OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
1 Which story do these sentences come
from? Jeeves Takes Charge, The Artistic
Career of Corky, Bertie Changes His
Mind, Looking After the Pumpkin, Lord
Emsworth and the Girl Friend, Trouble at
Blandings.
a And it was always so hellishly hot. ...............
b I was horrified to see young Edwin, the boy
scout, re-arranging my ties in a
drawer. ...............
c He had lost the girl he loved, and now he
had lost the Worple jute millions as
well. ...............
d Within a week Lord Emsworth began to miss
Angus McAllister. ...............
e ‘Blandings without Beach is
unthinkable.’ ...............
f Lord Emsworth went on staring through he
telescope. ...............
g There certainly were plenty of flarze in those
gardens. ...............
h ‘Did the dear little things giggle much in your
day?’ ...............
i Even though she had a wonderful profile,
was it such a great idea being engaged to
Florence? ...............
j ‘You must put aniseed on your trouser legs.’
...............
      20 marks  f
2 Match a person from A with the
description in B.
A i
1 ___ Angus McAllister
2 ___ Bertie Wooster
3 ___ Jeeves
4 ___ Freddie (Lord Emsworth’s son)
5 ___ Lord Emsworth
B
a A man with serious, sympathetic face and a
wonderful brain.
b A man of limited intelligence, but a kind and
generous employer.
c A likeable, if forgetful, old gentleman.
d A well-built man with bushy eyebrows and a
thick red beard.
e A man who couldn’t be allowed to live in
London because he spent too much money.
      10 marks 
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COMPREHENSION TEST
3 Who said this in the Jeeves stories? Who
did they say it to? Jeeves, Muriel Singer,
Corky, Miss Tomlinson, Bertie Wooster,
Lady Florence Craye.
a ‘Can you start at once?’
............... to ...............
b ‘I will never marry you if those
reminiscences are published.’
............... to ...............
c ‘I don’t work in the theatre any
more.’ ............... to ...............
d ‘May I suggest a name for these drawings
you are planning?
............... to ...............
e ‘Perhaps he did not inform you that he was
the Mr Wooster.’
............... to ...............
      20 marks 
4 Put events from Trouble at Blandings in
the right order. Number them 1–10.
a ___ Freddie gets a telegram from Aggie.
b ___ Captain Fanshawe telephones to say
he has caught a thief.
c ___ Valerie returns the dog.
d ___ Freddie comes to England to sell dog
biscuits.
e ___ Beach brings Lord Emsworth home.
___ Freddie falls down the stairs.
g ___ Lady Constance reconsiders.
h ___ Beach puts sleeping pills in the butler’s
drink
___ Lord Emsworth goes to steal the dog.
j ___ Freddie gives Aggie’s dog to Valerie.
      20 marks 
5 Complete the following sentences.
a When Jeeves first met Wooster he made
him ...
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
b When McAllister chased Gladys the first
time she ...
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
c When McAllister chased Gladys the second
time she ...
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
 
OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories

d When Jeeves and Wooster saw a girl

waving at them by the road ...
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
e When Corky’s uncle saw the portrait of his
baby ...
………………………………………..………………
………………………………………..………………
      30 marks 

      Total marks 

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS COMPREHENSION TEST ANSWERS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories

1 5
a Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend
b Jeeves Takes Charge
c The Artistic Career of Corky
d Looking After the Pumpkin
e Trouble at Blandings
f Looking After the Pumpkin
g Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend
h Bertie Changes His Mind
i Jeeves Takes Charge
j Trouble at Blandings
a a special drink / ... a cloudy liquid and
suddenly everything was all right again.
b threw a stone at him and hit his leg.
c ran to Lord Emsworth, hid behind him and
held his hand.
d they stopped the car and gave her a lift
back to her school.
e he was very angry and cut off Corky’s
allowance.

2
1 d
2 b
3 a
4 e
5 c

3
a Bertie Wooster, Jeeves
b Lady Florence Craye,
Bertie Wooster
c Muriel Singer, Bertie
Wooster
d Jeeves, Corky
e Jeeves, Miss Tomlinson

4
a 3
b 7
c 6
d 1
e 9
f 4
g 10
h 8
i 5
j 2

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE
TEST
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
SETTING d  lots of friends
9 On the first Monday in _____, Blandings
Choose the best answer. Castle was opened to the public.
1 Jeeves was sent to Bertie by _____. a  July
a  his Uncle Willoughby b  August
b  an employment agency c  May
c  Lady Florence Craye d  June
d  Lord Worplesdon
10 Lady Constance wanted to warn the _____
2 Bertie gave Jeeves the job because it was to behave properly at the Open Day.
clear he was _____. a  children from London
a  a good cook b  villagers
b  one of life’s workers c  servants
c  serious d  local children
d  intelligent
      20 marks 
3 Bertie was sent to America to _____.
a  stop his cousin from marrying an actress
CHARACTERS
b  find himself a wife
c  learn about the theatre and acting Choose the best answer.
d  go to parties 11 Bertie’s fiancée was concentrating
4 Corky wanted to _____. on _____.
a  be a doctor a  enjoying her holiday
b  be a portrait-painter b  teaching Bertie to play the piano
c  find a wife c  helping Bertie find a new valet
d  be a lawyer d  developing Bertie’s intelligence

5 Jeeves thought Bertie was thinking of 12 Corky, whose real name was Bruce _____,
marriage when he said he _____. was an artist.
a  wanted a holiday a  O’Corcoran
b  was happy b  O’Connor
c  was lonely c  Corcoran
d  was going away d  Connor

6 When Bertie was recovering from a recent 13 Bertie thought that Florence was awfully
illness, Jeeves suggested some _____. good-looking when _____.
a  days by the sea a  seen sideways
b  medicine b  happy and smiling
c  days in the country c  wearing nice clothes
d  special drink d  angry

7 With the passing of the years, Freddie had 14 Edwin, the _____, was Florence’s younger
become _____ to an anxious father. brother.
a  less of a problem a  under-gardener
b  more of a help b  boy scout
c  nicer c  valet
d  more of a problem d  butler

8 In the simple quietness of Blandings, 15 The _____ of Emsworth and his family lived
Freddie had managed to find _____. at Blandings Castle.
a  the peace and quiet he needed a  ninth Baron
b  time to be with his father b  tenth Earl
c  an unsuitable girl to fall in love with c  ninth Earl
d  sixth Duke

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE
TEST
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
16 Jeeves thought that young fellows in his d  Uncle Willoughby
profession needed _____ to be successful. 23 ‘… find some author in need of money who
a  lots of reminiscences would be glad to do the actual writing.’
b  resource and tact a  Corky
c  a wife b  Muriel
d  intelligence c  Bertie
d  Jeeves
17 Miss Tomlinson was described by Jeeves
as _____. 24 ‘I’ll have to go to the office on Monday.’
a  tall and very intelligent a  Bertie
b  handsome but firm b  Corky
c  unwilling to help anybody c  Jeeves
d  short of intelligence d  Muriel
18 Angus McAllister had _____, which gave 25 ‘I am sure he would be only too happy to
him a fierce and unbending expression. give a talk to the young ladies.’
a  bushy eyebrows and a thick beard a  Peggy Mainwaring
b  long hair and a moustache b  Jeeves
c  big eyes and a bushy beard c  Miss Tomlinson
d  hair and eyebrows d  Bertie
19 Lady Constance always expected her 26 ‘We have just found several of the girls
brother to _____ on the Open Day. smoking cigarettes in the garden.’
a  visit all the villagers a  Miss Tomlinson
b  be nice to the children b  Bertie
c  talk cheerfully to people c  Jeeves
d  eat a boiled egg for breakfast d  Peggy Mainwaring
20 Gladys was the type of girl you sometimes 27 ‘That young man is planning to do
see in _____, in charge of several younger something he shouldn’t.’
brothers and sisters. a  Freddie
a  small country villages b  Angus McAllister
b  big country houses c  Lord Emsworth
c  large houses in London d  Aggie Donaldson
d  London back streets
28 ‘I was going to say “I will consider it”.’
      20 marks  a  Lord Emsworth
b  Freddie
DIALOGUE c  Mr Donaldson
d  Angus McAllister
Who said this?
21 ‘I would never dream of reading a rummy 29 ‘I thought if I didn’t have nothing, then it
telegram without asking what he thought would be all right for Ern to have what I
of it.’ would have had if I had had.’
a  Bertie a  Beach
b  Jeeves b  Lord Emsworth
c  Florence c  Gladys
d  Lord Worplesdon d  Constance

22 ‘… there is a story about him and my father 30 ‘… I’ll tell her it died, and I’ll get her another
which I simply cannot believe.’ one just as good.’
a  Bertie a  Freddie
b  Jeeves b  Aggie
c  Florence c  Lord Emsworth

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE
TEST
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
d  Uncle Galahad a  firm
      20 marks  b  brainy
c  smart
VOCABULARY d  modest

Choose the best answer. 40 friendly words used when speaking to a

close friend
31 a free ride in a car
a  old thing
a  gravel
b  jolly
b  lift
c  Mr
c  mule
d  lord
d  profile
      20 marks 
32 a face seen from the side
a  profile
b  portrait PLOT
c  pale
Choose the best answer.
d  print
41 Edwin had to _____ as soon as possible.
33 a plant used for making sacks and rope a  be removed
a  aniseed b  make his room tidy
b  pumpkin c  hide the parcel
c  jute d  re-arrange his ties
d  gravel
42 Bertie ran upstairs to his room and
34 an exclamation of annoyance realized _____.
a  by Jove! a  he had forgotten to tell Jeeves
b  dash it! b  he couldn’t find his key
c  jolly! c  he couldn’t find Jeeves
d  rummy! d  he needed to find Edwin first
35 a man of good family, usually wealthy 43 What really annoyed Corky was the way old
a  gentleman Worple used to _____.
b  fellow a  steal his girlfriends
c  boy b  bother him constantly
d  lad c  draw funny pictures
36 an unmarried man d  look capable of living for ever
a  lord 44 Jeeves thought the portrait of the child
b  butler had _____ and an inebriated manner.
c  earl a  a most unpleasant expression
d  bachelor b  bad eyes
37 warm, comfortable, friendly c  an ugly face
a  liberty d  a red face
b  cosy 45 Bertie wanted to buy a house so that _____.
c  firm a  he could have a garden
d  modest b  his friends could stay more often
38 to tolerate or bear c  his sister could live with him
a  put up with d  his brother could live with him
b  publish 46 Jeeves wanted to drive safely out of
c  give up the school grounds as he was worried he
d  stagger might _____.
39 well dressed, clean, neat; clever a  talk to Miss Tomlinson again

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE
TEST
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
b  give some of the girls a lift 47 When Lord Emsworth read Freddie’s note
c  run someone down about his marriage he was _____.
d  have a problem a  shaken
b  pleased
c  sad
d  happy
48 Lord Emsworth decided to _____ with
Gladys.
a  talk to the villagers
b  visit Ern
c  help Angus
d  have tea
49 Connie wanted to get rid of Beach as
he _____.
a  was young and smart
b  was old
c  was bossy
d  was slow
50 The supposed burglar was _____.
a  Beach
b  Uncle Galahad
c  Lord Emsworth
d  Freddie
      20 marks 

      Total marks 

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ANSWERS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories

SETTING PLOT
1 b 41 a
2 b 42 b
3 a 43 b
4 b 44 a
5 c 45 c
6 a 46 c
7 d 47 a
8 c 48 b
9 b 49 d
10 a 50 c

CHARACTERS
11 d
12 c
13 a
14 b
15 c
16 b
17 b
18 a
19 c
20 d

DIALOGUE
21 a
22 c
23 d
24 b
25 b
26 a
27 c
28 d
29 c
30 a

VOCABULARY
31 b
32 a
33 c
34 b
35 a
36 d
37 b
38 a
39 c
40 a

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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
BEFORE READING
Activity 1
1 The Earl of Emsworth
2 The Earl’s sister, Constance
3 Mr Bertram Wooster
4 The Earl’s son, Freddie
Angus McAllister
6 Jeeves
Activity 2
Encourage students to speculate and to
make guesses, but do not tell them the
answers. In fact, there are clues (e.g.
master/servant relationships, references
to suits, flowers, girlfriends) in most of
the quotes, which should enable
students to fit them to the characters.
1 Angus McAllister, 2 Mr Bertram Wooster,
3 The Earl of Emsworth, 4 The Earl’s son,
Freddie, 5 The Earl’s sister, Constance, 6
Jeeves
WHILE READING
JEEVES TAKES CHARGE
1 Why . . .? Because he found Meadowes
stealing his silk socks.
2 Why . . .? Because Florence had given it to
him, to develop his intelligence.
3 Who . . .? His fiancée, Lady Florence Craye.
4 Why . . .? Because Bertie was dependent on
his uncle and could not marry without his
agreement.
5 What . . .? The book was full of stories about
the wild life he and others, including her father,
had led when young.
6 Who . . .? Bertie’s Uncle Willoughby and
Florence’s father, Lord Worplesdon.
7 Why . . .? Because she wanted him to steal
and destroy the book of reminiscences before
it was posted to the publisher.
8 Why . . .? Because she threatened to break off
their engagement if he didn’t.
9 Who . . .? Florence’s young brother, Edwin.
10 Who . . .? Jeeves.
11 What . . .? Bertie told Jeeves to give the suit
away to someone, but in fact Jeeves had
already given it to the under-gardener the
previous night.
9 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
THE ARTISTIC CAREER OF CORKY
Encourage students to speculate and to
make guesses, but do not tell them the
answers. They will find out as they read
that Jeeves’s plan does not work as
intended: Muriel marries Uncle Alexander,
and Corky, after painting a disastrous
portrait of the Worples’ baby, finds
success in selling amusing drawings to
newspapers. The Worples’ child inherits
the jute millions, and Bertie and Corky
remain friends.
BERTIE CHANGES HIS MIND
1 F Jeeves advises young valets to be
resourceful and tactful.
2 F Jeeves hoped that Bertie would not get
married.
3 F Bertie’s plan was to rent a house and have
his sister and her three little girls to live with
him.
4T
5 F Peggy Mainwaring was a very cheerful,
talkative little girl, who was not at all shy.
6T
7T
8 F Bertie knew that his talk had been a
complete disaster.
9T
LOOKING AFTER THE PUMPKIN
1 Beach to Lord Emsworth, suggesting an
explanation as to why Lord Emsworth was
unable to see anything through his new
telescope.
2 The Hon. Freddie to his father, about the girl
his father had seen him kissing and the fact
that she was his fiancée.
3 Angus McAllister to Lord Emsworth, about his
relation, Aggie Donaldson, who was staying
with him in his cottage. Lord Emsworth wanted
4 McAllister to send her away, so that Freddie would
no longer be involved with her.
5 Lord Emsworth to his son Freddie, about the
pumpkin.
6 The Kensington Gardens park-keeper to Lord
Emsworth, who was absent-mindedly picking
the roses.
 
OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
7 Lord Emsworth to Angus McAllister, begging for
support when the policeman called by the
park- keeper refused to believe that he was
the Earl of Emsworth.
8 Aggie’s father, Mr Donaldson, to Lord Emsworth,
about his daughter’s marriage to Freddie,
whom he warmly approved of.
9 Lord Emsworth to Mr Donaldson, giving a
message to Freddie before he sails for New
York with his new wife.
10 Angus McAllister to Lord Emsworth, about
accepting Lord Emsworth’s offer of his job
back.
11 Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe to Lord
Emsworth, bravely and sadly admitting defeat
in the pumpkin section of the Shrewsbury
Agricultural Show.
LORD EMSWORTH AND THE GIRL FRIEND
Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses, but do not tell them the answers. They
will find out as they read that the ‘yes’ answers
are numbers 1, 6 and 8.
TROUBLE AT BLANDINGS
1 To encourage sales of Donaldson’s dog
biscuits in Britain.
2 Because Valerie had told him that if he gave
her the dog, she would persuade her father to
order a large quantity of dog biscuits for his
dogs. Galahad did not admire his nephew’s
way of doing business.
3 Lady Constance was planning to get rid of
Beach, and replace him with a younger,
smarter butler.
4 They fell downstairs.
5 His wife, Aggie, and it said that she would be
arriving at Blandings in two days’ time.
6 Because if Aggie found out that Freddie had
given away her favourite dog to an attractive
girl, she might divorce him. Lord Emsworth
was horrified at the thought of Freddie coming
home to live in the Castle, and so agreed to
steal the dog in order to prevent Aggie
divorcing Freddie.
7 The Fanshawes’ butler caught Lord Emsworth
hiding near the back door, thought he was a
burglar, and locked him in the cellar.
Meanwhile, Valerie Fanshawe had brought the
10
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
dog back to Freddie, thus making the plan to
steal it unnecessary.
8 He drugged the butler at Marling Hall, released
Lord Emsworth from the cellar, and brought
him home.
9 He told her exactly how Beach had rescued
Lord Emsworth, and pointed out that if he were
sacked, he might tell all the neighbouring
families what had happened.
AFTER READING
Activity 1
Encourage discussion, and ask students to
justify their choice of a preferred title – or
to invent one of their own that they like
better.
Jeeves Takes Charge
 An Uncle’s Reminiscences
 Educating Bertie
 Jeeves and the Profile
The Artistic Career of Corky
 The Birth of Baby Blobby
 Jeeves and the Bird Book
 The Portrait Painter
Bertie Changes His Mind
 A Bachelor Life is a Jolly One
 Jeeves and the Giggling Girls
 Taking a Liberty
Looking After the Pumpkin
 Getting Rid of Freddie
 Valet to a Vegetable
 The Prize Winner
Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend
 The Open Day Hell
 Flowers for Gladys
 A Masterful Earl
Trouble at Blandings
 Beach Saves the Day
 The Dog Biscuit Disaster
 Sacking the Butler
Activity 2
1 Gladys in Lord Emsworth and the Girl
Friend. She has just been shut in a shed by
Lady Constance, as a punishment for
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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
stealing food. In fact, she had only wanted
to take her share of the tea to her brother
Ern.
2 Miss Tomlinson in Bertie Changes His Mind.
She has just heard from Jeeves that Mr
Wooster is an excellent speaker, who would
be able to give a talk to her pupils.
3 Lady Constance in Trouble at Blandings.
She has been ringing for Beach the butler,
and is about to go and ask her brother
Galahad if he has seen him. She doesn’t
know that Beach has just rescued the Earl
from a neighbour’s cellar and that Galahad
said he could go to bed.
4 Lady Florence Craye in Jeeves Takes
Charge. She has just been listening to
Bertie’s uncle reading aloud from his
reminiscences, as Bertie had asked her to
do, and she has now realized how
disastrously revealing they are.
5 Angus McAllister in Looking After the
Pumpkin. He has just received a telegram
from Lord Emsworth telling him to return to
his job at Blandings Castle.
6 Corky’s uncle, Mr Worple, in The Artistic
Career of Corky. He has just read the letter
from Muriel Singer, Corky’s fiancée, and the
bird book supposedly written by her, and is
delighted with her frequent references to
him as an expert.
Activity 3
Encourage discussion of the characters.
• Bertie Wooster: cheerful, foolish, modest,
sympathetic
• Jeeves: brainy, capable, intelligent,
resourceful, tactful
• Lady Florence: aggressive, fierce,
masterful, purposeful
• Corky: artistic, foolish
• Mr Worple: aggressive, fierce, firm
• Miss Tomlinson: capable, firm, purposeful
• Lord Emsworth: foolish, childish, forgetful,
(masterful)
• Angus McAllister: aggressive, fearless,
fierce
• Lady Constance: capable, firm, masterful
• Gladys: capable, cheerful, motherly
• Galahad: cheerful, intelligent, resourceful,
sympathetic
• Beach: selfless, tactful
11
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Activity 4
Encourage discussion. Ask students to give
examples of characters, situations or
language they found funny.
Activity 5
5+12 3+6 9+4 11+2 7+10 1+8
My dear aunt,
I am delighted to inform you that I have found
excellent employment through the agency. My
new employer, Mr Wooster, is a very
pleasant, if rather brainless, young
gentleman, who has a most unfortunate
liking for very loud suits. He had also, most
unwisely, got himself engaged to Lady
Florence Craye, but I soon managed to
solve that little problem. Lady Florence had
asked him to steal and destroy a book, which
his uncle was about to post to his publisher
in London. This was clearly some kind of test
for Mr Wooster, so I took the parcel and
posted it to the publisher myself. A day or
two later Lady Florence broke off the
engagement, and Mr Wooster is now
extremely grateful to me for this.
With all good wishes from your dutiful nephew
Activity 6
Students can complete this dialogue how they
like. Suggested answers:
CORKY: Jeeves, about that plan of yours – you
knew what would happen when Muriel met my
uncle, didn’t you?
JEEVES: Well, it was always a possibility, sir.
CORKY: I was dashed miserable about losing her,
I can tell you.
JEEVES: Very understandable, sir, but I’m not
sure that Miss Singer was the right wife
for you.
CORKY: What do you mean, Jeeves? What was
wrong with her?
JEEVES: I think she would have been rather an
expensive wife. Mr Worple, of course, is
rich enough not to worry about it, but it
might be a problem for an artist . . .
CORKY: Well, that’s true. Artists can’t afford
expensive wives.
JEEVES: I think you’re better off without her, sir.
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OXFORD BOOKWORMS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories
CORKY: Maybe you’re right, Jeeves. Well, all’s
well that ends well.
JEEVES: And what about you, sir? How is your
new career progressing?
CORKY: Doing very nicely, thank you, Jeeves. The
Sunday Star wants at least ten drawings a
week for the next five years!
JEEVES: May I congratulate you, sir, on your
success?
CORKY: Thank you, Jeeves. But it’s all because of
you, you know. Here you are . . . Have a
drink or something on Baby Blobby!
Activity 7
Acceptable answers to this cloze passage
are any words that have an appropriate
meaning and fit the grammar of the
sentence. Students might like to check
each other’s work and discuss alternative
answers. Some alternatives are given
below.
It’s dashed cosy and pleasant (comfortable)
here, with old Jeeves coming (staggering) in
with the drinks as usual. Just imagine the
horror (hell, idea) of having my sister’s little
girls running around the flat (place)! I must
have been mad (crazy) even to think about
it. Perhaps I was still feeling (rather) weak
after my recent illness. Well, that’s what
Jeeves says (said), and he knows. If there is
one thing I’ve learnt from this, it’s that
Jeeves is always right! That horrible (awful,
hellish) experience today! I had no idea
small girls could giggle like that – they just
never stopped! And having to give a talk to
hundreds of them was enough to frighten
(scare, terrify) a fellow to death! If Jeeves
hadn’t repaired the car in time, who knows
what Miss Tomlinson would have done
(said) to me! He’s a man in a million. How
lucky I’ve got him to look after me! Might
have another (a) glass of brandy, to
celebrate.
Activity 8
Students may write this report how they like.
Encourage them to add details and perhaps
touches of humour if they wish. The
passage below is just one way of writing
the report.
12
BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
LORD WINS PUMPKIN PRIZE
At the Agricultural Show yesterday, the prize for the
biggest pumpkin was won by Clarence, ninth
Earl of Emsworth, owner of Blandings
Castle, famous for its beautiful gardens. His
head-gardener, Angus McAllister, has worked
hard on looking after the pumpkin, and said
after the Show, ‘The pumpkin and I
understand each other. I know how it feels –
it cannae be bothered with talking, same as
me.’
For Lord Emsworth too, it is more than just a
vegetable. He told me, ‘You know, I love that
pumpkin like a son! Well, to be absolutely
truthful, more than a son.’ He may be
referring to recent family problems. His
younger son, the Hon. Freddie, got married
very recently, to the daughter of an
American millionaire, and is now selling dog
biscuits in the USA. Lord Emsworth seems
delighted with his son’s career move. Some
friends of the family, however, have commented
that it is strange that Lord Emsworth has not
yet met his son’s bride.
This prize is all the more welcome to Lord
Emsworth, as he has had a worrying time
lately. He apparently sacked Mr McAllister
recently, following a disagreement, but Mr
McAllister has now returned to his job at the
castle, at double his previous salary. There
is also an unconfirmed story that Lord
Emsworth was arrested a few days ago for
picking roses in Kensington Gardens, but later
released. His doctor has advised him to relax
more, and not to worry so much.
The winner of the pumpkin prize for the last three
years was Sir Gregory Parsloe-Parsloe, a near
neighbour of Lord Emsworth’s. ‘I must
confess it was a disappointment to me,’ he
told me. ‘But may the best man win, don’t you
know!’ Lord Emsworth’s pumpkin was the
largest seen in Shrewsbury for many years.
Activity 9
Students may complete this dialogue how
they like. Suggested answers:
LADY CONSTANCE: Beach, what exactly has Clarence
been doing this afternoon? Do you know?
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OXFORD BOOKWORMS BOOK ACTIVITY ANSWERS
Stage 5
Jeeves and Friends: Short Stories

BEACH: He has been having tea in the castle with At once Freddie’s father was sent to the
the, er, young lady you saw just now. neighbours’ house to get the dog back, but
LADY CONSTANCE: Tea? With that little London things went badly wrong, and he ended up
girl? Really! And what was in that basket the locked in their cellar as a suspected burglar.
girl was carrying? Fortunately, a man of great bravery and intelligence
BEACH: His lordship asked me to provide a appeared on the scene, to save Freddie
basket of food for the young lady to take from divorce and his father from prison.
to her brother Ernest. Yes, I am speaking of Beach, who, with no
thought for himself, went to Marling Hall,
LADY CONSTANCE: Oh, Clarence is hopeless! That
took a drink with the butler, put a sleeping
boy bit my leg, you know, Beach.
pill in the butler’s glass, and a little later
BEACH: I’m sorry to hear that, my lady. I hope it unlocked the cellar, rescued his lordship,
wasn’t too painful. and brought him home.
LADY CONSTANCE: It wasn’t a deep wound,
fortunately. But never mind that now. Where
did the girl get all those flowers from?
BEACH: From the gardens here, my lady. His
lordship said she could take as many as
she wanted.
LADY CONSTANCE: What! You mean Clarence gave
her permission to pick them? No wonder
McAllister was so angry!
BEACH: I think perhaps Mr McAllister was upset
about something else too, my lady.
LADY CONSTANCE: Why, whatever else could there
be?
BEACH: His lordship has told him that there will
be no gravel path.
LADY CONSTANCE: No gravel path? Clarence told
McAllister that? To his face? I simply don’t
understand what’s come over him!

Activity 10
Galahad is quite likely to use exaggerated
language in his story, in order to both
tease and annoy his sister. Encourage
students to add touches of their own to
the story. This is one possible version.
Once upon a time there was a charming young
man called Freddie, who married the
beautiful daughter of an American
millionaire. Young Freddie, although not very
clever, was ambitious, and one day, as part
of his business plan to sell more
Donaldson’s dog biscuits, gave his wife’s
favourite dog away to the very good- looking
daughter of a possible customer. Suddenly
a telegram was received at the castle, where
Freddie happened to be staying, saying that
his wife expected to arrive there very soon.

13 © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE