Saki's story of a boy, a frog, and a room he was not allowed to enter.
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Ten words open the story. Do the four short activities. Say your answer out loud first, then click Reveal.
Three words: wolf · punishment · treat. Say the right word, then reveal.
Read each part. Then answer the questions from memory, and talk about one question.
At breakfast, Nicholas said, "There is a frog in my bread and milk. I am not going to eat it." The adults were angry. "That is impossible," they said. "Don't be stupid." But Nicholas was right: there really was a frog in his bowl. He put it there himself, so he knew.
The adults did not like this. It was bad to put a frog in his food. But it was worse that a small boy was right and four adults were wrong.
So there was a punishment. That afternoon the other children went to the beach — a lovely treat. Nicholas stayed at home with his aunt. She told him about the trip many times, so that he understood exactly what he was missing. Then she sat in the garden and guarded the door of the gooseberry garden, because she was sure he wanted to go inside. Nicholas did not want to go inside at all. But he walked near the door two or three times, and his aunt stayed there for a whole hour.
1. What did Nicholas say at breakfast? Was he right?
2. What was his punishment, and what did his aunt do all afternoon?
1. He said there was a frog in his bread and milk. He was right — he put it there himself.
2. He could not go to the beach with the other children. His aunt guarded the gooseberry garden door for an hour because she thought he wanted to go in.
While his aunt guarded the wrong door, Nicholas took a key. He studied that key for weeks. He opened the door of the lumber room and went inside.
The room was wonderful. There were old things everywhere. There was a big picture on the wall, made of coloured cloth. In the picture, a man with a bow was hunting. He shot a deer with an arrow. But behind him, in the trees, there were four wolves! Nicholas looked at the picture for a long time. How many arrows were in the man's bag? Could he climb the tree? Could the wolves climb too?
There were other treasures. There were candlesticks like snakes. There was a teapot in the shape of a duck. And there was a big book with colour pictures of birds — birds from other countries, with strange names. Nicholas was very happy. Then he heard a voice outside in the garden. His aunt was calling his name.
1. How did Nicholas get into the lumber room?
2. What was in the picture, and what questions did Nicholas ask about it?
1. With a key that he studied for weeks, while his aunt was guarding the gooseberry garden door.
2. A hunter shot a deer, but four wolves were coming behind him. Nicholas asked how many arrows the man had and if he could climb the tree.
His aunt was looking for him in the gooseberry garden. She walked on the wet edge of the water tank, and she fell in. Now she was stuck. "Nicholas!" she shouted. "Bring me the ladder!"
Nicholas came into the garden and looked at her. "Am I allowed in the gooseberry garden?" he asked. "No! But bring the ladder now!" "Will there be strawberry jam for tea?" he asked. "Yes, of course," she said. "Why?" "Because this morning you told me there was no jam," said Nicholas. "And I know there are four jars in the cupboard. So you are not my aunt. You are the Evil One!" And he walked away. Last week his aunt told him that the Evil One did not exist — so now she could say nothing.
Later the kitchen girl came outside for parsley and found her. Tea was very quiet that evening. The trip to the beach was terrible: the sea was high, so there was no sand, and one child had boots that were too small. The aunt was silent and angry. And Nicholas was silent too — but for a different reason. He was thinking about the man in the picture, two arrows, and four wolves in the dark trees.
1. Why did the aunt need help, and what did Nicholas ask her?
2. Why was tea so quiet that evening?
1. She fell into the water tank and could not get out. Nicholas asked if he was allowed in the garden and if there would be jam for tea.
2. The beach trip was a failure, the aunt was embarrassed and angry, and Nicholas was thinking about the picture.
To describe the lumber room, you need one structure again and again: there was a picture… there were four wolves… Here is how it works.
Write was or were in each gap.
1. The lumber room full of interesting things.
2. The other children at the beach all afternoon.
3. The aunt sure that Nicholas wanted the gooseberry garden.
1. was 2. were 3. was
Write two or three words in each gap.
1. a big picture of a hunter on the wall.
2. four wolves in the trees behind him.
3. At the beach no sand, because the sea was high. (negative)
1. There was 2. There were 3. there was
Look at the word after the gap: one picture → was; four wolves → were; sand is uncountable → was.
Write was, were, there was or there were in each gap. Then read the paragraph aloud.
The lumber room quiet and full of old things. a picture of a hunter on the wall, and in the trees four wolves. two candlesticks in the shape of snakes, and a teapot in the shape of a duck. The birds in the big book beautiful. Outside in the garden, the aunt stuck in the water tank, and nobody to help her.
was · There was · there were · There were · there was · were · was · there was
Check each one: how many things come after the gap?
Keep this structure ready — in the Speak tab you will describe a room full of things.
Saki wrote this story in 1914. When he was a small child, his mother died and two strict aunts looked after him. In his stories, aunts are almost never kind — and children are almost always cleverer than the adults around them.
This is the most important part of the lesson. Do everything out loud. Use the timer and try to speak for the whole time.
Tell The Lumber Room in your own words. Follow the steps: the frog at breakfast → the punishment → the aunt guards the wrong door → the key and the room → the picture and the wolves → the aunt in the water tank → the jam → the quiet tea.
Use there was / there were at least four times, and at least five key words (trouble, storeroom, guard, punishment, treat, wolf, forbidden, stuck, allowed, break a rule).
Say what you think and give three reasons. Nicholas left his aunt in the water tank. Was that fair, or was it too much? What should he do — bring the ladder, call an adult, or walk away?
Then change sides! Speak for one minute for the other opinion.
Talk about places and about rules.
No idea? Choose one of these: