Laughter-The Best Medicine Chapter Notes | Communicative English for Class 10 PDF Download

Key Points of the Story

• The poem is about a man from a place called Petushkee who is very forgetful and confused.
• This man often wears his clothes in the wrong way; for example, he wears mittens on his toes and forgets to wear a collar.
• People around him notice his silly mistakes and point them out, such as wearing his coat inside out and using a saucepan as a hat.
• At lunch, he makes even more funny mistakes by spreading butter on his head instead of on bread.
• One day, he gets on a tram but mixes up his words, saying strange things to the conductor, which frightens the conductor.
• He goes to a café and asks for a “railway ticket” but mixes up his words again, asking for “a slice of tea and a cup of bread.”
• He then gets into a train carriage where he puts his luggage in funny places and falls asleep.
• When he wakes up, he is confused about where he is, thinking he is in another city, but he finds out he is still in Petushkee.
• He keeps falling asleep and waking up, thinking he is in different places, but he is actually still in the same station.
• In the end, he realizes that he has been going around in circles and is still where he started, feeling frustrated about it.

Detailed Summary

Once upon a time, in a place called Petushkee, lived a silly man who was very muddleheaded, often getting confused and making silly mistakes. The story humorously chronicles his antics due to his forgetfulness and lack of attention.

At the start, we learn about his unusual clothing choices. He wore mittens on his toes instead of his hands, forgot to wear his collar, and tied his tie around his waist instead of around his neck. This displayed his confusion about proper dressing.

As he strolled through Petushkee, the townspeople noticed his blunders. They pointed out that his coat was inside out, and when they saw his hat, they joked that he wore a saucepan on his head, which was comically absurd.

At lunchtime, his silliness continued; instead of buttering his bread, he spread butter on his head. He treated his walking stick like a person, putting it to bed while he stood in the coat rack, further amusing those around him.

One day, while trying to catch a tram, he confused the conductor with his jumbled words, saying, “Parding your beggon, Kister Monductor, I’m off for a week’s vacation; I stop you to beg your cramway tar as soon as we reach the station.” This nonsensical speech left the conductor puzzled and sleepless that night.

Later, in a café, instead of ordering a cup of tea and a slice of bread, he hilariously mixed it up by asking for “a slice of tea and a cup of bread.” This mistake elicited laughter from everyone around him.

He then mistakenly boarded a train carriage that wasn’t in service, oblivious to his surroundings. He placed his luggage awkwardly and decided to take a nap, completely unaware of the situation.

Upon waking, he was surprised to find himself back in Petushkee, exclaiming, “What stop is this?” When informed he was still in Petushkee, he was baffled and felt it was a crime to return to where he started, declaring, “That’s no way to treat a man!”

He closed his eyes again, dreaming of a beautiful place called Paradise. However, upon waking and seeing familiar sights, he asked if he was in Kharkov or Kiev, only to be told he was still in Petushkee, leaving him even more confused.

Finally, he jumped up, exclaiming, “It’s a crime! I’ve been riding all this time, and here I am where I began!” He was frustrated that he had gone in circles without realizing it.

The story of the muddleheaded man from Petushkee illustrates that being silly is okay and that life can be funny despite our mistakes. It encourages us to laugh at ourselves and appreciate the humorous moments that arise from confusion.

Theme/ Message

• The main theme of the poem is the importance of paying attention and being aware of one’s surroundings. The man’s silly mistakes show how being forgetful can lead to funny situations.
• Another important theme is the idea of humor in everyday life. The man’s confusion and the way others react to him create a light-hearted and funny story.
• The poem also conveys a message about acceptance. Even though the man is muddleheaded, the people around him respond with laughter rather than anger, showing that it is okay to be different.
• Finally, the poem teaches us that sometimes we may feel lost or confused, but we can find joy in those moments if we learn to laugh at ourselves.

Difficult Words

• Muddleheaded: Confused or unable to think clearly.
• Haste: Doing something quickly, often without thinking.
• Conductor: The person in charge of a train or tram.
• Polite: Showing good manners and respect for others.
• Fractured: Broken or damaged; not whole.
• Ticket: A piece of paper that allows you to travel on a bus, train, or tram.
• Café: A small restaurant where you can get drinks and food.
• Carriage: A separate section of a train for passengers.
• Repairs: Fixing something that is broken or not working correctly.
• Nap: A short sleep, usually taken during the day.
• Upside down: In a position that is the opposite of what is normal.
• Vacation: A time when you take a break from work or school to relax or travel.
• Slice: A thin piece cut from something, such as bread.
• Station: A place where trains or trams stop for people to get on and off.
• Inside out: When the inner part of something is turned outward.