Contents :

1. Introduction
2. Summary
3. Question Answer
4. Incident
5. Character Sketch

Introduction
This essay describes a lovable but eccentric character. He is

Uncle Podger. He tries to hang a picture on the wall and

creates a lot of disturbance in the house. He has a great

confidence in his ability to do odd jobs in the house. He is

product of the fact that he does not need the services of any

workman. He is very absent minded. He even forgets where

he placed his own coat and then expects that other people

should find the things that he has lost. He engages all

members of his family to assist him hanging a picture. He

loses his temper easily and blames other people. He is not

very skilful with his hands. He drops one thing or the other.

He even hurts himself. Although he claims to be saving

money by doing the work himself, his efforts wasted. Time is

wasted because Uncle Podger takes ten times the normal

time to do a piece of work. Moreover, he does not let other

people to do his work. In the meanwhile they are required to

stand round him, ready to help.

In the second place he always breaks something or the

other. He does the work badly even he is able to hang

picture on the wall. His actions and cutting comments of his

wife make the essay very amusing.

Summary

When Uncle Podger decided to do a job himself, his house

was a scene of great excitement and confusion. A picture

had come from the frame maker’s shop. It had to hung on

the wall. It was standing in the dining room, waiting to be

fixed up. Aunt Podger asked his husband what he intended

to do with the picture. Uncle podger impatiently replied that

he would himself do what was he needed.

He took off his coat and started his work. He sent a girl to

buy six pence worth of nails from the market. He forgot to

tell her the size of the nails. Therefore, one of the boys,

followed her to tell her what size to get. He told will to get

him his hammer. Tom was asked him to bring the rule. Then

he needed the step-ladder and the kitchen chair too. Jim

was to run to Mr. Googles, requesting him the light. Tom was

needed to help the uncle hang up picture. Uncle Podger

lifted up the picture, and dropped it. It came out of its

frame. He tried to save the glass. In doing so he cut his

finger. Having received the cut Uncle podger ran round the

room in search of his handkerchief. He could not find it,

because it was in the pocket of the coat he had he had taken

off. All people on the house ran looking for his coat. The

work come to a stand still. Uncle Podger got irritated. He

rebuked all that they were six in number and yet could not

find his coat. Suddenly, he got up and found that he had

himself sitting on his coat He then scolded them that a last

he had found his coat. They needed to do nothing. Uncle

Pdoger took half an hour to dress his finger. A new glass was

brought. The ladder, the chair. The third helped him up on

it. The fourth handed him a nail, the fifth passed him up the

hammer. He took hold the nail and dropped fourth handed

with a nail and dropped it. All came down to search for the

nail. In the meantime, stood on the chair, grumbling if he

was to remain standing thus all the evening. At last nail was

found but the hammer was lost. He could not think what he

had been doing with the hammer. He could only scold all

around him for not telling him where the hammer was. The

hammer was found. The mark on the wall was lost. All
helpers went on the chair and sighted different marks on the

wall. Uncle Podger called them fools. He took only the rule

and measured it. He at last used a string. He was just

leaning over the chair at an angle of forty five. Suddenly,

the string slipped. Uncle Podger Fell on the piano. This fall

created a really fine musical effect. Uncle Podger abused all

the members of the family. Aunt Maria felt impatient. She

did not like to allow her children to stand round and hear

such language. At last Uncle Podger fixed the spot, put the

point on it with his left hand. With the hammer in his right

hand, he gave first blow. It smashed his thumb. The

hammer dropped on somebody’s toe. A sharp city cry was

heard. Aunt Maria said that next time Uncle Podger planned

to hammer a nail into the wall, she would go away to her

mother to spend a week. Uncle Podger made another

attempt. At the second blow the nail went clean through on

the plaster. But Uncle Podger was thrown against the wall,

flattering his nose. The rule and the string were found again.

A new hole was made. At midnight, the picture was upon

the wall. It looked crooked and insecure. The wall lost much
plaster. All people felt exhausted except Uncle Podger. He

said proudly, watching the confusion around him, that people

unnecessarily called a man to do such thing.

Q:- 1. What work did Uncle Podger assign to different

members of his household in the beginning?

Ans. He sent a girl to buy nails, sent a boy to tell her size of

the nails, Will to get the hammer, Tom to bring the rule, the

step-ladder and the kitchen chair, Jim to bring the spirit-

level and Maria to hold the light.

Q:- 2. How did the whole family help Uncle Podger in the

second attempt?

Ans. The whole family stood round Uncle Podger’s chai. Two

persons held the chair. A third helped him in mounting the

chair, the fourth person gave him a nail and the fifth

hammer.
Q:-3. How did different members of Uncle Podger’s family

add to the confusion created by him?

Ans. Uncle Podger lost the nail mark on the wall. Other

members of the family discovered it at a different place.

Uncle Podger judged wrongly the distance from the mark.

The other members of the family added to the confusion.

Q:-4 What happened at the critical moment when Uncle

Podger leaned over the chair?

Ans:- Uncle Podger wanted to reach a point three inches

beyond his reach. He lost his balance and fell down on the

Piano. A fine musical effect was produced.

Q:-1 Write a note on humour in the story “Uncle Podger

Hangs a Picture”.

or

Mention some of the incidents which you find most amusing.

Ans:- The whole story is amusing and full of humour. We

enjoy when Uncle Podger sends a girl for nails and after a

boy to tell her the size. Uncle Podger puts all the members

in trouble. The search for the handkerchief is very funny.

The whole family looked for the handkerchief although it was

under Uncle Podger’s seat. We laugh when he says : “Six of

you ! and you can’t find a coat I put not more than five

minutes ago ! When the nail slipped, Uncle Podger forgot

where he had placed the hammer. His statement anuses us

much “ Where is the hammer ? What did I do with the

hammer ? Finally, the spot where the nail was to be fixed

was lost. Everybody bussy in locating it failed. Uncle Podger

called them fools. This amuses as much.

Q:-2 Give a character sketch of Uncle Podger?

Ans:- Uncle Podger is over confident about doing things

easily. When a picture is to be hung on the wall, he tells his

wife that it is hi own headache. Uncle Podger is a fool. He

has a great confidence in his ability to do odd jobs in the

house. He is product of the fact that he does not need the

services of any workman. He is very absent minded. He

even forgets where he placed his own coat and then expects

that other people should find the things that he has lost. He

engages all members of his family to assist him hanging a

picture. He loses his temper easily and blames other people.

He is not very skilful with his hands. In the second place he

always breaks something or the other. He does the work

badly even he is able to hang picture on the wall. His

actions and cutting comments of his wife make the essay

very amusing.