Chapter 1
The Best Christmas Present in the World
Comprehension Check (Page 10)
1:What did the author find in a junk shop?
Answer: The author came across a nineteenth-century roll-top desk in a junk shop. The desk was in poor condition, featuring scorch marks along one side and several damaged parts, including a leg that had been roughly repaired.
2:What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?
Answer:The author discovered a hidden compartment beneath the roll-top desk drawer, containing a small black tin box. Inside the box was a piece of lined notepaper sealed to its top, with a note in shaky handwriting stating: “Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.”
It appears that Mrs. Jim Macpherson placed the letter in the box, as her full name and address were written on the envelope.
Comprehension Check (Page 14)
1:Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?
Answer:The letter was written by Captain Jim Macpherson of the British army, who was engaged in the war against the Germans, to his wife Connie on 26th December, 1914.
2:Why was the letter written — what was the wonderful thing that had happened?
Answer:Jim Macpherson wrote the letter to his wife, Connie, to share the remarkable event that took place on Christmas Day. Despite the ongoing war between the British and the Germans, both sides celebrated Christmas and even played a friendly football match together.
3:What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?
Answer: Prior to joining the army, Hans Wolf from Dusseldorf played the cello in an orchestra, while Jim Macpherson worked as a school teacher in Dorset.
4:Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?
Answer:Hans Wolf had never visited Dorset before. He knew about it because he had studied it at school and read many English books. One of his favourite books was Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.
5:Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?
Answer: It seems that Jim Macpherson did not return from the war. This is evident because his wife, Connie, had carefully kept all his letters, possibly as a remembrance.
Comprehension Check (Page 15)
1:Why did the author go to Bridport?
Answer:The author traveled to Bridport to meet Connie Macpherson and personally deliver the letter addressed to her at 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport, Dorset. He intended to return the letter, which had been written by her husband, after he had accidentally opened and read it.
2:How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?
Answer: Mrs. Connie Macpherson was 101 years old. She was residing at the Burlington House Nursing Home, situated on Dorchester Road, on the opposite side of the town.
Comprehension Check (Page 16)
1:Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?
Answer:Connie Macpherson believed that the person who had come with the letter was her husband, Jim Macpherson.
2:Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?
Answer:The sentence which shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity is, “I explained about the desk, about how I had found it, but I don’t think she was listening”. From this sentence, we understand that although the author tries his best to explain how he found the letter in the old roll-top desk, Mrs Macpherson didn’t pay attention to his words; rather, she stroked the letter tenderly with her fingertips.
Working with the text (Page 16)
1:For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:Connie kept Jim’s letter for a long period of time. We understand this from the fact that she told the narrator how she used to read the letter every day and could feel Jim’s presence around her always.
2:Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?
Answer:The roll-top desk was put up for sale when the house in which Mrs Jim Macpherson lived caught fire, and she was taken to the Burlington House Nursing Home. Most of the things got burned and were put up for sale thereafter.
3:Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?
Answer:Jim and Hans thought that games or sports were good ways of resolving conflicts because nobody lays down their lives in matches. Neither do children become orphans, nor do wives become widows of martyred soldiers. Both Jim and Hans thought that war only leads to death, conflict and devastation, whereas playing matches is a good way to end the conflicts.
Yes, I agree with both Jim and Hans that playing friendly matches is definitely an ideal way to resolve conflicts between two enemy countries without any loss of life and property.
4:Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.
Answer:The soldiers of the two armies are similar to each other as per the following reasons derived from the story:
- Both armies celebrated Christmas together.
- They shared good moments together by eating, laughing, drinking and talking with each other.
- Both armies played a friendly football match and approved the fact that conflicts could have been resolved by playing a match.
- They agreed about the consequences or negative impact that war has upon families.
- Both armies longed for peace and exchanged Christmas carols, and hoped to unite with their respective families soon.
5:Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.
Answer:Both the British and the German soldiers were enemies at war and belonged to different camps. However, at the end of the day, both armies comprised human beings who had similar feelings of love and compassion for their respective families and all those who were fighting the war. Both groups shared the festive spirit of Christmas, and enjoyed a feast together by eating, drinking and making merry together. They also talked of Bathsheba and Gabriel Oak and Sergeant Troy and Dorset. They also sang Christmas carols together and spent some quality time with each other. They got over hatred and played a friendly game of football and wished that all conflicts in the world could be resolved by playing games. Both Jim and Hans hated war and knew well how the war affected the lives of their families. Both were anxious to return home to their families once the war comes to an end.
6:What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it “the best Christmas present in the world”?
Answer:When the narrator visited Connie to deliver her husband’s letter, she mistook him to be her husband, Jim Macpherson due to her old age and memory loss. She was looking forward to Jim returning home for Christmas. She felt this was the best Christmas present she could ever receive.
This was the best Christmas present in the world for Connie because Jim had mentioned in the letter that he would return home from the war on Christmas. She used to read that letter multiple times a day to feel her husband’s presence nearby. Hence, when the narrator told her how he found the letter, she was extremely happy and felt it was Jim who had come to visit her after a long time.
7:Do you think the title of this story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other title(s)?
Answer:In my opinion, the title of the story is very apt and suits it perfectly. The festive spirit of Christmas prevails throughout the story. It clearly mentions how the warring troops longed for peace and had a strong desire to return home safely to their respective families. They shared a wonderful moment together by sharing food and drinks, talked to their heart’s content and played a football match among themselves. However, when the narrator goes to visit Connie along with the letter written by her husband, Jim Macpherson, she presumes the author to be her husband and thanks him for gifting her the best Christmas present ever.
Some suitable titles could be – “The Best Christmas Gift” and “When a Christmas wish comes true”.
