Summary: The Clockwork Mouse | Class 6 English Skylark: Summary, Worksheets, Question & Ans PDF Download

Key Points of the Story

• A showman named Gaiety Land brought excitement to the town with various attractions. 
• The protagonist wins a road engine in a draw but faces challenges in managing it.
• Struggles arise as he tries to move the engine from the Gymkhana Ground. 
• Chaos ensues when the engine, pushed by an elephant and coolies, damages a wall. 
• The protagonist faces financial and social consequences due to the engine. 
• An earthquake leads to the engine ending up in a well, solving the protagonist's problems.

Detailed Summary

Once upon a time, Jimmy got a clockwork mouse for his seventh birthday. This toy mouse looked very real with its greyish:brown fur, round ears, and long tail. Jimmy had fun scaring his sister, his mom, and even a guest with it. The family cat was fooled too! But after a while, Jimmy lost the key that made the mouse move, and everyone got used to the toy. So, the mouse ended up forgotten in a cupboard.
Many years later, Jimmy's mom found the mouse while cleaning and threw it away because it didn't have its key. The mouse ended up on a rubbish dump, where it got cleaned by the rain and looked new again. A fox thought it was real and took it, but then left it in the woods. In the woods, the mouse met real animals like a woodmouse, an owl, and its babies, but they all realized it wasn't a real mouse.
The toy mouse stayed in the woods, hidden under leaves, until a squirrel found it. Then a badger, a weasel, a hedgehog, a woodpecker, and finally a magpie, who liked shiny things, took it to its nest. After a big storm, the mouse fell from the tree and was found by a woodcutter who put it in his pocket.
By a huge coincidence, the woodcutter delivered logs to Jimmy's house. He found the mouse in his pocket and gave it to Jimmy, not knowing it was his old toy. Jimmy still had the key, and after some oiling, he made the mouse work again, even though it looked old and worn out. Jimmy was amazed it still worked and wished it could tell its story.

Theme/Message

Message: - Be Prepared for the Unexpected: Life can bring surprises, so stay adaptable. - Think Before Acting: Consider the consequences of your actions to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Difficult Words

2. Resplendent - Meaning: shining brightly; splendid. 

3. Acquisition - Meaning: the act of gaining possession of something. 

4. Forlorn - Meaning: pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely. 

5. Pandemonium - Meaning: wild and noisy disorder or confusion. 

6. Reverberation - Meaning: the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped. 

7. Complications - Meaning: factors that make a situation more difficult or confused. 

8. Commitments - Meaning: obligations or promises. 

9. Repercussions - Meaning: unintended consequences of an event or action. 

10. Adaptability - Meaning: the ability to adjust to new conditions or circumstances. 

11. Unforeseen - Meaning: not anticipated or expected. 

12. Adaptable - Meaning: able to adjust to new conditions. 

13. Finances - Meaning: money or other liquid resources of a person or organization. 

14. Consequences - Meaning: results or effects of an action or condition. 

15. Expenses - Meaning: the cost required for something; money spent.