This slice of life story "The Night the Bed Fell" by James Thurber revolves around a single night of comic chaos at the narrator’s family home. The narrator's father decides to sleep in the shaky attic bed against the advice of his wife, causing ...
The night the bed fell - English Castle - Class 8 - English
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Back Exercises - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Literature | English | Class 8
Find and circle words in the grid whose meanings are given.
A drawing made quickly that does not have many details
That quality that makes a situation funny
Someone who draws cartoons, especially as his/her job
A series of drawings that tell a story
A drawing of a person that strongly emphasises his/her main features to create a comic effect
Words printed near a picture that explain something about it
A humorous imitation of something
The use of humour to ridicule or criticise someone
Here is the grid with the circled words:
1. A drawing made quickly that does not have many details - SKETCH
2. That quality that makes a situation funny - HUMOR
3. Someone who draws cartoons, especially as his/her job - CARTOONIST
4. A series of drawings that tell a story - COMIC
5. A drawing of a person that strongly emphasizes his/her main features to create a comic effect - CARICATURE
6. Words printed near a picture that explain something about it - CAPTION
7. A humorous imitation of something - PARODY
8. The use of humor to ridicule or criticize someone - SATIRE
Match the participle clause with the correct main clauses to make meaningful sentences.
1. Located in the middle of the city, | he got up from the bench. |
2. Painted in orange, | he entered a restaurant. |
3. Being chased by a dog, | the mall became popular. |
4. Hearing the horn of the train, | the building looked bright. |
5. Feeling hungry, | the thief jumped over the fence. |
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Sign up nowComplete the sentences with participle clauses. Use the words in brackets. One has been done for you.
1. ………….Feeling bored………………. (feel, bored), Saira switched on the TV.
2. ……………………………………………….. (feel, tired), he went to bed.
3. She twisted her ankle ……………………………………………….. (fall, the top of the stairs).
4. ……………………………………………….. (lose, way back home), Bruno ended up in a shelter home for dogs.
5. Penicillin is a wonder drug ……………………………………………….. (discover, Alexander Fleming).
6. ……………………………………………….. (guide, teacher Anne Sullivan), Helen Keller reached great heights.
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Sign up nowComplete this paragraph with suitable participle clauses.
……………………………………………….. , he found his way to the street where he once lived.
……………………………………………….. he decided to wait for some time.
……………………………………………….. he picked up his mobile phone and called up his old friend.
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Sign up nowImagine you are Briggs Beall. Write a paragraph in 100-125 words describing your experience that night. Express your feelings and viewpoint clearly while narrating the experience.
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Sign up nowBack Questions - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Literature | English | Class 8
Complete these sentences.
1. The narrator’s mother didn’t want Father to sleep in the attic bed because ………………………… .
2. ………………………………………………….. would usually sleep in the attic bed.
3. Briggs Beall believed that he might die of suffocation while sleeping if ………………………………...
4. Herman would sometimes …………………………………………………………. In his sleep.
5. The narrator’s room was next to ……………………………………………………………………………………….. .
6. ………………………………………………….. woke up last in the house that night.
1. The narrator's mother didn't want Father to sleep in the attic bed because the old wooden bed up there was unsafe: It was wobbly, and the heavy headboard would crash down on Father's head in case the bed fell and killed him.
2. Grandfather would usually sleep in the attic bed.
3. Briggs Beall believed that he might die of suffocation while sleeping if he was not awakened every hour during the night.
4. Herman would sometimes sing 'Marching Through Georgia' or 'Onward, Christian Soldiers' in his sleep.
5. The narrator's room was next to my mother and my brother Herman's room.
6. Father woke up last in the house that night.
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What does the family’s calm over the disappearance of Grandfather hint at?
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Sign up nowWhy does the narrator claim to be a light sleeper?
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Sign up nowWhat does Briggs Beall do in panic?
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Sign up nowHow do Roy and Rex add to the story’s humour?
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Sign up nowWhich lines in the story tell us that the narrator’s family has a tendency to jump to dramatic conclusions?
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Sign up nowHow does the confusion get sorted out eventually?
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Sign up nowAlways a deep sleeper, slow to arouse (I had lied to Briggs), I was at first unconscious of what had happened when the iron cot rolled me onto the floor and toppled over on me.
a. Why had the narrator lied to Briggs Beall?
b. How did the iron cot roll the narrator onto the floor?
c. How did this development become a turning point in the story?
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Sign up nowThe situation was finally put together like a gigantic Jigsaw puzzle.
a. What ‘situation’ is referred to here?
b. How did the situation lead to chaos and humour in the house? Explain briefly.
c. Use the word ‘gigantic’ in a sentence of your own.
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Sign up nowDo you think the family was used to each other’s eccentricities? How do you know?
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Sign up nowIn the end, the narrator’s mother was happy that Grandfather was not around. What do you think would have happened if he had been there? Share your responses in class.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Literature | English | Class 8
How does the narrator's mother react to the sound of the narrator's cot falling?
The narrator's mother reacts to the sound of the cot falling with alarm, believing that the noise is the large wooden bed in the attic falling on her husband. She immediately shouts, 'Let's go to your poor father!’ causing a bigger commotion in the house.
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What is Briggs Beall's unusual nighttime fear, and how does he normally handle it?
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Vocabulary - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
Dissuading: Persuading someone not to take a particular course of action.
She was dissuading her friend from skipping school.
Ominous: Giving the impression that something bad is going to happen.
The dark clouds were ominous, suggesting rain.
Disposition: A person's inherent qualities of mind and character.
His cheerful ..........................
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Unlock now 🔓About the Author - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
James Thurber was an American author, humorist, and cartoonist known for his witty and satirical style. Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1894, he attended Ohio State University but left before earning his degree. In the early 1920s, Thurber moved to New York City, where he worked as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927, contributing both writing and illustrations.
Thurber's writing often dealt with the frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people, and he had a knack for capturing the absurdity of everyday life. Among his well-known stories are "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," about a mild-mannered man with a vivid fantasy life, and "The Catbird Seat," about a mild-mannered man's plot to kill his overbearing boss.
In addition to his prose, Thurber was a notable cartoonist whose simple yet expressive line drawings often appeared in The New Yorker. Many of his cartoons and stories were collected in books. Despite struggling with failing eyesight for much of his life, Thurber continued to produce celebrated work until his death in 1961. He remains a beloved figure in American literary humour.
Summary - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Misunderstandings and Chaos: This is a primary theme in the narrative. A single misunderstood incident - the falling of the cot - sets off a chain of confusion and misunderstandings, which in turn escalate to a state of chaos. Each......
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. Introduction of the Family Setup: The story begins with the narrator's father deciding to sleep in a rickety attic bed despite warnings from his wife about its instability. This circumstance sets the stage for the evening's events and introduces Briggs Beall, a paranoid cousin scared of suffocating in his sleep.
2. The Triggering Event: Around........
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - The night the bed fell | English Castle | Class 8 Literature | English
1. "It happened when my father had decided to sleep in the attic one night, to be away where he could think." This line introduces the situation that triggers all the events that follow in the story.
2. "My mother opposed the motion........
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