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15. We tossed for beds, and Harris had to sleep with me. He said :
“Do you prefer the inside or the outside, J.?”
I said I generally preferred to sleep inside a bed.
Harris said it was odd.
George said:
“What time shall I wake you fellows?”
Harris said:
“Seven.”
I said:
“No — six,” because I wanted to write some letters.
Harris and I had a bit of a row over it, but at last split the difference, and said half-past six.
“Wake us at 6.30, George,” we said.
16. George made no answer, and we found, on going over, that he had been asleep for sometime; so we placed the bath where he could tumble into it on getting out in the morning, and went to bed ourselves.
Explanation:
Later, the narrator, George and Harris reached the bedroom. They flipped a coin to decide who would sleep with the narrator. They might have tossed out coins because three people couldn’t sleep in the same bed. As a result, it was finalised that Harris was going to sleep with the narrator. Then Harris asked Jerome whether he preferred to sleep inside or outside of the bed. At that moment, Jerome said that he preferred to sleep inside the bed. This seemed strange to Harris.
Then George asked Jerome and Harris at what time he had to wake them. Harris replied seven while Jerome wanted to wake up at six as he had to write some letters. Harris and Jerome had a bit of an argument in between. Then they discussed the time and finally settled on half-past six, each accommodating the time by half an hour.
Later, both of them said to George to wake them at half-past six. But George did not respond to their statement. It was because George had fallen asleep. Then, Harris and the narrator thought of leaving him to take a short nap. Meanwhile, the narrator and Harris made mischief by placing the bathtub next to George’s bed. They placed it near his bed to make him fall into it. The narrator’s and Harris intention was to make fun with George. Also, they knew that George would wake up at first, and when he came to their room to wake them, he would come with taking a bath. After making the arrangements, the narrator and Harris went to sleep.
Then George asked Jerome and Harris at what time he had to wake them. Harris replied seven while Jerome wanted to wake up at six as he had to write some letters. Harris and Jerome had a bit of an argument in between. Then they discussed the time and finally settled on half-past six, each accommodating the time by half an hour.
Later, both of them said to George to wake them at half-past six. But George did not respond to their statement. It was because George had fallen asleep. Then, Harris and the narrator thought of leaving him to take a short nap. Meanwhile, the narrator and Harris made mischief by placing the bathtub next to George’s bed. They placed it near his bed to make him fall into it. The narrator’s and Harris intention was to make fun with George. Also, they knew that George would wake up at first, and when he came to their room to wake them, he would come with taking a bath. After making the arrangements, the narrator and Harris went to sleep.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Prefer | To like, choose, or want one thing rather than another |
2 | Fellow | A friend or companion |
3 | Tumble | To fall quickly and without control |
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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