Lesson - 3

Three at Table
- William Wymark Jacobs
Dictation (Leave a page)

C. Answer these questions.

Q1. How did the sailor get lost? Why did he go to the house despite the
countryman’s warning?
Ans.1. The narrator got lost because he took an unfamiliar route with several turnings. It
was also very foggy. Although the countryman had told him to avoid the house, the
narrator decided to go to the house because he was cold and tired.

Q2. Why did the sailor hesitate to enter the house?

Ans.2. The narrator hesitated to enter the house because the couple seemed to be queer-
looking, the inside of the house was gloomy and perhaps no better than what it was
outside. Also, the countryman’s warning about the house

Q3. Did the sailor’s hosts eat dinner in the dark every day? Why did they do so that
day?
Ans.3. No, the narrator’s hosts did not have dinner in the dark every day. They did so that
day because they did not want the son’s disfigured face to startle (shock) the
narrator.

Q4. Why did the family not have company often?

Ans 4. The family did not have company often because the family led a retired life. They
avoided people because the villagers were scared of the old man’s son.

D. Think and answer.

Q1. Why do you think the villagers believed that there was something strange in the
house? Were they correct in their belief?
Ans. The villagers believed that there was something strange in the house because they
were scared by the disfigured face of the old man’s son.

No, they were not correct in their belief because the old man’s son was not scary, but
brave, gentle and generous.

Q2. Why do you think the old man finally decide to light a match?
Ans. The old man finally decided to light a match because he did not want to hide his son
in the darkness. He was proud of his son and not ashamed of him.