Class:- 8 English (Honeydew) Chapter - 1 The Best Christmas Present in the World Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions

Class:- 8 English 

(Honeydew)

Chapter - 1

The Best Christmas Present in the World 

Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions  

-- Summary --

⭐ Summary In English

• The Roll-Top:- The author found a roll-top desk in a junk shop. It was in a bad condition but cheap. He thought that he could restore it. So he bought it. He began to work on it on Christmas Eve.

• The Letter:- He pulled out the drawers. He found that these had been badly damaged by fire and water. The man who sold it had told him that it was very old. It was of 19th century and made of oak. The last drawer had stuck fast. He had to use much force to open it. When it opened, it revealed a secret space. In it he found a small tin box. On the top of the box these words were written : “Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.” Inside, there was an envelope with the address : “Mrs Jim Macpherson 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport.” The date was December 26, 1914.

• Jim and Connie:- The author read the letter. The owner of the desk must have put it in. The letter had been written by a captain of the English army. His name was Jim Macpherson. He had written it to his wife Connie. A wonderful incident had happened on the battlefield on the Christmas day. Jim Macpherson had narrated it in his letter.

• Unforgettable Moments:- The English and the Germans were at war. The two armies stood in their respective trenches on the two sides of the no man’s land. Suddenly Macpherson saw someone waving a white flag from the enemy side. Then he saw many German soldiers calling out to them. They were wishing a happy Christmas to the English soldiers. Some English soldiers shouted back ‘Same to you’. The English thought that was all. To their surprise, they saw many Germans moving towards them. The captain was alarmed. It could be a trick. But it was not. They were bringing with them German wine and canned meat. Now there were no rifles between the soldiers. They were hugging one another. The German officer moved towards Macpherson. They shook hands very warmly. Then the German officer said that he was from Dusseldorf and that he played cello in the orchestra. He gave his name as Hans Wolf. In return, Macpherson also introduced himself. He said that he was a school teacher from Dorset.

• Dorset and Hardy:- Hans Wolf smiled. He said he knew Dorset. In fact he had never been to England. But he knew English. His favourite writer was Thomas Hardy. His favourite book was ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. It was from there he had learnt all about Dorset. Macpherson shared with Hans Wolf the Christmas cake his wife had sent for him. Hans Wolf said that the marzipan was the best he had ever tasted. It was a wonderful Christmas party.

• War or Football:- Then a soldier brought out a football. The soldiers played while Macpherson and Hans Wolf clapped and cheered. Hans Wolf sug-gested that the world would be much better if the problems were resolved by a football match instead of war.

• The Celebration:- After the football match, all the drinks and eatables were consumed. Now it was time to part. Hans Wolf saluted Macpherson and walked away slowly and unwillingly. That night the Germans were heard singing a carol. The English soldiers replied with a rousing chorus of another carol. They exchanged carols for a while and then it was all silence. Macpherson wrote in his letter that he would treasure those moments all his life.

• The Hope:- Macpherson ended the letter hoping that the war would end soon. Both armies longed for peace and he was sure they would be together again.

• The Burnt House:- Having read the letter, the author, put it back in the envelope. He decided to give the letter back to whom it belonged. The address was of Bridport, Dorset. So he drove to that place. The house no. 12 turned out to be a burnt-out shell. It was found that Mrs Macpherson was in the house when it caught fire. The fireman had got her out just in time. She was 101 years old. Now she was in a nursing home.

• Mrs Macpherson:- The author went to the nursing home. He met the matron. She told the author that Mrs Macpherson was rather confused that day. They had put her in a conservatory. The author found Mrs Macpherson sitting in a chair. Naturally, she looked up at the author vacantly. But her eyes lit up when he called her ‘Connie’ and gave her the letter. He told her how he had got the letter. But she was not listening to him. She reached out and took his hand. Her eyes were filled with tears. She felt that her Jim had returned. She said that her Jim had kept his promise. He had returned on the eve of Christmas. She made him sit beside her. She kissed his cheek. She talked long and lovingly to him. She said that she had got the best Christmas present in the world.

⭐ Summary In Hindi

• रोल-टॉप:- लेखक को एक कबाड़ी की दुकान पर एक रोल-टॉप डेस्क मिली। इसकी हालत खराब थी पर यह सस्ती थी। उसे लगा कि वह इसे ठीक कर लेगा। अत: उसने इसे खरीद लिया। क्रिसमस के एक दिन पहले उसने उस पर काम करना प्रारंभ किया।

• पत्र:- उसने दराजे बाहर खींचीं। उसने देखा कि आग और पानी ने उन्हें बुरी तरह क्षतिग्रस्त कर दिया था। जिस व्यक्ति ने इसे बेचा था उसने बताया था कि वह बहुत पुरानी है। यह उन्नीसवीं सदी की थी और ओक की बनी थी। अंतिम दराज अधिक फैंसी हुई थी। इसे खोलने के लिए उसे अधिक शक्ति का उपयोग करना पड़ा। खुलने पर इसके नीचे एक गुप्त जगह दिखाई दी। इसके अंदर उसे छोटा सा टीन का एक डिब्बा मिला। डिब्बे के ऊपर ये शब्द लिखे थे : ‘ 25 जनवरी 1915 को प्राप्त जिम का अंतिम पत्र। मेरे साथ दफनाने के लिए जब वह अवसर आये।” अंदर एक लिफाफा था जिस पर यह पता लिखा था : ” श्रीमती जिम मैकफरसन, 12 कॉपर बीचिज, ब्रिडपोर्ट।” उस पर तारीख थी 26 दिसंबर 1914।

• जिम और कोनी:- लेखक ने पत्र पढ़ा। अवश्य ही डेस्क के मालिक ने इसे वहाँ रखा होगा। पत्र ब्रिटिश सेना के एक कैप्टन ने लिखा था। उसका नाम जिम मैकफरसन था। उसने यह पत्र अपनी पत्नी कोनी को लिखा था। क्रिसमस के दिन युद्ध भूमि में एक अद्भुत घटना घटी थी। जिम मैकफरसन ने अपने पत्र में उसका वर्णन किया था।

• अविस्मरणीय क्षण:- अंग्रेजों और जर्मनों के बीच युद्ध चल रहा था। दोनों सेनाएँ। अनधिकृत भूमि के दोनों ओर अपनी-अपनी खन्दकों में खड़ी थीं। अचानक मैकफरसन ने देखा कि शत्रु की ओर से कोई व्यक्ति सफेद झंडा लहरा रहा था। फिर उसने देखा कि बहुत से जर्मन सिपाही उन्हें आवाज लगा रहे थे। वे अंग्रेज सिपाहियों को क्रिसमस की मुबारकबाद दे रहे थे। कुछ अंग्रेज सिपाही जबाव में बोले “आपको भी मुबारक।” अंग्रेजों ने समझा कि बात खत्म हुई। उन्हें यह देखकर हैरानी हुई कि बहुत से जर्मन उनकी ओर चले आ रहे थे। कैप्टन डर गया। यह कोई चाल हो सकती थी। पर ऐसा नहीं था। वे अपने साथ जर्मन शराब और डब्बाबंद गोश्त लेकर आ रहे थे। अब सिपाहियों के बीच में बंदूकें नहीं थीं। वे एक दूसरे के गले मिल रहे थे। जर्मन अफसर मैकफरसन की ओर बढ़ा। बड़ी गर्मजोशी के साथ उन्होंने हाथ मिलाये। तब जर्मन अफसर ने बताया कि वह डसलडॉफ का निवासी था और उसका काम आर्केस्ट्रा में सैलो (वाद्य-यंत्र) बजाने का था। उसने अपना नाम हँस वोल्फ बताया। बदले में मैकफरसन ने भी अपना परिचय दिया। उसने बताया कि वह डोरसेट के स्कूल में शिक्षक था।

• डोरसेट और हार्डी:- हँस वोल्फ मुस्कराया। उसने कहा कि वह डोरसेट को जानता था। वास्तव में वह कभी इंग्लैण्ड नहीं गया था। पर उसे अंग्रेजी आती थी। उसका पसंदीदा लेखक थॉमस हार्डी था। ‘फार फ्रॉम दि मैडिंग क्राउड,’ उसकी पसंदीदा पुस्तक थी। उसी पुस्तक से उसने डोरसेट के बारे में सारा कुछ जाना था। मैकफरसन ने हँस वोल्फ के साथ क्रिसमस का केक बाँटा जो उसकी पत्नी ने उसे भेजा था। हँस वोल्फ ने कहा कि इतनी बढ़िया मार्जीपेन उसने पहले कभी नहीं चखी थी। यह एक शानदार क्रिसमस पार्टी थी।

• युद्ध या फुटबाल:- तभी कोई सिपाही फुटबाल ले आया। सैनिक खेलते रहे जबकि मैकफरसन और हँस वोल्फ तालियाँ बजाते और उनका उत्साह | बढ़ाते रहे। हँस वोल्फ ने कहा कि अगर युद्ध के स्थान पर समस्याओं का निदान फुटबाल की मैच से हो तो संसार की स्थिति बेहतर होगी।

• मौज-मस्ती:- फुटबाल मैच के बाद खाने-पीने का सारा सामान खा-पी लिया। गया। अब बिछुड़ने की वेला थी। हँस वोल्फ ने मैकफरसन को सलाम किया और धीरे-धीरे व अनिच्छापूर्वक चला गया। उस रात जर्मनों की ओर से एक कैरोल गाने की आवाज आई। इसका जवाब अंग्रेज सिपाहियों ने समूह गान के रूप में एक अन्य फड़कती हुई कैरोल गाकर किया। कुछ देर तक कैरोल का यह क्रम चलता रहा फिर सब शांत हो गया। मैकफरसन ने अपने पत्र में लिखा था कि वह उन क्षणों को जीवन-पर्यन्त याद रखेगा।

• आशा:- मैकफरसन ने अपने पत्र का अंत इस आशा के साथ किया कि युद्ध शीघ्र ही समाप्त हो जायेगा। दोनों ही सेनाएँ शांति चाहती थीं और उसे विश्वास था कि वे शीघ्र ही फिर से मिलेंगे।

• जला हुआ घर:- पत्र को पढ़कर लेखक ने उसे वापस लिफाफे में डाल दिया। उसने निश्चय किया कि वह पत्र लेकर उसके पास जायेगा जिसे यह लिखा गया था। पते पर ब्रिडपोर्ट, डोरसेट लिखा था। अत: वह गाड़ी में बैठकर वहाँ पहुँचा। 12 नं, मकान एक जली हुई कोठरी थी। पता लगा कि श्रीमती मैकफरसन आग लगने के समय उसके अंदर ही थी। फायरमैन ने उसे बिल्कुल अंतिम क्षण में बाहर निकाला था। वह 101 वर्ष की थी। अब वह एक नर्सिग होम में थी।

• श्रीमती मैकफरसन:- लेखक नर्सिंग होम गया। वहाँ उसे मैट्रन मिली। उसने लेखक को बताया कि उस दिन श्रीमती मैकफरसन कुछ भ्रामक अवस्था में थी। उन्होंने उसे एक कंजरवेटरी में रखा था। लेखक ने श्रीमती मैकफरसन को एक कुर्सी पर बैठे पाया। स्वाभाविक था कि वह लेखक को रीती निगाहों से देखती रहीं। पर तब उसकी आँखों में चमक आ गयी जब लेखक ने उसे ‘कोनी’ कहकर पुकारा और उसे वह पत्र दिया। उसने उसे बताया कि उसे यह पत्र कैसे मिला था। पर वह उसे सुन नहीं रही थीं। उसने हाथ बढ़ाकर उसके (लेखक के) हाथ को पकड़ लिया। उसकी आँखें आँसुओं से भरी थीं। उसे लगा कि उसका जिम लौट आया है। वह बोली कि उसके जिम ने अपना वायदा निभा दिया था। वह क्रिसमस के अवसर पर लौट आया था। उसने उसे अपने पास बिठाया। उसने उसका गाल चूम लिया। वह बड़ी देर तक और बड़े प्रेम से उससे बातें करती रही। उसने कहा कि उसे संसार की सर्वोत्तम क्रिसमस की भेंट मिल गयी थी।

-- Moral -- 

Love & peace can win all the enemies and wars. 

-- Word Meanings -- 

• Spot - पाना 

• Oak - देवदार

• Several pieces - कई टुकड़े

• Scorch - जलना

• Restore - मरम्मत करना 

• Drawer - दराज

• Damage - नुकसान

• Brute - कठोर

• Underneath - नीचे 

• Trenches - खाई

• Fold - बंद करना

-- NCERT Solutions --

Comprehension Check (Page 10)

Question 1.- What did the author find in a junk shop?

Answer:- The author found a roll-top desk for sale in a junk shop. It was made of oak wood, but it was in a veiy bad condition.

Question 2.- What did he find in a secret drawer? Who do you think had put it in there?

Answer:- In the secret drawer of the desk, the author found a small tin box. It had a letter in it. I think the owner of the roll-top desk might have put it there.

Comprehension Check (Page 14)

Question 1.- Who had written the letter, to whom, and when?

Answer:- John Macpherson, a captain in the British army, had written that letter, dated Dec. 26, 1914, to his wife Connie.

Question 2.- Why was the letter written — what was the wonderful thing that had happened?

Answer:- The letter described a wonderful event. The two armies-the British and the Ger­man—fighting against each other celebrated Christmas together. 

Question 3.- What jobs did Hans Wolf and Jim Macpherson have when they were not soldiers?

Answer:- Before joining the army, Hans played the cello in the orchestra and Jim was a teacher.

Question 4.- Had Hans Wolf ever been to Dorset? Why did he say he knew it?

Answer:- No, Hans had never been to Dorset. He had only read about Dorset in Hardy’s novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’.

Question 5.- Do you think Jim Macpherson came back from the war? How do you know this?

Answer:- No, Jim Macpherson never came back home from the war. Perhaps therefore his wife Connie had preserved his letters.

Comprehension Check (Page 15)

Question 1.- Why did the author go to Bridport?

Answer:- The author went to Bridport to meet Mrs Jim Macpherson and deliver to her Jim’s letter.

Question 2.- How old was Mrs Macpherson now? Where was she?

Answer:- Macpherson was 101 years old. She was in a nursing home.

Comprehension Check (Page 16)

Question 1.- Who did Connie Macpherson think her visitor was?

Answer:- Connie thought that the visitor was her own husband, Jim Macpherson.

Question 2.- Which sentence in the text shows that the visitor did not try to hide his identity?

Answer:- That sentence is, “you told me you’d come home by Christmas, dearest,” she said, “And here you are, the best Christmas present in the world. Come closer, Jim dear, sit down.

Working with the Text (Page 16)

Question 1.- For how long do you think Connie had kept Jim’s letter? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer:- Connie had kept Jim’s last letter till January 25, 1915. The letter was dated Dec. 26, 1914.

Question 2.- Why do you think the desk had been sold, and when?

Answer:- The desk must have been sold when Connie’s house had burnt. The table had been damaged by fire as well as water.

Question 3.- Why do Jim and Hans think that games or sports are good ways of resolving conflicts? Do you agree?

Answer:- Both Jim and Hans were soldiers. Both were warm hearted. They had seen the sufferings of war. So it was natural for them to hate war. They favoured a peaceful solution to settle disputes. Games or sports, they said, were good ways of resolving conflicts. I also quite agree with them.

Question 4.- Do you think the soldiers of the two armies are like each other, or different from each other? Find evidence from the story to support your answer.

Answer:- All human beings are alike in many ways. They love peace and hate war. They want to live together. Examples from the story: “Then they were calling out to us from a cross no man’s land. “Happy Christmas, Tommy! Happy Christmas! “When we had got

Question 5.- Mention the various ways in which the British and the German soldiers become friends and find things in common at Christmas.

Answer:- The British and the German soldiers belonged to different camps. They were enemies in war time. But after all they were human beings and therefore they had similar feelings. They shared the festive spirit of the Christmas. They got over hatred and played games, feasted and drank like good friends. Both hated war. Both were anxious to go back to their families at the end of war.

Question 6.- What is Connie’s Christmas present? Why is it the best Christmas present in the world?

Answer:- Connie thought that Jim had come back home from war. She mistook the author for Jim. She had been waiting for her husband Jim. So the coming home of Jim was the best Christmas present in the world for her.

Question 7.- Do you think the title of the story is suitable for it? Can you think of any other title(s)?

Answer:- Decidedly the title of the story is most suitable. For the old Connie, no other present could have given her such joy as the coming home of Jim, her husband. Her presumption might be wrong, but she got the greatest happiness of her life. Since the story revolves around Christmas, the alternate title of the story could be War and Peace’ or ‘Christmas Gift’. But neither can be a match to the present title.

-- Previous Year Questions -- 

Question 1.- How did the author find Jim’s letter? What did it contain?

Answer:- The author found Jim’s letter in the small black tin box, put in the drawer of an old table. Jim’s letter was addressed to his wife. He was a British soldier but he was glad to have celebrated Christmas together with the German soldiers. He put it down in the letter and promised to come back home on Christmas.

Question 2.- Jim talks about an incident that had just happened at the front. What was it?

Answer:- England and Germany were at war with each other. The British soldiers were waiting to shoot the German soldiers. But on Christmas, a strange development took place. The German soldiers came out of their hiding places and called out ‘Happy Christmas’. They were unarmed and they waved a white flag. The British soldiers led by captain Jim Macpherson agreed to celebrate the festival together.

Question 3.- Who are Fritz and Tommy in the story?

Answer:- Fritz and Tommy are the names given to the German and the British soldiers respectively.

Question 4.- Describe in brief the author’s meeting with Connie.

Answer:- Connie or Mrs Macpherson was 101 years old. When the author took Jim’s letter to her in a nursing home she became very excited. Her eyes lit up and she mistook the author for her husband. She kissed his cheek. She said that she had been reading his letter every day. But she wanted to hear his voice. She had made a Christmas cake also for him as he had promised to come home. She thought that he was back home. She called his presence at home as the best Christmas present for her in the world.

Question 5.- What had happened to Mrs. Macpherson? Describe her condition.

Answer:- Mrs. Macpherson lived alone after her husband (Jim Macpherson) went to join the British army during the First World War. One day her house caught fire. But she was saved by the firemen. From then she had been in a nursing home for treatment. She had grown extremely old and couldn’t walk on herself. And her life got confined to a wheelchair.

-- By Durgesh Pandey

(Eklavya Coaching Institute)

📞 8376976688, 9310533915

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