Summary of the Chapter – The Perfect Portrait
The chapter tells a story about Birbal, the wise advisor of Emperor Akbar, and how he helped an artist who was cheated by a proud and tricky merchant. The merchant claimed that no artist could draw his perfect portrait. The artist accepted the challenge but every time he made a portrait, the merchant rejected it with some excuse—first saying it showed a beard, then a moustache, and later other faults. The artist became worried and helpless.
Birbal understood that the merchant never intended to accept any portrait. To teach him a lesson, Birbal came up with a clever plan. The artist showed the merchant a framed “portrait” which turned out to be a mirror. Birbal explained that only a mirror could show the merchant’s exact portrait. The merchant felt ashamed, begged Birbal not to complain to the king, and finally paid the artist properly.
The story highlights Birbal’s wisdom, kindness, and intelligence, and teaches that pride and dishonesty always lead to shame.
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A. Objective Type Questions
1. Why did the artist take up the job of drawing the merchant’s portrait?
✔ iii. The merchant put up a challenge that nobody could draw him, and the artist wanted to prove his skill.
2. Why did Birbal decide to help the artist?
✔ iii. Birbal was kind-hearted and knew the artist very well.
3. How many portraits of the merchant did the artist make?
✔ iii. five
4. Why did the merchant refuse to accept the first portrait?
✔ ii. It showed him with a beard.
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B. Fill in the blanks
1. I fixed up the time with him for drawing his portrait.
2. Birbal was a kind-hearted man who was well known across the kingdom for his wisdom.
3. You don’t need a portrait, but a mirror, my friend.
4. He begged Birbal not to complain to the king and paid the artist well.
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Subjective Type Questions
1. Why was the artist worried?
The artist was worried because the merchant kept rejecting all his portraits and refused to pay him, even though the paintings were good.
2. Why did the merchant refuse to accept the second portrait?
The merchant refused the second portrait saying that it showed him with a moustache, whereas he did not have one.
3. What was the merchant’s motive behind rejecting all the artist’s portraits?
The merchant’s motive was to insult the artist, prove that no one could draw him perfectly, and avoid paying money.
4. Why did the merchant think that the artist had fallen for his trick?
The merchant thought so because the artist said he would not ask for money if the merchant did not like the portrait.
5. How did Birbal prove the merchant wrong?
Birbal showed the merchant a mirror as the perfect portrait and explained that only a mirror could show his exact face, thus exposing the merchant’s foolishness.
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Be Wordy – Change Adjectives into Adverbs
1. Shipla is a courageous young woman.
→ Shipla saved the children from drowning courageously.
2. The cat is lazy.
→ The cat is walking lazily.
3. The children are merry.
→ The children are dancing merrily.
4. Kamal is a happy person.
→ Kamal does his work every day happily.
5. Michelle is a careful driver.
→ Michelle drives on highways carefully.
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