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The two men were hungry. Now that the shops were open, they went to buy some groceries. To their astonishment, they found that everything cost the same, a single duddu — whether they bought a measure of rice or a bunch of bananas, it cost a duddu. The guru and his disciple were delighted. They had never heard of anything like this. They could buy all the food they wanted for a rupee.
When they had cooked and eaten, the guru realised that this was a kingdom of fools and it wouldn’t be a good idea for them to stay there. “This is no place for us. Let’s go,” he said to his disciple. But the disciple didn’t want to leave the place. Everything was cheap here. All he wanted was good, cheap food. The guru said, “They are all fools. This won’t last very long, and you can’t tell what they’ll do to you next.”
Explanation:
The guru and his disciple felt very hungry because they roamed in the city from morning till evening. When they saw the shops were opened in the nighttime, the two of them went to buy some groceries. They were astonished when they heard the prices of the food item. Everything sold in the shop was for a single duddu. The term "duddu" implies a rupee.
The guru and his follower observed that everything was sold for a rupee, whether they bought a bunch of bananas or a measure of rice. The low price of the food item and groceries were also among the new rules passed by the foolish king and his minister. The guru and his disciple were delighted when they learned of the low price. They haven't heard about the strange things anywhere before. So they thought of purchasing all of their necessities for a rupee.
A bunch of bananas or a measure of rice sold for a single duddu
The guru and his disciple went out to cook food after purchasing the essential items from the shop. After cooking, they had a good dinner. Later the guru realised that this kingdom was full of fools. His statement was driven by the strange events that had occurred in the city. The guru knew that if the groceries or food items were sold for a low price, the people would not earn any profit. Later, he could sense some danger in the city because he was a wise person. As a result, he felt that it was not safe to live in this city. So he informed the disciple that it was not the right place to stay and leave the place immediately. The disciple, on the other hand, never paid attention to the guru's words. The disciple claimed that if he left the city, he would buy everything for a higher price. So he decided to stay in the city and enjoy the wonderful food at a lower cost.
The guru then tried to convince his disciple in all the possible ways by stating that the city was full of fools. If he stays there, he will soon experience some misfortunes. He said that all of these good fortunes would come to an end soon and that he couldn't predict what the people would do to the disciple next. However, the disciple was an outsider, as well as he did not belong to that city. If any problem occurs, he would be the first person to be caught in trouble. Even after hearing the guru's words, his disciple never bothered about future problems. He was mainly interested in eating good food at a low price.
The guru then tried to convince his disciple in all the possible ways by stating that the city was full of fools. If he stays there, he will soon experience some misfortunes. He said that all of these good fortunes would come to an end soon and that he couldn't predict what the people would do to the disciple next. However, the disciple was an outsider, as well as he did not belong to that city. If any problem occurs, he would be the first person to be caught in trouble. Even after hearing the guru's words, his disciple never bothered about future problems. He was mainly interested in eating good food at a low price.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Guru | A religious leader or teacher in the Hindu or Sikh religion |
2 | Disciple | A follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher |
3 | Hungry | Wanting or needing food |
4 | Grocery | The food and other items that you buy in a food store or supermarket |
5 | Astonishment | Great surprise |
6 | Delight | Feeling or showing great pleasure |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Moments. In the Kingdom of Fools– A K Ramanujan (pp. 19-24). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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