Question 1:
How many characters are there in the narrative ? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog !)
Answer:
There are three men characters in the story. They are the author, Jerome K. Jerome, and his two friends George and Harris. There is also their dog named Montmorency.
Question 2:
Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing ?
Answer:
He thought that he knew more about packing than any other person. That was why he volunteered himself.
Question 3:
How did George and Harris react to this ? Did Jerome like their reaction ?
Answer:
They agreed to it at once. They sat down comfortably and began to smoke. Jerome did not like this at all. He had not intended this at all. He had only wanted to superintend the job and keep on directing them about how to do it.
Question 4:
What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack ?
Answer:
He never wanted to do the packing himself. He only wanted to superintend the job. He had wanted that he would keep directing George and Harris about how to do it.
Question 5:
What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped ? Why do you think he waited till then to ask ?
Answer:
Harris asked the narrator if he didn’t want to put the boots in. He wanted to show that the narrator was no good at packing. That was why he waited till then.
Question 6:
What ‘horrible idea’ occurred to Jerome a little later ?
Answer:
He didn’t know if he had packed his toothbrush or not. The thought of forgetting it always haunted him whenever he went for a journey.
Question 7:
Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush ?
Answer:
The narrator unpacked everything. He couldn’t find his toothbrush anywhere. He put the things back again one by one. He held everything up and shook it. At last he found it inside a boot.
Question 8:
Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag ?
Answer:
Jerome found that he had packed his tobacco-pouch in the bag. He had to reopen the bag to take out the pouch.
Question 9:
What did George and Harris offer to pack and why ?
Answer:
George and Harris offered to pack the hampers. It was already 10 p.m. They were to start their journey in the morning. That was why they offered to do the rest of the packing. They also wanted to show that Jerome was no good at packing.
Question 10:
While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick all the true statements below :
- They started with breaking a cup.
- They also broke a plate.
- They squashed a tomato.
- They trod on the butter.
- They stepped on a banana.
- They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
- They stepped on things.
- They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
- They upset almost everything.
- They were very good at packing.
Answer:
The correct statements are 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9.
Question 11:
Do you think the author packed better than George and Harris ? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
The author was no better than George and Harris as far as packing was concerned. It is true that George and Harris showed their inefficiency in packing. But the author also showed his carelessness. He forgot to pack the boots, then got busy hunting for his toothbrush and finally packed his tobacco-pouch in by mistake.
Question 12:
What did Harris and George do when Jerome asked them to leave the matter of packing entirely to him ?
Answer:
Both Harris and George agreed to it at once. George put on a pipe and spread himself over the
easy chair.
Harris cocked his legs on the table and lit a cigar.
Question 13:
How did Montmorency add to the confusion of packing ?
Answer:
Montmorency came and sat down on things just when they were wanted to be packed. Whenever Harris or George reached out for anything, his cold, damp nose came in their way. He put his leg into the jam. He fiddled with the teaspoons. He got into the hamper and spoiled three lemons.
Question 14:
This is a humorous story. Which incident in the story did you find the most amusing ?
Answer:
The incident regarding the butter is the most amusing. When George and Harris tried to put it in the kettle, it wouldn’t go in and what was in wouldn’t come out. At last they managed to get it out. They put it on the chair and Harris sat on it. It stuck to him. They went about searching the whole room for the butter while it remained all the time stuck behind Harris.
Question 15:
How did the toothbrush make the writer’s life a misery ?
Answer:
The thought of the toothbrush always haunted the writer when he had to start for a journey. He would dream that he hadn’t packed it. He would wake up sweating and hunt for it. In the morning, he would pack it before he had used it. He had to unpack again. He would then again forget to repack it.
Question 16:
Describe the packing as done by George and Harris.
Answer:
George and Harris started with breaking a cup. Then Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it. They had to scoop out the tomato with a teaspoon. They packed the pastries at the bottom, putting heavy things on top. The pastries were smashed. They upset salt over everything. George trod on the butter and it stuck to his slipper. Then they tried to put the butter in the kettle. It wouldn’t go in and what was in, wouldn’t come out. At last they managed to get it out. They put it on the chair and Harris sat on it. They searched the whole room for the butter and finally found it stuck behind Harris. Their dog, Montmorency, too disturbed them while packing. He got into the hamper and spoiled three lemons.