Packing (Q&A)
Thinking About the Text
Q1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!)
Answer:
There are four characters in the story:
The narrator (Jerome)
George
Harris
Montmorency (the dog)
Q2. Why did the narrator volunteer to do the packing?
Answer:
The narrator considered himself skilled at packing. He volunteered not to actually do all the work, but to boss and supervise while others packed.
Q3. How did George and Harris react to the narrator’s offer to pack?
Answer:
George and Harris agreed quickly and let the narrator pack. They relaxed and watched him, making the narrator do all the work alone.
Q4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Answer:
Jerome actually wanted to show off his packing skills and act like a supervisor, but his plan failed as George and Harris made him do all the work.
Q5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
Answer:
Harris asked if the narrator had packed the boots. He waited till the bag was strapped so that the narrator would have to reopen it and repack, causing more trouble.
Q6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Answer:
Jerome had the horrible idea that he had packed his toothbrush inside the bag and might not find it when needed.
Q7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Answer:
Jerome unpacked everything, shook things out, and finally found the toothbrush inside a boot.
Q8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Answer:
He had to reopen the bag twice – once for the toothbrush and again to check if he had packed his spectacles.
Q9. What did George and Harris do after Jerome had packed the bag?
Answer:
George and Harris started packing hampers, but they were clumsy and careless. They broke cups, squashed tomatoes, and stepped on butter.
Q10. While packing the hamper, Harris and George did a number of foolish things. Mention at least three.
Answer:
They broke a cup.
They packed heavy items on top of soft ones and squashed tomatoes.
They stepped on butter, tried to put it in a kettle, and finally got it stuck behind the door.
Extra Questions (for exams)
Short Answer Questions
Q1. What role did Montmorency, the dog, play in packing?
Answer:
Montmorency created chaos. He sat on things, put his nose into hampers, and got in the way. He even chased lemons, thinking they were rats.
Q2. What does the story tell us about George and Harris’s packing skills?
Answer:
George and Harris were careless and clumsy packers. They broke things, misplaced items, and made a mess.
Q3. What is the main source of humor in the story?
Answer:
The humor comes from the characters’ foolish mistakes, clumsiness, and Montmorency’s mischievous behavior.
Long Answer Question
Q. “Packing” is a humorous story. Justify this statement.
Answer:
The story is full of comic situations. Jerome’s boastful attitude, George and Harris’s careless packing, and Montmorency’s naughty behavior create laughter. Breaking cups, squashing tomatoes, losing butter, and hunting toothbrushes are described humorously. The exaggerated clumsiness makes the story funny.