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CBSE Class 7 English★ 4-6 marks in Class 7 English assessments; comprehension, character, and value-based questions

'Three Questions — Leo Tolstoy'

'A king seeks answers to three important questions. Through the wisdom of a hermit, he learns that the most important time is now, the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to do good.'

⏱ 12 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Summarise the plot of 'Three Questions'
2State the king's three questions and the hermit's answers
3Describe the characters of the king, the hermit, and the wounded man
4Identify the themes of living in the present, compassion, and forgiveness
5Recognise the parable form and other literary devices

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Why this chapter matters

'Three Questions' by Leo Tolstoy is a parable that teaches timeless wisdom -- that the most important time is now, the most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is to do good. It builds reading comprehension, moral reasoning, and the ability to identify themes and literary devices.

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Class 6 English: Reading prose and identifying morals

Comprehension and finding the message of a story

Three Questions — Leo Tolstoy

Introduction

'Three Questions' is a short story by the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910). It is a parable about wisdom and compassion. The story revolves around a king who believes that if he knows the answers to three questions, he will never fail in anything. He seeks answers from learned men but is not satisfied. Finally, a hermit teaches him the answers through experience rather than words.

'Tolstoy's story reminds us that wisdom is not found in abstract knowledge but in living with awareness and compassion.'

2. About the Author

Detail	Information
Name	Leo Tolstoy
Born	9 September 1828
Died	20 November 1910
Nationality	Russian
Famous works	War and Peace, Anna Karenina
Themes	Morality, spirituality, social justice

3. The Three Questions

The king wanted answers to:

Question	Answer (from the hermit)
What is the right time to begin something?	Now — the present moment is the most important time.
Who are the most important people to listen to?	The person you are with at that moment.
What is the most important thing to do?	To do good to the person you are with.

'The hermit's answers are simple but profound. They teach us that life is not about grand plans but about being present and kind in the moment.'

4. Summary of the Story

The King's Search

A king announces a reward for anyone who can answer his three questions. Many learned men come with different answers, but none satisfy the king. The king then decides to visit a wise hermit who lives in the forest.

The Visit to the Hermit

The hermit is digging the ground in front of his hut. He is weak and tired. The king asks his questions, but the hermit does not reply. Instead, the king takes the spade and helps the hermit dig.

The Wounded Man

A man with a deep stomach wound rushes towards them and collapses. The king and the hermit tend to his wound. The man recovers and asks for the king's forgiveness. It turns out that this man was the king's enemy who had planned to kill him. The king had saved his enemy's life, and the enemy became his friend.

The Hermit's Answers

The hermit then explains that the king's questions have already been answered through his actions:

The most important time was when the king was digging the beds — the time he was helping the hermit.
The most important person was the hermit himself (when the king was helping him) and then the wounded man.
The most important thing was to do good — first by helping the hermit, and then by saving the wounded man.

5. Characters

Character	Role	Traits
The King	Seeker of wisdom	Determined, humble enough to learn
The Hermit	Wise teacher	Lives simply; teaches by example
The Wounded Man	King's enemy turned friend	Enemy; learns forgiveness

6. Themes

Theme	Explanation
Living in the present	The most important time is now — not past, not future
Compassion	Doing good to others is the highest purpose
Forgiveness	The king forgives his enemy and gains a friend
Action over theory	Wisdom is shown through actions, not words
Humility	The king, despite his power, learns from a poor hermit

7. Literary Devices

Device	Example
Parable	A short story with a moral lesson
Irony	The king's enemy is saved by the king himself
Foreshadowing	The wounded man's approach hints at the lesson to come
Dialogue	Minimal; the hermit teaches through silence and action

8. Important Passages

'Remember then: there is only one time that is important — now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.'

'The most necessary person is the one with whom you are at the moment, for no one knows if they will ever have dealings with anyone else.'

'The most important thing is to do good to that person, for it is for this purpose alone that man was sent into this life.'

9. Exam Focus

2-Mark Questions

Who wrote 'Three Questions'?
What were the three questions the king wanted answers to?
How did the hermit teach the king?
Who was the wounded man?

5-Mark Questions

Explain the hermit's answers to the king's three questions.
How did the king's enemy become his friend?
Why did the king not accept the answers from the learned men?
What is the moral of the story 'Three Questions'?

10. Self-Test

Q1. What was the first question of the king? A1. What is the right time to begin something?

Q2. Where did the hermit live? A2. In a hut in the forest.

Q3. Why did the wounded man come to the king? A3. He was the king's enemy and had planned to kill him, but the king saved his life.

Q4. What was the king doing when the wounded man arrived? A4. He was helping the hermit dig the ground.

Q5. What is the most important thing to do, according to the hermit? A5. To do good to the person you are with.

Summary

A king searches for answers to three questions about time, people, and action.
Learned men give conflicting answers; the king visits a hermit.
The king helps the hermit dig and later saves a wounded man.
The wounded man turns out to be the king's enemy.
The hermit reveals that the answers were in the king's actions.
The most important time is now; the most important person is the one you are with; the most important thing is to do good.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

The hermit's three answers

Right time = NOW; most important person = the one you are with; most important thing = to do good.

Taught through the king's own actions, not words.

Parable

A short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson.

Tolstoy uses the king's experience to reveal wisdom.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking the hermit answered in words

✓ The hermit answered through the king's experience -- helping dig and saving the wounded man -- not through a lecture.

WATCH OUT

✗ Missing the identity of the wounded man

✓ The wounded man was the king's enemy who had planned to kill him; the king saved him and gained a friend.

WATCH OUT

✗ Stating only one answer

✓ There are THREE linked answers -- about time (now), person (the one with you), and action (do good).

WATCH OUT

✗ Retelling the plot when a theme is asked

✓ For theme questions, state the value (e.g. living in the present) and support it with one example from the story.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Comprehension Check

Short questions on the king's quest, the hermit, and the wounded man

Questions

Working with the Text

The three questions, the hermit's answers, and the moral

Questions

Working with Language

Vocabulary and sentence work from the story

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Recall

What were the three questions the king wanted answers to?

▶ Show solution

1) What is the right time to begin something? 2) Who are the most important people to listen to? 3) What is the most important thing to do?

Q2MEDIUM· Explain

Explain the hermit's answers to the king's three questions.

▶ Show solution

The hermit showed that the most important time is NOW, because it is the only time we have power to act. The most important person is the one you are with at that moment. The most important thing is to do good to that person. He revealed this through the king's own actions -- helping the hermit dig and saving the wounded man.

Q3MEDIUM· Explain

How did the king's enemy become his friend?

▶ Show solution

The wounded man was the king's enemy who had planned to kill him. When he was hurt, the king and hermit tended his wound and saved his life. Moved by this kindness, the enemy asked for forgiveness and became the king's loyal friend.

Q4EASY· Value

What is the moral of the story 'Three Questions'?

▶ Show solution

The moral is to live with awareness and compassion -- focus on the present moment, value the person in front of you, and always do good.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•'Three Questions' is a parable by Leo Tolstoy (Russian writer, 1828-1910).
•The king seeks the right time to act, the most important person, and the most important thing to do.
•Learned men give conflicting answers, so the king visits a wise hermit.
•The king helps the hermit dig and then saves a wounded man -- his own enemy.
•The answers: the most important time is NOW, the most important person is the one you are with, the most important thing is to do good.
•Themes: living in the present, compassion, forgiveness, action over theory, humility.
•It is a parable that teaches through the king's actions, not the hermit's words.

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4-6 marks, depending on school paper design

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Comprehension / Very Short	1-2	1-2	Plot, characters, key facts
Short / Long Answer	3-5	1	The hermit's answers, forgiveness, moral
Value-based	3	0-1	Applying the story's lesson to life

Prep strategy

Memorise the three questions and their answers
Be able to retell the plot in 5-6 sentences
Connect each theme to an event in the story
Learn the key quotations for value-based answers

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Mindfulness

The lesson to focus on the present moment is central to modern ideas of mindfulness and well-being.

Kindness in daily life

Valuing the person in front of you and doing good guides everyday relationships and decisions.

Conflict resolution

The king's forgiveness of his enemy models how compassion can turn enemies into friends.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Quote the hermit's answers accurately in long answers
For theme questions, name the value and give a story example
Keep plot summaries brief and focused
Use the key quotations to strengthen value-based answers

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Compare 'Three Questions' with other moral parables, such as those of Aesop or the Panchatantra.
Explore Leo Tolstoy's later life and his philosophy of simple living and non-violence.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 7 School ExamHigh

Olympiad / reading comprehension testsMedium

Value education and moral reasoningMedium

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

The learned men gave many different and conflicting answers to each question, so the king could not decide which were correct. He felt none of them truly satisfied him, so he sought out the wise hermit.

A parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson. 'Three Questions' uses the king's experience to reveal deep truths about time, people, and kindness, making it a classic parable.

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