CBSE Class 7 English Chapter 3: Gopal and the Hilsa Fish NCERT Solutions

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NCERT Solutions PDF Class 7 PDF

CBSE Class 7 English, 'Gopal and the Hilsa Fish' presents a delightful story about intelligence and strategic thinking. The chapter follows Gopal, a clever courtier, who accepts a challenge to bring a hilsa fish to the king's palace, a task made difficult by the fish's immense popularity and the king's decree against discussing it. Gopal devises a unique and eccentric plan, dressing in rags and behaving strangely, which successfully distracts everyone, allowing him to deliver the fish unnoticed. The NCERT Solutions for this chapter focus on understanding Gopal's cleverness, analyzing the plot's progression, and interpreting the story's theme of using wit to overcome obstacles. These solutions help students grasp the nuances of the narrative, explore character development, and appreciate how intelligence can be used in unconventional ways to achieve a goal, thereby enhancing their reading comprehension and analytical abilities.

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BoardCBSE
ClassClass 7
SubjectEnglish
Session2026
LanguageEnglish
TypeNCERT Solutions
Chapter3- Gopal and the Hilsa Fish

Chapter summary

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 3, 'Gopal and the Hilsa Fish,' offer detailed answers to text-based questions. The solutions focus on understanding the story's plot, character roles, and Gopal's clever strategy. They cover comprehension of the king's decree, Gopal's actions, and the public's reaction to his appearance, highlighting the importance of wit over material possessions. The exercises also touch upon reported speech, reinforcing language skills.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the plot and characters of 'Gopal and the Hilsa Fish'.
  • Analyze Gopal's clever strategy to bring the hilsa fish to the palace.
  • Explain the king's frustration and Gopal's solution.
  • Identify and use reported speech correctly.
  • Evaluate the importance of wit and appearance in the story.

Topics covered

Paper topics

  • Story Comprehension
  • Character Analysis
  • Gopal's Cleverness
  • King's Frustration
  • Hilsa Fish Season
  • Reported Speech
  • Direct Speech
  • Story Plot
  • Character Appearance
  • Court Etiquette

Important topics

  • Gopal's strategy to bring the fish
  • Understanding the king's mood
  • The role of Gopal's appearance
  • Converting direct to reported speech
  • Analyzing character motivations

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Questions and Solutions

Question 1

Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
Solution: The king had grown tired and frustrated with the incessant discussions about hilsa-fish. It was the peak season for hilsa, and consequently, everyone, including his courtiers, was preoccupied with talking about it. The king felt this was a waste of time and wanted the conversations to cease.

Question 2

What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
Solution: To demonstrate his cleverness, the king challenged Gopal to buy a large hilsa-fish from the market and bring it to the palace. The crucial part of the challenge was that no one along the entire journey, from the market to the palace, should ask or speak a single word about the fish.

Question 3

What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?
Solution: Before heading out to purchase the hilsa-fish, Gopal took three specific and unusual steps to prepare himself. He half-shaved his beard, smeared his face and body with ash, and dressed himself in a set of old, ragged, and disgraceful clothes.

Question 4

How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
Solution: When Gopal arrived at the palace with the hilsa-fish, the guards initially refused him entry, likely due to his bizarre appearance. Instead of arguing, Gopal began to dance and sing loudly outside the palace. This commotion attracted attention, and the king, hearing the noise, sent a messenger to summon Gopal to the court.

Question 5

Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa-fish which Gopal had bought.
Solution: The reason no one inquired about the hilsa-fish Gopal was carrying was that his own appearance completely overshadowed the fish. His half-shaved face, ash-smeared body, and tattered clothes made him look so strange and comical that people's attention was entirely focused on him and his peculiar state, rather than the fish he held.

Question 6

Write 'True' or 'False' against each of the following sentences.
  1. The king lost his temper easily.
  2. Gopal was a madman.
  3. Gopal was a clever man.
  4. Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes.
  5. The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong.
Solution:
  1. False. The story shows the king getting annoyed, but not necessarily losing his temper easily. He was patient enough to set a challenge for Gopal.
  2. False. Gopal was not a madman; he was a very clever courtier who used his intelligence strategically.
  3. True. Gopal successfully completed the king's difficult challenge, proving his cleverness.
  4. False. Gopal deliberately wore rags as part of his plan, not because he was poor.
  5. False. The king did not get angry when Gopal succeeded; he acknowledged Gopal's cleverness and was amused.

Question 7

Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead what they say is put in a speech 'bubble'. However, if we wish to repeat or 'report' what they say, we must put it into reported speech. Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech. The first one has been done for you.
  1. How much did you pay for that hilsa? The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
  2. Why is your face half-shaven? Gopal's wife asked him .....
  3. I accept the challenge, Your Majesty. Gopal told the king .....
  4. I want to see the king. Gopal told the guards .....
  5. Bring the man to me at once. The king ordered the guard .....
Solution:
  1. Gopal's wife asked him why his face was half-shaven. (The question changes from present tense 'is' to past tense 'was' when reported).
  2. Gopal told the king that he accepted his challenge. (The first person pronoun 'I' changes to 'he', and 'accept' changes to 'accepted').
  3. Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the king. ('I want' becomes 'he wanted').
  4. The king ordered the guard to bring the man to him at once. (The imperative sentence 'Bring...' is changed into an infinitive phrase 'to bring...').

Common mistakes

  • Confusing direct and reported speech.
  • Misinterpreting character motivations.
  • Overlooking the significance of Gopal's appearance.
  • Difficulty in recalling specific plot details.

Revision tips

  • Reread the story to grasp the sequence of events.
  • Focus on Gopal's actions and the king's reactions.
  • Practice converting direct speech to reported speech using the examples.
  • Discuss the story's moral with classmates to deepen understanding.

Practice MCQs

Q1. Why was the king tired of hearing about hilsa-fish?

Q2. What challenge did the king give Gopal?

Q3. How did Gopal prepare himself to buy the hilsa-fish?

Q4. Why did the guards initially refuse to let Gopal see the king?

Q5. What was the main reason people didn't ask about the hilsa-fish Gopal carried?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of the story 'Gopal and the Hilsa Fish'?

The main theme of the story is about using intelligence and wit to overcome challenges, as demonstrated by Gopal's clever plan to handle the king's annoyance about the constant talk of hilsa-fish.

How did Gopal prove he was clever?

Gopal proved his cleverness by accepting the king's challenge to bring a hilsa-fish to the palace without anyone asking about it. He achieved this by making himself look so peculiar that people were more interested in his appearance than the fish.

What is 'reported speech' and how is it used in this chapter?

Reported speech is when you convey what someone said without using their exact words. This chapter uses reported speech to retell dialogues from the story, for example, changing a direct question into an indirect one.

Why did the king want to stop the talk about hilsa-fish?

The king was tired of hearing everyone talk about hilsa-fish because it was the season for it, and the constant discussion was becoming a nuisance and a waste of time in his court.

How can these NCERT solutions help students?

These solutions help students by providing clear, rewritten answers to all questions, aiding in a better understanding of the story, characters, and language concepts like reported speech, which is crucial for exam preparation.

Important links

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