Pocahontas

 

Reading 1

2. a. Who was Pocahontas? How did she get her name?

Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan. She got her name for her beauty and liveliness. Pocahontas means playful one.

b. Why did the Powhatans not like the settlers?

Powhatans didn’t like the settlers because the settlers kill the native people and take their lands.

c. How did Pocahontas help John Smith twice?

Pocahontas helped John Smith twice by saving his life. The first time, she persuaded her father not to kill John Smith. The second time, she revealed her father's secret plan of murdering John Smith, enabling him to escape.   

d. How did Captain Argall manage to capture Pocahontas as a hostage?

Captain Argall took the help of Chief Japazaws to lure Pocahontas onto his ship. He invited the Chief with his wife and Pocahontas to visit his ship. Thus he managed to take Pocahontas as a hostage.

e. What did Captain Argall expect to achieve by holding Pocahontas to ransom?

Captain Argall expected the release of English prisoners and the return of English weapons tools by holding Pocahontas to ransom.

f. How did captivity change Pocahontas’ life forever?

Pocahontas learned the English language. She also learned English customs and way of life. She took Christianity and married an Englishman. Her marriage with an Englishman brought peace and harmony among the warring natives and settlers.

g. Why did Pocahontas go to England?

Pocahontas and her family along with some native women went to England to raise support for their settlements in America.

h. How was Pocahontas received in England?

Pocahontas was received well in England. She toured all of England and her presence in London created a sensation. He visited several important persons there including the king.

Reading: 2

1. This narration brings out the conflict between the Native Americans and the colonists. List the reasons of conflict and how it was resolved?

Colonists were occupying the land and other resources of the native people. They were killing the native people with their modern weapons. The native people were resisting their efforts to establish colonies. The native people were refusing to give the colonists the necessary food.

The conflict is resolved by trading. The native people offered food in exchange for the colonists’ tools and other goods.

2. What do you think of the settlers who sailed thousands of miles away to unknown lands in the 17th century, when travel and communications, healthcare, etc. were not very advanced as today? What difficulties do you think they faced?

I think the settlers were desperate to find new lands and new opportunities. Some of them mush have died because of ill health and malnutrition. Some might have lost their way in the sea. Some might have been killed by natives.  They braved vast expanses of seas, unfriendly natives, unknown diseases, and unpredictable weather to reach places that were thousands of miles away. These were the difficulties they faced.

3. The memory of Pocahontas is honored with a life-sized bronze statue at St George Church in Kent. You have been invited to write an epitaph (words written about a person on their gravestone) in about 50 words to be engraved under the state. Write the epitaph.

Here is the woman who brought peace between two warring communities with her love and compassion. She had made her people prosper. History remembers her as the first-ever black woman to marry an Englishman. She is a true daughter of the Powhatan clan, who ensured the safety of native people. 

The Plate of Gold

 

Poem appreciation (Answers for questions given on page no 42)

1. What did God want to test in human beings by sending the amazing gift?

God wanted to reward people who love their fellow beings truly and who do generous and selfless deeds.

2. Why did the plate of gold change into lead the moment people touched it?

The plate of gold changed into lead the moment people touched it because the people who touched it were not the true lovers of their fellow beings.

3. In what hope had all the beggars gathered around the temple gate?

All the beggars gathered around the temple to receive alms from the people who came to the temple hoping that they would get the gift of the gold plate.

4. What does the poet highlight in the attitude of those who freely gave away coins to the poor?

The people who gave away coins to the poor were only showing their generosity. They were not the true lovers of human beings. The poet wants to highlight this kind of attitude of the people who came to the temple in the hope of winning the gold plate. 

5. In God’s eyes, the poor peasant truly deserved the gift of gold. Why?

In God’s eyes the poor peasant deserved the gift of gold truly because he was the true lover of fellow human beings. He wept for their poverty and sat down to comfort one of them. He had not come to win the prize. He didn’t want to show off his generosity.

6. What is the poet trying to tell us through this poem?

Love for our fellow beings is more valuable than any kind of material wealth. Kindness and true love are good qualities we all should possess. We should be like the poor peasant, who is ready to give whatever he has with true love and kindness. This is the point that the poet wants to tell us through this poem.

Be the Best

 Answers to textual questions given in page in 105

2. Answer the following questions.

a. The poem works through a contrast of the ‘the high’ and ‘the low’. Can you give examples from the poem and explain this statement?

The poet uses phrases like a hill and a valley, a bush and a tree, bush and grass, Muskie and bass, captain and crew, highway and trail, sun and star to highlight contrast. The poet makes it clear that we can remain where we are and yet be the best.

b. What should be our attitude towards our work?

We must always try to do our best in whatever we do.

c. The poet makes effective use of the repetition of the refrain ‘If you can’t be ….’. What kind of an effect does this have on the reader? Does the repetition help the poet influence the reader in any way?

Yes. The poet is effective in using the repetition of the refrain. By repeating it, the poet stresses the point that we have to be the best.

d. Do you believe that some occupations are ‘low’ while some are ‘high’? Give reasons to support your answer.

No. I don’t believe that one occupation is ‘low’ and the other occupation is ‘high’. Every job is equally important. A gatekeeper is as important as the boss of the company. Both have specific works to do and each work plays a role for the smooth running of the company.

Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes

 

1. Complete the table to bring out the contrast in the culture of the two sets of people.  

	Two scavengers in a truck	two beautiful people in a Mercedes
vehicle	garbage truck	Mercedes
dress	red plastic blazers	man: hip, three-piece linen suit and sunglasses woman: short skirt and coloured stockings
hairstyle	old man: grey iron hair young man: long hair	man: shoulder-length blond hair woman: blond hair
routines	they wake up 4am and return home at 9am	they go to their architect’s office at 9am

 

2.Answer the following questions.  

a. What is the setting of the poem?

The poem is set at a traffic light in downtown San Francisco.  

b. The word ‘elegant’ has been used twice to describe the rich couple (lines 8 and 9). What do you think it suggests?

The word ‘elegant’ suggests luxury, wealth, class, and status.

c. How is the first garbage man described? What is the feeling that he evokes?

The older of the two has grey iron hair and a hunched back. He looks like a gargoyle Quasimodo. We feel pity and sympathy.

d. In a paragraph, discuss the importance of colour in this poem.

Colours make the poem more visual. The poet used phrases like red traffic light, bright yellow garbage truck, red plastic blazers, blond hair, coloured stockings, and grey iron hair. The colours highlight the difference between the two classes of people.

e. Comment on the phrase ‘small gulf’ in the last stanza.

The phrase ‘small gulf’ shows the difference in the social status of the two sets of people. Even though they are near to each other, their worlds never meet.

f. The garbage men are ‘looking down’ into the Mercedes. At face value, this is clearly because the garbage truck is higher than the car, but there is an ironic message as well. Bring out the irony in the phrase.

The men ‘look down’ at the people in Mercedes because they feel that they work harder than them and lead more difficult lives. The ironic message is that the people who are looking down are the people in the lower position in society. The irony is that despite their higher physical position, socially the garbage men are in a lower position.

g. Is the poet successful in bringing out the class divide in the society? Do you think it is possible to bridge the gap? Give reasons.

Yes. The poet is successful in bringing out the class divide in society. Yes. It is possible to bridge the gap. We have to give opportunities and resources to the less privileged people. Rich people should help poor people. Then the gap may be bridged.

h. The older garbage man has a hunched back and looks ‘like some gargoyle Quasimodo’. Explain the comparison.

A gargoyle is a large and ugly figure of a person. It is kept on the roofs of buildings to scare off evil spirits and to drain rainwater from the roofs. Quasimodo is a character in Victor Hugo’s novel ‘The Hunchback of Norte Dame’. He is ugly but he is loving and caring. The comparison shows that the older scavenger is kind and caring in spite of his ugly looks.

 3. Give examples of each of these literary devices used in the poem. Also, explain the meaning.  

Literary Device	Example	Meaning
a. simile	like some gargoyle Quasimodo	looking ugly but kind
b. metaphor	scavengers	scavengers are people who search through waste material for valuable or useful things; here they are looking at the rich couple
c. personification	red light which stopped and held all the four people together	the red light is like a mother holding all of her children without any partiality
d. alliteration	causally coifed	her hairstyle looks simple but has been done with great care
e. repetition	an elegant open Mercedes with an elegant couple in it	the word ‘elegant’ highlights wealth, luxury, and privilege

A Tiger in the Zoo

Thinking About the Poem (Page 30)

1.Read the poem again and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.

1. Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

2. Find the words that describe the two places and arrange them in two columns.

Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.

Here are the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild arranged in two columns.

Tiger in the Cage	Tiger in the Wild
Stalks, Few steps of his cage, Quiet rage Locked in concrete cell, Stalking-the length of his cage Ignoring visitors. He hears the last voice Stares at the brilliant stars.	Lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass, Snarling around houses, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village

Here are the words that describe the two places arranged in two columns.

Cage	Wild
Few steps of his cage.	Shadow, Long grass, Water
Locked, Concrete cell	hole, Plump deer
Behind bars, Visitors,	Houses at jungle’s edge
Patrolling cars	Village

The poet uses these words to create an apt contrast. This contrast is between the cage and the jungle. He is able to create apt pictures of these places in a real sense. These words clearly show the life of the tiger in a cage and in a jungle.

2. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:

1. On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage.

2. And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.

What do you think is the effect of this repetition?

 This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet to describe the intensity of the tiger’s rage and his helpless silence. ‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet velvet pads of the tiger, which cannot run or leap. They can only walk around the limited space in the cage. ‘Quiet rage’ tells about the anger of the tiger as he wants to run out into the forest and hunt, but the rage is quiet because he is locked in the cage. ‘Brilliant is used to describe the tiger’s eyes and the stars. The tiger stares at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes dreaming about how beautiful his life could be in the forest. The repetition gives a wonderful effect to the poem. (123 words)

 3. Read the following two poems one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss:

Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals?

Are they useful for educating the public?

Are there alternatives to zoos?

 The Tiger

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars,

Then he thinks.

It would be nice not to be behind bars all

The time

Because they spoil my view

I wish I were wild, not on show.

But if I were wild, hunters might shoot me,

But if I were wild, food might poison me,

But if I were wild, water might drown me.

Then he stops thinking

And…

The tiger behind the bars of his cage growls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage snarls,

The tiger behind the bars of his cage roars.

                                                             – Peter Niblett

 The Panther

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,

has grown so weary that it cannot hold

anything else. It seems to him there are

a thousand bars; and behind the bars, no world.

As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,

the movement of his p0werful soft strides

is like a ritual dance around a centre

in which a mighty will stands paralysed.

Only at times, the curtain of the pupils

lifts, quietly. An image enters in,

rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles,

plunges into the heart and is gone.

                                           – Rainer Maria Rilke

 It is a sad fact that several species of animals are on the verge of extinction. Even ferocious and powerful animals like tigers and lions are not safe in the forest due to poaching and encroachment of forests. So zoos are necessary for the protection or conservation of these species. Zoos can also be used to bring awareness in the public about the importance of wild animals and their role in maintaining the ecological balance. Yes. There are alternatives to zoos. Wildlife sanctuaries, reserves, and national parks are some alternatives to zoos. They offer protection and conserve these species. They provide animals with natural habitat. Just like humans, animals have also a right to live on the earth. (119 words)

A Most Important Person

 

2. Answer the following questions. (Page 29)

a. ‘She was thinking, rather wishing, for an even that might hurl her out of the world …….” What is Miss Lucy is wishing for and why?

Miss Lucy was so lonely that she wanted to end her life. She was hoping for an event that would take her to another world because everybody close to her had moved on and she felt very lonely.

b. Unlike Miss Lucy, Chester is not shy at all. Give evidence from the story to support this statement.

Chester easily makes conversation with Miss Lucy when she rescues him. He goes to her house and accepts her invitation to tea. He offers to bring his sister also. He goes to Miss Lucy’s house the next day with his sister. On the other hand, Miss Lucy likes to be alone. She couldn’t visit her friends easily. This proves that unlike Miss Lucy, Chester is not shy at all.

c. In what way is the friendship between Miss Lucy and Chester unusual and remarkable?

Miss Lucy is an elderly person. She is rich. Chester is a boy and he is poor. Despite the differences in age and social backgrounds they become friends. In this way their friendship is remarkable.

d. How could Miss Lucy have avoided paying the fine for parking?

Miss Lucy could have used her influence or she could speak to the judge who was a family friend to avoid paying the fine for parking. She could have make a call to her family lawyer to help her out.

e. In the end, why does Miss Lucy believe that Christmas is the most important time?

In the end, Miss Lucy believes that Christmas is the most important time because it brings old and new friends together.

f. We use ‘the’ before an adjective in the superlative degree, but this chapter is called ‘A Most Important Person’. Why do you think so? How is Chester ‘a most important person’ for Miss Lucy.

Miss Lucy becomes a special friend of Chester because he makes her realize that she is not alone or lonely. He is not ‘the’ most important person in her life but he is ‘one of the’ most important person. So ‘a’ is used instead of ‘the’ before the superlative ‘most’.

Reading 2

1. What was wrong with the way Miss Lucy had been brought up?

Miss Lucy was brought up in such way that she thought that only a small group of people belonging high society could be her friends. She felt that she was not supposed to mix with all kinds of people.

2. How would you describe Chester as a person?

Chester is a friendly person. He is an out-going boy and it is easy to talk to him. He is an energetic and caring boy.

3. Do you think that this story teaches us something important about friendship? Write and share your thoughts with class.

Yes. This story teaches several important things about friendship. Friendship has no barriers like age, money or social status. Making friends with new people helps us to live happily. We have to reach out to all kinds of people and be caring and friendly with them.

The Snake Trying

 

Introduction

In the poem, the poet says that the snake tries to escape from being hit by the stick held by a person who is trying to kill it. The poet wants to say that all snakes are not harmful. Humans have a notion that snakes are dangerous and try to kill them as soon as they spot one but this is not true.

Meanings

cursing: chasing, following

curvings:  twistings

glides: moves

stroke: hitting of the stick

reeds: water or marsh plants with thick stems

vanishes: disappears

Literary devices

1. Rhyme scheme is absent. The poem is written in free verse.

2. Transferred epithet: the adjective used with a noun refers to a noun other than the one with which it is used.

Pursuing stick - pursuing refers to the person who is holding the stick and not the stick itself.

3. Alliteration: the repetition of a consonant sound in 2 or more consecutive words.

He is harmless - ‘h’

Summary

In this poem, a harmless green-colored snake tries to save itself from being hit by a person who is chasing it with a stick to kill it. The poet says that the snake is harmless even to children. People fear snakes and when they see one, they try to kill it with a stick. The snake tries to save itself and hides behind the green-colored bushes of marshy plants growing in the water. It hides in the ripples of the water body in order to save itself. The snake disappears behind the marshy plants.

Thinking about the poem (Page 125)

1. What is the snake trying to escape from?

The snake is trying to escape from the pursuing stick. Human beings try their level best to kill the snake. They take it for granted that the snake is poisonous and harmful.

2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

No, it is not a harmful snake. Its colour is green.

3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

The poet uses the following words to convey the beauty of the snake: beautiful and graceful, small and green.

4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

The poet wishes that the snake should be allowed to go. It should not be killed by the perusing man.

5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear?

The snake was away from its secure area. It was basking in the sun along the sand. Finally, it disappears in the reeds.

The Last Leaf

Introduction

The last leaf is a touching story of how a painter inspires a girl to live and in the process, loses his life.

Summary

Two friends Sue and Johnsy live together in a rented apartment. Johnsy contracts pneumonia and loses her desire to live. She announces that she would die when the last leaf fell off the ivy creeper that could be seen from the room’s window. When the last leaf falls off, their neighbour, Mr. Behrman goes out in the storm to paint one. This gives hope to Johnsy. On the other hand, Mr. Behrman contracts pneumonia and dies.

Meanings

Pneumonia: a disease caused due to the infection of the lungs

Gazing: looking

Feeble: weak

janitor= caretaker of a building

Think about it (Page 48)

1. What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?

Johnsy, a young artist, was ill. She was suffering from pneumonia. Later on she got a misconception that she would die as soon as the last leaf on the creeper falls down. In this situation, the medicine had no effect on her. Her willingness to live could cure her.

2. Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?

Yes, I think that the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers. Teenagers have several misconceptions and self-doubts. If anything goes against their wish, they lose hope and feel depressed. Teenagers have to take things positively and get over their depression.

3. Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?

Behrman had a dream to paint a masterpiece in his life. He had been waiting for the opportunity to make his dream a reality. Yes, he could make his dream come true when he painted the last leaf of the ivy creeper on the wall.

4. What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?

Behrman’s painting of the ivy leaf on the wall was his masterpiece. He risked his life in paining it. It was so natural that Johnsy thought it to be a real leaf. That concept saved the life of Johnsy. The painter saved the life of another painter by painting a life-like leaf. That is why Sue called it as Behrman’s masterpiece.

Talk about it (Page 48)

1. Have you ever felt depressed and dejected? How did you overcome such feelings? Share your experience with your classmates.

Yes. I felt depressed and dejected when I could not score good marks in the final examination of Class VIII. I was one of the top-ranking students. I was sure that I would get the highest marks in the class. Unfortunately, a month before the final examination, I suffered from severe typhoid. It continued for 15 days. I became weak and could not prepare properly for the exam. As a result, I got the lowest marks in the class. But my parents and teachers consoled me and gave me courage to face the reality. They told me that it can happen to anyone. I came out of the depression with the help of my friends, teachers and parents.

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.