Class 9,Chapter 7: Packing

Chapter 7: Packing**

**Thinking about the Text**

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

1. **How many characters are there in the narrator’s story about packing? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).**

    * **Answer:** There are four characters in the narrator's story about packing. They are Jerome (the narrator), George, Harris, and Montmorency (the dog).

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

    * **Answer:** The narrator volunteered to do the packing because he felt he knew more about packing than any other person living. He thought he could boss the job and have George and Harris potter about under his directions.

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

    * **Answer:** George and Harris reacted by readily accepting his suggestion. George spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table. No, Jerome did not like their reaction; he had intended to supervise them, not do all the work himself.

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

    * **Answer:** Jerome's real intention when he offered to pack was that he would "boss the job," meaning he would supervise George and Harris while they did the actual work of packing under his directions.

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

    * **Answer:** After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris asked if Jerome wasn't going to put the boots in. He likely waited till then to ask, either out of absent-mindedness or, more probably, to irritate Jerome, knowing it would be troublesome to reopen the packed bag.

6. **What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?**

    * **Answer:** The "horrible idea" that occurred to Jerome a little later was whether he had packed his toothbrush. He couldn't remember packing it and was haunted by the thought.

7. **Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?**

    * **Answer:** Jerome finally found the toothbrush inside one of the boots after unpacking and repacking almost everything.

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

    * **Answer:** Jerome had to reopen the packed bag because he realized he had packed his tobacco-pouch in it, and he needed it.

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

    * **Answer:** George and Harris offered to pack the hampers (food baskets). They offered to do this perhaps because they thought they could do it better or faster than Jerome, or simply because the rest of the packing was done and the hampers were left.

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. **(True)**

    * (ii) They also broke a plate. **(False)** (The text doesn't explicitly mention breaking a plate, though they caused much chaos.)

    * (iii) They squashed a tomato. **(True)**

    * (iv) They trod on the butter. **(True)** (Harris trod on it)

    * (v) They stepped on a banana. **(False)** (They were looking for butter which Harris had stepped on; bananas are not mentioned in this context).

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

    * (vii) They stepped on things. **(True)**

    * (viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top. **(False)** (They packed pies at the bottom and put heavy things on top, smashing the pies).

    * (ix) They upset almost everything. **(True)**

    * (x) They were very good at packing. **(False)**

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

* **Answer:** Jerome says Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and be sworn at. He felt his day was not wasted if he could squirm in where he was not wanted, make a perfect nuisance of himself, and have things thrown at his head.

    I think Montmorency is a typical mischievous and playful dog who thrives on attention, even if it's negative. He doesn't intend to be genuinely troublesome but rather sees it as a game. His actions, like putting his leg into the jam or pretending lemons were rats, show a dog's natural curiosity and desire to be involved, even if it leads to chaos.

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

* **Answer:**

    Of the three, Jerome, despite his initial blunders and forgetfulness (like the toothbrush and tobacco pouch), is arguably the *best packer*, or at least the one who attempts it most seriously. He manages to pack the main bag, even if it takes multiple attempts. He is methodical, though prone to forgetting things.

    George and Harris are decidedly the *worst packers*. Their attempt at packing the hamper is a catalogue of disasters: they break a cup, squash a tomato, tread on butter, put heavy things on soft pies, and generally create a mess. They lack any sense of organization and are clumsy and careless, turning a simple task into utter chaos. Harris is particularly careless, putting the butter on a chair and then sitting on it.

**IV. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?**

* **Answer:** Montmorency ‘contributed’ to the packing by creating maximum nuisance. He got in the way when people were trying to pack. He put his leg into the jam, disturbed the teaspoons, and pretended that the lemons were rats, putting them into the hamper. He believed he was helping and being a source of encouragement.

**V. 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.)**

* **Answer:** Yes, this story is very funny. The humorous elements include:

    1. **Jerome's overconfidence and subsequent blunders:** His initial pride in his packing skills ("I rather prided myself on my packing") is hilarious when contrasted with his forgetfulness (toothbrush, tobacco pouch) and the multiple times he has to unpack and repack. The exaggerated search for the toothbrush is particularly comical.

    2. **George and Harris's incompetence in packing the hamper:** Their attempts are a slapstick comedy of errors – breaking a cup, squashing tomatoes, treading on butter and then searching for it all over, and packing heavy items on soft ones. The description of Harris trying to get the butter off his slipper and then putting it in the teapot is a highlight of their clumsiness.

    3. **Montmorency's "contributions":** The dog’s misguided attempts to ‘help’ by getting in the way, putting his leg in the jam, and treating lemons as rats, add another layer of chaotic humor. Jerome’s description of Montmorency’s "ambition in life" to be a nuisance is also very funny.

    The humor arises from the relatable exasperation of simple tasks going wrong, the characters' exaggerated reactions, and the witty, observational style of narration.

**Thinking about Language**

**I. Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.**

| A | B |

| :------------------------ | :---------------------------------------------------------- |

| 1. slaving | (i) a difficult or worrying situation |

| 2. chaos | (ii) a very small space |

| 3. rummage | (iii) search for something by moving things around hurriedly or carelessly |

| 4. scrape out | (iv) to take something out of a container using a spoon or a knife |

| 5. potter about | (v) do something that is not important or useful |

| 6. get into a row | (vi) a state of great confusion and disorder |

| 7. a tight corner | (vii) put something carelessly or untidily |

| 8. mess about / around | (viii) working hard |

| 9. tumble into | (ix) to argue or quarrel |

| 10. chuck | (x) to fall into |

**Answer:**

1. slaving – **(viii) working hard**

2. chaos – **(vi) a state of great confusion and disorder**

3. rummage – **(iii) search for something by moving things around hurriedly or carelessly**

4. scrape out – **(iv) to take something out of a container using a spoon or a knife**

5. potter about – **(v) do something that is not important or useful**

6. get into a row – **(ix) to argue or quarrel**

7. a tight corner – **(i) a difficult or worrying situation**

8. mess about / around – **(vii) put something carelessly or untidily** *(Also means to behave in a silly or annoying way)*

9. tumble into – **(x) to fall into**

10. chuck – *(Not directly listed as an option to match for an English meaning here, but "chuck" generally means to throw something carelessly. The provided options are for phrases.)*

    *(Assuming it's a list to use for the next exercise rather than a direct matching item here or if it means the item number is a label)*

**II. Use suitable words or phrases from Column A above to complete the paragraph given below.**

A Traffic Jam

During power-cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter **chaos** on the roads. Drivers **get into a row** over whose right of way it is, and طرق some people may be seen **pottering about** trying to direct the traffic, which makes things worse. Some people are in such a hurry that they **chuck** all rules to the wind and try to **scrape out** through the smallest space available. It's only when some traffic policeman comes and starts **slaving** away to sort out the **mess about** that the traffic moves.

*(The prompt implies using 10 words/phrases, but the paragraph doesn't easily accommodate all. Here's a version using some of them where they fit naturally):*

During power-cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter **chaos** on the roads. Drivers **get into a row** over whose right of way it is, and sometimes you can see people **messing about**, trying to get through any way they can. Impatient drivers may **chuck** rules aside. It’s a real **tight corner** for everyone until a traffic policeman arrives. He has to start **slaving** to sort out the mess, sometimes having to **rummage** through his pockets for his whistle to get people’s attention. Some people just **potter about**, not knowing what to do.

**III. The Narrative Voice**

The story is written in the first person. The narrator is one of the three men in the boat (Jerome).

Change the following sentences into the first person. The first one has been done for you.

1. George spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.

    * **Answer:** I spread myself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.

    *(Correction: The question asks to change it into the *first person* assuming *Jerome is speaking*. If Jerome is speaking, George and Harris remain third person. If the intent is to make the *actor* first person, then "I spread myself..." or "He spread himself..." - the question is slightly ambiguous if you don't assume Jerome is always the "I").*

    **Assuming Jerome (the original narrator) is "I" and describing George and Harris:**

    The sentence as given *is already from Jerome's first-person perspective describing George and Harris*.

    If the instruction means to change the *subject* to "I" in each sentence, it will change the meaning of the story:

    1. George spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.

        * If Jerome is the subject replacing George: **I spread myself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.**

    2. They started in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show Jerome how to do it.

        * **We started in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show Jerome how to do it.** (If "they" becomes "we" including Jerome)

        * OR: **I started in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show Jerome how to do it.** (If one of "they" becomes "I")

    3. Harris said that he’d got it, and George got down and had a look.

        * **Harris said that I’d got it, and George got down and had a look.** (If "he" refers to Jerome becoming "I")

    4. They did succeed in doing that.

        * **We did succeed in doing that.** (If "they" becomes "we")

        * OR: **I did succeed in doing that.** (If "they" is replaced by "I" as the sole actor)

    5. After George had got the butter off his slipper, they tried to put it in the kettle.

        * **After I had got the butter off my slipper, we tried to put it in the kettle.** (If "George" becomes "I")

        * OR: **After George had got the butter off his slipper, we tried to put it in the kettle.** (If "they" becomes "we" including Jerome)

    6. They upset salt over everything, and as for the butter!

        * **We upset salt over everything, and as for the butter!**

    7. Of course, Montmorency had to be in it all.

        * **(No change needed here to make Jerome first person, as he's observing Montmorency).**

    8. George got it off, and packed it in the teapot!

        * **I got it off, and packed it in the teapot!** (If "George" becomes "I")

    *This exercise seems flawed in its instruction if the original narrative voice of Jerome is to be maintained. If it simply means to replace third-person pronouns with first-person pronouns related to the *action* described in each sentence, the changes would alter the original characters performing the actions.*

    **Let's assume the intent is that Jerome is retelling these specific events where *he* was the actor instead of George/Harris in these re-written sentences (which is a hypothetical scenario separate from the original story).**

    1. George spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as actor instead of George):** I spread myself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legs on the table.

    2. They started in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show Jerome how to do it.

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as part of "they" -> "we"):** We started in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show me how to do it.

    3. Harris said that he’d got it, and George got down and had a look.

        * **Answer (hypothetical, "he" who got it is Jerome):** Harris said that I’d got it, and George got down and had a look.

    4. They did succeed in doing that.

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as part of "they" -> "we"):** We did succeed in doing that.

    5. After George had got the butter off his slipper, they tried to put it in the kettle.

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as actor instead of George):** After I had got the butter off my slipper, we tried to put it in the kettle.

    6. They upset salt over everything, and as for the butter!

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as part of "they" -> "we"):** We upset salt over everything, and as for the butter!

    7. Of course, Montmorency had to be in it all.

        * **(This sentence doesn't have a third person performing an action that can be easily changed to Jerome without altering the focus. Jerome is the observer.)**

    8. George got it off, and packed it in the teapot!

        * **Answer (hypothetical, Jerome as actor instead of George):** I got it off, and packed it in the teapot!

*The more likely intent of the exercise, given Jerome K. Jerome is the first-person narrator, is to ensure students understand this narrative perspective and can perhaps rewrite *other* narratives into first person, not necessarily changing the actors in *this specific story's events*.*

**IV. Use of the Apostrophe**

(This section explains the use of the apostrophe and typically provides exercises.)

**V. Present Participle**

(This section explains the use of the present participle and usually provides exercises for practice.)