Packing

Summary:

The narrator of the story, Jerome, was proud of his packing skills. He was supposed to go on a trip with his friends George and Harris. He told them to leave the whole matter of packing to himself, to which they readily agreed. George sat on the easy chair and Harris cocked his legs on the table and watched Jerome do the packing. But this wasn’t what Jerome wanted. When he said that he wanted to do all the packing himself, he meant that he was willing to be in charge of everything and direct his friends to work efficiently under his supervision.

When Jerome packed the bag, Harris pointed out that Jerome had forgotten to pack the boots. So, he had to open the bag again and pack his boots in, and just he was going to close it, he doubted if he had packed his toothbrush. Whenever he would be about to travel, he would get nightmares of forgetting to pack his toothbrush. Then he would wake up and go on to hunt for it. Then, in the morning, he would pack it before he used it and then he had to unpack again to get it and would repack, forgetting to put the toothbrush in again. Then, he had to rush upstairs to fetch it.

As usual, Jerome had to search the whole bag. He found George’s and Harris’s toothbrushes eighteen times over but he couldn’t find his own toothbrush. At last, he found it inside a boot and he had to repack once more. After he was done, George asked him if the soap was in but Jerome was so exhausted that he just didn’t seem to care. But after he strapped the bag again, he noticed that he had packed his spectacles inside and he had to open the bag again. Finally, he finished packing at 10:05 pm and then George and Harris decided to pack the food hampers.

Jerome was excited to see how they would proceed. As he anticipated, they started with breaking a cup. Then, Harris accidentally squashed a tomato by placing strawberry jam on top of it and then he had to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon. Moreover, George stepped on the butter. Now it was Jerome’s turn to sit back and watch them which irritated them. They stepped on things, put things behind them, and then they were unable to find them when they needed them. They put the pies at the bottom and put heavy things on top of it, which ended up ruining the pies.

George got the butter stuck to his slippers. After he got it off his slippers, they attempted to put it in the kettle but it wouldn’t go in. It was put down on a chair on which Harris sat. The butter stuck to his back. Then they went around looking for it. After a lot of searching, George discovered that it was at the back of Harris the whole time and finally they packed it in the teapot.

And then their pet dog, Montmorency, came into the scene only to add to the commotion. Montmorency was a naughty dog whose aim in life was to create hurdles and get scolded. It was only when he was screamed at that he felt that his day had not been wasted. So, just when things were ready to be packed, he came into the room and sat on them. Whenever Harris or George extended their hand for anything, Montmorency made it a point that they reach for his nose. He put his leg into the jam, disorganized the teaspoons and hampered the lemons.

After uncountable obstacles and tremendous efforts, finally, the packing was done at 12:50 and Harris sat on the hamper hoping that nothing was broken. George consoled himself and Harris by saying that if anything was found broken then it would be because it was already broken.

They all were ready for bed and decided to wake up at half past six. George was already asleep by then. So, George and Jerome placed the bath where he could tumble into on getting up in the morning and went to bed themselves.

Meanings:

pride myself on= I am proud of

fell into= (here) accepted

Uncanny= strange, unusual

cocked his legs= bent the legs on the knee as he sat

intended= planned, meant

potter about= do some unimportant things

loll on the sofa= to recline or lean in a relaxed manner

messing about= to waste time doing something without a particular purpose

sit still= sit without doing anything

superintend= supervise, manage

strapped it= closed it

wild= mad with anger

haunts= to give trouble repeatedly

misery= sad

cold perspiration= sweat

hunt= search

mortal thing= ordinary thing

rummaged= searched in a hurried or careless way

chaos= confusion

reigned= ruled

didn’t care a hang= showed no concern or interest

slammed= shut the lid forcefully and loudly

hampers= baskets used to carry food, utensils, etc.

light-hearted spirit= to be cheerful, happy

evidently= clearly, obviously

exception= a person or thing that does not follow the general rule

squashed= crush or squeeze something with force so that it becomes flat, soft, or out of shape

trod on= stepped on

upset= overturned

scrape= drag or pull

oath= to swear upon something, to use offensive language

indignantly= in a manner indicating anger or annoyance at something perceived as unfair

sworn at= get scolded

squirm= to wriggle or twist one’s body

nuisance= to cause inconvenience or annoyance

stumble= to trip over a hurdle

curse= scold

conceit= here, his pride in himself

worried= disturbed

pretended= to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not

land him= hit or punch someone

reflection= thought

tossed= throw something somewhere lightly or casually

a bit of a row= an argument

split the difference= take the average of two proposed ideas like time, amount etc.

tumble= to fall quickly and without control

Thinking about the text (Page 89)

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph. (30-40 words)

1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).

There are four characters in the narrative including the dog. They are the narrator, George, Harris and the fourth is the dog named Montmorency.

2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?

The narrator felt that he knew more about packing than any other person living. Moreover, he would get an opportunity to boss the job and George and Harris would do the job under his directions.

3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?

George and Harris accepted the narrator’s suggestion readily. But Jerome did not like it.

4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?

Jerome’s real intention was to boss the job. He wanted that Harris and George should work under his guidance and instructions. But they accepted the proposal and sat idle on the chairs comfortably.

5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?

Harris asked the narrator to put the boots in the bag after strapping the bag. He did it with an intention to irritate the narrator.

6. What ‘horrible idea’ occurred to Jerome a little later?

Jerome was going to close the bag after putting the boots in it. He suddenly thought of his toothbrush. He was not sure whether he packed it. Now he had to search for it in the bag.

7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?

Jerome tried his best to find the toothbrush. He unpacked the bag but could not find it. He put the things back one by one, and held everything up and shook it. At last, he found it inside a boot.

8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?

Jerome packed his spectacles in the bag. So he had to reopen the packed bag.

9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?

George and Harris offered to pack hamper because they wanted Jerome to take some rest. They decided to pack the rest of things themselves.

10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick (ü) the statements that are true.

(i) They started with breaking a cup.

(ii) They also broke a plate.

(iii) They squashed a tomato.

(iv) They trod on the butter.

(v) They stepped on a banana.

(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.

(vii) They stepped on things.

(viii)They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.

(ix) They upset almost everything.

(x) They were very good at packing.

Answer:

(i) They started with breaking a cup. ü

(ii) They also broke a plate.

(iii) They squashed a tomato. ü

(iv) They trod on the butter. ü

(v) They stepped on a banana.

(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them. ü

(vii) They stepped on things. ü

(viii)They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.

(ix) They upset almost everything. ü

(x) They were very good at packing. ü

II. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?

Montmorency’s ambition in life is to interfere with others and be abused. He wants to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. If things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been wasted. To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an hour is his highest aim and object. He came and sat on things, just when they were going to be packed. He put his leg into the jam and worried the teaspoons and pretended that lemons were rats and got into the hamper and killed three of them.

It is the natural, original sin that is born in him that makes him do things like that.

III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs.

1. Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.

Of the three, Harris is the worst packer in this world. But none of them is the perfect packer. All of them are confused and do not know what is to be placed and where. So far as Jerome is concerned he unpacked the bag to find his toothbrush in a boot. He also packs his spectacles in the bag. Harris and George start their work in a light hearted spirit. There are piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes and tomatoes. They break a cup. Harris packs the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashes it. They have to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon. George treads on the butter. He gets it off from his slipper and puts it in the kettle. He puts it down on a chair and Harris sits on it. It sticks to him and then they look for it all over the room. In this way they created chaos in the room.

2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?

Montmorency’s contribution to the packing cannot be forgotten. His ambition in life was to disturb others and be abused by them. He came and sat on things, just when they were going to be packed and he put his leg into the jam. He disturbed everything. He pretended the lemons to be rats and got into the hamper and killed three of them.

Montmorency wanted to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. If things are thrown at his head, he feels his day has not been wasted. To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an hour was his highest aim and objective.

3.Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it? (Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)

The story is really humorous and funny. Jerome’s episode of packing, Harris’s and George’s way of packing and Montmorency’s contribution have made the story funny and interesting. Jerome was confused about his toothbrush and found it in a boot. He also packed his spectacles in the bag. The incident of butter makes the reader laugh. George treads on the butter and it sticks to his slipper. Later he puts it on the chair. Harris sits on the chair and it sticks to his bottom. They squash the tomatoes by putting the strawberry jam on them.

Montmorency’s pretence for the lemons to be rats is also fascinating and funny.

These incidents are described in an orderly and perfect way.