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Jim: (trying to sound casual) Power house must be out of commission. Light your candles, Betty. (Betty switches on the flashlight, lights three candles.)
Amy: I’m glad we have an oil stove for cooking.
Rose: (taking a candle) Forward march to the kitchen! (Betty takes a candle and follows, with Sara trailing, all exit right, humming ‘Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are marching’)
Jim: (in a low voice to Amy) The river was up another foot, Amy. Another hour and that playhouse would have been floating out in the current. At this rate the floor here will be under water by morning.
Amy: What will we do then, Jim? Neither Sara nor Betty is a strong swimmer.
Jim: I’m going to climb out on the roof and start waving the flashlight. Someone will see it and come for us.
Amy: But who? No one is on the main road and there are no houses within sight of us. That will be just a pinpoint of light. Aren’t you scared?
Jim: You bet! Are you?
Amy: Terrified. But I’m glad you’re here.
Jim: We’ll see it through. If we just keep our heads.
Explanation:
Jim was trying to sound normal as he did not want others to be scared. He said that the powerhouse which supplies current might have stopped working. He instructed Betty to light the candles. Betty switched on the flashlight as well as lighted three candles. Amy was glad that they had the oil stove for cooking and that they did not need the electricity to cook. Rose took one candle and asked Betty and Sara to go towards the kitchen. Betty also took the candle, and they sang ‘Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are marching’ and went to the kitchen. Jim whispered to Amy that the river had risen another foot. In another hour, the playhouse would float out. So he calculated that at this rate, the ground of the bungalow would be underwater by next day morning.
Amy told Jim that it was going to be tough, as both Sara and Betty did not know how to swim. Jim said that he would climb the roof and wave the flashlight to ask for help. May be someone will see it and come to rescue them. Amy wondered who was going to see him, as there were no houses in sight. Amy asked Jim whether he was frightened by this situation. Jim said that even he was scared. Amy assured herself saying at least Jim was there to help them. Jim encouraged her and said that they needed to think well, and everything will be alright.
Amy told Jim that it was going to be tough, as both Sara and Betty did not know how to swim. Jim said that he would climb the roof and wave the flashlight to ask for help. May be someone will see it and come to rescue them. Amy wondered who was going to see him, as there were no houses in sight. Amy asked Jim whether he was frightened by this situation. Jim said that even he was scared. Amy assured herself saying at least Jim was there to help them. Jim encouraged her and said that they needed to think well, and everything will be alright.
Meanings of difficult words:
Numbers | Word | Meanings |
1. | Commission | Task. |
2. | Tramp | Walk heavily. |
3. | Flashlight | Torch. |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-9. Old Man River By Dorothy Deming (Slightly adapted) (pp. 193-201). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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