NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 7 Packing
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 7 Packing
Textbook Question
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 !).
2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing ?
Or
Why did the narrator offer that he would pack ? (CBSE)
3. How did George and Harris react to this ? Did Jerome like their reaction ?
4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack ?
Or
What was the author’s intention when he offered that he would pack everything for them ? (CBSE)
5. What did Harris say after the hag was shut and strapped ? Why do you think he waited till then to ask ?
6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later ?
7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush ?
8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag ? (CBSE)
9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why ?
10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick 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.
Answers
1. There are four characters in the narrative. They are one, Jerome, the narrator himself, two, George, three, Harris. The fourth is the dog named Montmorency.
2. The narrator thought that George and Harris would not let him do the packing out of formality. Therefore, he volunteered to do the packing as a formality. Then he would boss over the job. But it didn’t happen.
3. George and Harris at once agreed to the narrator’s suggestion to do the packing. Jerome did not like it.
4. His real intention was to boss the job while George and Harris did the packing. But their agreeing to his packing irritated him.
5. The bag was shut and strapped. Then Harris asked Jerome if he had put the boots in. It was Harris’s habit not to say a word until the job was finished.
6. Jerome opened the bag. As he was going to close it, a horrible idea came to him. It was if he had packed his toothbrush. He had had problems always with his tooth-brush.
7. Jerome found his toothbrush inside a boot. Then he repacked the things once more.
8. Jerome had packed his tobacco-pouch in the bag. So he had to reopen the packed bag. He reopened it to get the pouch. When he had finished packing, George had asked him if the soap was in. But he didn’t care for that.
9. George and Harris offered to pack because the hampers were yet not packed. They thought that they had better do the rest. But they started breaking the things.
10. The true statements are given below :
(i)
(iii)
(iv)
(vi)
(vii)
(ix)
II. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life ? What do you think of Montmorency and why ?
Answer
Jerome says that Montmorency’s ambition in life is to get in the way and be sworn at. He wants to be a perfect nuisance and make people mad. It is his habit to enjoy things being thrown at him. He then feels his day has not been wasted. He wants to get somebody to stumble over him and curse him for an hour. It is his highest aim and object in life.
Harris and George were packing. Montmorency came and sat on the things. He felt that George and Harris were going to touch his wet nose. He thought the lemons were rats and ‘killed’ three of them.
It is the natural, original sin that is born in him. It makes him do things like that.
III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs (100-150 words).
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.
2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing ?
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.)
Answers
1. Both George and Harris are worse packers than Jerome. The difference is of degrees only. As regards packing in a general way, the three of them create confusion and confusion only. First, take Jerome. He packs but forgets what he has packed, how and where. He packs his tobacco-pouch in the bag but forgets it. Then he remembers his toothbrush and opens the bag. He finds it in the boot.
Take the case of George and Harris, the author himself says that Harris is “the worst packer in this world”. Both start packing. There are piles of plates, cups, kettles, bottles, jars, pies, stoves, cakes, tomatoes etc. They break cups. Harris packs the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashes it. He packs the pies at the bottom. Then he puts heavy things on top and smashes the pies in. George treads on the butter. He gets it offhis slipper. He puts it in the kettle. But it doesn’t go in. It is put down on a chair. Harris sits on it. It sticks to him. Then they search for it.
It is disorder everywhere as things after things get broken.
2. Montmorency ‘contributed’ to the packing in a tunny way. It was his ‘ambition’ in life to get in the way and be sworn at. He would put himself in everybody’s way where he was not wanted. He wanted to be a perfect nuisance. He wanted people to go mad and have things thrown at his head. Then he would feel his day had not been wasted. He longed to get somebody to stumble over him and curse him for long.
Montmorency came and sat down on things which were to be packed. Harris and George reached out for things to pack. He felt that they touched his cold damp nose. He put his leg into the jam and worried the teaspoons. He pretended the lemons were rats. He got into the hamper and “killed’ three of them. But Harris landed him with the frying-pan.
3. The story is really funny. It is created by Jerome, Harris and George in creating ‘fun’ while packing. The dog Montmorency also contributes to this fun greatly.
Thefe are many humorous elements in it. The butter incident is one such element. George treads on it. It sticks to his slipper. Then it is put on the chair and forgotten. But Harris sits on it. It sticks to his bottom. The second element is that of the squashing of strawberry and tomatoes. Harris packs the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashes it. The third humorous element is caused by the dog Montmorency. Montmorency causes fun by his fixed belief. Harris or George reach for things to pack. They touch his cold damp nose everytime. Then he thinks the lemons as rats. He “kills’ three of them by getting into the hamper.
The description of all these elements is also humorous. We can visualise the fun in reading it. It creates lots of fun and laughter to see Harris’s bottom stuck with butter.
Writing
(Page 92)
You have seen how Jerome, George and Harris mess up their packing, especially of the hamper. From their mistakes you must have thought of some dos and don’ts for packing. Can you give some tips for packing by completing the paragraph below ?
First pack all the heavy items, especially the ones you don’t need right away. Then … Here are some words and phrases you can use to begin your sentences with :
- Then
- Remember
- Next
- Don’t forget
- Now
- At last/Finally
Answer
Then put less heavy things on them. Now pick out small things. Put them in one comer or the other. Remember to put those things in the outer pockets. You may need these while travelling. These are toothbrush, soap, comb etc. Don’t forget to put all the things that are necessary and will be needed. At last, zip the bag. Also lock it at appropriate places.
Speaking
(Page 92)
Look at this sentence.
“I told George and Harris that they had better leave the whole matter entirely to me.”
The words had better are used
- in an advice or suggestion:
You had better take your umbrella; it looks like rain. - in an order
You had better complete your homework before you go out to play. - as a threat
You had better leave or I’ll have you arrested for trespass !
When we speak, we say you ’d/I’d/he’d better, instead of you had better, etc.
Question 1.
Work in pairs to give each other advice, orders or suggestions, or even to threaten each other. Imagine situations like the following: Your partner
- Hasn’t returned a book to the library.
- Has forgotten to bring lunch.
- hasn’t got enough change for bus fare.
- has found out a secret about you.
- has misplaced your English textbook.
Answers:
- You had better return the book to the library; the librarian charges fine for any delay.
- You had better not to forget to bring your lunch.
- You had better get change for bus fare or alight from the bus.
- You had better keep your secrets or he will make them public.
- You had better keep your English textbook; your brother will misplace it.
Activity
(Page 93)
• Collect some examples of instructions, directions, etc. from notice boards and pamphlets. Bring them to class and display them, or read them out. (You can collect examples in English as well as other languages, Indian or foreign.) Here is an example for you: