CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Should Wizard Hit Mommy Worksheet Set B

Question. Jo disapproved _________________________________.
(A) Roger’s mother having rosy smell
(B) Wizard hitting Roger’s mother
(C) Roger’s mother hitting the wizard
(D) Roger’s mother hitting Roger

Answer : C

Question. `Should Wizard hit mommy?’ is a ___________ within a story.
(A) story
(B) digression
(C) metaphor
(D) moral

Answer : A

Question. “Daddy.”
“What?”
“Roger Skunk. You said Roger Fish.”
“Yes. Skunk.”
The above dialogue shows Jo to be _________ and her father to be ________.
Choose the correct option to complete the following sentence. 
(A) confused; exhausted
(B) rude; careless
(C) vigilant; hasty
(D) disrespectful; disinterested

Answer : C

Question. What change did Jo want in the story’s end?
(A) Skunk to smell of roses
(B) Skunk’s mommy to relent
(C) Wizard to hit mommy
(D) Animals to love skunk

Answer : C

Question. With which character of the story did Jack associate himself?
(A) An old man
(B) An Owl
(C) A Skunk
(D) A kid

Answer : A

Question. How did Mommy skunk behave with the wizard?
(A) She became angry and hit the wizard.
(B) She was pleased and so hugged the wizard.
(C) She was indifferent to the wizard.
(D) She didn’t meet the wizard.

Answer : A

Question. Why did Jo differ in opinion from her father?
(A) Because she was a child.
(B) Because she was unable to see beyond facial expressions.
(C) Because she wanted a happy ending.
(D) All of these

Answer : D

Question. The smell of roses was ___________ for mommy Skunk.
(A) pleasant
(B) unusual
(C) heavenly
(D) awful

Answer : D

Question. “Jack didn’t like women when they took anything for granted; he liked them apprehensive, hanging on his words.”
Choose the option with the correct reference to the textual statement given above. 
(A) The way Jo was looking out of the window as if she was not interested annoyed Jack.
(B) The way Clare was shifting the furniture downstairs was irksome to Jack.
(C) The way Jack was not able to make Jo sleep on time was making him restless.
(D) The way the skunk’s mommy in the story didn’t listen to his son, irritated Jack.

Answer : A

Question. Jo, a 4 year-old child, is symbolic of ___________ in the story.
(A) obstinacy
(B) smartness
(C) innocence
(D) rebelliousness

Answer : C

Extract Based MCQs :

Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow: 

“Over the crick and there will be the wizard’s house.” And that’s the way Roger Skunk went and pretty soon he came to a little white house and he rapped on the door.” Jack rapped on the window sill and under the covers Jo’s tall figure clenched in an infantile thrill. “And then a tiny little old man came out, with a long white beard and a pointed blue hat and said, “Eh? Whatzis? Whatcher want? You smell awful.” The wizard’s voice was one of Jack’s own favourite effects; he did it by scrunching up his face and somehow whining through his eyes, which felt for the interval rheumy. He felt being an old man suited him. 

Question. Pick the option that suitably decodes the wizard’s message when he says “Eh? Whatzis?
Whatcher want?”.
(A) What is this? What can you want?
(B) What’s this? What do you want?
(C) Who? What can I do?
(D) Who are you? What you want?

Answer : B

Question. Choose the option that tells the location of the wizard’s house when Jack says “over the crick”.

(A) Option 1
(B) Option 2
(C) Option 3
(D) Option 4

Answer : C

Question. Select the option that tells you about Jack being a great storyteller.
1. Jack knew the right way to the wizard’s house as if he had been there.
2. Jack was commendable at giving his story realistic details.
3. Jack’s delivery of speech with sound effects was remarkable.
4. Jack looked like a really old man as if he was the wizard.
(A) 1, 2
(B) 2, 3
(C) 3, 4
(D) 1, 4

Answer : B

Question. What was Jo’s reaction to Jack’s knock on the window?
(A) She stiffened in anticipation of something thrilling.
(B) She held on to the covers tightly and compressed her lips.
(C) She relaxed, knowing that her father was around to protect her.
(D) She instantly responded in the voice of another character.

Answer : A

“All right. He said, ‘But Mommy, all the other little animals run away,’ and she said, ‘I don’t care. You smelled the way a little skunk should have and I’m going to take you right back to that wizard,’ and she took an umbrella and went back with Roger Skunk and hit that wizard right over the head.” “No,” Jo said, and put her hand out to touch his lips, yet even in her agitation did not quite dare to stop the source of truth. Inspiration came to her. “Then the wizard hit her on the head and did not change that little skunk back.”

Question. Roger Skunk’s mommy was ________ and ________ when she got to know the truth about her son’s aromatic body. Choose the option to fill in the blank correctly.
1. vexed
2. dissatisfied
3. hostile
4. disheartened
(A) 1, 2
(B) 2, 3
(C) 3, 4
(D) 1, 4

Answer : D

Question. Pick the option listing the reason Jo wanted to change her father’s narrative.
(A) Jo was getting bored of her father controlling the entire narrative.
(B) Jo thought of the skunk’s mother as a villain for not letting him make friends.
(C) Jo was interrupting her father’s narrative just to annoy him and have fun.
(D) Jo liked the wizard more and so she took pity on him for getting beaten.

Answer : B

Question. Choose the correct option with respect to the statements given below.
Statement 1: Jo was adding bits to the story created by her own imagination.
Statement 2: Jack was tired and felt relaxed since he didn’t have to complete the whole story.
(A) Statement 1 can be inferred from the extract but Statement 2 cannot be.
(B) Statement 1 cannot be inferred from the extract but Statement 2 can be.
(C) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
(D) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.

Answer : A

Question. Choose the option that appropriately shows a quote giving away the message Roger’s mommy wanted to give Roger.

(A) Quote 1
(B) Quote 2
(C) Quote 3
(D) Quote 4

Answer : A

Jo was starting to fuss with her hands and look out of the window, at the crack of day that showed under the shade. She thought the story was all over. Jack didn’t like women when they took anything for granted; he liked them apprehensive, hanging on his words. “Now, Jo, are you listening?” “Yes“ “Because this is very interesting. Roger Skunk’s mommy said, ‘What that awful smell?’ “who at?“ “And, Roger Skunk said, ‘its me, Mommy. I smell the roses’. And she said“ ‘Who made you smell like that?‘ And he said, ‘The wizard,’ and she said, ‘Well, of all the nerve. You come with me and we’re going right back to that very awful wizard.”

Question. Jo’s “What?“ indicated what she was feeling. Pick the option that correctly states these feelings.
1. terror
2. surprise
3. ignorance
4. displeasure
5. joy
6. approval
(A) 1 and 3
(B) 2 and 4
(C) 3 and 6
(D) 4 and 5

Answer : B

Question. Mommy says, ‘Well, of all the nerve.’ This reveals her :
(A) approval, surprise and pleasure
(B) pleasure, hope and approval
(C) betrayal, disapproval and hurt
(D) shock, anger and disapproval

Answer : D

Question. Choose the option that best demonstrates the relevant traits of Jo and Jack respectively, based on the extract provided.
(A) Curious and irritable
(B) Patient and irritable
(C) Curious and lethargic
(D) Patient and lethargic

Answer : A

Question. “Jo was starting to fuss with her hands“. This means that Jo was :
(A) feeling anxious
(B) getting restless
(C) feeling lazy
(D) fighting sleep

Answer : B

This custom, begun when she was two, was itself now nearly two years old and his head felt empty.

Question. Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?
(A) Joanne
(B) Jack
(C) Joanne’s sister
(D) Witch

Answer : A

Question. Whose head is being referred here?
(A) Owl
(B) Wizard
(C) Skunk
(D) Jack

Answer : D

Question. From which lesson have these words been taken?
(A) Deep Water
(B) The Enemy
(C) Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
(D) The Third Level

Answer : C

Question. What custom is being referred to here?
(A) Morning walking
(B) Story telling
(C) Self-eating
(D) Doing magic

Answer : B

Having a fresh hero momentarily stirred Jack to creative enthusiasm. “All right,” he said.

Question. What was the problem of this ‘fresh hero’?
(A) Bad humour
(B) Distorted face
(C) Awful smell
(D) Limping

Answer : C

Question. How could Jo know about this creature?
(A) In the class
(B) In the mall
(C) In the TV
(D) In the Zoo

Answer : A

Question. Who is ‘Jack’ here?
(A) Father
(B) Owl
(C) Skunk
(D) Wizard

Answer : A

Question. Who is ‘a fresh hero’?
(A) Owl
(B) Skunk
(C) Tortoise
(D) Mouse

Answer : B

“Won’t he see the owl?” she asked in a high and faintly roughened voice.

Question. How did Jo know about the owl?
(A) She had already listened a story about an owl.
(B) Her mother had told her about owls.
(C) The story was predictable
(D) Jo had seen the picture of owl.

Answer : C

Question. Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?
(A) Owl’s wife
(B) Skunk’s mother
(C) Jack’s daughter
(D) Jo’s mother

Answer : C

Question. Why did ‘she’ suggest ‘he’ to see the owl?
(A) To get rid of the smell
(B) To get rid of the headache
(C) To get past the tigers
(D) To reach the Zoo

Answer : A

Question. Where did ‘he’ find the owl?
(A) On the roof.
(B) In an old house.
(C) On top of a big tree.
(D) In the bedroom cupboard.

Answer : C

“Are magic spells real?” This was a new phase, just this last month, a reality phase. When he told her spiders eat bugs, she turned to her mother and asked, “Do they really?”.

Question. Why did he/she ask this question?
(A) When she heard the word ‘wizard‘.
(B) When she heard the word ‘magic‘.
(C) When she heard the word ‘spells‘.
(D) When she heard the word ‘abracadabra‘.

Answer : B

Question. What answer did ‘he’ give?
(A) They’re real.
(B) They’re real in mythology.
(C) They’re real in stories.
(D) They’re not real.

Answer : C

Question. Who put up the question “Are magic spells real?”
(A) Jack
(B) Jill
(C) Jo
(D) Jimmy

Answer : C

Question. What does the word ‘phase‘ mean?
(A) The face of a person
(B) Particular time in a sequence of events
(C) American spelling for ‘face‘
(D) Particular sequence of events

Answer : B

“And then a tiny little old man came out, with a long white beard and a pointed blue hat, and said, “Eh?
Whatzis? Whatcher want?

Question. Why did tiny old man come out?
(A) Skunk had knocked at his door.
(B) Wizard had knocked at his door.
(C) Jack had knocked at his door.
(D) Owl had knocked at his door.

Answer : A

Question. Where did the old man live?
(A) In a Red House
(B) In a White house
(C) In a Black House
(D) In a Green House

Answer : B

Question. Who is the speaker of these words?
(A) Jo
(B) Owl
(C) Jack
(D) Skunk

Answer : C

Question. Who is ‘tiny old man’ here?
(A) Owl
(B) Jack
(C) Skunk
(D) Wizard

Answer : D

So, he took them back to the wizard and was very happy and ran out into the woods and all the other little animals gathered around him because he smelled so good.

Question. What was asked to ‘he’?
(A) To go back
(B) To pay seven pennies
(C) To learn the chapter
(D) None of these

Answer : B

Question. What would other animals call ‘he’ earlier?
(A) Smelly Skunk
(B) Fragrant Skunk
(C) Stinky Skunk
(D) Fairy Skunk

Answer : C

Question. Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?
(A) Owl
(B) Roger Skunk
(C) Wizard
(D) Jack

Answer : B

Question. Who solved the problem of ‘he’ and how?
(A) Wizard
(B) Owl
(C) Jack
(D) Mother Skunk

Answer : A

Jo sat up, her hands dabbling in the air with genuine fright. “But Daddy, then he said that the other little animals run away!” Her hands skittered off, into the underbrush.

Question. What does ‘skittered‘ mean?
(A) Moved excitedly
(B) Hit hard
(C) Cleared the way
(D) Proceeded hurriedly

Answer : D

Question. What is ‘underbrush’?
(A) Small plants
(B) Potted plants
(C) Wild plants
(D) None of these

Answer : A

Question. Why did Jo start dabbling her hands in the air?
(A) To show her happiness.
(B) To show her anger.
(C) To show her displeasure.
(D) To show her excitement.

Answer : C

Question. What was Jo apprehensive of?
(A) Children will again humiliate skunk.
(B) Children will start playing with skunk.
(C) Children will like the company of skunk.
(D) Children will beat skunk.

Answer : A

“Well, we’ll see. Now at least have a rest. Stay on the bed. You’re a good girl.”

Question. Who is the speaker of the above words?
(A) Jo
(B) Jack
(C) Wizard
(D) Owl

Answer : B

Question. What had the girl asked for?
(A) To tell the story again with a different ending.
(B) To tell a new story.
(C) To ask the wizard to hit Mother skunk.
(D) Never to tell a story again.

Answer : A

Question. Who is the author of these words?
(A) John Updike
(B) Jack Finney
(C) Colin Dexter
(D) Susan Hill

Answer : A

Question. Where did Jack go after telling a story to Jo?
(A) To sleep
(B) To help his wife
(C) To office
(D) To meet a client

Answer : B

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. How does Jo want the story to end? Why? 
OR
How did Jo want the story narrated by her father to end? 
OR
Why does Jo want Wizard to hit mommy? 
Answer : Jo wants the wizard to hit mommy on her head with his magic wand for not understanding Roger’s feelings. She wishes the smell of roses to be intact because she feels that with that pleasant smell, Skunk will be accepted by his friends happily and play with other animals. Jo wants a happy ending.

Question. Why does Jo call the Skunk’s mommy stupid? 
OR
What did Jo want Roger Skunk’s mother to be punished for? 
Answer : Jo, being a child, considers Skunk’s mother to be stupid as she spanked the wizard for giving Skunk the smell of roses. Jo wants Skunk to get back the smell of roses and his mother to be punished as she thinks his mother to be insensitive, cruel and unfair.

Question. How are Jack’s views on life different from those of Jo? 
Answer : Jack being a parent thought that the mother knew what was best for Roger Skunk, while Jo thought that Roger Skunk should also have a say in how he wished to smell. Since, he now smelled bad again, he would lose all his friends.

Question. What problem did Roger Skunk face when he went to play with his friends? How did he solve it?
Answer : Roger Skunk’s problem was that he smelled foul. It was because of his stink that nobody mingled with him. Even his friends avoided him and did not play with him. For this reason, Roger used to remain disturbed and even cry. To find a solution to this problem, he went to the wise owl who suggested him to meet the wizard. The wizard helped him by giving him a spell after which he started smelling like roses. The wizard asked him for seven pennies but Roger had only four.

Question. Why do you think both Jo and Jack want a different ending each, for Roger Skunk’s story?
Answer : The difference between Jack’s and Jo’s ending of the story shows the difference in one’s perspective according to his/her age. Jack being an adult understands the importance of respecting one’s true identity. Through his story, he wanted his daughter to understand the importance of one’s own individuality and true self. Jo on the other hand, is a kid and loves to make friends and have fun with them. The fact that Roger skunk’s mother stopped him from making friends and having fun was simply wrong in her eyes. This is why Jo was angry at Roger skunk’s mother and wanted the wizard to hit her.

Question. We can’t approve of Jack’s attitude towards his wife. Comment. 
Answer : Jack’s attitude towards his wife was not a very healthy one. He did not like the feigned happiness and smile of his wife in a cocktail party. He wanted to help his wife, but he didn’t even though she was pregnant. He wanted to dominate her. He didn’t want to speak with her, touch her or work with her.

Question. What was the basic plot of each story told by Jack? 
Answer : The basic plot of each story told by Jack deals with the idea whether the parents should always decide what their children should do or give the children the basic freedom to make their own choices. Roger was a different animal such as a fish, a squirrel, a chipmunk or a skunk. Also, all stories had a Wizard and a wise owl as its primary characters. Whenever Roger had a problem, it went to the owl who directed the creature to the Wizard. As payment for his services, the Wizard would always demand more money than Roger had to spare.

Question. What is the significance of the “half old tan and half new ivory cage of mouldings, rails and baseboards” appearing at the end of the story? 
Answer : Certain threads in the story, which come up like digressions from time to time, hint at the marital discord between Jack and his wife. When Jack went downstairs and watched his wife labour, he saw Clare wearing an old shirt of his on top of her maternity dress, painting the chair. He visualized the woodwork as a cage and he felt caught in an ugly middle position. He felt that both of them were caged together. He must have felt trapped in responsibility and marriage. The use of the image of the “cage” reveals his dissatisfaction with his marriage. The story ends with the most poignant and telling lines—“…he did not want to speak with her, work with her, touch her, anything”.

Question. What is mother Skunk’s role in the story? 
Answer : Mother Skunk’s role in the story is to convince the reader about the narrator’s belief that we should never disobey our parents as they know what is best for us. Mother Skunk told Roger never to forget his distinct identity.

Question. How can we say that Jack is a dominant male? 
Answer : Jack is a loving father. He used to tell stories to his daughter, Jo. Now the little Jo has grown a bit older. She has grown very inquisitive and also asks many questions. But Jack, instead of answering his daughter’s questions, always tries to keep his end up. In the Roger Skunk story, Jo says that the mommy was not at all justified in hitting the wizard. However, instead of giving any suitable answer to his daughter, he says that mommy should be respected. Thus, we can say that Jack is a dominant male.

Question. What story did Jo want to hear the next day and why? What was father’s reaction to it?
Answer : Jo was not happy with the ending of the story narrated by her father. She wanted her, father to tell her the same story the next day, but with a changed ending in which the wizard would hit the mommy and give back the smell to Roger. She wanted the story in this manner because she could not bear the thought of Roger Skunk’s friends not playing with him. But her father, Jack, was angry with Jo for interfering in his story. He refused to change the ending. In fact, he wanted her to learn to respect parents and their decisions.

Question. Having got rid of his stink, what problem did Roger Skunk face? 
Answer : Having got rid of his stink, Roger Skunk now had his mother’s wrath to face. When she found out that Roger smelt of roses, she scolded him badly. Mommy skunk told Roger to embrace himself as he was born and be happy with it. She dragged Roger Skunk back to the wizard and forced the latter to give Roger his original stink back.

Question. Wanting Roger Skunk to continue to smell the way a “little skunk should smell” has great significance. Explain. 
Answer : Little Jo had been accustomed to the happy ending of the stories of Roger, where the wizard was helpful to him in fulfilling his wish. At the request of Roger Skunk, the wizard had changed his awful smell to that of the roses. Other small animals liked it and played with Roger Skunk happily. She could not digest the ending of the extended story where Roger Skunk’s mother hit the wizard on the head and forced him to change Skunk’s smell to the earlier foul one. Jo could not accept Skunk’s mother’s stubbornness e.g., hitting the well-wisher of her son, Roger Skunk. Jo insisted that her father should tell her the same story again the next day with changed ending. The wizard should hit that unreasonable mommy on the head and leave Roger Skunk emitting the pleasant smell of roses. In the beautiful world of a child’s imagination, fairies and wizards are more real than reality itself. She could not digest the harsh realities of life. She did not like the rude mother who hit the benefactor of her own son.

Question. What was Roger Skunk’s problem? What did he do to solve it?
Answer : Roger Skunk used to emanate foul smell so everyone made fun of him. To solve the problem, he took the wise owl’s advice and went to the wizard who made him smell of roses.

Question. “He was telling her something true, something she must know”. Why does the narrator make this statement?
Answer : Though Jack was telling his daughter the story of an imaginary character named Roger Skunk, he was actually telling her the humiliations he had to suffer in his own childhood. And that is the reason why the narrator tells us that Jack was telling her something true. Through the story of “Roger Skunk”, the narrator Jack wants to emphasize on the fact that mothers are always right and they know what is best for their child. Jack believes in the importance of individuality and the acceptance of what is natural rather than social acceptance by peers. This was what Jack wanted Jo to know and understand.

Question. On seeing Roger Skunk again with a very bad smell, how did the little animals react first and then later on when he had lost it? 
Answer : When the Wizard changed Roger’s smell to that of roses at his request, the other little animals who earlier hated him gathered around him, because now he smelled so good.

Question. How was the Skunk’s story different from the other stories narrated by Jack? 
Answer : Roger Skunk’s story was different from the other stories narrated by Jack because in all the other stories, the family lived happily after meeting the wizard. But in Skunk’s case, his mother was not satisfied with the change. Jo, on hearing this story, insisted that her father should change the story and tell that the wizard took a stick and hit the mommy.

Question. Give an example to show that Jo was a sensitive child.
Answer : Jo was a very sensitive child because she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends. She also expressed her unhappiness when Skunk’s mother hit wizard for giving him the smell of roses.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. How did Jack end the Roger Skunk story ? How and why did Jo want to change it?
Answer : According to Jack’s ending of the story, Roger ’s mother hit the wizard with an umbrella. He, then, acts as she wishes and Roger Skunk starts smelling bad again. Jo wants the ending of the story to be the other way. She wants the wizard to hit on the head of the ‘stupid mommy’. She wants the wizard to refuse to make Roger smell bad again.
Children look at this world from a different perspective. They look at people and things quite differently than the way adults do. Their perspective on life reflects simplicity and innocence. Jo has deep sympathy for Roger Skunk. Roger’s bad smell kept all the little animals away from him. The little Skunk stood alone and wept. The wizard made Roger smell of roses. He was happy. Other little animals were now attracted towards him. They now played and danced with him.
Jo’s main anger is against the “stupid mommy” of Roger Skunk. It was she who forced the wizard to make Roger Skunk smell very bad again. The hero of the story is always a role model for children. The tender-hearted Jo is shocked at the attitude of that ‘stupid’ mommy. She wants Roger’s mommy to be punished. The wizard must hit on her head hard with his magic wand.

Question. The same situation can be viewed through two different perspectives. How does ‘‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?’’ establish this point through the views of Jack and Jo? 
Answer : As the child grows into maturity, his perspective and vision of life change gradually. A child views things at a superficial and sensory level but a grown up’s vision is realistic, reflective, philosophical and even psychological. Viewed from the study of the story ‘‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?’’, Jo, a child of four, like most children of her age, prefers to live in dreams and fantasies. She is hostile by nature and would like to wreak vengeance on Skunk’s mother and wants the wizard to retaliate.
She is annoyed because her father refuses to accept her suggestion. The father has a mature perspective and sees beyond the surface and explores the philosophical and moralistic aspect of the entire situation. According to her father, the wizard had unwillingly interfered with nature and had, thus, done a great deal of harm and deserved to be punished. According to him, the punishment meted out to the wizard is well-merited and retaliation is out of the question.
Thus, the story makes it clear that the perspective of a child and that of an adult is totally different.

Question. With respect to the events in the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy‘, who would you support, Wizard or Mommy? Justify your choice.
Answer : The story ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?‘ could have two endings – one which has been originally told by Jack and the other which Jo wanted the story to end like.
I approve of the mature and realistic one narrated by Jack that the mother skunk hit the wizard on the head and forced him to restore the original smell to the skunk. Every species of animals has its special features. She wanted Roger Skunk to smell the way a little skunk should have. It should not carry the deceptive and borrowed smell of the roses. Roger Skunk is agreed to go with because he loved his mommy more then he loved all the other little animals. She knew what was right.
The mother’s point was proved right. When the wizard restored the original foul smell to Roger Skunk, the other little animals got used to the way he was and did not mind it at all. Of course, it took them some time. Jack, did not agree with Joanne’s remark that she was a stupid mother. On the other hand, we find her a caring and loving mother. When Roger Skunk was in bed, mommy skunk embraced him and said he smelled like her little baby skunk again and she loved him very much. Thus, Jack’s version brings out the mother’s love, care and
concern for her little baby.

Question. How did Jo want the Roger Skunk story to end? Why?
Answer : The world of children is quite different from that of adults. Their world is a dreamy and magical world. It is a world of fantasy and romance. There is no place for ugliness and stink in their world. Roger skunk is the hero of the story. Jo never wanted her hero to be so ugly and stinky. It offends her fairness and justice. Therefore, Jo disapproves of Jack’s ending of the story of Roger Skunk. She wants her father, Jack, to tell the same story in a different way. The wizard must take his magic wand and hit Roger’s mommy hard for not understanding Roger’s feelings. Little Jo wants ‘that stupid mommy‘ to be punished. Her crime is that she went to the wizard and compelled him to make her son smell bad again. Jo wants him to smell nice so that he can play with other little animals. She doesn’t want Roger to feel sad and lonely for no fault of his.

Question. Describe Jack’s art of storytelling. 
Answer : Jack was a good storyteller. He had begun the custom of telling a story to his daughter for the evening naps two years ago. Every day he made a slight alteration in the basic story which usually revolved around a creature named Roger. This creature always fell into some trouble and went to a wise owl for advice. The owl sent him to a wizard who cast a magic spell to solve the problem. To make his stories interesting, he would give sound effects to his stories e.g., when Roger Skunk had knocked at the door of the wizard, Jack rapped on the window sill to create an effect. When Roger Skunk reached the house of wizard, the wizard asked him many questions and Jack gave it one of his favourite effects. He scrunched up his face and spoke the wizard’s words like an old man. In the end, when Jo seemed satisfied at Roger getting the smell of roses, he didn’t like it. He made a twist in his story and extended the basic story. He hadn’t liked the expression on Jo’s face which reflected that she thought the story was all over. So, he made a change in the story and narrated it to her.

Question. At the end of the storytelling session, why does Jack consider himself ‘caught in an ugly middle position’? 
Answer : Jack was ‘caught in an ugly middle position’ because he was caught between two difficult situations. He was unable to escape the harsh realities of life, rather he tried to habituate himself to the prevailing situation. He had to manage his family with two children, his daughter Jo and his son Bobby. And hence, Jack was entangled between two worlds. The first world belonged to Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel or Roger Chipmunk where he is telling the story of a wise owl and the Wizard with a magic wand.
The world upstairs consists of his children. Jo had raised a question about whether the Wizard should hit the mommy Skunk or not. Jack was unable to satisfy her as he was very cautious about the downside world where his wife Clare was painting. The house was not well kept and the household items were scattered. They were expecting a baby and he was supposed to go and help her as she was working hard to make both the ends meet. In this way, Jack was caught in an ugly middle position between the romantic world and the real world.

Question. How does Jo show her independent thinking in the story ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’?
Answer : Jo is just a little girl of four years but she is very sharp, inquisitive and intelligent. She suggests her father the animal whose story her father is to create. She keeps interrupting the story with suggestions about the animals the Skunk was going to meet such as the owl and wizard. She is not a girl who can easily accept things. She keeps asking questions like whether magic spells are real.
She shows maturity of a young girl. She asks her mother whether spiders really eat bugs as suggested by her father. She is so bright that she catches her father when he mentions Roger Fish instead of Roger Skunk. She is very strong and sensitive and immediately protests if things do not go according to her wish. When Jack ends the story just opposite to her perception, she refuses to accept and expresses her own views and outlook and insists her father to end the story with wizard hitting the mother.