The Three Questions – Detailed Summary
Book: Samacheer Kalvi 8th English
Unit: Unit 3 Supplementary
Lesson Name: The Three Questions
Author: Leo Tolstoy
About the Lesson
“The Three Questions” is a wise and meaningful story by Leo Tolstoy. It tells how a king wanted answers to three important questions so that he could always act rightly and never fail. The story teaches that true wisdom is not found in complicated advice, but in living rightly in the present moment and doing good to the person before us.
The lesson is simple in plot but deep in moral meaning. It teaches the value of the present moment, the importance of people around us, and the necessity of kindness and good action.
Detailed Summary of the Lesson
1. The King’s Three Questions
The story begins with a king who is troubled by three questions. He feels that if he always knew the right answers, he would never fail in anything. The three questions are: what is the right time to begin everything, who are the right people to listen to, and what is the most important thing to do.
2. Many People Give Different Answers
The king announces that anyone who can answer these questions correctly will be rewarded. Many wise men come, but they all give different answers. Some say the right time must be fixed by timetable, others say by consulting advisers, and still others say by knowing events beforehand. Their answers do not satisfy the king.
This shows that bookish advice and intellectual arguments alone cannot solve the deepest questions of life.
3. The King Goes to the Hermit
The king hears about a hermit who is famous for wisdom. The hermit lives in a wood and sees only simple people. The king dresses plainly, leaves his horse and bodyguards behind, and goes alone to meet him. This step is important because the king humbles himself in order to seek truth
4. The Hermit Says Nothing
When the king reaches the hermit, he finds him digging the ground in front of his hut. The king asks his three questions, but the hermit gives no spoken answer. He continues digging. The king sees that the hermit is old and weak, so he takes the spade and begins digging the beds for him.
This part is very important. The hermit teaches not through lecture, but through experience.
5. The King Helps the Hermit
The king keeps digging and again repeats his questions. Still the hermit remains silent. Instead of getting annoyed and leaving, the king patiently continues helping. Here the king shows humility and service, even though he is the ruler of a kingdom.
6. A Wounded Man Runs Out of the Wood
Suddenly, a bearded man comes running out of the wood. Blood is flowing from a wound in his stomach. He falls near the king and the hermit. The king immediately forgets his own questions and begins to help the wounded man.
7. The King and the Hermit Save Him
The king and the hermit remove the man’s clothes, wash the wound, and bandage it with the king’s handkerchief and with a towel the hermit has. The king does this again and again until the bleeding stops. Then he gives the man water to drink and helps carry him into the hut.
This scene is the practical centre of the story. The king is unknowingly receiving the answer to his questions through action.
8. The King Sleeps in the Hut
After helping the wounded man for many hours, the king becomes tired and falls asleep in the hut. The next morning, the wounded man looks at him with deep emotion and asks the king’s forgiveness.
9. The Wounded Man’s Confession
The wounded man reveals that he was actually the king’s enemy. The king had once executed his brother and taken away his property. So he had planned to take revenge by killing the king on his way back from the hermit’s place. But the king’s bodyguard attacked and wounded him. Thus, the same man who wanted to kill the king is saved by the king’s own hands.
10. The Enemy Becomes a Friend
The wounded man says that if he had not been wounded, he would have killed the king. Now, however, because the king saved his life, he is filled with repentance. He promises to serve the king faithfully forever. The king gladly forgives him and even promises to restore his property and send his physician and servants to care for him.
This is one of the strongest moral moments in the lesson. Kindness has turned hatred into friendship.
11. The Hermit Gives the Answers
After this, the king again asks the hermit for the answers to his questions. The hermit explains that the answers have already been given. If the king had not helped the hermit dig the ground, he would have gone back earlier and the wounded man would have attacked him. Therefore, the most important time was when he was digging for the hermit, the most important person was the hermit, and the most important work was helping him. Later, when the wounded man appeared, the most important time was when the king cared for him, the most important person was the wounded man, and the most important work was saving his life.
12. The Final Teaching
The hermit then gives the universal rule: the most important time is now, because it is the only time we have power over. The most important person is the one you are with, because no one knows whether he will ever deal with anyone else. And the most important thing to do is to do good to that person, because that is why we are sent into this life.
Central Idea of the Lesson
The central idea of “The Three Questions” is that the present moment is the most important time, the person before us is the most important person, and doing good is the most important work. The story teaches practical wisdom through lived experience rather than abstract theory.
Moral / Message
- The present moment is the most important time.
- The person we are with is the most important person.
- Doing good is the most important duty.
- Kindness can turn an enemy into a friend.
- True wisdom is learned through action and compassion.
Main Characters
| Character | Role in the Story |
|---|---|
| The King | The ruler who seeks answers to three important questions. |
| The Hermit | The wise man who teaches the king through experience. |
| The Bearded Man | The wounded enemy who is saved by the king and later becomes his friend. |
| The King’s Bodyguard | The guard who wounded the bearded man when he tried to attack the king. |
Character Sketch of the King
The king is thoughtful, humble, and willing to learn. Though he is powerful, he is not proud when he seeks wisdom. He is kind enough to help the hermit and compassionate enough to save the wounded man. His greatest quality is that he is ready to act with goodness once he understands the truth.
Character Sketch of the Hermit
The hermit is wise, patient, and practical. He does not answer with long speeches at first. Instead, he allows the king to discover the truth through real-life situations. He teaches that wisdom is not mere talk but right action in the present.
Character Sketch of the Bearded Man
The bearded man is first full of revenge, anger, and hatred. But after the king saves his life, he becomes repentant and grateful. He shows that a human heart can change when it receives compassion and forgiveness.
Important Exam Points from the Lesson
| Topic | Important Point |
|---|---|
| Author | Leo Tolstoy |
| The king’s three questions | Right time, right people, most important thing to do |
| Who the king visited | A wise hermit |
| Where the hermit lived | In a wood / forest |
| What the hermit was doing | Digging the ground |
| Who came running out of the wood | A bearded wounded man |
| Who wounded him | The king’s bodyguard |
| Why the man wanted revenge | The king had executed his brother and taken his property |
| Most important time | Now / the present |
| Most important person | The one you are with |
| Most important work | To do good to that person |
| Main theme | Practical wisdom, kindness, and the value of the present |
Vocabulary to Remember
- Hermit – a person who lives alone, usually for spiritual reasons
- Renowned – famous and respected
- Threshold – doorstep or entrance
- Seized – grabbed suddenly and forcefully
- Ambush – surprise attack
- Restore – bring back
- Repent – feel regret for a wrong action
- Bandage – cloth used to cover and protect a wound
- Forgive – excuse and stop feeling angry
- Compassion – sympathy and kindness toward others
TET Exam Focus / Repeated Textbook-Based Question Areas
Very Important Focus: These are the most repeated textbook-based preparation areas from this lesson.
- What were the king’s three questions?
- Why did the king visit the hermit?
- Why did the hermit not answer immediately?
- Who came running out of the wood?
- How did the king and the hermit save the wounded man?
- Why did the wounded man want to kill the king?
- Why did the wounded man repent?
- What was the most important time according to the hermit?
- Who is the most important person according to the hermit?
- What is the most important thing to do?
How to Write This in Exam
For a short answer, write that the lesson is about a king who seeks answers to three questions and learns from a hermit that the present time, the person before us, and doing good are the most important things in life.
For a long answer, include the king’s questions, the wise men’s different answers, the visit to the hermit, the wounded bearded man, the king’s kindness, the man’s repentance, and the hermit’s final teaching.
Sample Exam Answer
“The Three Questions” is a wise story by Leo Tolstoy. A king wanted to know three things: the right time to begin everything, the right people to listen to, and the most important thing to do. Since the answers given by many wise men did not satisfy him, he went to a hermit in the forest. The hermit did not answer directly. Instead, the king helped him dig the ground. Later, a wounded bearded man ran out of the wood, and the king and the hermit saved him. The man turned out to be the king’s enemy, but because the king saved him, he repented. Then the hermit explained that the most important time is now, the most important person is the one we are with, and the most important thing is to do good to that person.
Short Conclusion
“The Three Questions” is one of the most valuable moral stories in the Class 8 English book. It teaches practical wisdom in a very simple way. For exams, it is important because many direct questions come from the king’s three questions, the wounded man, the hermit’s teaching, and the final moral message.
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