TALEEM: THE WISE CALIPH

ENGLISH 10TH – Text Book Exercise

UNIT # 1.1

Text Book Exercise 1

Read the story and answer the following questions in your notebook.

(a) How many main characters are there in the story?
Ans: There are four main characters in the story.

(b) Who are they?
Ans: The main characters of the story “The Wise Caliph” are:
(i) The Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid
(ii) The Qazi
(iii) The rich man
(iv) The beggar

(c) Who got the horse?
Ans: The rich man got the horse because the horse belonged to him.

(d) Was the person who wrongly claimed the horse punished?
Ans: No. He was not punished because he was pardoned by both the caliph and the rich man.

Text Book Exercise 2

Read the text again and underline the following words:

disguise
concerned
welfare
mingle
rags
dispute
resolve
certain
claims
motioned
dismount
puzzled
winced
neighed
pronounced

Meanings of the words:

Disguise: To change appearance.
Claims: States something as true.
Welfare: General well-being.
Mingle: To mix with people.
Rags: Old, torn clothes.
Dispute: Disagreement about something.
Resolve: To find a solution.
Certain: To know for sure.
Concerned: Worried about.
Motioned: Signaled.
Dismount: To get off something.
Puzzled: Unable to understand.
Winced: Showed dislike.
Neighed: Sound made by a horse.
Pronounced: Officially said.

Text Book Exercise 3

The following statements are incorrect. Read the text and write the correct statements:

Incorrect: The case was first brought to the Caliph by the two men.
Correct: The case was first brought to the Caliph by the Qazi.
Incorrect: The Qazi said that the case was easy so he could not solve it.
Correct: The Qazi said that the case was very difficult so he could not solve it.
Incorrect: The Caliph asked the beggar to speak first.
Correct: The Caliph asked the rich man to speak first.
Incorrect: The Caliph wanted the rich man to touch the horse first.
Correct: The Caliph wanted the beggar to touch the horse first.
Incorrect: The horse belonged to the beggar.
Correct: The horse belonged to the rich man.
Incorrect: The Caliph decided to be strict.
Correct: The Caliph decided to be merciful.
Incorrect: The rich man hit the beggar.
Correct: The rich man forgave the beggar.

Text Book Exercise 4

Identify the correct speakers for each statement:

S No	Dialogue	Speaker
1.	He begged me to give him a ride.	The Rich Man
2.	I swear the horse is mine.	The Beggar
3.	He said no one would believe me if I said that the horse is mine.	The Beggar
4.	I will tell the truth.	The Rich Man
5.	I have spent all my money on this horse.	The Beggar
6.	He told me I was an ungrateful person.	The Rich Man
7.	On reaching the city gate I asked him to get down.	The Rich Man
8.	He said that he wanted to reach the city quickly.	The Beggar
9.	He said that if I did not get down, he would use force.	The Beggar
10.	You are just and wise.	The Beggar
11.	He wanted to go up to the city gate.	The Rich Man
12.	Believe what I say.	The Rich Man
13.	On reaching the city gate he ordered me to get off the horse.	The Beggar
14.	I was puzzled when he refused to get down.	The Rich Man
15.	He requested me to lend him my horse.	The Beggar
16.	He was limping and asked me to stop.	The Rich Man

Text Book Exercise 5

Complete the following statements in your notebook:

With your knowledge and wisdom, you will be able to resolve the case in a just manner.
He not only refused to get down, but he claimed that the horse belonged to him.
Have pity on me and save me from the cruelty and injustice of this rich man.
Whatever money I had, I spent on this horse.
I beg you to save me from this robber and give me back my horse.
Tell these men to place their hands on the horse, one by one.
You are a liar and a wicked man.
Instead of thanking you for taking pity on me and giving me a lift, I lied and claimed that the horse belonged to me.

Text Book Exercise 6

Complete the following sentences:

(a) The Caliph used to walk through the streets of Baghdad at night because he wanted to gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems.

(b) The Qazi went to the Caliph because he could not solve the case.

(d) The beggar refused to get off the horse because he wanted to rob the rich man’s horse.

(e) The beggar said that he gave the rich man a lift because he was in a great hurry to reach the city.

(f) The horse winced when the beggar touched it because it did not like the touch of his hand.

(g) The horse snorted and neighed when the rich man touched it because the horse was pleased.

(h) Everyone liked the rich man because he not only forgave the beggar but gave him a handful of gold coins.

Text Book Exercise 7

Answer the following questions:

What was Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid known and respected for?
Ans: Caliph Haroon-ur-Rashid was known and respected for his justice and wisdom. At night, he would disguise himself as a common man and go through the streets of Baghdad to mingle with the people and gain first-hand knowledge of their difficulties and problems.
How did the two men brought before the Caliph look like?
Ans: One of them was well-dressed and appeared to be a respectable citizen, while the other was in rags and seemed to be a beggar.
What was the dispute between the rich man and the beggar?
Ans: The dispute between the rich man and the beggar was over a horse, each of them claimed that it belonged to him.
How did the Caliph decide who was the owner of the horse?
Ans: The Caliph asked each man to place their hands on the horse. The horse winced when the beggar touched it but neighed with pleasure when the rich man touched it, proving that the rich man was the real owner.
On what condition did the Caliph decide to forgive the beggar?
Ans: The Caliph decided to forgive the beggar if he begged forgiveness from the rich man.
After getting the horse how did the rich man behave?
Ans: The rich man forgave the beggar and also gave him a handful of gold coins.

TALEEM

Pages

THE WISE CALIPH