An Uncomfortable Bed — Q & A (ICSE Class 7)
TL;DR — quick summary
The narrator suspects his friends of planning a prank after an odd welcome. He checks his room carefully, takes precautions, and finally goes to bed. He is awakened when a tray and the room-boy fall on him — the joke was accidental, not malicious.
Important Vocabulary (quick revision)
| Word | Meaning (simple) |
|---|---|
| Practical jokes | Pranks |
| Suspicious | Feeling doubtful or wary |
| Mirth | Merriment; laughter and fun |
| Victim | Target; person who suffers |
| Watchful | Alert; paying close attention |
| Restless | Unable to relax; uneasy |
| Cautiously | Very carefully |
| Receive a cold shower | Be surprised or attacked suddenly |
| Anxiety / Trembling | Fear; shaking from fear or cold |
| Dreadful | Terrible |
Q & A — clear answers (exam friendly)
1. From the second sentence, what did the speaker value in his friends? (and evidence?)
Short answer: He valued friends with a sense of humour who loved practical jokes.
Evidence: The warm reception and the laughter at the dinner show that his friends enjoyed pranks, which supports the opening sentence that the friends were fond of practical jokes.
Tip: For 2–3 marks quote a short phrase from the text (e.g., “they were laughing their heads off” or “grand reception”).
2. Which words show the speaker was suspicious? Add one more word to describe his state of mind.
Short answer: Words like “suspicious”, “watchful” and “restless” show his feelings. Another good word: uneasy.
If asked for one word, write “watchful” or “restless.” If asked to explain, say he watched others closely and could not relax because he expected a prank.
3. Why did he call himself a “ferret”? What did he think they had in store?
Short answer: He calls himself a “ferret” because he was searching faces carefully — trying to detect signs of a joke. He thought his friends had a prank planned.
Explain that “ferret” implies careful searching — mention “watching faces” to score full marks.
4. Once inside his room how did the speaker move and act? Why?
Short answer: He entered silently, lit all candles and carefully inspected the room because he suspected a prank.
He avoided sudden movements, examined furniture and corners — that careful behaviour shows he wanted to find any trap before sleeping.
5. Why did he close shutters and draw the curtains? What happened next? What else did he do (para 14) to bring about the outcome?
Short answer: He closed shutters and drew curtains as a precaution to avoid outside interference. The room became dark; he placed himself near the door and covered under the bedclothes.
Mention “precaution” and “darkness” and that he lay down near the door — these simple facts answer the question fully.
6. The armchair was solid. Why was that discovery important?
Short answer: A solid armchair meant there was no trap hidden in the chair — so the chair was safe to sit on.
Say: "It proved his friends had not set a trap in the chair."
7. Why did he not dare to get into bed? Why did he finally go to bed?
Short answer: He feared two things: a cold shower from above or the mattress falling. He finally went to bed because he grew sleepy and found nothing suspicious.
Two-point answer: fear + sleepiness. Add "couldn't find anything suspicious" to be safe.
8. He was awakened by a body falling over him. What else did he feel and hear? When did he realize what happened?
Short answer: He felt weight on him, hot liquid on his face and chest, and heard plates fall. He realised only after going outside that the room-boy had tripped and fallen with the tray due to darkness — it was accidental.
List sensations (weight, hot liquid) and sound (tray clatter) — then state the conclusion (room-boy accidentally fell).
Model answers — use these in exams
Short Answer (30–50 words):
Model: The narrator suspected a prank because of an unusual reception and laughter. He checked his room carefully, took precautions like closing shutters and lighting candles. He finally slept but was awakened when the room-boy accidentally fell with a tray in the dark.
Long Answer (100–140 words):
The narrator, who enjoyed joking friends, became suspicious after a warm but oddly cheerful reception. Expecting a practical joke, he inspected his room carefully, lit candles and closed the shutters to prevent any outside mischief. Concerned about traps — such as a cold shower from above or a collapsing mattress — he remained watchful. Growing sleepy and finding no clear danger, he decided to sleep. He was abruptly awakened by the weight of a falling body, hot liquid on him, and the clatter of plates. When he stepped outside he discovered the room-boy had slipped and fallen with the breakfast tray in the darkness; the incident was accidental, not a planned prank.
- Quote a short phrase from the passage to support answers.
- For ‘why’ questions, always give cause + effect (e.g., "He closed shutters because... so that...").
- Use 1–2 vocabulary words from the passage (suspicious, watchful, restless) to score higher.
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