Chapter 2


1. Where was the author when he heard the noise?

Answer: The author (narrator) was in the bathroom drying himself with a towel when he first heard the noise downstairs.


2. What did the narrator think the unusual sound was?

Answer: The narrator thought the unusual sound was the footsteps of a ghost walking around the dining room table downstairs.


3. What were the various sounds the brothers heard when they went downstairs?

Answer: When the brothers (the narrator and Herman) went downstairs, they heard the sound of footsteps walking around in the dining room, the slamming of doors, and someone moving quickly. These sounds frightened them and made them think someone (or something) was in the house.


4. Who were the narrator's neighbours?

Answer: The narrator's neighbours were Mr. and Mrs. Bodwell, who lived next door and were both slightly eccentric. Mr. Bodwell was described as a retired engraver and was very quick to react to emergencies, while Mrs. Bodwell was always ready to sell the house due to disturbances.


5. How did the Bodwells react, when 5. How di a shoe was thrown into their house?

Answer: When a shoe was thrown into their house, Mr. Bodwell shouted that he was coming and began calling the police, thinking there was an emergency. The shoe, thrown by the narrator's mother to get their attention, startled them.


6. What did the Bodwells think when they heard the mother shout?

Answer: When they heard the narrator’s mother shout, the Bodwells thought there was a real burglary happening, which confirmed their fear that something serious was going on. This made Mr. Bodwell call the police immediately.


7. What was the grandfather wearing?

Answer: The grandfather was wearing a long flannel nightgown, a nightcap, and he had his antique Civil War-era umbrella in hand when he came out of his room.


8. What conclusions did grandfather jump to when he saw the cops?

Answer: The grandfather thought that the policemen were deserters from the army during the Civil War. Believing he was still fighting in the war, he charged at them shouting military orders and used his umbrella to attack them.


9. Were the policemen willing to leave the house?

Answer: No, the policemen were not willing to leave the house immediately. They were confused by the chaos and demanded explanations. They searched the house thoroughly, even questioning the family members, trying to find out what was really going on.


10. What made the reporter gaze at the author?

Answer: The reporter gazed at the author because of the strange and confusing story that was unfolding. The bizarre sequence of events — mysterious sounds, police involvement, and the grandfather’s dramatic charge — made the whole situation seem unbelievable, and the author couldn’t give a clear explanation, which added to the reporter’s curiosity and amusement.


11. Why was the narrator sorry to have paid attention to the footsteps?

Answer: The narrator was sorry because his attention to the footsteps caused a series of chaotic and humorous misunderstandings. If he had ignored the sound, the night would have passed peacefully. Instead, the events spiraled into panic, police involvement, and his grandfather charging around, creating a comic disaster.


12. Why did Herman and the author slam the doors?

Answer: Herman and the author slammed the doors because they were frightened by the sound of footsteps downstairs. They believed a burglar or ghost had entered the house, so they panicked and ran back to their rooms, slamming the doors behind them for protection.


13. What woke up the mother?

Answer: The sound of slamming doors woke up the mother. She became alarmed and assumed that something serious was happening in the house, leading to her further dramatic reaction.


14. What do you understand by the mother's act of throwing the shoe?

Answer: The mother throwing the shoe reflects her panic and quick reaction to protect her family. She mistook the situation for a real emergency and threw a shoe through the Bodwells' window to alert the neighbors and call for help. It was an impulsive act driven by fear.


15. Why do you think Mrs. Bodwell wanted to sell the house?

Answer: Mrs. Bodwell wanted to sell the house because she was fed up with the disturbances coming from the narrator’s home. The sudden throwing of a shoe through her window and the chaos that followed made her feel unsafe and disturbed, prompting her to consider moving.


16. How did the cops manage to enter the locked house?

Answer: The cops entered the house by breaking the glass on the front door. They were alerted by the Bodwells, who thought there was a burglary in progress. Since the door was locked and no one opened it, the police forced their way in.


17. Why were the policemen prevented from entering grandfather's room?

Answer: The policemen were prevented from entering grandfather’s room because grandfather had locked the door from the inside and believed that the police were deserters from the Civil War. He was armed and ready to attack, so it was too risky for the policemen to approach.


18. Who used the zither and how?

Answer: The grandfather used the zither to strike a policeman on the head. Mistaking the officer for a deserter, he came out of his room and hit the cop with the zither in a burst of old-war fury.


19. Mention the events that the grandfather imagined.

Answer: The grandfather imagined that the house had been invaded by deserters from Meade’s army during the Civil War. In his confusion, he believed he was still in the midst of war and that the police were enemies trying to escape justice. This delusion led him to lock his room and attack the officer.


20. What was the writer always asked to do whenever he planned to go abroad?

Answer: The writer was always asked to buy things for people whenever he planned to go abroad. These requests were often for small or specific items that were hard to find or inconvenient to buy.


21. What did Gilson want the writer to bring for him?

Answer: Gilson wanted the writer to bring him a tie with a small embroidered “G” on it — any color would do, but it had to have his initial.


22. When did the writer remember the fact that he had to buy something for Mr. Gilson?

Answer: The writer remembered the tie for Mr. Gilson on Tuesday morning, just before leaving for the airport, when he saw the airport bus waiting outside the hotel.


23. Why were the other passengers in the flight gazing at the writer?

Answer: The other passengers were gazing at the writer because the flight had been delayed because of him. He boarded the plane last, panting and tired, after running around to buy the tie.


24. What is the humour element in the above incident?

Answer: The humour lies in the irony and exaggeration of the situation. After so much effort, rushing around, overpaying for the ties, and delaying the flight, the writer finally boards the plane without the ties — he had left the paper bag in the taxi. All the effort was wasted, which makes the incident both ridiculous and funny.