Read the following passages carefully and answer the given questions. Certain words/ phrases are given in bold in the passages to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.

PASSAGE

One day, the King came to the court and began attending to the routine matters people had brought to him, He happened to be in a bad mood that day. Just then, a messenger arrived out of breath, with a message that the Queen wanted to see the King in her palace. The King rose immediately and all the courtiers respectfully got to their feet. The jester however remained seated unaware that the King was departing. He belatedly got to his feet but while doing so, he was noticed by the King who perceived his behaviour as an insult. He ordered the jester to leave his kingdom with immediate effect, and not set foot on its soil under penalty of death. The courtiers were upset and protested. The jester was amusing and well-liked. But the jester obeyed the King’s commands and left the palace promptly. Several months passed by after the king had ordered the jester to leave his court. The King's anger had subsided now. He decided to invite the jester to return to his court. Messengers were sent to the neighbouring kingdoms to search for the jester and bring him before the King.

However, the very next day, when the King was standing in one of the palace balconies, he saw a horse carriage pass outside the palace. He glanced at the carriage out of curiosity and spied the jester sitting inside. The carriage was stopped. The King asked the jester angrily, "Why have you come back to the kingdom without my permission?" "Your Majesty", the jester replied politely, I left for China the day you drove me out of your court, l returned only after l had covered the floor of my carriage with the soil of the neighbouring country. l have thus not set my foot on your soil." The King found the jester's answer pleasing. He smiled and asked him to come to court from the next morning.

Why was the jester travelling in a carriage filled with the earth?