Wisdom Paves the Way: NCERT Class 8 English Lesson (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20267 min read

Four tired travellers are accused of stealing a camel, because they know too much about it. In the King's court they show how sharp eyes and careful thinking told them everything. Students enjoy solving the mystery with them and learn the difference between knowing facts and using them wisely.

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From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 8, unit “Wit and Wisdom”. Unit 1.

What your child learns

New words from the play: scrutinise, deduce, discern, indignant, grievance, counsel
Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, ought to, need to) and what each one expresses
Noun forms of verbs (deduce, deduction; accuse, accusation) and expressions like 'taken aback'
Stressing words and using a falling tone while speaking, and writing a formal letter of complaint

What the lesson is about

This chapter is a short play in two scenes. Ram Datt, Shiv Datt, Har Datt and Dev Datt have walked for ten days from their village, looking for work, and hope the King of Ujjain will employ them. On the road they notice fresh camel tracks and quietly study them. A worried merchant runs up and asks if they have seen his lost camel. Each young man asks about one detail: is it lame, blind in the right eye, short-tailed, and in pain in its stomach? The merchant says yes to everything, but when they say they have never seen the camel, he calls them thieves and drags them to the King.

In court, each man explains his clue. One leg left only a faint print, so the camel limps. It ate leaves only on the left side of the road, so it cannot see with its right eye. Drops of blood from mosquito bites showed it had no long tail to brush them off. The deep front prints and faint back prints showed it was moving carefully because of a pain in its belly. The King is impressed, sends the ashamed merchant away and makes the four men his advisers. The play shows that wisdom means observing closely and reasoning well, and that we should not accuse people without proof.

New words, with Hindi meanings

eludes: stays out of reach; is hard to get (हिंदी: हाथ न आना)
devise: to think of a plan (हिंदी: तरकीब सोचना)
scrutinise: to look at something very carefully (हिंदी: बारीकी से जाँचना)
astray: away from the right path; lost (हिंदी: भटका हुआ)
indignant: angry because you feel something is unfair (हिंदी: क्रोधित, नाराज़)
grievance: a complaint (हिंदी: शिकायत)
deduce: to find out by thinking about the clues (हिंदी: अनुमान लगाना, निष्कर्ष निकालना)
discern: to notice or see something (हिंदी: पहचानना, भाँपना)
chastened: sorry and quiet after being told you were wrong (हिंदी: शर्मिंदा)
counsel: advice (हिंदी: सलाह)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Why were the four young men going to Ujjain?
Why did the merchant think the four men had stolen his camel?
How did Shiv Datt and Har Datt know that the camel was blind in one eye and had a short tail?
Why did the King make the four men his advisers?
Have you ever solved a small mystery at home or school by noticing clues? What did you notice?

Answers for parents

They had left their village to find work. They hoped the King of Ujjain would see their talents and give them jobs in his service.
The men described the camel perfectly, even its stomach pain, but said they had never seen it. The merchant could not believe this, so he thought they must have stolen it.
Shiv Datt saw that the camel had eaten leaves only on the left side of the road, so it could not see on the right. Har Datt saw small drops of blood from mosquito bites, which a long tail would have kept away.
They had shown great intelligence and the ability to see beyond the obvious. The King valued such minds and wanted their advice to guide his decisions.
For example: My pencil box went missing. I saw crumbs and a trail of my little brother's toy cars near the sofa, so I looked under it and found the box there.

Grammar corner: Modal verbs and what they express

Modal verbs like can, could, may, might, must, should, ought to and need to are helping verbs. They show ideas such as ability, possibility, advice, duty, necessity, permission or a logical guess. The verb after a modal stays in its simple form: we say 'he can see', never 'he can sees' or 'he can to see'.

The tracks are fresh, so the camel must be close by.
The merchant should ask questions before he blames anyone.
The King might need clever advisers for difficult cases.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with the noun form of 'observe': Good ___ helped the young men solve the mystery.
Choose the right modal: You (must / might) wear a helmet when you ride a scooter. It is the rule.
Rewrite with a modal verb: It is a good idea to check the facts before you accuse someone.

Answers: 1. observation · 2. must · 3. You should check the facts before you accuse someone.

Try this

Play 'Detective at home'. One person quietly moves or uses something in a room (opens a book, moves a cushion, drinks some water) while the others wait outside. Everyone comes back, looks for clues and explains what happened, using sentences like 'Someone must have...' and 'It might be...'. The best reasoning wins, not just the right guess. You can also act out the court scene, with one person as the King and others as the four young men.

Tip for parents

Tell the play in Hindi first: चार दोस्तों ने ऊँट को देखा भी नहीं, फिर भी रास्ते के निशान देखकर सब बता दिया. Then ask your child to explain each clue in English, even if some Hindi words come in. Practise modals together: say 'वह चोर ज़रूर होगा' and help your child say 'He must be the thief', or 'तुम्हें पहले सोचना चाहिए' as 'You should think first'. Praise every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the play Wisdom Paves the Way about?

It is about four young men, Ram Datt, Shiv Datt, Har Datt and Dev Datt, who describe a merchant's lost camel just by studying its tracks and the signs on the road. The merchant accuses them of theft, but the King of Ujjain hears their reasoning, sets them free and makes them his advisers.

What is the moral of Wisdom Paves the Way?

Careful observation and clear reasoning are a kind of wisdom that people value. The play also teaches that we should not accuse anyone without proof.

Is Wisdom Paves the Way in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 3 of Poorvi, NCERT's new English book for Class 8, in Unit 1 (Wit and Wisdom).

Learn every Class 8 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 8 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

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