THE SENSES: AN UNCOMFORTABLE BED

 

NEW WORDS 

Chateau: A large, beautiful house or castle, especially in France.

Example: The chateau was surrounded by tall trees and gardens.

Princely: Very grand or rich, like a prince.

Example: He gave a princely gift to the king.

Embraced: Held someone closely in a hug.

Example: She embraced her friend after a long time.

Mirth: Great joy or laughter.

Example: The room was filled with mirth during the party.

Scented: Having a pleasant smell.

Example: The room was scented with flowers.

Suspicion: A feeling that something might be wrong or not true.

Example: He looked at the stranger with suspicion.

Mantelpiece: A shelf above a fireplace.

Example: The clock was kept on the mantelpiece.

Enormous: Very big or huge.

Example: The elephant was enormous in size.

Venture: A risky journey or attempt.

Example: They decided to venture into the forest.

Lurking: Hiding, ready to appear suddenly.

Example: A cat was lurking behind the bushes.

Cast a glance: To quickly look at something or someone.

Example: She cast a glance at the door when it opened.

Launch a blow: To hit someone forcefully.

Example: The boxer launched a blow at his opponent.

Bethought: Thought about something suddenly.

Example: He bethought himself of a better plan.

Gingerly: Doing something carefully and slowly.

Example: She held the baby gingerly in her arms.

Shutters: Wooden or metal covers for windows.

Example: She closed the shutters to block the sunlight.

Extinguished: Put out a fire or light.

Example: He extinguished the candles after dinner.

Victim: A person who is hurt or harmed.

Example: The victim of the accident was taken to the hospital.

GUY DE MAUPASSANT

Guy de Maupassant is regarded as the best French writer of short stories. His 300 stories were written in the naturalist style and often described the life of the lower and middle classes. Maupassant is often described as the father of the modern short story. He wrote about 300 short stories and six novels. His literary works often depicted the everyday lives and the struggles of the working class. Boule de Suif (DUMPLING) is arguably considered Guy de Maupassant's finest short story. His most famous work for English readers is  "The Necklace".

SUMMARY

The narrator visits friends at a chateau in Picardy and suspects they are planning a practical joke on him. Throughout the evening, he feels paranoid, believing every gesture and word hides a prank. To avoid being tricked, he carefully examines his room and moves his mattress to the centre of the room, thinking it will keep him safe. However, in the morning, the valet trips over the mattress while bringing tea, spilling it on the narrator and causing a noisy commotion. The narrator realizes that his excessive precautions had created the very mishap he wanted to avoid. Instead of being pranked by his friends, his fear made him the victim of his own actions.

Arrange the story lines in the right order.

1. He feels anxious and overanalyses every laugh and gesture, convinced a prank is imminent.
2. The narrator is shocked to find his fears have led to an unexpected situation, as he had never imagined his own precautions would create trouble.
3. To avoid being pranked, he checks his room carefully and moves the mattress to the middle of the floor, hoping to stay safe.
4. Upon his arrival, his friends give him a princely reception, firing rifles and embracing him, which raises his suspicions.
5. In the end, his worry about being pranked leads to an unexpected and humorous twist.
6. During dinner, he notices that everyone is laughing excessively, which makes him even more uneasy about a possible joke.
7. The narrator visits his friends at a chateau in Picardy and becomes very anxious, thinking they are planning a joke on him.
8. However, the next morning, the valet accidentally trips over the mattress while bringing tea, spilling it all over the narrator.
9. Throughout the evening, he watches everyone closely, believing they will try to trick him.

Question Answers

1. "When I arrived, they gave me a princely reception, which at once awakened suspicion in my mind."

a. What did the narrator's friends do as part of the 'princely reception?
They fired rifles and embraced him enthusiastically, making a big fuss over his arrival.

b. Why did it make the narrator feel suspicious about his friends?
The exaggerated warmth and celebration made him think they were planning a practical joke at his expense.

c. Was his suspicion true this time?
While his friends were not planning a prank at that moment, his suspicion ultimately led to an unexpected incident the following morning.

2. "An idea came into my head..."

a. What was the 'idea'?
The idea was that the narrator thought his candle might suddenly go out, leaving him in darkness.

b. What did the narrator do soon afterwards?
He went to the mantelpiece, lit all the wax candles, and carefully examined his room for anything suspicious.

3.  

3. "I must have been in a deep sleep for a long time, but all of a sudden..."

a. What happened 'all of a sudden'?
He was abruptly awakened by a heavy body falling on him and hot tea spilling on his face.

b. Was he in a deep sleep? How do you know?
Yes, he was in a deep sleep, as he mentions having slept for a long time before the sudden awakening.

c. At what time of the day did the incident mentioned above happen?
The incident occurred in the morning, as he was woken up by the valet bringing him tea.

C. Answer the questions

1. 'Look out, old ferret!' Whom does the 'old ferret' refer to? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36-kSgOnzOc

The 'old ferret' refers to the narrator himself, as he is warning himself to be cautious. Ferret is the domesticated form of the wild European pole cat. Ferrets are considered to be curious animals, and his curiosity on what his friends have planned for him might have led the narrator to address himself as an “old ferret”.

2. After inspecting the articles in the room and finding nothing suspicious, what did the narrator decide to do?

The narrator had tried his best to prevent falling for any of the pranks laid out by his friends. But it was this precaution of his that made him lay out his bed on the floor, and be tripped over by the valet.

3. Did the narrator's fear come true? Explain.

Write your own answer

4. How did the valet land himself above the narrator?

The valet tripped over the mattress that the narrator had moved to the middle of the room while bringing him tea.

5. What is the irony that you find in the story, "An Uncomfortable Bed"?

The irony lies in the fact that the narrator's attempts to avoid a prank led to an embarrassing situation, where he was indeed the victim of an accident caused by his own precautions. Instead of avoiding a joke, he unintentionally created a humorous mishap.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

1. “Look out, old ferret!” Whom does the ‘old ferret’ refer to?

The ‘old ferret’ refers to the narrator himself. He calls himself this name while warning himself to stay alert and careful. A ferret is a curious animal that searches everywhere. Similarly, the narrator is being overly cautious and suspicious, trying to discover whether his friends are planning a prank against him. This shows how restless and doubtful he feels.

2. After inspecting the articles in the room and finding nothing suspicious, what did the narrator decide to do?

After carefully examining the room and finding nothing unusual, the narrator still did not feel relaxed. His fear continued to trouble him. To protect himself from any possible trick, he moved the mattress from the bed and placed it in the middle of the room. He believed this would prevent anyone from playing a prank on him. This decision later caused the main problem.

3. Did the narrator’s fear come true? Explain.

No, the narrator’s fear did not come true. His friends were not planning any prank against him. However, his imagination made him believe something bad would happen. Ironically, his own actions caused the problem. By moving the mattress, he created the accident that happened in the morning when the valet tripped over it. His fear proved to be unnecessary and foolish.

4. How did the valet land himself above the narrator?

The next morning, the valet entered the room to serve tea to the narrator. Since the mattress had been moved to the centre of the room, the valet did not notice it in time. He accidentally tripped over it and fell forward. As a result, he landed on the narrator, spilling hot tea and causing confusion. The fall created noise and complete chaos in the room.

5. What is the irony that you find in the story, An Uncomfortable Bed?

The irony of the story lies in the fact that the narrator tried very hard to avoid becoming the victim of a prank. However, his excessive fear and precaution caused the accident. Instead of his friends playing a trick on him, he became a victim of his own imagination and actions. This unexpected twist makes the ending humorous and meaningful.

6. Why did the narrator become suspicious of his friends?

The narrator became suspicious because his friends welcomed him in a grand and unusual manner. They fired rifles and embraced him warmly, which seemed exaggerated to him. During dinner, everyone laughed loudly and appeared cheerful. Instead of enjoying their company, he believed they were hiding a prank and planning to make fun of him. His suspicious nature made him misunderstand their friendly behaviour.

7. What startled the narrator in the middle of the night?

The narrator was suddenly awakened from deep sleep when he felt a heavy body fall on him. At the same time, hot tea spilled over his face and clothes. The sudden noise, confusion, and shock frightened him badly. He had not expected such an incident, especially after taking precautions to avoid trouble. The moment was painful and completely surprising.

8. Describe the narrator's initial suspicions upon arriving at the chateau. How did his friends' behaviour contribute to his growing unease?

When the narrator arrived at the chateau, his friends gave him a grand and noisy welcome. They fired rifles and hugged him warmly. Although this seemed friendly, he felt it was exaggerated and unusual. During dinner, their loud laughter and cheerful behaviour increased his suspicion. He believed they were secretly planning a joke against him. His uneasy mind prevented him from trusting their kindness.