Summary
Chapter 3 of NCERT Class 7 English (Honeycomb), "Gopal and the Hilsa Fish", is a comic-strip story set during hilsa-fish season. The king, tired of everyone talking only about hilsa-fish, challenges his clever courtier Gopal to buy a hilsa-fish without letting anyone — from the market to the palace — speak a single word about it. Gopal accepts the challenge and succeeds through a witty disguise that distracts everyone completely.
During hilsa-fish season, the king grows frustrated that all his courtiers and subjects can talk about nothing but hilsa-fish. He challenges Gopal, known for his cleverness, to buy a hilsa-fish from the market without a single person remarking on the fish. Gopal accepts. Before heading to the market, he half-shaves his face, makes himself look wild and comical, and smears himself so that everyone who sees him is too shocked and amused by his bizarre appearance to notice or talk about the hilsa-fish he carries. He then uses this distraction to gain entry to the palace and proves to the king that the challenge is complete. The story celebrates wit over brute force.
Key points & formulas
- 01It was the season for hilsa-fish, and fishermen — and everyone else — could think of nothing but hilsa-fish.
- 02The king, irritated by the constant hilsa-fish talk, challenged Gopal to buy a hilsa-fish without anyone talking about the fish.
- 03Before going to the market, Gopal half-shaved his face and smeared himself to look comical and shocking.
- 04Gopal's bizarre appearance caused such a stir that no one paid any attention to the hilsa-fish he was carrying.
- 05To get into the palace after buying the fish, Gopal created a scene at the gate that compelled the king to summon him.
- 06The king admitted Gopal had succeeded — nobody from the market to the palace had spoken about the hilsa-fish.
- 07The story is presented as a comic strip where the narrative unfolds through pictures rather than continuous prose.
Frequently asked questions
01Why did the king want no more talk about the hilsa-fish?
The king was frustrated and tired of everyone — courtiers and subjects — talking of nothing but hilsa-fish during the season. He wanted the constant chatter about the fish to stop.
02What challenge did the king give Gopal?
The king asked Gopal to prove his cleverness by buying a hilsa-fish from the market without anyone — from the market to the palace — talking about or remarking on the hilsa-fish.
03What three things did Gopal do before going to buy the hilsa-fish?
Gopal half-shaved his face, made himself look wild and comical, and smeared himself — all to create a disguise so shocking and amusing that people would be too distracted to notice the fish.
04Why did no one talk about the hilsa-fish Gopal carried?
Gopal's comical and bizarre appearance — half-shaven face and smeared body — caused everyone who saw him to stare, laugh, and talk about him instead of paying any attention to the hilsa-fish in his hand.
05How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after buying the fish?
Gopal caused enough of a commotion at the palace gate that the king ordered the guards to bring him in at once, allowing Gopal to enter and present the fish.
06Was Gopal a madman?
No. According to the story, Gopal was a clever man, not a madman. His strange appearance was a deliberate and calculated disguise to win the king's challenge.
07Did the king lose his temper easily?
Yes. The story indicates the king lost his temper easily, as shown by the True/False exercise in the textbook where this is marked True.
08Was Gopal too poor to afford decent clothes?
No. Gopal's shabby, smeared appearance during the challenge was entirely deliberate — a costume to win the bet — not a sign of poverty. This is marked False in the textbook exercise.
09Did the king get angry when he was shown to be wrong?
No. The textbook exercise marks this False, indicating the king accepted the outcome gracefully when Gopal proved he had succeeded.
10What is the main theme of 'Gopal and the Hilsa Fish'?
The story celebrates wit and cleverness. Gopal uses intelligence and a comical disguise rather than any physical means to win a seemingly impossible challenge, showing that quick thinking triumphs.
11What is the comic-strip format used in this chapter?
The chapter is presented as a comic book, where the story is told mainly through pictures. Characters' speech appears in speech bubbles rather than with speech marks, as the textbook's 'Working with Language' section explains.
12Is the NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 3 PDF free to read?
Yes. The full NCERT PDF of Honeycomb Chapter 3, "Gopal and the Hilsa Fish", is free to read on CBSE PrepMaster. No sign-up or subscription is required.
More chapters in Honeycomb
This is the complete Honeycomb Chapter 3 as published by NCERT — every diagram, solved example, and exercise included, free. Browse all NCERT Class 7 textbooks.
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