The World in a Wall Summary Class 8 English

Gerald Durrell, a British naturalist and author, had a fascination with animals. He discovered a fat female scorpion with her babies clinging to her back. Enthralled by this unique find, he decided to bring them into his house and keep them in his bedroom. He carefully placed the scorpion family in a matchbox and went to have lunch with his family, forgetting about his unusual captives. Unfortunately, when Durrell's brother Larry picked up the matchbox, the scorpion mother seized the chance to escape. She climbed onto Larry's hand, causing him to panic and fling the scorpion across the table. Chaos ensued as the scorpion ran amok, scattering babies everywhere. Margo screamed and Leslie tried to fend off the scorpion with a napkin. Drenched in water and bewildered, Durrell's mother sat gasping, while Roger the dog barked hysterically.

Larry referred to Roger as the "silly boy" because he thought Roger's behavior was exacerbating the situation. The family desperately tried to deal with the scorpion infestation, urging each other to hit the scorpions with a book or knife. They blamed the boy for the scorpions being on the table, as they believed he had left dangerous matchboxes around the house. During the commotion, Roger bit Lugaretzia, a stranger in the room, thinking she was responsible for the attack on the family. Eventually, some order was restored, and the baby scorpions hid under plates and cutlery. After persuasion from Durrell and his mother, the family decided not to kill the scorpions. Durrell spent time rounding up the babies and returning them to their mother's back using a teaspoon. Finally, he released the scorpion family on the garden wall. To avoid further encounters, Durrell and Roger spent the afternoon on a hillside, allowing the scorpions to rest undisturbed.