Compiled by Philmon Sir for class IX For personal use only

-G. K. Chesterton

3. The ‘Professor’ knew too much. How did he prove himself? Fill up the space with suitable
examples from the story, using the given clues:
The ‘Professor’ certainly knew too much. He had everything on the tips of his fingers. He borrowed
training manuals and read them all at night. He troubled instructors/lecturers with questions. He
always tried to show that all others, including his instructors, knew much less than him.

(a) about muzzle velocity: When a Sergeant defines muzzle velocity or the speed at which the bullet
leaves the rifle, the Professor interrupts, “Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per second”.

(b) after a thirty mile walk: After a thirty mile walk he was not only wonderfully tireless but
would display his terrible heartiness. He would say, “What about a song, chaps?”

(c) his salute on payday: His salute on payday was a model to behold. When officers in sight he
would swing his skinny arms marching like a Guardsman.

(d) the loud sound of a high flying invisible aeroplane: The ‘Professor’ could unmistakably identify
aeroplane by the harsh engine note, due to the high tip speed of the airscrew.

(e) about hand grenades: The ‘Professor’ gave a very specific answer about the fragments of the
outside of a grenade. He told, “Forty- Four”.

(f) during cook house duties: During cook house duties he protested against the unscientific and
unhygienic method of peeling potatoes resulting in sheer waste of vitamin values.

4. Based on your reading of the story, answer the following questions by choosing the correct
options.
(a) Private Quelch was nick-named ‘Professor’ because of ____
(iv) his habit of sermonising.

(b) One could hammer nails into Corporal Turnbull without his noticing it because ____
(i) he was a strong and sturdy man.

(c) The author and his friend Trower fled from the scene as _____
(ii) they could not stand Private Quelch exhibiting his knowledge.

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5. Answer the following questions briefly.

(a) What is a ‘nickname’? Can you suggest another one for Private Quelch?

A ‘nickname’ is an informal, often humorous name given to a person. The name is connected with
his real name, his personality or appearance or with something he has done. The nickname of Private
Quelch was the ‘Professor’. Another nickname for him could be ‘Mr. Show Off’.

(b) Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot.
Why?
Private Quelch looked like a ‘Professor’ when the author first met him at the training depot. He
was lanky, stooping, frowning through his horn-rimmed spectacles. A five- minute-conversation
would bring out his debating skills and abilities. All these traits are generally found in university
professors.

(c) What does the dark, sun-dried appearance of the Sergeant suggest about him?
The Sergeant who was describing the mechanism of a service rifle to the soldiers was as dark and
sun-dried as raisins. He was wearing North-West Frontier ribbons. The sun-dried appearance of
the Sergeant suggested that he had served in British India. There, the scorching heat of the sun
bake the skin and made it tanned like raisins.

(d) How was Private Quelch’s knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on?
The Sergeant didn’t relish when Private Quelch interrupted him. He went on lecturing. When he
had finished, he turned with his questions again and again to the Professor. But it only enhanced
the Professor’s reputation and glory. He had all by heart, the parts of the rifle or its use and care.
The Professor knew them all. His knowledge exposed even further as the Sergeant’s classes went on.

(e) What did the Professor mean by “intelligent reading”?

The smart answers given by the Professor made the Sergeant ask if he had taken any training
before. The Professor replied confidently, “No, Sergeant. It’s all a matter of intelligent reading.”
The Professor meant that he had read everything thoroughly and with concentration.

(f) What were the Professor’s ambitions in the army?

The Professor’s greatest ambition in the army was to get a commission. In pursuit of his ambition
he worked hard reading the training manuals. He tried to impress the instructors and the senior
officers by his knowledge, promptness and smartness. But he would go step by step. As a first step,
he meant to get a stripe.

(g) Did Private Quelch’s day to day practices take him closer towards his goal? How can you make
out?
Private Quelch’s day-to-day practices might have not won him a commission in the army but it
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Compiled by Philmon Sir for class IX For personal use only

was not the end for him. Whenever he spoke, the squad listened to him in a cowed, horrified kind
of silence. Instead of being nominated for a commission, he was nominated for permanent
cookhouse duties. But everybody believed that his nomination for the commission was just a matter
of time.

(h) Describe Corporal Turnbull.

Corporal Turnbull was a smart youngman. But he was not a man to be fooled around or talked
frivolously with. He had come from Dunkirk with all his equipment correct and accounted for. He
was the hero of soldiers. They thought him so tough that they could hammer nails into him
without his noticing them.

(i) How did Private Quelch manage to anger the Corporal?

Corporal Turnbull was explaining that the outside of a grenade was divided up into a large
number of fragments. The Professor at once told that the correct number was forty-four. The
Corporal said nothing, but his brow tightened. He was the kind of man not to be trifled with. He
didn’t like any interruption. He cut the Professor to size by sending him for permanent cookhouse
duties.

(j) Do you think Private Quelch learnt a lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse duties? Give
reasons for your answer.

There is no indication that Private Quelch learnt any lesson when he was chosen for cookhouse
duties. He didn’t stop exhibiting his knowledge. When he entered the kitchen he started finding
fault with the working staff. He protested against the ‘unscientific’ and ‘unhygienic’ method of
peeling potatoes. He considered it a ‘sheer waste of vitamin values’.

6. At first, Private Quelch was a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. Support this observation
with suitable examples from the story in about 100 words.

At first, Private Quelch impressed all his fellow soldiers with his profound knowledge about
everything under the sun. He was nicknamed as the ‘Professor’. The lanky, stooping and frowning
‘Professor’ was almost a hero in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. He had earned a certain respect from
his colleagues. He wanted to get on in life. He had a brain that had a flair for details. He was always
to the point and specific.

In the very first lesson in musketry, he left his mark on the fellow soldiers. He had no liking for
generalisation. When it came to telling the velocity at which the bullet leaves the rifle, the Professor
was there to correct to the last digit. The Sergeant in the hope of revenge turned his questions again
and again to the Professor. But the Professor was prompt in answering all the questions.

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Similarly, the Professor irritated Corporal Turnbull by interrupting and correcting him. He was
sent for permanent cookhouse duties. Later on, his fellow soldiers couldn’t stand him for exhibiting
his knowledge. They fled away whenever they saw him.

7. Private Quelch knew ‘too much’. Give reasons to prove that he was unable to win the
admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues in about 100 words.

No doubt, Private Quelch or the Professor knew ‘too much’ but he could not win admiration of his
superior officers or his colleagues. The only reason was that he exhibited his knowledge on every
possible ways, and interrupted his instructors. Each time when one of his colleagues made a mistake,
he would publicly correct him. He was always very condescending. He tried to show how superior
he was to all of them. He badgered his instructors with questions. So he was unable to win the
admiration of his superior officers or his colleagues.A few instances are explained below-

When a Sergeant instructor described the muzzle velocity well over 2000 feet per second, the Professor
corrected him. He replied 2440 feet per second. The irritated Sergeant in the hope of revenge, turned
his questions again and again to the Professor.

Corporal Turnbull, a hard man, on being interrupted, cut the Professor to size for interrupting him.
He snubbed Private Quelch by nominating him for permanent cookhouse duties.

Even his colleagues fled when the Professor was nearby to avoid his sermonising.

8. (a) Write down the positive and negative traits of Private Quelch’s character instances from the
story.

Positive traits Instances from the story

All doubts on the subject lost after five minutes’
(i) Knew ‘too much’
conversation with him.
When a Sergeant told the trainees that a bullet
leaves the rifle at the speed of over two thousand
feet per second, the Professor immediately
(ii) Very specific
interrupted him. He corrected him by saying,
“Two thousand, four hundred and forty feet per
second.”
(iii) Meant to get on ‘He was sure to get a commission, before long.’

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Compiled by Philmon Sir for class IX For personal use only

Borrowed training manuals and stayed up late

(iv) Diligent
at night reading them.
Negative traits Instances from the story
‘A voice interrupted.’ The Professor interrupted
(i) Disturbing
when a Sergeant was delivering his lesson.
(ii) Badgered the He irritated and badgered the instructors with
instructors questions.
(iii) Air of superiority ‘…………….. how condescending he was’.
His fellow soldiers fled to avoid his
(iv) Exhibitionism
exhibitionism.

(c) Character Sketch of Private Quelch

Private Quelch was a soldier without a rank. He was a tall and stooping man. He appeared
frowning through horn-rimmed spectacles. His appearance, his reading habit and his deep
knowledge earned him a nickname of the Professor.

Private Quelch meant to get on in life. He had brains. He was sure to get a commission before
long. But as on first step, he meant to get a ‘V’-shaped stripe. Private Quelch was not only
ambitious but also very diligent. Even his fellow soldiers gave him credit for that. He borrowed
training manuals and read late at nights. He had a flair for details and hated vague
generalisations. He was always correct to the last digit.

The great defeat in Private Quelch was his sense of exhibitionism. He utilised his “intelligent
reading” only to badger the instructors with questions. He irritated a Sergeant by his interruption
during the lesson. In the hope of revenge, he turned with his questions again and again to the
Professor. Similarly, he annoyed Corporal Turnbull trying to correct him publicly. He was
punished and nominated for permanent cookhouse duties. Private Quelch was too showy. He
always tried to show that he was much superior to all his fellow soldiers. He was always
condescending. In the end his colleagues tried to avoid him. They feared his sermonising and fled
when he was nearby.

(NB:- In case of any inadvertent error, we will correct it in the class.)

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