The Lumber-Room 🗝️ (Learn English with a Short Story) [979]

Hello listeners, welcome back to Luke's English podcast. How are you doing

English podcast. How are you doing today? I hope you're doing well. Uh yes,

today? I hope you're doing well. Uh yes,

in this episode it is time for another short story on the podcast. I'm going to tell you a short story and then use it to help you learn English in context.

Today's story is called The Lumber Room and it was written by Hector Hugh Monroe who is better known by his pen name

which is Saki. So an English writer of short stories and considered to be a bit of a master of the genre of the short story. Have you ever read any other work

story. Have you ever read any other work by Saki? Do you know this writer? Uh

by Saki? Do you know this writer? Uh

this is one of his well-known stories.

Uh this story is just under 2,000 words long. So it will probably take about 10

long. So it will probably take about 10 to 15 minutes for me to read it from start to finish. After that, I will summarize it to help you make sure that you've understood the main details. And

then I'll go back through the story text line by line and I'll take the time to explain a lot of words, phrases, bits of grammar and so on. So listen to the story, try to follow it. You can

consider that to be a little test of your English listening if you want. Then

keep listening and I will summarize it all. So you can check that you've

all. So you can check that you've definitely understood this that and everything else. And then yes, I'll be

everything else. And then yes, I'll be going through uh the text in detail and there's a lot of English to learn here.

So, the story is called the lumber room.

So, what is a lumber room exactly?

You've probably worked out it's a kind of room. But specifically, what kind of

of room. But specifically, what kind of room? Well, it's a slightly

room? Well, it's a slightly old-fashioned word for a room in a house which stores lots of things that aren't being used. A kind of storage room.

being used. A kind of storage room.

These days, most people in the UK would use their attic or loft, which is the room at the top of the house in the roof. That's where most people store all

roof. That's where most people store all their old things in boxes, you know, old books or old objects which have been in the family for years but don't get used

every day. Yes, these days things like

every day. Yes, these days things like that might be stored in the attic or loft in the roof of the house. But in

the old days, some families might have had what was called a lumber room where old things would be kept and the room might be locked to prevent curious

children from entering and exploring.

Okay. Now, as you listen to this, I'd like you to think about the people in the story. Consider the way that they

the story. Consider the way that they are described by the writer. So, what do you think about the family? Here are

some questions for you to consider. What

do you think about the family? What kind

of family are they? Are they wealthy?

Are they poor? Are they strict? Are they

sort of relaxed and open with their children? What kind of family? What kind

children? What kind of family? What kind

of parents? What specific lines in the story make you think this? So, what

specific descriptions tell you these things? Uh, what do you think about

things? Uh, what do you think about Nicholas, the boy? What kind of child is he? What do you think about the aunt?

he? What do you think about the aunt?

What kind of person is she? And who do you sympathize with in this story? The

aunt or the boy and why? Okay, so let's begin the story. The Lumber Room by Saki. And here we go.

Saki. And here we go.

The children were going to be driven as a special treat to the sands at Jagbar.

Nicholas was not included. He was being punished for bad behavior. That very

morning he had refused to eat his healthy bread and milk on the apparently silly excuse that there was a frog in it. older, wiser, and better people told

it. older, wiser, and better people told him that there could not possibly be a frog in his bread and milk, and that he must stop talking nonsense.

Nicholas, however, continued to talk what seemed to be complete nonsense, and described in great detail the color and markings of the supposed frog. The

dramatic truth was that there really was a frog in Nicholas's bowl of bread and milk. he had put it there himself, so he

milk. he had put it there himself, so he naturally felt entitled to know something about it. The offense of taking a frog from the garden and putting it into a bowl of healthy bread

and milk was discussed at great length.

But what stood out most clearly in Nicholas's mind was that the older, wiser, and better people had been completely wrong about something that they had spoken about with total confidence.

You said there couldn't possibly be a frog in my bread and milk. But there was a frog in my bread and milk, he repeated with the persistence of a skilled tactician who had no intention of giving

up a strong position.

So his boy cousin, his girl cousin, and his rather uninteresting younger brother were going to be taken to Jagar Sands that afternoon while he had to stay at

home. His cousin's aunt, who by a very

home. His cousin's aunt, who by a very questionable stretch of imagination, insisted on calling herself his aunt as well, had quickly invented the Jagura

outing to show Nicholas what pleasures he had rightly lost because of his disgraceful behavior at breakfast.

It was her habit, whenever one of the children did something wrong, to suddenly invent some kind of treat that the guilty child would be strictly excluded from. If all the children

excluded from. If all the children misbehaved together, they would suddenly be told about a circus in a nearby town.

A circus of extraordinary quality and with countless elephants, which if it hadn't been for their bad behavior, they would have visited that very day. A

respectable amount of crying was expected from Nicholas when the time came for the others to leave. In fact,

all the crying was done by his girl cousin, who painfully scraped her knee on the step of the carriage while climbing in. "How she howled and cried,"

climbing in. "How she howled and cried," said Nicholas cheerfully, as the group drove off without any of the excitement that should have gone with such an outing.

"She'll soon get over that," said the so-called aunt. "It will be a wonderful

so-called aunt. "It will be a wonderful afternoon running about on those lovely sands. They'll enjoy it so much.

sands. They'll enjoy it so much.

Bobby won't enjoy himself much, and he won't run much either, said Nicholas with a grim chuckle. His boots are hurting him. They're too tight. "Why

hurting him. They're too tight. "Why

didn't he tell me they were hurting?"

asked the aunt sharply. "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

important things." "You are not to go into the Goosebury Garden," said the aunt, changing the subject. "Why not?"

asked Nicholas. "Because you are in disgrace," said the aunt grandly.

Nicholas did not accept this logic. He

saw no reason why someone couldn't be in disgrace and in a goosebury garden at the same time. His face became stubborn, and his aunt was certain he was

determined to go into the garden simply because she had forbidden it.

The gooseberry garden had two entrances, and once a small person like Nicholas got inside, he could easily disappear among the artichokes, raspberry canes,

and fruit bushes. The aunt had many other things she could have done that afternoon, but instead she spent an hour or two doing small gardening jobs near the flower beds and bushes, from where

she could watch both doors into the forbidden garden. She was a woman with

forbidden garden. She was a woman with very few ideas but enormous powers of concentration.

Nicholas made one or two suspiciousl looking attempts in the front garden, creeping stealthily toward one door and then the other, but never managing to

escape her watchful eye. In fact, he had no intention of going into the Goosebury Garden at all. It suited him perfectly that his aunt believed he wanted to. It

kept her standing guard for most of the afternoon.

Once he was sure her suspicions were fully established, Nicholas slipped quietly back into the house and put into action a plan he had been thinking about

for a long time. By standing on a chair in the library, he could reach a shelf holding a large importantl looking key.

It was indeed important. It locked the lumber room, keeping its mysteries safe from unauthorized children and accessible only to aunts and other

privileged adults.

Nicholas did not have much experience with locks, but he'd practiced for several days with the schoolroom door key. He didn't like to rely too much on

key. He didn't like to rely too much on luck. The key turned stiffly, but it

luck. The key turned stiffly, but it turned. The door opened, and Nicholas

turned. The door opened, and Nicholas entered a world far more exciting than the Goosebury Garden could ever be. He'd

often imagined what the lumber room might be like, that carefully sealed place where no questions were ever answered. It lived up to his

answered. It lived up to his expectations.

First, it was large and dim, lit only by one high window that looked onto the forbidden garden. Second, it was full of

forbidden garden. Second, it was full of incredible treasures. The aunt, by

incredible treasures. The aunt, by assertion, believed that using things ruined them, so she preserved them by letting them gather dust and damp. The

parts of the house Nicholas knew best were dull and empty, but here his eyes were met with wonders.

Most impressive of all was a framed piece of tapestry meant to be a firecreen. To Nicholas, it was a living

firecreen. To Nicholas, it was a living story. Sitting on a roll of Indian

story. Sitting on a roll of Indian hangings glowing with color beneath a layer of dust, he studied every detail.

A man in old-fashioned hunting clothes had just shot a stag with an arrow. It

must have been an easy shot, since the stag stood only a step or two away. In

thick woodland like that, it would not be hard to creep up on a feeding stag.

The two spotted dogs leaping forward had clearly been trained to stay close until the arrow was fired. That part of the picture was simple enough, but did the

hunter see what Nicholas saw? Four

wolves were racing toward him through the trees. There could be more hidden

the trees. There could be more hidden behind the forest. Would the man and his dogs manage against four wolves if they attacked?

He only had two arrows left and might miss with one or both. All Nicholas

really knew about his skill was that he could hit a large stag at very close range.

For many golden minutes, Nicholas turned the situation over in his mind. He

suspected that there were more than four wolves and that the man and his dogs were in serious danger. There were many other delights. There were twisted

other delights. There were twisted candlesticks shaped like snakes and a teapot made like a China duck with tea pouring from its open beak. How dull the

nursery teapot seemed by comparison.

There was also a carved sandalwood box packed tightly with sweet smelling cotton wool inside which was small brass

figures, humpbacked bulls, peacocks and goblins, wonderful to look at and touch.

A large blackcovered book looked unpromising, but inside it was full of colored pictures of birds. Nicholas knew

only magpies and wood pigeons from the garden and lanes. But but here were herands bustards kites tucans tiger bittens, brush turkeys, ibises, golden

feeasants, a whole gallery of unimaginable creatures.

As he admired the colors of the mandarin duck and invented its life story, his aunt's voice suddenly rang out from the gooseberry garden, calling his name

loudly and angrily.

She had grown suspicious at his long absence, and decided he must have climbed over the wall behind the lilac bushes. Now she was noisily and

bushes. Now she was noisily and hopelessly searching for him among the artichokes and raspberries. "Nicholas!

Nicholas!" she shouted. "Come out at once. There's no point hiding. I can see

once. There's no point hiding. I can see you perfectly."

you perfectly." It was probably the first smile anyone had had in that lumber room for 20 years.

Soon the angry shouting turned into a shriek and then into cries for help.

Nicholas closed the bird book, carefully put it back, and sprinkled dust over it from a nearby pile of newspapers. Then

he crept out, locked the door, and returned the key exactly where it had been. His aunt was still calling when

been. His aunt was still calling when Nicholas wandered calmly into the front garden. "Who's calling?" he asked. "I

garden. "Who's calling?" he asked. "I

am," came the reply from the other side of the wall. "Didn't you hear me? I've

fallen into the rainwater tank. There's

no water in it, luckily, but it's slippery and I can't get out. Bring the

ladder from under the cherry tree."

I was told I wasn't allowed in the Goosebury Garden, said Nicholas firmly.

I told you not to before, but now I'm telling you that you may, came the impatient voice.

That doesn't sound like Aunt's voice, said Nicholas. You might be the devil

said Nicholas. You might be the devil trying to tempt me. Aunt says the devil tempts me, and I always give in. This

time I won't.

Stop talking nonsense, said the trapped aunt. Fetch the ladder.

aunt. Fetch the ladder.

"Will there be strawberry jam for tea?"

asked Nicholas innocently.

"Yes," said the aunt, already deciding Nicholas would not get any. "Ha, now I know you're the devil," shouted Nicholas happily. "We asked Aunt for strawberry

happily. "We asked Aunt for strawberry jam yesterday, and she said there wasn't any. I know there are four jars in the

any. I know there are four jars in the cupboard because I checked. You know

it's there, but she doesn't. You've

given yourself away.

It was wonderfully satisfying to speak to an aunt as though she were the devil, but Nicholas knew such pleasures should not be overused. He walked away noisily.

Eventually, a kitchen made, looking for parsley, rescued the aunt.

Tea that evening was eaten in complete silence. The tide had been high when the

silence. The tide had been high when the children reached Jagra Cove, so there were no sands to play on, something the aunt had overlooked in her rush to

organize the punishment trip. Bobby's

tight boots had made him miserable all afternoon, and the outing had been thoroughly unenjoyable.

The aunt remained silent, frozen by her undignified imprisonment in a rainwater tank for 35 minutes. Nicholas was

silent, too, but for different reasons.

He had a lot to think about. It seemed

quite possible. He decided that the hunter might escape with his dogs while the wolves feasted on the wounded stag.

Okay, that is the end of the story. How

did you get on with that, listeners? Did

you manage to follow it? Let me just summarize the story in my own words just to help you check that you've basically understood everything. So there are some

understood everything. So there are some children and there are some adults. The

main child described is Nicholas, this boy, and he is staying with his cousins.

I think there's two cousins, a girl cousin and a boy cousin. And also

there's Nicholas's younger brother as well. So it looks like there's about

well. So it looks like there's about four children. And Nicholas is stay

four children. And Nicholas is stay Nicholas and his brother are staying with his cousins. And it looks like his cousin's aunt. So this is not

cousin's aunt. So this is not necessarily Nicholas's direct aunt, but the aunt of some cousins. So what kind

of uh connection does she have with Nicholas? It's not specifically

Nicholas? It's not specifically described, but the suggestion is that she's not really Nicholas's aunt. She's

just an adult who is in charge of the kids, but she has decided to call herself Nicholas's aunt. She's decided

that she is she is his aunt, even if in fact she isn't, but she's decided to call herself that anyway. Anyway, so

this aunt is in charge of the household and Nicholas is in trouble. Um, he's

being punished by the adults and specifically by this aunt whose name we don't know. Um, he's being punished. Why

don't know. Um, he's being punished. Why

is he being punished? Because first of all, he refused to eat his food.

Bread and milk or something. He refused

to eat his food. Um because he said there was a frog in his bowl. And all

the adults all agreed that this is ridiculous and they told him to stop stop talking nonsense and just eat your food. And so first of all, he he's in

food. And so first of all, he he's in trouble because he refused to eat his food. Nicholas doesn't understand why

food. Nicholas doesn't understand why they're saying it's impossible that there that there could be a frog in his food because he knows it's entirely possible because in fact there is a frog in his food because he found one in the

garden and brought it into the house and has put it in his bowl. Um and so he sort of doesn't really understand why the adults are saying that it's impossible when it's clearly possible.

Um, and all through the story, Nicholas doesn't really understand why the adults do certain things. And it seems pretty clear that the adults are perhaps even

slightly less intelligent than Nicholas.

Nicholas is constantly outsmarting, especially his so-called aunt.

Anyway, of course, there is a frog frog in the bowl and he gets into trouble for this as well, and he's punished. The

punishment is that he's not allowed to go on a on a a trip to the beach. Jagra

Sands.

Um, sounds like um it sounds like a beach, I guess, somewhere near the near the water, I suppose, where there are sands where the children can play. In in

England, it's quite common to have, you know, we have obviously lots of beaches, but often they're not the sorts of beaches that you go and sunbathe on most of the time, but you can go and often the beaches are quite long and flat and

they're places where you can play and run around and find interesting things on the sand and things like that. So,

the other children were given a special trip to Jagura Sands to spend time having fun on the on the beach, but Nicholas was not allowed to go. Now the

trip the whole trip to Jagar Sands was instantly invented on the spot as a form of punishment by um by the aunt in order

to s in order just so she could tell Nicholas he wasn't allowed to go.

Right? So it's a strange form of punishment inventing a special treat which he's then excluded from. Right?

And she didn't really think it through carefully.

um as we will find out later because the trip in fact turns out to be a bit of a disaster. Um but Nicholas is supposed to

disaster. Um but Nicholas is supposed to cry. He's supposed to be very upset

cry. He's supposed to be very upset because he's not allowed to go on this trip to Jagar Sands. He's supposed to be very upset. But Nicholas isn't really

very upset. But Nicholas isn't really very upset. He's doesn't seem to be very

very upset. He's doesn't seem to be very bothered. In fact, he in fact, it's his

bothered. In fact, he in fact, it's his his girl cousin who cries because she scrapes her leg or bumps her leg as she's getting into the carriage.

This tells us that it was a horsedrawn carriage. So, this tells us that the

carriage. So, this tells us that the story takes place quite a long time ago before motorcars, a horsedrawn carriage. Um, so it's his

it's his girl cousin who actually cries.

Nicholas doesn't cry at all. In fact, he knows that the trip is not going to be very good. Uh because his is it his

very good. Uh because his is it his brother? His boots are too tight. Um his

brother? His boots are too tight. Um his

brother has already complained about this twice. So his si his girl cousin's

this twice. So his si his girl cousin's already crying cuz she's bumped her leg.

His brother is unhappy because his boots are too tight. He says this to the aunt.

The aunt sort of seems annoyed and she says, "Why didn't he tell me?"

And according to Nicholas, he did tell her several times, but uh the aunt just didn't really listen, which apparently she she often does.

Um so the aunt is a bit stupid and a bit um a bit mean as well in the way that she deals with um punishments and stuff.

Anyway, um she instantly then says, "You're not allowed in the Goosebury Garden." So she she invents another

Garden." So she she invents another punishment uh in order to restrict uh Nicholas from something that she believes he will want to do. Um she

thinks that he will spend the afternoon playing in the Goosebury Garden. And so

she says, "You're not allowed in the Gooseberry Garden this afternoon."

Nicholas doesn't really understand why he's not allowed to. Then

she uh she has lots of things to do that day, but she decides to do some things in the garden just so she can keep an eye on the entrance to the gooseberry garden just

so she can kind of guard the gooseberry garden and stop Nicholas from going in there. Okay. So despite the fact she's

there. Okay. So despite the fact she's got other things, she she chooses to just I guess be quite petty um and

slightly vindictive and she chooses to be outside just so she can stop him going in this gooseberry garden.

Gooseberries are little berries that might grow on bushes. I suppose a gooseberry garden here is like a a part of the garden where there are bushes

that grow different fruits and berries and things.

Anyway, she doesn't want him to go in there because she can't see him when he's in there and she he might be doing things he's not supposed to do. Nicholas

pretends to try to sneak into the Goosebury garden a couple of times. He

does that enough times to make the aunt think that that is really what he wants to do. But actually, he's already

to do. But actually, he's already outsmarted her. He's perfectly happy for

outsmarted her. He's perfectly happy for her to be outside in the garden um observing the entrance to the Goosebury garden because actually Nicholas has a

completely different plan uh which he then puts into action which is he wants to get into the lumber room because he's curious to see what's inside there. He's

never been allowed in. No one's ever told him what's in there because this is a a room without answers where questions are never answered. So um

all of Nicholas's um imagination, his adventurousness, his curiosity is not really allowed to grow by these adults, especially this

aunt that they the aunt is described in the story as being not very imaginative.

I think that's it. She's not a very imaginative person. and she chooses to

imaginative person. and she chooses to try to um keep Nicholas in a boring um safe environment just because it's

probably easier for her to deal with him. Rather than allowing him to explore

him. Rather than allowing him to explore things and um encouraging his imagination, allowing his adventurous side to thrive, instead of that, she

chooses to keep him restricted in boring places where there's nothing interesting to do. Anyway, Nicholas has identified

to do. Anyway, Nicholas has identified where the key is to unlock the lumber room. He's noticed it's on a shelf. And

room. He's noticed it's on a shelf. And

so, while his aunt is outside defending the Goosebury garden, Nicholas climbs on a chair, gets the key, and he's been practicing with another key on in another door in the school room door or

something. Um, he's been practicing

something. Um, he's been practicing already with another key. He doesn't he didn't he doesn't want to leave anything to chance. He doesn't want to leave

to chance. He doesn't want to leave anything to luck, which again shows that Nicholas is a very intelligent boy. He's

already been practicing his te his key turning technique. And so with this key

turning technique. And so with this key to the lumber room, he manages to open the door and he goes inside the lumber room and he spends some wonderful time in there exploring all the very

interesting things including a tapestry. Okay, which is um the most interesting thing in the room.

It's a tapestry um I think behind glass in a frame which is designed to be used

as a uh as a uh cover for a fire. Um

in the old days they used to do that that if there was a big fireplace sometimes there would be a wooden frame on legs that you could stand in front of

the fireplace to kind of just cover it up. you put a nice looking tapestry or

up. you put a nice looking tapestry or picture in front of the fire, it just looks a bit more pretty than just having an empty dusty fireplace. Right? So,

there's this fireplace cover which is a a tapestry and the tapestry is fascinating because it shows this scene which um Nicholas is really interested

in and it really lets his imagination run wild cuz he looks at this tapestry and he sees what's going on and what he sees is that there is a hunter with two

dogs and the hunter has managed to shoot a deer with an arrow. Right? A deer is an animal, a wild animal that you find in the forest, you know, like a

reindeer. Uh that's Father Christmas's

reindeer. Uh that's Father Christmas's uh reindeer. Rudolph the red-nosed

uh reindeer. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. That's a reindeer. So a deer,

reindeer. That's a reindeer. So a deer, a reindeer is a type of deer. So anyway,

deer are these animals that, you know, can be found in the forest and hunters will will hunt deer. So this hunter has managed to shoot a deer with an arrow at very close range.

So he's not very far away. He's managed

to sneak up on this deer with these two dogs and he's shot it with the arrow really close range.

There's al there's also the suggestion that Nicholas thinks the hunter is perhaps not very brave and not even a very skilled hunter. All he knows is that the

hunter has managed to kill this deer at incredibly close range. But there's

something that uh Nicholas can see in this picture that the hunter can't see, which is that there are some wolves uh behind the trees and they're there

they're leaping towards the hunter, the dead deer uh and the and the hunter's dog. So, there are the there's

hunter's dog. So, there are the there's I think four wolves and possibly more behind the trees leaping towards them.

So, this is a fascinating scene and Nicholas imagines what's going on. He's

thinking, "Oh, what's going to happen here? Are the wolves going to attack the

here? Are the wolves going to attack the hunter and his dogs? Are the wolves going to kill them? Or will the hunter managed to escape? What's going on?" And

he decides that the hunter and his dogs are probably going to be killed by these wolves which are attacking. So, this is a a fascinating scene. So you can imagine for Nicholas back in those days

there weren't there wasn't TV. He

probably didn't have comic books. There

was certainly no computers and internet and and things to watch. Uh and so he lived in this very boring stale environment uh this this uh strict

environment where his imagination wasn't allowed to develop and discovering this interesting picture uh must have been incredibly exciting and it really um stimulated his imagination. There were

other things in the room as well that were worth exploring. Various different

objects and things that that were very exciting. And so Nicholas was having a

exciting. And so Nicholas was having a wonderful time in this room. Then he

heard his aunt's voice shouting for Nicholas. Nicholas, Nicholas.

Nicholas. Nicholas, Nicholas.

And then uh the voice turned into a shriek. So ah she kind of screamed.

shriek. So ah she kind of screamed.

Uh and then she was she started calling for help. So Nicholas carefully put

for help. So Nicholas carefully put things back where he found them, locked the door of the lumber room, put the key back, and went outside casually to see what was going on. And it turns out that

his aunt on the other side of the wall to the Gooseberry Garden in the Gooseberry Garden had fallen into was it some sort of water container? She'd

fallen into a big container normally full of water, but it was actually empty and she couldn't get out. So, she's

stuck inside this big, I guess, metal box or something. U and she can't get out and she's very angry and she shouts at Nicholas, you know, Nicholas, get me

out. Go and get the ladder.

out. Go and get the ladder.

But Nicholas Nicholas says, um, you don't sound like my aunt. Cuz he can't see her. He can

my aunt. Cuz he can't see her. He can

just hear her voice. Who are you? You

don't sound like my aunt. Are you the devil? I think you're the devil trying

devil? I think you're the devil trying to tempt me. trying to tempt me to go into the Goosebury Garden. I'm not

allowed in the Goosebury Garden. And

then he also says very cleverly, "My aunt always tells me that the devil tempts me and I give into his temptations." Meaning the aunt probably

temptations." Meaning the aunt probably tells him that when he's doing when he he often does naughty things, like for example, sneaking into a room he shouldn't go into, he always does these

naughty things. And it's because the

naughty things. And it's because the devil is suggesting these things to Nicholas and Nicholas listens and does them. Um I I I get the feeling also that

them. Um I I I get the feeling also that Nicholas doesn't really believe this idea either. Generally the the story

idea either. Generally the the story suggests that Nicholas is more intelligent than this aunt. The aunt is

stupid, small-minded, unimaginative and strict. And um her attempts to control

strict. And um her attempts to control Nicholas fail because Nicholas is much more intelligent, much more curious than

her. And this exchange where she's stuck

her. And this exchange where she's stuck in this thing and Nicholas is outside.

This kind of is very satisfying because Nicholas again is more is more intelligent than her and finds a way to avoid helping her and generally tricks

her in various ways. Uh what does he say? So yeah, I think you're the devil

say? So yeah, I think you're the devil uh trying to tempt me and my aunt always tells me that I shouldn't listen to the devil. So h I'm not going to listen to

devil. So h I'm not going to listen to you. And then he says, "Uh, will there

you. And then he says, "Uh, will there be strawberry jam? Can we have strawberry jam tonight?"

The aunt, of course, says, "Yes." "Oh,

yes, of course you can." Even though she's already decided that Nicholas won't be allowed to have any. And then

Nicholas, he's tricked her because he says "Ha um the uh my aunt says there is no strawberry jam, but I've checked and

there is. I know there is. And you know

there is. I know there is. And you know there is as well, but she doesn't know.

that there's strawberry jam. In fact,

what's probably happened is that maybe yesterday the kids said, "Can we have strawberry jam?" And the answer said,

strawberry jam?" And the answer said, "No, there is no jam." So, she's lied, telling them there is no strawberry jam.

But Nicholas has found a way to check and he knows there is. So, he's kind of, what's the word for it? Calling her

bluff. Um, so she he says, "Will we have strawberry jam?" She says, "Yes." He

strawberry jam?" She says, "Yes." He

said, "But ah, you can't be my aunt because she doesn't know that there's strawberry jam. She thinks there isn't

strawberry jam. She thinks there isn't any, but I've checked and there is. And

you, the devil, you know that there is as well. So, ha, I got you. You are the

as well. So, ha, I got you. You are the devil." And he walks away,

devil." And he walks away, leaving his aunt stranded in this thing.

She later gets rescued after 35 minutes.

Okay. Then te that evening, tea means early dinner, right? Not just tea that you drink, but it's early dinner. So tea

that evening is is eaten in silence because well the other children and whoever they went with the adult or the adults that they went with to the beach

had a terrible time because the tide was was high.

The aunt when she decided that they would go on this trip had forgotten to check this. But when they arrived, the

check this. But when they arrived, the tide was up. And so that meant that they weren't allowed, they weren't able to play on the beach because the sands were not exposed. The sands were all covered

not exposed. The sands were all covered in sea in seaater. So there were no sands for them to play on anyway because the tide was high. The tide, you know, this is when the sea is up or down. The

tide is high or the tide is low. So the

tide was high. So they couldn't play on the beach. And um Nicholas's brother

the beach. And um Nicholas's brother complained about his boots hurting him the entire time. and everyone had a horrible time. So, none of them enjoyed

horrible time. So, none of them enjoyed themselves. Nicholas, in fact, was the

themselves. Nicholas, in fact, was the one who had the wonderful time, even though he was supposed to be punished, but he had this fantastic afternoon um

exploring the lumber room and then uh tricking his aunt. Um, his aunt is silent because she is probably feeling

very um, embarrassed and ashamed after being stuck in this water tank for 35 minutes. Nicholas is also silent as

minutes. Nicholas is also silent as well, but not because he's ashamed, but because he's thinking about the scene on the tapestry. He's wondering, he's his

the tapestry. He's wondering, he's his imagination is has been activated.

He's having a wonderful time thinking about the scene and thinking he's decided that um actually the hunter and his dogs will survive. They will escape

because he thinks that the the wolves are going to eat the wounded stag.

They're going to attack the the uh the deer. Um and that the wolves will focus

deer. Um and that the wolves will focus on that and that will allow the hunter and his dogs to escape. So he's already inventing uh a whole story and situation

from the from the tapestry that he saw.

So he's having a wonderful time. His his

imagination has been inspired. Um and

he's having a great time. Nicholas wins,

the aunt loses. Um and that's that.

Okay.

Right. So um those questions earlier, what do you think about the family? What

kind of family are they? I get the impression that they are quite a posh family. posh meaning sort of upper class

family. posh meaning sort of upper class or high class. I get that impression because the house that's described is obviously quite large. It has a big

garden. I think it's probably somewhere

garden. I think it's probably somewhere out in the countryside. Uh so it's probably an old mana house or something.

Um it seems to have quite a lot of rooms in it. This garden with a gooseberry

in it. This garden with a gooseberry garden in it, the sort of thing that you find in large stately homes. So, it's

probably quite a an upper class well-off family. Um

family. Um um they are they are they seem to be quite strict. So, the the aunt and the

quite strict. So, the the aunt and the other adults are quite strict and controlling uh which is quite typical of let's say families from from that time.

So, this story actually was written in 1914, published in 1914.

Um, I've updated the text a little bit, by the way, just to make sure that the English that you're learning from this is not too old-fashioned. So, I made a few changes just to kind of modernize or

update the text a little bit. But you

could tell from various references that this uh hap this story was set over 100 years ago. And in those days, the

years ago. And in those days, the general attitude in society towards children was that children should be seen and not heard. So um

basically a very sort of strict attitudes where children know their place. They don't talk very much. Uh

place. They don't talk very much. Uh

they certainly don't talk back to adults and adults are definitely fully in charge and the children um and the children don't really have a lot of

freedom. Um so yeah, the families are

freedom. Um so yeah, the families are typically strict kind of Victorian family I think. Um, what do you think of Nicholas the boy? What kind of child is

he? Well, as I've already described, he

he? Well, as I've already described, he seems to be very clever, very curious, imaginative, adventurous, and a bit mis mischievous as well. Mischievous means

that he's he likes mischief or he likes to do things that are not really allowed. Um, and he goes against the the

allowed. Um, and he goes against the the the the words of of his aunt.

Um, but maybe that's just because he he can't help seeing how kind of stupid their rules are.

Um, what about the aunt? Well, she seems quite small small-minded, really kind of unimaginative and um controlling and not as

intelligent actually as Nicholas. And

who do you sympathize with in the story, the aunt or the boy? Well, the story is definitely written to make us sympathize with the boy and that's kind of the

satisfaction of the ending that he wins.

Um, and so yeah, naturally I sympathize with the boy because why not let him explore the gooseberry garden? Why not

let him look at the tapestry in the lumber room? Why not inspire his

lumber room? Why not inspire his imagination and let him invent stories and explore and have adventures and things like that? Why not? Why? Why not

at all? Um, on the other hand, I kind of understand the aunt as well because as an adult with kids myself, sometimes

it's just not practical or very easy to let kids do exactly what they want all the time because you'll end up running around after them. They might have accidents. They might get into trouble

accidents. They might get into trouble and you end up just sort of dealing with everything everything they're doing and it means you can't do anything else yourself. So a certain amount of

yourself. So a certain amount of discipline, some rules and things are kind of important just to keep everyone safe and things like that. But at the same time, um I think it's really

important to allow children to be be um stimulated by interesting things. Um and so yeah, she seems a

things. Um and so yeah, she seems a little small-minded and unimaginative and a bit too strict. Okay, what do you think everyone? Uh what do you think of

think everyone? Uh what do you think of the story and the characters the way they're described? Let me go through the

they're described? Let me go through the story text now and I'm going to this is going to be there's going to be a lot of intensive sort of uh language analysis in this bit. I'm going to go

through the text and explain bits of vocabulary and grammar. All right,

before I do that, let me have a drink of water just to make sure that I stay fully hydrated and that I don't sort of pass out through dehydration, which obviously would be very bad, wouldn't

it? Because this would end up being an

it? Because this would end up being an extremely long episode and most of it would just be me lying slumped over a desk.

Yes. So, cheers.

So, as usual, you'll find uh a PDF for this episode uh linked in the episode description. You've got the full story

description. You've got the full story text and then well, basically what's going to come next is the same story text but with certain bits highlighted and then I've included all

those bits that I highlighted in a list at the end. Um

anyway, let me go through this now. So,

here's a version of the story with highlighted vocabulary and grammar. Um,

on the PDF I've highlighted the vocab that I'm going to talk about in a orange color and the grammar is highlighted in a blue color. So, the first line is the

children were going to be driven as a special treat to the sands at Jagra. And

we actually have in the opening sort of um paragraphs of the story quite a lot of passive verb forms. Right? So I'd like you to consider why

Right? So I'd like you to consider why passive verb forms are being used here.

For example, the children were going to be driven to the sands at Jagra.

Nicholas was not uh Nicholas was being punished. Any others? Um, also the

punished. Any others? Um, also the offense of taking a frog from the garden was discussed at great length. So all of these passive forms

were going to be driven. Obviously a

passive form, it's be plus the past participle. Um, in this case, we've got

participle. Um, in this case, we've got the sort of passive version of going to were going to be driven. Passives are

used when you don't say who does the action, right? You don't it's not stated

action, right? You don't it's not stated exactly who does the action. Instead,

you prioritize the one who the action is done to. So, in this case, the children

done to. So, in this case, the children were going to be driven. So, someone was going to drive the children to the Sands at Jagra. Um, it's not either it's not

at Jagra. Um, it's not either it's not important or it's obvious who does the action. What's more important is the

action. What's more important is the ones who receive the action. In this

case, it's the children. So why would it why why not say who does who's doing this? I suppose it's because

this? I suppose it's because essentially the ch it's the the story is told from the children's point of view.

So we have the children prioritized at the beginning of the sentence and also it's obvious that an adult's going to do this because obviously adults are the ones who drive people to places.

But also maybe it's just not important that it's a way of distancing the adults from the main descriptions of the story which again places us in the pos in the position of the children where the

children are in their world and the adults are sort of distant and up here somewhere you know and so by using a passive form here to describe what the

adults are doing it kind of just disconnects us from the adults meaning that they're not important or it's kind of obvious. is because they're the ones

of obvious. is because they're the ones that that are in charge. Um, the

children were going to be driven as a special treat. A treat is something that

special treat. A treat is something that you give to someone uh because they've done something good, like a reward, but you give a treat to a

child or you might give a treat to a dog as well. When you're training a dog, you

as well. When you're training a dog, you give it you give the dog treats when it does what you've asked it to do. For

example, you say to the dog, "Roll over." and the dog rolls over. Good boy.

over." and the dog rolls over. Good boy.

And you give it a treat, which would be like a little snack, a little thing that the dog eats. So, that's a treat to reward the dog for rolling over. Uh, but

for children as well, you might give them a treat if they've been very good.

If they've behaved really, really well, you might give them a treat as a special treat because you've been so good. We're

going to go to the We're going to go to Jagura Sands this afternoon. Yay.

Right. Nicholas was not included. He was

being punished. So there's another passive verb form. He was being punished well by the adults of course. He was

being punished for bad behavior. So we

talk about good behavior, bad behavior.

We talk about u behaving well uh being well behaved, behaving badly and being badly behaved.

So Nicholas was No, Nicholas was great.

He was really well behaved this afternoon. He behaved really really

afternoon. He behaved really really well. So to be well behaved, to behave

well. So to be well behaved, to behave well and good behavior, right? Well

behaved is the adjective. To to to behave well, that's the verb form with an adverb. And good behavior is the

an adverb. And good behavior is the noun, right? Similarly, um uh badly

noun, right? Similarly, um uh badly behaved, to behave badly, and bad behavior. Okay, in this case, he was

behavior. Okay, in this case, he was being punished for bad behavior. That

very morning he had refused to eat his healthy bread and milk. That very

morning. It's a bit odd, isn't it, to have very before the word morning.

Normally very goes before an adjective.

That was very good. That was very interesting. Okay. Right. Uh in this

interesting. Okay. Right. Uh in this case, we've got very morning. So that

very normally you Okay. So you can use very plus a time. Normally a day in this case morning that that works as well. So

that very morning, it means specifically that morning. So it's just a kind of um

that morning. So it's just a kind of um it's an adjective here which is used to emphasize or be more specific. So not

just that morning, but specifically that morning, that very morning. So it's just emp emphasizing that it was the morning

of that day. Um that very morning he had refused to eat his healthy bread and milk.

Okay. Refused to eat it. So he said, "No, I will not eat it." He refused to eat it on the apparently silly excuse.

So this was silly. Silly means foolish, kind of stupid, not serious. So a silly excuse, there was a there was a frog in it. So the adult said to him, "Come on,

it. So the adult said to him, "Come on, eat your bread and milk." And he said, "No, I can't. Why not? I don't want to.

Why don't you want to eat?" Well,

there's a frog in it. Don't be Don't be silly. Of course there isn't a frog in

silly. Of course there isn't a frog in it. Now eat up your bread and milk.

it. Now eat up your bread and milk.

So silly means foolish, not serious.

Apparently silly. Um, we use apparently to kind of say that someone else has said it. So again, this suggests that

said it. So again, this suggests that it's the adults who've said that it was a silly excuse. In fact, we know it wasn't actually silly because there

actually was a frog in there. So he'd

refused to eat his healthy bread and milk on the apparently silly excuse. So

an excuse is basically a reason which sort of justifies not doing something as you as you well know. For example, u one of my students comes to class and I and

uh I say have you done your homework?

And they say no I haven't.

Um okay what's your excuse? Well um my dog ate it. You know that's the classic excuse for not doing your homework.

Sorry I haven't done my homework. My dog

ate it. Um oh don't be silly.

Uh okay. So that's an excuse that there was a frog in it. Older, wiser and better people. So this is the adults

better people. So this is the adults wiser, you know, uh they they are wiser.

They have more wisdom. They have more knowledge and experience.

Uh it's ironic because and better as well. Better that suggests that they are

well. Better that suggests that they are even just uh on another level maybe even morally or superior. They're just

superior to him. This description is quite interesting because it suggests that the adults are not only older but they are more intelligent and just generally superior

which tells you something about the the attitude that the adults probably have in their dealings with the children.

It's like no you can't do that because why not? Well, because I'm the adult

why not? Well, because I'm the adult here and I understand. So older, wiser, and better people, the adults, told him that there could not possibly be a frog in his bread and milk, and that he must

stop talking nonsense. Nicholas,

however, continued to talk what seemed to be complete nonsense, and described in great detail the color and markings of the supposed frog. A supposed frog

is well they have the adults have not confirmed that it is a frog because they haven't seen it. Apparently, they haven't

seen it. Apparently, they haven't bothered to check. They just assume that uh Nicholas is is lying. So, it's not a confirmed frog. It's a supposed frog. A

confirmed frog. It's a supposed frog. A

thing that's supposed to be a frog according to Nicholas. So, a supposed frog then is is a a frog that someone else claims

uh to exist in this case. Right? So,

this is just another way of suggesting that the adults don't believe that there is a frog. So instead of saying the color and markings of the frog, uh saying the color and markings of the

supposed frog or the so-called frog or the alleged frog um tells us that this is probably the adults opinion that they don't believe it and they they um think

that his claim is is not in fact true.

Another example might be you could say a supposed expert. So, someone who's been

supposed expert. So, someone who's been presented as an expert or someone who is claimed to be an expert but maybe isn't.

You know, for example, I was I was watching the news and this this this supposed expert told us how actually uh drinking water every day

is actually bad for you. I mean, I don't believe it myself. This that's what the supposed expert said, right? So, someone

who's claimed to be an expert but actually isn't. Maybe in this case, the

actually isn't. Maybe in this case, the supposed frog, uh, what Nicholas claims is a frog, but the adults don't believe it. The dramatic truth was that there

it. The dramatic truth was that there really was a frog in Nicholas's bowl of bread and milk. He had put it there himself. So, that's just past perfect to

himself. So, that's just past perfect to show that he put it there earlier before the main events that were being described here. So that just signifies

described here. So that just signifies that it happened earlier. He had put it there himself. So he naturally felt

there himself. So he naturally felt entitled to know something about it.

If you're entitled to do something, it means you have the right to do it, right? You have the you're allowed to

right? You have the you're allowed to you have the right to do it. Um and if if a person feels entitled to do something, yeah, they just feel like they have the right to it. So it's quite

a formal sounding word. uh which is kind of funny when you're talking about the u behavior of a child uh but it's quite good. So if someone feels entitled, it

good. So if someone feels entitled, it feels like they have a almost like a legal right to to do or to say or to

know something right. Um,

you know, like if you go like for example, if you have a job with a company, you have a contract, but also by law, you are entitled to a certain number of days of holiday every year,

right? That's your right. You're

right? That's your right. You're

entitled to that. You're entitled to sick leave, meaning that you're you're you're allowed or you you have the right to be off work sick and to be paid for a number of days, right? So, you're

entitled to all these things. Nicholas

felt entitled to know something about it. Meaning that he because he'd

it. Meaning that he because he'd actually done it himself, he thought that he had the right maybe to to know that there actually there was a frog in the bowl. It just tells us something

the bowl. It just tells us something about his attitude that he felt completely um completely justified in his position.

I like the way this is described because it's described in quite uh formal almost legal language when talking about the actions of a

child which adds a layer of sort of irony to the story.

Here's another example. The offense of taking a frog from the garden and putting it into a bowl of healthy bread and milk was discussed at great length.

An offense, this is another word for a crime. So um again in sort of legal

crime. So um again in sort of legal language we talk about crimes and we talk about offenses. They're synonyms.

So an offense is a crime. The offense

was discussed at great length. Again

another passive form showing that this in fact was the adults who discussed this.

At great length means for a long time and in lots of detail.

But what stood out most clearly in Nicholas's mind. If something stands

Nicholas's mind. If something stands out, it means it's obvious, clear, easy to see because it's maybe standing forward from other things. It's in a forward position, something that is not

in line with everything else. Something

that's obvious, outstanding. So, what

stood out clearly in Nicholas's mind? So

what was really obvious in Nicholas's mind was that the older, wiser, and better people, the adults, had been completely wrong about something that they had spoken about with total

confidence. So I mean, Nicholas, you can

confidence. So I mean, Nicholas, you can imagine one day will be an excellent lawyer because he's able to think, he's like a chess player or something.

He can think um around different problems. Um, and so he feels this is the obvious thing here is, well, wait a minute, you were completely wrong. You said that it

was impossible that there could be a frog in my milk. And I'm sorry, you were just completely wrong about that. Um,

they were they spoke about it with total confidence, but it turns out they were completely wrong. Um, you said there

completely wrong. Um, you said there couldn't possibly be a frog in my bread and milk, but there was a frog in my bread and milk, he repeated with a persistence of a skilled tactician.

Persistence. That's where you just don't give up. You keep going. Um, a skilled

give up. You keep going. Um, a skilled tactician. A tactician is someone who

tactician. A tactician is someone who deals with tactics. Tactics that means plans and strategies for winning something. You might have a military

something. You might have a military tactician, someone who's brilliant at military strategy. military tactics,

military strategy. military tactics, a legal tactician, someone who a lawyer who's uh capable of building a very well

ststructured case, right, with every single step planned and accounted for.

So he repeated this with the persistence of a skilled tactician who had no intention of giving up a strong position. You have if you have no

position. You have if you have no intention of doing something, it means you you definitely do not plan to do it.

So, he wasn't planning to give up his strong position, which is well, you said it was impossible, and it's it it wasn't impossible. So, I'm sorry, you were

impossible. So, I'm sorry, you were completely wrong about this. And he's

he's holding his position, standing his ground.

Um, and it tells us about the way he talks. Even though he's a small child,

talks. Even though he's a small child, we don't know how old he is exactly. I

mean, he's young enough so that he's not very experienced with turning keys in locks and needs to practice to learn how to turn a key in a lock. So, I reckon he

could be maybe seven, something like that. I'm predicting. We don't know.

that. I'm predicting. We don't know.

But the way he talks and positions himself, he seems a lot older than that.

And it's quite again that's quite funny imagining a small child sort of um negotiating with adults at this high

level. So his boy cousin his girl cousin

level. So his boy cousin his girl cousin and his rather uninteresting younger brother were going to be taken to Jagar Sands again passive form that afternoon

while he had to stay at home. his

cousin's aunt who by a very questionable stretch of imagination insisted on calling herself his aunt as well. So

this is that um this is the fact that she calls herself his aunt. But this is this required a very questionable stretch of imagination.

Okay, a stretch of imagination. If you if you have to use your imagination to maybe connect something

in this case to suggest that she in fact was his aunt but it's like well okay you have to be quite inventive to understand

how she is his aunt. So this is a this requires quite a stretch of imagination where you have to imagine something or make a connection to something that

isn't really clearly connected. Um

requires quite a stretch of imagination.

In this case it's a questionable stretch of imagination. So um a kind of uh

of imagination. So um a kind of uh questionable means that you could question it. You can doubt it. Easily

question it. You can doubt it. Easily

doubted. Easil easily questioned.

Like I said before, she's not actually his aunt. Maybe she's his cousin's aunt.

his aunt. Maybe she's his cousin's aunt.

And that might be sort of maybe a second cousin once removed or something. You

know, the way that cousins can be it can actually be quite a a distant connection really. And then the aunt of a cousin

really. And then the aunt of a cousin and you get to a certain point where there there's such a lack of connection between this woman and Nicholas that it's not really you can't really say

she's his aunt. So this is a this requires quite a big stretch of imagination. In fact, a questionable

imagination. In fact, a questionable stretch of imagination. A very

questionable stretch of imagination.

Meaning that in fact she's not his aunt at all. But she insisted on calling

at all. But she insisted on calling herself his aunt. Even though maybe Nicholas at some point said, "But you you're not my aunt though, are you?

Because because you're you know and and no, I am your aunt actually." M maybe she kind of insisted meaning refused to

um to to to stop doing it.

Uh which sounds kind of annoying. You

know, this is again her attempt to um establish some sort of authority over Nicholas where she she actually I'm your aunt. And Nicholas is thinking how are

aunt. And Nicholas is thinking how are you my aunt? I don't really see that. Uh

but she insisted on calling herself his aunt as well. She had quickly invented the Jagra outing. An outing is is a where you take a trip out somewhere. For

example, an outing to the beach, an outing to the park, an outing to the cinema. Um, she had quickly invented the

cinema. Um, she had quickly invented the Jagar outing to show Nicholas what pleasures he had rightly lost because of his disgraceful behav

behavior at breakfast.

Right? Disgraceful, not only bad behavior, but disgraceful behavior.

That's just something you is a disgrace.

It's something you should feel very ashamed of. Terribly bad behavior.

ashamed of. Terribly bad behavior.

It was her habit. Whenever one of the children did something wrong, whenever, anytime, wherever, any place, whoever, any

person, whenever, anytime. So, whenever

one of the children did something wrong, it was her habit to suddenly invent some kind of treat. There's that word again that the guilty child would be strictly excluded from. So she would say, "Oh,

excluded from. So she would say, "Oh, um, okay, this afternoon children, you can go to the zoo, but not you, Nicholas."

Nicholas." He was strictly excluded from from the trip. In this case, a trip to the beach.

trip. In this case, a trip to the beach.

If all the children misbehaved, so there's another one. Actually we had behave badly to be badly behaved um bad behavior and also to misbehave which

means to behave badly do naughty things. Um if all the children misbehaved together they would suddenly be told again passive form

clearly this is the aunt. The children

would suddenly be told about a circus in a nearby town a circus of extraordinary quality and with countless elephants. So

many elephants you can't even count how many there are which if it hadn't been for their bad behavior they would have visited that very day. There's another use of very in

very day. There's another use of very in this case that very day specifically that day. So

that day. So this is a sort of an annoying slightly pathetic form of punishment where the kids do something naughty and then the

aunt says oh I forgot to tell you. Yes,

there's a really wonderful uh circus in town with Oh, it's they have so many elephants and lions and clowns and trapeze artists. I read about

it today in the newspaper. It sounds

absolutely wonderful. No, but you won't be going to that, children, because you've been very naughty indeed, and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Right. That's the kind of thing that she did. Um, a respectable amount of crying

did. Um, a respectable amount of crying was expected from Nicholas. What is a respectable amount of crying? I suppose

it's an amount of crying that would uh that the the adults would respect and think, "Yes, okay, I think that's enough crying now." So, they needed a dis they

crying now." So, they needed a dis they expected a certain amount of uh crying.

they wanted or expected Nicholas to be very very uh upset not to be allowed to go to Jagara Sands with the other

children. So they thought or the aunt

children. So they thought or the aunt thought that or expected Nicholas to cry and be very sad and full of regret and

remorse. Uh that's what was expected of

remorse. Uh that's what was expected of him um when it came time for the others to leave. In fact, all the crying was

to leave. In fact, all the crying was done by his girl cousin who painfully scraped her knee uh so painfully. Ow, it

hurt a lot. She scraped her knee. So

that's more than scratched. So she

probably hit her knee against the step of the carriage while climbing in, but didn't just hit it, just so the edge of

the step probably um scraped against her leg. um against her knee. So her knee

leg. um against her knee. So her knee will have a red a long red mark on it.

Not a line, but maybe a wide sort of red mark. That's a scrape,

mark. That's a scrape, right? So it's more than scratch.

right? So it's more than scratch.

Scratch, you imagine that there's probably a single line, but scrape it would be a wider uh thing. Okay, so she scraped her knee while climbing into the

carriage, and so she's actually the one who cried. How she howled and cried,

who cried. How she howled and cried, said Nicholas cheerfully. which is

obviously not very nice that he's enjoying the fact that one of the other children um cried, but I mean I suppose

for him it's sort of ironic that they're the ones who were supposed to be having a great time and he was being punished but actually they're having the horrible time. So that's that's kind of amusing

time. So that's that's kind of amusing to him as the as the group drove off. So

to drive off means to leave in a car, in this case in a carriage, probably with horses, but to drive off.

They drove off or drove away um is another way of putting it. How she

howled and cried. Howled. Howled is uh what a wolf does. How

right? That's to howl. So you can imagine that the his girl cousin was howling. in this case, howling in pain

howling. in this case, howling in pain ow like that. How she howled and cried, said Nicholas cheerfully as the group drove off without any of the excitement that should have gone with such an

outing. So the the kids were supposed to

outing. So the the kids were supposed to be excited, but it seems that they were just all kind of unhappy. She'll soon

get over that, said the so-called aunt.

To get over it is to kind of recover from something. For example, if you bang

from something. For example, if you bang your knee or scrape your knee, it hurts for a while, but then you get over it.

You recover. If you catch a cold, you might have a a sore throat and a headache for a few days, but then, you know, after 5 days or something, you get

over it. If you you you split up with

over it. If you you you split up with your girlfriend, she breaks your heart, but you'll be devastated for a while, but you'll get over it eventually,

right? So, she'll soon get over that,

right? So, she'll soon get over that, said the so-called aunt. So-called again

is this kind of like supposed aunt. The

aunt that is has been called an aunt, but she's not actually an aunt, so we can say a so-called aunt in this case.

It will be a wonderful afternoon running about on those lovely sands. They'll

enjoy it so much. Bobby won't enjoy himself much, and he won't run much either, said Nicholas with a grim chuckle. A chuckle is like a little

chuckle. A chuckle is like a little laugh like that. A grim chuckle. Grim means

like that. A grim chuckle. Grim means

kind of um maybe a bit dark uh a bit sort of cynical. Um so

uh Bobby won't enjoy himself much and he won't run much either, said Nicholas with a grim chuckle. H So yeah, a grim chuckle is grim is kind of like a bit

dark, a bit sort of serious, uh bit depressing, but a grim chuckle would be like that, I suppose. Huh? Bobby won't

enjoy himself much and he won't run much either. His boots are hurting him.

either. His boots are hurting him.

They're too tight, right? Tight versus loose. Loose. If you

right? Tight versus loose. Loose. If you

if you take the the um shoelaces, the laces of a boot and you pull them really hard, then the boots will be very tight.

Or if the boots are too small, then ow these boots are too tight. Ah,

can you loosen them? Make them a bit loose. In this case, his boots are too

loose. In this case, his boots are too tight. Why didn't he tell me they were

tight. Why didn't he tell me they were hurting? Why didn't he tell me they were

hurting? Why didn't he tell me they were hurting? said the aunt sharply.

hurting? said the aunt sharply.

Sharp like a knife. Right. You want a knife to be sharp so it cuts things well, but you can do something sharply, especially say something sharply. So you

can imagine like a sharp knife. Imagine

that um as a way of describing how someone says something. Why didn't he tell me

says something. Why didn't he tell me they were hurting? asked the aunt sharply. So kind of quickly and in a

sharply. So kind of quickly and in a cutting sort of way. He told you twice, but you weren't listening. You often

don't listen when we tell you important things.

Again, revealing something probably about the aunt that again she thinks she's above the kids and doesn't even

listen to them, which must be annoying.

She's a bit of a hypocrite maybe because she doesn't exactly uh behave in the best way herself while also accusing the children of

being badly behaved. You're not to go into the Goosebury garden, said the aunt, changing the subject.

Again, that's sort of vindictive that when when Nicholas seems to kind of score a point against her, her response

is to be vindictive and to restrict his his his right to go into a certain part of the garden. So, another little punishment

just because um she was proven to be wrong about something. You're not to go in the

something. You're not to go in the Goosebury Garden. Why not? Asked

Goosebury Garden. Why not? Asked

Nicholas. because you are in disgrace.

Um, this is, I think, a fairly old-fashioned phrase. Um, it means in in trouble

phrase. Um, it means in in trouble because you've been very badly behaved and all the adults are very unhappy with you. To be in disgrace. I would say just

you. To be in disgrace. I would say just in trouble. On the naughty step

in trouble. On the naughty step is what I say to my kids. You're on the naughty step. Get on the naughty step.

naughty step. Get on the naughty step.

You're not allowed to do that. You know,

for example, um, you're in disgrace, said the aunt. Grandly. If you say something grandly, it means you, if something's done grandly, it means with

importance, like you're very big and important. Because you are in disgrace,

important. Because you are in disgrace, said the aunt, grandly. Nicholas did not accept this logic. He saw no reason why someone couldn't be in disgrace and in a

goosebury garden at the same time. his

face became stubborn. So stubborn

describes when someone um is unwilling to change their position.

No, you know it's a child can be stubborn when they sort of say no, not going to. No,

going to. No, that's stubborn. Someone who's unwilling

that's stubborn. Someone who's unwilling to change or do what they are being asked to do and someone who refuses.

his face became stubborn and his aunt was certain that he was determined to go into the garden. If you're determined to do something, it means you really strongly have decided that you're going to right. I'm going to go into that

to right. I'm going to go into that garden. I don't care what she says. I'm

garden. I don't care what she says. I'm

going to do it. I'm going to I'm going to find my way into the garden. I'm

determined to go into the garden simply because she had she had forbidden it. So

the aunt thinks he's definitely going to try and get into the garden just because she said he's not allowed to. But she

underestimates him. She thinks that he's vindictive as well and that just because she said no, you're not allowed to go in the gooseberry bush, he's going to say, "Well, I'm going to do it anyway just because you especially because you've

told me not to." But that's not what he's planning to do. Uh the Goosebury garden had two entrances and once a small person like Nicholas got inside he could easily disappear among the

artichokes. Those are sorts of sort of

artichokes. Those are sorts of sort of vegetables. Raspberry canes. Canes are

vegetables. Raspberry canes. Canes are

long thin sticks presumably with raspberries. These are these red

raspberries. These are these red berries. Raspberry plants growing up

berries. Raspberry plants growing up them and fruit bushes. The aunt had many other things she could have done that afternoon.

Right.

Um, other possibilities for that afternoon. You would say, I have many

afternoon. You would say, I have many things I could do this afternoon, but I'm going to do this. There are many things I could do today. That's for the future. There were many things I could

future. There were many things I could have done yesterday, but I chose to do that. Right? U, so could have done makes

that. Right? U, so could have done makes it refer to the past with have done. uh

many she had many other things she could have done that afternoon but instead she spent an hour or two doing small gardening jobs. I wanted to just point

gardening jobs. I wanted to just point out that you spend time doing spend plus an ing form, right? She spent an hour or two doing small gardening jobs near the

flower beds and bushes from where she could watch both doors into the forbidden garden. The forbidden garden.

forbidden garden. The forbidden garden.

And it's been it's a forbidden garden because she has forbidden Nicholas from going in there. Right. So actually so she decides that she's going to do some

garden some small gardening jobs where she can actually keep an eye on the garden. She was a woman with very few

garden. She was a woman with very few ideas but enormous powers of concentration.

That's quite an important descriptive sentence showing that not an imaginative or particularly intelligent person, but someone who's

sort of determined and able to focus.

It's not a particularly attractive description.

Nicholas made one or two suspiciouslooking attempts in the front garden. If something looks suspicious,

garden. If something looks suspicious, it means that it looks like he's up to something he shouldn't be doing.

An attempt is when you try to do something. So he tried to he tried to in

something. So he tried to he tried to in the front garden. He tried to get in to the gooseberry garden and these attempts

were suspicious. So he was actually

were suspicious. So he was actually doing it on purpose. He was in in trying to make his grandmother grandmother he was trying to make his aunt believe that

he was trying to get into the garden.

Um but this is all part of his plan. He

was creeping stealthily, sort of secretly sneaking, secretly moving towards one door and then the other, but never managing to escape her

watchful eye. So basically, he tried to

watchful eye. So basically, he tried to get into the garden, but um she always saw him. In fact, he had no intention of

saw him. In fact, he had no intention of going into the Goosebury garden at all.

So he had no intention. He was not planning to do that at all. It suited

him perfectly. that his aunt believed he wanted to. If something suits you, it

wanted to. If something suits you, it means it's it it's it's kind of like um fits you well. Um now, clothes can suit

you. For example, if you wear a certain

you. For example, if you wear a certain color, certain color t-shirt, you you know, if you're wearing a t-shirt that really matches your

complexion, matches your eyes or something, your friends might say, "Oh, that really suits you. That looks good on you." So clothes can can suit someone

on you." So clothes can can suit someone but a situation can suit you as well. U

which is where it's exactly as you like you know it's exactly it matches what you like. So in this case, this suited

you like. So in this case, this suited him perfectly. Uh that it that his aunt

him perfectly. Uh that it that his aunt believed he wanted to uh because it kept her standing guard for most of the afternoon, which meant that yeah, this

was just suitable, perfect for him because it meant that his his aunt was occupied in the garden, which meant that he could then go and investigate the lumber room.

once he was sure her suspicions were fully established.

So to establish something is to fix or set something. In this case, in her

set something. In this case, in her mind, she's decided uh that she is suspicious. She believes he's trying to

suspicious. She believes he's trying to get in the garden. And that is that has been fully established, fully set in her mind.

Once that once she's he was sure that she definitely decided he was trying to get into the garden, Nicholas slipped

quietly. So moved out quickly and

quietly. So moved out quickly and quietly uh in this case moved in in fact because back into the house slipped. He

moved quietly back into the house and put into action a plan he'd been thinking about for a long time. Okay. By

standing on a chair in the library, he could reach a shelf holding a large important looking key. So to reach, he probably had to stretch his arm up.

That's to reach something. If if

something kind of far away from you, you have to stretch in order to be able to reach it.

Uh an important looking key. It was

indeed important. It locked the lumber room, keeping its mysteries safe from unauthorized children. Again, more

unauthorized children. Again, more formal language. children who are not

formal language. children who are not allowed to go in there. They are

unauthorized. It's the sort of thing you'd see on the door of a of a room that you're not not allowed to go into.

It says unauthorized, you know, unauthorized access or unauthorized personnel keep out

sort of formal language used to say that uh you're not allowed to do something, right? unauthorized children uh and

right? unauthorized children uh and accessible only to adults and sorry accessible only to aunts and other privileged adults. If you're privileged,

privileged adults. If you're privileged, it means you uh enjoy special rights, special entitlements that other people don't have. Nicholas did not have much

don't have. Nicholas did not have much experience with locks. So obviously a key goes into a lock in order to lock a door. He didn't have much experience

door. He didn't have much experience with locks, but he had practiced for several days with the school room door key.

Again, this tells us that it's a large house cuz this is a house that has a school room. Maybe Nicholas is Maybe the

school room. Maybe Nicholas is Maybe the kids are all educated at home. Maybe

they're sort of homeschooled and their home even has a school room. Either that or maybe this

school room. Either that or maybe this is something he's done at school. I

don't know.

He didn't like to rely too much on luck.

If you rely on something, it means you kind of uh you basically need it. You

you need it. You depend on it. You kind

of lean on it. If you live outside in the countryside, then you rely on your car to get you to work every day. I live

in France. My wife speaks French and so I rely on her quite a lot to help me do sort of administrative things that require high level of French. In this

case, Nicholas did not want to rely on on luck too much. He didn't want to just let luck um help him. He wanted to be absolutely sure that the key would open

the door. So this is again shows

the door. So this is again shows something about the personality of Nicholas that he's clever. plans ahead.

He's he's he's he's good at strategy and he doesn't like to leave things to chance. So, he'd he'd already practiced

chance. So, he'd he'd already practiced with his key unlocking techniques. The

key turned stiffly. I mean, it didn't turn easily. It was kind of a bit stiff,

turn easily. It was kind of a bit stiff, like it didn't move very fluently.

It stiff. We We describe our bodies as stiff. Like for example, if you

stiff. Like for example, if you sleep badly in an uncomfortable position in the morning. Oh god, you feel very stiff. It's like your arms and legs and

stiff. It's like your arms and legs and your back don't move very easily. Oh

god, so stiff. After a long journey in a car, you get out and your legs are very stiff. Oh, I need to stretch my legs. Or

stiff. Oh, I need to stretch my legs. Or

if you do uh exercise in the gym, you do a workout in the gym. The next day, oh god, oh, I'm very stiff this morning.

Um, in this situation, the key turned stiffly, so it didn't turn very smoothly. It was like difficult to turn

smoothly. It was like difficult to turn click. But it turned, the door opened,

click. But it turned, the door opened, and Nicholas entered a world far more exciting than the Goosebury Garden could ever be. He'd often imagined what the

ever be. He'd often imagined what the lumber room might be like. That

carefully sealed place where no questions were ever answered. If

something is carefully sealed, it means it's closed and locked and nothing can get in or out. Normally carefully sealed would be for example for a container

filled with food. It is sealed uh and then you when you you buy it and open it you you open the seal or a letter would

be carefully sealed with glue.

Uh in this case the room was carefully sealed uh meaning completely closed and a place where no questions were ever answered.

So again, the the adults in all their wisdom had shut this room off and refused to tell the children anything about what was in it. And we imagine that Nicholas had probably said, "What's in there? What what kind of things are

in there? What what kind of things are in there? Can you can I see inside?" And

in there? Can you can I see inside?" And

and uh the adults just refused to answer any of his questions.

Uh but it lived up to his expectations.

So if if something lives up to your expectations, it means that you have a certain expectation and the reality matches that expectation, right? To live

up to something.

It's normally live up to expectations. I

think that's probably the most common collocation.

So let's say you you're going to Paris and you think, "Oh, it's going to be fantastic. I can't wait to see the

fantastic. I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower and to um have my lunch on a beautiful terrace and Paris in the spring. It's going to be so

romantic. And you get there and it's

romantic. And you get there and it's raining and uh it's the streets are very crowded and you see rats near the Eiffel Tower and you think, "Oh god." So, what was it like? Well, didn't really live up

to my expectations. It didn't live up to my expectations. Or you think Paris is

my expectations. Or you think Paris is going to be fantastic springtime, flowers everywhere. um uh romantic

flowers everywhere. um uh romantic scenes and you go there and it is springtime and there are flowers and the sky is blue and you have a lovely time.

You eat delicious food and you meet some nice people and it really lived up to my expectations.

Yes. So in this case uh the room lived up to Nicholas's expectations. He

expected it to be fascinating and it was. First it was large and dim. Dim

was. First it was large and dim. Dim

means not bright. So, it's kind of dark, not a lot of light. It was lit only by one high window. Lit um is the the the

past participle of the verb light to light something to illuminate something with a light in this case with a window.

Light lit. Lit. It was lit. The room was lit only by one high window that looked onto the forbidden garden.

So, we get a sense that this room is actually next to the Goosebury Garden, which is useful information for later because it does help us to understand

how uh Nicholas is able to hear his aunt shouting for help um from the room. Uh

but anyway, it's a sort of a dark room, so it must be atmospheric. Second, it

was full of incredible treasures.

Incredible amazing wonderful fantastic treasures. Treasure. Treasures

fantastic treasures. Treasure. Treasures

suggest things of great value which may be old and which have been discovered like pirates often will have treasure in

um in big chests, a treasure chest and you open it up and it's full of gold coins or very very valuable items of jewelry.

Um in this case the incredible treasures included all the objects and interesting things in this room. The aunt by assertion.

If you assert something, it basically means you force it.

Um, in this case, the aunt has clearly asserted that she is his aunt. I am your aunt and that's the end of it.

Um, so she is now the aunt by assertion.

She believed that using things ruined them. If you ruin something, it means

them. If you ruin something, it means you spoil it. Maybe you damage it so it can't be used again. Right. Um, for

example, you've ruined your shoes.

Let's say we bought we bought my son a new pair of nice leather shoes, smart shoes, and he he wears them to school and he's he kind of uh plays on the

ground and scratches the shoes and the the leather is all scratched on the front. We might say, "Look at these

front. We might say, "Look at these shoes. You've ruined them. Can you not

shoes. You've ruined them. Can you not be more careful with your shoes? You've

ruined these shoes."

So in this case, the aunt by assertion believed that using things ruined them.

So she preserved them by letting them gather dust and damp. So again, this quite cleverly tells us that the aunt is perhaps a bit stupid

um because she thinks that um using things ruins them, which is kind of a a silly thing to think, isn't it? cuz you think, well, what's the

it? cuz you think, well, what's the point of having a thing if you're not going to use it, you know? Um, so she preserved them by letting them gather

dust and damp. So, if something gathers dust, it means it like sits in a place and just dust slowly uh builds up on the top of it. We've all got things in the

kitchen probably somewhere or somewhere in our house like an old item, maybe some old waffle maker or something like that which you bought once and you

used it once and then it just sat on a shelf or in a garage or something. And

slowly over time more and more dust lands on the top of it until one day you get it out and you've got to blow all the dust off it, clean it. Um so to

that's gather dust is build up dust and dirt on the top and damp damp means wetness which is something that does happen to things if you keep them if you

keep things in a basement or if you keep something in a cold room that's maybe not very well ventilated um then you might get damp in the room.

That's just a level of wet moisture.

Okay. Um like in the in a basement it's often like that. You might leave some clothes in a bag in the basement and when you get the clothes out they don't

seem very dry and in fact there's maybe some um mold or something growing on them. So that's damp. So

them. So that's damp. So

if something gathers damp, it means it gets more and more damp. So this again shows that the aunt is a bit stupid because she thinks that well the the best thing to do is to keep preserve

these things in this room.

How is she going to preserve them? by

letting them gather dust and damp. So

the this sentence sort of proves that her approach is doesn't work because these beautiful things should be used.

They should be in the house rather than just sort of basically rotting away in this dark room. Uh the parts of the house Nicholas knew best were dull and

empty. Dull means boring. Empty the

empty. Dull means boring. Empty the

nothing in them. So the parts of the house that Nicholas were was allowed to actually spend time in had nothing particularly interesting in them and and

were boring. But here his eyes were met

were boring. But here his eyes were met with wonders.

Most impressive of of all was a framed piece of tapestry meant to be a fire screen. So this is the thing that's the

screen. So this is the thing that's the most interesting, right? A framed piece of tapestry. Tapestry is something

of tapestry. Tapestry is something that's uh made using thread uh probably a needle and thread and it involves making a beautiful picture with thread

and you thread the thread the cotton thread probably through uh a piece of material and with the thread you make a

beautiful looking picture. Um yes,

that's a tapestry. So, it's kind of a picture made from material made from probably cotton or woolen thread.

Um, a framed piece of tapestry. So, it's

in a wooden frame meant to be a fire screen. So, that's what I said before, a

screen. So, that's what I said before, a screen, something that you put up in front of a fire just to cover it basically. Uh, so this is the

basically. Uh, so this is the interesting thing. This framed piece of

interesting thing. This framed piece of tapestry, this picture to Nicholas, it was a living story sitting on a roll of Indian hangings glowing with color.

Indian hangings. I suppose these are maybe more tapestries or maybe just cloths or things that are supposed to be hung from the wall or hung from the

ceiling. Nice decorative things glowing

ceiling. Nice decorative things glowing with color. Um, Indian ones as well. So

with color. Um, Indian ones as well. So

they're probably very interesting and colorful. A roll of Indian hangings.

colorful. A roll of Indian hangings.

These things had just been rolled up and put on the floor. So Nicholas was sitting on a roll of Indian hangings glowing with color beneath a layer of dust. So these hanging Indian hangings

dust. So these hanging Indian hangings are just covered in a layer of dust. And

Nicholas sits on on one of these rolls.

He studied every detail of the um tapestry.

Uh and this is the bit that describes what we can see on the tapestry. A man

in old-fashioned hunting clothes had just shot a stag. So that's a st a stag is a male deer. A deer with big antlers coming out of its head. So he he had

just shot a stag with an arrow. It must

have been an easy shot. So this is um Nicholas speculating about what kind of shot it was. And he thinks it must have been easy,

right? Meaning he's certain it was easy.

right? Meaning he's certain it was easy.

So that's why we have must have been right. It must have been an easy shot

right. It must have been an easy shot since the stag. Since here means because right it must have been an easy shot

since the stag stood only a step or two away. A step when you step forward, step

away. A step when you step forward, step back, the step is how far is that? Is

that like less slightly less than a meter? Probably. Um the stag stood only

meter? Probably. Um the stag stood only a step or two away from the hunter. So

it must have been an easy shot. So the

stag is very close.

So Nicholas thinks it must have been easy. In thick woodland like that, thick

easy. In thick woodland like that, thick woodland, that's just an area where there's lots of trees. Um, and if it's thick, it means the trees are very close

together. In thick woodland like that,

together. In thick woodland like that, it wouldn't be hard to creep up on a feeding stag.

Creep. We had this word before. Uh

Nicholas was try was creeping into the goosebury garden trying to sneak in without being seen. In this case, we've got to creep up on a stag, to creep up

on something, um which is to essentially get very close to something or someone without being seen or noticed. So you might creep up on

noticed. So you might creep up on someone and then put your hands over their eyes and go surprise.

You know, in this case, um, the hunter is creep has has crept up on this feeding stag. Uh, and that wasn't

feeding stag. Uh, and that wasn't difficult because the woodland is very thick, lots of leaves to cover you. The

two spotted dogs leaping forward had clearly been trained to stay close until the arrow was fired. So again,

Nicholas is just looking at this and and building the whole scenario in his mind and he's decided that these two spotted dogs which are jumping forward towards

the stag had clearly been trained to stay close. So these dogs were trained

stay close. So these dogs were trained so that they would stay close to the hunter until the arrow was fired. So

Nicholas can see that, you know, these are trained dogs and a trained hunter and it's a very exciting looking scene.

That part of the picture was simple enough. But did the hunter see what

enough. But did the hunter see what Nicholas saw? Four wolves were racing

Nicholas saw? Four wolves were racing toward him through the trees. So there

are four wolves running towards him.

There could be more hidden behind the forest. So Nicholas thinks that there

forest. So Nicholas thinks that there might be more than four. Would the man and his dogs manage against four wolves if they attacked?

Probably not, right? If if four wolves attacked one hunter and two dogs.

And if there are probably more wolves coming, and normally there are, right, you get a pack of wolves, it's normally more than just four. So, the hunter

doesn't seem he probably won't stand much of a chance against all these wolves. Also, he had he only had two

wolves. Also, he had he only had two arrows left and might miss with one one or both.

So, I mean, he's definitely he's definitely going to get eaten by these wolves, isn't he? Only got two dogs and he's only got two arrows and he might miss with one of them or both of them.

All Nicholas really knew about his skill was that he could hit a large stag at very close range. So he's probably not a brilliant hunter or you know we don't

know for sure.

So what an interesting thing for Nicholas to speculate about for many for many golden minutes meaning wonderful minutes.

Nicholas turned the situation over in his mind. If you turn something over in

his mind. If you turn something over in your mind you think about it and maybe look at it from different positions.

He suspected, meaning he thought possibly that there were more than four wolves and that the man and his dogs were in serious danger.

So, I mean, this this is as good as a as a great sort of action movie for Nicholas. But there were many other

Nicholas. But there were many other delights. A delight is a delightful

delights. A delight is a delightful thing. Wonders, amazing things,

thing. Wonders, amazing things, delights.

There were twisted candlesticks. A

candlestick is a thing that you would have sitting on the table and you put a candle in the top of it. So it holds it holds a candle. That's a candlestick. In

this case, twisted candlesticks shaped like snakes. So interesting objects. And

like snakes. So interesting objects. And

a teapot made like a China duck with tea pouring from its open beak. So a teapot in the shape of a duck where when you pour the tea, the tea comes out of its

beak.

how dull the nursery teapot seemed by comparison.

So, apparently there's another teapot that they actually use in the house in the nursery. That's the area where the

the nursery. That's the area where the children are looked after. They have a teapot there and it's probably just a normal one. Um, and it now seems so dull

normal one. Um, and it now seems so dull by comparison. If you compare this

by comparison. If you compare this normal teapot with this fantastic one that looks like a duck, the normal

teapot seems so dull and boring.

Why don't they use the interesting one?

Why do they keep it locked up in this little room? There was also a carved

little room? There was also a carved sandalwood box. So, a box made of wood.

sandalwood box. So, a box made of wood.

Sandalwood, I think, is a kind of a hard wood um that you might use to make a little box, maybe Indian. I'm not sure.

A carved carved means that designs had been cut into it with a sharp knife or a chisel or something. A carved sandalwood box packed tightly with sweet smelling

cotton wool. Cotton wool is like soft

cotton wool. Cotton wool is like soft white uh stuff that you often use in a in a medical situation. It's used often to um absorb blood or something like

that. That's like a white

that. That's like a white um very light fluffy white cotton material, cotton wool. Uh in this case,

these the box was full of cotton wool.

Uh and inside the cotton wool, so the cotton wool is there to protect the objects that are inside the box. Inside

the cotton wool were small brass figures. figures are little little

figures. figures are little little probably little models in different shapes um in this case in the shapes of different animals and also

monsters. So there were humpbacked

monsters. So there were humpbacked bulls. A bull you know is a a male cow.

bulls. A bull you know is a a male cow.

Um okay with horns on its front humpbacked. So bulls like big strong

humpbacked. So bulls like big strong bulls often have a big uh hump on their back which is full of muscle. Humpback

bulls, peacocks. These are beautiful birds with huge tails that they spread out and shake with uh long feathers with what look like eyes on the on the end

and they the peacock's tail feathers spread out behind them and they shake them and they they're very very impressive. So these small brass figures

impressive. So these small brass figures included humpbacked bulls, peacocks, and goblins. Goblins are like little little

goblins. Goblins are like little little sort of creatures, little monsters, wonderful to look at and touch. A large

black covered book. So a book that's got a black cover looked unpromising. So the

book doesn't didn't look like it would promise anything interesting. So if it looks unpromising, it means it probably isn't going to be very good.

But inside it was full of colored pictures of birds. Again, the sort of thing in those days that would have been really interesting for a a young boy to

see full fully colored pictures of birds. Nicholas knew only magpies and

birds. Nicholas knew only magpies and wood pigeons from the garden. These are

very very common uh birds that you find in English gardens. Magpies

are related to crows. They're black and white and they are very very common.

People say that they're they're either lucky or unlucky depending on how many you see. If you see one magpie, um

you see. If you see one magpie, um that's unlucky. If you see two, it's

that's unlucky. If you see two, it's lucky. That's just a superstition in

lucky. That's just a superstition in England. Uh and wood pigeons are just

England. Uh and wood pigeons are just like really normal uh pigeons that you see in the countryside. Um so Nicholas knew only magpies and wood pigeons from

the garden and lanes, but here were herand. These are tall birds that catch

herand. These are tall birds that catch fish directly out of the water.

Bustards. God, I'm not sure what a bustard is actually. Okay, a bustard is a Bustards are not too different to her.

They are again tall birds that live near water and stand on long legs. Kites,

these are birds of prey that circle around in the sky and drop down and catch little animals and things. Tucans.

These are very exotic animals with huge beaks that you see in the jungle. Tiger

bittens. These are just sort of like birds that live again more birds that live near water. Brush turkeys

I guess forms of wild turkey. Ibises.

These are um like herand but they're white. Golden feeasants. These are very

white. Golden feeasants. These are very beautiful looking uh birds with rich golden colorful feathers.

A whole gallery of unimaginable creatures as he admired the colors of the mandarin duck. This is another very impressive looking bird. It's a duck with very beautiful long and colorful

feathers. As he admired the colors of

feathers. As he admired the colors of the mandarin duck and invented its life story again, he's a very imaginative boy. his

aunt's voice suddenly rang out from the gooseberry garden. If something rings

gooseberry garden. If something rings out, a sound rings out, it means it's it just comes out from somewhere.

Um, normally a bell, it rings dingling, right? But in this case, it's her voice

right? But in this case, it's her voice rings out from the gooseberry garden. is

basically her voice comes came out from the gooseberry garden calling his name loudly and angrily you know Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas Nicholas something

like that she had grown suspicious at his long absence so she was thinking h where is he what's he doing hm I'm sure he's up to something at his long absence

so he's she hasn't seen him for a long time so she's she became suspicious she grew suspicious and decided he must have climbed over the wall behind the lilac

bushes. The lilac bushes. These are just

bushes. The lilac bushes. These are just bushes with flowers in them. And she's

decided that he must have found a way into the garden by climbing over the wall. Now she was noisily and hopelessly

wall. Now she was noisily and hopelessly searching for him among the artichokes and raspberries. Nicholas, Nicholas, she

and raspberries. Nicholas, Nicholas, she shouted. Come out at once. At once,

shouted. Come out at once. At once,

meaning immediately.

There's no point hiding. If there's no point doing something, then it's useless to do it. Okay, there's no point hiding.

There's no point. Um, it's like, "Oh, my computer got stolen. Someone someone

stole it from my bag."

And you know what? There's no point trying to find it. I'm It's gone. I'm

never going to get it back. Um, in this case, there's no point hiding. So, it's

pointless hiding. Um, it's a waste of time. Uh, because she's definitely going

time. Uh, because she's definitely going to find him. There's no point hiding. I

can see you perfectly. Again, she's

lying because she thinks that if she says that, then he will come out. Uh, just a complete lie. Um, it was probably the

complete lie. Um, it was probably the first smile anyone had had in that lumber room for 20 years. That's a nice

line because Nicholas can hear his aunt searching in the Goosebury garden and Nicholas knows that he's tricked her.

And he's also kind of pleased that she's angry and wrong again. He's he's he's made her wrong again. Tricked her. Soon

the angry shouting turned into a shriek.

A shriek is a kind of scream. Ah, like

that. And then into cries for help.

Help. Help. Help. Like that. Nicholas

closed the bird book, carefully put it back, and sprinkled dust over it. So he

took some dust in his hand and sort of uh let the dust drop from his fingers. A

bit like the way you sprinkle salt or pepper on the food that you're preparing. In this case, he sprinkled

preparing. In this case, he sprinkled dust over the book. He's covering his tracks so that there's no evidence of him being there.

Um then he crept out. So there's that word creep. He crept out or sneaked out,

word creep. He crept out or sneaked out, locked the door, returned the key exactly where it had been. his aunt was still calling when Nicholas wandered calmly into the

front garden. To wander is to kind of

front garden. To wander is to kind of walk in a not not a particular direction, just casually kind of wander

walking. He wandered wandered calmly

walking. He wandered wandered calmly into the front garden. "Who's calling?"

he asked. "I am," came the reply from the other side of the wall. "Didn't you

hear me? I've fallen into the rainwater tank." Okay. So I guess a rainwater tank

tank." Okay. So I guess a rainwater tank must be a large like I said a metal tank. Probably tank means a large sort

tank. Probably tank means a large sort of rectangular thing for uh holding water. Normally uh

a rainwater tank probably one that just collects rain water which can then be used in the garden something like that.

And it's must be very large cuz she can't get out. She says there's no water in it luckily, but it's slippery.

Slippery means that um she may be trying to climb out her feet slip on the edge. You got to be careful when something is slippery. You

might say, "Oh, watch out. It's slippery

over there." You know, there's ice on the floor. It's very slippery. There's

the floor. It's very slippery. There's

some water there. It's slippery. So,

please watch your step. Don't slip.

There's no water in it, luckily, but it's slippery and I can't get out. Bring

the ladder from under the cherry tree.

Ladder is something that you use to climb up, right? It's got rungs or steps. You climb up a ladder. If if if

steps. You climb up a ladder. If if if the house is on fire, firemen will come and they put a ladder up and they climb up the ladder and get in the window. So,

bring the ladder from under the cherry tree.

I was told I wasn't allowed in the Goosebury Garden, said Nicholas firmly.

I told you not to before, but now I'm telling you that you may. So, we use may uh here to give permission, right? Uh,

traditionally may is the is the modal verb for peri for permission. May I come in? Yes, you may. May I ask a question?

in? Yes, you may. May I ask a question?

These days we we often say can instead.

Can I ask a question? Can I come in?

Yes, you can. I told you not to before, but now I'm telling you that you can.

Um, came the impatient voice. So, she's impa impatient. Patient means you can wait

impatient. Patient means you can wait for a long time. Impatient is the opposite. I with a with an M. impatient.

opposite. I with a with an M. impatient.

I am um means she's she can't wait.

Um that doesn't sound like aunt's voice, said Nicholas. You might be the devil

said Nicholas. You might be the devil trying to tempt me. Uh tempt someone. If

you tempt someone, it means you try to persuade them to do something that they shouldn't do. For example, go on, have a

shouldn't do. For example, go on, have a piece of chocolate cake. Go on. It's

delicious. Oh, you're going to go on one. Just one slice isn't going to kill

one. Just one slice isn't going to kill you. Go on, have a piece of chocolate

you. Go on, have a piece of chocolate cake. Have some ice cream. No, no, no,

cake. Have some ice cream. No, no, no, no. Really, don't tempt me. It's a very

no. Really, don't tempt me. It's a very tempting looking chocolate cake, but I really mustn't. I'm trying to stick

really mustn't. I'm trying to stick stick to my diet. In this case, it's the devil trying to tempt me. Go on. Come

into the Come into the Gooseberry Garden Nicholas.

Your aunt needs your help. You must

come. You might be the devil trying to tempt me. Aunt says, "The devil tempts

tempt me. Aunt says, "The devil tempts me and I always give in." Like, take that look. Look, Nicholas. Look, a frog.

that look. Look, Nicholas. Look, a frog.

Yes. Why don't you pick Why don't you take take that frog? Yes, take it into the house. Why not put it in your bowl

the house. Why not put it in your bowl of milk and bread? That will certainly give the adults a surprise.

This is what the aunt says to Nick that Nicholas, she says, "The devil tempts you and you always give in. You must

never give in."

Um, so it's great the way he's turning these words against his aunt here, his poor aunt.

Aunt says, "The devil tempts me and I always give in. This time I won't."

"Stop talking nonsense," said the trapped aunt. "Fetch the ladder." Fetch

trapped aunt. "Fetch the ladder." Fetch

here meaning go and get something. Um I

did get a question from a listener recently cuz this word came up in another situation. And the listener

another situation. And the listener asked, "Can we use the word fetch? Is it

just like normal language?" Yeah, it is.

Um bring something. Bring me the ladder.

bring something. Bring me the ladder.

Bring me a chair. Bring me my phone.

Fetch a chair. Fetch a ladder. Yeah,

it's a little bit informal. Uh but it's fine. Uh it's quite normal. We do say

fine. Uh it's quite normal. We do say that for a dog as well when you throw a stick and you say to the dog, "Fetch."

So it is something we do say to a dog, but you can say it to someone else. Can

you fetch me my toolkit? Fetch me my things.

Fetch the ladder. Yeah, it's quite direct, quite quite informal, but totally normal and fine. Uh, will there be strawberry jam for tea? asked

Nicholas innocently. So, he asked innocently, just an innocent question.

Will there be strawberry jam for tea?

Yes, said the aunt, already deciding Nicholas would not get any.

But he's tricked her again. Now, I know you're the devil, shouted Nicholas happily. We asked Aunt for strawberry

happily. We asked Aunt for strawberry jam yesterday and she said there wasn't any. I know there are four jars in the

any. I know there are four jars in the cupboard because I checked. You know

it's there but she doesn't. You've given

yourself away. If you give yourself away it means you reveal yourself unintentionally.

To give yourself away. Um for example, if you're lying and you say something which shows everyone that you're lying.

I don't know how that would be done.

Um, I don't know. It would be something like, so where, you know, the police are asking you, so where were you at 6:00 yesterday? Oh, uh, 6:00 yesterday. I was

yesterday? Oh, uh, 6:00 yesterday. I was

I was in the cinema. Yeah, I was in the cinema at 6:00 yesterday. Ah, well,

we've checked. We've checked and the cinema was closed for repairs yesterday.

Ha, you've given yourself away. You're

lying, right? So, h, you've given yourself away. It was wonderfully

yourself away. It was wonderfully satisfying to speak to an aunt as though she were the devil.

Wonderfully satisfying.

Um, as though like as if she were the devil.

It's just worth pointing out as though she were the devil. So, this is the subjunctive using were here after as though and also as if. Uh, as though she

were the devil.

just subjunctive form just to show that it's it's like hypothetical basically.

Uh it was wonderfully satisfying to speak to an aunt as though she were the devil. Um sort of imagining that she was

devil. Um sort of imagining that she was the devil but as though she were. So

this subjunctive form of be in this case were because normally it's she was right but here's she were because of as though um that subjunctive form just to show hypothetical

um that we're talking hypothetically as though she were the devil. But Nicholas

knew such pleasures should not be overused.

So again, very clever Nicholas that he had this he had her where he wanted her and he was able to talk to her as if she were the devil and he was having fun

with this being able to be very rude to her but getting away with it uh because he he um outsmarted her but he knew that such pleasures pleasures should not be

overused. So he's actually quite wise

overused. So he's actually quite wise knowing that even though that was immensely enjoyable, it was you got to quit while the going is good. Quit while

you're ahead. He walked away noisily. So

walked away making it obvious to the aunt so she could hear that he'd left.

Eventually a kitchen maid looking for parsley, that's a herb that you use for cooking. The kitchen maid obviously went

cooking. The kitchen maid obviously went out into the garden to find some herbs.

She found the aunt and rescued her. Tea

that evening meaning early dinner, right? Tea that evening was eaten by

right? Tea that evening was eaten by everyone. Incomplete silence.

everyone. Incomplete silence.

Notice complete silence. Total silence.

The tide again, the sea level. The tide

had been high when the children reached Jagra Cove. So there were no sands to

Jagra Cove. So there were no sands to play on. Something the aunt had

play on. Something the aunt had overlooked in her rush to organize the punishment trip. If you overlook

punishment trip. If you overlook something, overlook a detail. It means

you forget to think about it. Don't

consider Don't consider it because you're trying to do something else. So

it's like a the aunt was so keen to organize this punishing trip. I know. A

trip to Jagra Sands. Yes. Jagra Jagra

Cove. Okay. Um um take the children to Jagra Cove this afternoon. They'll have

a wonderful time. And you you're not allowed to go, Nicholas. So in her she was in such a rush to organize the trip.

She forgot to uh she forgot this detail of wait a minute, where will the tide be? If the tide is high, they won't be

be? If the tide is high, they won't be able to enjoy the sand. But she

overlooked this detail, right? Um Bobby's tight boots had made

right? Um Bobby's tight boots had made him miserable all afternoon, like very unhappy, and the outing had been thoroughly unenjoyable.

So thoroughly is a nice adverb. Not just

unenjoyable, but thoroughly unenjoyable.

Can you say that? Thoroughly

unenjoyable.

Meaning completely through and through from start to finish. Completely totally

unenjoyable. Thoroughly unenjoyable.

Uh the aunt remained silent frozen by her undignified imprisonment in a rainwater tank for 30 m for 35 minutes.

uh imprisonment. That's when you put in prison and undignified means that there was no dignity to it. So embarrassing

uh but also something that strips her of her dignity. So it was kind of

her dignity. So it was kind of embarrassing, slightly shameful, um undignified because she was stuck in this dirty thing and she had to shout

for help and it was a maid that rescued her. So the whole thing was quite

her. So the whole thing was quite undignified and embarrassing. Nicholas

was silent too, but for different reasons. He had a lot to think about. He

reasons. He had a lot to think about. He

see it seemed quite possible he decided that the hunter might escape with his dogs while the wolves feasted on the wounded stag. So Nicholas meanwhile is

wounded stag. So Nicholas meanwhile is still having a lovely time imagining this picture that he he has seen on the

um on on the tapestry and he's having a great time not being told off not being bothered by the others. The others are all quiet, but Nicholas is perfectly

happy because his imagination has been um stimulated and he's he's decided that in fact the hunter will survive because

the wolves like uh the the hunter might escape while the wolves feasted on the wounded stag.

Yes.

So yeah, right. Maybe the wolves would run out of the out of the forest and instead of chasing after and instead of trying to kill the man and his dogs,

they're they're trying to get the stag that they would be content to stick with the stag. Meanwhile, the hunter and his

the stag. Meanwhile, the hunter and his dogs would escape and survive. And he's

probably he could well be right. He

could be well be right. That might be what happens.

That might be what would happen if in a situation like that, I suppose. Um,

right. Anyway, there you go. That's the

end of this episode.

Um, how was that for you? Lots of vocab there. Again, check the PDF. You'll see

there. Again, check the PDF. You'll see

everything there that I've just read, but also I've put the vocab in a list for you, too. Um,

so at least you can uh, you know, pick out bits of vocab there that you heard that you want to keep and practice with and use and learn

and add to your active vocab. I really

hope you enjoyed this episode.

Um, and uh, let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Um, all right everybody, but that's it now. Thanks for

listening. Thanks for watching. If

you're if you are watching the video version, uh leave a like and uh subscribe to the channel if you like content like this. Tell your friends

about Luke's English podcast. Have a

lovely morning, afternoon, evening, or night. And be excellent to each other.

night. And be excellent to each other.

And I'll speak to you next time. But for

now, it's just time to say goodbye. Bye.

Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.