Worksheet Solutions: Packing | English Literature for Grade 9 PDF Download

1. Read the extract from the lesson and answer the questions that follow:
My toothbrush is a thing that haunts me when I’m travelling, and makes my life a misery. I dream that I haven’t packed it, and wake up in a cold perspiration, and get out of bed and hunt for it. And, in the morning, I pack it before I have used it, and have to unpack again to get it, and it is always the last thing I turn out of my bag; and then I repack and forget it, and have to rush upstairs for it at the last moment and carry it to the railway station, wrapped up in my pocket-handkerchief.
(i) What does the author want to become?

The author wants to become a boss and direct his friends to work according to him.

(ii) Why did the author ask his friends to leave the matter entirely to him?

He asked his friends to leave the matter entirely to him because he felt that he was the best in packing the bags.

(iii) What haunts the author when he travels?

The thought of not packing his toothbrush in the bag while travelling, haunts the author.

(iv) What does he do at the last moment?

At the last moment, the author carries his toothbrush wrapped up in his pocket-handkerchief.

Q.2. What was the thing that the narrator felt pride in and why?

The author took pride in the thought that he was the best in the world who knows the best ways to pack the bags than any other person living. He was sure that packing was the thing he knew more about.

Q.3. What was his real intention when he offered George and Harris to pack?

When he offered George and Harris to pack the bags, his clear intention was to supervise their work. He wanted to act as a boss only and wanted them to work under his directions. But his offer was misused by his friends, who sat idle and spoiled the things.

Q.4. Jerome can’t help his energetic nature. Why?

Jerome is a man of high energy. He can’t help it. He doesn’t like to sit idle and watch others do the work. It also irritates him more than anything else to see people sitting idle and watching him do the work.

Q.5. How many times did the author reopen his bag and why?

The author reopened his bag thrice while packing things in it. He was packing the things nicely in the bag and thought that he had put everything in it . But Harris told him that he had forgotten to pack his boots. So he reopened it and packed his boots. He put all the things back again and just as he was going to close it, he remembered about his toothbrush. He again opened it to see if he had already put it in there. He had to empty it again to find his toothbrush. He packed the bag again. But soon he realized that he was not sure about his spectacles also. So he open the bag third time to look for his glasses. Finally he found them and packed the things all over again.

Q.6. Read the extract from the lesson and answer the questions that follow:
What I had meant ,of course, was that I should boss the job, and that Harris and George should potter about under my directions, I pushing them aside every now and then ,”Oh ,you!” “ Here, let me do it. ““There you are, simple enough!” –really teaching them, as you might say. Their taking it in the way they did irritated me. There is nothing does irritate me more than seeing other people sitting about doing nothing when I’m working.

(i) Why did the author offer his services for packing?

The author offered his services for packing because he thought that he was the best in doing this job.

(ii) What did Harris and George do while the author was packing the bags?

While he was packing the bags, George spread himself over the easy chair and Harris sat comfortably and put his legs on the table.

(iii) What did he expect from George and Harris?

He expected that Harris and George should work under his directions.

(iv) What irritates the author most?

The author gets irritated on seeing the other people sit idle and do nothing.

Q.7. What irritated Jerome to a great extent?

When Jerome told Harris and George to leave the job of packing the bags to him, they accepted it . George than spread himself over the easy chair and Harris lit up a cigar and sat comfortably placing his feet on the table. They both sat idle and watched him pack the bags which irritated the author to a great extent.

Q.8. What had the narrator intended? What irritated him?

The narrator intended to teach his friends the art of packing the bags perfectly. He wanted George and Harris to work under his directions. He wanted to boss the job. When he asked his friends to leave the matter to him, they accepted and sat idle watching him pack the bags alone. This irritated the author.

Q.9. Why did the author place a bathtub beside George while he was sleeping?

After packing the things, they went to sleep .As they had to get up early in the morning; the author placed a bathtub beside George while he was sleeping so that he would tumble into it after getting up in the morning.

Q.10. Explain how George and Harris created a mess of things while packing?

The author packed all the things nicely into the bags and strapped it. But some hampers were still left outside which were also to be packed. So George and Harris started packing them. They had to pack some crockery, jars, kettles and eatables etc into the hampers. When they started packing, they broke a cup. Then Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of the tomatoes and squashed it. They put the things behind them and could not find when needed. Thereafter, they packed the pies at the bottom and put heavy things on top and smashed the pies. They spilled salt all over everything .They looked for butter everywhere on which Harris sat and later found it on his back. They created a mess of all the things and the room also.