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3. I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way. He would loll on the sofa and watch me doing things by the hour together. He said it did him real good to look on at me, messing about. Now, I’m not like that. I can’t sit still and see another man slaving and working. I want to get up and superintend, and walk round with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I can’t help it.
4. However, I did not say anything, but started the packing. It seemed a longer job than I had thought it was going to be; but I got the bag finished at last, and I sat on it and strapped it.
4. However, I did not say anything, but started the packing. It seemed a longer job than I had thought it was going to be; but I got the bag finished at last, and I sat on it and strapped it.
“Ain’t you going to put the boots in?” said Harris. And I looked round, and found I had forgotten them. That’s just like Harris. He couldn’t have said a word until I’d got the bag shut and strapped, of course. And George laughed — one of those irritating, senseless laughs of his. They do make me so wild.
Explanation:
Later, the narrator recollected an incident that happened previously in his life. He told his readers about the incident to understand how irritated he was by his friends' actions. The narrator mentioned that he lived with a man earlier who had troubled him like his friends. He went on to say that the man would sit or lie on the sofa for hours together, watching him do all the work. While the narrator was asking him about looking at him, the man responded that it was fun to see him go around and do all the work in a confused state.
A man sitting on a sofa
After narrating the incident, the narrator said that he would not be the same person anymore. It means that he was not going to let anyone sitting simply and observing him. Also, he could not sit idle and watch others working as a slave. He liked to go around and give them instructions on how to complete the task. He also wished to wander around with his hands in his pockets, instructing them to do their jobs properly. He feels that he was an active young man, and it was a part of his nature to behave in that manner. Later the narrator didn't say anything to his friends and began packing. He thought packing was going to be a longer job than he expected.
The narrator packing things
At last, the packing got over, and the narrator sat on the bag and started to close it. While he was closing it, he heard the voice of his friend. It was none other than Harris. He asked the narrator whether he was not going to put his boots inside the bag. Later, the narrator looked around and found that he had forgotten to pack the boots.
Then the narrator described his friend Harris to his readers. He said that this was the character of Harris. Harris would not tell anything on time, and he would postpone everything and convey them later. It would irritate the opposite person. But he was never bothered about that. Later, the narrator said that Harris did not utter a word earlier about the boots. He was observing everything from the beginning and sat silently with his legs crossed on the sofa. When the narrator began to strap the bag, he came out with a question of whether he had packed his boots in. It irritated the narrator.
Meanwhile, George laughed at the narrator. His laughter irritated the narrator to the peak, and he said to his readers that his laughter was meaningless. George laughed sarcastically at the narrator because the narrator was proud of his packing. As a result, when he forgot about the boots, George mocked him. If George had known how the narrator felt, he would not have laughed so hard. At last, both of their actions had made him feel so uncontrollable.
Then the narrator described his friend Harris to his readers. He said that this was the character of Harris. Harris would not tell anything on time, and he would postpone everything and convey them later. It would irritate the opposite person. But he was never bothered about that. Later, the narrator said that Harris did not utter a word earlier about the boots. He was observing everything from the beginning and sat silently with his legs crossed on the sofa. When the narrator began to strap the bag, he came out with a question of whether he had packed his boots in. It irritated the narrator.
Meanwhile, George laughed at the narrator. His laughter irritated the narrator to the peak, and he said to his readers that his laughter was meaningless. George laughed sarcastically at the narrator because the narrator was proud of his packing. As a result, when he forgot about the boots, George mocked him. If George had known how the narrator felt, he would not have laughed so hard. At last, both of their actions had made him feel so uncontrollable.
Meanings of the difficult words:
S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Mad | Very angry or annoyed |
2 | Loll | To lie, sit, or hang down in a relaxed, informal, or uncontrolled way |
3 | Sofa | A long, soft seat with a back and usually arms, on which more than one person can sit at the same time |
4 | Wild | Uncontrolled, violent, or extreme |
5 | Superintend | To be in charge of something |
6 | A small bag used for carrying things which are made of cloth and sewn into the inside or onto the outside of a piece of clothing | |
7 | Nature | A person's character |
8 | Forgot | To be unable to remember a fact, something that happened, or how to do something |
9 | Shut | To close something |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2006). Beehive. Packing- Jerome K Jerome (pp. 82-93). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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