English ( Three Men in a Boat ) for Class 9

Answer the following questions in detail:

Q1. What does Jim say about the China Dog and other such objects?

Ans. Jim shows his philosophical view on man’s attitude towards the treasure of art. He says that things priced and looked at with awe today are nothing but commonly used articles of common people of three or four hundred years ago. He shows his love for history and nature and reveals a reality that present will become past. He talks of the China dog showpiece lying in his furnished lodging which is an ordinary piece of art work disliked by the writer as well as his land lady. He thinks after two hundred years, when this ordinary China dog would be dug up, people would admire it and praise the use of colours. He claims that it is human nature to prize what is rare and overlook what is common and easily accessible to man.

Q2. What was special about shopkeeper’s house? What changes were made by him in it?

Ans. There was a superb carved oak staircase in the shopkeeper’s house. Its walls were oak-panelled with exquisite carvings. The drawing room was decorated with blue wall paper because the shopkeeper felt that oak gave a gloomy and awful look to the whole house, so he covered it with bright blue wall paper. The writer says that other people have to spend a lot to give their homes a look of carved oak but this man having it in plenty did not care a little for it.

Q3. What happened to Harris in the maze?

Ans. Harris felt it was quite easy to come out of the maze at Hampton where he had gone to guide one of his cousins. He studied the map but found it misleading. He met some people in the maze who could not find their way out. Harris confidently asked them to follow him. They thought him as a great saviour and followed him. He planned to keep on turning to the right but reached the someplace again. People realised their folly and called him and impostor. Finding no way out people shouted out for the keeper but the newly employed keeper did not know the way out. At last and old keeper rescued them.

Q4. Why wouldn’t writer like to live actually at Hompton Court?

Ans. Though the writer admires the peacefulness of Hampton Court, but he would not like to live there as he was bred in a city and was accustomed to its din, population, commotion and noise. The serenity of nature, the rustling of trees seem to be pleasant during the day but ghostly and eerie in the night. They present a strange, dull and mysterious stillness all around. So he would like to live in a place where there are gas-lit streets echoing with human voice and throbbing with life.

Q5. What is writer’s opinion about the “art treasures of today”?

Ans. The writer has described his view about the art treasures. In his opinion things priced highly and looked at with awe today are nothing more than commonly used articles by common people three or four hundred years ago. He wonders if this trend will be followed in future also. Then he talks of the China dog showpiece lying in his lodgings which everybody disliked. He thinks after two hundred years when this ordinary China piece would be dug up in 2228 people would admire it and would be wonder-struck by the use of colours. The author comments that it is the human tendency to prize what is rare.

Q6. Who broke Jim’s reverie and Why?

Ans. An old bald-headed man broke Jim’s reverie intervening by asking him if he wanted to see the tombs whereas Jim was lost in imagination of a pious life free from all sins and absurdities on seeing the lovely landscape. But the old man’s shrill voice upset him.

Q7. Explain the beauty of riverside as narrated by the writer.

Ans. The sunny river is flanked by the inhabitants of Hampton and Mousley who dress themselves up in their finest boating costumes. People wearing colourful costumes and sitting in the boats look fascinating. The riverside becomes the venue for people to flaunt their taste in colours and attractive attires. People with their dogs come here. They flirt, smoke and watch the boats. The hats, pretty coloured dresses of ladies and jackets of men make the river a confluence of amazing and fascinating colours. Pretty girls, excited dogs, moving boats, white sails, the pleasant landscape and the sparkling water produce the gayest sights of the river.

Q8. What experience the writer has to face when he accompanied two ladies on a boat-trip?

Ans. Once Jim accompanied two ladies who were in silky stuff, flowers and ribbons, dainty shoes and light gloves. Jim thought that they were dressed for a photographic studio and not for a river picnic. They found the boat quite dirty and felt it might spoil their lovely dresses. When the writer sculled the boat, the oars splashed a few drops of water on their dresses and left stains. The writer tried his best to avoid flickering of water from falling over their dresses. But the oarsman splashed a good amount of water on them. The ladies covered themselves with rugs to save their clothes from staining. Every time a drop touched them, they visibly shrank and shuddered. Though it was a noble sight to see them suffering silently, but the writer felt nervous as he is too sensitive. During the lunch the ladies were reluctant to sit on dusty grass. They were always apprehensive that somebody might spill the curry on their dresses. They thought only of their dresses and could not enjoy the picnic.

Q9. How do you enjoy the humour in dressing sense of the three men?

Ans. The dressing sense of the three friends is quite humorous. Jim likes red and black that match his golden brown hair. He feels that a light blue necktie goes well with it. A pair of Russian shoes and a red silk hanky round the waist give the combination a push. Harris likes shades of orange and yellow but that does not suit him as his complexion is too dark for yellow dress. The writer advises him to have a combination of blue and white but he refuses. The writer concludes that the less taste a person has in dress, the more obstinate he is. George has brought new things for the trip. His blazer is gaudy and showy. Jim thinks that it does not suit him but George is adamant. He says people should wear such dresses with can bear onslaughts of water.

Q10. Give your own examples to show that people are not contended with what they have got, they always long for what they don’t have.

Ans. There are people who crave for new art pieces and they are ready to pay any price for that. Through this anecdote the writer presents bitter fact of human nature that people are not contended with what they have but crave for what they don’t have. For example a man, maintaining a bike, is not satisfied with it rather he craves for a car which may be out of his reach and impossible to maintain. Yet another craves for a big house which he does not have. The writer tries to prove that it is a human nature that the more he has the more he desires.

Q11. Experience counts much, a novice may go wrong. Justify this statement in the light of the troubles faced by Harris in maze.

Ans. Experience has its own importance in human life. An experienced person is always good at every task whereas a novice generally may go wrong. As in the maze episode, Harris is an inexperienced man who in spite of trying again and again failed to come out of the maze. The same is the case with the newly appointed Keeper. He goes to rescue the people who lost their way out but he himself was lost in the maze. It is the experienced man like the old keeper who succeeds and rescues the people along with Harris. Though Harris is confident of himself but he has no experience of the job that is why he wandered in the maze without finding a way out.

Q12. Writer has commented upon two traits of Harris’s character in this chapter. What are they?

Ans. The writer takes a dig at Harris and tells us that there was hardly any pub which Elizabeth had not visited as shown by the signs displayed there. This reminds him of his friend Harris who frequently visited pubs in search of drinks. The writer imagines if Harris becomes the Prime minister and dies, the pubs he had never entered would become famous. Secondly the writer mocks at his boastful and over confident attitude. He braggs about knowing the ins and outs of the maze but soon he is awarded with the title of ‘an imposter’ by the people stranded there and his chains get exposed. Thus his two traits are– he is fond of drinking and he is over confident.

Answer the following questions in detail:

Q1. Who landed on George with a slipper and why?

Ans. Harris landed George one with a slipper. George had promised to wake Jim and Harris at 6:30 in the morning, but he did not wake them as he himself kept on sleeping up to 9:30. Mrs Poppets woke them up at 9 in the morning. At first both Harris and Jim involved in hot exchange blaming one another for not waking them. Later they remembered that it was George who had the responsibility to wake them up. But seeing him still sleeping they angrily slung the clothes off him and Harris landed him with a slipper and Jim shouted in his ear to wake him.

Q2. Why does Jim think barometer to be useless?

Ans. Jim considers that the barometer is as misleading as the newspaper forecast. He shares his observations about the barometer hanging up in a hotel at Oxford where he stayed last spring. It pointed at ‘set fair’ but on the contrary it rained the whole day. The writer tapped it and it jumped up and pointed to ‘very dry’. He tapped it the next day and it went up higher but it rained the whole day. On Wednesday he hit it again and the pointer went round towards ‘set fair’, ‘very dry’ and ‘much heat’, until it was stopped by the peg and could not go any further. It was in a mood to forecast drought, water famine, sun stroke and dust-laden storm but the peg prevented it. The writer wants to prove that barometer is useless and forecasts are not be trusted upon as they generally prove false.

Q3. Why the crowd had collected and why people were making fun of three men?

Ans. When the three men put their luggage on to the doorstep and waited for a cab, a crowd of people gathered to see what the matter was. It was so because their luggage consisted of some odd things such as a big bag, small hand bag, two hampers and a large roll of rugs, four or five over coats, a few umbrellas, a bulky melon in a bag, a couple of pounds of grapes and also a Japanese paper umbrella. A frying pan wrapped round with a brown paper looked conspicuous as it was too long to pack. The young boys in the crowd conjectured it was a wedding and Harris was the bridegroom. The older people whispered it was a funeral and Jim looked to be the brother of the dead. Thus the crowd made fun of them as they looked odd and strange.

Q4. How did three men get their boat?

Ans. The three men reached Kingston by the London and South-Western Railway but they came to know later that it was really the Exeter mail. Their boat was waiting there just below the bridge. They stored their luggage in it. They sat on it and moved slowly on their way.

Q5. Describe the confusion at waterloo station.

Ans. When the three men reached waterloo railway station, they were unable to find which train starts from which platform. They had no idea of the platform where their train was to leave from. They inquired the Porter, the Station Master and the Traffic Superintendent but nobody had the least idea about their train. Ultimately they met an Engine driver who too gave a confused reply to their quarry. Finally unable to find no clue about their train, they bribed the Engine driver and requested him to take them to Kingston.

Analysing the Characters:

Q1. Who is Biggs? What is his reputation regarding the boys he hires for work?

Ans. Biggs is the writer’s greengrocer. He is perfectly good at employing the most notorious, uncouth and untamed boys to run errands for him. When the three men waited for a cab, their luggage and weird packets attracted the Biggs’ boy who stood there, stared at them and tried to guess what the matter was. The three men were unable to deter him from his mission. The boy monitored them from close quarters and hailed other boys to join him. Soon a small crowd gathered there which made all kinds of conjectures and also made fun of them. The Biggs boy has a talent in securing the services of the most unprincipled errand boys that civilization has yet produced.

Q2. Why was Montmorency unhappy and deeply suspicious as he sat in the prow of the boat?

Ans. The three friends finally reached Kingston where they found their boat waiting for them under a bridge. They stored their luggage and took their position in different convenient places of the boat. Montmorency had no choice but to sit in the prow. He did not enjoy solitude but liked noise and action. He felt there lonely and that he was on a journey devoid of adventures. So he looked unhappy and suspicious.

Answer the following questions in detail:

Q1. What excuse did the narrator give in order to avoid keeping cheese with him?

Ans. The writer went to his friend’s wife to deliver the cheese to her. The cheese had got rotten and so it gave away very bad and unbearable smell. His friend’s wife was not ready to keep it with her and she requested the writer to keep it with him till her husband returns. The writer was also troubled by the hateful smell of the cheese, so he pretended that his landlady who was a widow and an orphan would object keeping it in her house. So he avoided to keep it with him.

Q2. Do you think Jim was successful at packing? Why/why not?

Ans. Jim generally boasted of his packing skills but he was really an unskilled packer. When he finally strapped the bag, he was told that he had forgotten to put the boots in. He unstrapped the bag and packed the boots in, but he was not sure if he had packed his tooth brush or not. He had to turn everything out of the bag to look for it which was eventually found in a boot. Once again he had to open the bag for his tobacco pouch. Jim, who so proudly declared his fine packing skill, is exposed as an unskilled and clumsy packer. He does not know where and how should pack the things in a travel bag. He has just stuffed everything roughly in the bag and strapped it.

Q3. Were George and Harris better than Jim at packing? Give reasons to support your answer.

Ans. Jim was quite bad at packing while George and Harris proved worse than him. They made a mess of it. They began by breaking a cup. Harris smashed the tomatoes by packing the bottle of jam on top of them. George trod on the butter. They smashed the pies by putting heavy things on them. They upset salt over everything and tried to put the butter in a kettle. They, like Jim, proved awful at packing. They seem to be untidy, unplanned and inexperienced at packing.

Q4. Would you like to own a dog like Montmorency? Why/ Why not?

Ans. Montmorency, though a dog, has a personality of his own. We cannot expect him to be docile and dumb fellow who barks, eats or sleeps as per his master’s wishes. It would be great fun having Montmorency as a pet. His noble looks belie his real character. His skills as a gang leader, his hunting excuses for fights and his habit to irritate those who know nothing but pretend they can do everything, are really amazing. His independent opinion on the idea of boat-riding and consent for sleeping arrangements during the boat-riding, make the readers impressed.

Analysing the Characters:

Q1. “I want to get up and superintend and walk around with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I can’t help it.” Who said this? Explain the significance of the words.What traits of speaker’s character are reflected in these lines?

Ans. The writer is reminded of a man with whom he used to stay. His habit was to roll on the sofa and watch him doing things which irritated the writer. The writer claims that he (writer) is different. He does not like to sit idle when others are working hard. He wants his hands to put in his pockets and move around to inspect the work being done. He also wants to give his valuable suggestions to those who are actually doing the work. The writer is proud of this trait. He claims that monitoring others is also on important work and he is able to do this because he belongs to the class which believes in instructing others rather than sitting and doing the work. It is Jim, the writer, who said it.

Q2. What conclusion have you drawn regarding three men’s attitude towards work by the time you reach at the end of the chapter?

Ans. After reading the chapter we conclude that all the three friends are clumsy and unorganised, but each of them thinks that he can do a job in a better way than others. The writer’s patience to bear the scorn and pain for a cheese-loving friend and his overconfidence in packing skill, disappears when he actually sits down to pack the things. He is upset when he sees his friends sitting idly and teasing and troubling him. George and Harris laugh at him when he forgets to put the boots in the bag. But when they themselves sit down to pack, they prove to be worse than the writer. They smash several items and break a cup. They are irritated at the way the writer sits and looks at them. They blame him of exciting Montmorency to trouble them. Thus all the three pretend to be experts but neither have they known nor do anything satisfactory.

Long Answers Type Questions – 

Q1. Narrate the humour in the episode of Uncle Podger in your own words.

Ans. The episode shows Uncle Podger trying to hang a picture on the wall. He wants all the family members to help him in the task. He entrusts everybody with some duty and when everything has been arranged, he lifts up the picture but drops it accidentally and in an attempt to save it, cuts his hand and then runs around the whole house to find his handkerchief which he kept in the pocket of his coat. He forgets that the coat was put on the chair and he himself was sitting on it. In his second attempt to hang the picture he falls down on the piano; and smashes his thumb rather than the nail with the hammer in his third attempt. Now he drops the nail, forgets where the hammer is then he loses the sight of the mark he had made on the wall, cries for the children to help and then he rebukes them all for being careless and boasts he is more intelligent than others.

Q2. Why was the first list discarded? At this time, which opinion of George     surprised Jim and why?

Ans. The first list, prepared by George and Jim was too long, so it was discarded. George suggested that instead of thinking of those things which they would like to have, they should think only those things which they cannot do without. This opinion, a sensible opinion of George, surprised Jim.

Q3. As per Jim what do we actually need in life?

Ans. Jim (the writer) suggests us that we need more less than we pile in our  houses. We should store only what we need– a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink, for thirst (drinking too much) is a dangerous thing. According to him, excessive pilling of luxuries is nothing more than a ‘lumber’.

Q4. Explain how does Jim compare boat of life with a “loaded boat”?

Ans. Jim compares man’s life with a boat. It is easy to row it if it is light. So we should not overload it with luxuries. We starve for things that give us comfort and we hoard them without need. These unnecessary things make it so cumbersome and dangerous to manage that we never know a moment’s freedom from anxiety and care. The writer suggests that we should not store the boat of our life with foolish things which we think to be essential for our pleasure and comfort, but which are really only useless lumber.

Q1. Analyse the character of Uncle Podger in your own words.

Ans. Uncle Podger’s episode evokes both irritation as well as humour. He seems to have a superiority complex and looks down upon other’s abilities. He claims to be the only person who knows how to do a job with a perfect finish. But he seems to be unable to do anything independently as he employs every member of his family in the task and delegates different duties to all of them. He keeps them on their toes but unfortunately drops the picture himself and cut his hand when everything was arranged. He is forgetful also and does not remember where he put the hammer. He forgets where he left his coat but expects others that they must remember it. He drops the nail and forgets the mark where it was to be fixed and makes a fool of himself. However his deeds amuse the readers but his arrogance irritates them.

The episode shows Uncle Podger trying to hang a picture on the wall. He wants all the family members to help him in the task. He entrusts everybody with some duty and when everything has been arranged, he lifts up the picture but drops it accidentally and in an attempt to save it, cuts his hand and then runs around the whole house to find his handkerchief which he kept in the pocket of his coat. He forgets that the coat was put on the chair and he himself was sitting on it. In his second attempt to hang the picture he falls down on the piano; and smashes his thumb rather than the nail with the hammer in his third attempt. Now he drops the nail, forgets where the hammer is then he loses the sight of the mark he had made on the wall, cries for the children to help and then he rebukes them all for being careless and boasts he is more intelligent than others.

Q2. What philosophy of life do you get in the chapter?

Ans. In this chapter the writer turns a philosopher when he discusses how people load their boat of life with unnecessary stuff. They hoard things and fill up their houses just to show off. He compares the boat to life and says if we keep our life-boat lighter and free of clutter and if we load it with things necessary to sustain our lives, it would be quite easy to steer it ahead. The reader fully agrees with this philosophy. It is we who disrupt the smooth sailing of our boat of life by overloading it with unimportant and void things. The writer suggests to be contented with what we have and not to hoard unnecessary things which bring difficulties and uneasiness in our lives.

Q3. Some new traits of George and Harris’ character have emerged in this chapter. What are they?

Ans. With the development of the plot we come to know about some more traits of both these characters. Harris, so far, appeared to be more practical and less poetic. Now he seems good at nothing but instructs others how and what to do. He takes the burden of everything on himself but virtually shifts it to others. He begins to command others. He also reveals that a swim before breakfast increases his appetite. George emerges quite sensible. The writer himself praises him for his suggestion of focusing on those things which they cannot do without while making the lists. He also suggests to take a boat with a cover instead of a tent. He gives his friends a handful of wise ideas and recommends to take plenty of shocks, handkerchiefs and leather boots which would prove to be helpful in case their boat gets upset.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION

DETAILED QUESTION

Q.1 Why did the three friends not want to stay outside on the trip? Give a brief account of their arguments
Ans.- The three friends did not want to stay outside on the trip by giving a number of arguments as they feel that there are several possible misfortunes.
First of all rain will definitely become a spoilsport in the pleasure of camping trip. It would be difficult to go outside and explore the area nearby. They themselves admit that-
“You are wet through, and there is a good two inches of water in the boat, and all the things are damp.”
The task of pitching tent is a lot of struggle in the rainy weather. It is rather irritating. Instead of helping you, it seems to you that the other man is simply trying to make a fool of you by not working. Everything is soaked and heavy, and tumbles down on you, and clings round your head and makes you mad. Making wood fire is another difficult task and creates a lot of problems. They think that they cannot go on with it so the methylated spirit stove has to be lighted and they had to crowd round that. Another major problem is this that whenever you feel like smoking you find that your tobacco is damp. You wish to eat you find that edibles like the jam, the butter, the salt and coffee all are mingled with water to make a delicious soup. One can neither enjoy smoking nor eating. There are several other problems like one feels restless in bed. One can catch cold and quarrel with one another. In such a situation one is most likely to curse oneself , fight with friends or work for small things harder than required.

Q.2 Do you agree with the writer’s opinion about civilization? What harm has civilization done to man?

Ans. The writer is lost in poetic imagination. He dreams of man’s early life when he used to live in forests near rivers. He lived a happy and contented life in the company of nature. But now civilization has taken him far from the beauty of nature. Man has made cities where there is no natural beauty. The writer curses and abuses man’s follies for being civilized. He laments that civilization has separated man from his real and natural happiness which he used to relish in the company of nature.

Q.3 How is the sweet and romantic world of dreams contrasted with the real practical world?

Ans. The writer becomes romantic during his trip to the world of nature. He imagines as lulled by the lapping water of the river and the rustling trees. He sleeps and dreams that the world has become young again as it used to be when man lived by nature. But he is shocked to know that civilization has drifted him away from the soothing touch of nature. Man has become materialistic and he has no time to enjoy the beauties of the nature. Man has been so over taken by worldly anxieties that he feels no attraction for nature. Though nature takes us to the sweet and romantic world of dreams, but we are bound to our worldly duties.

Q.4 How can rain play a spoil sport in the camping trip?

Ans. Everything gets wet in the rain water. The tent is fixed somehow. Being soaked it is heavy and soon it tumbles down. To fix a wet tent creates tension between those who are fixing it. When one fixes it at one point, it tumbles down at the other. And the persons fixing it get engaged in a hot argument blaming each other for not fixing it properly. It becomes difficult to make a wood fire. All the eatable articles are water-soaked. The jam, the butter, the salt and coffee all are mingled with water to make a delicious soup. One cannot enjoy smoking because tobacco and pipes are damp. Everybody feels restless in bed. They catch cold and quarrel with each other. Thus the rain plays a spoilsport.

Q.5 Describe the mood of the three friends after a restless and peace less wet night.

Ans. After a rest less wet night all the three are speechless because of having severe cold. All of them feel very quarrelsome. They involve in a hot argument blaming each other in hoarse whisper during their breakfast time. All the three are so much disturbed and sick that they decide to stay in an inn or a pub like respectable people where they could feel a change and sleep quietly.

Q.6 How does the writer describe Montmorency and his antics?

Ans. Montmorency is a fox-terrier dog in their company on the trip. He looks like an angel, behaves in a noble way. When the author first saw him, he was not sure that he would survive. He rescued him from street fighters. He had to pay for dozens of chickens he had killed and ate. Montmorency led a gang of most notorious dogs and enjoyed fighting other gangs in the slums. All the three friends give due respect to his valuable opinion on important matters. He is not happy with their decision of sleeping in open but he hails the decision of sleeping in an inn or a pub. He is adventurous and responds to every challenge.

Analysing the Characters:

Q1. What character of writer is casted on your mind after reading this chapter?

Ans. After reading this chapter we conclude that he has a great sense of humour. The description of camping out in the open, the narration of rain spoiling their food, their ridiculous remarks are all full of humour. Gradually we find the writer to be poetic and romantic in the description of nature. The description of falling night, the sun, the moon, the personification of the river and the singing of birds are all described in a poetic and romantic way. Though he seems to be lazy, yet he is sensible, practical and imaginative. He also touches the main weakness of man and abuses him for being materialistic.

Q2. How is Harris different from the writer? What traits of Harris’s character are shown in this chapter?

Ans. Harris is quite different in nature from the writer. The writer becomes poetic and romantic in a favourable situation. He becomes lyrical and beautifully paints the picture of the nature. He is sensible and humorous. He has a great sense of humour that we can see in the description of their camping out in the open. On the other hand Harris is a practical person. He is fond of drinking and knows where a pub can be found. He is aware of the problems which can occur while sleeping in the open if it rains. That is why he is not in favour of sleeping in the open.

Q3. Give a brief character description of Montmorency as it is treated\ as an equal with a separate personality.

Ans. Montmorency, the dog, is portrayed not as a mere dog but as a human personality of rowing party. He is a fox-terrier who are supposed to be clever, adventurous and fighters. He looks like an angel sent upon the earth. When the author first saw him, he was not sure he would survive. But the writer rescued him from several street fights, paid for dozens of chickens he has killed and was rebuked for killing a neighbour’s cat and thus he was sure of him to live. Montmorency led a gang of most notorious dogs and enjoyed fighting other gangs in the slums. He gives valuable opinion on import matters. He approved the idea of staying in an inn, pub or a hotel. He has been described as equal to humans having different personality.

Answer the following questions in detail:

Q1. What type of disease is hypochondria?

Ans. A man is said to be suffering from ‘hypochondria’ who imagines that he has all the diseases of the world. As he reads about diseases and symptoms of some disease, he feels that all those symptoms are present in him and he is suffering from all of them.

Q2. In what ways writer think himself to be a boon for medical students?

Ans. The write visited a British Museum to read about the treatment for some slight ailment. He read about every disease alphabetically in the medical dictionary and was convinced that he suffered from every disease except the house maid’s knee (arthritis). This self-diagnosis filled him with horror and despair. His body housed innumerable diseases, hence he could be the best body for case study for the medical students. They would not have to go to hospitals to study. His body was a hospital and the medical students would have to walk round him and take their diploma.

Q3. What did the doctor mean by saying “And don’t stuff up your head with things you don’t understand”?

Ans. The writer considered himself to be suffering from all kinds of diseases. He went to a doctor who was his friend. The doctor examined him thoroughly and found that he had no illness rather he was hypochondriac. So the doctor, with some other funny prescriptions, suggested him so. He means to say that the writer should avoid reading those things that are medicines which he does not understand. He means the writer should not bother with the matters about which he has no knowledge.

Q4. Why was writer not willing to go on a sea-trip?

Ans. The write hates sea-voyages. He gives a detailed and graphic description of what happened with his brother-in-law when he went forc a short sea trip once for the benefit of his health. He had to return from London to Liverpool and when he returned, the only thing he was anxious about was to sell his return tickets. He is of the view that sea voyage needs as long a period as two months at least. A short trip to a sea voyage was worth nothing because falling ill was on inevitable effect of it.

Q5. Give day wise account of author’s sea journey for a week.

Ans. When Harris recommends a sea trip in order to take rest and change, the author vehemently opposes the idea and asserts that sea-trip is a viable idea when one has as little time as two months at his disposal. He says that a man sets out on a sea voyage with high spirits but soon falls sick and gets depressed due to the mundane routine. As he gradually recovers and starts liking the sea-trip, he realises it is time to return to shores. He also describes about the experience of a short sea-trip his brother-in-law had taken.

Q6. Give your opinion about the three friends.

Ans. The three friends, Harris, George and the writer are doubtful of themselves to be suffering from all imaginable diseases. One evening they meet and discuss their ailments and desire to find solution of them. George and Harris feel acute fits of giddiness whereas the author is sure that his liver is out of order. All the three are in fact hypochondriacs. None of them is really ill, their illness is in their minds. They fancy and invent illness. They apprehend to be ill. They feel to be ill as an excuse to hard work as they are all lazy and want nothing to do.

Q7. Jim makes fun of his friends but doesn’t spare himself too. How?

Ans. The writer mocks the funny traits of his friends but spares not even himself. He himself fancies of suffering from innumerable illnesses but charges George of being whimsical of illness and that there is nothing\ really bad about his health. He also derides Harris who recounts a funny way of beating sea sickness. But the writer is quite fair as he has the ability to make fun of himself. He goes to the British Museum, reads about all the diseases and finds himself as suffering from all kinds of diseases except the housemaid’s knee. The writer is surprised over the fact that he does not suffer from housemaid’s knee. It is funny when he calls himself a hospital. When he visits the chemist with the doctor’s prescription, the reader is quite forced to laugh at his funny wit.

Q8. What personality and character of George do you form in your mind after reading this chapter?

Ans. George loves to speak in medical terms. When the three friends meet to discuss remedies of their ailments, he suggests them to take a boat-trip. Harris and Jim both are surprised at his sensible suggestion which they had never expected from such a lazy and unwilling fellow. He is extremely lazy and pretends to be ill out of fear of any kind of labour. He weights about twelve stones.

Q9. Bring out the humour in doctor examining Jim.

Ans. Horrified and depressed by the fact that his body was a store house of all kinds of diseases, Jim visits his doctor for treatment. When the doctor inquired about his problem the writer replied that life was too brief todescribe and that he might pass away before he would finish the list of his ailments. Only he said that except housemaid’s knee, he had all diseases. The doctor takes everything quite normally. He examines him casually, sees his tongue, feels his pulse and thumps his chest strongly and writes the prescription. The writer goes to chemist and gives him the prescription. The chemist returns it to the writer and says that he is a chemist and not a cooperative stores or family hotel. In fact the doctor had prescribed him no medicines but healthy food, long walk and early sleep as he had no illness.

Q10.Give an account of the argument made to reject the sea trip. 
OR
Why is the sea trip rejected by the three friends in “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome?
OR
What were the reasons for Jerome rejecting a sea trip?
OR
Why is the sea trip rejected by the three friends in the novel ‘Three Men in a Boat’?

Ans.- In Chapter One, Harris suggests that the three friends should initiate on a sea trip. Jirom, the writer is the first one to disagree. He argues that a sea trip is a great experience if one can take a few months for it; however, if the sea trip will only last a week, it can be a devastatingly joyless experience. He maintains that it usually takes a week to overcome the propensity of getting seasick, and by the time one does, the trip will be over.

J relates the story of his brother-in-law, who made the mistake of going on a short sea trip. By the time he got to Liverpool, his brother-in-law was anxious to sell his return ticket at a discount; he had had enough of the sea and wanted to take the train home. Evidently, the short sea trip had been too taxing for him, and he maintained that one could get more exercise sitting down (presumably being seasick) than “turning somersaults on dry land.”

Next, J relates the story of his friend, who went on a week’s voyage around the coast. This friend paid full price for a week’s worth of food that he never got to eat. The initial fare was unappetizing, and then his friend got seasick. This left him having to survive on thin captain’s biscuits and soda-water for four days. By the time he was well enough to sample the food he had paid for, the voyage was over.

Jerome tells his friends that he worries George will suffer the same fate. For his part, George maintains that J and Harris will likely be the ones to get seasick before he does. He declares that he’s never gotten seasick, even during tempestuous sea trips. Then, J offers some strange advice on balancing one’s body during sea trips; he argues that it is “an excellent preventive against sea-sickness.”

You stand in the centre of the deck, and, as the ship heaves and pitches, you move your body about, so as to keep it always straight. When the front of the ship rises, you lean forward, till the deck almost touches your nose; and when its back end gets up, you lean backwards. This is all very well for an hour or two; but you can’t balance yourself for a week.

Upon hearing this terrible advice, George pipes up that they should go up the river instead. He argues that they will have “fresh air, exercise and quiet,” and eventually, this is what the three friends decide to do. They reject the sea trip because none of them can agree that a week’s voyage will prove enjoyable.

Characters

Jim, the narrator : Jim is unable to sleep at night. The sound of the lapping water round the boat and the wind among the branches keeps him restless and disturbed. He describes the beauty of the night and its soothing effects on him. The calm atmosphere of the night removes the pains and sufferings of life. He also describes the story of a good knight.

George : George suggests that they should pitch the tent before eating supper. George does his part well, but Harris bungles. He becomes happy, polite and generous after taking supper. He realises the futility of quarrels and anger. George relates the story about his father.

Harris : Harris bungles in puffing up the cover. But he helps George in doing this task. He becomes polite, calm and good after eating supper. His ill- temper vanishes.

Plot:
After the first day’s journey, they put up a camp at night and sleep. Their struggle to put up the cover has an element of humour. All the three become good, polite and happy after eating supper. They realise the futility of quarrels and anger. The night has a soothing effect on them. The soothing night, like some great loving mother, lays her hand on their feverish heads and removes their pain.

Characters

Jim, the narrator : The narrator describes a river trip in the company of a young lady, his cousin. He reveals his anxiety when his cousin says that she is getting late for home.

George : George does not want to do any work. But Jim and Harris make him do the work. Then he tows them till Runnymede.

Plot:
The narrator describes his experience with tow line. There is a description of two men who lost their boat while dealing with the tow-line. The narrator says that being towed by girls is an exciting experience. He describes what happened to him when he went out with a young lady, his cousin, on a river trip.

Characters

Jim, the narrator : Jim describes an old incident and remembers how people had misbehaved when a German singer Herr Boschen sang a song for them. It had happened because he and his companion had regarded themselves as superior to the two young men from Germany. He and Harris boast that they could not be blackmailed by a gentleman who told them that they had tresspassed.

Harris : Harris is a well-made man. He looks hard and bony. He is bold and asks the gentleman how he would remove them from the spot. He threatens him in such a way that he never returns. He gets angiij very soon. Though he does not know how to sing, he insists that he can sing. He does not know that he makes an ass of himself when he sings.

Plot
where George joins them. Three important incidents are described in this chapter. The first concerns the man who tries to blackmail them. The second concerns the song of Herr Boschen. The third concerns the narrator who sculls upto Walton. He finds himself sculling round and round at the same place. This provides amusement to the onlookers. Then George arrives and joins them.

Characters
Jim, the narrator : Jim, the narrator, is proud of his dress sense. He appreciates his own appearance. He thinks that the tastes of men are better than those of women. He criticises Harris and George for their tastes. He dislikes George’s blazer because it is very gaudy. He broods about his friends and relatives.

Harris : He revels in tombs, graves, epitaphs and monuments. He wants to visit Mrs. Thomas’ grave. When the narrator objects to it, he gets angry. He talks ill of George in his absences He says that he never does any work. When he can’t have his way, he gets Upset. He gets angry when he does not get a drink. He is about to fall from the boat because of his anger.

Plot:
The boat moves ahead. The narrator Criticises ladies for their dress sense. They do not know how to dress up for a boat ride. They spoil the fun of their companions. The narrator does not like Harris for expressing his desire to visit Mrs. Thomas’ grave. Finally, he pacifies Harris who was keen to visit Mrs Thomas’ grave.