Class 9 English Question Answers - The Man Who Knew Too Much

Q1. Can you guess the thoughts that were raging in the Sergeant and Corporal Turnbull's minds when Quelch happened to annoy them?

Ans. When Quelch interrupted the Sergeant, initially he did not react much and went on lecturing. But that interruption had angered him terribly in the mind, and so when his lecture was over, perhaps in the hope of revenge, he asked questions after questions from Quelch. The sergeant must have felt terribly miserable and helpless after this as Quelch gave all the answers, and it only resulted in his glory.

In the case of Corporal, interruption by Quelch had a stronger impact. Although initially he also did not react, his brow tightened, indicating that he completely resented Quelch's interruption. He was more revengeful than the sergeant and to pull Quelch down, he assigned him the job of permanent cookhouse duties.

Q2. None had ever dared to outsmart and rub the Corporal in the wrong way. No wonder Turnbull's ego was hurt, he felt outraged. He writes an informal letter to his friend, Peter Smith in Dunkirk, expressing his surprise at the unexpected behaviour of a new under trainee and how he set him right.

Ans.
Dear Peter,

Now that I have settled down here, I thought I would pen a few lines to you. I have come across something very odd. Yesterday, while I was lecturing on the hand grenade, an under-trainee named Quelch had the audacity to interrupt me and add further information as if to show off. His tone was condescending and his manner so rude that it almost made my blood boil.

I decided to teach him a lesson, so I nominated him for permanent cookhouse duties to deflate his inflated ego. The rest of the squad seemed relieved; they were tired of his constant one-man lectures. It appears he lives to show himself superior to others, and I believe this discipline will correct his behaviour.

Sometimes strict measures are necessary to maintain order. How are things with your new batch? Hope to meet you soon.

Yours,

Turnbull

Q3. What were the factors that led to the decline of Private Quelch? Do you think his fall from grace was justified? Why/Why not?

Ans. Several personal faults led to Private Quelch's decline. He was highly intelligent and well informed, but he was also arrogant and habitually flaunted his knowledge. Instead of using his learning to help others, he used it to belittle them and to draw attention to himself. He was insincere - every gesture seemed put on to impress people rather than to be natural. This behaviour alienated the other men and made him a nuisance in the squad.

Because discipline and team spirit are essential in the army, his constant sermonising and show of superiority could not be tolerated. The Sergeant and Corporal felt he undermined their authority and disturbed harmony, so he was relegated to the cookhouse. Given his attitude and the effect it had on unit morale, his fall from grace was understandable and, in that context, justified. Had he shown modesty and used his knowledge to support others, the outcome would likely have been different.

Q4. You expected appreciation for the Professor from Corporal Turnbull. But it was a shock of your life when the corporal assigned him permanent duty in the cook house. Write a diary entry expressing your feelings for him. (about 125 words) [CBSE 2011 (Term II)]

Dear Diary

Today was the most shocking day of my life. In the morning when Corporal Turnbull was giving us a lecture on hand grenade, Quelch, as usual, interfered by giving the detailed knowledge he had on the subject. Corporal did not react and I was feeling very happy inside to see such a knowledgeable person amongst us. And when, after the lecture, corporal showered him with questions, he answered them with ease. I admired him for his diverse knowledge and expected an applaud from the corporal for him. At the end of the session when the corporal said, ''The platoon officer has asked me to nominate someone for .....,'' I thought that some important work was going to be handed down to Quelch, but I got the shock of my life when he was assigned the cookhouse duties. His knowledge did not bring him glory but resulted in condemnation. I am really feeling sorry for him.

Q5. Imagine you are the Professor. You have been given the permanent cookhouse duties as a punishment. Write a diary entry describing your feelings about the experiences you had there and also explaining your side of the story. 

Dear Diary,                        
29th August 2025

Today I felt greatly depressed and dejected when I was assigned permanent cookhouse duties for no fault of mine. Never in my mind, I had imagined that I'll be punished for my knowledge. I didn't want to annoy the corporal by exhibiting my knowledge of the subject. My sole aim was to excel in my field because being an orphan I had struggled a lot and wanted to do something big in my life. But it was very unfortunate of me that I did not know the right way to behave in the army as there was nobody to guide me. I do not know what destiny has in store for me. Whatever has happened I accept it as God's will and will try to improve upon myself.