Detailed Summary: The Hen | English Reader New Gems Class 6 PDF Download

Key Points

• Clovis and his mother, Mrs. Sangrail, are hosting a guest named Jane Martlet, who has been at their home for five days.
• Mrs. Sangrail is anxious because she wants Jane to leave by Thursday, but Jane usually stays for at least two weeks.
• Clovis explains that Jane and another friend, Dora, used to be close friends, but now they have a problem between them caused by a hen that Dora sold to Jane.
• The hen, which was supposed to lay eggs, turned out to be unproductive, causing Jane to feel cheated and angry at Dora.
• Clovis expresses concern that the two women might argue, but his mother insists she cannot ask either of them to leave.
• During tea, Clovis talks to Jane about their butler, Sturridge, whom he thinks is becoming a nuisance due to his long service in the house.
• Jane defends Sturridge, but Clovis explains that Sturridge has developed some odd ideas, particularly about the guests in the house.
• Clovis reveals that Sturridge believes Jane is the ghost of Queen Anne, which is a silly misunderstanding.
• Clovis gets worried when he sees Sturridge acting strangely towards Jane, muttering that she ought to be dead.
• Clovis decides that he must help Jane leave without alarming his mother about the potential danger posed by Sturridge.
• Clovis devises a plan to help Jane escape by sending her off quickly while his mother is unaware.
• He successfully gets Jane to leave for the train station with her bags packed, promising to make up a story to explain her sudden departure.
• However, after Jane leaves, Clovis learns that Dora has postponed her visit, which complicates his plans further.

Detailed Summary

In this story, we meet a character named Clovis, who is trying to deal with a tricky situation at home. His mother, Mrs. Sangrail, has a guest named Jane Martlet who has been staying at their house for a while. Clovis is worried because another guest, named Dora, is supposed to come and visit soon. He knows that Jane usually stays for two weeks, and he finds it funny that she has only been there for five days but is supposed to stay much longer. Clovis thinks it will be hard for his mother to get Jane to leave before Dora arrives.

Mrs. Sangrail seems to think that it is okay for Jane to stay because she and Dora used to be friends. However, Clovis points out that they are not friends anymore because of something silly that happened involving a chicken. This chicken was a Bronze Leghorn, which is a fancy type of bird. Dora sold this chicken to Jane for a lot of money because Jane thought she was going to make money by breeding more chickens. But the chicken did not lay any eggs at all! So now, they are not speaking to each other, and it has made things awkward.

Mrs. Sangrail is worried about how to handle this situation. She has already tried to get Dora to change her plans and leave, but it seems impossible to make Jane leave. Clovis, however, feels confident that he can help solve the problem. He suggests that he will try to convince Jane to leave without his mother knowing. This sets up the main challenge of the story, which is about how Clovis will manage to get Jane out of the house.

During tea time, Clovis chats with Jane about the household staff, especially the butler named Sturridge. Jane thinks Sturridge is great because he has worked for Clovis’s family for a long time. However, Clovis has a different opinion. He believes that when servants stay too long, they can become a nuisance. Clovis explains that Sturridge has become too orderly and that this has made him a bit strange. Jane seems to be confused about why Clovis thinks Sturridge is a nuisance since he is usually very reliable.

Clovis continues to explain that sometimes Sturridge has strange ideas about the guests in the house. This makes Jane curious, and she wants to know what kind of ideas Sturridge has. Clovis reveals that Sturridge has developed a strange idea about Jane herself. He thinks that Jane is Queen Anne, a historical figure who is long dead. This surprises Jane, who cannot believe that Sturridge would think of her that way. She finds it funny but also a bit concerning.

Clovis explains that Sturridge is not actually dangerous but can be a little scary when he has these delusions. He tells Jane that during lunch, he saw Sturridge looking at her and muttering something that sounded like he thought she should be dead. This makes Jane very nervous, and she feels that they need to tell Mrs. Sangrail about this problem. However, Clovis is worried that telling his mother would upset her because she depends on Sturridge so much to help with everything in the house.

Jane protests, saying that it is dangerous to be around someone who might think this way about her. But Clovis reassures her that Sturridge is busy with the silverware and won’t be a problem for now. Jane is not happy with this arrangement, saying that it is a horrible situation to be in, but she still does not want to cut her visit short.

The next morning, Clovis has a clever idea while he is cleaning an old golf club. He asks Sturridge where Jane is, and when Sturridge tells him she is in the morning-room writing letters, Clovis decides to use this to his advantage. He asks Sturridge to take an old sword to Jane that is hanging on the wall. This sword is just a decoration, but it gives Clovis a chance to act. When Sturridge leaves to deliver the sword, Jane quickly runs out the back door, taking her things with her.

After that, Clovis drives Jane to the train station, and they talk about how Mrs. Sangrail will be upset when she finds out that Jane has left. Clovis plans to tell his mother a little lie, saying that Jane had to leave because she got an urgent message. He wants to keep this whole strange situation a secret from his mother to avoid causing her any worry.

However, the story takes another twist when Clovis receives a letter from Dora that same day. Dora says she has decided to postpone her visit, which means that Clovis's efforts to get Jane to leave may have been unnecessary after all. This adds a layer of humor to the story, as Clovis went through all that trouble, and it turns out that he did not have to worry about Dora coming to visit.

In summary, this story is about the humorous trouble that arises when Clovis tries to manage his mother's guests. With misunderstandings about a chicken and a butler who thinks of Jane as a long-dead queen, Clovis has a lot on his plate. He uses cleverness and a bit of trickery to resolve the situation, ultimately leading to a funny ending where his worries were for nothing. This story highlights themes of friendship, misunderstandings, and the humorous side of everyday life.

Theme/ Message

• The theme of misunderstanding is prevalent in the story, particularly seen in Sturridge's delusion about Jane being Queen Anne. This highlights how people can misinterpret situations and others without full knowledge.
• The story also touches on themes of friendship and rivalry, as seen in the relationship between Jane and Dora, where a simple misunderstanding about a hen leads to a rift in their friendship.
• Another important theme is the idea of family dynamics and the influence of household staff, represented by Clovis’s concern over Sturridge's behavior and how it affects the guests.
• The message of the story is that sometimes, the complications in our relationships can arise from small misunderstandings, which may lead to larger issues if not addressed calmly.
• It also shows that sometimes, it is necessary to take action to resolve a tense situation, as Clovis does to protect both Jane and his mother’s feelings.
• Lastly, the story humorously illustrates the absurdity of life, especially in social settings, where even a hen can create chaos among friends.

Difficult Words

• Absentee: A person who is not present at a place where they are expected to be.
• Exotic: Unusual and exciting; often from a foreign country.
• Delusion: A false belief or opinion that is not based on reality.
• Obstinate: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action.
• Personification: The attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities.
• Glowering: Looking at someone in an angry or sullen way.
• Inscription: Words that are written or carved on a surface.
• Pedigree: A line of descent, particularly in animals, showing their lineage or ancestry.
• Hastily: Done very quickly, often without careful thought.
• Fortnight: A period of two weeks.
• Nuisance: A person, thing, or circumstance causing inconvenience or annoyance.
• Awkward: Causing difficulty or discomfort; not smooth or graceful.
• Marry: To join or unite closely.
• Embarrassment: A feeling of self-consciousness or shame.
• Situation: A set of circumstances in which one finds oneself.