1. What did the king think about himself?
Answer : The king believed he was the most powerful person. He wondered if others could guess his thoughts. This shows his curiosity and pride.
2. Why did the king call his officers and servants?
Answer : He wanted them to guess his secret thoughts. They tried, but none could satisfy him, showing his expectations of loyalty and insight.
3. What task did the king give his minister?
Answer : The king ordered him to find someone who could read his thoughts within a month, demonstrating his persistence and challenge.
4. How did the minister feel as the month was ending?
Answer : He became desperate since he couldn’t find anyone, revealing his fear of failing the king.
5. Who helped the minister in his task?
Answer : His daughter offered to find someone, showing her cleverness and willingness to support her father.
6. Who did the minister’s daughter choose for the task?
Answer : She chose a simple shepherd, surprising her father but demonstrating her unconventional thinking.
7. What did the king do when he met the shepherd?
Answer : The king raised one finger, beginning a silent test of the shepherd’s understanding, which the shepherd responded to correctly.
8. What was the shepherd’s response to one finger raised?
Answer : The shepherd raised two fingers, suggesting that God was as powerful as the king, impressing the king.
9. What did the king imply by raising three fingers?
Answer : He asked if there was a third power, but the shepherd shook his head, rejecting any third power.
10. How did the shepherd’s responses affect the king?
Answer : The shepherd’s responses satisfied the king, who felt understood and respected.
11. What character trait of the king is shown in the story?
Answer : The king is proud but introspective, seeking validation for his power and status.
12. What impression do you get of the shepherd?
Answer : The shepherd, though simple, is wise and perceptive, capable of understanding the king’s silent questions.
13. Why did the minister’s daughter choose the shepherd?
Answer : She believed his simplicity might offer a unique perspective, proving her judgment wise.
14. How does the story reflect the idea of humility?
Answer : The king’s pride is humbled by the shepherd’s wisdom, teaching that power does not equate to insight.
15. What lesson can we learn from the king’s experience?
Answer : True wisdom may come from unexpected sources, and pride can blind us to reality.
Long Questions
1. Why was the king unsatisfied with his servants and officers’ guesses about his thoughts?
Answer : The king felt their guesses were superficial, not touching his true thoughts. This dissatisfaction showed his deep pride and the challenge he presented, seeking someone who truly understood him beyond appearances.
2. How did the minister’s daughter convince her father that the shepherd would succeed?
Answer : She assured him that the shepherd’s simplicity and unique thinking might make him capable of reading the king’s thoughts. Her confidence influenced the minister to trust her judgment, despite his initial doubts.
3. What did the king interpret from the shepherd’s gesture of two fingers, and why was he pleased?
Answer : The shepherd’s two fingers reminded the king of God, suggesting a greater power above the king. This humility and insight pleased the king, as it addressed his underlying question of supreme authority.
4. What was the king’s final realization after the shepherd’s responses?
Answer : The king realized that he was not the ultimate power and that God held equal status. This understanding humbled him, shifting his self-view and reinforcing the value of humility in power.
5. Why did the shepherd try to run away after the third question, and what does this signify?
Answer : The shepherd feared he had overstepped by rejecting the existence of a third power. His reaction reflects both his humility and understanding, which ultimately won the king’s respect.
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