In the Kingdom of Fools
✦ Writer Introduction
A. K. Ramanujan (Attipate Krishnaswami Ramanujan) was a distinguished Indian poet, translator, folklorist and scholar. He wrote in English and Kannada and is best known for translating Indian folktales into modern English collections. The story “In the Kingdom of Fools” is adapted from his book Folk Tales from India, a famous collection of oral tales from different Indian languages. His works are known for humour, deep cultural insights and simple narration.
✦ Story: In the Kingdom of Fools (Full Text – Simple Blog Version)
In a strange kingdom, the king and the minister were fools. They decided to change night into day and day into night. People were ordered to work only at night, and anyone who disobeyed would be punished with death. Fear forced everyone to follow the rule.
One day, a guru and his disciple visited the city. They were surprised to see that everything looked deserted during the day and full of activity at night. Even the prices of all things were the same – one duddu for anything! The guru realised it was a kingdom of fools and advised his disciple to leave. But the disciple stayed because food was cheap.
As months passed, the disciple became fat eating rice, bananas, wheat and ghee. Meanwhile, a strange case came to the king. A thief had died when a wall collapsed on him. The thief’s brother blamed the merchant who owned the house. The foolish king tried one person after another — the merchant, the bricklayer, the dancing girl, the goldsmith — until the blame came back to the merchant.
The king ordered the merchant’s execution, but the merchant was too thin to fit the stake. So the king’s men searched for a fat person and caught the disciple. The disciple now remembered his guru’s warning and prayed for help.
The guru returned with his magical powers and tricked the king by saying that the stake was the “stake of justice” and that whoever died on it would become king in the next life. Hearing this, the king and the minister secretly put themselves on the stake at night. They died, and the guru and disciple became the new rulers.
They changed the kingdom back to normal — daytime was again day, and everything had regular prices.
✦ Summary (Short)
The story shows how foolish rulers create danger for everyone. A guru saves his disciple using wisdom. The story teaches that wise people can survive even among fools through intelligence and presence of mind.
✦ NCERT Book Question Answers
1. What are the two strange things the guru and his disciple find in the Kingdom of Fools?
They found that people worked at night and slept during the day, and everything in the market cost the same — one duddu.
2. Why does the disciple decide to stay in the Kingdom of Fools? Is it a good idea?
He stayed because food was cheap and he loved eating. No, it was not a good idea because foolish rulers are unpredictable and dangerous.
3. Name all the people who are tried in the king’s court, and give the reasons for their trial.
• The merchant – because the thief died under his wall.
• The bricklayer – for building a weak wall.
• The dancing girl – for distracting the bricklayer.
• The goldsmith – for delaying the dancing girl and making her walk repeatedly.
• Finally, again the merchant – for his father’s fault in delaying the goldsmith.
4. Who is the real culprit according to the king? Why does he escape punishment?
The king thinks the merchant’s father is the real culprit, but he is dead. So the merchant is declared guilty, but he escapes because he is too thin to fit the stake.
5. What are the Guru’s words of wisdom? When does the disciple remember them?
The guru warned that the kingdom was full of fools and they could do anything anytime. The disciple remembers this when he is chosen for execution because he is fat.
6. How does the guru manage to save his disciple’s life?
He uses a clever trick. He tells the king that the stake brings fortune — whoever dies on it will be reborn as king or minister. The king and minister secretly take their place and are executed instead.
✦ Extra Questions for Exams (With Answers)
1. What message does the story “In the Kingdom of Fools” convey?
The story teaches that foolish leaders can create danger for society, and wisdom is more powerful than strength.
2. Why were all items sold for the same price? What does this show about the rulers?
Everything cost one duddu because the king and the minister had no sense of economics. It shows their lack of intelligence and practical thinking.
3. How does the story use humour to convey a serious lesson?
The absurd trials, strange laws, and foolish decisions create humour, but they highlight the danger of living under irrational rulers.
4. Why did the king and the minister agree to die on the stake?
They believed the guru’s lie that dying on the stake would make them rulers in their next life. Their foolishness led to their own death.
5. How does the disciple's character change by the end of the story?
He becomes wiser and realises the value of his guru’s teachings. He agrees to rule the kingdom sensibly.
✦ Conclusion
“In the Kingdom of Fools” is a humorous folktale that highlights the importance of wisdom and the dangers of foolish leadership. The guru’s intelligence saves the disciple and brings order back to the kingdom.