Q1.
I. Arrange the following events in order of their occurrence from Scene II of the play. One example has been done for you.
1. The King makes the four young men his advisers, impressed by their skills. (8)
2. Ram Datt explains how he infers from the tracks that the camel is lame.
3. The King asks the merchant to clearly state his accusation.
4. The King praises the young men for their observations and dismisses the merchant’s accusation.
5. Shiv Datt reveals that the camel is blind in its right eye as it had only chewed on the leaves on the left side of the road.
6. Dev Datt explains his observation about the camel’s pain and careful movement.
7. Har Datt clarifies how he knew that the camel has a short tail.
8. The merchant accuses the four men of knowing a lot about his missing camel.
Answer
| Statement as printed | Order | Line from the play |
|---|---|---|
| 3. The King asks the merchant to clearly state his accusation. | 1 | “Speak your accusation clearly. I shall not tolerate any confusion in my court.” |
| 8. The merchant accuses the four men of knowing a lot about his missing camel. | 2 | “These men know every detail of my missing camel, yet they insist they have never seen it.” |
| 2. Ram Datt explains how he infers from the tracks that the camel is lame. | 3 | “only three feet left distinct impressions. The fourth was faint, indicating a limp.” |
| 5. Shiv Datt reveals that the camel is blind in its right eye… | 4 | “It had nibbled only on the foliage to the left of the road, leaving the right side untouched.” |
| 7. Har Datt clarifies how he knew that the camel has a short tail. | 5 | “small droplets of blood along the track, likely from mosquito bites… hence the short tail.” |
| 6. Dev Datt explains his observation about the camel’s pain and careful movement. | 6 | “the prints of the camel’s forefeet were deep and clear, while those of the sound hind foot were faint.” |
| 4. The King praises the young men and dismisses the merchant’s accusation. | 7 | “Your accusations are baseless and misguided. These are men of wisdom, not thieves.” |
| 1. The King makes the four young men his advisers. | 8 (given) | “I extend to you the honour of becoming my advisers.” |
The trap in this exercise: Statements 3 and 8 come next to each other and look interchangeable. They are not. The King speaks first — “Speak your accusation clearly” — and the merchant’s accusation is his answer to that order. Getting the pair the wrong way round changes the King’s character: it would make him a ruler who lets a complaint be shouted at his court instead of one who controls his own proceedings.
Tip: The four explanations (2, 5, 7, 6) always follow the order in which the King questions the men — Ram Datt, Shiv Datt, Har Datt, Dev Datt — which is also the order in which they first spoke on the road in Scene I. The playwright keeps it constant so the audience never has to work out who is speaking.