Unit 6 — Nasiruddin

Complete Solved Exercises

Textbook: English 9, KP Textbook Board — Unit 6, pp.55–63
Theme: Humour
Grammar: Adjective — types, degrees, order, formation, adjective phrase
Writing: Book review, review of lesson, translation

COMPREHENSION (p.60)

A. Answer the following questions

1. What are Nasiruddin's stories famous for?
Nasiruddin's stories — his anecdotes — are famous all over the world for their humour and wit. They are popular because they deal with the experiences of day-to-day life, so ordinary people can easily relate to them. Every year Nasiruddin Day is celebrated in Turkey with great pomp and show. Several volumes of stories about him have been published in England, a translation of the funny situations of his life has been published in Chinese, a novel about his life has been published in Russia, and several volumes have appeared in Urdu and Pashto. People often repeat them in conversation. He had been a tailor, a merchant, a doctor and a judge, and he had travelled widely, so his stories cover every walk of life.

2. Which anecdote from the lesson did you like the most? Why?
(A personal answer. Model:)

I liked the anecdote of the cloak the most. Nasiruddin lent his new cloak to his friend Jalal, but he could not resist telling the first friend they met that the cloak really belonged to him. When Jalal protested, Nasiruddin promised not to repeat the mistake — and at the next house he said the opposite, that the cloak was Jalal's own, which made Jalal furious again. Finally Jalal warned him not to say a word about the cloak at all, and Nasiruddin began, "The cloak that he is wearing — OH! I'm not supposed to say a word about it." I liked it because Nasiruddin obeys the letter of the instruction each time and yet manages to give away the secret. It shows that a person who cannot keep a secret will give it away no matter how you bind him.

3. Explain the point of laughter in the last story.
In the last story a neighbour came to borrow Nasiruddin's donkey. Nasiruddin told a lie, saying that he had already lent it out. At that very moment the donkey brayed loudly from Nasiruddin's own stable, exposing the lie at once. The point of laughter lies in Nasiruddin's reply: instead of feeling ashamed, he shut the door in the man's face and said with dignity, "A man, who believes the words of a donkey in preference to my words, does not deserve to be lent anything."

The humour comes from three things: the irony that the donkey itself betrays the lie; the absurd logic by which Nasiruddin turns his own dishonesty into a complaint against the neighbour; and the contrast between his dignified manner and his shameless behaviour. He wins the argument while being completely in the wrong — and that is exactly what makes us laugh.

4. How were the thieves treated by Nasiruddin?
Once thieves entered Nasiruddin's house, and he hid himself in a cupboard. After ransacking the whole house, the thieves reached the cupboard and opened it, and asked him why he was hiding there. Nasiruddin did not show any fear or anger. He simply answered, "Because of shame that there is nothing worthy of you in my house." In other words, he treated them politely and even apologised — as if he were a poor host embarrassed that he had nothing good enough to offer his "guests." He turned his own poverty and his fear into a joke.

5. What was Nasiruddin's explanation to the gardener?
Nasiruddin had climbed into someone's kitchen garden and was filling a sack with everything he could lay his hands on. When the gardener came running and asked what he was doing there, Nasiruddin replied that he had been blown there by a wind. When the gardener asked who had uprooted the vegetables, Nasiruddin said that he had caught hold of them to stop himself being swept along. And when the gardener asked how the vegetables came to be in the sack, Nasiruddin answered, "That is just what I was wondering about when you interrupted me." Each explanation is more ridiculous than the last, and the final one shows his quick wit — he pretends to be as puzzled as the gardener himself.

6. Have you ever come across a humorous person like Nasiruddin? Compare the character of Nasiruddin with that real-life person.
(A personal answer. Model:)

Yes, my uncle Ashraf is very much like Nasiruddin. Like Nasiruddin, he has a ready answer for every situation and never admits defeat in an argument. Once he arrived two hours late for a family dinner and, when everyone complained, he said gravely that he had come early — for next week's dinner. Like Nasiruddin, his humour rises out of ordinary daily life, not out of prepared jokes, and he keeps a perfectly serious face while saying the most absurd things.
The difference is that my uncle laughs at himself, whereas Nasiruddin usually turns the joke against the other person — as he does with the farmer and the turban, and with the neighbour and the donkey. Also, behind Nasiruddin's foolishness there is always a hidden wisdom that teaches a lesson, while my uncle's jokes are meant only to make people laugh.

7. Write a note on the character of Nasiruddin using evidence from the lesson.

The Character of Nasiruddin

Nasiruddin is a folk character of wit and wisdom whose anecdotes are famous all over the world. Although the age in which he lived is not exactly known and even his country of birth is disputed — the Iranians, the Turks and the Russians all claim him — his personality comes out clearly from the stories.

He is witty and quick. He never loses an argument, however wrong he may be. When the donkey exposed his lie, he instantly replied that a man who believes a donkey rather than him deserves nothing.

He is a master of logic turned upside down. He asked the rich man for money to buy an elephant, and when told that a man with no money cannot keep an elephant, he answered, "I came here to get money, not advice."

He exposes pride and false appearances. When the farmer taunted him for wearing a big turban and still being unable to read, Nasiruddin placed the turban on the farmer's head and said, "Now you have the turban on your head. Read the letter." In one stroke he showed that wisdom does not lie in outward show.

He is fearless and cheerful in trouble. Hiding from thieves, he apologised for having nothing worthy of them.

He is impartial and honest about his own helplessness. When one daughter wanted rain and the other wanted dry weather, he said simply that he did not know for which one he should pray.

He has human weaknesses too. He could not keep a secret about the cloak, and he told a plain lie about the donkey. This is what makes him lovable rather than merely clever.

In short, Nasiruddin is a wise fool — a man who appears simple but whose every joke carries a lesson about human nature.

VOCABULARY (p.60)

A. What do you understand by the following terms from the lesson?

B. Use the following words in sentences of your own

WRITING (pp.60–61)

How to write a book review? (mind map given in the book)

Branches: Title · Main idea · Type and style · Characters · End · You liked it?

A review should cover: the title (and author), the main idea or subject, the type and style of the writing, the characters, how it ends, and finally whether you liked it and why.

A. Write a review of the lesson "Nasiruddin"

A Review of the Lesson "Nasiruddin"

Title. The lesson under review is Nasiruddin, Unit 6 of our English textbook for Grade 9.

Main idea. The lesson introduces Mulla Nasiruddin, a legendary folk character whose humorous anecdotes are famous throughout the world, and then presents ten of his short, amusing stories. Its main idea is that humour and common sense can expose human folly more effectively than any sermon.

Type and style. It is a collection of anecdotes — short, interesting stories about a real person. The style is simple, conversational and full of dialogue. Each story is only a few lines long and ends in a sudden, unexpected reply that produces the laughter.

Characters. The central character is Nasiruddin himself — witty, fearless, quick-tongued and sometimes shamelessly clever. Around him move a set of ordinary people: his friend Jalal, an illiterate farmer, his two daughters, a band of thieves, a rich man, a gardener and a neighbour. They exist mainly to be outwitted by him.

End. The lesson ends with the story of the borrowed donkey, in which Nasiruddin's lie is exposed by the braying of the animal, yet he still contrives to blame the neighbour. It is a fitting close, because it shows his character at its most typical.

Did I like it? I enjoyed this lesson very much. The stories are short, easy to follow and genuinely funny, and behind every joke there is a grain of wisdom — that show is not knowledge, that pride can be humbled, and that a man who cannot keep a secret will always betray it. I would certainly recommend the lesson to other students.

B. Translate the following passage from English to Urdu

English: "A farmer brought a letter to Nasiruddin and requested him to read it for him. Nasiruddin wanted to be excused saying that he could not do so because he was illiterate. The farmer said, 'You are wearing such a big turban and still cannot read a letter'. Nasiruddin placed his turban on the head of the farmer and said, 'Now you have the turban on your head. Read the letter'."

Urdu translation:

ایک کسان نصیرالدین کے پاس ایک خط لایا اور اُس سے درخواست کی کہ وہ اُس کے لیے یہ خط پڑھ دے۔ نصیرالدین نے معذرت چاہی اور کہا کہ وہ ایسا نہیں کر سکتا کیونکہ وہ اَن پڑھ ہے۔ کسان نے کہا، "تم اتنی بڑی پگڑی باندھے ہوئے ہو اور پھر بھی ایک خط نہیں پڑھ سکتے۔" نصیرالدین نے اپنی پگڑی کسان کے سر پر رکھ دی اور کہا، "اب پگڑی تمہارے سر پر ہے۔ خط پڑھ لو۔"

LISTENING & SPEAKING (p.61)

Role play: In a group of two, carry out an interview in which the interviewer asks questions about the lesson from the reviewer.

Sample interview:

Interviewer: Which lesson have you reviewed?
Reviewer: I have reviewed Nasiruddin, Unit 6 of our English textbook.
Interviewer: What kind of writing is it?
Reviewer: It is a collection of anecdotes — short, amusing stories about a real person.
Interviewer: Who is the main character, and what is he like?
Reviewer: Mulla Nasiruddin. He is witty, fearless and quick-tongued, and he never loses an argument even when he is completely in the wrong.
Interviewer: Which story did you find the funniest?
Reviewer: The one about the borrowed donkey. The donkey brayed and exposed his lie, yet he still managed to blame the neighbour for believing a donkey rather than him.
Interviewer: Is there any lesson behind the humour?
Reviewer: Yes. Behind every joke there is wisdom — that outward show is not knowledge, and that pride is easily humbled.
Interviewer: Would you recommend the lesson?
Reviewer: Certainly. It is short, easy and entertaining, and it teaches without preaching.

GRAMMAR — ADJECTIVE (pp.61–63)

A. Complete the sentences using an adjective of the category specified

B. Complete the sentences using the appropriate degree of the adjective

Rule: short adjectives add -er / -est; adjectives of three or more syllables take more / most. The word than in a sentence signals the comparative; the … of the class / in the world signals the superlative.

C. Complete the sentences using the proper order of adjectives

The order of adjectives: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose

⚠ Correction for Q1: the answer is dirty old flannel, not old dirty flannel. Dirty is an opinion adjective and opinion always comes first; old is age; flannel is material. Remember the order with OSASCOMP.

FORMATION OF ADJECTIVES

Adjectives can be formed from nouns and verbs by adding suffixes such as -al, -ous, -ly, -able, -y, -ed, -ing, -ful, -less, -ive, -ic.

D. Use the word in brackets to form a suitable adjective

⚠ Two common errors to correct in class: the adjective from enjoy is enjoyable, never "enjoyful"; and the adjective from allergy is spelt allergic, not "elergic".

E. Find adjectives from the lesson and change them into comparative and superlative degrees

ADJECTIVE PHRASE

An adjective phrase serves the same purpose as an adjective — that is, it modifies a noun.

F. Identify the adjective phrases in the following sentences

G. Replace the adjective in colour by an adjective phrase of the same meaning

⚠ Correction for Q5: the phrase is "a night of horror" — "night of horrible" is not English, because horrible is an adjective and cannot follow of. When you turn an adjective into a phrase you must use the noun form: horrible → horror, beautiful → beauty, courageous → courage.

GLOSSARY (p.59 — as given in the book)

THE TEN ANECDOTES — quick revision

LIKELY EXAM QUESTIONS

1. What are Nasiruddin's stories famous for?
2. How were the thieves treated by Nasiruddin?
3. What was Nasiruddin's explanation to the gardener?
4. Explain the point of laughter in the story of the donkey.
5. Write a note on the character of Nasiruddin using evidence from the lesson.
6. What is an anecdote? Narrate any one anecdote of Nasiruddin in your own words.
7. Write a review of the lesson "Nasiruddin".
8. Translate the given passage into Urdu.
9. Write the order of adjectives with an example.
10. What is an adjective phrase? Replace the adjectives in the given sentences with adjective phrases.