MP Board Class 9th English Solutions Chapter 11 If I Were You

Introductions to be him escape from the police. An Intruder. He enters the house of a playwright, Gerrard. He, however, did not know that the owner of the cottage was a playwright. He only knew him as Gerrard. He had heard about him a few things. He knew that Gerrard was something of a mystery man. Gerrard lives a life of seclusion; He lived in the wilds of Essex. Gerrard gave his orders on phone and never met the tradesmen.

The Intruder was a criminal and most wanted. He had also killed a policeman. He was, now, being chased by police. He thought that he resembled Gerrard in body. He decided to kill Gerrard to take his place to escape from the police and then live himself as Gerrard. So, he broke into the cottage of Gerrard one day.

Gerrard was then preparing to leave his house. He was going to attend a rehearsal of his drama. He had prepared his bag in which there were props for the rehearsal.

The Intruder threatened Gerrard with his revolver. He asked him to answer his questions. Then, he told him that he intended to kill him and then live in his house as Gerrard. He resembled Gerrard in body. Not many people came to see him. The Intruder thought he could live as Gerrard the rest of his life. He learnt to imitate Gerrard’s voice as he intends to live as Gerrard of ter killing him.

The Intruder was about to shoot Gerrard. Then Gerrard warned him to be careful and not to kill him. He told the Intruder that he was also a criminal and a murderer. In case,he killed Gerrard he was sure to be hanged. They would hang him if not as himself then as Gerrard.

By listening this, the Intruder began to think. This was an opportunity for Gerrard. He asked him to hurry and run with him in his car to a safer place. The police were likely to come there soon. He opened a door which was, in fact, the door of a cupboard. The Intruder seemed in to see what it was.

Just then, Gerrard gave him a push. The revolver fell as the Intruder stepped into the cupboard. Gerrard shut the door in a moment and picked up the revolver. Then he telephoned to call in the police to arrest the Intruder. Who is in the cupboard.

यह एक घुसपैठिया की कहानी है। वह एक नाटक. कार जिरॉड के घर में घुस आया था। परन्तु उसे यह नहीं पता था कि कॉटेज का मालिक नाटककार था। उसे केवल इतना पता था कि उसका नाम जिरॉड था। उसने उसके बारे में थोड़ा बहुत सुन रखा था। उसे यह पता था कि जिरॉड एक रहस्यमय व्यक्ति था। वह ऐसेक्स के बा. हरी इलाके में रहता था। जिरॉड अपनी सभी वस्तुएँ फोन पर मंगवाता था और कभी व्यापारियों से नहीं मिलता था।

घुसपैठिया एक अपराधी था। उसने एक पुलिसवाले की हत्या भी की थी। अब पुलिस उसके पीछे लगी थी। उसके विचार में वह शरीर रचना में जिरॉड से मिलता-जुलता था। उसने जिरॉड को मार कर और फिर स्वयं जिरॉड की भांति जिंदा रहने का निर्णय लिया। अतः उसने एक दिन जिरॉड के मकान में सेंध लगाई ।

उस समय जिरॉड अपने घर से निकलने की तैयारी में था। वह अपने एक नाटक के सिहर्सल को देखने जा रहा था। उसने अपने लिए एक थैला तैयार कर रखा था जिसमें रिहर्सल की सहायतार्थ सामग्री थी।

घुसपैठिये ने बन्दूक दिखाकर जिरॉड को धमकाया। उसने उससे अपने प्रश्नों का उत्तर देने को कहा। फिर उसने उसे बताया कि उसका इरादा उसे मारकर उसके मकान में जिरॉड के रूप में रहने का था । वह शरीर की रचना में जिरॉड से मिलता-जुलता था। उससे मिलने वाले लोगों की संख्या अधिक नहीं थी। बन कर आसानी से रह सकता था। उसने डिारीड घुसपैठिया को लगा कि शेष जीवन वह जिरॉड की आवाज़ की नकल करना सीख लिया।

घुसपैठिया जिरॉड को गोली मारने वाला था। तब जिरॉड ने उसे सावधान किया कि वह उसे न मारे। उसने घुसपैठिये को बताया कि वह भी एक अपराधी और हत्यारा है। यदि उसने जिरॉड की हत्या की तब उसे अवश्य ही फाँसी होगी। वे अगर उसे उसके असली रूप में फाँसी नहीं लगाएँगे तब जिरॉड के रूप में लगा देंगे।

यह सुनकर घुसपैठिया सोच में पड़ गया। जिरॉड के लिए यहां मौका था। उसने उससे कहा कि वह उसके साथ उसकी कार में शीघ्रता से अधिक सुरक्षित स्थान की तरफ भाग ले। पुलिस वहाँ शीघ्र ही आने वाली थी। उसने एक दरवाजा खोला जो वास्तव में एक अलमारी का दरवाजा था । घुसपैठिये ने उसे देखने के लिए अन्दर झांका।

तभी जिरॉड ने उसे धक्का दिया। जैसे ही घुसपैठिये का पैर अलमारी के अन्दर पड़ा रिवाल्वर गिर जिरॉड ने एक क्षण में दरवाजा बन्द किया और खिाल्वर उठा लियां। फिर उसन पुलिस को घुसपैठिया को पकड़ने के लिए बुलाने के लिए टेलीफोन किया।

Gerrard lives alone in a lonely cottage. An intruder, who is a criminal, enters his cottage. He intends to murder Gerrard and take on his identity. Does he succeed?

Ans. He doesn’t succeed. Gerrard understands his intention. Through a trick he puts him in a cupboard and locks it. Then he calls the police to get him arrested. Thus he outsmarts him and saves himself in the end.

The following words and phrases occur in the play. Do you know their meanings ? – Match them with the meanings given, to find out.

cultured — an informal expression for a fashionable vehicle

count on — unnecessary and usually harmful

engaged — exaggerated

melodramatic — sophisticated; well mannered

to be smart — here, a tone of voice

inflection — avoid

wise guy — an unexpected opportunity for success

a dandy bus — trap

tradespeople — a Christian religious teacher who teaches on Sundays in Church

gratuitous — (American English) a person who pretends to know a lot

dodge — depend on; rely on

lucky break  — (American English) an informal way of saying that one is being too clever

Sunday-school teacher — occupied; busy

frame  — merchants

Ans.

cultured : sophisticated; well mannered

count on : depend on ; rely on

engaged : occupied; busy

melodramatic : unnecessary and usually harmful

to be smart : (American English) a person. who pretends to know a lot

inflexion : here a tone of voice

wise guy : (American English) an informal way of saying that one is being too clever

a dandy bus : an informal expression for a fashionable vehicle

tradespeople : merchants

gratuitous : exaggerated

dodge : avoid

lucky break : an unexpected opportunity for success

Sunday :  A Christian religious teacher

schoolteacher : who teaches on Sundays in Church

frame : trap

Answer these questions.

Q.1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does he say it ?

(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious ?

Ans. (i) Gerrard says this.

(ii) He says it because the Intruder shows some sympathy towards him.

(iii) He is sarcastic.

Q.2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on ?

Ans. The Intruder chooses Gerrard. It is because he finds him closely similar to him. If he wears clothes like Gerrard does, no one will know that they are two persons.

Q.3. “I said it with bullets.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) What does it mean?

(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this ?

Ans.(i) Gerrard says this.

(ii) It means that he is a very dangerous. person.

(iii) It is not the truth. He says so to make the Intruder change his mind.

Q.4. What is Gerrard’s profession ? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.

Ans. Gerrard is a playwright by profession. The supporting words are: ‘Sorry I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal

Q.5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it ?

(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart ?

Ans. (i) The Intruder says this.

(ii) The speaker says it because Gerrard hasn’t felt any fear so far though he has a gun in his hand.

(iii) According to the Intruder, Gerrard would stop being smart after being hit by one of his bullets.

Q.6. “They can’t hang me twice.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it ?

Ans. (i) The Intruder says this.

(ii) He says it because he has already committed a murder. The penalty of death can’t be given to him twice.

Q.7. “Amystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

Ans. Gerrard says this. The mystery is about Gerrard’s calling his orders. Then he would be suddenly disappearing, but again coming back. The Intruder wants to do very things like Gerrard does.

Q.8. “This is your big surprise.”

(i) Where has this been said in the play?

(ii) What is the surprise ?

Ans. (i) This has been said in the play when Gerrard tells the Intruder not to shoot him. If he shoots him he’d hang if not as himself, then as Vincent Charles Gerrard.

(ii) The big surprise is that the Intruder won’t kill him. Gerrard is right in saying this.

I. Consult your dictionary and choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets.

1. The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).

2. Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.

3. I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.

4. The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.

5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/artiste).

6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.

7. Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.

8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape) well before using the contents.

Ans.

1. site, ghastly

2. principal

3. continuously

4. effect

5. artist

6. collage

7. host

8. shake

II. Irony is when we say one thing but mean another, usually the opposite of what we say. When someone makes a mistake and you say. “Oh ! that was clever!” that is irony. You’re saying ‘clever’ to mean ‘not clever’

Expressions we often use in an ironic fashion are:

Oh, wasn’t that clever! /Oh that was clever !

You have been a great help, I must say !

You’ve got yourself into a lovely mess, haven’t you?

Oh, very funny! /How funny!

We use a slightly different tone of voice when we use these words ironically.

Read the play carefully and find the words and expressions Gerrard uses in an ironic way. Then say what these expressions really mean. Two examples have been given below.

Write down three more such expressions along with what they really mean.

Ans.

What the author says

1. At last a sympathetic audience!

2. You have been so modest..

3. With you figuring so largely in it,that is understandable

What he means

1. Gerrard means that his company is not a sympathetic audience. It is because the Intruder has got a gun in his hand.

2. Gerrard means that the Intruder has been immodest in not having told anything about himself.

3. Gerrard means that it is not understand able how anything about him is ‘surprising’.

A word can mean different things in different contexts. Look at these three sentences :

The students are taught to respect different cultures.

The school is organising a cultural show.

His voice is cultured.

In the first sentence, ‘culture’ (noun) means way of life; in the second, ‘cultural’ ( adjective) means connected with art, literature and music; and in the third, ‘cultured’ (verb) means sophisticated, wellma nered. Usually a dictionary helps you identify the right meaning by giving you signposts.

…………………………………

Look up the dictionary entries for the words sympathy, familiarity, comfort, care, and surprise. Use the information given in the dictionary and complete the table.

I. Which of the words below describe Gerrard and which describe the Intruder

smart            humorous           clever

beautiful          cool                confident

fashy                witty               nonchalant

Write a paragraph each about Gerrard and the Intruder to show what qualities they have. (You can use some of the words given above.)

II. Convert the play into a story (150-200 words). Your story should be as exciting and as witty as the play. Provide a suitable title to it.

Ans.

I. The words that describe Gerrard are : cool, confident, witty, clever, nonchalant, humorous. The words that describe the Intruder are: smart, beautiful, flashy, clever, confident.

How Gerrard Outwits the Intruder

Gerrard resides in his cottage all alone in a remote area. It is situated in a lonely place. He is a young man of cool and confident nature. He is a playwright. He doesn’t meet many people. By nature he is a witty and humorous person. He takes things humorously. But he handles them with a cool and alert mind. He is not easy to be outwitted. He doesn’t get nervous easily. He remains confident till the end. That’s why, he outsmarts the Intruder with success.

The Intruder is a smart and handsome young man. He wears flashy clothes. In his dress he looks like a detective. He is very clever and confident. He has the ability to pretend what he is not. He is greatly intelligent to create fear in Gerrard by his gun. He understands things. He tries to put them to his advantage. But he is helpless before Gerrard. Gerrard outsmarts him in his false story of being himself a murderer. Gerrard at last puts him in a cupboard. Then he gets him arrested.

II. Gerrard is a cultured playwright. He lives in a small cottage. He does meet many people. He is to go out soon. But before he does so, an Intruder enters his cottage. He has a gun in his hand. He bumps accidentally against the table. Gerrard welcomes him with confidence.

The Intruder opens up. He asks Gerrard many questions. These are about his life, his cottage, how many people come there etc. Gerrard is cool and confident. He understands the Intruder’s design. He answers his questions with humour, wit and irony. He says that the Intruder didn’t ‘require a great brain’ to break into his little cottage. He even asked him about his ‘speciality’.

Atlast Gerrard understood. The Intruder wanted to murder him and live as Gerrard because he looked like him. Gerrard at once understood everything. He told the Intruder that he was also a murderer. Therefore, the police were after him.

Gerrard explained that unfortunately one ofhismen had been caught. He was expecting trouble that night because of that. He was to be off that night. He then made the Intruder understand that it was good for him if he went with him to a safer place. He also told him that if it was a frame, he could shoot him in the car.

The Intruder agreed. But when he was about to cross the door, Gerrard pushed him into the nearby cupboard in a split second. He then slammed it. Thereafter, he telephoned the police for his arrest.

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