Class 8 Chapter 7 Solution
A King’s Tale
1. Very Short Question Answer
1. Who ruled England many hundreds of years ago?
Ans: Uther – Pendragon ruled England many hundreds of years ago.
2. How was the king?
Ans: The king was the friend and protector to all his people and was fair to everyone.
3. How was the people of Britain during king Uther-Pendragon’s rule?
Ans: The people of Britain lived in peace and happi. ness during his rule.
4. Whom did Uther – Pendragon marry?
Ans: Uther – Pendragon married the beautiful Lady Igraine.
5. Who was the heir to the royal throne?
Ans: The baby boy of the late king and the queen was the heir to the royal throne.
6. What did King Arthur instruct to his people?
Ans: King Arthur instructed his people to put him in a barge and sail him away.
7. Who was Merlin?
Ans: Merlin was a wise counsellor of king Uther-Pen- dragon, a prophet and a magician.
8. Why did the two counsellors meet Sir Ector?
Ans: The two counsellors met Sir Ector to place in his hand a baby wrapped in a scarlet cloak.
9. What did Merlin and Sir Ulfius order to Sir Ector?
Ans: Merlin and Sir Ulfius ordered Sir Ector and his wife to bring up that child as their own son.
10. Where did King Arthur’s trusted knights assemble?
Ans: King Arthurs trusted knights assembled around the famous round table
11. How did Arthur spend his boyhood in the home of Sir Ector?
Ans: Arthur spent his boyhood in happiness and safety in the home of Sir Ector.
12. How did the royal baby become when he grew older?
Ans: When the royal baby grew older, he became gentle, strong, handsome and good like his father Uther – Pendragon.
13. What was desired by the people of Britain?
Ans: The people of Britain longed for the old days of peace and prosperity under Uther-Pendragon.
14. What did people find one day in a churchyard?
Ans: One day, in a churchyard, people found a large stone on which was fixed a magnificent sword.
15. Why did Arthur need a new sword?
Ans: Arthur needed a new sword because he had lost his royal sword in a battle.
16. What was the first duty of King Arthur?
Ans: The first duty of King Arthur was to secure peace in England.
17. What was King Arthur concerned about after becoming the King of England?
Ans: After becoming the King of England, Arthur was concerned about the good of the common people.
18. Why did Arthur fight battle?
Ans: Arthur fought battle so that no one could ill – treat the humblest of his subjects.
19. Where did Merlin take King Arthur one day?
Ans: One day Merlin took King Arthur to a valley of sweet-smelling flowers.
20. What did King Arthur promise?
Ans: King Arthur promised that he would never use that magic sword for any personal benefit.
21. Who could possess the Excalibur?
Ans: Only an honest and fearless knight who would protect the common people could possess Excalibur.
22. From whom did King Arthur accept the enchanted sword?
Ans: King Arthur accepted the enchanted sword from the mysterious hand appearing from the depths of the lake.
23. Why were the greedy barons unhappy with the King Arthur?
Ans: The greedy barons were unhappy with the king Arthur because he was gentle and just.
24. Whom did King Arthur marry?
Ans: King Arthur married the beautiful lady Guinevere, daughter of the King of Cornwall
25. Who, according to Merlin, could possess the Excalibur?
Ans: According to Merlin, only an honest and fearless knight who would protect the common people, could possess the Excalibur.
26. What did the knights do to keep their vows?
Ans: The knights undertook countless hazardous adventures to keep their vows.
27. Where did King Arthur’s trusted knights assemble?
Ans: King Arthurs trusted knights assembled around the famous round table.
2. Short Question Answer
1. What do you think should be the proper duty of a king?
Ans: The roles of a king was to protect the kingdom, increase the wealth and trade of the kingdom as well as to take care of the subjects irrespective of their class or status.
2. When kings fight among themselves, is it good or ill for the common people? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: It is ill for the common people. If the kings fight among themselves then how they will take care of their nation and how they will develop and make their nation peaceful.
3. Why was it difficult time for England after the death of the king and the queen?
Ans: It was difficult time for England after the death of the king and the queen because many of the king’s opponents were looking to seize the throne.
4. Why do you think Merlin and Sir Ulfius entrusted Sir Ector with the baby of the dead king and queen?
Ans: As the king and the queen died soon after the baby was born, the baby had become an orphan and there was none to look after him. Besides it, Sir Ector was a loyal subject of the king and a true knight. So Merlin and Sir Ulfius entrusted Sir Ector.
5. What was written upon the stone on which the sword was fixed?
Ans: Upon the stone on which the sword was fixed, was written – “whoever pulls out this sword is by right of birth, the king of England.”
6. What happened on the bright May morning?
Ans: On the bright May morning, a great trial took place in the presence of many people. Arthur lifted the sword easily and the crowd hailed him as the king.
7. What happened when Arthur approached the lake?
Ans: When Arthur approached the lake, a beautiful arm with golden bracelets rose from the water. The hand held a sword set with rubies and emeralds.
8. Describe the pavilion where the round table was placed.
Ans: The pavilion was richly gilded, painted crimson and dark blue. The floor was marbled. In the middle of the room, there was a huge, round, oak table, richly carved, capable of seating fifty people.
9. What did King Arthur’s devoted knights promise?
Ans: King Arthur’s devoted knights promised that they would help the helpless, be gentle to the weak and to punish the wicked.
10. Why did King Arthur smile when he was informed that the Excalibur was taken back into the lake by a beautiful arm?
Ans: King Arthur smiled because he was pleased to know that the Excalibur was returned properly to its original place.
11. What happened when the Excalibur was thrown into the lake by the trusted knight of King Arthur?
Ans: When the Excalibur was thrown into the lake by the trusted knight of King Arthur, a beautiful arm arose from the lake, caught the sword and disappeared into the green depths of water.
3. True And false
1. (a) F King Arthur could gift peace and prosperity to England..
(b) F On the wedding day, Merlin took him to a richly gilded pavilion.
(c) T In the middle of the room was a huge, round, oak table, richly carved, capable of sitting fifty people.
(d) T The stories of their goodness and kindness spread throughout the country.
2. (i) F The king (Uther – Pendragon), who was friend and protector to all his people, was fair to everyone.
(ii) T The people of Britain lived in peace and happiness.
(iii) T King Uther Pendragon had two wise counsellors – Merlin. a prophet and a magician, and the brave knight, Sir Ulfius. They were greatly trusted by the royal family.
(iv) T They placed in his hands a baby wrapped in a scarlet cloak.
(v) F In the home of Sir Ector, Arthur, the son of the late king, was spending his boyhood in happiness and safety.
(vi) T Upon a bright May morning, a great trial took place in the presence of many people.
(vii) F Arthur, slender and young, lifted the sword easily.
(viii) F The crowd hailed him (Arthur) as the king.
(ix) F “This is the Excalibur”, Merlin said. “Only an honest and fearless knight who protects the common people can possess this sword.”
(x) T The hand held a sword set with rubies and emeralds.
(xi) F At the edge of a plain there was a deep lake.
(xii) F Arthur’s first duty was to secure peace in England.
(xiii) T King Uther Pendragon had two wise counsellors – Merlin, a prophet and a magician.
(xiv) T King Arthur accepted the enchanted sword.
(xv) F The knights took countless hazardous adventures.
(xvi) F Many of his trusted knights had perished during their adventures.
(xvii) T King Arthur ruled for many happy years.
(xviii) F King Arthur ruled for many happy years.