datt to conclude that the camel had stomach pain? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain the camel’s effort to protect itself from discomfort.
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Answer: The camel placed more weight on its forefeet, making deep prints, and drew up its hind legs, making a faint print from the healthy hind foot. Dev Datt understood that it was moving cautiously to reduce pain in its belly. Therefore, he concluded that it had stomach pain.

19. How does the King’s judgement show fairness? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain how he listens, checks evidence and corrects the accusation.
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Answer: The King gives the Merchant and the four men a chance to speak. He asks how each conclusion was reached and judges the explanations instead of rank or emotion. Once the reasoning proves their innocence, he dismisses the charge and warns the Merchant to accuse people carefully.

20. Why does the King compare their wisdom to a beacon? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain the image of a guiding light.
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Answer: A beacon is a light that guides people. The King believes the men’s wisdom can guide his decisions and help the kingdom choose the right path. The comparison shows how highly he values wise counsel.

21. How does the final stage direction complete the play? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain the applause, greeting and fulfilled journey.
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Answer: The court’s applause publicly honours the four men. The King steps down to greet them, showing respect, and they stand both proud and humble. Their difficult journey is fulfilled because they have found meaningful work and recognition.

22. How does Scene II prove that observation becomes useful only when supported by reasoning? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use all four explanations briefly.
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Answer: Each man connects one clue with a clear conclusion: a faint footprint shows lameness, untouched right-side leaves show blindness, blood drops show a short tail, and uneven print depth shows stomach pain. The clues alone are small; their reasoning gives the clues meaning and proves their wisdom.

23. What qualities of the King are revealed through the court scene? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use his questions, judgement and final offer.
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Answer: The King is fair, patient and able to value merit. He listens to both sides, asks for explanations, rejects an accusation without proof and rewards the four men’s intelligence. His offer also shows that he wants wise advisers rather than flatterers.

24. How does teamwork help the four young men? 3 Marks
How to answer: Explain how separate observations form a complete picture.
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Answer: Each man notices a different clue, so no single person knows everything. When their observations are combined, they describe the camel’s four problems. Their teamwork shows that different strengths can produce a fuller understanding.

25. Why is the Merchant’s change from admiration to anger important? 3 Marks
How to answer: Trace what causes both reactions.
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Answer: The Merchant first admires the men because they describe his camel perfectly and even thinks Dev Datt is a healer. When they cannot tell him the camel’s location, the same knowledge becomes suspicious. This change creates the conflict and shows how facts can be misunderstood without explanation.

26. How do stage directions help us understand character in the play? 3 Marks
How to answer: Use at least two examples.
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Answer: “Wiping his brow” shows Ram Datt’s tiredness, “Pausing thoughtfully” shows Har Datt’s careful nature, and the Merchant’s breathless or indignant actions show worry and anger. Stage directions let us see feelings and behaviour beyond the spoken words.

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CA Maninder Singh

CA Maninder Singh is a Chartered Accountant with 16+ years of practical experience and 20+ years of teaching experience. At Teachoo, he simplifies Accounts, Tax and GST with step-by-step examples so students can apply concepts confidently in exams and real life.

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