‘The Lumber Room’ Question & Answers Class 7 English

The Lumber Room is a story by Saki i.e. Hector Hugh Munro. Here you would get Question and Answers as given in the Class 7 English textbook Wind Chimes. Click here for the meanings and explanation of the story ‘The Lumber Room”.

Summary:

Nicholas in Disgrace

• Nicholas gets in trouble for refusing to eat his breakfast because he claims there’s a frog in his milk.
• No one believes him, and he’s punished by being left at home while his cousins go to the beach.
• His aunt, who isn’t even really his aunt, tries to make him feel worse by talking about a great circus event the children are missing.

Nicholas Outsmarts his Aunt

• Nicholas doesn’t cry when his cousins leave. He points out their upcoming problems (scraped knee, tight boots).
• He argues with his aunt about not being allowed in the gooseberry garden, even though he has no real intention of going there.
• His aunt wastes time guarding the garden entrances, believing Nicholas is trying to sneak in.

The Enchanting Lumber-room

• Nicholas uses the distraction to explore the forbidden lumber-room, a place filled with fascinating treasures.
• He admires a tapestry depicting a hunter facing danger from wolves.
• He discovers other wonders like a bird book with pictures of exotic birds, a strange teapot, and interesting figurines.

Nicholas and the Trapped “Aunt”

• Nicholas gets caught in the act by his aunt’s shouts. However, she’s mistaken – she fell into the rain barrel while searching for him in the garden.
• Nicholas pretends to believe she’s the Evil One tempting him to disobey by getting the ladder to help her.
• He outsmarts her by revealing her lie about having no strawberry jam, then leaves her there.

The Aftermath

• The children’s beach trip turns out to be a disaster due to high tide and uncomfortable boots.
• Nicholas remains content, lost in his thoughts about the story in the tapestry and the fate of the hunter.
• The aunt is grumpy after her ordeal, and everyone has a silent dinner.

Textbook Q & Ans.

Comprehension

A. Answer these questions briefly.

1. Why was Nicholas in disgrace and not allowed to join the other children on the trip to Jagborough sands?
2. How did Nicholas prove the older, wiser and better people wrong?
3. Why did the aunt decide to take the children to the sands of Jagborough?
4. Describe the lumber room.
5. What objects caught Nicholas’s attention in the lumber room and why were they of particular interest to him?
6. How did Nicholas interpret the scene depicted in the tapestry differently from others?
7. What happened to the aunt when she was looking for Nicholas in gooseberry garden?
8. Why did Nicholas refuse to obey the voice coming from the rainwater tank even when he was told he could enter the gooseberry garden?

Answers:

1. Nicholas wouldn’t eat his breakfast because he said there was a frog in his milk, and no one believed him (even though he was right).
2. He showed them the frog he had put in the milk himself.
3. The aunt wanted Nicholas to feel bad about his behaviour by taking the other children on a fun beach trip he couldn’t go on.
4. The lumber room was large, dimly lit, and dusty, but filled with fascinating forgotten treasures.
5. He liked the unique and exciting items like the snake candlesticks, the duck teapot, the carved box with figurines, and the bird book with pictures of unseen creatures. These were much more interesting than his everyday things.
6. Nicholas saw danger for the hunter in the tapestry with the approaching wolves, while others might not have noticed.
7. She fell into the empty rain barrel while searching for him.
8. Nicholas suspected the voice wasn’t his aunt but the Evil One tempting him to disobey, and he outsmarted her by making a deal for strawberry jam (which he knew she wouldn’t give).

Answer Set 2

1. Nicholas wouldn’t eat his breakfast because he claimed there was a frog in his milk, and the adults didn’t believe him.
2. He revealed he put the frog in the milk himself, proving the adults wrong.
3. The aunt wanted Nicholas to feel bad by taking the other children on a fun trip he couldn’t join as punishment for his “disgraceful” behaviour.
4. The lumber room was large, dimly lit, and dusty, filled with forgotten treasures.
5. Nicholas liked the unique and exciting items like the snake candlesticks, the duck teapot, the carved box with figurines, and the bird book with pictures of unseen birds. They were much more interesting than his everyday things.
6. Nicholas saw danger for the hunter in the tapestry, noticing wolves approaching that the hunter hadn’t.
7. The aunt fell into the empty rain barrel while searching for Nicholas in the garden.
8. Nicholas suspected it wasn’t his aunt but the “Evil One” tempting him to disobey by getting the ladder. He also knew his aunt had lied about the strawberry jam.

B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. ‘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.
   a. Who is the speaker? Who does ‘he’ refer to in the first sentence?
   b. Why did the aunt change the subject
   C. Why did the aunt say that the speaker did not have the permission to go to the gooseberry garden?
2. Presently the angry repetitions of Nicholas’s name gave way to a shriek, and a cry for somebody to come quickly. Nicholas crept from the room, locked the door, and replaced the key exactly where he had found it.
   a. Who shrieked and cried out for help?
   b. Why did the person shriek?
   c. Why does the author use the word ‘crept’ to describe how Nicholas came out of the room?
3. ‘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!
   a. What did the jars contain?
   b. Who had said that ‘there wasn’t any?
   c. Why did the speaker say ‘Oh, Devil, you have sold yourself?

Answer:

Short Answer:

1. a. Aunt; Nicholas’s brother
   b. Avoid admitting fault
   c. Punishment (even if not trying to go)
2. a. Aunt
   b. Fell in empty rain barrel
   c. Being sneaky/unnoticed
3. a. Strawberry jam
   b. Aunt
   c. Tricked her, revealed lie (being cheeky)

Long Answers:

1. a. The speaker is Nicholas’s aunt. “He” refers to Nicholas.
   b. The aunt changed the subject because she realised Nicholas wasn’t really interested in going into the gooseberry garden. He was cleverly trying to get her to focus on that so she wouldn’t notice him sneaking off to do something else (which he did – go to the lumber room).
   c. The aunt said Nicholas couldn’t go into the gooseberry garden because it was a way to punish him for his disobedience at breakfast (refusing to eat) and to keep him out of trouble (since he might break something or hurt himself). It was also likely just a rule set for the children.
2. a. Nicholas’s aunt shrieked and cried out for help.
   b. The aunt shrieked because she fell into the empty rain barrel while searching for Nicholas in the garden.
   c. The author uses the word “crept” to describe how Nicholas came out of the room because he was trying to be quiet and unnoticed. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be in the lumber room and likely didn’t want his aunt to discover he’d locked her in the rain barrel.
3. a. The jars contained strawberry jam.
   b. Nicholas’s aunt had said there wasn’t any strawberry jam.
   c. Nicholas said “Oh, Devil, you have sold yourself!” because he tricked his aunt. He knew she had strawberry jam (because he looked) but pretended to believe she was the Evil One trying to tempt him by offering jam that didn’t exist. He outsmarted her, and in his mind, she revealed her lie by unknowingly promising the jam.

C. Answer these questions.

1. Why do you think the lumber umber room fascinated Nicholas so much?
2. Analyse the relationship between Nicholas and the aunt. How does interaction change throughout the story?
3. What do you learn about Nicholas’s character from his interaction with the aunt when she was in the rainwater tank? Give instances from the story to support your answer.
4. Why did Nicholas refuse to obey the voice coming from the rainwater tank, and how did he test if it was really the aunt?
5. What does the incident with the strawberry jam reveal about Nicholas’s cleverness and ability to outsmart others?
6. How does the story explore themes of disobedience, curiosity, and the struggle between adults’ authority and children?
7. What emotions and thoughts might have gone through Nicholas’s mind as he contemplated the fate of the huntsman and the wolves while having tea with his family?
8. What did Nicholas consider might happen to the huntsman in the framed tapestry, and why did he think the man and his dogs were in a tight corner.
9. Describe the atmosphere during tea that evening and the contrasting reactions of Nicholas and the aunt.
10. How would you describe Nicholas’s character based on his actions and attitudes in the story?

Answers:

1. The lumber room fascinated Nicholas because it was a forbidden place filled with mysterious and interesting objects, unlike the rest of the house which seemed boring to him. It was a place for his imagination to run wild.
2. The relationship between Nicholas and his aunt is strained and lacking trust. The aunt uses harsh punishments and doesn’t listen to Nicholas. Throughout the story, Nicholas becomes more cunning and rebellious towards his aunt’s unfair treatment.
3. We learn that Nicholas is clever, observant, and cheeky. He outsmarts his aunt by using her own words against her and making her reveal the lie about the strawberry jam. (“There are four jars of it…because I looked”).
4. Nicholas refused to obey the voice because he suspected it wasn’t his aunt but the Evil One tempting him (as his aunt had warned him about). He tested her by asking for strawberry jam, knowing his aunt would deny it if it were really her.
5. The strawberry jam incident reveals Nicholas’s cleverness and ability to outsmart others. He uses logic (“I looked”) and challenges his aunt’s statement to get what he wants.
6. The story explores themes of disobedience (Nicholas with the frog and the lumber room), curiosity (Nicholas’s fascination with the forbidden), and the struggle between adult authority (represented by the aunt’s punishments) and children’s desire for exploration and independence (Nicholas’s actions).
7. Nicholas might be feeling a sense of accomplishment for outsmarting his aunt. He might also be lost in thought about the story in the tapestry, wondering if the hunter escapes the wolves. There could be a sense of satisfaction in his own “victory” mirrored by the uncertain outcome in the picture.
8. Nicholas believed the huntsman in the tapestry faced danger from the four wolves approaching through the trees. He thought the man and his dogs were in a tight corner because:

• He only had two arrows left.
• The close proximity of the deer made a difficult shot more likely.
• There might be more wolves hidden behind the trees.

9. The atmosphere during tea was tense and silent.

• The children likely felt disappointed about their failed beach trip.
• The aunt was grumpy from her ordeal in the rain barrel.
• No one spoke due to the overall unpleasant mood.

10. Nicholas is a curious, rebellious, and clever boy.

• He is curious about the forbidden room and the story in the tapestry.
• He defies his aunt’s rules (frog in milk, exploring the room).
• He outsmarts his aunt with the strawberry jam trick.

Answer Set 2 (Short Answers)

1. The lumber room fascinated Nicholas with its mysterious objects, like the duck teapot and the bird book, offering an escape from his ordinary world.
   
2. The relationship starts with a power imbalance. The aunt punishes Nicholas, who rebels. By the end, Nicholas outsmarts her, leaving her frustrated.
   
3. Nicholas is clever (using the jam trick) and observant (remembering the aunt’s lie). He challenges authority but enjoys a bit of chaos (talking to the “devil”).
   
4. He didn’t trust the voice. He tested it with the jam question, knowing the aunt had lied about having jam.
   
5. Nicholas cleverly uses the aunt’s lie against her, proving he can be more cunning.
   
6. Nicholas disobeys (frog incident, garden) due to curiosity. The rain tank incident shows a child’s defiance against a controlling adult.
   
7. He might be daydreaming about the story, escaping the tense atmosphere with his imagination.
   
8. Nicholas imagines the huntsman and hounds losing to the wolves, perhaps reflecting his own victory over the aunt.
   
9. Dinner is tense and silent. Nicholas is lost in thought, while the aunt remains grumpy.
   
10. Nicholas is a curious, rebellious boy who uses his intelligence and cunning to challenge authority figures.

Answer Set 3

1. The lumber room fascinated Nicholas because it was a forbidden and mysterious place filled with unique and forgotten treasures. It was a world far more interesting than the ordinary objects he encountered daily.
2. The relationship between Nicholas and his aunt is strained and lacks trust. The aunt is strict and uses fear tactics (like inventing a fake circus trip) to punish Nicholas. Nicholas is rebellious and challenges her authority (disputing her claims, sneaking into the forbidden room). Throughout the story, their interaction becomes increasingly adversarial, with Nicholas becoming more cunning and the aunt more frustrated.
3. The rainwater tank incident reveals Nicholas’s cleverness and defiance. He doubts the voice’s authenticity (”your voice doesn’t sound like aunt’s”), suspects it’s the “Evil One tempting” him, and uses trickery (“Will there be strawberry jam for tea?” knowing the aunt would refuse).
4. Nicholas wouldn’t obey because he suspected the voice wasn’t his aunt. He tested it by asking for something he knew his aunt wouldn’t offer (strawberry jam) and tricked her into revealing the truth.
5. The strawberry jam incident highlights Nicholas’s wit and manipulative side. He uses his knowledge (knowing about the jam) and the aunt’s past behaviour (denying the jam) to gain an advantage and get what he wants.
6. The story explores disobedience through Nicholas’s defiance of his aunt’s rules (frog in milk, sneaking into the room). Curiosity is evident in Nicholas’s fascination with the forbidden room and the mysterious tapestry. The struggle between authority and children is seen in the aunt’s attempts to control Nicholas and his rebellious actions to explore and have his own voice heard.
7. Nicholas might be pondering the consequences of his own actions (disobeying his aunt) and the potential danger it could lead to, mirrored by the precarious situation of the huntsman in the tapestry. He might also be feeling a sense of satisfaction for outsmarting his aunt and enjoying his own world of imagination.
8. Nicholas believed the huntsman in the tapestry faced danger because:
   He had only two arrows left.
   There were more wolves approaching than initially seen.
   The close proximity of the deer made a clean shot unlikely.
9. The atmosphere at tea was tense and silent:The children’s beach trip was a disaster due to high tide and uncomfortable boots. The aunt was grumpy after being stuck in the rain barrel. Everyone was likely preoccupied with their own thoughts. Nicholas, however, remained absorbed in his own world, pondering the fate of the huntsman.
10. Nicholas is a curious and rebellious boy: He questions the adults’ claims (frog in milk). He explores the forbidden lumber room, driven by curiosity. He outsmarts his aunt with wit and cunning (rain barrel incident). He enjoys his own world of imagination (fate of the huntsman)