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By Maitree Choube
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Updated on 18 Jun 2025, 12:16 IST
Chapter 3 – “Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish” from the NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb textbook is a funny and insightful story that teaches students the importance of wit, presence of mind, and creativity. Set during the season of Hilsa-fish—a delicacy that has captured the attention of an entire town—the story revolves around Gopal, a clever courtier who accepts a king’s unusual challenge. The tale mixes humour, satire, and a valuable lesson, making it both enjoyable and educational.
This NCERT solution for Class 7 English Chapter 3 provides students with a comprehensive summary, textbook question answers, and a detailed explanation of every exercise in the textbook. These solutions are curated in line with the CBSE 2025–26 syllabus, helping students grasp key ideas, improve their language skills, and prepare efficiently for exams.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 3 help students understand the story Gopal and the Hilsa Fish with complete clarity. These answers are designed to match the latest CBSE syllabus and make learning easier. Whether you're searching for Class 7 English Chapter 3 question answer or Class 7th English Chapter 3 question answer, this resource is perfect for exam preparation. All questions are solved in a simple way to help students build confidence and score well.
The story begins with the king being frustrated because everyone around him is talking only about the Hilsa-fish—from his courtiers to commoners. To test the intelligence and cleverness of Gopal, one of his wittiest courtiers, the king throws a challenge: bring a Hilsa-fish to the palace without anyone talking about it.
Accepting the challenge, Gopal comes up with a strange plan. He:
When he walks through the town with a Hilsa-fish in hand, people are so distracted by his bizarre appearance that no one notices the fish. Even the palace guards think he’s mad and refuse him entry. Eventually, the king summons him, and Gopal proves he fulfilled the challenge.
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Moral: Cleverness, humour, and unconventional thinking can solve even the strangest problems.
These NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English provide accurate answers to all exercises in the NCERT textbook. Students can easily understand the chapter by reading these solutions. They are helpful for quick revision and effective exam preparation. Practicing these Class 7 NCERT English Solutions boosts confidence and helps students score good marks in exams. These answers are simple, clear, and fully based on the latest CBSE syllabus 2025–26.
Students looking for Gopal and the Hilsa Fish question answers PDF can now easily download the complete NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 3. These solutions include all the important question answers of Gopal and the Hilsa Fish, written in simple language to help you understand the chapter better. Whether you're searching for class 7 English Chapter 3 question answer, class 7th English Chapter 3 question answer, or just want to give an alternative ending for the story Gopal and the Hilsa Fish, this PDF covers it all.
You can download the Gopal and the Hilsa Fish question answers PDF and access it offline whenever needed. This makes revision faster and more convenient, especially during exams. These solutions are based on the latest CBSE syllabus 2025–26 and help students score better by providing easy explanations and well-structured answers.
Click the link below to get your Class 7 English Gopal and the Hilsa Fish question answer PDF and start your exam prep with confidence!
Working with the Text Page No. 42
Answer the following questions.
1. Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa fish?
A. The king wanted no more talk about the hilsa fish because all the people were talking about it, as it was the season for hilsa fish. The king was fed up with the common talk about hilsa-fish.
2. What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
A. The king asked Gopal to buy and bring a huge hilsa fish to the palace without anyone asking about it.
3. What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his hilsa-fish?
A. Before going to buy hilsa fish, Gopal shaved his face in half. Then he smeared his face with ash. Finally, he wore rags.
4. How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
A. At first, the gatekeeper did not allow Gopal to get in. Then he began to dance and sing loudly. The king heard the loud noise and ordered to bring the man inside.
5. Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa fish which Gopal had bought?
A. No one seemed to be interested in talking about the hilsa fish, which Gopal had bought because they were talking about its strange appearance of Gopal. They thought that he had gone mad.
6. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following sentences.
The king lost his temper easily. (True)
Gopal was a madman. (False)
Gopal was a clever man. (True)
Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes. (False)
The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong. (False)
Working with Language Page No. 42-43
1. Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead, what they say is put in a speech ‘bubble’. However, if we wish to repeat or ‘report’ what they say, we must put it into reported speech.
Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech. The first one has been done for you.
For Example: (i) How much did you pay for that hilsa?
The woman asked the man how much he had paid for that hilsa.
(ii) Why is your face half-shaven?
Gopal’s wife asked him _________________.
(iii) I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
Gopal told the king _________________.
(iv) I want to see the king.
Gopal told the guards _________________.
(v) Bring the man to me at once.
The king ordered the guard _________________.
Answer:
(ii) Gopal’s wife asked him why his face was half-shaven.
(iii) Gopal told the king that he accepted the challenge.
(iv) Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the king.
(v) The king ordered the guard to bring the man to him at once.
2. Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in the dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.
Challenge; mystic; comical; courtier; smearing
Ans.
Challenge
Meaning: A task or situation that tests someone's abilities.
Sentence: Completing the marathon was a challenge, but she felt immense pride after crossing the finish line.
Mystic
Meaning: A person who seeks spiritual understanding or someone who practices or believes in mystical traditions.
Sentence: The mystic spent hours meditating by the river, seeking deeper truths beyond the material world.
Comical
Meaning: Causing laughter, especially by being unusual or unexpected.
Sentence: The play was filled with comical characters that kept the audience laughing from start to finish.
Courtier
Meaning: A person who attends a royal court as a companion or adviser to the king or queen.
Sentence: The courtier carefully navigated the complex etiquette of the palace to maintain favor with the king.
Smearing
Meaning: Spreading or daubing a substance, especially a thick or sticky one, roughly or carelessly.
Sentence: He ended up smearing mud all over his clothes while playing in the garden.
1. Gopal
2. The King
3. Gopal’s Wife
The story is rich in hidden meanings and useful themes, which are important for students preparing Class 7 English Chapter 3 question answers.
🔹 Wit and Intelligence
Gopal wins the challenge not by force, but by using clever thinking.
🔹 Creativity and Boldness
He dares to look foolish in public to achieve a bigger goal—this shows out-of-the-box thinking.
🔹 Distraction as a Strategy
Gopal uses distraction to shift people’s focus from the Hilsa fish to his bizarre look.
🔹 Humour in Problem-Solving
The story uses light humour to show how big problems can be solved smartly.
These key themes help students prepare better for question answer of Gopal and the Hilsa Fish, especially for exams and creative writing tasks.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 3 Gopal and the Hilsa Fish are designed to help students understand both the story and its deeper meanings in a simple way. These solutions follow the latest CBSE exam pattern and are extremely useful during last-minute revision and exam prep.
These Class 7 NCERT English Solutions go beyond basic question-answer practice. They help students build the right technique to approach literature-based questions confidently. These notes are structured to cover key exam points and are a great tool to improve answer writing skills.
Gopal is depicted as a witty and clever courtier in the king's court, known for his humorous and intelligent solutions to challenges posed by the king.
Gopal dressed up in a bizarre way by shaving half his beard, smearing ash on his face, and wearing rags to distract people from noticing the Hilsa fish he carried.
Although English literature may appear difficult, INFINITY LEARN notes for NCERT Class 7 English Chapter 3 Gopal and the Hilsa Fish will cover all of the themes. You will also develop excellent writing abilities, which will help you score higher on the exam
The monarch put Gopal to a lot of tests to see whether he could back up his claims. This time, it would be his dexterity that would be put to the test.
The story happens during the hilsa fish season when everyone is talking about it. The king becomes annoyed with this constant talk and challenges Gopal, his clever courtier, to bring a hilsa fish to the palace without anyone asking about it. Gopal accepts the challenge, disguises himself in a funny way, and succeeds. His clever plan distracts people from the fish, and the king is impressed by his smart thinking.
The king was tired and irritated because everyone around him—even in the royal court—kept talking only about the hilsa fish. He wanted peace and no more discussion about it.