Packing
( Jerome K Jerome) Solutions
JKBOSE Class 9 English Tulip Prose Chapter 1-
Thinking about the Text
Question 1.) How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog).
Answer: There are four characters in the narrative. They are the narrative (Jerome), George, Harris and Montmorency (the dog).
Question 2.) Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Answer: The narrator (Jerome) liked packing and also, he liked to teach others how to pack.
Question3.) How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
Answer: George and Harris watched Jerome do the packing which was not liked by Jerome. Jerome didn’t like people doing nothing when he worked.
Question 4.) What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Answer: Jerome’s real intention was to boss the job packing and that Harris and George would potter about under his directions.
Question 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 him whether he had put the shoes in the bag or not. He asked him so because he wanted to make the narrative feel wild.
Question 6.) What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Answer: After done with the packing, Jerome had the “horrible idea” of whether he had packed his toothbrush or not.
Question 7.) Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Answer: Jerome had to reopen the packed bag because he had packed his tobacco pouch in it.
Question 8.) What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?
Answer: According to Jerome, Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and make a mess. He made people mad and get beaten by the people.
Question 9.) Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or the worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
Answer: Jerome undoubtedly is the best packer of three of them. He tries to do his work with complete attention on the other hand, George and Harris are a complete mess. Harris packed the strawberry jam on the tomatoes and squashed it whereas George trod on the butter.
Question 10.) How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?
Answer: Montmorency increased the mess. He sat on the things and created problems.
Question 11.) 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: This story definitely tickles our funny bones. There are many humorous elements in it. Firstly, the tomatoes get squashed under the strawberry jam. Then the dog puts his leg into the jam. George trod on the butter.
Language Work
Complete the following.
The other names for papaya are Papaw and Mamao.
Though now found in every tropical country, Papaya fruit originated in southern Mexico and neighboring Central America.
One of the most important virtues of papaya is the protein digesting enzyme in the milky juice or latex.
Intestinal irritation can be overcome with the papaya in the raw form.
Diseases cured by papaya are inflamed tonsils, diphtheria and other throat disorders, infection from spreading.
Throat disorders can be cured with the fresh juice of raw papaya mixed with honey.
Ringworm is cured by Papaya juice/Papaya seeds/Papaya fruit/raw papaya. (Tick the correct answer.)
I.) Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
1.) Slaving – Working hard
2.) Chaos – Complete confusion and disorder
3.) Rummage – Search for something by moving things around hurriedly or carelessly
4.) Scrape out – Remove something from inside another thing by using a sharp tool
5.) Stumble over – Fall, or step awkwardly while walking.
6.) Accomplish – Finish successfully; achieve
7.) Uncanny – Strange; mysterious; difficult to explain
8.) (To have or get into) a row – A quarrel or an argument
II.) Use the following phrases in your own sentences:
1.) Toss for – We tossed for the bills to be paid.
2.) Toss about – We tossed about some new changes to made for admissions.
3.) Fall into – He fell into the pool.
4.) Fall out – Rita had a heated argument with her husband that made her fallout from the relationship.
5.) Search for – I was searching for my old photos.
6.) Scrape out – She tried to scrape the color off the wall.
7.) Mess about – The child mess about playing for long hours.