Tamilnadu Board Class 10 English Solutions Prose Chapter 2 The Night the Ghost Got in

Tamilnadu State Board Class 10 English Solutions Prose Chapter 2 The Night the Ghost Got in

The Night the Ghost Got in In Text Questions

a. Where was the author when he heard the noise?
Answer:
The author had just stepped out of the bathtub, when he heard the noise.

b. What did the narrator think the unusual sound was?
Answer:
At first, he thought it was his father or his brother Roy. Next, he suspected that it was a burglar. Later on, he thought that it was a ghost.

c. What were the various sounds the brothers heard when they went downstairs?
Answer:
The brothers heard like a man running and started up the stairs towards them. They thought that they were coming two at a time. They saw nothing, but only heard the steps.

d. Who were the narrator neighbours?
Answer:
The narrator’s neighbours were a retired engraver named Bodwell and his wife.

e. How did the Bodwells react, when a shoe was thrown into their house?
Answer:
Mr. Bodwell was shouting, frothing a little and shaking his fist. Mrs. Bodwell wanted to sell their house and go back to Peoria. For some years, he had been in a bad way and was subjected to mild attacks.

f. What did the Bodwells think when they heard the mother shout?
Answer:
Bodwell thought that there were burglars in his house when they heard the mother shout.

g. What was the grandfather wearing?
Answer:
The narrator’s grandfather was wearing a long flannel nightgown over long woollen pants, a nightcap and a leather jacket around his chest.

h. What conclusions did grandfather jump to when he saw the cops?
Answer:
His grandfather was going through fits where he believes he is in the war. He thinks that General Meade’s men are deserting under fire from Stonewall Jackson.

i. Were the policemen willing to leave the house?
Answer:
No, the policemen were not willing to leave without getting their hand on somebody besides grandfather.

j. What made the reporter gaze at the author?
Answer:
The author had put on one of his mother’s dress, as he couldn’t find anything else. The reporter looked at him with mingled suspicion and interest.

The Night the Ghost Got in Textual Questions

A. Answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

Question 1.
Why was the narrator sorry to have paid attention to the footsteps?
Answer:
The imagination of the ghost getting into his house lead to a commotion. It caused his mother to throw a shoe through a window of the neighbouring house. It ended with his grandfather shooting a policeman. So the narrator was sorry to have paid attention to the footsteps.

Question 2.
Why did Herman and the author slam the doors?
Answer:
Herman and the author slammed the doors because they thought that someone was coming up their stairs. They were scared as they heard the steps of someone.

Question 3.
What woke up the mother?
Answer:
The slamming of the doors had awakened their mother.

Question 4.
What do you understand by the mother’s act of throwing the shoe?
Answer:
His mother enormously fancied the thrill of throwing a shoe through a glass window of her neighbour. She is a highly excitable woman.

Question 5.
Why do you think Mrs. Bodwell wanted to sell the house?
Answer:
Mrs. Bodwell wanted to sell the house, as she wanted to go back to Peoria, due to the frequent mild attacks.

Question 6.
How did the cops manage to enter the locked house?
Answer:
The cops managed to enter the locked house by breaking the glass of the front door.

Question 7.
Why were the policemen prevented from entering grandfather’s room?
Answer:
The policemen were prevented from entering into grandfather’s room because the narrator realized that it would be bad if they do so. His grandfather was going through a phase, in which he believed that General Meade’s men were beginning to retreat. They were under the control of Stonewall Jackson.

Question 8.
Who used the zither and how?
Answer:
Zither was used by the guinea pig to sleep on it. It would never sleep anywhere except on the zither.

Question 9.
Mention the things that the grandfather imagined.
Answer:
His grandfather imagined that the cops were deserters from Meade’s army. He thought that they were trying to hide away in his attic.

very Short Questions & Answers – Additional

1. How many members were there in the family?
Answer:
There were six members in the family.

2. Where did the noise come from?
Answer:
The noise of the footsteps came from the dining room.

3. Why did the narrator’s brother Herman, slam the door?
Answer:
Herman slammed the door because he was afraid of the sound of the footsteps.

4. Why was Mrs. Bodwell talking about selling the house?
Answer:
Mrs. Bodwell was talking about selling the house, as she wanted to go back to Peoria, due to the frequent mild attacks.

5. How many policemen entered the house?
Answer:
There were about eight policemen who entered the house.

6. How did the cops manage to enter into the locked house?
Answer:
The cops managed to enter the locked house by breaking the glass of the front door.

7. Why were the police pushing the furniture here and there?
Answer:
The police were pushing the furniture here and there to make a thorough search of the burglars.

8. Where was the grandfather sleeping?
Answer:
The grandfather was sleeping in the attic on the old walnut bed.

9. What was the time, when the mother threw a shoe a the neighbour’s window?
Answer:
It was about two o’clock of a moonless night, when the mother threw a shoe at the neighbour’s window.

10. What did they hear in the attic? Why?
Answer:
They heard a creaking in the attic because the grandfather was turning over in his bed.

Short Questions & Answers – Additional

Question 1.
What was the mother’s reaction? How did she manage the situation?
Answer:
When the narrator’s mother got to know of the situation she shouted ‘Burglars’ and decided to call the police. She alerted the immediate neighbour, a retired engraver Bodwell.

Question 2.
How would you react, if on a dark night, there were any sounds in your kitchen?
Answer:
Being quite bold and daring, I would venture into the kitchen and try to find out the cause of the sounds. Then I will try to call my neighbours to help me out.

Question 3.
Do you think it was right on the mother’s part to throw a shoe and break the neighbour’s window?
Answer:
It was right to the extent that the mother was trying to alert in throwing a shoe and breaking their window.

Question 4.
What type of action did the police start taking once they were inside the house?
Answer:
The police went all over the place, checking drawers and cupboards, ransacking the floors, pulling beds away from the walls, tearing clothes off the hooks and pulling boxes and suitcases off the shelves.

Question 5.
Why were the cops reluctant to leave?
Answer:
The cops were reluctant to leave without getting their hands on somebody besides grandfather. The night had been distinctly a defeat for them.

Question 6.
Describe the appearance of a reporter, who spoke to the narrator. What did he ask him?
Answer:
The reporter was a wispy man with a thin face. He went up to the narrator and looked at him with mingled suspicion and interest. He questioned the narrator about what had happened. When the narrator said that they had ghosts, he gazed at him for a long time and walked away.

Question 7.
What was the comment given by the mother about the policeman who was shot by the grandfather?
Answer:
She commented that the policeman who was shot by the grandfather was “such a nice-looking young man”.

B. Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words.

Question 1.
Describe the funny incident that caused the confusion in the house.
Answer:
James, the author comes out of the bathroom, drying himse dining table. He wakes up his brother Herman. They both listen to the footsteps and gets scared. Their mother wakes up. When she comes to know lf. At that moment, he hears the footsteps of someone walking downstairs near theshe alerts her neighbour to call the police. The police arrive with some reporters. They search all over, upstairs and downstairs. When they find nothing, they rush to the attic. The narrator’s grandfather believes that he is still in the war. He thinks that the policemen are deserters. So he starts shooting at them. The policemen leave their house immediately, creating a lot of confusion everywhere.

Question 2.
Narrate the extensive search operation made by the policemen in the house.
Answer:
The police were on hand in a commendably short time. They began banging at the narrator’s front door. When nobody responded, they broke into the house. They searched downstairs and upstairs messing up everything. They opened all the doors and windows. They pulled the drawers and furniture. They began to ransack the floor, pulled beds away from the walls, tore clothes off the hooks in the closets. They also pulled suitcases and boxes off the shelves. Later, they heard some creaking in the attic. They stepped into the attic. As his grandfather thought that they were the deserters from Meade’s army, so he started shooting at them. Then he went back to bed. The cops were unwilling to leave without getting their hand on somebody. They felt it was a defeat for them. They began to poke into things again and finally left the place.

Paragraph Questions & Answers – Additional

Question 1.
What is the theme of the story ‘The Night of the Ghost got in’?
Answer:
One of the central theme of this story is paranoia, which is a mental condition characterized by false beliefs. When the narrator hears footsteps downstairs, he immediately suspects that an intruder has broken into the family home. His mother wakes up, becomes ‘all excited and alerts the neighbours, the Bodwells to call the police. Mrs. Bodwell’s reaction to the news is also one of hysterical paranoia. She says that they ought to sell the house and move away. When the police arrive, their reaction is also one of paranoia. They accuse the narrator of an instance of being a criminal and demand to know what he is doing at the house.

Similarly, the police are “all over the place”, as they search for an intruder, literally leaving no stone unturned. The narrator’s grandfather also believes that the police are “deserters” from the army. While much of this paranoia is tinged with instances of comedy, it also has important consequences. Like the intruder, this supernatural paranoia has no factual basis, leaving the reader to wonder what really happened that night and therefore creating a deeper sense of mystery.

Question 2.
Give the character sketches of (a) Narrator’s Grandfather, (b) Narrator’s mother.
Answer:
(a) Narrator’s Grandfather is a veteran of the Union army of the civil war, which ended fifty-two years earlier. His bedroom is in the attic. When the police come to the house to search for an intruder, the grandfather thinks that they are soldiers who are deserting because they are losing to the south. He calls them “cowardly dogs” and “lily-livered cattle” and then reaches for a policeman’s holster and shoots a man with his own gun. The police retreat afraid of the crazy old man, but next morning at the breakfast table, Grandfather seems perfectly aware of the previous night’s situation, asking everyone what so many police had been doing around their house.

(b) Narrator’s mother is a highly excitable woman, scatterbrained in some regards, yet practical when she needs to be. Hearing a sound in her house and suspecting that it is a burglar, she thinks of the clever plan of alerting a neighbour by throwing a shoe through his closed window. After he has gone to phone to the police, however, she considers throwing the matching shoe, “because the thrill of heaving a shoe through a window glass had enormously taken her fancy”. She is surprised to hear that grandfather has shot a policeman, not because of the daring violence of the act, but because, “He was such a nice-looking young man.”

Vocabulary

C. Look at the following expressions from the text. With the help of your teacher rewrite them in standard English. One has been done for you.

1.	‘Musta got away-whatt’d he like	Must gotaway – what was he like
2.	‘Looky here, Joe	Look here, Joe
3.	‘No sign o’ nothing’	No sign of nothing
4.	‘Back t’ the lines ye goodaam’	Back to the lines you good men
5.	‘What was the idee of all them cops tarryhootin’ round the house last night.’	What was the idea of all the cops working up round the home last night

D. Complete the given tabular column with the suitable plural forms.

chair    – chairs
box      – boxes
eskimo – eskimos
lady      – ladies
radius   – radii
formula – formulae
child     – children
deer     – deer
loaf      – loaves
hero    – heroes

Listening

E. Listen to the story and answer the following.

1. The rich man was from…
(a) Nagaland (b) Thailand (c) Finland
Answer:
(b) Thailand

2. Where did Chulong catch the bird?
Answer:
Chulong caught the bird in a garden.

3. Why did Chulong catch the bird?
Answer:
Chulong caught the bird to make money.

4. What will happen to the bird in imprisonment?
Answer:
The bird will lose its beauty and sweet voice.

5. What did the bird suggest Chulong, in exchange for its freedom?
Answer:
The bird suggested to teach him three simple and useful rules in exchange for its freedom.

6. Does Chulong want to earn money honestly?
Answer:
No, Chulong does not want to earn money honestly.

7. What were Chulong’s plAnswer:for the bird?
Answer:
Chulong wanted to sell the bird for a big amount.

8. Who is wise according to you?
Answer:
The bird is wise.

9. Is the bird a crow?
Answer:
No, the bird was not a crow.

10. What are the three rules given by the bird?
Answer:

1. Never believe everything others say.
2. Never be sad about something you do not have.
3. Never throw away, what you have in your hand.

Speaking

G. Use this passage to play the game. You can collect information on other famous personalities and play too.

Passage on Charlie Chaplin

Sample questions to be asked by one group; “Yes (or) No” Answers to be given by the other group.

1. Are you a male?
2. Are you a famous personality?
3. Are you an actor?
4. Are you a historical figure?
5. Are you young?
6. Are you alive now?
7. Does your name start with C?
8. Is he popular and successful?
9. Did he perform in the movie The Kid?

Reading

H. Read the incident again and answer the following questions.

1. What was the writer always asked to do whenever he planned to go abroad?
Answer:
The writer was always asked to get something for anyone who sees him travelling.

2. What did Gilson want the writer to bring for him?
Answer:
Gilson wanted the writer to bring a tie for him.

3. When did the writer remember the fact that he had to buy something for Mr. Gilson?
Answer:
On Tuesday morning, when the writer saw the airport bus waiting outside the hotel, he remembered the tie.

4. Why were the other passengers in the flight gazing at the writer?
Answer:
The other passengers in the flight were gazing at the writer because departure had been delayed because of him.

5. What is the humour element in the above incident?
Answer:
The humour element in the above incident is that after all the trouble taken by the writer to buy a tie, he leaves the pocket of ties behind in the taxi.

I. Suggesting titles :

1. Title summarises the story. Each paragraph is a part of the story. Look at the following expressions and find out the paragraphs that best suit these expressions.

1. Oh, No! But it happens!
Answer:
“At least I hope you found your tie”, said one who knew the story.
“I did”, I answered triumphantly.
After making myself comfortable, I reached for the paper bag to show the ties.
I had left it behind; in the taxi.

2. Don’t let out your travelling dates
Answer:
“Oh, so you’re going abroad? Can you bring me back…..?” I’ve been asked to bring back a vaccine for a course. Once I searched the suburbs of Paris for two days for a special brand of ceramic paint. Having spent a lot of money for Cartier lighter refills, I had them confiscated at the airport just before boarding because the gas might be dangerous in the air. Now, two months before a trip, I stop talking to people so they won’t suspect I’m about to travel. But someone always catches me. “I’ve heard you’re going to New York, and I want you to get something for me. It’s just a little thing you can find anywhere. I don’t know exactly how much it costs, but it shouldn’t be mush. We’ll settle up when you get back”.

3. Anyway, people will be people
Answer:
When I reached the airport, I paid the taxi driver the double fare and grabbed my suitcase. Panting, I boarded the plane under the reproachful gaze of the other passengers, all primly seated with their seat belts fastened. Ready to take off. Departure had been delayed because of me.

4. Search begins
Answer:
I told the group to go on. I would get a taxi to the airport. And so I went in search of a nearby shop where I had seen ties. But I couldn’t find it. I walked further down the street-one, two, three blocks – all in vain. Back at the hotel, a bit anxious now, I took my suitcase, got a taxi and asked the driver to rush to the street where I had seen them. The driver stopped at each shop we passed so I could look from the window. The stores had all sorts of ties, but not the kind I was looking for.

5. Things are not that easy
Answer:
What Gilson asked me to buy was, in fact a little thing: a tie. But not just any tie. He wanted a tie with a small embroidered G. Any colour would do, as long as it had his initial. Look, this is a special flight, I explained. We are only staying Saturday through Tuesday. On the day we arrived I didn’t have time to think about the tie, but strolling around on Sunday I did see ties bearing various letters in more than one shop window. They were cheap, just a dollar, but all the shops were closed. On Monday, lunch lasted the whole afternoon. Then it was Tuesday morning, time to leave. It was only when I saw our airport bus waiting outside the hotel that I remembered the tie.

6. Hurry invites worry
Answer:
When I finally thought I had located the right shop, I decided to go in and check. The driver refused to wait. Parking was prohibited, he said. I promised to double the fare, jumped out and ran into the shop. Was I going to miss the plane just for a damned tie? The salesman was unbearably slow. When I realized that the smallest change I had was a ten dollar note, I grabbed ten ties of different colours so I wouldn’t have to wait for change. I rushed out with the ties in a paper bag. On the street I looked around the taxi had vanished, taking my suitcase. What is more, I was going to miss the plane. I ran to the corner, and hope flared up again: The taxi was waiting in the next street. Quick to the airport! As I settled down inside the taxi. I sighed with relief. Gilson was going to have enough initialized ties to last him a lifetime.

J. Look at the following situations the writer was in. He could have avoided the situation and saved himself. Glance through the write up again and comment on what the writer should have done in the following situations.

1. Gilson asked the writer to bring a tie.
Answer:
He should have said ‘no’ to him.

2. On the day of arrival, the writer had no time to think about the tie.
Answer:
While strolling around, he could have remembered a shop.

3. The writer remembered about the tie when the bus was leaving for the airport.
Answer:
The writer should have forgotten it totally.

4. The writer walked down in search of the shop.
Answer:
He would have identified one shop and gone there first.

5. The writer rushed out with the tie in a paper bag.
Answer:
As soon as the writer got into the taxi, he should have kept it in his suitcase.

K. State whether the following statements are true or false.

1. The narrator searched for three days to buy ceramic paint. False
2. The author was going to New York. True
3. Gilson asked the narrator to buy a tie. True
4. The taxi driver took away the narrator’s suitcase. False
5. Departure was delayed because of the author. True
6. The author left the ties in the taxi. True

Writing

M. Write a speech for your school Literary Association celebration with the given lead.

1. Opening
2. Purpose
3. Audience
4. Language – Some Good Describing Words (Adverbs And Adjectives), Emotive Words, Imagery etc.
5. Ending

Literary Association Celebration

Good evening to all those who are present here! Respected Chief Guest, Our honourable Principal, beloved teachers, parents and my dear friends. On the auspicious occasion, I stand before you with extreme pleasure on behalf of English Literary Association of Christ Holy Matric. School. First of all, let me express my deep gratitude to you all for selecting me as the President of the English Literary Association. This Association has been a prestigious Association in our school, since its inception. It has been working rigorously during the past few years focussing on the improvement reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of the students in our school. Our vision is to make o school as a full-fledged English medium school, where each student speaks and communicates in English

Language is the medium through which the educational process fulfills its aims. So it is highly essential that students should be able to handle language at its best level. The English Literary Association has been conducting many varied activities and competitions to improve the language skills of the students. ‘Practice makes a man perfect? We do believe in the proverb and constantly endeavor to achieve our aim. I am extremely happy to announce that this year, we will conduct an English week and all the students will get an opportunity to participate and to demonstrate their talents and potential. To conclude, let me once again express my heartfelt gratitude to the Management, teachers and students who all honoured me by giving this great responsibility.

Grammar

Articles

A. Nagarajan and Dhanalakshmi want to buy a new house. They have come to see a house for sale. Complete the conversation below by adding a, an or the.

Nagarajan : Well, here we are, No.8, Kaveri Street. I think this is the house we saw online.
What do you think of the location?
Dhanalakshmi : It is in a nice neighbourhood. And it’s close to the railway station.
Nagarajan : And the bus stop is not too far away.
Dhanalakshmi : How many rooms are there?
Nagarajan : There are three rooms, a kitchen and a balcony.
Dhanalakshmi : There is a lawn behind the house, right?
Nagarajan : That’s right the lawn is actually quite large. Did you see any photos of the living room, online? What does it look like?’
Dhanalakshmi : The living room looks great. It looks bright and airy.
It has a nice view of the hills. But the kitchen looks a little small.
Nagarajan : And, I remember you said there isn’t a store room, right?
Dhanalakshmi : No, but there is an attic, where we can store things.
Nagarajan : I hope this house is a better option.
Dhanalakshmi : Lets wait for a real estate agent. She said, she would be here at three O’clock.
Nagarajan : Look there she is!

B. Few articles are missing in the given passage. Edit the passage given below by adding suitable articles where ever necessary.

My neighbourhood is a very interesting place. My house is located in an apartment building downtown near many stores and offices. There is a small supermarket across street, where my family likes to go shopping. There is also a post office and a bank near our home. In our neighbourhood, there is a small, Green Park where my friends and I like to play on weekends and holidays. There is a small pond near the park and there are many ducks in the park. We always have a great time. In addition, there is an elementary school, close to our home, where my little brother studies in the third grade. There are so many things to see and do in my neighbourhood. That’s why I like it. It’s really a great place.

C. Refer to the dictionary to find out the meaning of the following prepositions and match them with the correct meaning.

	Preposition	Meaning
1.	due to	a. as a substitute for
2.	except for	b. in the interest of
3.	with reference to	c. irrespective of
4.	in spite of	d. added to
5.	in addition to	e. because of
6.	in place of	f. referring to
7.	regardless of	g. with the exception of
8.	for the sake of	h. disregarding the difficulty

Answers:
1 – e
2 – g
3 – f
4 – h
5 – d
6 – a
7 – c
8 – b

D. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate prepositional phrase from the given options.

1. Everything falls to the ground …………… earth’s gravitational pull.
(a) in addition to (b) because of (c) cause of
Answer:
(b) because of

2. The trial was conducted ……………. the procedure of law.
(a) in accordance with (b) due to (c) despite of
Answer:
(a) in accordance with

3. There is a temple right …………… my house.
(a) in back of (b) apart from (c) in front of
Answer:
(c) in front of

4. As a ………….. of his hard work, he achieved the target.
(a) instead of (b) result of (c) apart from
Ans:
(b) result of

5. Failure is often the ………….. negligence.
(a) effect of (b) consequence of (c) reason of
Answer:
(b) consequence of

6. Children are given toys be given toys ………. sweets on Children’s day.
(a) on top of (b) in addition to (c) due to
Answer:
(b) in addition to

7. The parents must be informed …………. any indiscipline of their wards.
(a) because of (b) in case of (c) in spite of
Answer:
(b) in case of

8. He didn’t turn up …………….. his busy schedule.
(a) consequence of (b) due to (c) except for
Answer:
(b) due to

9. Global warming is ……….. the green house emission.
(a) an effect of (b) in spite of (c) in addition to
Answer:
(a) an effect of

10. ………….. several warnings, he continued to swim.
(a) due to (b) in spite of (c) because of
Answer:
(b) in spite of

E. Edit the following passage by replacing the underlined incorrect words with correct prepositional phrases.

1. Janu is studying in class X. In the event of the teachers
Answer:
According to

2. she is a disciplined student. In addition to her poverty, she
Answer:
Inspite of

3. is always neat. Many students like her in case of
Answer:
because of

4. her simplicity. According to her studies, she also
Answer:
In addition to

5. participates in sports. She gets on with everyone in case of
Answer:
regardless of

6. age and gender in the school. In opposition to taking leave, she ensures that she completes the work given before she goes to school next day.
Answer:
In the event of

The Night the Ghost Got In By James Grover Thurber

James Grover Thurber’ (1894 – 1961) is an American cartoonist, author, humourist, journalist, playwright and celebrated wit. He is best known for his cartoons and short stories published mainly in The New Yorker Magazine and collected in his numerous books. He is one of the most popular humorists of his time, as he celebrates the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people.”

James Thurber’s autobiography, “My life and Hard Times”, was published in 1933. It is regarded as his greatest work. The extracts of this . lesson are from his autobiography.

The Night the Ghost Got In key Points

• The incident took place in the author’s house on the night of November 17, 1915.
• He heard the footsteps of a man walking rapidly around the dining-table downstairs.
• His mother was asleep in a room upstairs. His brother Herman was in another room and his grandfather was in the attic.
• The author stepped out of the bathroom by hearing a sound.
• He first thought was that his father and his brother Roy, who had gone to Indianapolis, must have returned home. But they hadn’t come.
• Then he suspected that it might be a burglar. But nobody was there.
• It did not enter his mind until later that it was a ghost.
• He went into Herman’s room and asked to accompany him downstairs.
• They went to the back staircase to listen to the footsteps.
• They saw nothing coming and only heard the steps again.
• They shut the doors in fear.
• All the commotion awoke their mother and she demanded to know what was happening.
• She thought there was a burglar downstairs.
• Mother requested the neighbour to inform the police, that there were burglars in her house.
• The neighbour Mr. Bodwell called the police and the police came along with some reporters.
• The police broke open the glass and made a forceful entry.
• They searched downstairs, and they told the author’s mother that there was no sign of anything.
• That’s when they heard the author’s grandfather in the attic. They rushed upstairs to the attic.
• Grandfather was an old man, who believed that he was still in the American Civil War.
• He snatched a gun from a policeman and started shooting at them.
• The police managed to save themselves and came out of the attic.
• When the policeman wanted to get back his gun from that old man, the author assured him that he would bring it to the station the next day.
• Grandfather shot him thinking that the policeman was a deserter of the army.
• The next day morning, the grandfather asked him why the policemen had come the previous day night.
• He further told them that he had to look for water in the dining room, the previous night, as nobody bothered to leave a bottle of water beside his bed.

The Night the Ghost Got In Summary

‘The Night the Ghost Got in’ is a short story by James Thurber. It is a fictionalized account of life in the Thurber household, where the author James Thurber was growing up. The story took place on November 17th 1915. It starts with the author coming out of the bathroom, while drying himself. At that time, he hears footsteps, downstairs near the dining table. He wakes up his brother Herman. They go to the back stairs to listen to the footsteps. Herman gets scared and runs back into his room and slams the door shut. James too shuts the staircase door. All these commotions wake up their mother who comes out and demands to know what was happening. When she does not get a proper answer, she thinks there is a burglar downstairs.

The Mother wanted to call the police, but the phone was downstairs. So she throws her shoe’ at the neighbour’s window to request them to call the police. The police arrive with some reporters. They search downstairs and when they find nothing, they come upstairs to tell the mother. At that moment, they hear the author’s grandfather in the attic. They rush upstairs to the attic. The narrator’s grandfather was an old man, who believes that he is still in the war and as soon as the police enter the attic, he starts shooting at them.

After the police manage to save themselves and get out of the attic, one of the reporters asks James about the matter. James tells him about the ghost. Hearing all this, all the policemen leave their house immediately. The family returns to their respective bedrooms. The next morning, the grandfather comes down to the breakfast, looking fresh and relaxed. James, Herman and their mother think that the grandfather has forgotten the whole scene. The story ends with the grandfather questioning them what on earth, the police had been raiding the house the night before.

The Night the Ghost Got In Glossary

attic (n) – a space or room inside or partly inside the roof of a building
beagle – a small breed of hound used for hunting
bevelled (v) – reduced to a sloping edge
creaking (v) – making a squeaking sound when being moved
deserter (n) – a person who leaves the armed force without permission.
engraver – carver
flannel – face cloth made of wool
frothing – releasing salivary foam
gruffly (adv.) – sadly / roughly
guinea pig (n) – a domesticated tailless South American rodent originally raised for food
holster (n) – a holder made of leather for carrying handgun
hullabaloo (v) – loud noise made by people who are excited.
hysterical (adj.) – affected by uncontrolled emotion
intuitively (adv.) – without conscious reasoning, instinctively
indignant (adj.) – feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment
patrolman (n) – a patrolling police officer.
rafter (n) – a beam forming part of the internal framework of a roof
rending (v) – tearing to pieces
slamming (v) – shutting a door or window forcefully and loudly.
whammed (v) – struck something forcefully
yanked (v) – pulled with a jerk
zither (n) – a musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden sound box with numerous strings stretched across it, placed horizontally and played with fingers guinea

Words	Synonyms	Antonyms
advent	arrival	depature
aroused	awakened	asleep
banging	knocking	silencing
beside	aside, near	far away
besides	apart from	—
blaspheming	abusing, cursing	blessing
bothered	cared	carefree
burst	bang, break	—
ceased’”	stopped	began
commendably	accurately, adequately	inadequately
creaked	screeched, sounded	silenced
crisscrossed	went over	—
defeat	failure	success
demanded	asked	responded
desert	leave, quit	stay, hold
despondent	in low spirits, disheartened	cheerful, encouraged
distinctly	clearly	unclearly
emerged	appeared, came out	disappeared
enormously	extremely, greatly	insignificantly
evidently	apparently, clearly         .	unlikely, doubtfully
hunt	dim, dull	bright
fetched	picked up	gave up

Words	Synonyms	Antonyms
grabbed	captured	released
gripped	held, grasped	released
gruffly	harshly	pleasantly
heaving	throwing	receiving
hoarse	rough	smooth
holster	leather case for gun	—
incomparable	unequalled	comparable
indignant	angry	happy
instantly	at once, immediately	gradually, later
intuitively	instinctively	unlikely
mild	moderate	violent
obviously	certainly	doubtfully
peered	appeared	disappeared
poke	interfere	—
prevented.	stopped	allowed
.quick cadenced	fast rhythmical	—
rafters	girders, beams	—
ransack	search thoroughly	organize, care for
rapidly	very quickly	slowly
reluctant	unwilling	eager
rending	tearing, breaking	joining
retreat (v)	withdraw	advance
roared	bellowed, murmured	whispered
slamming	shutting forcefully	opening
smack	sharp slap	—
snapped	uttered abruptly	—
splash	spatter, burst	—
sprang	leap, jump	—
sprawling	lying spread out	—
streaks	rays, beams	—
tinkled	splashed	—
trod	stepped, tramped	crawled
tromping	walking heavily	—
ventured	dared (to say something)	stopped
whammed	struck forcefully	—
whooping	shrieking, shouting	silencing
yanked	pulled	pushed

Tamilnadu Board Class 10 English Solutions