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MR PURCELL did not believe in ghosts. Nevertheless, the man who bought the two doves, and his strange act immediately thereafter, left him with a distinct sense of the uncanny. As though, behind his departed customer, there had lingered the musty smell of an abandoned, haunted house.
Mr Purcell was a small, fussy man; red cheeks and a tight, melon stomach. Large glasses magnified his eyes so as to give him the appearance of a wise and genial owl. He owned a pet shop. He sold cats and dogs and monkeys; he dealt in fish food and bird seed, prescribed remedies for ailing canaries, and displayed on his shelves long rows of ornate and gilded cages. He considered himself something of a professional man.
Explanation:
The lesson "I Want Something in a Cage" is written by L E Greeve. The lesson is about a pet shop owner named Mr Purcell, and he is the protagonist of the lesson.
The lesson opens with the narrator stating that Mr Purcell never believed in the existence of ghosts. On a fine day, a man came to Mr Purcell's pet shop and purchased two doves. After obtaining the doves, the man performed an unusual act. Mr Purcell was taken aback by the strange act, which led him to believe that something weird was going on around him. When the customer left the shop, there remained a musty smell of an abandoned, haunted house. The statement implies that the smell seemed to be something unpleasantly old coming from an empty ghost house. Furthermore, the man's actions made him feel as if he wasn't a human.
The lesson opens with the narrator stating that Mr Purcell never believed in the existence of ghosts. On a fine day, a man came to Mr Purcell's pet shop and purchased two doves. After obtaining the doves, the man performed an unusual act. Mr Purcell was taken aback by the strange act, which led him to believe that something weird was going on around him. When the customer left the shop, there remained a musty smell of an abandoned, haunted house. The statement implies that the smell seemed to be something unpleasantly old coming from an empty ghost house. Furthermore, the man's actions made him feel as if he wasn't a human.
A man purchased two doves from Mr Purcell's pet shop
Later the narrator introduced the character of Mr Purcell by telling the appearance of the man to his readers. Mr Purcell was a short, chubby man. He was a fussy man who couldn't be satisfied easily and had very high standards about things. His cheeks were red, and his stomach was shaped like a melon. It implies that Mr Purcell was fat and short, with a melon-shaped belly. In addition, he wore spectacles. His eyes were magnified by large glasses, giving him the appearance of a wise and genial owl.
A small man with red cheeks and glasses
Mr Purcell was the owner of a pet shop. There were many birds, cats, dogs, and monkeys in his shop, and he used to sell pet animals to his customers.
Pet shop
In addition to the pet animals, he also sold bird seeds, fish food and cages. Furthermore, Mr Purcell provided customers with remedies on how to maintain or care for their canaries. Also, he displayed long rows of gilded cages on his shelves, and the cages were intricately shaped or ornamented with complex patterns. Mr Purcell considered himself to be a professional man. It implies he felt proud of running his own business.
Canaries
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Ghost | The spirit of a dead person sometimes represented as a pale, almost transparent image of that person that some people believe appears to people who are alive |
2 | Dove | A white or grey bird often used as a symbol of peace |
3 | Strange | Unusual and unexpected, or difficult to understand |
4 | Uncanny | Strange or mysterious; difficult or impossible to explain |
5 | Profession | Used to describe someone who does a job that people usually do as a hobby |
6 | Customer | A person who buys goods or a service |
7 | Linger | To take a long time to leave or disappear |
8 | Musty | Smelling unpleasantly old and slightly wet |
9 | Abandon | Left in a particular place or condition, usually forever |
10 | Haunted | A place where ghosts often appear |
11 | Fussy | Not easily satisfied, or having very high standards about particular things |
12 | Appearance | The way that someone or something looks |
13 | Genial | Friendly and pleasant |
14 | Remedy | A successful way of curing an illness or dealing with a problem or difficulty |
15 | Canary | A small, yellow bird that is well known for its singing, sometimes kept as a pet |
16 | Ailing | Experiencing difficulty and problems |
17 | Ornate | Having a lot of decoration |
18 | Gilded cage | Someone or something was trapped in or living a restricted life or living without any freedom |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). Supplementary. I Want Something in a Cage - L E Greeve (36-42). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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