Tag: Footprints without Feet

Introduction of the Poem

Robert Arthur’s The Midnight Visitor is a detective story. This anecdote shows that a bit of common sense can get you out of a sticky situation. As the game progresses, we learn that Ausable is a covert agent on the hunt for a top-secret document. Meanwhile, his opponent Max had assaulted him. Max stated that the publications threatened Ausable and Fowler with violence. Author Fowler visits his buddy and fellow secret spy Ausable to learn more about the exciting life of the latter. Ausable, seeing the gravity of the situation, concocted a narrative involving cops and a phoney balcony in order to trick him into into the trap. Max fell for it and leapt from the phoney balcony. Given that Ausable resided on the top level of the hotel, Max sadly passed away.

Short Summary of the Poem

Though his clothes didn’t match his job description, Ausable was a covert spy. Fowler, a fellow writer and friend of his, came to visit him. They ended up staying up late chatting and drinking. Fowler was taken aback by Ausable’s presence, but he was promised that he would soon alter his mind. Ausable investigates in order to find the vital documents for national security. They checked into their room on the penthouse level of the French hotel. Max walked in at that very time, pointed a pistol at them, and demanded the documents they were holding. He said the documents were associated with missile reports. Despite the fact that this is par for the course for a covert spy, Fowler became a target of dread. When somebody repeatedly raps on the door, Ausable conjures up a narrative about the cops being called. Max, duped by the falsehood, vowed to open fire if the cops didn’t return. Ausable lied to Max about a balcony that didn’t exist and informed him about it. In an effort to get away, Max leaped from the balcony. There was a very audible yelling. As Max’s room was on the top level, he tragically passed away. Immediately upon the door was unlocked, a waiter walked in bearing the requested beverage. Fowler was mystified and intrigued by the whole affair. Max was duped as Ausable said there are no cops or balconies.

Man with gun

About the Poet

On November 10, 1909, in Cavite City, Philippines, on the island of Corregidor, Robert Jay Arthur Jr. was born. He wrote the young adult novel Three Investigators and was known as an exploration fiction writer for his radio series Mysterious Traveler. Both the Edgar Award for outstanding radio play and the Mystery Writer of America award were given to him. The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock’s TV Show, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents were all written by him. He passed away on May 2, 1969, at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Conclusion

Wit, smarts, and good sense all come together in this entertaining tale. Ausable’s wit was important in tricking Max. The fable teaches us not to panic or lose our composure under pressure and to instead rely on our wits and common sense to help us out of sticky situations.

Textbook Questions and Answers 

Q1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans:- As far as I’m aware, Ausable has never been able to pass for a covert operative. He’s overweight, makes appointments using a regular telephone, and sleeps at a dingy, musty French hotel. He’s been in Paris for 20 years, but his American accent hardly shows when he talks German or French. He’s not as perceptive or as bright as author Fowler had hoped.

Q2. Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?

Ans:- Fowler earns his living as a professional writer. His day begins with a genuine excitement as he successfully outwits Ausable and himself while being threatened with a pistol by a guy in order to gather material for his next book about a secret spy.

Q3. How did Max got in?

Ans:- Max uses a pass key to enter Ausable’s cabin in his absence to get a report on new missiles.

Q4. How does Ausable say he got in?

Ans:- Ausable says that Max enters the room via the window of the balcony and he would complain to the hotel authority for closing it.

The Midnight Visitor Extra Question Answer

1. What is the theme of “The Midnight Visitor” by Robert Jay Arthur Jr?

Ans: The theme of “The Midnight Visitor” by Robert Jay Arthur Jr is the danger of trusting strangers and the importance of being vigilant in one’s own safety.

2. How did MAX die?

Ans: Max believed the story of the balcony that did not even exist and jumped out from the sixth floor.  Ausable was confident because he knew the truth. Max died as a result of this. 

3. How did Fowler feel about Ausable?

Ans: Even though Fowler admired Ausable’s intelligence and he sensed a certain air of mystery and romance emanating from him, he believed him to be uninteresting and fat. As Fowler’s mental image of an agent differed from Ausable’s, he came to that conclusion.

Introduction

Writer Herbert George Wells has written this piece. In this interesting account, a scientist known only as “Griffin” develops a concoction that makes its user invisible.

Summary

The story follows Griffin, a scientist who is also the protagonist. After much investigation, he decided to try some experimental drugs that promised to render him invisible. Two young boys heard his footsteps as he climbed the stairs of a house and saw him for the first time. They started following them right away. Thereafter, he seeks shelter from the cold by entering a shopping centre. Once the shops have closed, he decides to bundle up and have a snack.

Invisible Man

He begins by dressing in a selection of the garments he has removed from his suitcase. After that, he goes to a restaurant’s kitchen and eats cold steak with coffee. After that, he goes to the supermarket and buys some wine and pastries to enjoy later. He woke up when the store’s personnel spotted him and began chasing him. He shed his clothes in an instant and vanished once again. When London’s winters finally arrived, he started wandering about naked once more.

The actor then plans to rob a theatre, where he is confident he will also be able to get a mask. When he has to conceal his identity further, he dons a cap, dark glasses, a prosthetic nose, and bandages.

Following a fistfight with the store owner, he walks out with all of his cash. He quickly comes to the conclusion that city life in London isn’t for him and that he’d be better off in the country. He books a room at an Iping hamlet inn for the two of them.

As he arrives in Iping, the people are perplexed that a man of such unusual looks would choose to spend the winter at a tavern. He robs people when he has no more money and attacks the landlord and his wife if they come to check on him. Griffin eluded the constable’s attempts to apprehend him.

About the author

Herbert George Wells, an English writer, lived from September 21, 1866, until August 13, 1946. Among his many works are novels, short tales, social criticism, satire, biographies, memoirs, and even two volumes on light strategy games. His output spanned a wide variety of forms.

Conclusion

He had been researching how to turn a man invisible. His experiment was successful, and he came up with a formula that would allow him to turn invisible while yet being physically felt.

Textbook Questions and Answers

1. How did the invisible man first become visible?

Ans: Two boys followed the invisible guy until they saw his footprints in the mud, at which point the boys gave up and the man regained his invisibility. Throwing them away, he spent the night at a large London shop, where he slept on a stack of blankets while only partially dressed. The following morning, while he was still sleeping, he heard the doors of the store opening and the staff filing in.

2. Why was he wandering the streets?

Ans: When Griffin’s landlord tried to kick him out, he retaliated by setting fire to the place. He was an outlaw who had removed all identifying features by shedding his clothes. This led to him living on the streets as a homeless vagrant. He had run out of both money and clothing.

3. Why does Mrs. Hall find the scientist eccentric?

Ans: Griffin landed at an inn in the wintertime in the village of Iping, which was an unusual thing that happened. In addition, he had an odd appearance. He was disrespectful to Mrs. Hall when she tried to become friends with him and said that he was visiting the village of Iping for solitude and didn’t want to be disturbed. These were a few of the factors that Mrs. Hall used to label him as an eccentric scientist.

4. What curious episode occurs in the study?

Ans: One early morning, noises in the clergyman’s study room woke him and his wife. The clergyman searched the study with a metal rod but was unable to find anyone. He even checked behind the curtain, up the chimney, and beneath the desk, but no one was there. The weirdest thing was that the desk was open and the cash drawer was empty despite no one being present.

5. What other extraordinary things happen at the inn?

Ans: The landlord and his wife were taken aback to see Griffin’s room doors open. When they looked inside, they saw that nobody was there, so they decided to explore. He never even liked others to try to enter his room, so they thought it was odd that the door was open. As Mrs. Hall was looking inside, she heard a sniff near her ear and was suddenly struck in the face by Griffin’s hat. 

Footprints without Feet Extra Questions

1. Why was Mrs. Hall delighted to see the stranger?

Ans: At that time of year, there weren’t many visitors staying at the “Coach and Horses” inn, so Mrs. Hall was overjoyed to welcome one. As the stranger promptly paid all of his bills and reserved a room in advance. Mrs. Hall was quite pleased with it.

2. What traits did Griffin possess?

Ans: Griffin is incredibly impatient and irritated. He becomes irrationally angry and begins to harm other people. Even though his father’s death was caused by his burglary, he has lost his conscience and does not feel bad.

3. What ultimately happened to Griffin?

Ans: The bystanders arrived at the scene where Griffin was riding on the dead Kemp thanks to Kemp’s calls for aid. Griffin was violently beaten by the crowd after they grabbed hold of him. Some of the blows were fatal, and he died from his wounds. He died in this manner.