Q1 of 34 Page 125

Working in pairs, imagine the following scene:

• Mr. White's living room


• Midnight; Herbert's gone to work


• Mrs. and Mr. White seated on the armchairs, on each side of the fireplace; both watching faces in the fire with horror.


Role play Mrs. and Mr. White. Discuss what you are seeing and your plans to avert the impending disaster that might befall your household.

Mr. White - Oh! Did you see that! Did you see that! (screaming in terror)


Mrs. White - Jesus! I should have known you weren't imagining! It’s real! It’s surreal!


Mr. White - (with a pale face) I wish you'd heard me earlier! I wish we'd listened to Morris! How we've invited disaster to our home!


Mrs. White - What'd we do now? It’s too late! We've already made out first wish! What if it costs our peace? it’s terrible! It’s terrible!


Mr. White - Calm down Jenny! We have to avert the danger. We need to find a solution quick! (starts thinking something)


Mrs. White - Father! This paw fulfills three wishes! What if we ask it to revert our first wish? (stares at Mr. White)


Mr. White - (staring back at Mrs. White) Can we?


Mrs. White - Unless we want to see more faces in the fire...


Mr. White - But what if it didn't work? What if we're doomed!


Mrs. White - (taking up the paw and giving it to Mr. White) Do we have an option...?


Mr. White - (terrified, with a pause) I wish... to revert my previous wish, and take it back. I... I do not want the 200 Pounds.


(with a shriek) Jesus!


Mrs. White - Did it... Did it move again?


Mr. White - More aggressive this time...


(looks at Mrs. White) Should we continue with....


Mrs. White - (blank expression) What are you.....


Mr. White - (taking up the paw in his hands again) I wish to not make any further wishes, and interfere with destiny again... We are happy as we are, and accept our fate as it is...


Mrs. White - Honey! Look! The faces have gone! (shocked)


Mr. White - Have they? (turns back at the mantelpiece, a sigh of relief comes to his face)


Never again... Should anyone go through this... (throws the paw into the fire)


More from this chapter

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1

'It moved! As I wished, it twisted in my hand, it twisted in my hand like a snake.'

'Nothing ... I ... haha! ... I saw faces in the fire'. How far did Herbert and Mrs. White believe Mr. White's remarks? Justify your answer by quoting from the text.

 2

Why did the fakir put the spell on the paw? What did he want to prove to the people? Did he do anything good to the world by doing this? Justify?

 2

Work in groups of four: One of you should act as Herbert and the other three as his friends at work.

Two of the friends are superstitious and warn Herbert about the premonition, whereas the other one is happy-go-lucky, like Herbert. They are talking about Herbert's experience the previous evening at home.


• Convince Herbert to take some precautions before it is too late.


• At the end of the conversation, write a message as Herbert to Mr. White, suggesting to him what precautions the family should take.

 1

'... I was asleep and not asleep, ... 'what state of mind of the speaker is indicated here? What /who is responsible for this state?