The Decision of the Panchayat NCERT Solutions for Chapter 8 of Class 5 English (Santoor Textbook)
NCERT Solutions — The Decision of the Panchayat
Here is a full NCERT solution for Class 5 English — Chapter “The Decision of the Panchayat” (Santoor / NCERT Book), covering Let Us Think, Let Us Learn, Let Us Speak / Write, and other typical exercise parts.
Let Us Think
A. Answer the following questions
- Why did the farmer buy the well?
Answer: The farmer bought the well because he needed a source of water for his new field. - Why did the farmer become upset?
Answer: He became upset because after buying the well, his neighbour refused to allow him to draw water, claiming that while he sold the well, he had not sold the water in it. - How did the Panchayat solve the problem?
Answer: The Panchayat decided that if the neighbour claimed the water as his, he must remove or use it immediately, otherwise the water would belong to the owner of the well (the farmer). - What was the final judgment given by the Panchayat?
Answer: The final judgment was that the neighbour should take away the water he claimed or use it up; if he failed, then the water would legally belong to the farmer. The neighbour also had to apologise and pay a fine.
B. Think and Discuss
- Do you think the decision of the Panchayat was correct?
Answer: Yes, it was correct because it was fair and logical. The neighbour’s claim that he sold only the well but not the water was turned against him: he had no right to keep water in someone else’s well. - You have an extra painting box which you wish to share with your friends in class. Two of your best friends, Radha and Sita, fight for the box. How would you deal with the situation so that you are fair to both of them?
Answer: (Sample) I would suggest they share by turns or use it together simultaneously. For example, each uses it for some time, or they work together on the same task with the same box so that both benefit. - Who said to whom:
a. “I sold only the well, not the water.”
Answer: The cunning neighbour said this to the farmer.
b. “Remove the water or use it all up immediately.”
Answer: The village chief (Panchayat leader) said this to the neighbour.
c. “He is not letting me take the water.”
Answer: The farmer said this to the village chief when he sought help.
Let Us Learn (Grammar & Vocabulary)
A. Match the words with their meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. prospered | a. clever in a tricky way |
| 2. cunning | b. refusing to change one’s mind |
| 3. worried | c. to order someone to come to a particular place |
| 4. summon | d. a decision made by a group |
| 5. adamant | e. very upset |
| 6. judgment | f. to grow wealthy |
ANSWER:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. prospered | f. to grow wealthy |
| 2. cunning | a. clever in a tricky way |
| 3. worried | e. very upset |
| 4. summon | c. to order someone to come to a particular place |
| 5. adamant | b. refusing to change one’s mind |
| 6. judgment | d. a decision made by a group |
B. Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions. A preposition can be used more than once.
(in, at, by, after, before, under, with, to, for).
- The farmer went ………………. the village chief to explain his problem.
- The neighbour was standing ………………. the well, blocking the way.
- The villagers tried to reason ………………. the cunning man.
- The decision was made ………………. careful consideration of both sides.
- Their lived a farmer ………………. the small village.
- The Panchayat members listen to both the sides ………………. coming to decision.
- The villagers gathered the Panchayat ………………. the banyan tree.
- The neighbour was punished ………………. his dishonesty.
- The chief listened carefully ………………. both the farmer and the neighbour.
- The villagers agreed to meet ………………. a later time to discuss the issue.
- The farmer decided to buy a well ………………. buying his third field.
Final Answers (in short form):
- to
- by
- with
- after
- in
- before
- under
- for
- to
- at
- after
C. Rearrange the events in the correct order.
1. Sam sat by a small stream to rest and enjoy the peaceful sound of the water.
2. Sam felt grateful for the time he spent in nature.
3. Sam decided to go for a walk in the forest near his house.
4. Sam walked along the narrow path, listening to the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling.
5. After resting, Sam continued his walk, feeling refreshed.
Correct Order – (in sequence): 3, 4, 1, 5, 2
- (3) Sam decided to go for a walk in the forest near his house.
- (4) Sam walked along the narrow path, listening to the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling.
- (1) Sam sat by a small stream to rest and enjoy the peaceful sound of the water.
- (5) After resting, Sam continued his walk, feeling refreshed.
- (2) Sam felt grateful for the time he spent in nature.
Let us Speak
Look at the pictures below.
What do you think will happen next? Sit in small groups and discuss. One student from each group will narrate the ending to the whole class.
This question says “Look at the pictures and predict what will happen next,” it’s a creative thinking and speaking exercise. Below is a sample discussion and narrated ending you can use as a model answer:
Answer:
The coconut falls into the boy’s courtyard. The boy picks it up happily and takes it to his mother. Soon, the neighbour comes looking for the coconut because it fell from his tree. The boy’s mother and the neighbour talk politely and decide to share the coconut. Both families are happy and enjoy the coconut together.
Let us Write
A. Imagine you are the farmer. Write a letter to your friend about the incident and the decision of the Panchayat.
You may begin as follows:
My dear friend,
Something happened last week, which I want to
tell you. I wanted to buy a well …
Sample answer:
Something happened last week, which I want to tell you. I wanted to buy a well for watering my fields, so I bought one from my neighbour. But the next day, he did not allow me to take water, saying he had sold only the well, not the water. I went to the village Panchayat for help. The chief gave a wise decision — she said if the water was his, he must remove it from my well. Everyone laughed, and he apologised. I was happy and thanked the Panchayat for their fair judgment.Your loving friend,
(Name of the Farmer)
B. Read the following sentence.
Water is priceless. It means that water is valuable. It is so valuable that you cannot put a price on it.
The ‘less’ at the end of the word is a suffix.
Complete the following by adding the suffix ‘less’ to the given words.
Adding the Suffix ‘less’
| Words | + suffix (‘less’) | New Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use | + less | Useless | Having no use or purpose |
| Care | + less | Careless | Not paying attention; not careful |
| Hope | + less | Hopeless | Without hope; impossible to improve |
| Fear | + less | Fearless | Brave; without fear |
| Colour | + less | Colourless | Without colour; pale or dull |
Sentences using the new words:
- Useless – This broken pen is useless now.
- Careless – Riya got low marks because she was careless in her work.
- Hopeless – The old tree looked hopeless after the storm.
- Fearless – The firefighter was fearless while saving the child.
- Colourless – The water in the glass is clean and colourless.
Let us Listen
Listen to your teacher read out this passage and answer the questions by choosing the correct option.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
A long time ago, in a small village of West Bengal, there lived a kind and wise man named Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He loved to talk to people about God and taught that all religions are like rivers—they may take different paths, but they all lead to the same ocean. He lived a simple life, wearing plain clothes and eating very little, but his smile and loving words made everyone feel special.
One day, a curious young boy named Naren came to meet him. Ramakrishna saw something special in Naren and became his teacher. He taught Naren about courage, kindness, and how to find peace within.
Naren later grew up to become the famous Swami Vivekananda, spreading his teacher’s wisdom to the world. Even today, Ramakrishna’s teachings inspire many people everywhere.
- Where was Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa born?
a. A colony in Kolkata.
b. A small village in West Bengal.
c. A mountain in the Himalayas.
d. A forest in Kerala.
Answer: b) A small village in West Bengal. - Who was the curious boy that became
Sri Ramakrishna’s student?
a. Mahatma Gandhi
b. Swami Vivekananda (Naren)
c. Rabindranath Tagore
d. Sri Aurobindo
Answer: b) Swami Vivekananda (Naren) - What kind of life did Sri Ramakrishna live?
a. A life full of luxury,
b. A simple and loving life.
c. A life of traveling.
d. A secretive life.
Answer: b) A simple and loving life - What did Sri Ramakrishna compare religions to?
a. Trees in a forest
b. Stars in the sky
c. Rivers flowing to the ocean
d. Books in a library
Answer: c) Rivers flowing to the ocean - What did Sri Ramakrishna teach Naren?
a. To find a teacher
b. To become wealthy
c. To travel the world
d. To find peace
Answer: d) To find peace
Did You Know?
The Banyan tree is the national tree of India.
It can live for over 200 years and grow to cover several acres of land.
Its roots grow down from the branches and become new trunks, making it look like a forest by itself!
A. Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions.
The Neem Tree
You must have seen a neem tree near your house, or near the school, or beside the road. Almost everyone can recognise a neem tree.
The neem is a magic medicine tree because almost every part of the tree is used for medicine. Sometimes, sick people are given neem juice to drink. People use the twigs of the neem tree as a toothbrush to clean their teeth. Burn some dry neem leaves inside the house and see the mosquitoes disappear! When you store winter clothing or blankets, keep dry neem leaves between them. This helps keep away insects. When you store rice, keep dry neem leaves at the bottom of the rice bin. This keeps pests away.
Answer the following questions.
- Where can you find neem trees?
- Why do you think ‘neem’ is called a magic tree?
- What happens when dry neem leaves are burnt?
- Why do people put neem leaves in clothes and rice
containers? - How are neem twigs used?
- Find the meaning of the word ‘disappear’ from the
following options:
a. Appear b. Vanish c. Grow d. Fly - Find the word in the passage which means ‘a short
stick’:
a. Tree b. Part c. Twig d. Leaf
Here are the answers to the questions based on the passage “The Neem Tree” —
1. Where can you find neem trees?
Answer: You can find neem trees near houses, near schools, or beside the road.
2. Why do you think ‘neem’ is called a magic tree?
Answer: Neem is called a magic tree because almost every part of it is used for medicine.
3. What happens when dry neem leaves are burnt?
Answer: When dry neem leaves are burnt, mosquitoes disappear.
4. Why do people put neem leaves in clothes and rice containers?
Answer: People put neem leaves in clothes and rice containers to keep away insects and pests.
5. How are neem twigs used?
Answer: Neem twigs are used as toothbrushes to clean teeth.
6. Find the meaning of the word ‘disappear’ from the following options:
Answer: b. Vanish
7. Find the word in the passage which means ‘a short stick’:
Answer: c. Twig
B. Point out 11 differences in the two pictures given below. Work in pairs and write down the 11 differences in your notebook.
Answer — The 11 Differences Are:
- The rays of the sun are different.
- The branches of the Tulsi plant are more in one picture.
- The front hairstyle of the woman is different.
- The flowers on the Tulsi plant are different.
- The design on the woman’s saree is different.
- The branching pattern of the Tulsi plant is not the same.
- There are more leaves on the Tulsi plant in one picture.
- The footwears are different.
- The bun of the woman’s hair is different.
- The colour pattern of the fan is different.
- There is one step less in one of the pictures.