‘The Lumber Room’ Explanation and Vocabulary

‘The Lumber Room’ by Saki (H. H. Munro) is a humorous story with satires by side highlighting the generation gap of two world – the children’s world and the world of authoritarian adults. It was published in 1914 as part of the story as part of short story collection “Beats and Super Beasts”. Enjoy this story here with easy explanations given here together with ample word meanings. Click here for Q & Ans.

About the Author: Saki (H.H. Munro)

Saki was the pen name of the British writer Hector Hugh Munro (1870-1916). His stories are a delightful blend of humor, social commentary, and the unexpected. Saki’s life was marked by tragedy. His mother, Mary Frances Mercer, died after a cow charged at her during a home visit to England. Following her death, Saki and his siblings were sent to be raised by their grandmother and paternal aunts in a strict and puritanical household in North Devon. These aunts likely served as models for some of his characters, including the aunt in “The Lumber Room” and the guardian in “Sredni Vashtar.”

The Lumber Room: Explanation and Vocabulary

The children were to be driven, as a special treat, to the sands at Jagborough. Nicholas was not to be of the party; he was in disgrace. Only that morning he had refused to eat his wholesome bread-and-milk on the seemingly frivolous ground that there was a frog in it. Older and wiser and better people had told him that there could not possibly be a frog in his bread-and-milk and that he was not to talk nonsense; he continued, nevertheless, to talk what seemed the veriest nonsense, and described with much detail the colouration and markings of the alleged frog. The dramatic part of the incident was that there really was a frog in Nicholas’ basin of bread-and milk; he had put it there himself, so he felt entitled to know something about it. The sin of taking a frog from the garden and putting it into a bowl of wholesome bread-and-milk was enlarged on at great length, but the fact that stood out clearest in the whole affair, as it presented itself to the mind of Nicholas, was that the older, wiser, and better people had been proved to be profoundly in error in matters about which they had expressed the utmost assurance.

Vocabulary:

• Jagborough: A fictional place name, likely a seaside town.
• Nicholas: The main character (protagonist), a young boy.
• Disgrace: a state of great shame or humiliation. (Nicholas is in trouble for his actions)
• Frivolous: seeming like a matter of little importance; silly or unimportant. (The adults see Nicholas’s reason for refusing to eat as silly)
• Wholesome: good for your health and well-being. (The bread and milk are supposed to be nutritious)
• Nonsense: silly or meaningless talk. (The adults think Nicholas is making something up)
• Veriest: the most complete or absolute. (The adults think Nicholas is talking the most nonsense)
• Alleged: stated or claimed to be the case, but not yet proven. (The adults don’t believe there’s a frog)
• Coloured: having a particular colour or colours. (Nicholas describes the frog’s markings)
• Markings: spots, stripes, or other designs on the surface of something. (Nicholas describes the details of the frog)
• Dramatic: causing strong emotions or having a great effect. (The discovery of the frog changes everything)
• Entitled: having the right or authority to do something. (Nicholas feels he can talk about the frog because he put it there)
• Enlarged on: to give a lot of detail or explanation about something. (The adults scold Nicholas for putting the frog in the milk)
• Profoundly: to a very great degree. (The adults were very wrong about the frog)
• Utmost: the greatest possible amount or degree of something. (The adults were completely sure there was no frog)

Explanation: Nicholas, a child, was not allowed to go to the beach with his siblings because he was considered naughty (in disgrace). He refused to eat his breakfast because he claimed there was a frog in his milk. No one believed him, calling his talk silly (nonsense). However, it turned out Nicholas was right! He had secretly put the frog there himself, which was wrong (a sin), but it showed that the adults were completely mistaken (in error) even though they acted sure of themselves (with assurance).

“You said there couldn’t possibly be a frog in my bread-and-milk; there was a frog in my bread and-milk,” he repeated, with the insistence of a skilled tactician who does not intend to shift from favourable ground. So his boy-cousin and girl-cousin and his quite uninteresting younger brother were to be taken to Jagborough sands that afternoon and he was to stay at home. His cousins’ aunt, who insisted, by an unwarranted stretch of imagination, in styling herself his aunt also, had hastily invented the Jagborough expedition in order to impress on Nicholas the delights that he had justly forfeited by his disgraceful conduct at the breakfast-table. It was her habit, whenever one of the children fell from grace, to improvise something of a festival nature from which the offender would be rigorously debarred; if all the children sinned collectively they were suddenly informed of a circus in a neighbouring town, a circus of unrivalled merit and uncounted elephants, to which, but for their depravity, they would have been taken that very day.

Vocabulary:

• Tactician: Someone skilled at planning and carrying out actions, especially in military situations. (Here, it’s used metaphorically for Nicholas’s argumentative strategy)
• Insistence: The act of stating something forcefully and repeatedly.
• Boy-cousin: Male cousin on his father’s side.
• Girl-cousin: Female cousin on his father’s side.
• Unwarranted: Not justified or reasonable.
• Stretch of imagination: An attempt to believe something unlikely.
• Styling herself: Presenting herself as something she isn’t.
• Hastily invented: Quickly made up or planned.
• Impress on (someone): To make someone understand something clearly.
• Forfeited: Lost something, especially as a punishment.
• Delights: Pleasures.
• Justly: Deservedly.
• Sinned: Behaved badly.
• Disgraceful conduct: Bad behaviour.
• Improvise: To create or do something without planning beforehand.
• Festival nature: Happy and celebratory.
• Rigorously debarred: Strictly excluded.
• Debarred: Excluded.
• Offender: Someone who has done something wrong.
• Collectively: Together as a group.
• Depravity: Extreme wickedness or corruption (used in an exaggerated way here)
• Unrivalled: The best or most impressive of its kind. Having no equal.
• Uncounted: Too many to be counted.

Explanation: Nicholas wasn’t giving up! He kept repeating that he was right about the frog, like a skilled fighter (tactician) who won’t give up an advantage. So, his cousins and younger brother were all rewarded with a trip to the beach (Jagborough sands) that afternoon, while Nicholas had to stay home as punishment. His cousin’s aunt, who wasn’t really his aunt (unwarranted stretch of imagination), made up this whole beach trip to show Nicholas what fun he was missing because of his bad behavior at breakfast. This was her usual trick. Whenever a child misbehaved, she’d invent some exciting event, like a fantastic circus (unrivaled merit, uncounted elephants) in a nearby town, that the kids would miss because of their bad choices.

A few decent tears were looked for on the part of Nicholas when the moment for the departure of the expedition arrived. As a matter of fact, however, all the crying was done by his girl-cousin, who scraped her knee rather painfully against the step of the carriage as she was scrambling in. “How she did howl,” said Nicholas cheerfully, as the party drove off without any of the elation of high spirits that should have characterised it. “She’ll soon get over that,” said the soi-disant aunt; “it will be a glorious afternoon for racing about over those beautiful sands. How they will enjoy themselves!” “Bobby won’t enjoy himself much, and he won’t race much either,” said Nicholas with a grim chuckle; “his boots are hurting him. They’re too tight.” “Why didn’t he tell me they were hurting?” asked the aunt with some asperity. “He told you twice, but you weren’t listening. You often don’t listen when we tell you important things.” “You are not to go into the gooseberry garden,” said the aunt, changing the subject. “Why not?” demanded Nicholas. “Because you are in disgrace,” said the aunt loftily. Nicholas did not admit the flawlessness of the reasoning; he felt perfectly capable of being in disgrace and in a gooseberry garden at the same moment. His face took on an expression of considerable obstinacy. It was clear to his aunt that he was determined to get into the gooseberry garden, “only,” as she remarked to herself, “because I have told him he is not to.”

Vocabulary:

• Scraped: Roughly rubbed against something, causing damage to the surface.
• Scrambling: To climb or move awkwardly and quickly, especially using your hands and knees.
• Elation: A feeling of great happiness and triumph.
• High spirits: A feeling of happiness and excitement.
• Characterised: To be a typical feature of something.
• Soi-disant: (French) Self-styled; pretending to be something one is not; claiming a title or position without justification
• Glorious: Very beautiful or impressive.
• Chuckle: A quiet laugh.
• Grim chuckle: A laugh that suggests amusement at someone else’s misfortune.
• Asperity: Sharpness of temper or manner.
• Gooseberry garden: A garden where gooseberries are grown.
• Demanded: Asked for something forcefully or authoritatively.
• Loftily: In a proud or arrogant way.
• Flawlessness: Perfection or freedom from fault.
• Obstinacy: Stubbornness and unwillingness to change one’s mind.
• Determined: Having made a firm decision to do something.

Explanation: Everyone expected Nicholas to cry when his siblings left for the beach, but instead, his cousin scraped her knee getting in the carriage and started crying. Nicholas, however, wasn’t sad. He even pointed out that another cousin’s boots were too tight and would make it hard for him to play. The aunt, who pretended to be his aunt (soi-disant), ignored what Nicholas said about the boots, even though he told her twice. Nicholas then questioned why he couldn’t go into the gooseberry garden. The aunt simply said it’s because he’s in trouble (in disgrace). Nicholas didn’t accept this logic. He thought he could be both in trouble and still go in the garden. He looked very stubborn (obstinacy), and his aunt knew he just wanted to go there because she told him not to.

Now the gooseberry garden had two doors by which it might be entered, and once a small person like Nicholas could slip in there he could effectually disappear from view amid the masking growth of artichokes, raspberry canes, and fruit bushes. The aunt had many other things to do that afternoon, but she spent an hour or two in trivial gardening operations among flower beds and shrubberies, whence she could keep a watchful eye on the two doors that led to the forbidden paradise. She was a woman of few ideas, with immense powers of concentration. Nicholas made one or two sorties into the front garden, wriggling his way with obvious stealth of purpose towards one or other of the doors, but never able for a moment to evade the aunt’s watchful eye. As a matter of fact, he had no intention of trying to get into the gooseberry garden, but it was extremely convenient for him that his aunt should believe that he had; it was a belief that would keep her on self-imposed sentry-duty for the greater part of the afternoon. Having thoroughly confirmed and fortified her suspicions Nicholas slipped back into the house and rapidly put into execution a plan of action that had long germinated in his brain. By standing on a chair in the library one could reach a shelf on which reposed a fat, important-looking key. The key was as important as it looked; it was the instrument which kept the mysteries of the lumber-room secure from unauthorised intrusion, which opened a way only for aunts and such-like privileged persons. Nicholas had not had much experience of the art of fitting keys into keyholes and turning locks, but for some days past he had practised with the key of the schoolroom door; he did not believe in trusting too much to luck and accident. The key turned stiffly in the lock, but it turned. The door opened, and Nicholas was in an unknown land, compared with which the gooseberry garden was a stale delight, a mere material pleasure.

Vocabulary:

• Effectually: In a way that produces a desired effect.
• Disappearance: The act of disappearing.
• Masking: Hiding or concealing something.
• Artichokes: A type of thistle with an edible flower head.
• Shrubberies: A group of shrubs used as decoration.
• Forbidden paradise: A place that is tempting but forbidden.
• Sortie: A short military attack or raid. (Here, it’s used metaphorically for Nicholas’s attempts to enter the garden)
• Wriggling: Moving in a twisting or sideways way.
• Stealth: Secrecy or the act of trying to be quiet and unseen.
• Evasion: The act of avoiding something unpleasant.
• Sentry-duty: The duty of a guard who watches for danger.
• Suspicions: A feeling that something is wrong or that someone is guilty of something.
• Fortified: Strengthened.
• Germinated: Began to develop or form.
• Execution: The carrying out of a plan or order.
• Fat, important-looking: Large and impressive in appearance.
• Reposed: Lay or rested.
• Unauthorised intrusion: Entering a place without permission.
• Privileged: Having special rights or advantages.
• Stiffly: With difficulty or resistance.
• Stale delight: A pleasure that has become boring or uninteresting because of being experienced too often.
• Material pleasure: A physical or bodily pleasure.

Explanation: The gooseberry garden had two entrances, perfect for a small child like Nicholas to hide among the plants. His aunt, who wasn’t very bright (a woman of few ideas) but very focused (immense powers of concentration), planned to guard both entrances all afternoon to keep Nicholas out.
However, Nicholas was never really planning to go there! He cleverly pretended to sneak around, making his aunt believe he desperately wanted in. This kept her distracted, exactly as he’d hoped.
Nicholas then snuck into the house and put his real plan into action, one he’d been thinking about for a while. He climbed on a chair in the library and reached a shelf with a special key. This key unlocked the mysterious lumber-room, a place only adults were allowed in. Nicholas wasn’t an expert at unlocking things, but he’d been practicing with another key so he wouldn’t mess up. With a turn of the key, the door creaked open, revealing a whole new world to Nicholas, far more exciting than the gooseberry garden!

Often and often Nicholas had pictured to himself what the lumber-room might be like, that region that was so carefully sealed from youthful eyes and concerning which no questions were ever answered. It came up to his expectations. In the first place it was large and dimly lit, one high window opening on to the forbidden garden being its only source of illumination. In the second place it was a storehouse of unimagined treasures. The aunt-byassertion was one of those people who think that things spoil by use and consign them to dust and damp by way of preserving them. Such parts of the house as Nicholas knew best were rather bare and cheerless, but here there were wonderful things for the eye to feast on. First and foremost there was a piece of framed tapestry that was evidently meant to be a firescreen. To Nicholas it was a living, breathing story; he sat down on a roll of Indian hangings, glowing in wonderful colours beneath a layer of dust, and took in all the details of the tapestry picture. A man, dressed in the hunting costume of some remote period, had just transfixed a stag with an arrow; it could not have been a difficult shot because the stag was only one or two paces away from him; in the thickly-growing vegetation that the picture suggested it would not have been difficult to creep up to a feeding stag, and the two spotted dogs that were springing forward to join in the chase had evidently been trained to keep to heel till the arrow was discharged. That part of the picture was simple, if interesting, but did the huntsman see, what Nicholas saw, that four galloping wolves were coming in his direction through the wood? There might be more than four of them hidden behind the trees, and in any case would the man and his dogs be able to cope with the four wolves if they made an attack? The man had only two arrows left in his quiver, and he might miss with one or both of them; all one knew about his skill in shooting was that he could hit a large stag at a ridiculously short range. Nicholas sat for many golden minutes revolving the possibilities of the scene; he was inclined to think that there were more than four wolves and that the man and his dogs were in a tight corner.

Vocabulary:

• Pictured: Imagined
• Lumber-room: A storage room for old furniture and belongings.
• Sealed from: Kept hidden or inaccessible from.
• Expectations: Beliefs about what something will be like
• Dimly lit: Not well lit
• Illumination: Light
• Unimagined treasures: Wonderful things never before seen or thought of.
• Aunt-by-assertion: A woman who claims to be his aunt but may not be a true relative. (established earlier in the story)
• Consign: Send something somewhere.
• Dust and damp: A dirty and slightly wet environment.
• Feast on (with eyes): To enjoy looking at something visually stimulating.
• Tapestry: A woven wall hanging with pictures or designs.
• Firescreen: A decorative screen placed in front of a fireplace to protect from heat or sparks.
• Transfixed: Pierced or killed with a pointed weapon.
• Remote period: A time long ago.
• Vegetation: Plants growing in a particular area.
• Heel: The back part of a dog’s foot.
• Discharged: Shot from a weapon.
• Cope with: Deal with or manage a difficult situation.
• Quiver: A container for carrying arrows.
• Ridiculously short range: A very close distance.
• Revolving: Thinking about something from different angles.
• Golden minutes: A period of valuable time.
• Tight corner: A difficult or dangerous situation.

Explanation: Nicholas had always been curious about the lumber-room, a forbidden area for children. It lived up to his imagination! The room was big and dusty, with only one window letting in light from the forbidden garden. But most importantly, it was filled with amazing treasures!
Unlike the rest of the house, which seemed boring to Nicholas, the lumber-room had all sorts of cool things. The first thing that caught his eye was a giant tapestry, like a fancy wall decoration. To Nicholas, it wasn’t just a picture, it was a story coming to life! He sat on a dusty, colorful roll of fabric and examined the details closely.
The picture showed a hunter who just shot a deer with an arrow. It seemed like an easy shot, since the deer was so close. In the thick forest, it wouldn’t have been hard to sneak up on a feeding deer. The hunter’s dogs were trained to wait until he shot his arrow before chasing the deer. So far, so good for the hunter.
But here’s where it got interesting! Nicholas noticed something the hunter didn’t – four wolves were racing towards him through the trees! There might even be more hiding behind them. Could the hunter and his two dogs fight off four wolves? The hunter only had two arrows left, and he might miss with both. Nicholas wasn’t sure how good a shot the hunter was, just that he could hit a giant deer way too close.
Nicholas spent a long time thinking about the scene, imagining all the possibilities. He figured there were probably more than four wolves and the hunter was in big trouble!

Explanation of – The aunt-byassertion was one of those people who think that things spoil by use and consign them to dust and damp by way of preserving them.

His aunt, who takes care of the house, believes that using things ruins them. So, she stores many items in the lumber-room where they sit unused, collecting dust and becoming damp, all in the name of preserving them.

This passage highlights the contrast between the aunt’s idea of preserving things by hiding them away and the excitement and wonder Nicholas feels when he finally explores the room.

But there were other objects of delight and interest claiming his instant attention: there were quaint twisted candlesticks in the shape of snakes, and a teapot fashioned like a china duck, out of whose open beak the tea was supposed to come. How dull and shapeless the nursery teapot seemed in comparison! And there was a carved sandal-wood box packed tight with aromatic cotton-wool, and between the layers of cotton-wool were little brass figures, hump-necked bulls, and peacocks and goblins, delightful to see and to handle. Less promising in appearance was a large square book with plain black covers; Nicholas peeped into it, and, behold, it was full of coloured pictures of birds. And such birds! In the garden, and in the lanes when he went for a walk, Nicholas came across a few birds, of which the largest were an occasional magpie or wood-pigeon; here were herons and bustards, kites, toucans, tiger-bitterns, brush turkeys, ibises, golden pheasants, a whole portrait gallery of undreamed-of creatures. And as he was admiring the colouring of the mandarin duck and assigning a life-history to it, the voice of his aunt in shrill vociferation of his name came from the gooseberry garden without. She had grown suspicious at his long disappearance, and had leapt to the conclusion that he had climbed over the wall behind the sheltering screen of the lilac bushes; she was now engaged in energetic and rather hopeless search for him among the artichokes and raspberry canes.

Vocabulary:

• Quaint: Old-fashioned and interesting in a charming way.
• Twisted candlesticks: Holders for candles that are shaped like twisted objects.
• Fashioned: Made or shaped in a particular way.
• Supposed: Intended or expected to happen in a particular way.
• Dull and shapeless: Boring and lacking in form.
• Sandal-wood: A type of fragrant wood.
• Aromatic: Having a pleasant smell.
• Cotton-wool: Soft, fluffy cotton used for cleaning or padding.
• Hump-necked: Having a hump on its neck.
• Goblins: Small, mischievous mythical creatures.
• Promising: Suggesting something good or useful will happen.
• Plain: Simple and without decoration.
• Peeped: Looked quickly or secretly at something.
• Behold: Look! (used to draw attention to something surprising)
• Magpie: A black and white bird with a long tail.
• Wood-pigeon: A large, plump wild pigeon.
• Bustards: Large, flightless birds with long necks and legs.
• Kites: Birds of prey with long, narrow wings and a forked tail.
• Toucans: Large, brightly colored birds with large beaks.
• Tiger-bitterns: Large wading birds with striped feathers.
• Brush turkeys: Large, flightless birds of Australia and New Guinea.
• Ibises: Large, long-legged wading birds with long, curved beaks.
• Golden pheasants: Brightly colored pheasants with golden plumage.
• Portrait gallery: A collection of portraits.
• Undreamed-of: Never imagined before.
• Mandarin duck: A small, brightly colored duck with a crest.
• Assigning a life-history: Imagining the life story of the bird based on its appearance..
• Vociferation: A loud and noisy way of speaking.
• Shrill: High-pitched and piercing.
• Suspicious: Feeling that something is wrong or that someone is guilty of something.
• Leapt: Jumped suddenly.
• Conclusion: A decision reached after thinking about something.
• Energetic: Full of energy and enthusiasm.
• Hopeless: Very unlikely to succeed.

Explanation: There were many other exciting things in the lumber-room that grabbed Nicholas’ attention. He saw cool, twisted candlesticks shaped like snakes and a teapot that looked like a duck with tea coming out of its beak. These were way cooler than the boring teapot he had in his nursery! He also found a beautiful wooden box filled with soft, nice-smelling cotton wool. Hidden inside were tiny metal figures of animals and mythical creatures – things he loved to look at and play with.
Nicholas then came across a big, plain book filled with amazing bird pictures. These were birds he’d never even seen before! Unlike the crows and pigeons he saw outside, these were herons, bustards, and all sorts of other exotic birds with vibrant colors. He was lost in imagining the life of a beautiful mandarin duck when… disaster struck!
His aunt’s loud voice screeched his name from the gooseberry garden. She must have gotten suspicious because he’d been gone for so long. She probably thought he climbed over the wall and was now frantically searching for him among the plants, even though he was nowhere near there!

“Nicholas, Nicholas!” she screamed, “you are to come out of this at once. It’s no use trying to hide there; I can see you all the time.” It was probably the first time for twenty years that anyone had smiled in that lumber-room. Presently the angry repetitions of Nicholas’ name gave way to a shriek, and a cry for somebody to come quickly. Nicholas shut the book, restored it carefully to its place in a corner, and shook some dust from a neighbouring pile of newspapers over it. Then he crept from the room, locked the door, and replaced the key exactly where he had found it. His aunt was still calling his name when he sauntered into the front garden. “Who’s calling?” he asked. “Me,” came the answer from the other side of the wall; “didn’t you hear me? I’ve been looking for you in the gooseberry garden, and I’ve slipped into the rain-water tank. Luckily there’s no water in it, but the sides are slippery and I can’t get out. Fetch the little ladder from under the cherry tree—” “I was told I wasn’t to go into the gooseberry garden,” said Nicholas promptly. “I told you not to, and now I tell you that you may,” came the voice from the rain-water tank, rather impatiently. “Your voice doesn’t sound like aunt’s,” objected Nicholas; “you may be the Evil One tempting me to be disobedient. Aunt often tells me that the Evil One tempts me and that I always yield. This time I’m not going to yield.” “Don’t talk nonsense,” said the prisoner in the tank; “go and fetch the ladder.” “Will there be strawberry jam for tea?” asked Nicholas innocently. “Certainly there will be,” said the aunt, privately resolving that Nicholas should have none of it.

Vocabulary:

• Screamed: Shouted loudly and harshly.
• Presently: Soon.
• Repetitions: The act of saying or doing something again and several times.
• Gave way to: Replaced by.
• Shriek: A loud, sharp cry.
• Crept: Moved slowly and silently in a low position.
• Restored: Put something back in its proper place.
• Neighbouring: Situated near or next to something.
• Sauntered: Walked in a slow, relaxed way.
• Promptly: Immediately or without delay.
• Slipped: Lost her footing and fallen.
• Rain-water tank: A container for collecting rainwater.
• Slippery: Having a wet or smooth surface that causes someone or something to slide easily.
• Ladder: A frame with rungs for climbing up or down.
• Objected: Stated a disagreement or disapproval.
• Evil One: The devil.
• Yield: Give in to pressure or persuasion.
• Nonsense: Silly or meaningless talk.
• Prisoner: Someone who is shut up or confined in a place, especially unwillingly.
• Innocently: In a way that suggests no wrong is being done.
• Privately resolving: Secretly deciding.

Explanation: Nicholas ignored his aunt’s angry shouts calling him out of the forbidden lumber-room. He knew she couldn’t see him and thought he was hiding in the gooseberry garden. He quickly explored the room more, finding a beautiful bird book with pictures of amazing creatures he’d never seen before. Just as he was getting lost in imagining the life of a bird, his aunt’s voice came again, much louder this time!
It turned out his aunt, suspecting he was in the garden, fell into the empty rain barrel! She yelled for Nicholas to get a ladder, but Nicholas wasn’t sure if it was really his aunt or an evil trick. He remembered his aunt’s warnings about the Evil One tempting him to disobey, so he decided to be clever and make a deal. He would only get the ladder if there was strawberry jam for tea, knowing his aunt would secretly say no.

“Now I know that you are the Evil One and not aunt,” shouted Nicholas gleefully; “when we asked aunt for strawberry jam yesterday she said there wasn’t any. I know there are four jars of it in the store cupboard, because I looked, and of course you know it’s there, but she doesn’t, because she said there wasn’t any. Oh, Devil, you have sold yourself!” There was an unusual sense of luxury in being able to talk to an aunt as though one was talking to the Evil One, but Nicholas knew, with childish discernment, that such luxuries were not to be over-indulged in. He walked noisily away, and it was a kitchenmaid, in search of parsley, who eventually rescued the aunt from the rain-water tank. Tea that evening was partaken of in a fearsome silence. The tide had been at its highest when the children had arrived at Jagborough Cove, so there had been no sands to play on— a circumstance that the aunt had overlooked in the haste of organising her punitive expedition. The tightness of Bobby’s boots had had disastrous effect on his temper the whole of the afternoon, and altogether the children could not have been said to have enjoyed themselves. The aunt maintained the frozen muteness of one who has suffered undignified and unmerited detention in a rain-water tank for thirty-five minutes. As for Nicholas, he, too, was silent, in the absorption of one who has much to think about; it was just possible, he considered, that the huntsman would escape with his hounds while the wolves feasted on the stricken stag.

Vocabulary:

• Gleefully: In a happy and excited way.
• Store cupboard: A small room or cupboard where food and other household supplies are kept.
• Discernment: The ability to judge wisely and objectively.
• Over-indulged in: Done something too much or too often.Enjoyed something too much.
• Luxuries: Things that are expensive and enjoyable but not necessary.
• Noisily: In a way that makes a lot of noise.
• Kitchenmaid: A young female servant who works in a kitchen.
• Parsley: A green herb used for flavouring.
• Partaken of: Taken part in an activity, especially eating or drinking.
• Fearsome silence: A very deep and serious silence.
• Tide: The regular rise and fall of the sea level.
• Jagborough Cove: A small bay or inlet near Jagborough.
• Overlooked: Failed to notice or consider something.
• Punitive expedition: A military operation intended to punish an enemy.
• Disastrous: Very bad or unfortunate.
• Temper: A person’s tendency to become angry or annoyed easily.
• Muteness: The state of being silent.
• Frozen muteness: A complete and unbroken silence.
• Undignified: Lacking in dignity or self-respect.
• Unmerited: Not deserved or justified.
• Detention: The act of keeping someone in a particular place, especially as a punishment.
• Absorption: The complete attention of the mind.
• Huntsman: A person who hunts animals with hounds.
• Hounds: Hunting dogs.
• Striken: Wounded or injured.
• Stag: A fully grown male deer.

Explanation: Nicholas outsmarted his aunt! He realized her shouts were coming from the rain barrel, not the garden, and knew she was stuck. He pretended to believe she was the Evil One tempting him to disobey by getting the ladder. He tricked her into revealing there was strawberry jam (which she denied having) and then left her there. A maid eventually found the aunt, who was very grumpy after her ordeal.
Meanwhile, the children’s beach trip was a disaster. The tide was high, so there was no beach to play on, and Bobby’s tight boots made him cranky. Everyone had a terrible time.
Nicholas, however, was content in his own world. He pondered the fate of the hunter in the tapestry, wondering if he’d escape the wolves.