'Packing for the Journey' Story in English by Jerome K Jerome | Summary | Questions and Answers | Networks Class 7.
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'Packing for the Journey' is an extract from the hilarious book " Three Men in a Boat ", written by Jerome K Jerome. Three friends - Narrator, George and Harris decide to go on a holiday in a boat down the river Thames, accompanied by the dog Montmorency. This passage describes how the three friends pack for their journey.
# Story : "Packing for the Journey" by Jerome K Jerome.
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We made a list of the things to be taken, and a pretty lengthy one it was before we partedMove away from each other, leave someone's company. that evening. The next day, which was Friday, we got them all together, and met in the evening to pack. We got a big bag for the clothes, and a couple of hampersLarge baskets with lids used for carrying food. for the foodstuff and the cooking utensils. We moved the table up against the window, piled everything in a heap in the middle of the floor, and sat round and looked at it.
I said I'd pack.
I rather pride myself onAn English idiom used to express confidence in a specific skill or quality. my packing. Packing is one of those many things that I feel I know more about than any other person living. I impressed the fact upon George and Harris and told them that they had better leave the whole matter entirely to me. They fell into the suggestion with a readiness that had something uncannyStrange and mysterious. about it. George put on a pipe and spread himself over the easy-chair, and Harris cocked his legsTilt his legs in a particular direction. on the table and lit a cigar.
This was hardly what I intended. What I had meant, of course, was, that I should supervise, and that Harris and George should potter aboutMove about doing things in a slow, relaxed manner. under my directions, I 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. Their taking it in the way they did irritated me. There is nothing that does irritate me more than seeing other people sitting about doing nothing when I'm working.
I lived with a man once who used to make me mad that way. He would lollLie in a relaxed manner, usually in a chair or a sofa. on the sofa and watch me doing things for hours, following me round the room with his eyes, wherever I went. He said it did him real good to look on at me messing aboutDoing things in a disorderly, unplanned manner.. He said it made him feel that life was not an idle dream to be gaped and yawned through, but a noble task, full of duty and stern work. He said he often wondered now, how he could have gone on before he met me, never having anybody to look at while he worked.
Now, I'm not like that. I can't sit still and see another man slaving and working. I want to get up and superintend, and walk round with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I can't help it.
However, I did not say anything, but started the packing. It seemed a longer job than I had thought it was going to be; but I got the bag finished at last, and I sat on it,and strapped it.
"Ain't you going to put the boots in?" said Harris.
And I looked round, and found I had forgotten them. That's just like Harris. He couldn't have said a word until I'd got the bag shut and strapped, of course. And George laughed - one of those irritating, senseless, laughs of his. They do make me so wildHere, very angry..
I opened the bag and packed the boots in; and then, just as I was going to close it, a horrible idea occurred to me. Had I packed my toothbrush? I don't know how it is, but I never do know whether I've packed my toothbrush.
My toothbrush is a thing that haunts me when I'm travelling, and makes my life a misery. I dream that I haven't packed it, and wake up in a cold perspiration, and get out of bed and hunt for it. And, in the morning, I pack it before I have used it, and have to unpack again to get it, and it is always the last thing I turn out of the bag; and then I repack and forget it, and have to rush upstairs for it at the last moment and carry it to the railway station wrapped up in my pocket-handkerchief.
Of course I had to turn every mortal thing out now, and, of course, I could not find it. I rummagedSearched untidily. the things up into much the same state that they must have been before the world was created, and when chaos reignedWhen there was utter disorder and confusion.. Of course, I found George's and Harris's eighteen times over, but I couldn't find my own. I put the things back one by one, and held everything up and shook it. Then I found it inside a boot. I repacked once more.
When I had finished, George asked if the soap was-in, I said I didn't care, at all whether the soap was in or whether it wasn't; and I slammed the bag and strapped it, and found that I had packed my tobacco pouch in it, and had to reopen it. It got shut up finally at 10:50 pm, and then there remained the hampers to do. Harris said that we should be wanting to start in less than twelve hours' time and thought that he and George had better do the rest; and I agreed and sat down, and they had a goHere, tired to pack..
They began in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show me how to do it. I made no comment; I only waited. When George is hanged, Harris will be the worst packer in this world; and I looked at the piles of plates and cups, and kettles, and bottles, and jars, and pies, and stoves, and cakes, and tomatoes, etc, and felt that the thing would soon become exciting.
It did. They started with breaking a cup. That was the first thing they did. They did that just to show you what they could do, and to get you interested.
Then Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it, and they had to pick out the tomato with a teaspoon.
And then it was George's turn, and he trod onStepped on. the butter. I didn't say anything, but I came over and sat on the edge of the table and watched them It irritated them more than anything I could have said. I felt that. It made them nervous and excited, and they stepped on things, and put things behind them, and then couldn't find them when they wanted them; and they packed the pies at the bottom, and put heavy things on top, and smashed the pies in.
They upset salt over everything, and as for the butter! I never saw two men do more with one-and-two pence worth of butter in my whole life than they did. After George had got it off his slipper, they tried to put it in the kettle. It wouldn't go in, and what was in wouldn't come out. They did scrape it out at last, and 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.
"I'll take my oathSay with certainty. I put it down on that chair," said George, staring at the empty seat.
"I saw you do it myself, not a minute ago,?" said Harris.
Then they started round the room again looking for it; and then they met again in the centre and stared at one another.
"Most extraordinary thing I ever heard of," said George.
“So mysterious!" said Harris.
Then George got round at the back of Harris and saw it.
"Why, here it is all the time," he exclaimed, indignantly.
"Where?" cried Harris, spinning round.
"Stand still, can't you?" roared George, flying after him.
And they got it off, and packed it in the teapot.
Montmorency was in it all, of course. Montmorency's ambition in life is to get in the way and be scolded. If he can squirm in anywhere where he particularly is not wanted, and be a perfect nuisance, and make people mad, and have things thrown at his head, then he feels his day has not been wasted.
To get somebody to stumble over him, and curse him steadily for an hour, is his highest aim and object; and, when he has succeeded in accomplishing this, his conceit becomes quite unbearable.
He came and sat down on things, just when they were wanted; and he laboured under the fixed belief that, whenever Harris or George reached out their hand for anything, it was his cold damp nose that they wanted. He put his leg into the jam, and played with the teaspoons, and he pretended that the lemons were rats, and got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could land himHit him. with the frying-pan.
Harris said I encouraged him. I didn't encourage him. A dog like that don't want(slang) does not need. any encouragement. It's the natural, original sin that is born in him that makes him do things like that.
The packing was done at 12:50; and Harris sat on the big hamper, and said he hoped nothing would be found broken. George said that if anything was broken it was broken, and this thought seemed to comfort him. He also said he was ready for bed. We were all ready for bed. Harris was to sleep with us that night, and we went upstairs.
By -
Jerome K Jerome.
Jerome Klapka Jerome
was an English writer best known for the comic travelogue 'Three Men in a Boat'. His other works include 'Three Men on the Bummel' and several other novels.
# Summary :
● The extract describes a humorous incident where three friends prepare for a boat trip by packing their things. The narrator confidently takes charge, claiming he is an expert packer. However, instead of helping, George and Harris relax, which irritates him. As the narrator begins packing, he makes several mistakes—forgetting items like boots and constantly worrying about his toothbrush. This leads to repeated unpacking and chaos.
● Later, George and Harris take over packing the hampers but perform even worse. They break things, squash food, misplace items, and create a complete mess. Their clumsiness adds to the comedy. Meanwhile, Montmorency, the dog, adds to the confusion by getting in the way, playing with items, and creating nuisance.
● In the end, despite all the disorder and confusion, they somehow finish packing late at night and go to bed, hoping nothing is broken.
# Character Sketch :
● Overconfident
● boastful
● Easily irritated
● Ironically inefficient.
● Carefree
● Lazy
● Relaxed attitude
● Careless while packing.
● Clumsy
● Irresponsible
● Disorganised
● Creates more confusion.
● Mischievous
● Playful
● Troublemaker
● Enjoys creating trouble.
# Moral of the story :
● Overconfidence leads to mistakes.
● Teamwork needs coordination.
● Small tasks can become chaotic without planning.
● Humour can be found in everyday situations.
# Humour Technique Used :
● Irony : Narrator claims expertise but fails.
● Exaggeration : Toothbrush obsession.
● Situational Comedy : Packing disasters.
● Character Comedy : Clumsy friends and naughty dog.
# Word - Meanings :
- Parted : Leave Someone's company.
- Hampers : Large basket for carrying food.
- Uncanny : Strange.
- Potter about : Doing things in relaxed manner.
- Loll : Lie in relaxed manner.
- Messing about : Doing things in unplanned manner.
- Wild : Very angry.
- Rummaged : Searched untidily.
- Had a go : Tried to pack.
- Trod on : Stepped on.
- Take my oath : Say with certainty.
- Land him : Hit him.
- Don't want : Does not need.
# Quiz : " Let's recall "
Quiz - Packing for the Journey.
Quiz Finished!
# Question - Answers :
# Short Answer Questions :
Q1. What preparations did the friends make before packing?
Ans. They made a long list of things to take on the trip.
Q2. What day did they meet to pack?
Ans. They met on Friday evening.
Q3. What items did they use for packing?
Ans. They used a big bag for clothes and hampers for food and utensils.
Q4. Who volunteered to do the packing?
Ans. The narrator volunteered to pack.
Q5. Why did the narrator want to take charge of packing?
Ans. The narrator believed that he was an expert and knew more about packing than anyone else.
Q6. What did George and Harris do when the narrator offered to pack?
Ans. They relaxed — George smoked a pipe and Harris smoked a cigar.
Q7. What had the narrator actually intended?
Ans. He wanted to supervise while George and Harris did the work.
Q8. What irritated the narrator the most?
Ans. The narrator gets irritated the most when he See others sitting idle while he worked.
Q9. What mistake did the narrator make after packing the bag?
Ans. He forgot to pack the boots.
Q10. Why did Harris annoy the narrator regarding the boots?
Ans. He mentioned them only after the bag was packed and strapped.
Q11. How did George and Harris make packing worse?
Ans. They broke things, spoiled food, misplaced items, and created confusion.
Q12. What was Montmorency’s ambition?
Ans. To get in the way, create trouble, and be scolded.
Q13. What shows that the narrator is not as good at packing as he claims?
Ans. He forgets items, repeatedly repacks, and creates confusion, proving his claim is exaggerated.
Q14. Why do you think the narrator fails despite his confidence?
Ans. The narrator fails because his overconfidence leads to carelessness and lack of proper planning.
Q15. What lesson do you learn from the packing incident?
Ans. Proper teamwork and planning are necessary to avoid confusion.
Q16. Describe the narrator’s personality.
Ans. He is boastful, self-important, and easily irritated, but also humorous and self-aware.
Q17. What kind of person is Harris?
Ans. Harris is careless, clumsy, and contributes to the chaos.
Q18. Describe George’s role in the story.
Ans. George is relaxed and careless, often making mistakes and adding to the humour.
Q19. What type of dog is Montmorency?
Ans. Montmorency is playful, mischievous, and loves creating trouble.
Q20. What message does the extract convey?
Ans. It shows that overconfidence can lead to mistakes and that teamwork without coordination leads to chaos.
# Long Answer Questions :
Q1. Why is the episode of the toothbrush humorous?
Ans. The episode of the toothbrush is humorous because the narrator constantly worries about forgetting his toothbrush. He repeatedly packs and unpacks everything, only to find it in an unexpected place (inside a boot). This exaggeration makes the situation funny.
Q2. Describe the chaos created while packing.
Ans. The narrator empties everything while searching for the toothbrush. Later, George and Harris create more chaos by breaking items, squashing food, stepping on butter, and misplacing things.
Q3. What role does Montmorency play during packing?
Ans. Montmorency behaves mischievously — he gets in the way, sits on items, plays with utensils, and creates confusion, adding humour to the situation.
Q4. Why did the narrator reopen the bag? What did he do then?
Ans. The narrator reopened the bag because he Forgot to pack the boots, Was unsure about his toothbrush, Later realized that he had packed his tobacco pouch, Each time, he unpacked everything, searched for the item, and repacked the bag, creating confusion and disorder.
Q5. Describe the humour in the packing episode.
Ans. The packing episode is full of humour created through irony, exaggeration, and situational comedy. The narrator claims to be an expert packer, but he forgets important items like boots and keeps worrying about his toothbrush. This creates irony because his actions contradict his words. The situation becomes more humorous when George and Harris try to pack. They break a cup, squash tomatoes, step on butter, and misplace items. Their clumsiness adds to the comedy. Montmorency, the dog, further increases the humour by getting in the way, spoiling things, and behaving mischievously. Thus, the entire scene becomes a perfect example of comic confusion and chaos.
Q6. Prove that the narrator gets irritated with idle people.
Ans. The narrator clearly says that nothing irritates him more than people sitting idle while he works. He recalls a man who used to watch him work, which made him angry. He also gets irritated when George and Harris relax instead of helping him pack.
Q7. How are the characters of George, and Harris portrayed?
Ans. George is carefree and careless on the other hand Harris is clumsy and equally careless. Together, they create comic confusion.
Q8. Sketch the character of the narrator.
Ans. The narrator is a humorous and overconfident person. He believes that he is very good at packing and takes pride in his abilities. However, his actions show that he is careless and forgetful, as he repeatedly makes mistakes. He also gets easily irritated, especially when others sit idle while he works. At the same time, he enjoys supervising others rather than doing all the work himself.
Q9. Describe some of Montmorency’s mischief.
Ans. Montmorency’s mischief made the packing even more confusing and humorous as :
● He sat on things when they were needed.
● Put his nose in everything.
● Put his leg into the jam.
● Played with teaspoons.
● Treated lemons like rats and destroyed them.
● Got into the hamper and created chaos.
Q10. What lesson do you learn from the packing incident?
Ans. The packing incident teaches us that overconfidence can lead to mistakes. It also shows the importance of teamwork and proper planning. Without coordination, even simple tasks can become chaotic. The story reminds us to stay organized and work together efficiently.
# Reference to the context :
“ We made a list of the things to be taken… ”
Q. Who are “we”?
Ans. The narrator, George, and Harris.
Q. What does the list indicate?
Ans. The list indicates proper planning for the journey.
Q. What did they do next?
Ans. They gathered items and started packing.
“ I said I’d pack… ”
Q. Who said this and to whom?
Ans. The narrator said this to George and Harris.
Q. What does he claim?
Ans. He claims that he is an expert at packing.
Q. What was his actual intention?
Ans. His actual intention was to supervise others.
“ I rather pride myself on my packing. ”
Q. Whom do these words refer to?
Ans. These words refer to the narrator (Jerome himself).
Q. What does this tell you about the person?
Ans. It shows that he is overconfident and boastful about his packing skills.
Q. How is this statement ironic?
Ans. The statement is ironic because, despite his confidence, he keeps making mistakes like forgetting boots and the toothbrush.
“ This was hardly what I intended. ”
Q. Who was the speaker?
Ans. The narrator (Jerome himself).
Q. What had the speaker intended?
Ans. He intended to supervise while George and Harris did the actual packing under his guidance.
Q. What happened actually?
Ans. George and Harris relaxed and did nothing, leaving all the work to him.
“ There is nothing that does irritate me more… ”
Q. Who is the speaker in the above line?
Ans. The narrator is the speaker.
Q. What irritates him?
Ans. Seeing people sitting idle.
Q. What does this suggest about the speaker?
Ans. He dislikes laziness in others but ironically behaves similarly later.
“ Ain’t you going to put the boots in? ”
Q. Who spoke these words and to whom?
Ans. Harris said this to the narrator.
Q. Was he really worried about the boots being packed?
Ans. No, he was not genuinely worried.
Q. What was his intention?
Ans. He said it only after the bag was packed, which shows he wanted to irritate or tease the narrator.
“ It is my energetic nature. ”
Q. Who was the speaker?
Ans. The narrator (Jerome himself).
Q. What does his energetic nature make him do?
Ans. It makes him supervise others, give instructions, and interfere in their work.
Q. What does his energetic nature not allow him to do?
Ans. It does not allow him to sit idle and watch others working.
“ They started with breaking a cup. ”
Q. Who are ‘they’?
Ans. ‘They’ refers to George and Harris.
Q. What did they start?
Ans. They started packing the hampers.
Q. How did they started?
Ans. They started with breaking a cup.
“ Most extraordinary thing… ”
Q. Who said this?
Ans. George
Q. What was he referring to?
Ans. He was referring to the missing butter.
Q. Why the incident was extraordinary?
Ans. This incident was extraordinary because they couldn’t find the butter which was in-front of their eyes a movement ago.
“ I never saw two men do more with one-and-two pence worth of butter… ”
Q. What happened with the butter?
Ans. George stepped on the butter and later the butter was missing.
Q. What were the things that George and Harris did with the butter?
Ans. George stepped on the butter, They tried to put it into the kettle, They placed it on a chair and Harris sat on it which created more confusion.
Q. Was the author shocked or amused?
Ans. The author was amused, as the situation is described humorously.
# Quick Revision :
- Friends made a long packing list.
- Narrator took charge confidently.
- Narrator was Overconfident but careless.
- Narrator forgets boots and worries about toothbrush.
- Repeated packing and unpacking created confusion.
- George and Harris relax instead of helping.
- George and Harris were Clumsy and messy.
- George and Harris pack, break and spoil things.
- Montmorency was a Mischievous dog.
- Montmorency creates nuisance.
- Packing finishes late at night.
- Key humour were Irony and chaos.
- Important incidents were related to Boots, toothbrush and butter.
- The message given was to avoid overconfidence and work together.
# S.E.T :
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