Should Wizard Hit Mommy? | CBSE Class 12 | NCERT Notes | Term-2

Chapter Sketch: This story is set at the time of the Second World War. It is a heart-rendering portrayal of the conflict between man’s head and heart. An American sailor is washed ashore in a dying state and is found at the doorstep of a very eminent Japanese surgeon and scientist, Dr Sadao Hoki. Sadao is torn between his duty as a doctor and as a patriotic Japanese. His heart is telling him to save the prisoner while his mind is fighting to turn him over to the police. It is a difficult choice to decide whether one should allow oneself to be governed by emotion or by reason.

Chapter Summary

Theme of Jack’s Story

The narrator of the story, Jack had a custom of telling an imaginative story to his daughter Joanne or Jo in evenings and for Saturday naps. This custom was now two years old and Jack was out of ideas. Every story was a variation of the basic tale: a small animal, usually named Roger, had some problem. He went to the wise owl, who advised him to go to the wizard.

The wizard solved Roger’s problem using a magic spell, and asked for a fee which was greater than the number Roger had. So, the wizard also told Roger where and how he could get the money. Roger used to pay to wizard, play happily with his friends and then went home to have a lovely dinner with his family.

The Roger Skunk Story

It was a Saturday evening and time for Jo’s usual naps. Jack felt that the rite of storytelling was futile as Jo never fell asleep in naps anymore like her two year old brother, Bobby. Yet, he asked Jo about the new lead in the story. Jo thought and told Jack that the story should be about a skunk. This filled Jack with a new creative enthusiasm and he started narrating his story.

The story is about Roger skunk who smelt very bad. Because of his bad smell, no other animal played with him and called him Roger stinky skunk. So, Roger was very upset. While telling the story Jack remembered his own childhood humiliation. However, looking at Jo’s reaction, he continued with the story. He did not want to rush into the story as he was telling something true and important to Jo. At the same time, Jack also had to help his wife, Clare paint the living room woodwork.

The Owl and Wizard Help Roger

Jack continued with the story. Roger Skunk went to the wise old owl who lived at the top of a very big tree and told him about his problem. The enormous owl advised Roger to visit the wizard.

Even now, Jo was constantly interrupting Jack. This time, she asked if magic spells are real. Jo had entered the reality phase and had started questioning about everything. So, Jack answered Jo and moved on with the story.

After the wizard’s advise, Roger skunk reached the wizard’s home and knocked on his door. The wizard opened the door and found Roger skunk telling him about his smell. The wizard’s reaction were Jack’s favourite effects and using it he asked Roger what he wanted to smell like. Roger thought and said he wanted to smell like roses. So, the wizard chanted a smell and Roger smelt of roses.

The Intriguing Twist to the Story

Like all other stories, the wizard asked Roger to give him seven pennies, but Roger had only four. So, the wizard told him where to find the remaining three pennies. Roger Skunk had to go to the end of the lane and turn around three times and look down the magic well. Roger did so and found the pennies, and gave them to the wizard. Now all the other creatures played games and enjoyed all afternoon with Roger. Soon, it got dark and all of them went to their homes.

At this point, Jo had started to fuss and got disinterested in the story. She felt that the story was over. This irritated Jack and he forwarded the story.

As Roger shunk reached home, his mother was surprised. She got angry when she realised that her son was smelling like roses. So, she wanted to go to the wizard to reverse the smell.

Even when Roger told her that no one played with him because of the smell, his mother did not agree. She took him to the Wizard and hit him right over his head. The wizard then reversed the smell and Roger shunk smelt like a skunk again.

This ending surprised Jo. She did not want Roger to be sad because of his old smell and thus wanted the wizard to hit the Mother Shunk on the head. She also did not want the little Shunk’s smell to be bad again.

Jo’s Ending to the Roger Skunk Story

Jack concluded with the story. With both mother and son returning home. Mother Skunk was very happy because Roger smelled like a skunk again. Now, even Roger was happy as over time all the animals got used to his smell and didn’t mind it at all.

Jo still could not relate to the story and believed that the Mother Skunk was stupid. She asked Jack to tell her a story in which the wizard hits Mother Skunk. Jack tried to reason with her and told her that Roger Skunk loved his mother very much and Mother Skunk knew what was right for her baby.

But Jo wouldn’t agree and fussed. So Jack told her that he would see to it and asked Jo to go to sleep. When Jack came downstairs, he found his pregnant wife working. Looking at everything around him Jack felt caged in an ugly middle position and didn’t want to do anything.

Reference @Arihant

Word Meanings

The given page numbers correspond to the pages in the NCERT textbook.

Page 48

• naps — short bouts of sleep, especially during the day
• wizard — a man with magical powers

Page 49

• futile — useless
• woodland — a small forest
• solemnly — with deep sincerity
• humiliations — embarrassing situations

Page 50

• tiptop — the highest point
• crick — a small stream

Page 51

• rapped — struck hard
• infantile — characterising very young children
• scrunching — squeezing
• whining — complaining
• rheumy — watery
• rummaged — searching unsystematically or untidily
• trance — a half-conscious state

Page 52

• rapt — completely fascinated or absorbed
• feigning — expressing or pretending
• cranky — bad-tempered
• tag — a children’s game
• lacrosse — a team game

Page 53

• apprehensive — nervour or attentive
• of all the nerve — a phrase used to express shock, disapproval or anger.
• skittered — moved lightly and quickly
• underbrush — shrubs and small trees forming the undergrowth in a forest
• astounded — shock or great surprise

Pages 54-55

• crouching — to sit by bending the legs
• gingerly — in a careful or cautious manner
• smock — a loose coat-like outer garment, worn to protect clothes while working
• stroking — painting with a gentle movement of the hand
• spank — hit, thrash
• moldings — decorative architectural features
• baseboards — bottom boards
• tan — a yellowish-brown colour