The Man Who Sold the Taj Mahal

Learn English Through Story With a Famous Indian Legend

People say a con man from India called Natwarlal sold the Taj Mahal three times, but this is a legend. A con man tricks people to get their money.

Enjoy this famous story from India in easy English for learners, with a video, new words, and a quiz.

Watch the video first. Then read the story, learn the new words, and take the quiz.

English level: A2 (Level 2)

Would You Buy the Taj Mahal? A Famous Story in Easy English

Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses

Next steps:

1. Read the story.

2. Learn the new words.

3. Take the quiz and check your answers.

4. Read the questions and answers.

Story Text

A cartoon man with a gold pen on a stone terrace, pointing at the Taj Mahal

People say he sold the Taj Mahal. Three times. And the buyer paid him, in cash.

The man had a gold pen, and he could copy any signature. So he wrote an official paper, with the signature of a very important person. Then he waited at the Taj Mahal for a rich tourist.

He said, "I work for the government. We are selling this building. But tell nobody, it's a secret."

The tourist laughed and said, "The Taj Mahal, this cheap? I'm robbing you!" The man with the pen just smiled.

But then the tourist got nervous. How can one man sell the Taj Mahal?

So the man with the pen showed him the paper and whispered, "Look at the name." And the tourist relaxed.

You see, anybody can tell a lie. But a famous name on an official paper looks like the truth. So now the tourist was sure, and he paid.

And the man with the pen was gone.

The police caught him many times. And the story goes, in jail, he put on a police uniform. He gave his guards a suitcase, full of money, he said. Then he walked out the front gate, where other guards saluted him.

But the suitcase was full of old newspapers.

So the man with the pen came back, to sell the Taj Mahal again.

New Words from the Story

signature

your name, written by you in your own way

From the story: The man had a gold pen, and he could copy any signature.

official

from the government or from a person with power

From the story: So he wrote an official paper, with the signature of a very important person.

tourist

a person who visits a place for fun

From the story: Then he waited at the Taj Mahal for a rich tourist.

to rob

to take money or things from a person in a way that is not fair or not legal

From the story: The Taj Mahal, this cheap? I'm robbing you!

nervous

worried or afraid

From the story: But then the tourist got nervous.

to whisper

to speak very quietly

From the story: So the man with the pen showed him the paper and whispered, "Look at the name."

a lie

something you say that is not true

From the story: You see, anybody can tell a lie.

jail

a place where the police keep people who break the law

From the story: And the story goes, in jail, he put on a police uniform.

uniform

special clothes that people wear for their job

From the story: And the story goes, in jail, he put on a police uniform.

to salute

to raise your hand to your head to show respect

From the story: Then he walked out the front gate, where other guards saluted him.

Taj Mahal Story Quiz

Choose the right answer. You will see at once if you are right.

1. Where does the story happen?

2. What could the man with the pen do very well?

3. Why did the tourist laugh?

4. Why did the tourist relax?

5. What did the man wear to walk out of jail?

6. What was in the suitcase?

Questions and Answers

Who sold the Taj Mahal?

People say Natwarlal sold the Taj Mahal three times. This is a legend, and the building was never for sale.

Is the story of the man who sold the Taj Mahal true?

Nobody can prove that Natwarlal sold the Taj Mahal. It is hard to know which stories about him are fact.

Who was Natwarlal?

Natwarlal was a con man from India whose name was Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava. He was born in 1912 in a village in Bihar, India.

How did Natwarlal trick people?

He was very good at copying other people's signatures. He also used more than 50 names.

Did Natwarlal go to prison?

Yes, but he escaped many times. People believe he spent only about 20 years in prison.

What happened to Natwarlal?

He was last seen in 1996 at a train station in New Delhi, when he was 84. Nobody is sure when he died.

Talk About It

Would you have believed the man with the gold pen? Why, or why not?

Tell us in English in the comments under the video.

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Learn English Through Story With a Famous Indian Legend