THE INVENTION OF SHOES

Understanding the Text

A. 1. King Hobu was worried about his feet getting dirty whenever he stepped on the ground.

He wanted to get rid of the dust in his kingdom, so that his feet would remain clean.

2. c. They tried to sweep all of the dust from the kingdom with brooms. 

It did not work because the sweeping covered the entire kingdom with dust.

a.

They tried to wash off all the dust with water. 

he water got mixed with the dust and filled the kingdom with slush. The animals could not walk and the
fish could not swim. No work could get done. People fell sick.

. They wanted the king to stay at home. 

he king did not accept this idea because he felt his royal work would get stopped and the kingdom
would be ruined if he stayed indoors.

. The tanner suggested that the king could cover his feet with leather.

his plan worked because the shoes protected the king’s feet from dust and he could walk about freely
without worrying about the dust.

3. The tanner offered a simple solution that could be easily worked out without causing hardship and
difficulty to others. If he wanted to protect his feet, all that the king needed to do was cover his feet. But
the others in the kingdom offered suggestions without thinking if they were practically possible. The
ideas caused a lot of difficulty and hardship to everyone in the kingdom. From this, we learn that if there
is a problem, we must be calm and think of a smart solution that can be worked out easily.

B. 1. The entire world did not get filled with dust. But the king says that to show the amount of dust all
the sweeping had brought about.

2. The author gives us these numbers to show the large amount of money and work involved.
It gives us a feeling of a very huge activity involving hundreds of people, lots of noise and dust.

he chief tanner was called to cover the whole earth with leather. The tanner had a better suggestion. He
said that instead of covering the whole earth with leather, if the king covered only his feet with leather,
his feet would remain clean. King Hobu was angry with him because he thought he gave a foolish
suggestion. Gobu Rai ordered his arrest but by that time the tanner had made the shoes for the king.

4. Think and answer.

What do you understand about the people of the kingdom?

he ministers and others could not solve the problem the king faced. An old tanner could think of an easy
solution for the problem. Even after he gave the solution, his minister decided to arrest him instead of
appreciating his idea. These things show that most of the people in the kingdom were foolish and were
working without any wisdom.

Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 8 20-Dec-19 10:33:39 AM

3. The king and his men had already done enough damage to the earth by sweeping all the mud and
then emptying the rivers and lakes. They even wanted to cover the entire kingdom with carpets and
leather. So the tanner’s clever idea stopped the king’s men from causing more damage to the earth.

Appreciating the Text

uggested answers (Accept any logical answer)

1. Yes, I think that The Invention of Shoes is a funny story.

Examples:

You have no concern for the king or the kingdom or the problems that bother me.

eason: The king blames the minister for a problem as small as dirty feet.

Example:

“You were supposed to get rid of the dust, not fill the world with it.”
Reason: This scene is comical because the king gives the men a responsibility, but they mess things
further. Besides, the king who was worried only about his feet, is now covered with dust on his face and
chest as well.

Example:

Keep the king indoors.

Reason: The thought of a great king sitting indoors all day to protect his feet makes the situation very
comical.

Example:

Everyone bowed to the king. “What a brilliant idea, your royal highness,” they said.

eason: It is funny to see that everyone is appreciating a silly and an impractical idea.

2. This is not true. Gobu Rai, the minister, says this because he wants to show that he is a clever man. He
does not want to look foolish in front of the others. He wants to take credit for the clever idea. This tells
us that he is selfish and cunning.

Grammar and Usage

A. 1. a painting - DO; his friend: IDO

2. his father - IDO; an e-card: DO

3. the class - IDO; a few tips: DO

4. us all - IDO; some sweets: DO

5. the guests: IDO; cold drinks and snacks - DO

6. your mother - IDO; a message: DO

B. 2. The coach gave the team extra practice. the team: IDO; extra practice: DO

3. Her mother baked her a cake. her: IDO; a cake: DO

4. The principal didn’t tell them the results of the contest. them: IDO; the results of the contest: DO

5. Please pass me a glass of water. IDO: me; DO: a glass of water

Words in Use

2. 1. e 2 f 3 d 4 c 5 b 6 a
2. Yes, they were miserable.

3. In truth, he was furious. Gulmohar_TRP 05_English_Book Format.indb 9 20-Dec-19 10:33:39 AM

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4. Large? It is massive.

5. Yes, it was a great tragedy.

6. Yes, the damage was severe.

Listening

Listening text and answers

New shoes, new shoes,

Red and pink and blue shoes.

Tell me, what would you choose,

If they’d let us buy?

Buckle shoes, bow shoes,

Pretty pointy-toe shoes,

Strappy, cappy low shoes;

Let’s have some to try.

Bright shoes, white shoes,

Dandy-dance-by-night shoes,

Perhaps-a-little-tight shoes,

Like some? So would I.

BUT

Flat shoes, fat shoes,

Stump-along-like-that shoes,

Wipe-them-on-the-mat shoes,

That’s the sort they’ll buy.

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