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English story reading is a useful and enjoyable way to improve your English while discovering great works of literature. This version of The Man Who Would Be King has been carefully rewritten for English learners at the B2 (Upper-Intermediate) level. The language is clear and natural, while the story keeps the adventure, mystery, humor, and important ideas of the original work.
The Man Who Would Be King was written by Rudyard Kipling, one of the most famous English writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kipling was born in India in 1865 and became well known for his stories about India, British society, travel, adventure, and life in different cultures. He is also famous for works such as The Jungle Book and Kim. His writing often combines exciting adventures with deeper questions about power, courage, ambition, and human nature.
First published in 1888, The Man Who Would Be King tells the remarkable story of two adventurous men, Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan. They are former soldiers who dream of becoming kings in a remote country called Kafiristan. They believe that if they are brave, clever, and well prepared, they can build their own kingdom.
The two men make a strict agreement before beginning their journey. They promise to support each other, avoid alcohol and women, and remain loyal to their plan. They then travel through dangerous mountains and enter a strange and unfamiliar land.
At first, their plan seems to succeed. They use their military experience, courage, and knowledge to organize an army and gain control over several local communities. Dravot eventually becomes a powerful ruler, and the dream that once seemed impossible begins to look real.
However, success changes Dravot. He becomes increasingly ambitious and begins to believe that he is more than an ordinary man. When he decides to break the agreement he made with Carnehan, their carefully built kingdom begins to fall apart.
This adapted version presents the story in six chapters. It uses vocabulary and grammar suitable for B2 English learners, while keeping the main events, characters, conflicts, and themes of Kipling’s original story. As you read, you will encounter useful English expressions, descriptive language, natural dialogue, and a powerful story about ambition, friendship, power, and the consequences of pride.
Read the story carefully and enjoy the journey. The adventure begins with two men who have an extraordinary dream: to become kings.
This story has been carefully adapted and rewritten by LearnEnglish-new.com for English learners. The original work by Rudyard Kipling is in the public domain. This learner-friendly adaptation uses simplified language while preserving the main characters, events, and themes of the original story. Enjoy reading and improve your English skills!
The Man Who Would Be King
by Rudyard Kipling
Contents
Chapter One: Two Men with a Plan
Chapter Two: Across the Mountains
Chapter Three: The Kingdom of Kafiristan
Chapter Four: The Making of a King
Chapter Five: The Fall of the Kingdom
Chapter Six: The Price of Ambition
Chapter One
Two Men with a Plan
The story began on a train travelling through India.
I was travelling in an uncomfortable carriage because the newspaper I worked for had recently suffered financial difficulties. I had very little money, and I was going to a remote part of the country.
At one of the stations, a large man with dark eyebrows entered my carriage. He looked like a soldier, but his clothes were worn and dusty. He was clearly a traveller who had spent a long time moving from place to place.
We soon began talking.
He told me stories about the places he had visited and the dangerous situations he had survived. He knew India well and seemed to have done almost every kind of work imaginable.
At one point he asked me for a favour.
He wanted me to deliver a message to a red-haired man who would soon pass through Marwar Junction. The message was simple:
“He has gone South for the week.”
I agreed.
A few days later, I reached Marwar Junction and found the red-haired man sleeping in a second-class railway carriage. I woke him and gave him the message.
He looked at me suspiciously.
“Did he say I was to give you anything?” he asked.
“No.”
“Well, he didn’t.”
The train began to move, and I watched it disappear into the darkness.
Later, I learned that the two men were trying to make money by pretending to be newspaper correspondents. They threatened small local rulers with the possibility of exposing their crimes. It was a dangerous business, and I reported what I knew about them.
For a while, I thought that was the end of the matter.
I was wrong.
About two years later, I was working late one night at the newspaper office. The weather was unbearably hot. The printing machines were running, and everyone was exhausted.
Suddenly, two men appeared in the doorway.
I recognized them immediately.
The large man with dark eyebrows was there.
And beside him stood the red-haired man.
“We knew you’d recognize us,” said the red-haired man.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“We need some advice.”
They came into my office and introduced themselves properly.
The man with the dark eyebrows was Peachey Carnehan.
The red-haired man was Daniel Dravot.
They told me that they had travelled all over India. They had worked as soldiers, engineers, railway workers, photographers, contractors and even newspaper correspondents.
But they had decided that India was too crowded for men like them.
“We are going somewhere else,” Dravot announced.
“Where?”
“Kafiristan.”
I stared at him.
At that time, Kafiristan was a remote mountainous region beyond Afghanistan. Very few Europeans had travelled there, and almost nothing reliable was known about it.
“What are you going to do there?” I asked.
Dravot smiled.
“We are going to become kings.”
I thought they were joking.
They were not.
Carnehan explained their plan.
They would travel through Afghanistan and enter Kafiristan. The country was divided into many tribes that often fought each other. Dravot and Carnehan knew how to train soldiers, so they believed they could use the conflicts to gain power.
They would help one local ruler defeat his enemies.
Then they would take his position.
After that, they would build their own kingdom.
“You’ll be killed before you get there,” I told them.
Dravot laughed.
“We have thought about that.”
“Have you?”
“For six months.”
Carnehan then showed me a handwritten document.
It was their contract.
They had agreed not to drink alcohol or become involved with women until they had established themselves as kings. They also promised to stay together and help each other if either man got into trouble.
I looked at the strange document.
“You really mean this?”
“Absolutely,” said Dravot.
They studied my maps and books for hours. They examined everything I had about Afghanistan and the mountains beyond it.
Before they left, I warned them again.
“You are going to a place where you know almost nothing about the people or the land.”
Dravot smiled.
“That is exactly why we are going.”
The next day, they disguised themselves as a mad priest and his servant. Hidden beneath bags of toys and other objects were rifles and ammunition.
Their journey had begun.
I watched them disappear into the distance. I believed they were walking toward their deaths.
I had no idea that they were walking toward a kingdom.
Chapter 1 – Vocabulary
1. Adventurous — willing to take risks and try exciting or unusual experiences.
Example: Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan were two adventurous men who dreamed of becoming kings.
2. Ambitious — having a strong desire to achieve something important or successful.
Example: The two men were ambitious and wanted to build their own kingdom.
3. Remote — far away from cities, towns, or places where many people live.
Example: They planned to travel to a remote country where few outsiders had been.
4. Agreement — a decision or arrangement made between two or more people.
Example: Before they began their journey, the two men made a strict agreement.
5. Loyalty — the quality of being faithful and supportive toward someone.
Example: Their agreement required complete loyalty to each other.
6. Determined — having firmly decided to achieve something and not give up.
Example: They were determined to follow their plan despite the dangers ahead.
7. Conquer — to take control of a country, area, or group of people by force.
Example: They believed they could conquer the country and establish their own kingdom.
8. Kingdom — a country or territory ruled by a king or queen.
Example: Their greatest dream was to create a kingdom of their own.
Chapter 1 – Comprehension Questions
1. Who are Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan, and what do they have in common?
2. What unusual dream do Dravot and Carnehan decide to pursue?
3. Why do the two men believe that they can become kings in a remote country?
4. What kind of agreement do Dravot and Carnehan make before beginning their journey?
5. Why is loyalty an important part of their agreement?
6. What dangers do the two men expect to face during their journey?
7. How do Dravot and Carnehan’s ambition and determination influence their decision to leave?
8. What does their plan to create a kingdom reveal about their personalities and their attitude toward risk?
Chapter 1 – Grammar Exercises
1. Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan _______ about becoming kings.
A) dream
B) dreamed
C) are dream
D) dreaming
2. The two men believed that they _______ build their own kingdom.
A) can
B) could
C) must
D) should
3. Before they began their journey, they _______ a strict agreement.
A) make
B) made
C) have make
D) were make
4. They knew the journey would be dangerous, _______ they decided to continue.
A) but
B) because
C) unless
D) although
5. The two men were determined _______ their plan.
A) follow
B) following
C) to follow
D) followed
6. They planned to travel to a remote country _______ few outsiders had visited.
A) who
B) where
C) which
D) whose
7. If they succeeded, they _______ their own kingdom.
A) create
B) created
C) would create
D) have created
8. Dravot and Carnehan promised _______ loyal to each other.
A) remain
B) remaining
C) to remain
D) remained
Answers — Chapter One
1-B, 2-B, 3-B, 4-A, 5-C, 6-B, 7-C, 8-C
Chapter Two
Across the Mountains
Dravot and Carnehan joined a caravan travelling toward Afghanistan.
Dravot was dressed as a strange religious man. Carnehan acted as his servant. The disguise was so convincing that nobody suspected they were carrying weapons.
They had hidden twenty modern rifles beneath their bags.
The journey was long and difficult.
Eventually, they left the caravan and moved toward the mountains leading to Kafiristan.
Their camels could no longer travel through the narrow mountain paths, so the two men had to continue on foot. They killed the animals and transferred their weapons to mules.
The mountains were enormous.
The roads were little more than rough paths between rocks and snow. At night, the temperature dropped sharply, and during the day they struggled to move through the difficult terrain.
But Dravot remained confident.
“We’ve come too far to turn back,” he said.
One day they saw a group of armed men fighting in a valley.
Twenty men were chasing ten others.
Dravot immediately saw an opportunity.
He and Carnehan took out their rifles and began firing at the larger group.
The effect was immediate.
The men who were being attacked suddenly understood that they had powerful allies. After the fighting ended, Dravot approached them without fear.
He gave them food and spoke to them with the confidence of a king.
The men were amazed.
They had never seen weapons like the rifles carried by the two strangers.
Soon they led the travellers to a village.
There were strange stone idols there, and the local people treated the idols with great respect.
Dravot approached the largest one.
He behaved as though he already understood the local religion.
He placed a rifle near the idol and showed respect to it.
The people watched him carefully.
Then he refused food from ordinary villagers but accepted food from an important priest.
This made a powerful impression.
The villagers began to believe that Dravot had supernatural knowledge.
The two men quickly realized that this belief could help them.
They travelled from village to village.
Whenever two groups were fighting, Dravot offered to settle the dispute.
He would ask questions through interpreters and examine the situation carefully.
Sometimes he used force.
Sometimes he divided land between the groups.
Sometimes he trained young men to use rifles.
Slowly, people began to obey him.
Carnehan was responsible for much of the military training.
He taught the men how to stand in formation, how to move together and how to use their weapons.
The local fighters were surprised by the discipline of the new army.
They had fought for generations, but they had never been organized in this way.
Dravot understood something important.
The people did not need to believe everything he said.
They only needed to believe that he was powerful.
Soon the two men controlled several villages.
They had weapons.
They had soldiers.
And they had something even more useful:
Fear.
But they also discovered something unexpected.
Some of the local priests seemed to recognize symbols and customs connected with Freemasonry, a secret brotherhood that Dravot and Carnehan knew from India.
They were astonished.
One day a local chief gave Carnehan a special handshake.
Carnehan immediately recognized it.
“Dan,” he whispered, “this man knows the Craft.”
Dravot was excited.
If the local priests already knew some of the signs and rituals, they could use that knowledge to strengthen their position.
Dravot began to tell the people that he and Carnehan were not ordinary men.
They were connected to ancient rulers.
They were descendants of Alexander the Great.
They had been sent to bring order to the country.
The story spread quickly.
Soon the people began to call Dravot a god.
Carnehan was treated as something almost equally important.
The two adventurers had entered Kafiristan as strangers.
Now they were becoming rulers.
But they had not yet learned the most dangerous lesson of power:
A kingdom built on fear and deception can disappear as quickly as it is created.
Chapter 2 – Vocabulary
1. Treacherous — dangerous and difficult to deal with, especially because conditions can change unexpectedly.
Example: The two men had to cross treacherous mountain paths on their way to Kafiristan.
2. Disguise — a change in appearance used to hide someone’s real identity.
Example: Dravot and Carnehan used a disguise to hide their identities during the journey.
3. Provisions — supplies of food and other necessary items prepared for a journey.
Example: They carried weapons, clothes, and enough provisions for the difficult journey.
4. Endure — to experience something difficult or unpleasant without giving up.
Example: They had to endure cold weather, hunger, and long days on the mountain roads.
5. Terrain — the physical features of a particular area of land.
Example: The difficult terrain made their journey through the mountains extremely slow.
6. Expedition — an organized journey made for a particular purpose, especially to explore a distant or dangerous place.
Example: Their dangerous expedition was part of a much bigger plan to become kings.
7. Encounter — to meet someone or experience something unexpectedly.
Example: During their journey, the two men encountered people who knew the mountains well.
8. Determination — the quality of continuing to try to achieve something despite difficulties.
Example: Despite the dangers around them, their determination to reach Kafiristan never disappeared.
Chapter 2 – Comprehension Questions
1. Why did Dravot and Carnehan decide to travel across the mountains to Kafiristan?
2. What difficulties did the two men face during their journey through the mountains?
3. How did Dravot and Carnehan prepare themselves for the dangerous journey?
4. Why was it important for the two men to keep their true identities hidden?
5. How did the difficult terrain affect their progress toward Kafiristan?
6. What does their ability to endure the journey tell us about their characters?
7. Why did the two men remain determined even when the journey became dangerous and exhausting?
8. What dangers could Dravot and Carnehan face if their plan failed or their identities were discovered?
Chapter 2 – Grammar Exercises
1. As Dravot and Carnehan _______ across the mountains, the weather became colder.
A) traveled
B) were traveling
C) have traveled
D) had travel
2. They _______ enough provisions before they started their journey.
A) prepare
B) were preparing
C) had prepared
D) have preparing
3. The mountain paths were difficult, _______ the two men continued their journey.
A) because
B) although
C) so
D) unless
4. If the men _______ their true identities, they could be in serious danger.
A) revealed
B) reveal
C) had revealed
D) would reveal
5. They had to _______ the difficult conditions during their journey.
A) enduring
B) endured
C) endure
D) to enduring
6. The men traveled carefully because the terrain _______ extremely dangerous.
A) was
B) were
C) has been
D) had being
7. By the time they reached the mountains, they _______ for many days.
A) had been traveling
B) have been traveling
C) were traveled
D) are traveling
8. Dravot and Carnehan used a disguise _______ their real identities.
A) hide
B) hiding
C) to hide
D) hidden
Answers — Chapter Two
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-A, 5-C, 6-A, 7-A, 8-C
Chapter Three
The Kingdom of Kafiristan
Months passed.
Dravot and Carnehan were no longer wandering adventurers.
They were kings.
Dravot wore a heavy golden crown. Carnehan wore another crown that had been made for him.
Their kingdom stretched across several valleys.
They had created an army and organized the local chiefs.
The people were farming the land more efficiently. Roads and bridges were being repaired. Disputes between villages were being settled.
For the first time in many years, several tribes were living under one authority.
Dravot was proud.
“This is only the beginning,” he told Carnehan.
They had discovered gold in the mountains, as well as turquoise and other valuable stones.
Dravot began to dream of something much larger.
He did not want to be merely a king.
He wanted to build an empire.
“I’ll make an Empire,” he said. “These people are strong. Give them rifles and training, and they can become a great nation.”
Carnehan listened.
He admired Dravot’s energy, but he was more cautious.
“We already have more than enough,” he said.
Dravot disagreed.
He imagined a powerful army with hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
He imagined factories producing weapons.
He imagined asking the British government for help.
One day, he even imagined becoming a knight.
“I’ll return to India as a great ruler,” he said. “Perhaps the Queen herself will recognize what I’ve achieved.”
Carnehan smiled.
“You are dreaming too far ahead.”
But Dravot’s ambition was growing.
He had begun to believe his own stories.
The people called him a god, and he increasingly behaved like one.
There was another problem.
Winter was approaching.
Dravot had grown tired of living like a soldier.
He wanted a wife.
Carnehan immediately reminded him of their contract.
“No women,” he said.
“That was before we became kings.”
“The contract is the contract.”
Dravot laughed.
“We are kings now. We can do what we want.”
Carnehan was not convinced.
He knew that their power depended on the belief that they were more than ordinary men.
If the people discovered that they were human, everything could collapse.
But Dravot refused to listen.
He wanted a queen from one of the strongest tribes.
He believed marriage would make his relationship with the people even stronger.
Carnehan tried to stop him.
“Leave the women alone, Dan. We’ve got enough problems already.”
Dravot became angry.
“I want a wife.”
Eventually, he demanded that the local chiefs find him a suitable woman.
The chiefs were deeply worried.
They knew something that Dravot did not understand.
In their religion, a human woman could not safely marry a god.
Such a marriage was believed to bring disaster.
One chief, Billy Fish, tried to warn Carnehan.
“You must make the King stop,” he said.
“Why?”
“You know why.”
Carnehan understood.
If Dravot married a woman, she would discover the truth.
He was not a god.
He was a man.
Carnehan begged Dravot to change his mind.
But Dravot had become too confident.
“I am the King,” he said. “No one can tell me what to do.”
A young woman was chosen.
She was frightened because she believed she was being taken to her death.
The priests prepared her for the ceremony.
Carnehan watched nervously.
He could feel that something terrible was about to happen.
The next morning, the chiefs and soldiers gathered.
Dravot arrived wearing his crown.
He looked proud and powerful.
The girl was brought before him.
Dravot smiled.
“What are you afraid of?”
He reached out and put his arm around her.
The girl suddenly screamed.
Then she bit him on the neck.
Blood appeared.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Dravot touched the wound.
He stared at the blood on his hand.
The crowd saw it too.
A god could not bleed.
The priests began shouting.
“Not a god! Not a god!”
The truth had finally been revealed.
Dravot was only a man.
And the kingdom he had built began to fall apart.
Chapter 3 – Vocabulary
1. Conquer — to take control of a country, city, or people by force.
Example: Dravot and Carnehan began to conquer the local villages and build their own kingdom.
2. Tribe — a group of people who share the same culture, traditions, and often the same ancestry.
Example: The two men quickly learned that several tribes were fighting against one another.
3. Rival — a person, group, or organization that competes with another.
Example: They used the conflicts between rival tribes to strengthen their position.
4. Authority — the power or right to control people or make decisions.
Example: Dravot gradually gained authority over the people of Kafiristan.
5. Recruit — to find and persuade people to join an organization, army, or group.
Example: The two men began to recruit local soldiers for their growing army.
6. Establish — to create or organize something that is intended to continue for a long time.
Example: They wanted to establish a strong and organized kingdom.
7. Worship — to show great respect or devotion to a god or religious figure.
Example: Some of the local people began to worship Dravot as a powerful and special man.
8. Ritual — a traditional or religious ceremony that follows a particular set of actions.
Example: Dravot used familiar symbols and rituals to increase his influence among the people.
Chapter 3 – Comprehension Questions
1. Why did Dravot and Carnehan find it easier to gain power in Kafiristan?
2. How did the conflicts between different tribes help the two men achieve their goals?
3. What methods did Dravot and Carnehan use to build and strengthen their army?
4. How did Dravot gradually establish his authority over the people of Kafiristan?
5. Why did the local people begin to see Dravot as a special or powerful figure?
6. How did Dravot and Carnehan use local beliefs, symbols, and rituals to support their position?
7. What role did military knowledge and modern weapons play in the creation of their kingdom?
8. What does the rapid growth of their kingdom suggest about the relationship between power, belief, and deception?
Chapter 3 – Grammar Exercises
1. Dravot and Carnehan _______ several villages before they established their kingdom.
A) conquered
B) had conquered
C) have conquered
D) were conquer
2. The two men gained power because they _______ the conflicts between the rival tribes.
A) had exploited
B) have exploit
C) were exploit
D) exploiting
3. If the tribes _______ united against Dravot and Carnehan, the two men might have lost their power.
A) have
B) had
C) would have
D) were
4. While Dravot _______ the local soldiers, Carnehan was planning their next move.
A) organized
B) was organizing
C) has organized
D) had organizing
5. They used local symbols and rituals _______ their authority among the people.
A) strengthen
B) strengthening
C) to strengthen
D) strengthened
6. The people began to believe that Dravot _______ a special connection with the divine.
A) has
B) had
C) having
D) have had
7. By the time their army became powerful, the two men _______ control over several villages.
A) gained
B) were gaining
C) had gained
D) have gain
8. Although the kingdom was growing rapidly, Carnehan _______ about the future.
A) worried
B) was worried
C) had worry
D) has worrying
Answers
1-B, 2-A, 3-B, 4-B, 5-C, 6-B, 7-C, 8-B
Chapter Four
The Making of a King
The crowd turned against Dravot immediately. The priests shouted that the two rulers were impostors. The soldiers became confused.
Some still wanted to obey Dravot. Others wanted to kill him.
Carnehan tried to control the situation, but it was impossible. Gunfire broke out. Men shouted and ran in every direction.
Billy Fish tried to protect Dravot.
He and his followers fought beside the two former kings. But the rebels had more soldiers.
The army that Dravot had created was now being used against him. Carnehan suddenly understood the terrible irony of the situation.
He had spent months training the people to fight. Now they were using that training to destroy the kingdom.
The fighting continued through the valley. Many men were killed. Eventually, only a small group escaped. Dravot, Carnehan and Billy Fish were among them.
They moved toward the mountains, hoping to reach Billy Fish’s territory. But the news travelled quickly.
The priests had sent messengers to every village. Everyone now knew that the supposed gods were only men.
The fugitives had nowhere to hide. As they walked through the snow, Billy Fish told them that they were probably going to die.
Dravot became strangely quiet.
He no longer behaved like the confident king who had once dreamed of ruling an empire.
Then they reached the top of a mountain.
An enemy army was waiting for them.
There was no escape.
A bullet struck Dravot in the leg.
He fell.
For a moment he looked at the soldiers facing him.
Then he understood what had happened.
“We’re finished,” he said.
He looked at Carnehan.
“This is my fault.”
Carnehan refused to leave him.
Billy Fish also stayed.
The three men walked toward the enemy.
The soldiers surrounded them.
Billy Fish was killed.
Dravot and Carnehan were captured.
They were taken through the snow toward a rope bridge over a deep ravine.
Dravot was silent.
Then he spoke to Carnehan.
“I brought you here.”
“You did,” Carnehan answered.
“I took you away from a safe life.”
“You did that too.”
“I am sorry.”
Carnehan looked at his friend.
“I forgive you.”
Dravot held out his hand.
They shook hands.
Then Dravot walked onto the rope bridge.
He did not beg.
He did not run.
He walked like a king.
When he reached the middle of the bridge, he shouted at the men watching him.
“Cut it!”
The ropes were cut.
Dravot fell into the ravine.
Carnehan watched helplessly.
The golden crown fell with him.
Carnehan was then taken away.
The people believed that he was also responsible for the disaster.
They tied him between two trees and crucified him.
But Carnehan did not die.
The people were amazed.
They believed that his survival was another sign that he possessed supernatural power.
Eventually they released him.
But they gave him something terrible before he left.
They gave him the severed head of Daniel Dravot.
The head still wore the golden crown.
Carnehan began the long journey home.
He carried the head with him.
He never sold the gold.
He never abandoned it.
For Carnehan, the head was not simply a trophy.
It was the last thing he had left of his friend.
Chapter 4 – Vocabulary
1. Prosperous — wealthy, successful, and developing well.
Example: Under Dravot’s rule, the kingdom became more prosperous and organized.
2. Command — to have control over a person, group, or army.
Example: Dravot learned to command a large army of local soldiers.
3. Declare — to officially announce or state something.
Example: Dravot began to declare himself a king among the people.
4. Divine — connected with a god or believed to come from a god.
Example: The people started to believe that Dravot had a divine connection.
5. Ceremony — a formal event held for a special purpose.
Example: A special ceremony was held as Dravot’s position became stronger.
6. Symbol — a sign, object, or image that represents an idea or meaning.
Example: Dravot used familiar symbols to make the people believe in his authority.
7. Obedience — the act of doing what someone in authority tells you to do.
Example: The king expected complete obedience from his soldiers and subjects.
8. Ambition — a strong desire to achieve something important or become successful.
Example: Dravot’s ambition grew as his power over the kingdom increased.
Chapter 4 – Comprehension Questions
1. How did Dravot’s position change as his kingdom became stronger?
2. What role did the army play in maintaining Dravot’s power over the kingdom?
3. Why did the people begin to regard Dravot as more than an ordinary ruler?
4. How did Dravot use local beliefs and symbols to strengthen his authority?
5. What changes could be seen in Dravot’s attitude as he became more powerful?
6. Why did Carnehan become concerned about Dravot’s growing ambition?
7. What did Dravot’s increasing desire for power reveal about his character?
8. How did the success of the kingdom begin to create problems for Dravot and Carnehan?
Chapter 4 – Grammar Exercises
1. As Dravot’s power _______ stronger, he became more confident.
A) became
B) was becoming
C) had become
D) has become
2. By this time, Dravot _______ complete control over the army.
A) gained
B) was gaining
C) had gained
D) has gaining
3. The people treated Dravot as if he _______ more than an ordinary man.
A) is
B) were
C) has been
D) will be
4. Dravot used local symbols _______ his authority among the people.
A) strengthen
B) strengthening
C) to strengthen
D) strengthened
5. Although Carnehan was pleased with their success, he _______ about Dravot’s growing ambition.
A) worried
B) was worried
C) had worrying
D) has worry
6. If Dravot _______ more careful, he might have avoided some of the problems that followed.
A) was
B) were
C) had been
D) would be
7. The kingdom became stronger because Dravot _______ the local army effectively.
A) had organized
B) was organize
C) has organizing
D) organize
8. Dravot expected the people _______ his orders without question.
A) obey
B) obeying
C) to obey
D) obeyed
Answers
1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-C, 5-A, 6-C, 7-A, 8-C
Chapter Five
The Fall of the Kingdom
Almost a year later, a strange man arrived at my newspaper office. It was the middle of the night.
The printing machines were running, and I was working in the office. Suddenly, a bent and broken figure entered.
At first I did not recognize him. He was wearing dirty rags. His body was thin. His hands were badly injured. His hair had turned gray.
He looked like a beggar who had spent years on the road.
“Can you give me a drink?” he asked.
I gave him some whisky. He drank quickly.
Then he looked at me.
“Don’t you know me?”
I stared at his face.
Something seemed familiar.
Then he spoke his name.
“I am Peachey Carnehan.”
I was shocked. I remembered the two men who had once visited my office. The two men who had dreamed of becoming kings.
Carnehan began to tell me what had happened.
“We were kings,” he said.
“Dravot and me. Kings of Kafiristan.”
He laughed strangely.
Then he began describing their journey.
At first his story was clear. They had crossed the mountains.
They had gained control of several villages. They had created an army. They had become rulers. But as he continued, his memories became confused.
Sometimes he spoke about events that had happened years before.
Sometimes he seemed to believe that Dravot was still alive.
I tried to keep him calm.
“Tell me what happened after you entered Kafiristan.”
Carnehan continued.
He described the battles.
He described the villages.
He described the people who believed Dravot was a god.
He described their army and their growing kingdom.
Then he reached the final days.
His voice became weaker.
He spoke about the wedding.
He remembered the girl biting Dravot.
He remembered the blood.
He remembered the people shouting that Dravot was not a god.
Then he described their escape through the mountains.
His story became harder to follow.
He seemed to return to the same memories again and again.
I listened carefully.
He had suffered terrible injuries, and his mind was clearly damaged by everything he had experienced.
But one thing was certain.
He had survived.
Dravot had not.
Carnehan reached into his dirty clothes.
He pulled out a small black bag.
He opened it.
Then he placed something on my desk.
I stared at it.
It was a human head.
The red beard was still visible.
The face had been damaged, but I recognized it.
It was Daniel Dravot.
Around the head was the golden crown of Kafiristan.
Carnehan looked at me proudly.
“Look at him,” he said.
“The King of Kafiristan.”
I could hardly speak.
The man who had once dreamed of becoming a great emperor was now nothing more than a dead head on a newspaper desk.
Carnehan gently touched the crown.
“He was a king once.”
I tried to help him.
He was clearly too weak to travel alone.
But Carnehan refused to wait.
“I have things to do,” he said.
“I need to go south.”
He left the office.
I watched him disappear into the darkness.
The next day, I saw him walking along the road.
He was bent almost double.
He carried no crown.
He had no army.
He had no kingdom.
He had only memories.
As he walked, he sang an old hymn about a man going to war to win a golden crown.
I put him into my carriage and took him to a missionary.
He did not recognize me.
He simply continued singing.
Two days later, I asked about him.
“He died yesterday,” I was told.
“He had been suffering from severe sunstroke.”
And that was the end of Peachey Carnehan.
The kingdom of Kafiristan disappeared with Dravot.
The golden crown disappeared with it.
And the great empire that Dravot had dreamed of never existed.
Chapter 5 – Vocabulary
1. Defy — to refuse to obey someone or accept a rule or authority.
Example: Dravot began to defy the rules that he and Carnehan had agreed to follow.
2. Insist — to demand that something happen or to say firmly that something is true.
Example: Dravot insisted that he wanted to marry a woman from the kingdom.
3. Suspicion — a feeling that something is wrong or that someone cannot be trusted.
Example: Dravot’s behavior slowly created suspicion among the people.
4. Reveal — to make something known or show something that was previously hidden.
Example: The girl’s bite revealed that Dravot was an ordinary human being.
5. Mortal — a human being who must eventually die.
Example: The people suddenly understood that their king was mortal, not a god.
6. Revolt — an organized attempt to fight against or remove a ruler or government.
Example: When the people discovered the truth, they began a violent revolt.
7. Betray — to be disloyal to someone who trusts you.
Example: Dravot’s decision to break their agreement made Carnehan feel that he had been betrayed.
8. Collapse — to fall down or fail suddenly and completely.
Example: After Dravot was exposed as a mortal man, their kingdom began to collapse.
Chapter 5 – Comprehension Questions
1. Why did Dravot decide that he wanted to marry a woman from Kafiristan?
2. Why was Carnehan strongly opposed to Dravot’s decision to take a wife?
3. How did Dravot’s decision to marry affect the agreement between the two men?
4. What happened during the marriage ceremony that revealed Dravot was not a god?
5. Why did the people of Kafiristan suddenly turn against Dravot and Carnehan?
6. How did Billy Fish and his men try to help Dravot and Carnehan during the revolt?
7. What happened to Dravot when he tried to escape across the rope bridge?
8. How did the collapse of Dravot’s power affect Carnehan and the future of their kingdom?
Chapter 5 – Grammar Exercises
1. Dravot decided that he _______ a wife from Kafiristan.
A) wanted
B) wants
C) has wanted
D) was want
2. Carnehan warned Dravot not to break the agreement they _______ before leaving India.
A) make
B) had made
C) have made
D) were making
3. If Dravot _______ Carnehan’s advice, the situation might have been different.
A) followed
B) had followed
C) would follow
D) has followed
4. The people became angry when they discovered that Dravot _______ an ordinary man.
A) is
B) was
C) has been
D) had being
5. The girl bit Dravot _______ she was frightened by the marriage ceremony.
A) because
B) although
C) unless
D) so
6. After the truth was revealed, the people _______ against Dravot and Carnehan.
A) revolted
B) had revolting
C) have revolt
D) were revolt
7. Dravot tried _______ across the rope bridge while the people were attacking him.
A) escape
B) escaping
C) to escape
D) escaped
8. By the time Carnehan reached safety, Dravot _______ from the bridge.
A) fell
B) was falling
C) had fallen
D) has fall
Answers — Chapter Five
1-A, 2-B, 3-B, 4-B, 5-A, 6-A, 7-C, 8-C
Chapter Six
The Price of Ambition
For a short time, Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan achieved something that seemed impossible.
They crossed dangerous mountains. They entered a country that they knew almost nothing about. They defeated enemies with better organization and better weapons.
They united villages that had been fighting for years. They created an army. They gained gold. They became kings.
But their success depended on one thing:
They had to remain in control of themselves.
At the beginning of their journey, they understood this.
That was why they created their contract.
No alcohol.
No women.
No betrayal.
If one man got into trouble, the other would remain beside him.
The contract represented discipline.
For a while, both men followed it.
They worked together.
They planned carefully.
They shared their success.
They understood their weaknesses.
But success changed Dravot.
At first he wanted to become king.
Then he wanted to become emperor.
Then he began to believe that he was more than a man.
The people called him a god, and he slowly accepted their belief.
That was his greatest mistake.
The moment he forgot that he was human, he stopped understanding the people around him.
He believed that power could protect him from every danger.
It could not.
His desire for a wife seemed like a small decision.
But it destroyed the secret on which his entire kingdom depended.
One bite of a frightened girl exposed the truth.
He could bleed.
Therefore, he could die.
The kingdom collapsed almost immediately.
Carnehan understood the danger earlier than Dravot.
He repeatedly warned his friend.
But loyalty kept him beside Dravot.
Even after everything went wrong, Carnehan did not abandon him.
He stayed with him until the end.
That is why the story is not only about ambition.
It is also about friendship, loyalty, power and self-control.
Dravot wanted to rule the world.
He dreamed of an army, an empire and a place in history.
But in the end, he lost everything.
Carnehan survived, but survival was not a victory.
He returned to India without his friend, without his kingdom and without his health.
He carried only Dravot’s head and crown.
The crown was made of gold.
But it could not save the man who wore it.
The story therefore leaves us with a simple but powerful question:
What is the value of power if a person loses himself while trying to obtain it?
Dravot had wanted to become a king.
He succeeded.
But he could not remain one.
And perhaps that is the greatest irony of the story.
The man who wanted to be king discovered that becoming a king was much easier than knowing how to remain one.
The End
Read the original story: americanliterature.com
Chapter 6 – Vocabulary
1. Crucified — killed by being tied or nailed to a cross or wooden structure.
Example: Carnehan was crucified between two pine trees, but he somehow survived the night.
2. Survive — to continue to live or exist after danger, illness, or a difficult experience.
Example: Carnehan managed to survive the terrible punishment.
3. Miraculous — extremely surprising and difficult to explain or believe.
Example: The people considered Carnehan’s survival a miraculous event.
4. Crowned — wearing or having a crown placed on the head, especially as a sign of kingship.
Example: Carnehan returned to India carrying Dravot’s crowned head.
5. Severed — cut off from the main body or object.
Example: Carnehan carried Dravot’s severed head as proof of what had happened.
6. Broken — severely damaged physically or emotionally after a terrible experience.
Example: Carnehan returned as a broken man after losing his friend and kingdom.
7. Madness — a state in which someone’s thoughts or behavior are seriously confused or uncontrolled.
Example: After the disaster, Carnehan seemed close to madness.
8. Ambition — a strong desire to achieve power, success, or an important goal.
Example: Dravot’s ambition had taken him from a dream of kingship to a terrible downfall.
Chapter 6 – Comprehension Questions
1. Why did the people decide to punish Carnehan after Dravot’s death?
2. How did Carnehan manage to survive the punishment that was meant to kill him?
3. Why did the people consider Carnehan’s survival to be miraculous?
4. What did Carnehan carry with him when he finally returned to India?
5. Why was Dravot’s crowned head important to Carnehan?
6. How had the events in Kafiristan changed Carnehan physically and emotionally?
7. What happened to Carnehan after he told the Narrator about his extraordinary adventure?
8. What does the ending of the story suggest about the consequences of ambition and the desire for power?
Chapter 6 – Grammar Exercises
1. After Dravot _______ , Carnehan was left alone in Kafiristan.
A) died
B) had died
C) has died
D) was dying
2. Carnehan _______ to survive after he was crucified between two pine trees.
A) managed
B) had managed
C) was managing
D) has manage
3. By the time Carnehan returned to India, he _______ through many terrible experiences.
A) went
B) was going
C) had gone
D) has gone
4. Carnehan carried Dravot’s crowned head _______ he could prove what had happened.
A) so that
B) although
C) unless
D) whereas
5. If Carnehan _______ the journey, he would never have been able to tell the story.
A) survived
B) had survived
C) would survive
D) has survived
6. When the Narrator saw Carnehan, he realized that the man _______ deeply affected by his experiences.
A) was
B) had been
C) has been
D) is being
7. Carnehan told the Narrator what _______ in Kafiristan.
A) had happened
B) has happened
C) was happen
D) happens
8. After _______ his story, Carnehan’s condition became even worse.
A) tell
B) told
C) telling
D) to telling
Answers — Chapter Six
1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-A, 5-B, 6-B, 7-A, 8-C
More English Story Reading for B2 Learners
01. The Luck of Roaring Camp (Intermediate Level B2)
The Luck of Roaring Camp was written in 1868 by American author Bret Harte. The story describes life in a rough California mining camp during the Gold Rush.
When a baby is born in the camp, the lonely and dangerous men begin to change. The child brings hope and kindness into their harsh lives. This English story reading explores themes of innocence, redemption, hope, and human goodness.
02. My Kinsman, Major Molineux (Intermediate Level B2)
My Kinsman, Major Molineux is a powerful short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1831. It takes place in pre-revolutionary America and explores complex themes such as identity, independence, rebellion, and personal growth. The story follows a young country boy named Robin who travels to the city in search of his powerful relative, Major Molineux. But what he discovers in the city is not what he expected — and the journey becomes a symbolic test of maturity and self-discovery.
03. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans (Intermediate Level B2)
The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans is a detective story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous British author who created Sherlock Holmes. This story was first published in 1908. It is one of the most popular Holmes adventures because it mixes mystery, spying, and national secrets.
In this version, the story is rewritten for Level 4 English learners (B2). The language is a bit easier to understand, but the main events and characters are the same as in the original story.