NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive - Packing

Page No. 89

Thinking about the Text

Q1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).
Ans: There are four characters in the narrative. They are Jerome (the narrator), George, Harris, and Montmorency (the dog).

Q2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Ans: The narrator volunteered to do the packing because he thought he was the best packer. He felt proud of his packing and wanted to show it.

• After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris mentioned that Jerome had not packed the boots.
• He had waited until then to ask because he wanted to make Jerome realize his mistake and ridicule his packing skills.

Q6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Ans: The "horrible idea" that occurred to Jerome a little later was whether he had packed his toothbrush or not. Whenever he travelled, he could never remember if he had packed his toothbrush or not. This thought haunted him and made his life a misery.

Q7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Ans: Jerome finally found the toothbrush inside a boot when he was putting the things back one by one after turning them out of the bag.

Q8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Ans: 

• Jerome had to reopen the packed bag twice due to his inadvertent habit of forgetting about certain things.
• In the first instance, he was forced to unpack when the doubtful state of whether he had packed his toothbrush or not arose. 
• Eventually, in the second instance, he was again forced to unpack as soon as he found that he had packed his spectacles in the bag.

Q9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
Ans: George and Harris offered to pack the hampers because It was getting late and they thought that Jerome had taken too much time. They also wanted to show their skill to Jerome.

Q10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick the statements that are true.
(i) They started with breaking a cup.
(ii) They also broke a plate.
(iii) They squashed a tomato.
(iv) They trod on the butter.
(v) They stepped on a banana.
(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
(vii) They stepped on things.
(viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
(ix) They upset almost everything.
(x) They were very good at packing.
Ans: Statements (i), (iii), (iv), (vi) and (vii) are true.

II. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?
Ans:

• Jerome says Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and he sworn at. Montmorency was a mischievous little dog who loved creating troubles for others.
• I think that Montmorency was a perfect nuisance because whenever he found people busy with their work, he might feel bored and wanted to get involved. He meant no trouble intentionally. 
• But when people shouted at him or threw things at his head, he got discouraged and then went away to sit silently, which the narrator calls as the fulfilment of his conceit.

III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs (100 −150 words).

Q1. Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
Ans:

• Of the three, Jerome is the best packer He knew how to arrange things in order. Both Harris and George messed everything. 
• Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it. George stepped on the butter. They were getting constantly irritated by Montmorency. 
• Till the time Jerome packed, although he took his time, the job. They even kept things behind them and then kept searching for it. They made everything such a mess.

Q2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?
Ans:

• The packing escapade was already a messy job and Montmorency's contribution made it even more tiresome. 
• He did his level best to be a “perfect nuisance”. He came and sat down on things, just when they were wanted to be packed. He put his leg into the jam and worried the teaspoons. 
• He also pretended that the lemons were rats. So he got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could land him with the frying pan.

Q3. Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it?
(Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)
Ans: Yes, this story is definitely funny. Not only is the way in which the three friends pack for their trip quite mirthful, but the way the author narrates all the incidents is also entertaining.

• The first humorous element is that he offered to pack, George and Harris, leave the whole matter to him. Consequently, he has to do packing though his real intention was to boss the job.
• The second humorous element is that George placed the butter on the chair and Harris sat on it and it stuck at his back. When they searched it for packing, it was missing. They walk and walk around the room. At last, George saw it at Harris’s back.
• The third humorous element is that Montmorency squirms in where he is not wanted. He wants somebody to stumble over him and curse him steadily for an hour. He pretends that lemons were rats.

Thinking about Language

Ans:
1 - (viii)
2 - (vi)
3 - (v)
4 - (ii)
5 - (vii)
6 - (iv)
7 - (iii)
8 - (i)

A Traffic Jam

During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter __________ at crossroads. Drivers add to the confusion by __________ over their right of way and nearly come to blows. Sometimes passers-by, seeing a few policemen __________ at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives them a feeling of having __________ something.
Ans: During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter chaos at crossroads. Drivers add to the confusion by getting into a row over their right of way and nearly come to blows. Sometimes passers-by, seeing a few policemen slaving at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives them a feeling of having accomplished something.

III. Look at the sentences below. Notice that the verbs (italicised) are all in their bare form.

Q1. The table below has some proverbs telling you what to do and what not to do. Fill in the blanks and add a few more such proverbs to the table.
Ans:
(iii) 

• Look Before you leap.
• Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill.

(iv) 

• Live and let live.
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

(v) 

• Mind your own business.
• Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

(vi) 

• Be first at the feast and last at the fight.
• Don't count the days, make the days count!