CBSE Class 8 English Chapter 8 Jalebis NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by NCERT Help Editorial Team · Updated on 29 Jul 2026

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 8 PDF

This resource provides detailed NCERT Solutions for Chapter 8, 'Jalebis,' from the CBSE Class 8 English curriculum. It covers comprehension questions from pages 65, 68, and 72, focusing on the narrative of a young boy's temptation and subsequent guilt over spending his school fees on sweets. The solutions explore the boy's internal conflict, his justifications, and his prayers to God. They help students understand the story's moral lessons about honesty, consequences, and the importance of facing one's actions. These solutions are designed to aid students in comprehending the text thoroughly and preparing effectively for their exams by offering clear explanations and insights into the characters' motivations and the story's events.

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Board	CBSE
Class	Class 8
Subject	English
Session	2026
Language	English
Type	NCERT Solutions
Chapter	Chapter 8 Jalebis

Chapter summary

This chapter's NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English focus on the story 'Jalebis.' The solutions address comprehension questions related to the boy's temptation to buy jalebis with his school fees, his feelings of guilt, his attempts to justify his actions, and his prayer to God. They help students analyze the narrative, understand the character's dilemmas, and grasp the moral implications of his choices. The exercises encourage close reading and critical thinking about the story's events and themes.

Learning outcomes

Understand the narrative of the 'Jalebis' chapter.
Analyze the protagonist's internal conflict and motivations.
Identify and explain the themes of temptation, guilt, and justification.
Answer comprehension questions based on the text.
Evaluate the character's actions and their consequences.
Interpret figurative language used in the story.

Topics covered

Paper topics

Story Analysis
Comprehension Questions
Character Motivation
Themes of Temptation and Guilt
Moral Lessons
Narrative Interpretation
Figurative Language
Consequences of Actions
Student's Dilemmas
Prayer and Justification

Important topics

Understanding the boy's internal conflict
Analyzing the consequences of spending fee money
Interpreting the boy's prayers and justifications
Identifying the moral lessons in the story
Character analysis of the boy

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Questions and Solutions

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 1

Why didn't he pay the school fees on the day he brought money to school?

Solution: The boy was unable to pay his school fees on the day he brought the money because his teacher, Master Ghulam Mohammed, was on leave. This meant there was no one at school to accept the payment.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 2 (i)

What were the coins 'saying' to him?

Solution: The coins in the boy's pocket were whispering temptations to him. They were urging him to spend the money on buying hot and fresh jalebis from the nearby shop, appealing to his desire for a treat.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 2 (ii)

Do you think they were misguiding him?

Solution: Yes, the coins were definitely misguiding him. The money was specifically meant for paying his school fees, and spending it on jalebis would mean failing to fulfill that important responsibility.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 3

Why didn't he take the coin's advice? Give two or three reasons.

Solution: Initially, the boy resisted the coins' advice for a couple of significant reasons. Firstly, he knew that the money was allocated for his school fees, and he couldn't justify spending it on sweets. Secondly, he was aware of the teacher's strict nature and the potential punishment he might face if his fees weren't paid.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 4 (i)

What did the oldest coin tell him?

Solution: The oldest coin tried to persuade the boy by suggesting that buying jalebis was for his own good. It reasoned that he could pay his school fees the next day using his scholarship money, so he shouldn't suppress his immediate desire for the delicious jalebis.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 4 (ii)

Did he follow his advice? If not, why not?

Solution: No, he did not follow the oldest coin's advice. He refrained from buying the jalebis because he was a promising student from a reputable family and did not want to damage his reputation or get into trouble by misusing his school fees money.

Comprehension Check (Page 65) - Question 5

He reached home with the coins in his pocket. What happened then?

Solution: Despite reaching home with the money still in his pocket, the boy couldn't resist the temptation any longer. He rushed to the halwai's (sweet seller's) shop, bought the jalebis, and enjoyed eating them.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 1 (i)

Why didn't he eat all the jalebis he had bought?

Solution: The boy had bought a significant quantity of jalebis for one rupee, but he couldn't finish them all because there were simply too many. The sheer volume of the sweets made it impossible for him to eat every single one.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 1 (ii)

What did he do with the remaining Jalebis?

Solution: He distributed the leftover jalebis among the other boys in his neighborhood. This was a way to share the sweets and perhaps alleviate some of his guilt by not letting them go to waste.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 2

"The fear was killing me." What was the fear?

Solution: The fear that was 'killing' the boy stemmed from having eaten an excessive amount of jalebis. He was worried about the physical discomfort of digesting so many sweets and perhaps the embarrassing possibility that a jalebi might 'come out with a burp'.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 3

"Children's stomachs are like digestion machines." What do you understand by that? Do you agree?

Solution: This statement implies that children have a remarkable capacity to digest large quantities of food, even when they overeat. While children generally have robust digestive systems, agreeing with the statement 'only partly' acknowledges that even they have limits and overeating can still cause discomfort or health issues.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 4

How did he plan to pay the fees the next day?

Solution: The boy had a plan to pay his school fees the following day. He intended to use the monthly scholarship money that he was expecting to receive, which would cover the amount he had spent on jalebis.

Comprehension Check (Page 68) - Question 5

When it is time to pay the fees, what does he do? How is he disobeying the elders by doing so?

Solution: As the time to pay the fees approached, the boy, instead of facing the situation, tucked his bag under his arm and slipped out of the school. He disobeyed his elders by taking a shortcut and crossing the railway track, which was likely a forbidden or dangerous path, to avoid paying the fees or facing the consequences.

Comprehension Check (Page 72) - Question 1

What was the consequence of buying jalebis with the fees money?

Solution: The direct consequence of spending the school fees money on jalebis was that the boy had to miss school for the first time in his life. He couldn't pay the fees and likely felt too ashamed or scared to attend classes.

Comprehension Check (Page 72) - Question 2

His prayer to God is like a lawyer's defence of a bad case. Does he argue his case well? What are the points he makes?

Solution: The boy argues his case to God quite effectively, much like a lawyer defending a weak case. He tries to appease God by reciting prayers and admitting his mistake. He explains that he wouldn't have bought the jalebis if he had known the scholarship payment would be delayed. He essentially tries to justify his actions by highlighting his circumstances and promising future good behavior.

Comprehension Check (Page 72) - Question 3

He offers to play a game with Allah Miyan. What is the game?

Solution: The game the boy proposes to Allah Miyan (God) is a test of faith and a bargain. He offers to go up to the railway signal and touch it, and if he returns safely, God should place four rupees under a big rock for him.

Comprehension Check (Page 72) - Question 4

Did he get four rupees by playing the game? What did he get to see under the rock?

Solution: No, he did not get the four rupees he was hoping for by playing the game. When he lifted the big rock, expecting to find the money, he was disappointed to discover only a worm underneath instead of coins.

Comprehension Check (Page 72) - Question 5

If God had granted his wish that day, what harm would it have caused him in later life?

Solution: If God had granted his wish that day, it would have been detrimental to his character development in the long run. He would not have learned a crucial lesson about the consequences of wrongdoing and the importance of honesty. Essentially, he would have missed a vital learning experience, potentially leading him to repeat mistakes without learning any skills or moral values, much like a bird that never learns to fly.

EXERCISE (PAGE 72) - Question 1 (a)

Select and read sentences that show that the boy is tempted to eat jalebis.

Solution: The sentences that show the boy's temptation are: "Jalebis are meant to be eaten, and those with money in their pocket can eat them." and "But then, these jalebis are no common sort of Jalebis They're crisp, fresh and full of syrup. My mouth watered. I rushed out of the house bare foot and ran towards the bazaar."

EXERCISE (PAGE 72) - Question 1 (b)

Select and read sentences that show that he is feeling guilty.

Solution: The sentence that clearly indicates the boy is feeling guilty is: "My head started to spin."

EXERCISE (PAGE 72) - Question 1 (c)

Select and read sentences that show that he is justifying a wrong deed.

Solution: The boy justifies his wrong deed by thinking and saying things like: "Jalebis are meant to be eaten, and those with money in their pocket can eat them." and later, in his prayer, he tries to rationalize his actions by explaining the circumstances and promising future good behavior.

Common mistakes

Confusing the boy's justifications with valid reasons for his actions.
Misinterpreting the boy's prayer to God as genuine repentance rather than a desperate attempt to avoid punishment.
Failing to connect the boy's actions with the consequences he faces.
Overlooking the significance of the scholarship money in the boy's decision-making process.

Revision tips

Reread the story 'Jalebis' to refresh your memory of the plot and characters.
Focus on the boy's internal monologue to understand his feelings of temptation and guilt.
Analyze the boy's prayers and justifications as attempts to escape responsibility.
Discuss the moral lessons of the story with classmates or teachers.
Practice answering the comprehension questions provided in these solutions to check your understanding.

Practice MCQs

Q1. Why did the boy not pay his school fees on the day he brought the money?

Q2. What did the coins in the boy's pocket urge him to do?

Q3. What was the boy's primary fear after eating the jalebis?

Q4. How did the boy plan to pay his school fees the next day?

Q5. What did the boy find under the rock when he played a game with Allah Miyan?

Frequently asked questions

What is Chapter 8 of CBSE Class 8 English about?

Chapter 8, 'Jalebis,' is a story about a young boy who is tempted to spend his school fees money on buying jalebis, leading to feelings of guilt and a subsequent prayer to God.

What are the main themes covered in the 'Jalebis' NCERT Solutions?

The solutions cover themes such as temptation, guilt, justification of wrong actions, the consequences of choices, and the importance of honesty.

How do these NCERT Solutions help students?

These solutions provide clear and detailed answers to the comprehension questions, helping students understand the story's plot, characters' motivations, and underlying moral lessons, aiding in exam preparation.

Why is the boy's prayer to God compared to a lawyer's defense?

The comparison highlights how the boy, like a lawyer defending a weak case, tries to present his actions in the best possible light to God, admitting fault but also seeking leniency and offering deals.

What lesson does the boy learn from his experience?

The boy learns a valuable lesson about the consequences of his actions and the importance of not succumbing to temptation, especially when it involves responsibilities like paying school fees.

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