CBSE Class 10 English The Hack Driver Worksheet

 

GIST
This story is about a junior assistant clerk. His job was to serve summons. As he hated this work, he thought about running away to his own home town, and become a lawyer right away. One day, he was asked to serve summons on a man, called Oliver Lutkins as he was a witness in a law suit. On reaching New Mullion, he found that a delivery man (hack driver) was willing to help him find the person in quarry. He would charge two dollars an hour for that work, as it would be very difficult to locate Lutkins. The hackman started talking to him and said that Lutkins never parted with his money. Wherever they went, he told the narrator to keep out of sight, while he enquired for Lutkins. They went to Fritz’s where Lutkins played poker and from there to a barber and then a poolroom. They were not able to find Lutkins. In the afternoon, the narrator decided to buy lunch and offered to pay for the hack driver’s lunch also. The driver got the lunch prepared by his wife and charged him half a dollar for it. Finally, the hack driver took him to Lutkin’s house. When Lutkin’s mother heard that they had come to serve summons on her son, she seized an iron rod and marched on them. She also threatened to burn them if they did not go away. The narrator returned to his city. He was asked to go back and somehow serve summons on Lutkins. A man who knew Lutkins went with him. On reaching New Mullion, the narrator was shocked to find that the hack driver himself was Oliver Lutkins. Lutkins and his mother laughed at him. Feeling insulted and humiliated, the narrator served summons on Lutkins.

1. Read the extracts to attempt the questions that follow:

Fritz looked at me ,hiding behind Bill.He hesitated, and then admitted ,”Yes ,he was in here a little while ago .Guess he ‘s gone over to Gustaff’s to get a shave .” “Well, if he comes in,tell him I’m looking for him”.
We drove to Gustaff’s barber shop. Again Bill went in first and I lingered at the door. He asked not only the Swede but two customers if they had seen Lutkins. The Swede had not.

Question. Fritz hesitation was on account of wanting to
a. Take a moment to comprehend and fall in with the prank
b. Understand what was being asked answer accordingly
c. Pretend ignorance at the question asked ,to waste time
d. Confirm that it was him being addressed before replying
Answer. A

Question. The narrator hovered near the door because he
a. Wanted to drop the conversation
b. Didn’t trust Bill to enquire sternly
c. Had been asked to remain there by Bill
d. Found the interior too stuffy
Answer. C

Question. Fritz is a………………… name
a. English
b.German
c. American
d.Sweedish
Answer. B

Question. Pick out the word from the extract which means to stay somewhere or do something for longer than usual
Answer. lingered

Question. Who were there in Gustaff’s Barber shop?
Answer. The narrator saw Bill, Gustaff, and two customers inside the shop.

 

2.“Lutkins? I saw him around here about an hour ago. Hard fellow to catch though — always up to something or other. He’s probably trying to start up a poker game in the back of Fritz’s shop. I’ll tell you, boy — is there any hurry about locating Lutkins?” “Yes. I want to catch the afternoon train back to the city.” I was very important and secret about it.
`
Question. “Lutkins? I saw him around here………” Whose words are these?
Answer. Bills’ words/ Lutkin’s words

Question. “Yes. I want to catch the afternoon train back to the city.”?
Who says this to whom?
Answer. The narrator says these to Lutkin

Question. Why can’t Lutkins be caught?
Answer. Hint: Hard fellow to catch though — always up to something or other.

Question. According to the speaker, where can Lutkins be?
Answer. He could be at the back of Fritz’ shop , playing Poker game.

Question. What was the Narrator so particular about?
Answer. The Narrator was particular about his return journey.

 

3. “I know Oliver’s mother. She’s a terror,” Bill sighed. “I took a trunk out there for her once, and she almost took my skin off because I didn’t treat it like a box of eggs. She’s about nine feet tall and four feet thick and quick as a cat, and she sure can talk. I’ll bet Oliver heard that

somebody’s chasing him, and he’s gone on there to hide behind his mother’s skirts. Well, we’ll try her. But you’d better let me do it, boy. You may be great at literature and law, but you haven’t had real training in swearing.” We drove into a poor farmyard; we were faced by an enormous and cheerful old woman. My guide bravely went up to her and said, “Remember me? I’m Bill Magnuson, the carter and hackman. I want to find your son, Oliver.”

1. My guide bravely went up to her and said, “Remember me? I’m Bill Magnuson, the carter and hackman.

Question. For whom ,was this introduction made?
Answer. For Lutkin’s mother

Question. Who was the enormous and cheerful woman?
Answer.Lutkin’s Mother

Question. What was the hidden agenda behind these words?
Answer.The hidden agenda behind this was to inform his mother about the situation; so that she could behave accordingly.

Question. Pick out the word which suggests the woman was so active and quick in her activities.
Answer.Quick as a cat

Question. Was Lutkin’s mother, a hard working woman?
Answer.Yes

 

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. Who is the author of the story “The Hack Driver”?
a. H G Wells
b. Ruskin Bond
c. Kamala Das
d. Sinclair Lewis
Answer. D

Question. The narrator was sent to New Mullion as……………………………..
a. He was summoned by Oliver Lutkins
b. He was a witness in a law case
c. He had to serve sermons on Lutkins
d. He had ignored all the letters
Answer. C

Question. The Village folk used to call the Hack Driver
a. Lutkin Driver
b. Oliver
c. Magnuson
d. Advocate
Answer. C

Question. Who was Oliver Lutkins?
a. Fritz
b. Swede
c. Grey
d. Bill
Answer. D

Question. The name Gustaff is of ……………………. Origin
a. English
b. German
c. Russian
d. Swedish
Answer. C

Question. Who was said to be the most cheerful person in New Mullion according to the narrator ?
a. The hack driver
b. Gustaff
c. Lutkin’s mother
d. Fritz
Answer. A

Question.’I agreed to an identity that it was a pretty disrespectful treatment. This disrespectful treatment refers to
a. The harassment by Lutkin’s mother
b. The absence of Oliver Lutkins
c. Lutkin’s mother laughing at them
d. The ignorance of Lutkin’s mother
Answer. C

Question. I hated this unpleasant work. The writer even considers fleeing to
a. A countryside
b. His hometown
c. New mullion
d. A big city
Answer. B

Question. Why did Lutkins pretend to be Bill Magnuson?
a. because he did not want to accept the summons
b. because he did not want to go home
c. because he wanted to fool the narrator
d. because he wanted to trap the narrator
Answer. A

Question. Given below are two statements marked as Assertion(A) and Reason(R) Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct alternative from the following
Assertion(A):The young lawyer hated his job.
Reason(R ):He had to go to dirty and shadowy places to serve sermons
a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b. Both A and R are true but Ris not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true but R is false
d. A is false but Ris true
Answer. A

Question. Why were Lutkins and his mother laughing at the narrator at the end?
a. Because the narrator was befooled by Lutkins.
b. Because they were of jovial nature
c. Because they were sharing jokes with each other
d. None of the above
Answer. A

Question. What do you mean by legal briefs?
a. Legal diaries carried by lawyers
b. Notes pertaining to laws and constitutional acts
c. Notes prepared by lawyers to argue in the court of law
d. Notes pretrained by the culprit
Answer. B

Question. Given below are two statements marked as Assertion(A) and Reason(R) Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct alternative from the following
Assertion :The narrator was a young lawyer who became a junior Assistant Clerk to a magnificent law firm
Reason :He went to New Mullion as a Hack driver.
a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b. Both A and R are true but Ris not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true but R is false
d. A is false but Ris true
Answer. A

Question. Could the narrator serve summons on Lutkins in his first visit
a. Yes
b. No
Answer. B

Question. Why was the chief angry at the narrator when returned without serving the summons?
a. Because they needed Lutkins as an important eyewitness
b. he thought the young lawyer will never come back
c. He had heard from a friend how the narrator was befooled
d. He wanted Lutkins to be thrown behind the bars
Answer. A

Question. On their way to meet Lutkin’s mother, the Hack driver describes Lutkins mother to the narrator, as
a. a very short and lovely lady of 6 feet height
b. a very short fat lady of medium height
c. a tall lady with beautiful eyes
d. a nine feet tall and four feet thick quick lady
Answer. A

Question. Given below are some adjectives. Choose the ones which can be associated with Oliver Lutkins
1. Deceptive 2.Clever 3.short-tempered 4.friendly 5.cunning 6.jolly 7.quick-witted
a. 1,2,4,6,7
b. 1,2,3,4
c. 2 and 3 only
d. 1,2,3 and 7
Answer. C

Question. Given below are two statements marked as Assertion(A) and Reason(R) Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct alternative from the following
Assertion(A):The Narrator bargained the fare money to two dollars per hour
Reason(R ):They started the poker game.
a. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b. Both A and R are true but Ris not the correct explanation of A
c. A is true but R is false
d. A is false but Ris true
Answer. C

Question. But he was no more dishonest than I. The writer says this because …………
a. He was being dishonest to Lutkin’s
b. He was charging the whole thing to his firm
c. He was being dishonest to Bill
d. He was more dishonest than Lutkins
Answer. C

Question. How many times did the narrator visit New Mullion?
a. 1
b. 3
c. 5
d. 2
Answer. D

 

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS. 

Question. Why the lawyer is sent to New Mullion? What does he think about the place?
Answer. The lawyer was sent to New Mullion in order to serve the summons on Oliver Lutkins. He was needed as a witness in a law case. The lawyer had expected the place to be a sweet and simple country village.

Question. Why did the narrator call his work unpleasant?
Answer. The narrator was sent to serve summons. He had to go to all sorts of dirty and dangerous places. At times, he was also beaten by those very people. That is why he called his work unpleasant.

Question. How did the hack driver appear ?
Answer. The hack driver looked to be about forty years in age. His face was red. He wore dirty and worn out clothes but he was cheerful.

Question. Why does the hack driver offer to ask about Oliver Lutkins?
Answer. The hack driver was none other than Oliver Lutkins himself. He did not wish to take the summons and go as a witness. So, he pretended to be a hack driver. He offered to help the lawyer so that the lawyer could not come to know about him from someone else.

Question. ‘But he was no more dishonest than I’. Explain.
Answer. The narrator meant to say that the hack driver was as dishonest as him because he was getting paid for riding the narrator on his cart on the pretence of helping him.

Question. The narrator was happy though he had not found Lutkins. Why?
Answer. The narrator had hated city life. This ride through the village made him very happy. He was overjoyed to meet the hack driver. So he was happy though he had not found Lutkins.

Question. How does the narrator find Lutkins eventually?
Answer. The narrator’s companion had seen Lutkins. When the narrator pointed out the hack driver to him, he told him that the hack driver was Lutkins himself. In this way, the narrator found Lutkins eventually.

 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

Question. Why do you think Lutkins’ neighbours were anxious to meet the lawyer?
Answer. Lutkins took the lawyer all across the town in search of Lutkins himself. He was able to fool the lawyer with his cooked up stories about Lutkins and other villagers. All this must have become the talk of the town as how a man could fool the other man in his own search. Everyone had seen this happening. So, Lutkins’ neighbours were keen to see him as they missed seeing him that day.

Question. After his first day’s experience with the hack driver the lawyer thinks of returning to New Mullion to practise law. Do you think he would have reconsidered this idea after his second visit?
Answer. Yes, he may have reconsidered his idea of practicing law at New Mullions. He had taken this decision because he was impressed by the noble and friendly nature of Bill. He found that the villagers were nice, innocent and kind. They were far better than the city people who were not so simple and humble. But on the second visit when he realized that Lutkins had fooled him, he would rethink over his idea and would decide not to settle in New Mullion.

Question. Why did the young lawyer wish to return to New Mullion? 
Answer. The young lawyer was so impressed and overwhelmed by the warmth and friendliness of the people at the village that he wished ta return to New Mullion in order to start practising law there.

Question. What about the delivery man appealed to the young junior assistant clerk from the city?
Answer. The delivery man was the only grace-saving thing at the New Mullion station. He was a red-faced, plump man of forty years He was so cheerful and friendly that his warmth appealed to the narrator.

Question. Who befriended the narrator when he went to New Mullion? Where did he take him?
Answer. The hack driver befriended the lawyer when he went to New Mullion to serve summons to a man called Ob’ver Lutkins. The hack driver took him to all the places that Lutkins hanged out art. They went to Fritz’s to see if Oliver was playing a game of poker. then to many other places and finally to Lutkins' mother's form. But all this was in vain.

Question. What did the hack driver tell the narrator about Lutkins mother?
Answer. The hack driver told the narrator that Lutkins’ mother was about nine feet tall and four feet thick She had a rough temper and was great at swearing atpeople. She was a dreadful lady who could beat the souL out of anybody.

Question. Explain how the narrator's expectations fell short of what he'd expected when he was sent to New Mullion?
Answer. The narrator's expectations of a sweet and simple country village were not met when he was sent to New Mullion As its streets were rivers of mudL with rows of wooden shopsi either painted □ sour brown, or bare of any point at all

Question. What do you think inspired the minister's wife to sing the Loudest in church when she was most in debt?
Answer. It is a human trait that in the hour of need, one remembers God the most. One wants to pray hard to God to make Him listen to him/her and help one out of adversity. This is the reason why the minister s wife would sing loudest in church when she was in debt.

Question. Why did the narrator think that in finding New Mullion he had found a ‘treasure?
Answer. The narrator had found Bill a deep and richly human, and thought he would grow to love Fritzand Gustaff and a hundred other slowspoken, simple and wise neighbours. He pictured an honest and happy life beyond the strict Limits of universities and Law firms. He had discovered a new way of life as a treasure.

Question. What do you think of Oliver Lutkins as a person? Give examples from the text?
Answer. Oliver Lutkins was a shrewd p rankster. Altho-ugh he was a countryman, he gave the educated narrator a run for his money. The way Lutkins befooled the intelligent yet innocent lawyer, he proved to be a sharp-witted conmart Lutkins was also a sociable person who was Liked by everybody. All the villagers whom he asked about the whereabouts of Lutkins joined him in his prank happily.

Question. BiLl made me sound very important, and the woman was impressed?
(a) Why did this particularly gladden the narrator's heart?
(b) What does it tell us about human nature and the young man in particular?
Answer. (a) The narrator was glad to see the way BILL described his work and profession- The narrator didn't have a very respectful job and used to do a quite unpleasant work of serving summons but the way Bill narrated  his position gladdened his heart
(b) It is human nature to feel good when somebody praises us or represent us in a mighty way. In the same way, the young mon was happy to hear about himself in good way.

Question. Do you think the Lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Answer. Yes, the narrator was gullible. He believed everything that the hack driver toLd him He could have avoided being taken for a ride by cross-checking the information given about Lutkins by the hack driver with the other villagers

Question. Oliver Lutkins had to be served summons to appear as a witness in a law case. Why do you think he had ignored all their letters thus far and successfully thwarted their attempt at serving summons?
Answer. Oliver Lutkins had to be served; summons to appear in a law case. But he successfully thwarted the attempts by the court as he didn't want to be present at the court in the form of □ witness. He didn't want to be the victim of a proceeding. So, he always ignored the letters sent by the Law firm.

Question. The young man earned for himself the ire of his office people on his return from New Mullion. Explain why.
Answer. The young Lawyer wasn't able to complete his assignment He was supposed to find Oliver Lutkins and serve the summons on him as he was a witness for a cose and had to be present before the court Hence, the people at his office were offended as he couldn’t do his job.

Question. Why did Lutkins pretend to be Bill Ma g nuson? 
Answer. Lutkins didn’t want to appear before the court as a witness. When he got to know that the narrator was there to serve summons on him he disguised himself as Bill Magnuson just to befool the narrator. He wanted the narrator to go back empty-handed.

 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

Question. "Lutkins? I saw him around here about an hour ago. Hard fellow to catch though — always up to something or other
Do you think the speaker is right about Lutkins? Elaborate with the help of examples from the text.
Answer. The speaker of the Line is the hack driver and he is right about Lutkins. The hack driver offered the narrator to help him search Oliver Lutkins for him. However, he warned the narrator that it was very difficult for him to find Lutkins as he was always upto something or other. The hack driver took the narrator to the Fritz shop where he thought Lutkins would be found playing cards. But Lutkins left the place to go to the GustafTs for a sha ve. At G ustaffis, the owner told that Lutkins had just left for a shave at Grey's but Lutkins wasn't found even there. He had just left for the poolroom. Again at the poolroom, he was found to have Left a while ago. So, Lutkins was nowhere to be found and he kept the hack driver and the narrator on a wild chase for him.

Question. The young Lawyer agitated all the people at his office when he failed in serving the summons to Oliver Lutkins.
Imagine yourself as the writer of the story “The' Hack Driver and write the imaginary conversation between the narrator and his senior officer who scolds the former for being unable to complete his assignment.
Answer. Officer: So, young man.did you serve the summons on Oliver Lutkins?
Narrator: No Sir, J searched the entire village for him but couldn't find him anywhere.
Officer: (shouting) Whaaaaati Don't tell me you were unable to do the minimal assignment given to you. Do you know that this failure of yours might end your whole law career before even starting?
Narrator: I am sorry, sir. I tried my best. In fact, the whole village helped me find Lutkins but to no avaiL I even went to his house to search for him. But his mother too didn't know anything about him.
Officer! don't care! All I need is to get the summons served on Oliver Lutkins. Go back to New Mullion tomorrow morning and serve the summons. Also, take someone who knows Oliver, along with you.
Narrator: Okay, sir.

Question. It would have been very easy for anyone to spoil Lutkins' game, but no one did.
(a) Why do you think every one joined hands with him?
(b) What does it reveal about Oliver?
Answer. (a) it is true that anybody would; indeed have easily spoiled the prank that Lutkins was playing on the narrator but nobody chose to do iL In fact, everybody joined Lutkins in befooling the narrator. The reason behind this is that every body Loved the jovial prank master Lutkins. They all were aware of how mischievous Lutkins was and they Liked him for his cheerfulness and pranks.
(b) The support that Lutkins got from his fellow villagers tells us that Lutkins was a sociable and happy-go-lucky kind of a person.
He hod a cheerful approach towards everyone. The way he talked to people was very pleasing ond loving. He had the ability to attract peopLe towards him and this is why the entire village became a part of his game.

Question. What did the hack driver tell the narrator about Lutkins mother? How did she treat the narrator?
Answer. The hack driver told the narrator that Lutkins' mother was a big ond healthy Lady. She was nine feet tall and four feet thick. She had a rough and bad temper and was great at the art of 'swearing' at people. If enraged, she could beat the souL out of anybody. When the narrator reached Lutkins' home with the hack driver, the hock driver told Lutkins' mother that they needed to know the whereabouts of Lutkins and that the narrator was a lawyer representing the court so they had the rights to check the house too. Hearing them the woman went to the kitchen and returned with a red-hot iron rod to threaten the narrator and the hack driver. She told them that they could search her house only after getting burnt with the hat rodL
She laughed at both the men and forced them out of the house by her wacky behaviour.

Question. The young Lawyer was sent to the New Mullion again to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins. The next day. he went back to the village with his companion and got to know that 'Bill' was himself Oliver Lutkins.
Imagine yourself as the writer of the story
"The Hack Driver and write an imaginary conversation between Lutkins and the narrator in which the narrator blames Lutkins for duping him and breaking his trust.
Answer. Narrator: So_you are Oliver Lutkins! How dare you? II had spent an entire day with you and put my complete trust in you as Bill only to know in the end that I was being made a fboL
Lutkins: Sorry, young man. I am not a boring ethical person. I love playing pranks on people for fun. But I never harm them in any way. Also, I didn't want to accept that summon that you were to serve on me. I don't Like to appear before the court
Narrator: What a con-man you are' You charged a Lot from me for nothing. I thought you were an innocent and helpful person.
Lutkins: H hope I made you learn that appearances might be deceptive. You; need to learn a Lot young man. You are such a naive souL in a world full of people Like me.
Narrator: Thanks. I will always remember the lesson you taught me "BILL

Question. Do you think the lawyer was gullible? How could he have avoided being taken for a ride?
Answer. Yes, the lawyer was very gullible as he was taken away with whatever he was told by the hack driver. He never thought of cross checking it. The lawyer could have checked everything himself by going to the people himself but he let Bill to do this. He was so impressed by Bill’s friendliness and cheerfulness that he never cross checked with what he was told by the Bill and made it easy for the hack driver to fool him.
CHARACTER ANANLYSIS
1. Oliver Lutkins: Oliver Lutkins is a crook who lives in the country town of New Mullion. Though he lives in a small town, he 150 easily cheats the lawyer who comes to serve a summons on him. He pretends to be Bill Magnuson, the hack driver and manages to cheat the narrator of his money. He manages to convey the lawyer that it is very difficult to trace Lutkins. He takes the lawyer too many shops but does not allow the lawyer to directly talk with the people. Over a few hours, Bill takes the narrator all over the town where they keep missing Lutkins by small periods of time. He is also a friendly person. When the lawyer comes to New Multi on a second time, Lutkins invites the lawyer for a cup of coffee in his friend’s house. Bill painted Lutkins as a dishonest person. He owed money to a lot of people. He had a talent for dishonesty. Though he lived in a rural town, he managed to trick and mislead a lawyer belonging to the city.
2. The Narrator: The narrator is a lawyer who hates city life. He thinks of pursuing a career in a small town. He goes to New Mullion to serve a summons on Oliver Lutkins. We find him gullible, and he is easily misled by Lutkins himself, who poses as the hack driver, Bill. Bill takes money from the lawyer and gives misleading information about Lutkins. He visits a number of places in New Mullion with Bill but is not able to meet Lutkins. Since he visited new Mullion for an important matter, he failed to be careful in carrying out his job. The narrator appears to be a novice and not a seasoned legal mind. He had a romantic view of country (rural) life but was easily conned by crooks in New Mullion.

Answer. Bill or Oliver has a distinct personality himself. He has all the arts with him to win the confidence of gullible people like the narrator. He manoeuvers and pivots under the gent of friendliness. The gullible narrator is easily convinced by Bill and asserts that he is the only person who can help him find Lutkins. Bill completely overpowers the narrator’s rational thinking such that he becomes an easy target for the cunning Bill. The narrator became a puppet in Bill's hands. His pretensions clouded the judgement of the narrator. He under his guise introduced him to everyone and took him everywhere.All the time that the narrator had to serve summon was wasted and he had to return. However the next day, he got to know that Bill was Lutkins himself. Therefore he was outwitted by the cunning man.

 

Answer. Appearances can be deceptive, sometimes one fails to recognise the true personality of a man due to the different appearances one ascribes to another. The narrator was young and energetic lawyer. He had trusted Bill as he was looking an amiable person. Through Bill’s appearance he had expected him to be generous and helpful .He believed him blindly. He even told everything to him. He told him about the purpose of his arrival in the village. He also felt comfort in his company. On the contrary Bill proved false in his appearance. He was a liar. His personality was all fake. He pretended to be honest and helpful but he just played with the feelings of the narrator. In the end he showed what he was in real life with his betrayal. The narrator became a prey of him.

Question. In life, people who easily trust others are sometimes made to look foolish. One should not be too trusting. Describe how Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the young lawyer.
Answer. It is true that in life people who easily trust others are easily made to look foolish. One must remember that not everyone is honest and thus one should not trust everyone blindly. In the story, ‘the Hack Driver’, Oliver Lutkins using this characteristic of the lawyer makes him a fool, throughout his first visit to the village. First, he introduced himself as Bill at the railway station and assured the lawyer that they would together search for Lutkins. He told the lawyer that he knew most of the places where Lutkins used to hang out. In succession, he took the narrator to Fritz, then to the barber’s shop, then to Gray’s shop and finally to Lutkins’ mother, whom he called a ‘terror’. He deceived the lawyer throughout and also made money by taking the lawyer around. Thus, because of Lutkins’ desire to not be a witness to a case, he made a plan to fool the gullible lawyer and broke his trust.

Question. ‘Appearances are often deceptive’. Comment on the statement in the light of your reading of the story.
Answer.Things are not always what they seem to be. Appearances are often deceptive. The narrator reaches a village in the search of Oliver Lutkins. He meets a hack driver at the station. The driver warns him about Lutkins. He takes him on a tour of the entire village in search of Lutkins. He tells the narrator about his experiences and about the village and its people. The narrator likes him for his helpful and kind nature. He even forgets all about Lutkins. But, the next day he finds out that the hack driver was Oliver Lutkins himself. He Realizes that a simple and kind person was a trickster in reality.

 

 

 

The narrator started his career as a junior assistant clerk in a law firm. He is made to serve summons, like a cheap private detective, instead of preparing legal briefs. He hated the unpleasant work. He thought of fleeing to his own town where he could practise law. Once he was directed by the law firm to serve summons on a man called Mr. Oliver Lutkins, a witness in a law case, who lived in a village called New Mullion. The narrator travelled by train to New Mullion to find this person. The young lawyer went to the village with eager expectations of a sweet and simple country village life but he was disappointed.

 

Upon arrival, the lawyer learnt that he had to get around to find this person. He met a hack driver, who was a very helpful man, according to him. He told him that he was looking for Oliver Lutkins and hoped that he could help him. The man, Bill Magnuson, told him that he had seen him a brief while ago and that he would be happy to drive him around to find the man for two dollars an hour. He told the narrator that it was difficult to locate him. The narrator knew that the man was trying to get some money out of him and he felt alright with that as long as they could find Lutkins. The hack driver took him to many places. He took him to Friz’s shop, to Gustaff’s, Gray’s barber shop and also to the farm where Lutkins’ mother lived. But they missed him everywhere.

 

Over the course of the next few hours, Bill took the narrator all over the town where they kept missing Lutkins narrowly. Eventually, Bill brought him to Lutkins’ mother who spun a tale of frustration about her son. The narrator returned to the office empty handed and was sent back to New Mullion along with a person who had actually worked with Lutkins. When they arrived in town, the narrator spotted Bill with Lutkins' mother. The narrator's partner explained that that it was Lutkins who posed as Bill on the previous day. Everyone, except the lawyer had a hearty laugh at the predicament of the lawyer. In this way, the summons was finally served on Lutkins.

 

 

A. “What really hurt me was that when I served the summons, Lutkins and his mother laughed at me as though 1 were a bright boy of seven. With loving kindness, they begged me to go with them to a neighbour’s house for a cup of coffee.”

 

(a) Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?
(b) What hurts the lawyer?

(c) Why did Lukens take the lawyer to his neighbour’s house?

(d) Do you think the lawyer was gullible?

 

B. “We left that peaceful scene of meadows and woods and resumed our search of Oliver Lutkins. We could not find him. At last, Bill cornered a friend of Lutkins and made him admit what came out to his mother’s farm, three miles north.” We drove out there, laying plans.

 

(a) Who are ‘we’ in the above lines?

(b) Why are ‘we’ searching for Oliver Lutkins?

(c) Why could the lawyer not find Lutkins?

(d) What character traits of the lawyer do these lines reveal?

 

C. Some of the larger and more self-confident ones even beat me up. I hated this unpleasant work and the side of city life it revealed to me.

 

(a) Who is the speaker here?

(b) What was the unpleasant work he is talking about?

(c) Why did he hate the work?

(d) What job did the narrator get after graduation?

 

 

1. Why do you think Bill offered to help the narrator find Lutkins?

2. The writer wasn’t very fond of new Mullion when he reached the place. What made him grow fond of the village and its people?

3. What does Bill say about Lutkins and his family?

4. Describe the feelings of the young lawyer when he came to know the reality of the hack driver at last.

5. On his way back, the narrator did not worry about his failure to find Lutkins. What was the reason behind his carefree attitude?

 

 

1. Describe the encounter of the young lawyer with the hack driver in the village.