Chapter 4 – Folk-Tales of Bengal – The Ghost Brahman Additional Questions and Answers

Content structure

  • Long questions & answers

Long questions & answers

1. How did the cowboy king catch the ghost?
Ans: The cowherd king took out a small bottle and said that whoever could enter it would be the real Brahman. The real Brahman said it was impossible, but the ghost wanted to show off and turned into a tiny insect to go inside. The cowherd king quickly closed the bottle and told the Brahman to throw it into the sea. In this way, the ghost was trapped and the problem was solved.

2. Why did the Brahman decide to leave home after marriage?
Ans: The Brahman realized soon after his marriage that he didn’t have enough money to take care of both his mother and his wife. So, he decided to travel to distant places to earn money. Before leaving, he gave his little savings to his mother and asked her to look after his wife. This shows his love, care, and strong sense of duty towards his family.

3. How did the ghost take over the Brahman’s life?
Ans: The same evening the Brahman left, a ghost who looked exactly like him came to the house. The ghost told the wife that the day was unlucky and that he had already earned some money. Because he looked and talked just like the real Brahman, the wife and mother believed him. The ghost then started living in the house as the real husband and son.

4. How did the Brahman react on hearing the constable’s words? What did the neat-herd king say to the Brahman? What did the Brahman do then? 1+3+1
Ans: The Brahman was surprised when the constable told him that the king wanted to meet him. The neat-herd king asked the Brahman why he cried every day. The Brahman explained everything about how the ghost had stolen his life. The neat-herd king understood his problem and promised to help but needed the real king’s permission. The Brahman then went to the king and requested him to allow the neat-herd king to handle his case.

5. What lesson can we learn from this story?
Ans: This story teaches us that truth and clever thinking can overcome any problem. The honest Brahman couldn’t prove himself, but a clever cowherd boy, acting as a king, used his smartness to find the truth. It also teaches that looks can be misleading — someone may look the same but not be real. In the end, truth and honesty always win.

6. What happened after the Brahman had met the king? Why was the king in a fix? What measures did the king take? Was the Brahman happy with the measures taken?
Ans: The king called both the real Brahman and the ghost-Brahman to his court. He was confused because both looked exactly the same. Not knowing what to do, the king kept delaying the case. Every day, the Brahman came to the court for justice, but the king kept saying to come again the next day. The Brahman was unhappy and felt hopeless because the king didn’t help him.

7. Who helped the Brahman to get back his real identity? How? What happened to the ghost-Brahman finally? How did the brahman spend his life then? [WBCHSE XI Semester-II approved Model Set Question-2024]
Ans: The cowherd (neat-herd) king helped the Brahman get back his real identity. He brought a small bottle and said whoever could enter it would be the real Brahman. The real one said it was impossible, but the ghost turned into a small insect and went inside. The cowherd king quickly sealed the bottle and told the Brahman to throw it into the sea. The ghost was trapped forever. The Brahman got his house and family back and lived happily for many years.

8. What did the neat-herd king say at the end of the trial to the Brahman and the ghost-Brahman? What was the Brahman’s reply? What did the ghost-Brahman? What happened to the ghost-Brahman finally? 2+1+1+1
Ans: At the end of the trial, the neat-herd king said that whoever could enter the small bottle would be the real Brahman. The real Brahman said it was foolish and impossible for any man to enter it. But the ghost said he could and turned into a tiny insect to go inside. As soon as he did, the neat-herd king sealed the bottle tightly and told the Brahman to throw it into the sea. The ghost was trapped forever.

9. What game did the cow-boys play and where? How did they play that game? What did the cow-boy king ask his vizier? What was his order to the constable? 1+2+1+1
Ans: The cow-boys played a game called “royalty” under a big tree outside the town. They let their cows graze and chose one boy to be the king, while the others acted as ministers, guards, and constables. During the game, the cow-boy king asked his vizier if he knew why the Brahman cried every day. The vizier didn’t know, so the king told a constable to bring the Brahman to him.

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