Packing Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them.
Answer:
Jerome, George and Harris are the three human characters in the
narrative. Jerome is the narrator of the story. Their pet dog, Montmorency
too is an important character, who participates as enthusiastically in the
packing as his masters.

Question 2.
Why did the narrator have to pack for the journey?
Answer:
As soon as the narrator offered to pack for the journey, his two friends,
George and Harris accepted the offer with readiness and sat back to let
him do it all. He had expected his friends would work under his guidance
and directions rather than doing the task himself.

Question 3.
Why did the narrator volunteer to do the packing?
Answer:
Jerome, the narrator, prided himself in his packing skills. He wanted to
show off his skills to his friends so he volunteered to do the packing.
However, he had expected that his friends would work under his guidance
and directions. He expected that under his guidance even poor packers
like Harris and George could accomplish this task with great efficiency.

Question 4.
The narrator took pride in his packing skills. Comment.
Answer:
The narrator felt that packing was one of those things that he felt he knew
more about than any other person living. This made him develop a sense
of superiority about his ability as the best packer and he took pride in his
packing skills. However, he was disorganised and bungling. First, he forgot
to pack the boots and had to reopen the bag. Then, his frantic search for
his toothbrush resulted in a complete mess. Later, he had to reopen the
bag to take out his spectacles.

Question 5.
How did George and Harris react to Jerome’s offer to do the packing? Did
Jerome like their reaction?
Answer:
George and Harris, who were rather lazy, agreed readily to Jerome’s offer
to do the packing because both – took it as an opportunity to sit back and
relax while someone else did the work. George sprawled over the easy-
chair while Harris cocked his legs on the table. Jerome did not at all like
this reaction because he had actually wanted to supervise and instruct
them on how to do the packing instead of doing it himself.
Question 6.
What did Harris and George do while Jerome was packing the bag? How
did Jerome react to their behaviour?
Answer:
When Jerome told George and Harris to leave the job of packing to him,
they accepted his suggestion at once. They settled themselves
comfortably, George on the easy-chair and Harris with his legs on the
table and watched Jerome packing the bag all by himself. As they
watched, they smoked and found faults with Jerome’s packing and also
made fun of him. They made him reopen the packing by inquiring about
items he had forgotten to pack. All this irritated Jerome.

Question 7.
When he offered to pack Jerome’s real intention was not to do the packing
himself. Elaborate.
Answer:
Jerome’s real intention was not to pack himself but to make his friends
George and Harris work under his directions and supervision. He would
guide and direct and, pushing them aside every now and then, showing
them the right way of packing things in – really teaching them, as you
might say.

Question 8.
What kind of a man did the narrator once live with?
Answer:
The narrator lived with a man once who used to annoy him. He would loll
on the sofa and watch the narrator doing things by the hour together. He
said it did him real good to look on at the narrator, messing about.

Question 9.
“I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way.” How did he
do that?
Answer:
The man, with whom the narrator once stayed drove him mad by lolling
on the sofa and watching him constantly as he went about messing the
tasks at hand. The man said he really enjoyed that sight and felt good.

Question 10.
‘Now, I’m not like that.’ What does the narrator intend to convey by this
statement?
Answer:
By this statement, the narrator intends to convey his dislike for sitting idle
and watching someone else work hard, like the man he lived with did. He
prefers to walk around and supervise work in his natural energetic way.
However, this actually means that he, too, was not interested in toiling but
liked to boss over others.
Question 11.
What did Harris ask the narrator after the bag was shut and strapped?
Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
Answer:
After the bag had been shut and strapped by the narrator, Harris asked
him whether he wasn’t going to pack the boots. He waited till the
completion of packing to say this because he either thought the narrator
knew about them and would pack them as he wanted to, or more likely,
he wanted to irritate the narrator and have fun at his expense.

Question 12.
What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Answer:
After packing everything in the bag for the second time, the horrible idea
that occurred to Jerome was that he had packed his toothbrush in the bag.
He realised that he would need his toothbrush the next morning. So, he
reopened his bag and turned everything out but he could not find it.

Question 13.
Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Answer:
Jerome finally found the toothbrush inside a boot that he had packed in
the bag. He found it after having taken out all the items he had packed
and searching thoroughly for the toothbrush leading to a terrible mess.

Question 14.
Why does the narrator say that the packing of his toothbrush drives him to
a point of madness?
Answer:
The narrator says that the packing of his toothbrush drives him to a point
of madness because he either packs it even before he has brushed his
teeth or doesn’t pack it at all. In both the cases, he has to unpack
everything to locate his brush. It drove him to a point of madness because
he always had to undo his packing to check if he had packed it and then
unpack once again, to use it. It was always left out and he had to search
for it at the last moment and carry it wrapped up in his pocket-
handkerchief.

Question 15.
Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag again and again?
Answer:
Jerome had to reopen the packed bag because he kept forgetting things.
First, he forgot to pack his boots and then couldn’t remember having
packed his toothbrush. After having spent a lot of time unpacking and
packing, he packed his spectacles and spectacles in by mistake and had
to reopen the bag yet again.
Question 16.
How many times did the narrator have to reopen the bag? Why?
Answer:
The narrator had to reopen his bag at least three times. First, he forgot to
pack his boots. Then he was not sure if he had packed his toothbrush and
had to reopen the bag to take it out as he needed it in the morning. Then
he had to open it once again to take out his spectacles.

Question 17.
Why did it take the narrator longer than he had expected to pack the bag?
Answer:
It took the narrator much longer to pack the bag than he had expected
because he was disorganised anf forgetful. First, he forgot to pack the
boots and had to reopen the bag. Then, in his frantic search for his
toothbrush he had to turn everything out and then repack the bag. Later,
he had to reopen the bag to take out his spectacles. Thus, the packing of
the bag took longer than expected.

Question 18.
Why did George and Harris offer to pack the hamper?
Answer:
George and Harris offered to pack the hamper because Jerome had
already taken a lot of time packing the bag. It was late night and they
were now left with less than twelve hours to leave.

Question 19.
Do you think George and Harris were experts at packing? Give reasons for
your answer.
Answer:
No, George and Harris do not seem to have been experts, because they
started by breaking a cup, and continued by squashing a tomato under
the bottle of jam. They packed the pies at the bottom and thus squashed
them, spilt salt over everything and as for the butter, they stepped on it,
sat on it and put it all over themselves and the room.

Question 20.
Why did George and Harris have to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon?
Answer:
While packing the hamper, Harris packed a strawberry jam on top of a
tomato and squashed it. So, they had to pick out the tomato with a
teaspoon which was a messy and time-consuming task.

Question 21.
Who was better at packing – Jerome or George and Harris? Give reasons
for your choice.
Answer:
George and Harris were, in fact, much worse than Jerome as they set
about packing. They fumbled and blundered many times while packing
the hamper. They broke a cup at the outset and then squashed a tomato
which had to be scrapped off with a spoon and stepped on the butter.
They jumbled up the items to be packed and crushed softer things like
pies under heavy objects.

Question 22.
Who was Montmorency and how did he contribute to the packing?
Answer:
Montmorency was the pet dog of the narrator and his two friends. He
made a complete nuisance of himself. He sat down on things which had to
be packed, pushed his nose into Harris or George’s hand whenever they
reached out for anything, put his leg into the jam, played with a teaspoon
and pretended the lemons were rats. He chased the lemons inside the
hamper till he ‘killed’ three of them, before he was hit by Harris with a
frying pan.

Question 23.
What was the ‘highest aim and object’ of Montmorency, according to the
narrator?
Answer:
According to the narrator, Montmorency’s highest aim and object was to
get in people’s way and make them stumble over him. He aspired to get
cursed by everyone and liked things to be thrown at him for his
unbearable interference.

Question 24.
How did Harris and George fare at packing the hamper?
Answer:
Harris and George fared miserably at packing, the hamper. Salt flew all
over while they packed. They put the things to be packed in the most
disorganised manner. They damaged a lot of items by breaking, crushing
or stepping on them.

Question 25.
The narrator says he was better than Harris and George in packing? Do
you agree with him? Why/ why not?
Answer:
According to the narrator, he was the best packer in the world while
George and Harris were the worst. I agree with him when he says he is
better in packing as he packs the bag neatly and seriously while his
friends pack the hampers carelessly while laughing, playing, fighting and
breaking things.

Question 26.
Why did Harris tell Jerome that he encouraged the antics of Montmorency?
What was Jerome’s defence?
Answer:
Harris blamed Jerome for encouraging Montmorency because Jerome did
not prove effective in shooing away the dog. Jerome’s defence was that an
ill-trained dog like Montmorency did not need any encouragement to
misbehave. Indiscipline came naturally to him.

Question 27.
‘I never saw two men do more with one-and two pence worth of butter…’.
Why did the narrator say so?
Answer:
Harris and George had a tough time packing the butter. First, George trod
on it and it stuck to his slipper and had to be scrapped off. Then they tried
to keep it in the kettle where it wouldn’t go in, and what was in wouldn’t
come out. After they scraped it out at last, they put it down on a chair,
and Harris sat on it, and it stuck to him, and they went looking for it all
over the room. They searched for it for a long time and then they kept it in
the teapot.

Question 28.
Why did the narrator place a bathtub beside George while he was
sleeping?
Answer:
George went off to sleep when the narrator and Harris were still arguing
over the time they wanted him to wake them up in the morning. To
ensure that he would wake up fully, they placed the bath where he could
tumble into on getting out in the morning.

Packing Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Who offered to pick the bag for the trip? Was he happy at his own offer
Answer:
The author and his friends decided to go on a holiday. The author, who
saw himself as an expert in packing. “I rather pride myself on my packing.
Packing is one of those many things that I feel I know more about than
any other person living.” He told his friends, George and Harris that he
would do the packing.

They readily agreed to his suggestion. George sat in an easy chair, while
Harris put his legs on a table. The author had not intended this. He was
unhappy with himself for having offered to pack. He had thought that
Harris and George would pack and he would supervise them, teaching
them how to do things better. When he worked and his friends relaxed, he
was greatly irritated.

Question 2.
Briefly describe Jerome’s attempt at packing.
Answer:
Right in the beginning Jerome volunteered to pack, because, according to
him, he was especially good at it and George and Harris agreed readily.
What Jerome of course had meant was that he would supervise the
packing while they packed. They of course meant he’d pack while they
watched from lounging positions. Jerome packed all their personal
belongings, from boots to toothbrushes. When he had finished, Harris
pointed out whether he wanted to leave the boots out.

Once the boots were packed, Jerome realised he needed his toothbrush
out for the morning, so the entire bag had to be unpacked and the
toothbrush searched. It was found in a boot. The bag was again repacked
when Jerome discovered he had packed his spectacles in. Once again, the
bag was unpacked to take out the spectacles and then repacked. After
going through several unpleasant rounds of unpack, repack, unpack,
repack, the job was done, with only the soap (possibly) having been
forgotten.

Question 3.
How did George and Harris fare with the packing of the hamper?
Answer:
After Jerome’s display of expert packing, George and Harris thought that,
they’d better pack the foods and supplies. They had the “big hamper” to
pack with these items. They started by breaking a cup, then squashing
tomatoes with the jam. Then they packed the pies and “smashed the pies
in” with heavy things on top. They spilled salt everywhere then, in turns,
stepped on the butter, tried to cram it into the kettle, sat on the butter,
hunted for the now missing butter (until George got a back view of Harris),
and finally shoved it into the teapot.

Montmorency played his role during the packing incident by assuming his
cold nose was what Harris’s and George’s hands were reaching for. He sat
on the very item that was to be packed next, upset the spoons, put his leg
into the jam and attacked the lemons in the hamper. Once the hamper
was packed and closed, Harris sat on the lid of the hamper, and said he
hoped nothing . “would be found broken,” to which George replied that “if
anything was broken it was broken.”

Question 4.
Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or
the worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
Answer:
According to me, Jerome is the best in packing. Although Jerome, George
and Harris are equally disorganised as packers, Jerome is not as clumsy as
his two friends, Harris and George. While Jerome takes a lot of time to
pack the bag, George and Harris damage a lot of things while packing the
hamper. Jerome, who considers himself a skilled packer, is able to arrange
the items to be packed in the bag neatly and in order.
However, there is a lot of delay because he first forgets to pack his boots
and then forgets having packed his toothbrush. After unpacking twice, he
again packs in his spectacles absentmindedly. On the other hand, both
Harris and George messed up everything. They began by breaking a cup.

Then, Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed
it. George stepped on the butter, then Harris sat on it. They spread salt all
over the place. Of course, Montmorency constantly got in their way and
made things worse. Once the hamper was packed and closed, Harris sat
on the lid of the hamper, and said he hoped nothing “would be found
broken,” to which George replied that “if anything was broken it was
broken.” Thus, we can easily conclude that though Jerome and George
and Harris bungled equally. However, Jerome did not cause as much
breakage or chaos as George and Harris.

Question 5.
How did the butter episode in the story cause nuisance?
Answer:
The butter episode in the story caused a lot of nuisance as it brought out
the bungling clumsiness of George and Harris. First of all, George stepped
on the butter and it stuck to his slipper. After George had got it off his
slipper, he and Harris tried to put it in the kettle. It wouldn’t go in, and
what was in wouldn’t come out. They d narrator id scrape it out at last,
and put it down on a chair. Then Harris sat on it, and it stuck to him, and
they went looking for it all over the room.

“I’ll take my oath I put it down on that chair,” said George, staring at the
empty seat. George finally noticed it behind Harris’s back from where it
was removed and put inside the teapot. Hence, the butter episode created
a lot of nuisance and became the funniest episode in the story.

Question 6.
Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it?
Answer:
The story is very funny with dry and slapstick humour. The chaos and
confusion created by all the characters is very amusing. The gap between
the self-assessment of Jerome, George and Harris and their actual
capabilities is highly entertaining. Montmorency’s contribution to humour
is no less significant.

Jerome’s sense of pride about his packing skills and the manner in which
he packs the bag is very funny. He claims, “I rather pride myself on my
packing. Packing is one of those many things that I feel I know more about
than any other person living.” While Jerome expected to use the
opportunity for bossing over his friends, of “pushing them aside every now
and then with, “Oh, you!” “Here, let me do it.” “There you are, simple
enough!” — really teaching them, as you might say.” They make him toil
instead, lounging about and offering helpful suggestions. Jerome’s
forgetfulness and the subsequent unpacking of the bag many times over
is quite amusing.

The butter episode, in particular, generates a lot of laughter. First of all,

George stepps on the butter and it sticks to his slipper. After George has
got it off his slipper, he and Harris try to unsuccessfully put it in the kettle.
They put it down on a chair and then Harris sits on it, and it sticks to him,
and they go looking for it all over the room. George finally noticed it
behind Harris’s back from where it is removed. Montmorency, the dog, too
adds to the humour with his habit of getting in the way of things. His
indiscipline and inquisitiveness earns him curses but he still manages to
put his leg in the jam and chase lemons like rats till he is hit by Harris with
a frying pan. All these instances lend humour to the story.

Question 7.
When did the “horrible idea” occur to Jerome? Why was it a “horrible
idea”?
Answer:
The “horrible idea” that occurred to Jerome as soon as he had finished
packing in his boots was whether he had packed in his toothbrush or not.
He often forgot to pack his toothbrush, or, would pack it at night before
using it in the morning. This would haunt him so much that at night he
would dream that he had not packed the toothbrush. He would wake up in
a cold sweat, get out of bed and hunt for it and pack it without using it in
the morning, which meant that he would have to unpack it again.

And whenever he was looking for it, it would be the last thing to come out
of the bag. After using it he would again forget to pack it and at the last
moment would have to rush upstairs to fetch it. As a result he would carry
it to the railway station, wrapped up in his pocket-handkerchief. Thus, the
toothbrush was a constant source of horrible nightmares for Jerome.