. .

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Setting:
 Time: Around 1900
 Place: London (In a London Club and Pyecraft’s house)

Plot:
Mr Pyecraft is the owner of a club in London who is obese and quite old. He usually pesters Mr Formalyn,
but he bothered Mr Formalyn too much that he decides to write a true story about Pyecraft, which reveals
an embarrassing yet unbelievable secret that both of them know.
Pyecraft is bothering Formalyn with his boring stories and especially his troubles with obesity. Soon after
Formalyn tells him about this weight-loss recipe from his great-grandmother who was Hindu. Pyecraft tries
the recipe and called Formalyn to his house, where Pyecraft’s housekeeper tells him that Pyecraft has
locked himself in his room for the past full day. Pycraft remained as big and round and meaty and chunky
as ever, but he is floating in the air near the ceiling. They found out that the recipe reduces weight but not
mass.
Formalyn helps him by coming up with some smart and clever ways to Pyecraft to move around his room
while floating. For example, Pyecraft gets down from the bookcase by taking out a couple of heavy tomes
of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Some time later, it occurs to Formalyn that Pyecraft's garments could be
stuffed with heavy lead pieces to keep him on the ground; he even remarks that Pyecraft could sail without
fear of a shipwreck, for he could just hover ashore after removing some of the weight.
Pyecraft returns to the club with Formalyn's assistance, though without change to his porcine habits.
Initially, the two of them agree to keep the embarrassing secret of Pyecraft's weightlessness, but the
obsessive Pyecraft soon starts to annoy him too much.
Chronological Events:
1. Pyecraft has obesity problems.
2. Pyecraft asks Formalyn for the weight-loss recipe of his Hindu great-grandmother.
3. Formalyn gives the recipe to Pyecraft.
4. Pyecraft tries the recipe for some time.
5. Pyecraft losses weight but not fatness, so he starts to float.
6. Formalyn visits Pyecraft and helps him.
7. Formalyn advices Pyecraft to carry heavy things in order not to float.
8. Both of them return to the club and decide to keep the secret.
9. Pyecraft does not change his eating habits.
10. Pyecraft starts annoying Formalyn.
11. Formalyn tells “The Truth about Pyecraft.”
Characters:
 Pyecraft: Patron of a London club. He is constantly talking about his fatness.
 Formalyn: New member of a London club. He has Hindu relatives. (Narrator)

Answered Questions to elaborate your own explanation of the topic:

(Source: https://syllableblog.wordpress.com/academics/thetruthaboutpyecraft/)
1. How had Pyecraft heard about Formalyn’s ‘little secret’? What was Formalyn’s ‘little secret’?
Pyecraft had heard about Formalyn’s ‘little secret’ from Pattison and when they meet, he gives
Formalyn broad hints about this little secret. Formalyn’s ‘little secret’ was that he had a few of his
great-grandmother’s recipes.
2. What was Formalyn afraid would happen if he tried Pyecraft’s patience too much? Formalyn
was wary of trying Pyecraft’s patience because he was always a little afraid that Pyecraft might
suddenly fall on him and smother him.
3. And if you take my advice you’ll leave it alone. How does Pyecraft react when Formalyn
attempts to discourage him from using his great-grandmother’s recipe? Pyecraft was adamant
and insisted on trying Formalyn’s great-grandmother’s recipe. He was apparently “impervious to
reason”.
4. When he gives Pyecraft the recipe for loss of weight, what does Formalyn make him promise?
When Formalyn gives Pyecraft his great-grandmother’s recipe, he makes Pyecraft promise never to
say a word to him about his disgusting fatness again.
5. “There’s something wrong. It’s done me no good.” Name the speaker. What is the speaker
referring to? What was wrong? Pyecraft is the speaker of these words. He is referring to
Formalyn’s great-grandmother’s recipe. The recipe had gone wrong because one of the ingredients,
the egg, was not addled.
6. The things are curious documents. Mention two ingredients of the recipe to justify that they
were curious documents. Formalyn’s great-grandmother’s recipes were considered as “curious
documents” because they required strange ingredients such as fresh rattlesnake venom and pariah
dog.
7. What did Pyecraft’s telegram to Formalyn say? Pyecraft sent a telegram to Formalyn quite
unexpectedly that said, “For Heaven’s sake come. – Pyecraft.”
8. For how long had Pyecraft not ventured out of his house? What did they believe had
happened to him? Pyecraft had not ventured out of his house for two days. They believed he was
ill.
9. When Formalyn entered Pyecraft’s apartment, where does he find Pyecraft? When Formalyn
entered Pyecraft’s apartment, he was surprised not to find Pyecraft at the door. He discovers
Pyecraft suspended by the close to the cornice in the corner by the door. He looked as though
someone had glued him to the ceiling.
10. When Formalyn enters Pyecraft’s apartment and sees him, what does he initially think
Pyecraft is up to? When Formalyn enters Pyecraft’s apartment and sees him, at first, he thinks
Pyecraft is getting up to “kiddish gymnastics”. Only on closer inspection does Formalyn realise that
Pyecraft was in fact, floating on the ceiling.
11. What does the narrator compare the weightless Pyecraft to? The narrator, Formalyn compares
the weightless Pyecraft to a captive balloon.
 12. What does Formalyn give Pyecraft a cure for? What did he actually need a cure for? Formalyn
gave Pyecraft a recipe for Loss of Weight. Pyecraft actually needed a cure for fatness.
13. What was the sin that Pyecraft had committed? Formalyn tells Pyecraft that he has committed
the sin of euphuism, because he did not call ‘weight’ as ‘fat’ as he should have done.
14. Explain how Formalyn suggests that Pyecraft should adapt to his new conditions. Formalyn
suggested to Pyecraft that he must try to adapt himself to his new conditions. He said it would not
be difficult to learn to walk on the ceiling with his hands. When Pyecraft complained that he could
not sleep, Formalyn reassures him that it will not be impossible. He could suspend a wire mattress
from the ceiling, fasten the sheets on with tapes and have a blanket, sheet and coverlet buttoned at
the side. Formalyn also suggested that all Pyecraft’s meals could be laid out on top of his bookshelf.
To allow him to get to the floor whenever he wanted, Pyecraft simply had to hold onto a volume of
the British Encyclopaedia and drift down.
Formalyn also told Pyecraft that there could be iron staples fitted along the walls, for him to hold
on to when he wanted to move around on the lower level.
15. “By Jove, Pyecraft! All this is totally unnecessary.” What was unnecessary? What idea had
struck Formalyn? All the planning and preparation to help Pyecraft adapt to his new condition, the
inverted bed, the refitting of all his electric lights to face upwards rather than down was totally
unnecessary. Formalyn had thought of using lead underclothing to help Pyecraft remain earthbound
and not float in the air.
16. Why would Pyecraft never need to fear a shipwreck? By using lead underclothing to remain
firmly on the ground, Pyecraft would never need to fear a shipwreck. All he needed to do if he was
ever shipwrecked in the middle of the sea, would be to slip off some or all of his clothes and float up
into the air.
17. What is Pyecraft’s secret? What is he afraid of when he catches Formalyn’s eye at the club?
Pyecraft’s secret is that he weighs practically nothing. He is a mere mass of matter, mere clouds in
clothing. When he catches Formalyn’s eye at the club, he is always afraid that his secret may be
revealed, leading to his embarrassment.

Possible questions
1. What do you think about Pyecraft’s method to lose weight? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
2. Why did Formalyn decide to tell “the truth about Pyecraft”?
3. What is Pyecraft’s opinion about Indian medicine? Do you think that Pyecraft looked down on Eastern
medicine?
4. Did Pyecraft learn from his unpleasant experience? Why (not)?
5. Where do Formalyn and Pyecraft first meet?
6. Why is Pyecraft interested in meeting Formalyn?
7. What is Formalyn’s opinion about Pyecraft?, Do you think Formalyn dislikes Pyecraft? Why (not)?
8. What happens after Pyecraft took the recipe of Formalin’s great-grandmother?
9. Describe the main characters.
10. In which way does Pyecraft face his obesity problem?
11. What sorts of foods does Pyecraft he eat?, Would he be likely to lose weight eating this sort of food?
12. What happens after he takes the weight-loss recipe of Formaly’s great-grandmother?
13. What does Pyecraft say in his note to Formalyn to indicate that he is in trouble?
14. Do you think Formalyn feels responsible for Pyecraft’s troubles? Why?
15. Does the housekeeper’s news make Formalyn stop worrying? Why?
16. What do you think has happened to him?
17. What is Formalyn’s opinion about Pyecraft? What do you think of him (Pyecraft)?
18. Why do you think Formalyn dislikes Pyecraft?
19. What do you think about Pyecraft’s method to lose weight? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
20. What’s Pyecraft opinion about Indian medicine? Does he look down on Eastern medicine?
21. What sin has Pyecraft committed according to Formalyn?
22. Why does Formalyn decide to tell “The Truth about Pyecraft”?
23. What different feelings does Formalyn experience about Pyecraft?
24. Did Pyecraft learn from his unpleasant experience? Why (not)?
25. Up to what extent do you think this is a fantasy story? Do you think it reflects real-life situations?