NCERT Solutions for Class 9: Chepter 13 Packing Beehive English.pdf

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 9th: Ch 13 Packing Beehive English.pdf

Page No: 89

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph  (30 − 40 words). 

1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t  forget the dog!). 
2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing? 
3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their  reaction? 
4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack? 
5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do  you think he waited till then to ask? 
6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later? 

7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush? 
8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag? 
9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why? 
10. 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. 

Answer  
1. There are four characters in the narrative. They are Jerome (the  narrator), George, Harris and Montmorency (the dog).  
2. The narrator volunteered to do packing because he thought he was  the best packer. He felt proud of his packing and wanted to show it.  
3. George and Harris readily accepted Jerome’s suggestion. George  smoked a pipe and “spread himself over the easy-chair”,while  Harris put his legs on the table and lit a cigar.  No, Jerome irritated by their reaction.  

4. When Jerome offered to pack, his real intention was to supervise  the work. He wanted to show his ability through the supervision. 
5. After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris mentioned that Jerome  had not packed the boots.  
He had waited till then to ask because he wanted to make Jerome  realise his mistake and ridicule his packing skills.  
6. The "horrible idea" that occurred to Jerome a little later was wether  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.  

7. Jerome finally found the tooth brush inside a boot when he was  putting the things back one by one after turning them out of the  bag.  
8. Jerome had to reopen the packed bag twice owing to his  forgetfulness. Once he had to reopen the bag as he had forgotten to pack the boots. The next time, he unpacked when he realised he  had packed his tobacco-pouch in.  

9. George and Harris offered to pack the hampers because It was  getting late and they thought that Jerome had taken too much of  time. They also wanted to show their skill to Jerome.  

10. 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?  

Answer  
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 fulfillment of his conceit.  

III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or  three paragraphs (100 −150 words)  
1. 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. 
2. How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing? 
3. 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.)

Answer  
1. 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.  

2. 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.  

3. 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 leaves 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 round 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 stumble over him and curse him  steadily for an hour. He pretends that lemons were rats.  

Page No: 90 

Thinking about Language  

I. Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column  B

Answer  

1 - (viii)  

2 - (vi)  

3 - (v)  

4 - (ii)  

5 - (vii)  

6 - (iv) 7 - (iii)  

8 - (i)  

II. Use suitable words or phrases from Column A above to complete the  paragraph given below.  

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. 

Answer

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.

2. 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. 

Positive

Negative

Save for a rainy  

(i) (i) Don’t cry over spilt milk. day. 

Make hay while the Don’t put the cart before  

(ii) (ii) 

sun shines. the horse. 

__________before __________a mountain  

(iii) (iii) 

you leap. out of a mole hill. 

__________and let __________all your eggs  

(iv) 

live. in one basket. 

  

(iv)

Answer  

(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!