Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guides for Chapter 2 (Prose) Three Questions: WBCHSE Class 12 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester IV syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
A certain Tsar once thought that if he knew the answers to three questions, he would never fail in any task. The first question was what is the best time to begin something. The second was who are the most important people to listen to. The third was what is the most important thing to do. He proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a large reward to anyone who could answer these questions.
Many educated men came to the Tsar, but their answers were all different. To the first question, some suggested following a strict timetable. Others said it was impossible to know the right time in advance and one must just pay attention. Some advised creating a council of wise men, while others suggested consulting magicians. For the second question, they named councillors, priests, doctors, or warriors as the most necessary people. For the third question, some said science was the most important pursuit, others said it was skill in war, and still others said it was religious worship. The Tsar agreed with none of them and gave the reward to no one.
Still wanting answers, he decided to visit a wise hermit. The Tsar put on simple clothes, left his guards behind, and went alone into the woods where the hermit lived. He found the old hermit digging small beds for planting. The Tsar went up and asked his three questions. The hermit listened but said nothing, continuing his work. Seeing that the hermit was frail and tired, the Tsar took the spade and began digging for him. After some time, he repeated his questions but still got no reply.
As evening approached, a bearded man ran out of the woods, holding his hands over a bleeding wound in his stomach. The Tsar rushed to help him. He washed the wound as best he could and bandaged it with his own handkerchief and a towel from the hermit. He cared for the man until the bleeding stopped. The next morning, the man saw the Tsar and asked for forgiveness. He confessed that he was the Tsar’s enemy and had planned to kill him. When the Tsar did not return, the enemy left his hiding place and was wounded by the Tsar’s bodyguards. He was thankful that the Tsar, his enemy, had saved his life. The Tsar was happy to have made peace so easily.
The Tsar then asked the hermit for his answers a final time. The hermit explained that the questions had already been answered by his actions. The most important time is now, because it is the only time we can act. The most important person is the one you are with at any given moment. The most important business is to do good for that person. This, the hermit said, is the purpose of life.
Textbook solutions
1. Why did the Tsar want to have the answer to the Three questions?
Answer: The Tsar wanted to have the answers to his three questions because a thought had occurred to him that if he always knew the right time to begin everything, knew who were the right people to listen to and whom to avoid, and, above all, always knew what was the most important thing to do, then he would never fail in anything he might undertake.
2. What was the third question and what was the answer?
Answer: The third question the Tsar asked was what was the most important thing to do, or what affairs were the most important and needed his first attention.
The answer provided by the hermit was that the most important affair is to do good for the person one is with at any given moment. This is because, as the hermit explained, it is for this purpose alone that man was sent into this life.
3. How did the Tsar and the hermit nurse the wounded man?
Answer: When the bearded man ran out of the wood and fainted, the Tsar and the hermit unfastened his clothing, revealing a large wound in his stomach. The Tsar washed the wound as best he could and then bandaged it with his own handkerchief and a towel from the hermit. The blood would not stop flowing, so the Tsar repeatedly removed the blood-soaked bandage, washed the wound again, and rebandaged it. When the bleeding finally ceased and the man revived, he asked for something to drink, and the Tsar brought him fresh water. Finally, with the hermit’s help, the Tsar carried the wounded man into the hut and laid him on the bed to rest.
4. State the modern relevance of the story Three Questions.
Answer: The story “Three Questions” holds profound relevance in the modern world. Its central message teaches the importance of living in the present moment. In an age filled with distractions, anxiety about the future, and regrets about the past, the story’s answer that the most important time is ‘Now’ is a powerful reminder to practice mindfulness and focus on the present, as it is the only time we truly have the power to act.
Furthermore, the story emphasizes the value of the people we are with at any given moment. In a world that is digitally connected but often lacks deep personal engagement, the lesson that the most important person is the one you are currently with encourages us to give our full attention and respect to those in our immediate presence, fostering stronger relationships.
Finally, the story’s ultimate moral—that the most important task is to do good for that person—serves as a timeless ethical guide. It suggests that a meaningful life is built not on grand, abstract ambitions, but on consistent, small acts of kindness and service to others in our daily lives. This principle is a vital antidote to the self-centeredness that can permeate modern society.
Additional Questions and Answers
1. What were the three questions the Tsar wanted to have answered?
Answer: The Tsar wanted to know the answers to three specific questions. He sought to know the right time to begin everything, who the right people were to listen to and whom to avoid, and above all, what the most important thing to do was. He believed this knowledge would guarantee his success.
2. What did the Tsar believe would happen if he knew the answers to his questions?
Answer: The Tsar believed that if he always knew the right time for every action, the most necessary people, and the most important thing to do, he would gain an ultimate advantage. He was certain that with this knowledge, he would never fail in anything that he might choose to undertake in his life.
3. What did the Tsar proclaim throughout his kingdom to get his answers?
Answer: After the thought occurred to him, the Tsar had it proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who could teach him the answers to his three questions. He wanted to learn what the right time for every action was, who were the most necessary people, and the most important thing to do.
4. What was the first set of advice given to the Tsar for his first question?
Answer: In reply to the first question, some learned men said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up a detailed table of days, months, and years in advance. They insisted that one must then live strictly according to this schedule, as only then could everything be done at its proper time.
5. Why did some men suggest the Tsar should have a Council of wise men?
Answer: Some men suggested a Council of wise men because they felt it was impossible for one person alone to correctly decide the right time for every action, no matter how attentive he was. They believed a council of wise men would be able to collaborate and help the Tsar fix the proper time for everything.
6. Why was it suggested that the Tsar should consult magicians?
Answer: It was suggested that the Tsar consult magicians because some matters could not wait to be laid before a council and required an immediate decision. To decide on such matters, one needed to know what was going to happen beforehand, and it was believed that only magicians possessed such knowledge of the future.
7. What were the various answers the learned men gave for the second question?
Answer: The answers to the second question were equally varied. Some learned men said that the people the Tsar most needed were his councillors. Others claimed that the priests were the most necessary people. Still others argued for the doctors, while a final group insisted that the warriors were the most essential people for the Tsar.
8. What different occupations were suggested as the most important?
Answer: For the third question about the most important occupation, there were several different answers provided by the learned men. Some replied that the most important thing in the world was science. Others stated that it was skill in warfare, and yet another group claimed that the most important occupation was religious worship.
9. Why did the Tsar give the reward to none of the learned men?
Answer: The Tsar gave the reward to none of the learned men because all their answers to his three questions were different from one another. Since the advice he received was conflicting and he could not agree with any of the proposed solutions, he decided not to bestow the promised reward on anyone.
10. Why did the Tsar decide to consult a hermit? What was the hermit known for?
Answer: The Tsar decided to consult a hermit because he was still wishing to find the right answers to his questions after being unsatisfied with the learned men. He chose this particular hermit because the man lived in a wood, never quitted it, and was widely renowned for his profound wisdom.
38. Analyse how Leo Tolstoy uses a simple narrative structure and characters to explore complex questions about the purpose of life and human existence.
Answer: Leo Tolstoy masterfully uses a simple, fable-like narrative structure and archetypal characters to explore profound questions about life’s purpose. The structure is a straightforward quest: a ruler seeks answers, is disappointed by worldly wisdom, and finds truth from a humble, spiritual source. This simplicity makes the story accessible while allowing its deeper meanings to resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
The characters are not complex individuals but archetypes: the Tsar represents every person seeking meaning; the learned men embody intellectual but impractical knowledge; and the hermit represents spiritual wisdom grounded in humble action. By stripping the story of complex plot twists, Tolstoy focuses the reader’s attention directly on the central philosophical questions. The answers he provides through the hermit’s final speech—to live in the now, to care for the person before you, and to do good—are presented as universal truths, made all the more powerful by the simple, elegant story that frames them.
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