Three Questions Questions and Answers (Marks 6)| Class 12 4th semester English | written by Lev Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy
1. “I am that enemy of yours who swore to revenge himself on you.” was it spoken? How did he become an enemy of the person spoken him?
The wounded man was the speaker.
It was spoken to the Tsar.
Once the Tsar had ordered to kill the wounded man’s brother and captured his the property. These incidents. made the wounded man become an enemy of the Tsar.
For the answer of the 3 part refer to Question No 19.
2. What did the man swear and resolve to do ? Why did he ask for forgiveness of the Tsar and what did he promise him?
The bearded man swore to revenge himself on the Tsar and resolved to kill him. Thus, he was hiding in the forest and waiting for the Tsar to return from the hermit’s hut so that he could attack the Tsar.
When the bearded man was spotted by the royal bodyguards, they wounded him badly. Somehow he managed to escape from their grip and reached the hermit’s hut. There the Tsar with the help of the hermit nursed him throughout the evening. Finally, he regained consciousness. The bearded man asked for Tsar’s forgiveness. He realised that the Tsar, whom he had wished to kill, saved his life, He confessed his guilt and promised the Tsar to serve him as his most faithful slave. He also said that he would bid his sons to do the same.
3. “I resolved to kill you…”-Who was the bearded man? Why did the speaker want to kill the Tsar? How was the man wounded? Was he successful in his mission? What did he resolve instead? How did the Tsar react to his words?
The bearded man was an enemy of the Tsar.
Once, the Tsar had executed the bearded man’s brother and seized his property. That is why, the man wanted to kill the Tsar. Thus, he waited in the jungle for the Tsar to return so that he could attack him
As the daylight was gradually fading, he felt restless and came out to find the Tsar. He was then spotted by the royal bodyguards who wounded him badly. Somehow, he managed to escape and reached the hermit’s hut
At the hermit’s hut he received the hospitality of the Tsar. The Tsar with the help of the hermit nursed his wounds and saved him. The bearded man was so overwhelmed by the kind act of the Tsar, that he changed. his mind. He could not kill the person who had saved his ille. Therefore, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to kill the Tsar.
Moved by the Tsar’s kindness he resolved to serve the Tsar as his most loyal slave if he survives. He also told the Tsar that he would try to make his sons do the same if the Tsar wishes to accept their service. The wounded man also sought the Tsar’s forgiveness
The Tsar was very glad that things had been sorted out between him and his enemy with such ease. Also, he was happy to have earned his former enemy as a Inend. The Tsar not only forgave him but also said that he would send his servants and his own physician to attend him. Besides the Tsar promised to restore his property.
4. How did the enemy of the Tsar become friend with the king in Leo Tolstoy’s Three Questions’?
The Tsar had once executed the bearded man’s brother and seized his property, Thus, the man was determined to kill the Tsar and followed the Tsar to the woods. He waited the whole day for the Tsar to return, but he did not. Then the man came out of his ambush. He was recognised and fatally injured by the Tsar’s bodyguards. Somehow, he managed to escape and reached the hermit’s hut. There the Tsar with the assistance of the hermit nursed him till he revived. When the man came back to his senses and realised that the Tsar had saved his life, he repented. He asked for forgiveness of the Tsar. He also promised to serve his saviour faithfully throughout his life and that he would instruct his sons to do the same. The Tsar forgave the man and promised to restore his property. He even assured him that he would send his servants and his own physician to attend him. The Tsar was happy to have gained an unknown enemy for a loyal friend.
5. Why do you think the Tsar forgave the bearded man in spite of his attempt to kill the Tsar?
The bearded man felt regretful when he realised that the Tsar was the one who saved his life. The Tsar saw his genuine remorse and decided to forgive him even though he had planned to kill him. The Tsar also appreciated the bearded man’s honesty. The bearded man confessed the truth to the Tsar and stated the reason of his hatred towards him. The bearded man was brave enough to accept the truth and this quality of the man impressed the Tsar. Thus, instead of being enraged he chose to be kind and forgive him. The Tsar’s kindness yet again moved the man and he promised to be loyal to the Tsar.
6. “You have already been answered” – Who said to whom? How had the questions been answered?
The hermit said these words to the Tsar in the short story Three Questions.
The Tsar requested the hermit to answer his questions several times but the hermit did not reply. Before returning home, the Tsar requested the hermit for the last time to give him the answer. The hermit replied that he had already been answered through his own experience. Then the wise hermit explained that it he had not dug the seed beds for the hermit out of pity, the Tsar would have gone his way and would have been attacked by the bearded man. So. when the Tsar was digging the beds, that was the most important time for him. For whom he was digging the beds was the most important person and to do good to the hermit was his most important business. The hermit also told the Tsar that later when he was attending the wounded man then that time was the most important time, the wounded man was the most important person and tending the wounded man was the Tsar’s most important business. If the Tsar had not saved the wounded man, then he would not have become friends with his former enemy so easily. In the light of the above examples, the hermit made the Tsar realise the true purpose of life, which is to help others.
7. “Remember then!….”-Who is the speaker? Who is the person spoken to? What did the speaker advise to remember?
The speaker is the wise hermit of Leo Tolstoy’s short story ‘Three Questions” The person spoken to is the Tsar who decided to
consult the hermit to get answers of the three questions. that had once occurred to him.
The hermit advised the Tsar to remember that there is just one time which is significant Now!’ It is the most important time since it is the sole moment when we have any power. The most essential person is he/she with whom one is, as no man knows if he/she will ever come into contact with that person again. Lastly, the utmost important work is to do good to that person since to serve that purpose alone God sent man into this world.
8. Describe the meeting of Tsar with the hermit.
Once, three important questions came into a Tsar’s mind. Those questions were what is the right time to begin a work, who are the right people to deal with and what is the most important thing to do. Being unable to find satisfactory answers, the Tsar decided to meet a hermit who was famous for his wisdom. When he approached the hermit he was digging the ground in front of his hut. On meeting the hermit in his hut, the Tsar requested him multiple times to answer his questions but the hermit did not reply. Later, a bearded man who was severely wounded, came running out of the forest. Both the Tsar and the hermit tended the wounded man and saved his life. Later, the man revealed that he was an enemy of Tsar who actually planned to kill him. While returning, the Tsar asked the hermit to answer his questions for the last time. The hermit replied that he had already been answered through his experiences with hermit and the wounded man. Then the hermit explained that the right time to begin anything is present, the right people whom one should listen to is the person with whom one is at any particular point of time and the most important thing is to do good to them because that is why man has been sent into this life by God.
9. Analyse the character of the Tsar.
The Tsar, the central character of the story, unravels the plot of the story through the questions that came into his mind. Being the king of the country the Tsar possessed ultimate power and had shown respect to the wisdom of the hermit. He showed modesty in his approach when he went to meet the hermit in the guise of a common man. The patient nature of the Tsar was evident from the fact that he let the hermit take as much time as he needed to answer his questions. The Tsar was sympathetic towards the feeble and exhausted hermit and the wounded man. Despite belonging to a royal family, the Tsar was hardworking-he dug two beds at a stretch. The sincerity and compassion of the Tsar while nursing the wounded man was praiseworthy. The change of heart in the Tsar’s enemy is an outcome of his generous and charitable nature. The Tsar was a prudent man and a merciful ruler. Even after being aware of the identity of the stranger as his enemy, the Tsar not only forgave him but also extended the hand of friendship. The Tsar represents the quest for wisdom. Through his character, Tolstoy explores the theme of leadership, humility and the importance of living in present moment.
10. Draw a character sketch of the hermit in the story ‘Three Questions’.
The hermit is an important character in Leo Tolstoy’s short story ‘Three Questions’. He was famous for his wisdom and lived alone in a hut in a forest. He never quitted the wood. He met only common people and not men of rank and position. Despite being feeble, he was self-sufficient and did all his works like digging the ground and sowing seeds in the beds himself. He did not believe in taking advantage of other people’s goodness. Therefore, though the Tsar was willingly digging the beds for him, when he realised that the Tsar was tired, he asked him to get some rest and volunteered to take over the work. The hermit was civil in his manners. When the Tsar offered to help him, he accepted it and thanked the Tsar for being kind. The hermit’s sympathetic side comes to light when we see him assist the Tsar in nursing the wounded man back to life. He was a reticent (quiet and reserved) man but listened to others attentively. He did not give dry moral lessons to the Tsar but made him find the right answers to his three questions himself by analysing his own experiences.
11. What role did the bearded man play in ‘Three Questions’?
The bearded man plays a significant role in bringing out the central message of the story ‘Three Questions’. Initially, the bearded man wanted to kill the Tsar, as he had once killed the man’s brother and seized his property. On the day when he planned to kill the Tsar, unforeseen circumstances led the Tsar’s bodyguards to recognise and injure him. But he found out the Tsar was very kind, as he (the Tsar) took care of him and saved his life. This incident moved him and he begged for the Tsar’s mercy. He wanted to return the favour by serving him as his slave but the Tsar forgave him and made peace with him. In fact, the encounter with the bearded man was that experience which helped the Tsar to acquire the answers to his three questions. If the Tsar had not stayed back to help the hermit, the Tsar could have been killed by the bearded man or if the Tsar had not attended the wounded bearded man he would not have made peace with his enemy. Thus, while taking care of the wounded bearded man the Tsar unknowingly discovered the answers to his three questions- the right time is now, the right person is the the people one is with now, and the most important action is to do good to them.
12. Why do you think that the hermit did not give answers to the Tsar’s questions till the end?
Being a wise man the hermit knew that it would be difficult for the Tsar to realise the truth of his words. So, the hermit wanted the Tsar to get his answers though experience and did not give him the answers till the end. The hermit helped the Tsar analyse and interpret his real life experiences. This led the Tsar come to the conclusion that the most important time is the present moment as it is the only time when one has any power, the most important man is the one with whom one is at that present moment and the most important work is to do good to that person, The wise hermit’s teachings made the Tsar understand the true purpose of life. The Tsar realised that God has sent man into this world to help others.
13. Do you agree with the hermit’s answers to the Tsar’s three questions? If yes, state why giving examples from the text to support your argument. If not, state three reasons why you do not agree.
Yes, I completely agree with the hermit’s answers to the three questions. If the Tsar had not stayed to help the hermit but had gone his way, then the bearded man would have attacked the Tsar and the Tsar would have repented his decision of leaving the hermit’s cottage. So, the hermit’s answers were correct. The most important time was when the Tsar was digging the seed beds, the hermit was the most important man and to do him good was the Tsar’s most important business. Afterwards, when the wounded man came to the Tsar the most important time was when he was attending him, otherwise he would have died without making peace with the Tsar. Therefore, he was then the most important man and what the Tsar did for him was the most important business for the Tsar.
14. Though the hermit did not say anything to the king for some time, he did not ignore the king, or treat him rudely in anyway’- Do you agree? What evidences of his politeness can you point out in the text?
When the Tsar approached the hermit’s hut, he saw that the hermit was busy digging seed beds. The hermit politely greeted the Tsar and continued with his work silently. He heard the questions asked by the Tsar but without replying he went on digging. Though he did not answer, he never insulted the Tsar, rather he behaved very politely with him. The noble Tsar, sympathised with the hermit and took over his work, Indially, the hermit agreed with the Tsar, but after a while he requested the Tsar to give him the spade back and asked the Tsar to take rest, Then again, we find the evidence of his politeness when he assisted the Tsar in nursing the wounded man. Finally, the answers provided for the Tsar’s questions through the Tsar’s own experiences bear testimony of the hermit’s politeness as well as his wisdom.
15. How could you apply the answers to the three questions in your life?
According to the hermit, the only time that is Important is now or the present moment, the most important person is he with whom one is at that particular time and the most important affair is to do that man good We often tend to ignore the present and remain busy worrying about the future or brood over the past. Future is unpredictable and past is something which cannot be changed, So we should concentrate on the present as it is the only time when we have any power to do something Therefore, one should learn to listen to and attend to the person with whom one is at present and think about that person’s welfare, Man has been sent on earth by God to do good to others, to spread peace and happiness. Hence, the hermit’s answer are useful for each and every human being and we all should follow this in our life.
16. What is the moral message embedded in the short story “Three Questions?
Three Questions’ by Leo Tolstoy contains a universal truth the true purpose of life is to help others. The learned men provided different answers to the Tsar’s three questions and the Tsar did not agree with any of them. So, with a wish to know the right answers to his questions he went to a wise hermit living in a wood. There the Tsar got his answers through his own experiences. The story portrays that a man leams everything through his own actions. No person can provide an appropriate answer to what is the right time to start a work, whom to listen to and whom to avoid and which is the most important thing to do it is only life and no book or any individual can teach one to take the right decisions. This is the moral message embedded in the short story Three Questions.
17. Choose any one of the three characters of the story and write a diary entry of about 300 words explaining the day’s events from the perspective of that character.
Friday, November, 15: Yesterday was the day which has changed my life. I have already told you about the Tsar, my sworn enemy who killed my brother. He even forfeited my brother’s property. Last morning I heard that he was going to meet the hermit in the woods-alone! This is my chance. I thought. Without wasting any time, । set out with my dagger to kill him on his way back. Hiding behind a bush I waited. I was burning with rage. Time passed but he did not return, So I came out from the ambush to find him but unfortunately his bodyguards recognised me and wounded me. I was bleeding profusely. What to do! I thought the hermit-yes the hermit can help me. So I ran towards his hut and fell down fainting, moaning in pain. When I opened my eyes, I could not believe what I saw. The Tsar was dressing my wound. The man whom I wanted to kill was nursing me. Suddenly, I felt the pangs of conscience and spent the night staring at the Tsar, who was asleep on the threshold of the hut. Next moming, when the Tsar woke up, I was in tears. I confessed to him everything. I promised to be his loyal slave throughout my life. Unexpectedly, he forgave me and even promised to return the property. He said that he would send his servants and his own physician to attend to me. God! What a sin I would have committed if I had killed the kind man yesterday!
18. State the modern relevance of the story ‘Three Questions.
Despite being written in a different era, the short story Three Questions’ retains profound relevance in modern times. The hermit’s first answer-the most important time is now speaks directly to our modern struggles and mindfulness. In this age of smartphones and social media, many people find themselves mentally absent from the present moment. This story reminds us that we should live in the present moment.
The second answer-the most important person is always the person with whom one is at any given point of time, addresses our current crisis of attention and making genuine connections. The story suggests that meaningful human connection requires full presence with whoever is with us in the present moment.
The third answer the most important task is to do good to the person with whom one is at that present moment, confronts our self centred approach to success and fulfillment. Modern society often reckons happiness as something to be achieved through personal achievement, self-improvement. The story indicates that true fulfilment comes through service to others and contributing to others well being.
19. Imagine that you were present at that time of that event and write a blog post explaining the lessons you indirectly learned or were taught, using details from the story.
Recently I witnessed an incident which helped me to leam some important lessons of life. A wise hermit was requested to answer three questions by a Tsar. To get the answer the Tsar visited the hermit’s hut. I, being present there was lucky to hear the pertinent and logical answers to the three questions provided by the hermit. The hermil did not reply immediately. But after the occurrence of a few incidents during the course of the day, he explained that the present is the most important time for a person’, The answer was appropriate. We all think about our future and
spend time in planning how to secure it, but actually we cannot predict our future, nor can we change our past. The hermit’s answer immediately helped me to form a new philosophy of life. Why brood over the past or worry about the future when we can build our present more beautifully?
If we concentrate on our present, it will automatically lead to a better future.
Again, the hermit was too wise in saying that the ‘one with whom we are at the present moment, is the most important person, and to do that person good must be our only motive’. This idea opened my eyes and I was reminded of the fact that we, the children of God, are sent to earth to do good to an individual as well as to the society we live in.
So, I came back from that place with a new insight that inspired me to change my outlook. From then on, I promised to myself to value my ‘present’. Most importantly I will try to help others and do them good as much as I can.
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