The Conjurer's Revenge

GLOSSARY/NOTES

 

Humorous funny, amusing, entertaining

Conjuror magician, performer, juggler

Quick-witted smart, clever, quick, alert

Spectator viewer, onlooker, audience

Belittle put down, humiliate, disgrace

Presto very fast, quick

Quick Man a smart man who claims that he understands the secret of all the tricks shown by the conjuror

He had it up his sleeve the Quick Man tried to belittle the importance of all the tricks of the conjuror by saying that he was hiding things up his sleeve and was only taking them out cleverly and befooling the audience

Stupefied amazed, impressed

Extracted took out, pulled out

Mortar a strong bowl in which substances are crushed

Sledge hammer a heavy long handled hammer

Celluloid collar a detachable collar made of celluloid (plastic type material)

Hushed Silent, muted, quiet

A withering look a look intended to make somebody feel silly or ashamed, a scornful/disrespectful look

Suspenders elastic straps to hold the trousers up

 

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. Who is the writer of the story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’?

Ans. Stephen Leacock is the writer of the story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’.

 

Q2. What did the conjuror produce out of an empty cloth?

Ans. The conjuror produced a bowl of goldfish out of an empty cloth.

 

Q3. What magic word did the conjuror use every time he performed the trick?

Ans. The conjuror used the magic word ‘Presto’ every time he performed the trick.

 

Q4. Who spoiled the conjuror’s trick every time?

Ans. The Quick Man spoiled the conjuror’s trick every time.

 

Q5. What remark was made by the Quick Man every time the conjuror showed his trick?

Ans. The Quick Man remarked that he- had-it-up-his-sleeve every time the conjuror showed his trick.

 

Q6. What was the second trick performed by the conjuror?

Ans. The second trick performed by the conjuror was the famous Hindostanee rings.

 

Q7. How many eggs did the conjuror extract from a hat?

Ans. The conjuror extracted seventeen eggs from a hat.

 

Q8. Which trick did the conjuror show in the end?

Ans. The conjuror showed the most famous Japanese trick in the end.

 

Q9. Who had invented the Japanese trick?

Ans. The natives of Tipperary had invented the Japanese trick.

 

Q10. Name the articles taken by the conjuror from the Quick Man?

Ans. Gold watch, handkerchief, silk hat, celluloid collar and spectacles.

 

Q11. Who had the last laugh?

Ans. The conjuror had the last laugh.

 

Q12. From whom did the conjuror take revenge?

Ans. The conjuror took revenge from the Quick Man.

 

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. How did the Quick Man spoil the goldfish trick?

Ans. The conjuror produced a bowl of goldfish out of an empty cloth. The people in the hall were impressed and wondered how he did it. But the Quick Man on the front seat whispered loudly to the people near him that he had the bowl of goldfish up his sleeve. Everybody in the crowd agreed with him. This way the Quick Man spoiled the goldfish trick of the conjuror.

 

Q2. What did the conjuror show in the famous Hindostanee rings trick?

Ans. The conjuror announced his second trick- the famous Hindostanee rings. He showed separate rings to the audience. At a blow, the rings joined. People were greatly impressed by the trick.

Q3. How did the audience take the eggs trick? How did the Quick Man explain it?

Ans. The conjuror borrowed a hat from a gentleman in the audience and extracted seventeen eggs from it. For thirty-five seconds, the audience thought that the conjuror was wonderful. Then the Quick Man whispered from the front row that he had a hen up his sleeve. All the people whispered that he had a lot of hens up his sleeve. His egg trick was ruined.

 

Q4. What did the conjuror do with the Quick Man’s watch and hat?

Ans. The conjuror requested the Quick Man to hand him his gold watch. It was passed to him. Then the conjuror with the Quick Man’s permission put the gold watch into the mortar and broke it into pieces. In the same way, the conjuror asked the Quick Man to allow him to dance on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet beyond recognition.

 

Q5. When did the Quick Man start feeling ‘beaten’?

Ans. The Quick Man started feeling beaten when the conjuror performed his Japanese trick. With Quick Man’s permission, the conjuror broke his gold watch into pieces, punched holes in his handkerchief, danced on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet, burnt his collar and smashed his spectacles. The Quick Man had a puzzled expression on his face. He whispered that he was completely beaten by the last trick.

 

Q6. What was the Quick Man trying to prove?

Ans. The Quick Man was trying to prove that he was a smart man and he understood the secret of all the tricks shown by the conjuror. He tried to belittle the conjuror’s tricks and spoil his reputation to prove his own cleverness and create his importance among the audience.

 

Q7. What impact did the Quick Man have on the audience?

Ans. At first the audience felt thrilled and amazed at the conjuror’s tricks. But the Quick Man’s remarks that he had hidden things up his sleeve created doubts in their minds. They began to agree with the Quick Man and started feeling that there was nothing special in the conjuror’s tricks. The reputation of the conjuror was rapidly sinking below zero.

 

Q8. Why did the Quick Man agree to part with his gold watch, hat and other things?

Ans. The Quick Man agreed to part with his gold watch, hat and other things because he thought that the conjuror needed them to perform his tricks and would return the things after the performance. He never doubted that the conjuror meant to destroy his belongings and take his revenge.

 

Q9. Who had the last laugh and how?

Ans. The conjuror was a talented man. He performed many difficult tricks to impress the audience. But the Quick Man tried to belittle all his tricks by saying that he had hidden everything up his sleeve. The conjuror tolerated his over-cleverness for a long time. But people were losing interest in his tricks. His reputation was at stake. The conjuror decided to hit back. With the Quick Man’s permission, the conjuror broke his gold watch into pieces, punched holes in his handkerchief, danced on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet, burnt his collar and smashed his spectacles. The Quick Man had a puzzled expression on his face. He whispered that he was completely beaten by the last trick. Thus, the conjuror had the last laugh.

 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. How did the conjuror take his revenge on the Quick Man in the story ‘The Conjuror’ Revenge’? (OR) Write the brief character- sketch of the conjuror.

Ans. In the story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’ written by ‘Stephen Leacock’ a skilled conjuror earned his living by showing magic tricks to the audience. But a quick-witted man in the audience tried to belittle all his tricks and spoil his magic show. The conjuror dealt smartly with the ‘Quick Man’ and taught him a good lesson. The conjuror was a talented man. He produced a bowl of goldfish out of an empty cloth. The audience felt thrilled and wondered how he did it. But the Quick Man on the front seat whispered to the people that ‘he-had-it-up-his-sleeve’. Everybody in the crowd agreed with him. In the Hindostanee rings trick, he showed that the rings were separate. At a blow, they joined. He borrowed a hat from a gentleman in his egg trick and extracted seventeen eggs from it. But both the tricks were ruined by the over-clever Quick Man with his ‘he-had-it-up-his-sleeve’ remark. It went on like this throughout. The conjuror performed many difficult tricks which were spoiled by the Quick Man. The conjuror was a patient man. He kept tolerating him for a long time. But people were losing interest in his tricks. His reputation was at stake. The conjuror decided to hit back. He had an excellent imagination. Then and there he thought of a Japanese trick to take revenge. He requested the Quick Man to hand him his gold watch and with his permission broke it into pieces. This way with the Quick Man’s permission the conjuror punched holes in his handkerchief, danced on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet, burnt his collar and smashed his spectacles. The Quick Man had a puzzled expression on his face. He whispered that he was completely beaten by the last trick. The conjuror was an excellent and experienced performer. At no time did he let the Quick Man or the audience realize that he was not performing the ‘trick’ but was actually taking his revenge from the Quick Man. The conjuror had the last laugh in the story.

 

Q2. What is the theme of the story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’?

Ans. The story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’ written by ‘Stephen Leacock’ is based on the theme that we should not belittle anybody’s skill or professional knowledge. A skilled conjuror earned his living by showing magic tricks to the audience. He was a talented man. He performed many difficult tricks to impress the audience. He produced a bowl of goldfish out of an empty cloth. In the Hindostanee rings trick, he showed that the rings were separate. At a blow, they joined. He borrowed a hat from a gentleman and extracted seventeen eggs from it. But a quick-witted man in the audience tried to belittle all his tricks by saying that he had hidden everything up his sleeve. The conjuror was not cheating anybody. It was his special skill which he had mastered to entertain the audience. The conjuror tolerated his over-cleverness for a long time. But people were losing interest in his tricks. His reputation was at stake. The conjuror decided to hit back. He requested the Quick Man to hand him his gold watch and with his permission broke it into pieces. This way with the Quick Man’s permission the conjuror punched holes in his handkerchief, danced on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet, burnt his collar and smashed his spectacles. The Quick Man had a puzzled expression on his face. He whispered that he was completely beaten by the last trick. At no point did the conjuror let the Quick Man or the audience realize that he was not performing the ‘trick’ but was actually taking his revenge from the Quick Man for spoiling his magic show. Thus, the story also conveys the idea that when we cannot appreciate a person, we should keep it to ourselves. If we unnecessarily irritate or harm a person, we will have to face the consequences.

 

Q3. Bring out the humour in the story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’.

Ans. The story ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’ written by ‘Stephen Leacock’ is full of humorous situations. The conjuror shows many magic tricks which are entertaining and make us smile. But the Quick Man sitting among the audience is the main source of humour in the story. He considers himself to be a very smart man. He tries to belittle all the tricks of the conjuror by saying that the magician has things such as a bowl of goldfish, a hen, a doll’s cradle, a live guinea-pig and even a rocking chair hidden up his sleeve. His remarks are funny but the simple-minded people agree with him. The belief of the audience makes us laugh. The most amusing part is the seriousness with which the conjuror performs a ‘trick’ which has no magic in it. With the Quick Man’s permission, he breaks his gold watch, punches holes in his handkerchief, crushes his silk hat, burns his collar and smashes his spectacles. The Quick Man who considers himself to be over-clever is completely beaten by the last trick. His puzzled expression makes us laugh a lot. At no point does the conjuror let the Quick Man or the audience realize that he is not performing a ‘trick’ but is actually taking a revenge from the Quick Man by destroying his belongings. The way he ends the show with the clever use of words is also very humorous. The conjuror has the last laugh and we laugh with him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - STEPHEN BUTLER LEACOCK

 

Born • 30 December 1869, Swanmore, Hampshire, England

Died • 28 March 1944 (aged 74), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Occupation • Worldwide popular Canadian humorist

• Professor in the Department of Economics and Political Science at McGill University (1903 to 1936)

• Author of more than 30 books of lighthearted sketches and essays

Notable works

• Literary Lapses (1910)

• Nonsense Novels (1911)

• Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912)

• Behind the Beyond (1913)

• Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich (1914)

Notable awards

• Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (1919)

• Mark Twain Medal (1935)

• Lorne Pierce Medal, Royal Society of Canada (1937)

• Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction (My Discovery of the West) (1937)

Honours and Legacy • In 1969, the centennial of his birth, Canada Post issued a six-cent stamp with his image on it

• The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour established in Leacock’s honour in 1947

• Designated a National Historic Person of Canada in 1968.

 

SUMMARY/ STORY OF ‘THE CONJUROR’S REVENGE’

 

• ‘The Conjuror’s Revenge’ is a humorous short story written by ‘Stephen Leacock’. A skilled conjuror earned his living by showing magic tricks to the audience but a quick-witted spectator tried to belittle all his tricks and spoil his magic show. The conjuror dealt smartly with the ‘Quick Man’ and taught him a good lesson.

 

• The story began with the conjuror showing magic tricks to the audience in a magic show. He used his magic words ‘Presto’ and produced a bowl of goldfish out of an empty cloth. The audience praised the conjuror and wondered how he did it. But the Quick Man on the front seat whispered to the people near him that ‘he-had-it-up-his-sleeve’. Everybody in the crowd whispered round the hall that he-had-it-up-his-sleeve. Now conjuror announced his second trick- the famous Hindostanee rings. He showed that the rings were separate. At a blow, they joined. The people in the hall were stupefied till the Quick Man whispered that he had another lot up his sleeve. Again, everybody nodded and whispered that the rings were hidden up his sleeve.

 

• The conjuror was worried but he continued his tricks. He borrowed a hat from a gentleman in the audience and extracted seventeen eggs from it. For thirty-five seconds, the audience thought that the conjuror was wonderful. Then the Quick Man whispered from the front row that he had a hen up his sleeve. The audience whispered that he had a lot of hens up his sleeve. Even his egg trick was ruined.

 

• It went on like this throughout. Whatever trick the conjuror performed, the Quick Man whispered that the magician had all the things hidden up his sleeve like several packs of cards, a loaf of bread, a doll’s cradle, a live guinea-pig, a fifty-cent piece, and a rocking chair.

 

• The reputation of the conjuror was sinking below zero. He decided to hit back. He used his imagination and announced that he would show the most famous Japanese trick now. This trick was invented by the natives of Tipperary.

 

• The conjuror requested the Quick Man to hand him his gold watch. It was passed to him. Then the conjuror with the Quick Man’s permission put the gold watch into the mortar and broke the watch into pieces with his sledge hammer. The Quick man whispered that he had slipped it up his sleeve. Next, the conjuror asked for the Quick Man’s handkerchief and with his permission punched holes in it. The Quick Man was fascinated by the mystery of the trick.

 

• In the same way, the conjuror asked the Quick Man to allow him to dance on his silk hat and crushed it under his feet beyond recognition. Then he burnt Quick Man’s celluloid collar and smashed his spectacles with his permission. The Quick Man had a puzzled expression on his face. He whispered that he was completely beaten by the last trick. He was not able to see through it a bit.

 

• The audience hushed. The conjuror gave the Quick Man a withering look and announced that if the Quick Man gave him further permission to paint green stripes on his overcoat or to tie his suspenders in a knot, he was ready to entertain the audience. If not, the show was over.

 

• The audience felt thrilled and left the show feeling that the conjuror showed some interesting tricks that were not done up his sleeve. The Quick Man or the audience were not able to realize that the conjuror was not performing the ‘trick’ but actually destroying his belongings. He was taking his revenge from the Quick Man for spoiling his magic show. Thus, the conjuror had the last laugh in the story.