Back to: CBSE Class 12th English Summary
Jack’s Nightmare
Jack narrated stories to his two years old daughter Jo at bedtime. Each story had a character whose first name would be Roger, and he had a problem and the solution to his problem would be available at the Wizard’s house The wizard would then perform a magic spell, and Roger’s problems would vanish.
Jo was not a little girl anymore who would believe in magic. Her father’s bedtime stories did not affect her anymore. Her brother Bobby fell asleep as he was only two. Jack asked about the main character of that night’s story, and Jo replied, “Skunk.” Jo’s unusual choice triggered Jack’s enthusiasm for story-telling, and he started the story.
The Art of Story-telling
There lived a tiny little creature by the name of Roger Skunk in dark woods. He smelled awful. Roger Skunk smelled terrible and none of the animals living in those woods ever played with him. Instead, whenever they saw Roger Skunk, they called him names such as Roger Stinky Skunk. On hearing these names, Roger Skunk cried and sobbed, and tears rolled down his eyes.
Jo asked Jack if Roger Skunk visited the Owl and Jack told her that Roger Skunk called the Owl, who recommended Roger to see the wizard. Jo was very excited, but Jack advised him to lie her head on the pillow and sleep.
Jo asked Jack if magic was real. A few days ago, she also asked her mother whether God was in the sky. While ignoring Jo’s curious questions, Jack continued the story. Roger Skunk went to the wizard’s house over the crick.
The Old Wizard
Roger Skunk located the house and rapped on the window, a little older man with a long white beard came out. The wizard complaint of Roger’s bad smell. He decided to help him by pulling his magic wand. Roger told the wizard that he wanted to smell like roses.
The wizard uttered a sacred mantra, and Roger started to smell like roses. At that moment, Jack, out of sheer excitement, spoke: “Roger Fish” instead of Roger Skunk. Jo caught him in the act. Jack ignored and carried on with his story. The wizard asked Roger Skunk for seven pennies, but he only had four.
The Ever-listening Jo!
Jack wanted to end the story as soon as possible because his wife Clare was handling some heavy furniture, and she was also six months pregnant. So he made the remaining story like this.
Wizard told Roger to go to a magic well where he would find three more pennies. He gave the pennies to the wizard and went home happily. All the animals played with him. When Roger Skunk reached home, his mom scolded him and commanded him to go back to the wizard to undo his actions.
After the meeting with the wizard, Roger Skunk smelled like the way before. Roger and his mom went home, and it was time for his dad to come home. He bought with him lima beans, celery, liver, and mashed potatoes. Jo asked about the other animals, and Jack told her that they got used to Roger’s smell and played with him.
Jack told Jo to sleep. But Jo wanted Jack to tell her a story where the wizard would hit Roger’s mom. As he walked down the stairs, he saw Clare doing the paintwork on wood. He was exhausted.
