Direction (Qs. 1 to 10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions. Certain words/phrases have been given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

In a certain city lived a king who had a very beautifully decorated bedroom. An exquisite white silk sheet covered the bed but in the folds of the sheet, there lived a white flea, Mandavisarpini. She used to drink the blood of the king and, in this way, was spending her time very happily. One day, a bug named Agnimukha entered into the bedroom. When the flea caught sight of him, she cried, ‘Agnimukha! What are you doing here? Get out from here at once!’

‘Madam,’ replied the bug, ‘that’s not the way to speak to a guest, even if he is not a good one. A lady householder should hold out her hand even to someone of low caste. She should say, “Welcome! Please take a seat here and make yourself comfortable. You have visited me after many days. Are you well? I am delighted to see you again” and so on and besides,’ continued the bug, ‘I have drunk all types of blood, but so far I have never tasted the blood of a king. Now, if you will permit me, I would love to taste the king’s blood. You are alone tasting the blood of the king! Let me too have a share.’

‘But, Agnimukha, ‘said the flea, ‘I only suck the king’s blood when he has gone fast asleep but you are nasty and bite like a sharp needle. But, if you promise to let the king go to sleep before you start biting him, then I will allow you to drink his blood.’ ‘I promise!’ replied the bug, ‘I will until you have sucked his blood before I suck it myself!’

Meanwhile, the king came and lay down on the bed. The bug’s mouth began to water and he took a bite of the king, without waiting for him to fall asleep. It is said that you cannot change a person’s temperament by preaching. The bug’s bite was like a sharp needle.

The king jumped up and cried out to his servants. Something’s bitten me! See if there is a bug or a flea in my bed! When the bug heard this, he hid himself in a corner of the silver-made cot. The servants came and searched with sharp eyes. They found a flea lying between the folds of the sheets, and they immediately killed her. “And so,” continued Damank, “that’s why I said: ‘Refrain from entertaining a man whose character is unknown.’ The bug was at fault by instead the flea was killed.”