The Hitch-Hiker by Roald Dahl – Summary, Q&A, and Learning Notes

This section provides complete textbook-style notes #SirjiNotes for Roald Dahl’s The Hitch-Hiker, tailored for Jasper Class 7. It includes #SirjiAns short and long answers, reference-to-context responses, and discussion-based impressions—designed to support homework, revision, and exam preparation.

Contents

▶ 1 The Hitch Hiker – Learning Notes | Jasper Class 7 #SirjiNotes
▶ 2 Hitch-Hiker -Textbook Question and Answers – Jasper for Class 7 #SirjiAns
- 2.1 Comprehension
- 2.2 Reference to Context
- 2.3 Word web
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The Hitch Hiker – Learning Notes | Jasper Class 7 #SirjiNotes

This section offers complete learning notes for Roald Dahl’s The Hitch-Hiker, curated for Jasper Class 7. It includes a clear summary, vocabulary explanations, character sketches, and thematic insights—designed to help students understand the story deeply and prepare exams. #SirjiNotes

WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT

Story Overview of ‘The Hitch-Hiker’

The Hitch-hiker is a funny and interesting story by Roald Dahl. It is about a writer who gives a lift to a stranger while driving. The stranger turns out to be a hitch-hiker with a strange job — he is a “fingersmith,” or a pickpocket. When a policeman stops the car for speeding, the writer becomes nervous. But the hitch-hiker cleverly steals the policeman’s notebook, saving the writer from trouble. The story shows the difference between the writer’s simple nature and the hitch-hiker’s cleverness.

About the Hitchhiker’s Accent

In the story, the hitchhiker speaks with a strong Cockney accent (a working-class London accent). Roald Dahl shows this by changing the spelling of words to match the way he pronounces them:

“I’m goin’ right through London …” instead of “I’m going …”
“I’m an ‘od carrier” instead of “I’m a hod carrier”
“You never saw nothin’” instead of “You never saw anything”
“Me? I’m a fingersmith” instead of “I am a fingersmith”

This shows that the hitchhiker:

Drops the “g” at the end of words (goin’).
Leaves out the letter h (’od carrier instead of hod carrier).
Uses double negatives (never saw nothin’).
Speaks in a casual, streetwise style.

👉 This accent makes his character feel more realistic—like a cheeky, clever man from the streets, different from the narrator who speaks in standard English.

SUMMARY

SUMMMARY for Quick revision

Short Summary

The story is about a writer who gives a lift to a stranger on the road. The stranger is a hitch-hiker. They talk while travelling, and the narrator learns that the hitch-hiker is not an ordinary man but a skilled “fingersmith” — a pickpocket. The narrator gets caught by the police for speeding, and he becomes worried. Later, he is surprised to see that the hitch-hiker has cleverly stolen the policeman’s notebook. This saves the narrator from any trouble. The story shows the difference between the simple and nervous writer and the bold, clever hitch-hiker.

Summary in Hindi: यह कहानी एक लेखक की है जो रास्ते में एक अजनबी को गाड़ी में बैठा लेता है। वह अजनबी एक हिच-हाइकर है। सफर के दौरान दोनों बातें करते हैं और लेखक को पता चलता है कि हिच-हाइकर कोई साधारण व्यक्ति नहीं बल्कि एक कुशल “फिंगर-स्मिथ” यानी जेबकतरा है। लेखक को तेज़ गाड़ी चलाने पर पुलिस पकड़ लेती है और वह घबरा जाता है। बाद में उसे आश्चर्य होता है कि हिच-हाइकर ने चालाकी से पुलिस वाले की नोटबुक ही चुरा ली है। इस तरह लेखक किसी मुसीबत से बच जाता है। कहानी लेखक की सादगी और डरपोक स्वभाव तथा हिच-हाइकर की चतुराई और हिम्मत का अंतर दिखाती है।

Long Summary:

The story is told by a writer who is driving his car from London to a place called Brighton. On the way, he sees a man standing by the road, asking for a lift. The narrator is kind and stops the car to help him. This man is a hitch-hiker, someone who travels by asking for free rides.

At first, they talk casually about cars, jobs, and money. The narrator learns that the hitch-hiker does not have an ordinary job. He proudly calls himself a “fingersmith,” which means he is a very skilled pickpocket. He believes his job is useful because he is quick, careful, and never violent.

While they are talking, a policeman stops the narrator for driving too fast. The narrator becomes very nervous, like a student caught cheating in an exam. The policeman notes down all his details in a notebook and warns him. The narrator feels upset, but the hitch-hiker remains calm.

A little later, the hitch-hiker reveals his real skill. He shows the narrator that he has secretly taken the policeman’s notebook without being noticed. The narrator is shocked but also relieved, because now the police will have no record against him.

In the end, the narrator realises that the hitch-hiker may be a thief, but he is also very smart, confident, and brave. The story shows the sharp difference between the narrator’s nervous, simple nature and the hitch-hiker’s daring, clever personality.

Summary in Hindi: यह कहानी एक लेखक की है जो लंदन से ब्राइटन की ओर कार चला रहा होता है। रास्ते में उसे एक आदमी दिखाई देता है जो लिफ्ट माँग रहा होता है। लेखक दयालु होता है, इसलिए वह गाड़ी रोककर उस आदमी को बैठा लेता है। यह आदमी एक हिच-हाइकर है, जो बिना किराए दिए लोगों की गाड़ियों में सफर करता है।

शुरू में दोनों साधारण बातें करते हैं — गाड़ियों, पैसों और काम के बारे में। फिर लेखक को पता चलता है कि हिच-हाइकर का काम साधारण नहीं है। वह गर्व से अपने आप को “फिंगर-स्मिथ” कहता है, जिसका मतलब है कि वह एक निपुण जेबकतरा है। वह मानता है कि उसका काम तेज़ी, सावधानी और बिना हिंसा के होता है।

इसी बीच, पुलिस लेखक को तेज़ गाड़ी चलाने पर पकड़ लेती है। लेखक घबरा जाता है, जैसे कोई बच्चा परीक्षा में नकल करते पकड़ा गया हो। पुलिस वाला उसकी सारी जानकारी अपनी नोटबुक में लिख लेता है। लेखक परेशान हो जाता है, लेकिन हिच-हाइकर शांत और आत्मविश्वासी रहता है।

कुछ देर बाद, हिच-हाइकर अपनी असली कला दिखाता है। वह लेखक को बताता है कि उसने चुपके से पुलिस वाले की नोटबुक ही चुरा ली है। यह देखकर लेखक दंग रह जाता है, लेकिन उसे राहत भी मिलती है क्योंकि अब उसके खिलाफ पुलिस का कोई रिकॉर्ड नहीं रहेगा।

अंत में, लेखक समझता है कि भले ही हिच-हाइकर चोर है, लेकिन वह बहुत चतुर, बहादुर और आत्मविश्वासी है। कहानी लेखक की सादगी और घबराहट तथा हिच-हाइकर की चालाकी और हिम्मत के बीच का अंतर साफ़ रूप से दिखाती है।

VOCAB-NOTES

Vocab-Notes: Key Words & Phrases

Narrator – the person who tells the story
कहानी सुनाने वाला व्यक्ति
Hitch-hiker – a person who travels by asking for free rides from strangers
रास्ते में लिफ्ट लेकर सफर करने वाला यात्री
Lift – giving someone a free ride in a vehicle
सवारी को मुफ्त में साथ ले जाना
Fingersmith – another word for a pickpocket (a skilled thief)
जेबकतरा / जेब काटने वाला
Pickpocket – a thief who steals things from people’s pockets secretly
जेबकतरा
Accelerate – to increase the speed of a car
गाड़ी की गति बढ़ाना
Policeman (or Cop) – a person who keeps law and order
पुलिस वाला
Notebook – small book used by the policeman to write details
नोटबुक / डायरी
License – official permission to drive a vehicle
ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस
Executioner – a person who punishes or kills criminals (used in comparison to policeman)
जलाद / सज़ा देने वाला
Victim – a person who suffers harm or trouble
पीड़ित / शिकार
Calm – peaceful and without worry
शांत / स्थिर
Upset – worried, sad, or disturbed
परेशान / दुखी
Relieved – happy because a problem is solved
राहत महसूस करना
Clever – smart, quick to think of ideas
चतुर / होशियार

CHARACTER-SKETCHES

Characters: The Narrator vs. The Hitch-Hiker

Here’s a brief character sketch of the two main characters in The Hitch-hiker, followed by a comparison table.

Character Sketch of the Narrator

The narrator is a kind and polite writer. He is helpful as he gives a lift to the hitch-hiker. He is simple and law-abiding but becomes nervous when stopped by the police. He respects honesty and feels surprised at the hitch-hiker’s unusual skills. The narrator represents an ordinary, decent person.

Keywords & Phrases:
Kind – Polite – Helpful – Honest – Nervous – Simple – Decent

Character Sketch of the Hitch-hiker

The hitch-hiker is a clever, confident, and bold man. He proudly calls himself a “fingersmith,” showing his unusual skill as a pickpocket. He is calm even in tense situations and shows no fear of the police. His quick hands and sharp mind help him steal the policeman’s notebook, saving the narrator. The hitch-hiker represents wit, daring, and cleverness.

Keywords & Phrases:
Clever – Confident – Bold – Calm – Fearless – Quick hands – Witty – Daring

Aspect	The Narrator	The Hitch-hiker
Profession	A writer	A “fingersmith” (pickpocket)
Personality	Honest, decent, law-abiding	Clever, bold, mischievous
Attitude	Nervous in front of authority (policeman)	Calm, fearless, confident
Behavior	Polite, friendly (gave lift to stranger)	Proud of his unusual skill
Skills	Writing, imagination	Quick hands, sharp observation
Impression	Sensitive, simple, decent man	Witty, cunning, intelligent

Hitch-Hiker -Textbook Question and Answers – Jasper for Class 7 #SirjiAns

This section offers complete textbook answers for Roald Dahl’s The Hitch-Hiker, tailored for Class 7 Jasper learners. Find short and long answers, reference-to-context responses, and discussion-based insights—all crafted to support homework, revision, and classroom use. #SirjiAns

Comprehension

A. Answer the following questions.

Why did the narrator stop to give a lift to the hitch-hiker?
What did the hitch-hiker look like?
Why did the narrator decide not to question the hitch-hiker any more?
Why did the driver accelerate the car?
What was the hitch-hiker’s profession? What did he prefer to call it?
Give a few examples to show how the hitch-hiker demonstrated his skill.

ANSWERS: Three sets of answers are provided here to help students with their homework tasks and to guide them in drafting their own responses.

Ans. Set – 1 (Short Answers)

The narrator stopped because he always felt sympathy for hitchhikers, remembering his own days of standing on the roadside.
He was small, with a rat-like face, sharp eyes, pointed ears, gray teeth, and a jacket with big pockets.
The narrator stopped questioning him as the hitchhiker became irritated and silent.
He accelerated because the hitchhiker urged him to prove the car’s speed.
His profession was pickpocketing, but he proudly called himself a “fingersmith.”
He secretly removed the narrator’s belt, shoelace, watch, wallet items, and even took the policeman’s notebooks without being noticed.

Ans. Set – 2

1. Why did the narrator stop to give a lift to the hitch-hiker?
Ans. He stopped because he felt sympathy. He knew the pain of waiting on the roadside and being ignored by car drivers.

2. What did the hitch-hiker look like?
Ans. He was small, with a thin, rat-like face, sharp quick eyes, gray teeth, and pointed ears. His jacket had very big pockets, and he wore a cloth cap.

3. Why did the narrator decide not to question the hitch-hiker any more?
Ans. Because the hitch-hiker became blank and gave no answers. The narrator then realized it was rude to ask too many questions.

4. Why did the driver accelerate the car?
Ans. He did it to satisfy the hitch-hiker, who wanted to see how fast the car could go.

5. What was the hitch-hiker’s profession? What did he prefer to call it?
Ans. He was a professional thief who stole things with his fingers. Instead of “pickpocket,” he called himself a fingersmith, showing pride in his skill.

6. Give a few examples to show how the hitch-hiker demonstrated his skill.
Ans. He cleverly removed the driver’s belt, shoelace, watch, keys, money, papers, and even a ring without being noticed. He also stole the policeman’s two notebooks.

Ans. Set – 2 (Long Answers)

1. Why did the narrator stop to give a lift to the hitch-hiker?
Ans. The narrator stopped his car because he had once been a hitch-hiker himself and knew how hard it felt to stand by the road while drivers ignored him. He especially disliked the way people with big cars and empty seats would pretend not to see. Out of sympathy and understanding, he always made it a habit to give lifts to hitch-hikers.

2. What did the hitch-hiker look like?
Ans. The hitch-hiker was a small man with a sharp, rat-like appearance. His face was thin and ratty, his teeth were gray, and his eyes were dark, quick, and clever like a rat’s. His ears were pointed at the top, making him resemble a human rat. He wore a cloth cap on his head and a grayish jacket with very large pockets, which gave him a mysterious look.

3. Why did the narrator decide not to question the hitch-hiker any more?
Ans. At first, the narrator was curious and asked the hitch-hiker where he was going and why. But when the hitch-hiker gave no clear answer and looked blank, the narrator realized that his companion did not like being questioned. This reminded him of his own hitch-hiking days, when he used to get annoyed by nosy drivers who asked too many personal questions. So, out of respect, he decided not to question the hitch-hiker further.

4. Why did the driver accelerate the car?
Ans. The driver accelerated the car because the hitch-hiker wanted to see how powerful and fast it was. The hitch-hiker challenged him to “open her up” and prove the car’s strength. Wanting to show off his new car’s speed, the narrator pressed the accelerator and pushed the car from ninety miles an hour up to one hundred and twenty. This showed both the thrill of driving and the narrator’s pride in his car.

5. What was the hitch-hiker’s profession? What did he prefer to call it?
Ans. The hitch-hiker’s profession was stealing, but he did not like the word “pickpocket,” which he felt was vulgar and low-class. Instead, he proudly called himself a “fingersmith.” Just as goldsmiths and silversmiths are experts in their craft, he explained that he was an expert with his fingers. He considered himself highly skilled, like a craftsman at the top of his trade, and he spoke about it with great pride.

6. Give a few examples to show how the hitch-hiker demonstrated his skill.
Ans. The hitch-hiker amazed the narrator by secretly removing many of his belongings without being noticed. He took off the narrator’s belt from his trousers, pulled out a shoelace from his shoe, and even removed his wristwatch while they were talking in the car. Then he showed more items he had taken from the narrator’s pockets—such as his driving license, key ring, money, diary, lighter, and even his wife’s valuable sapphire ring. Finally, he revealed that he had stolen the policeman’s two notebooks as well. All this proved his incredible skill and speed as a “fingersmith.”

Reference to Context

B. Answer the following questions with reference to context.

1. Like an executioner approaching his victim, the policeman came strolling slowly towards us.

(a) Why was the policeman approaching the narrator?
(b) What were the narrator’s feelings as the policeman approached?
(c) What did the policeman do?

Answers:

(a) Why was the policeman approaching the narrator?
Ans. Because the narrator was caught driving at 120 mph, far above the speed limit.

(b) What were the narrator’s feelings as the policeman approached?
Ans. He felt guilty, nervous, and afraid of punishment.

(c) What did the policeman do?
Ans. He checked the license, noted down details, and issued a ticket.

2. ‘It’s always nice to be appreciated.”

(a) Who says these words? Why?
(b) What was the skill for which he was being appreciated?
(c) What had the speaker done for the other person to earn his appreciation?

Answers:

(a) Who says these words? Why?
Ans. The hitch-hiker says this after being praised by the narrator.

(b) What was the skill for which he was being appreciated?
Ans. His great skill as a “fingersmith” (expert thief).

(c) What had the speaker done for the other person to earn his appreciation?
Ans. He stole the policeman’s notebooks, saving the narrator from trouble.

C. Think, discuss, and then answer the following question. What impression do you form of

1. the narrator 2. the hitch-hiker

Answer:

The narrator comes across as a simple, polite, and decent man who is nervous in front of the police but kind enough to help a stranger.
The hitch-hiker, on the other hand, is clever, confident, and proud of his unusual skill as a “fingersmith.” Together, they form a sharp contrast—one is law-abiding and sensitive, while the other is witty, cunning, and daring.

Long Answers:

1. The narrator

The narrator seems to be an honest and straightforward man. He is a writer by profession and is very open about himself. He is also a little nervous and worried about the rules of the road. For example, when the policeman comes near him, he immediately feels guilty, as if he has done something wrong, even though he has not. This shows that he is a sensitive person who is easily affected by authority. At the same time, he is polite and friendly, because he talks kindly with the hitch-hiker and gives him a lift. Overall, the narrator gives us the impression of being a simple, decent, and law-abiding person.

2. The hitch-hiker

The hitch-hiker is a very different kind of person. He is quick-witted, clever, and has confidence in himself. He calls himself a “fingersmith,” meaning he is a pickpocket, and he feels proud of his skill. He has sharp eyes and a sharp tongue, and he enjoys showing off his ability to use his fingers so quickly that nobody notices. He is not ashamed of being a thief; instead, he takes pride in it as if it were an art. He is also calm and fearless, even in front of the policeman, unlike the narrator who feels nervous. From this, we get the impression that the hitch-hiker is bold, cunning, and mischievous, but also very skillful and intelligent.

Conclusion:

The narrator comes across as a simple, polite, and decent man who is nervous in front of the police but kind enough to help a stranger. The hitch-hiker, on the other hand, is clever, confident, and proud of his unusual skill as a “fingersmith.” Together, they form a sharp contrast—one is law-abiding and sensitive, while the other is witty, cunning, and daring.

Word web

Analogy:
An analogy is a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Examples: open is to closed as near is to…far (opposites) mouth is to eat as feet are to…walk (body part and function) book is to read as television is to…watch (object and purpose)

Complete the analogies given below. One has been done for you.

tropical: hot :: polar: cold
nose: smell :: mouth: ____
on: off :: light: ____
car: road :: boat: ____
worried: calm :: upset: ____
Monday: weekday :: Saturday: ____
carrot: vegetable :: peach: ____
exciting: boring :: strange : ____