Class 5 English Chapter 8 NCERT Solutions: Santoor The Decision of the Panchayat

Let us Think (Page 95)

A. Answer the following questions.

Question 1. Why did the farmer buy the well?

Answer: The farmer purchased a new piece of land and needed water for it, so he decided to buy a well as well.

Question 2. Why did the farmer become upset?

Answer: The farmer purchased a well from his neighbour, but the clever neighbour denied him access to the water inside it, which made the farmer very upset.

Question 3. How did the Panchayat solve the problem?

Answer: The Panchayat decided that the neighbour had sold only the well and not the water inside it. Therefore, he was told to take out all the water at once. This clever decision settled the matter.

Question 4. What was the final judgment given by the Panchayat?

Answer: The clever neighbour was ordered to use or empty the water from the well right away and then give the well to the farmer. This was the final decision.

B. Think and discuss

Question 1. Do you think the decision of the Panchayat was correct?

Answer: Yes, the Panchayat’s decision was fair and justified.

Question 2. You have an extra painting box which you wish to share with your friends in the class to complete an activity. 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: I would suggest that they either use the painting box together or take turns using it so they can share it without any conflict.

Question 3. Who said to whom:

a. “I sold only the well, not the water.”

b. “Remove the water or use it all up immediately.”

c. “He is not letting me take the water.”

Answer: 

a. The clever neighbour speaks to the farmer.

b. The village chief addressing the clever neighbour.

c. The farmer talking to the village chief.

Let us Learn (Pages 96-97)

A. Match the words with their meanings.

Answer:
1 – (f),
2 – (a),
3 – (e),
4 – (c),
5 – (b),
6 – (d)

B. Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions

(in, at, by, after, before, under, with, to, for).

A preposition can be used more than once.

Question 1. The farmer went …………….. the village chief to explain his problem.

Answer: to

Question 2. The neighbour was standing ………. the well, blocking the way.
Answer: by

Question 3. The villagers tried to reason ………. the cunning man.

Answer: with

Question 4. The decision was made ……….. careful consideration of both sides.

Answer: after

Question 5. Their lived a farmer ………… the small village.

Answer: in

Question 6. The Panchayat members listen to both the sides ………. coming to decision.

Answer: before

Question 7. The villagers gathered the Panchayat ……….. the banyan tree.

Answer: under

Question 8. The neighbour was punished ………. his dishonesty.

Answer: for

Question 9. The chief listened carefully ………. both the farmer and the neighbour.

Answer: to

Question 10. The villagers agreed to meet ………… a later time to discuss the issue.

Answer: at

Question 11. The farmer decided to buy a well ……….. buying his third field.

Answer: before

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.

Answer: 3 → 4 → 1 → 5 → 2

Let us Speak (Pages 98-99)

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.

Answer: The coconut drops into the boy’s house. He quickly picks it up and takes it to his mother. However, the neighbour claims the coconut because it fell from his own tree. He plans to speak to the boy’s mother, hoping she will return it to him.

Let us Write (Page 100)

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 …

Answer:

My dear friend,

I want to share an incident that took place last week. I had been planning to buy a well because my farm is doing quite well. There was a well close to my land, so I decided to purchase it. But the very next day, the person who sold it to me refused to let me use the water. He claimed that he had sold only the well, not the water inside it. I had no choice but to take the issue to the Panchayat for a fair solution.

When the Panchayat gathered to look into the matter, my neighbour stubbornly stuck to his claim. After hearing both sides, the Panchayat asked him to remove all the water from the well since he said it belonged to him. As that was impossible, the decision was given in my favour. I am truly grateful to the village chief for settling the dispute wisely.

I hope all is well with you and your family.

With warm regards,
Your friend
………………….

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.

Words + suffix = New word

1. Use + less = …………..

2. Care + less = …………..

3. Hope + less = …………..

4. Fear + less = …………..

5. Colour + less = …………..

Make sentences using the new words in your notebook.

Answer:

1. Useless

2. Careless

3. Hopeless

4. Fearless

5. Colourless

Useless – This broken pencil is useless because it cannot write anymore.

Careless – Riya was careless and forgot to lock the door before leaving.

Hopeless – He felt hopeless when he couldn’t solve the difficult puzzle.
Fearless – The little girl was fearless and climbed the tall tree with confidence.

Colourless – The water in the glass is clean and colourless.

Note to the Teacher
Help learners understand the concept of ‘suffix.

Let us Listen (Pages 101-102)

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.

Question 1. 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.

Question 2. 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)

Question 3. 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.

Question 4. 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 into the ocean

Question 5. 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 all by itself!

Let us Do (Page 103-104)

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.

Question 1. Where can you find neem trees?

Answer: Neem trees grow in many places such as near homes, beside roads, and within school campuses.

Question 2. Why do you think ‘neem’ is called a magic tree?

Answer: Neem is known as a miracle tree because nearly all of its parts are used for medicinal purposes.

Question 3. What happens when dry neem leaves are burnt?

Answer: Burning dry neem leaves helps drive away mosquitoes.

Question 4. Why do people put neem leaves in clothes and rice containers?

Answer: Placing neem leaves inside clothes or rice containers prevents insects from coming.

Question 5. How are neem twigs used?

Answer: Neem twigs are used as natural toothbrushes for cleaning teeth.

Question 6. Find the meaning of the word ‘disappear’ from the following options:

a. Appear
b. Vanish
c. Grow
d. Fly

Answer: b. Vanish

Question 7. Find the word in the passage which means ‘a short stick’:
a. Tree
b. Part
c. Twig
d. Leaf

Answer: c. Twig

B. Point out 11 differences in the two pictures given below. Work in pairs and write down the differences in your notebook.

Answer:

The 11 differences are as follows:

• The sunlight rays are not the same.

• The Tulsi plant has extra branches in one picture.

• The Tulsi flowers differ between the two images.

• The pattern of branching on the Tulsi plant is different.

• One Tulsi plant has more leaves than the other.

• The footwear is not identical in both pictures.

• The fan shows a different colour pattern.

• One image has one step fewer than the other.

• The saree design varies in the two pictures.

• The woman’s hair bun looks different.

• The style of hair at the front of the woman’s head also differs.

NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Chapter 8: The Decision of the Panchayat 2025-26

Chapter 8 The Decision of the Panchayat teaches lessons of honesty and fairness. These NCERT Solutions for Class 5 English Chapter 8 (2025-26) help students understand wise decision-making and the consequences of being cunning or truthful.

Regular reading and practicing of NCERT exercise questions and answers improve comprehension and answer-writing skills. By exploring key terms like ‘Panchayat’ and ‘judgment’, students build a strong vocabulary for exams and life situations.

To excel in Class 5 English Chapter 8, review story events, practice new words, and always reflect on the chapter’s morals. Consistent practice ensures top marks and a clear understanding of every lesson.