**The Decision of the Panchayat — Quick Notes**
**Main Story**: A farmer buys a well from his cunning neighbour, but the neighbour refuses to let him take water, saying he only sold the well, not the water.
**Key Characters**:
**Key Words**:
**The Chief's Clever Answer**: If the water is the neighbour's, he cannot keep it in the farmer's well. He must take it out or use it all at once!
**Lesson**: Cheating never works. Wisdom and fairness always win. The Panchayat proves that thinking carefully beats being tricky.
**Grammar Note**: Prepositions used in the story — to, at, with, by, under, in, after, before, for
**Don't Confuse**: Selling a well ≠ Selling water. The chief separated these two different things, and that's why she won!
Q1. Why did the farmer buy the well from his neighbour?
Answer: A — The story clearly states the farmer needed a source of water for his fields, so he bought the well from his neighbour.
Q2. Fill in the blank: The neighbour was a _____________ man who wanted to cheat the farmer.
Answer: B — The story describes the neighbour as cunning, which means he was clever in a tricky and dishonest way.
Q3. What excuse did the neighbour give for not letting the farmer take water?
Answer: B — The neighbour's trick was to say he sold the well but kept the water, which was a dishonest and cunning argument.
Q4. Where did the Panchayat meet to hear the farmer's case?
Answer: C — The story mentions that the Panchayat members gathered under the banyan tree in the centre of the village.
Q5. What does the word 'adamant' mean as used in this story?
Answer: B — Adamant means firmly refusing to listen or change your mind, which is exactly how the neighbour behaved in the story.
Q6. What was the chief's clever decision to solve the problem?
Answer: C — This was the chief's clever logic that caught the neighbour in his own trick—he could not have it both ways.
Q7. Why did the farmer go to the Panchayat instead of fighting with the neighbour?
Answer: B — The story says the worried farmer did not know what to do, so he went to the village chief and told her about his case.
Q8. Based on the story, which sentence shows that the Panchayat's decision was wise and fair?
Answer: B — The story shows that the farmer was happy and the neighbour learned his lesson—this proves the decision was both wise and fair.
Q9. Match the words with their meanings: A. Prospered B. Summon 1. To grow wealthy 2. To order someone to come to a place
Answer: A — Prospered means to grow wealthy, and summon means to order someone to come to a place—both definitions match the story.
Q10. What was the final punishment given to the neighbour by the Panchayat?
Answer: B — The story clearly states that the cunning neighbour realised cheating would not work and had to pay a fine as well as apologise to the farmer.
Why did the farmer buy the well?
The farmer bought the well because he needed water for his fields.
What trick did the neighbour play?
The neighbour said he sold only the well, not the water inside it, so the farmer could not use the water.
What does 'cunning' mean?
Cunning means being clever in a dishonest or tricky way to cheat someone.
Who solved the problem in the story?
The Panchayat, led by the village chief, solved the problem by listening to both sides and giving a fair judgment.
What was the Panchayat's clever decision?
If the water belongs to the neighbour, he cannot keep it in the farmer's well—he must remove it or use it all up immediately.
What does 'adamant' mean?
Adamant means refusing to change your mind or listen to others, no matter what.
What punishment did the neighbour get?
The neighbour had to pay a fine and apologise to the farmer for trying to cheat him.
Where did the Panchayat meet in the village?
The Panchayat members gathered under the banyan tree in the centre of the village.
What does 'prospered' mean?
Prospered means to grow wealthy and successful.
What is the main lesson of this story?
Dishonesty and cheating will not succeed, and wisdom and fair thinking always win in the end.
What trick did the neighbour play when the farmer tried to take water from the well? [1 mark]
The neighbour refused to let the farmer take water. He said he sold only the well, not the water inside it.
Fill in the blanks: (a) The farmer went to the _____________ chief because he needed help. (b) The neighbour was _____________ and tried to cheat the farmer. (c) The Panchayat members gathered under a _____________ tree. [2 marks]
Use words from the story: village, cunning, banyan. Look for these words in the chapter.
Explain how the village chief's decision was clever and fair. Give one example from the story to support your answer. [3 marks]
The chief said if the water belongs to the neighbour, he cannot keep it in the farmer's well. This logic trapped the neighbour and proved he was lying.
Imagine you are a member of the Panchayat. Write a short paragraph (50-70 words) explaining what you learned from this case about fair judgment and honesty. How would this help you solve problems in your village? [5 marks]
Think about: (1) Why was the chief's decision clever? (2) What does this teach us about dishonesty? (3) How does listening to both sides help? (4) Use words like wisdom, fair, honest, cheating.
True or False: (a) The farmer was happy with the Panchayat's decision. (Write True or False with one reason.) (b) The neighbour apologised and accepted his mistake. (Write True or False with one reason.) [2 marks]
(a) The farmer gave a shout of joy, so he was happy. (b) The neighbour realised cheating would not work and had to apologise.
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