ANALYTICAL SUMMARY OF THE STORY
The ghost got into the author’s house on the night of November 17, 1915. It created a great noise and confusion. The author could not hear the footsteps in the dining room. The footsteps began at about a quarter past one in the night. All were asleep in the upper floors. The author just performed his bath. He heard the footsteps round the table, he heard the creaking of the chairs. He suspected that his father or brother had returned or a burglar had entered. He got into his brother’s room. He was frightened. He got up and followed the author. The steps were not heard for sometime. Again, the steps were heard. His brother Herman rushed to his room and shut the door. The author also closed the door and held his knee against it. When he opened again, no one was there and there was no sound.
(Paras 1-3)
The sound of the doors being closed roused his mother and she asked what had happened. She also had heard the steps. She shouted to know if burglars had entered. The author wanted to go downstairs with his brother. Mother prevented him from going. Mother wanted to contact the police but the phone was downstairs. Mother picked up a shoe and threw it at the window of the neighbouring house
which faced their house. The room was occupied by a retired engraver, Bodwell who was subject to mild heart attacks. It was 2 a.m. and Bodwell shouted and said that he would sell the house and go back to Peoria. Mother shouted that burglars had entered the house. Bodwell contacted the police over the phone. Mother was about to throw another shoe for the thrill of throwing shoes at the windows. (Paras 4-7)
Police force came immediately. They banged the door of the house and shot the flashlights. Mother did not want the author to go downstairs. The police man broke into the house and ransacked (খোঁজ করা) the hall with their flashlights and batons. A heavy policeman saw the author standing in his bathtowel at the top. The policeman stuck a gun into his ribs and asked what he was doing there. The officer in charge reported that no one was found in the room. Windows and doors were locked inside and they wondered how anybody could enter into the house. Downstairs, the policemen were all over the place slamming the doors, windows, throwing down the furniture, ransacking the floor. They found a musical instrument and questioned about it. Nothing and no one were found. The policemen made fun of mother and the author. Grandfather who slept at the attic was heard moving about. The policemen burst into his room. Grandfather who was occupied with the thought of the battle of General Meade’s men with those of Stonewall Jackson concluded that deserters from Meade’s army came to hide in the attic. He shouted asking them to go away to the frontline for fight. He grabbed the gun from the policemen who took the zither and fired. The other policemen fled away. He fired from the zither’s gun. He fired again in the darkness and then went back. The author explained to the officer that he was their grandfather.
(Paras 8-16)
The policemen wanted to arrest someone besides grandfather. They found that the whole affair was false. A reporter asked the author what was the matter. The author said that ghost came. He went away and the policemen followed him. The one policeman who was injured by the shot of grandfather cursed and said that he would get back the gun from the old man.
(Para 17)
Mother asked what had happened with the policeman with the bandaged arm. The author replied that grandfather shot him. Mother said that he was a good looking young man. In the morning grandfather over the third cup of coffee asked why policemen were moving and shouting round the house last night. (Para 18)
TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS
A. Grammar
Read the following sentences and identify the relative clause.
(a) The ghost that got into our house on the night of November 17, 1915, raised such a hullabaloo of misunderstanding that I am sorry I didn’t just let it keep on walking, and go to bed.
(b) One of them found an old zither that Roy had won in a billiard tournament.
Ans. (a) that got into our house on the night of November 17, 1915,
(b) that Roy had won in a billiard tournament.
- Frame sentences with the verb forms of the following nouns-attention, decision, extension, conclusion.
Ans.
| Noun | Verb |
|---|---|
| attention | attend |
| decision | decide |
| extension | extend |
| conclusion | conclude |
(i) All the Students will attend the function tomorrow.
(ii) They have decided to go to picnic.
(iii) Sanchin will extend his full support to the newly selected captain.
(iv) The Teacher has not yet concluded his lecture.
- Change the voice
(a) I couldn’t see the table. (active voice)
Ans. The Table could not be seen by me. (passive voice)
(b) The slamming of the door had aroused Mother. (active voice)
Ans. Mother had been aroused by the slamming of the door. (passive voice)
(c) We’ll call the police. (active voice)
Ans. The police will be called by us. (Passive voice)
B. Comprehension
- The ghost that got into our house on night of November 17, 1915, raised such a hullabaloo of misi.nderstanding that I am sorry I didn’t just let it keep on walking, and go to bed. Its advent caused my mother to throw a shoe through a window of the houst
next door and ended up with my grandfather shooting a policeman. I am sorry, therefore, as I have said, that I even paid my attention to the footsteps. (a) How did the narrator’s mother and grandfather react when the ghost got
into their house ? Ans. The narrator’s mother threw a shoe through a window of the house next
door and his grandfather shot a policeman when the ghost got into their house. (b) What prevented the narrator from going to bed on the night of November
17, 1915 ?
Ans. The uproar of misunderstanding caused by the supposed advent of the ghost in the house of the narrator prevented him from going to bed on that night.
(c) Frame a sentence with the phrasal verb keep on.
Ans. You should keep on improving your bowling style.
(d) Who is ‘T’ in the expression “I am sorry” ?
Ans. James Thurber, the author-narrator of the story ‘The Night the Ghost Got In’, is referred to as ‘I’ in the expression “I am sorry”.
(e) The word ‘hullabaloo’ means uproar/outcry/disorder.
Ans. The word ‘hullabaloo’ means uproar.
(f) Find out a word which is close in pronunciation to ‘door’.
Ans. ‘Four’ is close in pronunciation to ‘door
‘. (g) Which of the two words-‘bade’ and ‘bed’ is closer in pronunciation to ‘led’.
Ans. ‘Bed’ is closer in pronunciation to ‘led’.
- The slamming of the doors aroused my Mother, she peered out of the room, ‘What on earth are you boys doing?’ she demanded. Herman ventured out of his room. ‘Nothing,’ he said gruffly, but he was, in colour, a light green. ‘What was all that running around downstairs?” said Mother. So she had heard the steps too!
(a) What aroused Mother and what did she say first?
Ans. The slamming of the doors aroused Mother. She first asked her son what they were doing.
(b) Choose the correct alternative. ‘….but he was, in color, light green’
(i) the person’s color of dress
(ii) the person’s complexion
(iii) the person’s paleness
Ans. (i) the person’s color of dress. (c) Choose the correct alternative.
Burglars are
(i) respected in society
(ii) hated by people (iii) liked by children
Ans. Burglars are (ii) hated by people.
(d) The slamming of the doors aroused Mother (change the voice) Ans. Mother had been aroused by the slamming of the doors.
(e) What is the adjectival form of ‘quieten’?
Ans. Adjective-‘Quiet’
(f) “What on earth are you boys doing ?” she demanded.-Change it into indirect speech.
Ans. She asked the boys what they were doing on earth.
(g) Write a word which is close in pronunciation to ‘room’.
Ans. ‘Zoom’ is close in pronunciation to ‘room’. 3. “No sign O’ nuthin,” said the cop who had first spoken to Mother. This guy, he
explained to the others, jerking a thumb at me, ‘was nekked. The lady seems historical They all nodded, but said nothing-just looked at me. In the small silence we all heard a creaking in the attic. Grandfather was turning over the bed. ‘What’s ‘at?’ snapped loe Five or six cops sprang for the attic door before I could intervene or explain. I realized that it would be bad if they burst in on Grandfather unannounced, or even announced
(a) What did the author realize when he found five or six cops springing for the attic door?
Ans. The author realized that it would be bad for them (cops) to burst in on Grandfather unannounced or even announced.
(b) Choose the correct answer.
“The lady seems historical”-It means
(i) The lady was fond of history.
(ii) the lady seemed a historically important person.
(iii) The lady seemed a hysterical woman.
Ans. “The lady seems historical” means (iii) the lady seemed a hysterical woman.
(c) They all nodded, but said nothing. (Change into a complex sentence)
Ans. Though they all nodded, they said nothing.
(d) “No sign O’ nuthin”-Read the above expression and choose the correct
meaning from below:
(i) No sign of nothing (ii) No sign of anything.
(iii) Sign of everything
Ans. (ii) No sign of anything.
(e) Is the word ‘sign’ similar in pronunciation to ‘sin’ or ‘Shine’?
Ans. ‘Sign’ is close in pronunciation to ‘shine’.
- Grandfather was fresh as a daisy at breakfast next morning. We thought at first he had forgotten all about what had happened, but he hadn’t. Over his third cup of coffee he glared at Herman and me. ‘What was the idea of all them cops tarry-hootin’ round the house last night?’ he demanded. He had us there.
(a) The expression ‘fresh as a daisy’ denotes that
(i) Grandfather was very tranquil. (ii) Grandfather was very disturbed.
(iii) Grandfather was very jovial.
Ans. The expression ‘fresh as a daisy’ denotes that (iii) Grandfather was very
jovial.
(b) “He had us there.” -What does the speaker mean by this remark? Ans. By the remark the speaker means that they (the speaker and his brother) had no reply to give their Grandfather
(c) “What was the idea of all them cops tarry-hootin’ round the house last
night?” he demanded. (Turn it into an indirect speech) Ans. He demanded to know what the idea of all them cops tarry-hooting round the house last night had been.
(d) He had forgotten all about what had happened. (Change the voice)
Ans. All about what had happened had been forgotten by him.
(e) Name a word close in pronunciation to the word ‘next’.
Ans. ‘Text’ is close in pronunciation to the word ‘next’.
MORE TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
I. Complete the following statements by selecting the best alternatives. You should
support your answer with reasons 1. The first para of the story is
(a) a summary of the story.
(b) an introduction to the story.mi
(c) a comment on the story.
Ans. The first para of the story is a summary of the story (he gives in short
the incidents narrated in the story. The footsteps, mother’s reactions, grandfather’s
whimsical behaviour)
- Grandfather was in the attic The author mentions this because
(a) he wants to add to the humour of the passage.
(b) it will add a touch of realism to his imaginary account.
(c) his grandfather really slept on that bed.
Ans. The author mentions this because wants to add to the humour of the passage. Walnut bed once fell on my father has a humorous touch.
- Herman said he would stay with mother because
(a) mother was all excited.
(b) he wanted the author to go downstairs alone.
(c) he was afraid of going downstairs.
Ans. Herman pleaded that mother was all excited. But he was afraid of going downstairs. His nervous heart is indicated by the expression “he always suspected that something would get him in the night”. He is afraid of being possessed by a spirit.
- ‘There were two or three of them’. Mother said this because
(a) She had seen two or three burglars.
(b) She thought that there were two or three of them.
(c) She had by now realised that there were no burglars.
Ans. Mother thought or guessed that there were two or three burglars ‘intuitively’. She had not seen anyone. Such guesses are quite natural.
. The lady seems historical’. This means 5 (a) The mother was fond of history.
(b) Mother seemed a historically important person.
(c) Mother seemed a hystorical woman.
Ans. Mother was a hysterical woman. The assessment is correct, because she behaved in sudden bouts of emotion (আবেগের বশে). She guessed that there were burglars; she rew shoes at the windows of a house opposite to theirs, she is so excited that she is about to throw another.
- The reporter gazed at me a long time as if I were a slot machine into which he had, without results, dropped a nickel’. This shows that
(a) the reporter was not convinced by the author’s reply.
(b) the reporter was disappointed at the author’s reply.g
(c Ans. The reporter was not convinced by the author’s reply that ‘he had ghosts’. It may be he thought the author was crazy because the advent of ghosts cannot be believed by any sensible man.
) the reporter thought the author was crazy.
- What had got into the house was really
(a) a ghost.
(b) one or more burglars.
(c) author’s father and brother returning from Indianapolis.
Ans. The author says in the first line of the story that the ghost got into our house on the night of November 17, 1915. But whether the ghost is subjective or objective is not clear. The main point of interest in the story is how the different characters react to the incident, imaginary or real. The advent of the burglars is again a guess (intuition) of mother.
TEXT BOOKS QUESTIONS
(1) When were the footsteps heard? Who were the inmates of the house and what were they doing? Where all the members of the house present at the house at the time?
Ans. Footsteps were heard at a quarter past one on the night of November 17. 1915. The author, his mother, his grandfather and his brother Herman were in the house at the time.
Other members, the author’s father and another brother Roy had gone to Indianapolis.
(2) What were the reactions of the different characters to the footsteps that were
heard in the dining hall?
Ans. The Author: The author first heard the foolsteps in the dining hall. It was midnight. He was sure that it was a ghost roaming about. He at first thought it was a burglar; then he believed it was a ghost. He was greatly agitated. Herman: Brother Herman is a timid young man. He is always afraid that
something will ‘get on’ him. He is afraid to get down the ground floor. He gives
excuses that he will stay with mother because mother is excited. Mother: Mother behaves in a hysteric mariner. She concludes that two or three burglars have entered. She throws shoes at the window of a neighbour’s house to awaken him and to ring up the police.
Grandfather: Grandfather is an old man who is a trance at night and in his trance, he thinks of the military exploits of great generals. He looks upon the policemen as deserters from the military post. He fires at them.
(3) What is the meaning of hullabaloo ? To what hullabaloo does the author refer?
1+1
Ans. Hullabaloo means continuous noise and uproar.
The author refers to the uproar created by the footsteps being heard in the dining room of the house.
(4) We saw nothing coming, we heard only the steps.
What steps are referred to? Why is it they saw nothing but heard the steps ? 2+2 Ans. Steps refer to the footsteps heard by the author. The steps were those of
a ghost. The steps were heard by the author, brother Herman and mother. Mother said that the steps were those of burglars but no burglars were seen. Policemen found no burglars in spite of their ransacking. Doors and windows were tightly si… So there was no possibility of any man to enter the house and go out of the house.
(5) What was the difficulty of informing the police of the strange occurrence? How was the police informed? 1+2
Ans. There was the difficulty of informing the police of the strange occurrence in the house because the phone was downstairs and nobody dared to go down. Mother devised a novel plan. She threw a shoe at the window of the house opposite to their house and thus awakened the neighbour. He rang up the police informing them of the presence of the burglars in his neighbour’s house.
(6) I prevented her. Who prevented whom and from what? What made the person who was prevented do things not considered proper ? 2+2
Ans. The author prevented her mother from throwing shoes at the window of the house of the neighbour. Mother threw a shoe at the house of the neighbour and thus awakened the neighbour who phoned the police. Mother had the thrill of throwing shoes at the neighbour’s house and was about to throw another shoe. The author thought it to be improper and so prevented her from doing it.
7) What was the name of the neighbour ? What was he? What did he feel when the window of his house was hit by the shoe? How did he react?
Ans. Bodwell was the name of the neighbour.
He was an engraver.
He felt disturbed because he had been unwell for some years; he was subje to mild attacks.
Bodwell shook his first saying that he would go back to his own country Peoria by selling the house. When mother shouted ‘burglars’, he thought that the burglary were in his house. Mother made him understand that the burglars were in her house.
(8) How did the police enter the house? How did they begin investigation?
2+2 Ans. Nobody came down to open the door when the police party came in. The police broke open the front door by putting their shoulders to the big heavy door. They broke into the room.
They began investigation by casting flashlights all over the living room. The lights circled through the dining room, hall ways, stairs and the back.
9) But I should never have said so
( In what connection is this said? What did the speaker say? Why does he say that he should not have said so ?
Ans. This is said in connection with the ransacking the ground floor by the police. They found an old zither. This was the musical instrument which Roy, one of the brothers of the author won in a billiard tournament. When the author was asked what was it he replied that it was old zither on which the guinea pig used to sleep.
It was true that a guinea pig slept on the zither. But he should not have said this. He revealed a secret which he should not have said.
(10) ‘Phoney’ What is the meaning? Who thought like this? Ans. Phoney means not genuine, something suspicious and false.
The policemen ransacked the floor and all the conceivable places to find if there were burglars there. Their thorough investigation did not yield any result Naturally they were frustrated. They did not like the set-up. The author could see their view point-they thought that everything that was said was ‘phoney’ i.e., false and suspicious.
GRAMMAR
Make sentences with the following:
- At regular intervals, pay any attention, get into, get through, break in, go through,
jump to the conclusion, lowdown.
Ans.
At regular intervals-My friend comes to my house at regular intervals. pay any attention-My father did not pay any attention to my studies.
get into The thief has got into my house. get through-I tried to get through him over the phone. break in-The burglar broke into my house last night.
go through-(a) I could not go through the letter as yet.
(b) He was going through a phase of mind in which he dreamed. jump to the conclusion-Do not jump to the conclusion about anything by the first
impression.
lowdown-You must try to know the lowdown of a matter before you decide on anything.
- (a) When I got to the attic, things were pretty confused. (Turn it into a simple
sentence.) Ans. By the time of my getting to the attic, things were pretty confused.
(b) The ghost that got into our house on the night of November 17, 1915 raised such a hullabaloo of misunderstanding that I am sorry I did not just let it keep on walking and go to bed. (Turn it into a simple sentence.)
Ans. The advent of ghost in our house on the night of November 17, 1915 raised such a hullabaloo as to make me sorry for not letting the ghost keep on walking and going to bed.
- The slamming of the doors had aroused Mother, she peered out of her room. (Join the sentences into one sentence.)
Ans. The slamming of the doors had aroused mother who peered out of her room.
- Fill in the blanks:
(a) What on earth-you boys doing?
(b) I slammed-the door at the top of the stairs.
(c) A heavy policeman bounded-the steps.
(d) Glass tinkled-the bed room.
(e) Called the police for us an extension phone-his side.
(f) He was going-a phase in which he believed.
(g) He gazed-me a long time.
Ans. (a) What on earth are you boys doing?
(b) I slammed shut the door at the top of the stairs.
(c) A heavy policemen bounded up the steps. (d) Glass tinkled into the bed room.
(e) Called the police for us over an extension phone by his side. (f) He was going through a phase in which he believed.
(g) He gazed at me a long time.
MODEL QUESTIONS
Passage A
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :
They were the steps of a man walking rapidly round the dining room table downstairs. The light from the bathroom shone down the back stairs, which dropped directly into the dining-room; I could see the faint shine of plates on the plate rail; I could not see the table. The steps kept going round and round the table; at regular intervals a board creaked, when it was trodden upon. I supposed at first that it was my father or my brother Roy who had gone to Indianapolis but
were expected home at any time. I suspected next that it was a burglar. It did n enter my mind until later that it was a ghost.
QUESTIONS
. (a) Where did the writer hear the steps? 1
Choose your answer from the following alternatives:
(1) The writer heard the steps on the upstairs.
(2) The writer heard the steps in the adjacent room.
(3) The writer heard the steps downstairs.
(b) The dinning room where the steps were heard was dark-True or false.
(c) The steps were heard intermittently-True or false. (d) Why is it that the writer could see the faint shine of plates on the plate
rail but could not see the table ?
(e) Choose the correct alternative from the following: (1) The steps were heard erratically.
(2) The steps were heard at regular intervals.
(3) The steps were heard all the time.
(f) The writer suspected that the steps were
(a) those of the ghost.
(b) those of an animal.
(c) those of his father and brother who returned from India.
(d) those of a burglar.
- (a) The light from the bathroom shone down the back stairs which
dropped directly into the dining room. (Turn it into a simple sentence.) (b) I could see the faint shine of plates on the plate rail; I could not see
the table. (Make it a complex sentence.)
(c) The steps kept going round and round the table. (Use the infinitive to.) (d) Make a sentence with the phrase at regular intervals.
(e) Give the noun forms of the following:
rapidly, shone, suppose, suspect. (f) Were expected home at any time:
(1) Turn it into passive voice.
(2) Parse the word home.
. (a) Give the meanings of the following words and phrases: 3
downstairs, backstairs, faint, plate rail, at regular intervals, creaked, Indianapolis, burglar.
b) Give another word of the same meaning for the following words and phrases: rapidly, shone, faint shine, trodden, suspected, enter my mind.
(c) Can you suggest a word that rhymes with creak?
ANSWERS
1.
2.
(a) The writer heard the steps downs tairs.
(b) False
) True (at regular intervals) (c
d) The writer could not see the table because the light shone indistinctly ( on the rows of plates and not on the table.
(e) The steps were heard at regular intervals.
(f) The writer suspected that the steps were those of a burglar.
(a) The light from the bathroom shining down the backstairs dropped directly into the dining room.
(b) I could not see the table although I could see the faint shine of plates on the plate rail.
(c) The steps continued to go round and round the table.
(d) I went to his place at regular intervals. (e) rapidity, shine, supposition, suspicion.
(f) (1) I expected them home at any time.
(2) Home is adverb here.
- (a) Downstairs-ground floor.
Backstairs-stairs at the back portion.
Faint-indistinct.
Plate rail rack on which food plates are kept.
At regular intervals-sometimes, off and on.
Creaked-made a sharp sound.
Indianapolis-city in India. Burglar-one who breaks into a house illegally at night.
(b) Rapidly-quickly. Shone-glittered. Faint shine-glimmer. Trodden-trampled.
Suspected supposed. Enter my mind-occur to me, cross my mind.
(c) Creak rhymes with shriek.