Three Questions Questions and Answers (Marks 6)| Class 12 4th semester English | written by Lev Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy
1. Assess how much successful is Three Questions as a short story.
Certain rules have to be followed while writing a short story. The narrative should be simple, providing relevant details. The number of characters must be tew. The setting has to be single and it must cover a short period of time. Plot should be interesting, yet straightforward with a gripping climax. The language of the story must be lucid. Based on these features, we can call Three Questions a perfect short story. Once three questions came into a Tsar’s mind. Several men attempted to satisfy the Tsar’s inquirues, but all of them failed. So he decided to meet a hermit and finally got the answers through his own experience. The story ends abruptly without giving any hint whether the Tsar became satisfied with the hermit’s explanation or not. A sudden ending is also a characteristic of a good short story which lets the readers interpret the ending through their own perspective. Therefore, Leo Tolstoy’s Three Questions can be considered an ideal short story.
2. What was the first question? How did the learned men give answers to this question?
The first question that came to the Tsar’s was-what is the right time for the commencement of any work
In reply to it, some said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up in advance, a table of days. months and years, and must follow it strictly. Others suggested that one must be up-to-date with the recent happenings and not remain engaged in idle pastimes to decide the right time. Some of them recommended a Council of wise men to help the Tsar decide the right time to begin something. But then again, others stated that there were some issues that could not be rested upon the Council as the Tsar himself needed to settle them. Some others opined that only magicians could determine the right time for every action as they have an ability to know the future circumstances beforehand. All the advice being varied, no particular opinion was approved amongst those numerous suggestions.
3. What was the second question? What answers did the learned men give to that question?
The second question, asked by the Tsar, was about his association with people. The Tsar wanted to know who are the right people to listen to and whom to avoid.
The leamed men were divided in their opinions. Some of them recommended the councillors whereas others gave their verdict in favour of the priests who might advise the Tsar in need. Some suggested the doctors who were supposed to keep the Tsar fit and active. The warriors were also mentioned by some for their bravery. But as the answers were different from one another, the Tsar agreed with none. Thus, the second question remained unanswered.
4. What was the third question? How did the learned men answer the question?
The Tsar’s third question was-what is the most important thing to do or the most important occupation. The Tsar thought that if he could always determine which work was the most important one then without wasting any time he could attain success.
Some of the learned men suggested that the most important thing in the world was science. Some opined that it was skill in warfare and others said that it was religious worship. The Tsar was dissatisfied with the varied answers. They further confused him and so he did not agree with any of it and gave the reward to none.
5. What answers did the learned men give to the three questions?
The first question asked by the Tsar was, what is the right time to start any work. Some leamed men advised him to draw up in advance, a table of days, months and yeans and follow it strictly. A few advised him to do the most needful work without wasting time. Some others suggested him to consult a Council of wise men in order to carry out
his work at the right time. While the rest recommended him to seek help of a magician because they have the power to know things beforehand. When the Tsar asked his second question who are the right people to take advice from, some of the learned men said that the Tsar’s counciliors were the persons he needed the most, others mentioned the priests, others doctors, while some said the warriors. The Tsar’s third question was what is the most important work that he should undertake. He got different answers again. Some said it was science, some said expertise in battles and others said that it was religious worship. None of the answers could satisfy the Tsar, so he agreed with none.
6. What did the Tsar proclaim for the correct answers? Could the learned men satisfy him? What was the Tsar’s reaction to their answers? Why was he dissatisfied with the answers of the scholars and the learned men?
The Tsar declared throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who would provide the correct answers to the three questions that had occurred to him.
No, the learned men could not satisfy the Tsar with their answers.
Being dissatisfied with the answers of the learned men and the scholars, the Tsar gave the reward to none and decided to consult a hermit, who was well-known for his wisdom.
All the answers of the scholars and the learned men varied from one another. This caused the Tsar’s dissatisfaction with the answers. Thus, he agreed with none of their replies to his questions and gave the reward to none.
7. What were the three questions the Tsar wanted to get answers of? Why did he need the answers? Why was he not satisfied with the answers of the learned men? Whom did the Tsar finally decide to consult?
OR, What were the three questions the Tsar wanted to be answered? Why did he need the answers? Why was he dissatisfied with the answers given by the scholars and the learned men?
OR, What were the questions that had occurred to the Tsar? Why did he need correct answers to those questions? What did he do when he was not satisfied with the answers of the learned men?
The three questions that the Tsar wanted to get answers of were-what is the right time to start every work, who are the right people to listen to, and what is the work that needed his utmost attention.
The Tsar needed correct answers to those three questions because he hoped that, if he could have those information then he would never fall in anything he might do
The Tsar was not satisfied with the answers given by the learned men because the answers differed from one another.
The Tsar disagreed with the answers given by the learned men and did not give any reward to anyone. The Tsar being dissatisfied decided to consult a hermit who lived in the wood and was well-known for his wisdom.
8. Why did the Tsar visit the hermit? How was he dressed? Why was he dressed so? What was the hermit doing at that time? What did the Tsar say to the hermit?
The Tsar was dissatisfied with the varied answers of the leamed men to his three questions. Hence, he decided to meet a hermit who was known for his wishdom. So he visited the hermit to get the answers to his three questions
The Tsar wore simple clothes.
The Tsar put on such clothes because the hermit received only common people. Therefore, he even got off from his horse before reaching the hermit’s hut. He left his bodyguards behind and headed to the forest alone where the hermit lived.
When the Tsar went to meet the hermit, the frail and weak hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. The Tsar told the wise hermit that he had come to him to ask him the answers of three questions. The first question was how could the Tsar learn to do the right thing at the night time. The second was who were the people he needed the most and to whom should the Tsar therefore pay more attention to than the rest. The third question was-what was the most important thing to do, that required the Tsar’s foremost attention.
9. Why did the Tsar decide to meet the hermit? After meeting him, how did the Tsar assist him in his work?
Many learned men came to the Tsar to give answers to his three questions. But, all of them came up with different answers. Thus, the Tsar agreed with none. Disappointed, the Tsar decided to meet the hermit, who was well known for his wishdom to get satisfactory answers
When the Tsar reached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the Tsar, the hermit greeted him and continued digging. The hermit was so weak and trail that he breathed heavily after everytime he struck the spade on the ground and turned a bit of earth. There were no one around to help the hermit. The Tsar. hermit could take rest for a while. He carried on digging for thus, felt pity for him and willingly came to dig, so that the hours till sunset and dug two beds for the hermit.
10. “You are tired,” Who said this and to whom? Why did the speaker come to the listener? Why did the speaker offer to help? How was he benefitted by this?
The Tsar said this to the wise hermit who was digging the ground.
The speaker came to the listener to get the right answers of the three questions that had once occurred to him.
When the Tsar came to visit the hermit, he saw him digging the ground in front of his hut. Every time the frail and weak hermit stuck his spade into the ground and tumed a little earth, he breathed heavily. Witnessing this, the kind-hearted Tsar offered to help the hermit by digging the ground for nim.
The Tsar got one of his three questions answer by assisting the hermit, The hermit later explained that if the Tsar had not pitied the hermit’s feeble condition, had not dug those beds and went his way, the bearded man, who was seeking revenge would have attacked the Tsar and killed him. Therefore, according to the hermit, the one with whom we are interacting at present, is the most important person.
11. “Now rest awhile-and let me work a bit.” Explain with reference to the context.
The line mentioned above is taken from the story Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy. Here, the hermit is the speaker and the person spoken to is the Tsar, When the Tsar went to meet the hermit to get the answers of his three questions, he found the hermit digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the feeble and exhausted hermit, the Tsar offered to help him. When the Tsar had dug two beds, he stopped and repeated his questions. The hermit did not answer, rather he told the Tsar to take rest for a while and allow nim to work a bit.
12. “Here comes someone running.”-Who is the speaker ? Who came running ? What was the condition of the person who came running? How was the person taken care of?
The hermit of the short story Three Questions’ is the speaker.
A bearded man who had a large wound in his stomach, came running out of the forest.
The bearded man was badly wounded. He held his hands pressed against his stomach and blood was flowing from under them. As soon as he reached the Tsar, he fell fainting on the ground moaning feebly.
The wounded man was received with sympathy by the Tsar and the hermit. He was nursed with great care by the Tsar, who was assisted by the hermit. The Tsar did his best to stop the blood flow by repeatedly washing and bandaging the wound. Finally, blood ceased flowing from the wound and the man’s life was saved. He was then carried inside the hermit’s cottage and laid down on the bed.
13. How did the Tsar and the hermit nurse the wounded man?
The wounded man came running out of the forest and collapsed in front of the Tsar and the hermit. The Tsar quickly unfastened the wounded man’s clothing with the hermit’s help and saw a large wound in the bearded man’s stomach. The Tsar washed the wound and bandaged it with his handkerchief and a towel provided by the hermit. As the man was bleeding profusely, the Tsar had to remove the bandage soaked with blood, wash the wound and rebandage it repeatedly. Finally, as a result of the Tsar’s solicitous nursing throughout the evening, the bleeding stopped. The wounded man slowly regained consciousness and asked for something to drink. The Tsar gave him fresh water and with the hermit’s help camed him into the hut and laid him on the bed. In this way the Tsar and the hermit nursed the wounded man and saved his life.
14. Forgive me! said the bearded man”-To whom did the bearded man ask for forgiveness? Why did he ask for forgiveness?
The bearded man asked for forgiveness from the
The Tsar had once ordered to kill the bearded man’s brother and seize his property. Therefore, to avenge his brother’s death, the man plotted to kill the Tsar. He knew. that the Tsar would meet the hermit alone. So, to kill him the man want to the forest, and waited there for the Tsar’s retum. As the day passed, the Tsar did not retum. Thus, the man came out of his ambush but was recognised and severly wounded by the Tsar’s bodyguards. Somehow, he escaped from them and reached the hermit’s hut where he fainted. The Tsar and the hermit nursed him with great care and saved his life. When the bearded man came to his senses, he realised that the man whom he had planned to kill, brought him back to life. The bearded man felt ashamed and confessed his guilt, asking for the Tsar’s forgiveness out of repentance.
15. “You do not know me, but I know you” Who said this to whom? What else did the speaker say? How did the other person react to these words?
The wounded man said this to the Tsar,
At first, the bearded man asked for the Tsar’s forgiveness. Then he revealed his identity and declared that he was an enemy of the Tsar because he had once executed his brother and seized his property. He also disclosed to the Tsar, that he had planned to kill him. On being grateful to be saved by the Tsar, he promised to serve for him as his most loyal slave. He also assured that he would tell his sons to do the same.
The other person, or the Tsar was delighted to have ended the enmity so easily, and to have found a new friend in the wounded man. The Tsar not only forgave the bearded man but also told him that he would send his servants and his own physician to look after him. He even promised the wounded man to give back his property.
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