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It was maddening. Here, guarded by a vision of sudden death, was wealth “beyond the dreams of avarice.” I am not a clever or ingenious man; I know little beyond how to keep a ledger, and so I was, and am, no doubt, absurd about many of my notions as to how to solve this riddle.
At one time I thought of finding a man who would take the risk of unlocking the box, but what right had I to subject anyone else to the trial I dared not face? I could easily drop the box from a height somewhere, and if it did not explode could then safely unlock it; but if it did blow up when it fell, good-by to my rubies. Mine, indeed! I was rich, and I was not. I grew thin and morbid, and so miserable that, I at last carried my troubles to my father confessor. He thought it simply a cruel jest of my uncle’s, but was not so eager for another world as to be willing to open my box.
He, too, counselled me to cease thinking about it. Good heavens! I dreamed about it. Not to think about it was impossible. Neither my own thought nor science nor religion had been able to assist me.
Two years have gone by, and I am one of the richest men in the city, and have no more money than will keep me alive.
Susan said I was half cracked like Uncle Philip, and broke off her engagement. In my despair I advertised in the Journal of Science, and have had absurd schemes sent me by the dozen. At last, as I talked too much about it, the thing became so well known that when I put the horror in a safe, in a bank, I was promptly desired to withdraw it. I was in constant fear of burglars, and my landlady gave me notice to leave, because no one would stay in the house with that box. I am now advised to print my story and await advice from the ingenuity of the American mind.
I have moved into the suburbs and hidden the box and changed my name and my occupation. This I did to escape the curiosity of the reporters. I ought to say that when the government officials came to hear of my inheritance, they were reasonably desired to collect the succession tax on my uncle’s estate.
Explanation:
The narrator felt irritated after what happened for the past few days to him with respect to he iron box his uncle left for him. Beyond the dreams of greed, the narrator believed it was a vision of sudden death. The narrator does not consider himself to be a brilliant or intellectual man. He understands how to manage a ledger. Aside from that, he had no idea how to solve the puzzle or get out of it. Here the term "puzzle" says, how to open the iron box or get rid of it. The narrator considered taking a risk and making someone open the box once. On the contrary, the narrator thought whether anybody would do which I have never dared. After thinking that, he had a second idea in his mind. He thought he could simply drop the box from a height and securely unlock it if it did not explode. However, if it did blow up when it fell, his rubies would be lost forever. After imagining those things, he thought he was wealthy and impoverished. He made the statement because he couldn't use it even after having lots of wealth in his hand.
The narrator became thin, gloomy, and depressed because of the iron box. He then decided to tell his problems to his father confessor. After hearing that, he assumed it was a nasty joke from the narrator's uncle and he was not interested in opening the box. He advised the narrator to put it out of his mind. But the narrator was always thinking about it. It was impossible for him not to think about it. His thoughts, science, and religion had all failed to help him. Two years have passed, and the narrator is now one of the city's wealthiest men. His biggest asset was the will given by his uncle which kept him alive.
Susan called off our engagement because she claimed the narrator was half-cracked like Uncle Philip. In desperation, the narrator placed an advertisement in the Journal of Science and received dozens of ludicrous proposals in response. Finally, since he talked about it too much, the tragedy got so well-known in the surroundings that he was immediately asked to remove it when he put it in a bank safe. His landlady told him to depart since no one would stay in the house with that box. Also, he was constantly afraid of robbers. The narrator then had been advised to print his story and wait for suggestions from the American mind's ingenuity.
As a result, the narrator relocated to the suburbs, hid the box, and changed his identity and profession. This was done to avoid the reporters curiosity. When the government officials learned of his inheritance, they were eager to collect the succession tax on his uncle's estate. Succession tax is the tax upon an interest in real property, whether passing by will or under the law of descent.
Susan called off our engagement because she claimed the narrator was half-cracked like Uncle Philip. In desperation, the narrator placed an advertisement in the Journal of Science and received dozens of ludicrous proposals in response. Finally, since he talked about it too much, the tragedy got so well-known in the surroundings that he was immediately asked to remove it when he put it in a bank safe. His landlady told him to depart since no one would stay in the house with that box. Also, he was constantly afraid of robbers. The narrator then had been advised to print his story and wait for suggestions from the American mind's ingenuity.
As a result, the narrator relocated to the suburbs, hid the box, and changed his identity and profession. This was done to avoid the reporters curiosity. When the government officials learned of his inheritance, they were eager to collect the succession tax on his uncle's estate. Succession tax is the tax upon an interest in real property, whether passing by will or under the law of descent.
The government officials decided to collect the succession tax
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Avarice | An extremely strong wish to get or keep money or possessions |
2 | Ledger | A book in which things are regularly recorded, especially business activities and money received or paid |
3 | Riddle | Something that is confusing or a problem that is difficult to solve |
4 | Absurd | Stupid and unreasonable, or silly in a humorous way notions |
5 | Notion | A belief or idea |
6 | Morbid | Too interested in unpleasant subjects, especially death; Relating to or caused by a disease |
7 | Miserable | Very unhappy |
8 | Counsel | To give advice, especially on social or personal problems |
9 | Assist | To help |
10 | Engagement | A formal agreement to get married |
11 | Suburbs | An outlying district of a city, especially a residential one |
12 | Curiosity | An eager wish to know or learn about something |
13 | Reporter | A person whose job is to discover information about news events and describe them for a newspaper or magazine or for radio or television |
14 | Inheritance | Money or objects that someone gives you when they die |
15 | Occupation | A person's job |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-10. A Dilemma - Silas Weir Mitchell (pp. 205-211). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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