The Rocking-horse Winner Summary and Explanation
CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Short Stories Chapter 3- The Rocking-horse Winner Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Woven Words Book
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CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Short Stories Chapter 3 – The Rocking-horse Winner
By D.H. Lawrence
The Rocking-Horse Winner is a short story by D.H. Lawrence about a young boy named Paul. Paul becomes fixated on luck and how it relates to getting money. His mother, Hester, is always worried about money and feels unlucky. This pressure leads Paul to try to prove he is lucky by betting on horse races.
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The Rocking-horse Winner Summary
The story centers around a young boy named Paul, who lives with his beautiful but emotionally distant mother, his handsome but ineffectual father, and his two sisters in a seemingly affluent household. However, the house is perpetually filled with an unspoken but palpable anxiety: “There must be more money! There must be more money!” This constant, almost sentient whisper of financial lack deeply affects the sensitive Paul.
Paul becomes acutely aware of his mother’s unhappiness and her belief that the family’s poverty stems from his father’s “lack of luck.” Driven by a desire to alleviate his mother’s distress and gain her love and approval, Paul becomes obsessed with finding this elusive “luck” that he believes will bring them wealth.
His peculiar method for discovering lucky racehorses involves his old, somewhat shabby rocking horse. In a state of intense concentration and almost feverish frenzy, Paul would ride the horse wildly, believing that as he reached a kind of ecstatic peak, the name of the winning horse would be revealed to him. This ritual is unsettling to his sisters and even prompts concern from the nurse.
Paul confides in Bassett, the young gardener who has a keen interest in horse racing, and his wealthy but somewhat detached Uncle Oscar. Bassett takes Paul’s pronouncements seriously, and they begin placing bets based on Paul’s “insights.” Initially, Paul’s predictions prove remarkably accurate, leading to significant winnings. Paul secretly gives the money to his uncle, who arranges for it to be given to Paul’s mother as a series of anonymous birthday gifts, hoping to ease her financial worries.
However, the influx of money does little to quell the insatiable need in the house. Instead, the whispers for more money intensify, driving Paul further into his obsessive pursuit of luck. He becomes increasingly strained and withdrawn, his health visibly deteriorating. His mother, though now receiving the money, remains emotionally distant and her desire for more only grows. She even tries to get the entire sum at once, revealing the depth of her financial anxiety and her inability to find contentment.
As the Derby approaches, Paul becomes fixated on a horse named Malabar. His riding of the rocking horse becomes more violent and desperate as he tries to reach the crucial “knowing.” Two nights before the Derby, his mother, attending a party, is overcome by a sudden and intense anxiety about Paul. She calls home and, reassured he is physically well, tries to dismiss her unease.
However, her anxiety persists, and when she and her husband return home late that night, she is drawn to Paul’s room. She finds him in a state of terrifying ecstasy, violently riding his rocking horse in the dark, shouting, “It’s Malabar! It’s Malabar!” The sudden intrusion of light causes him to collapse.
Paul falls into a coma with brain fever. In his delirious state, he continues to call out the names of horses, including Malabar. Uncle Oscar, despite his initial skepticism, is swayed by Paul’s conviction and Bassett’s belief, and he places a significant bet on Malabar, which wins at long odds, resulting in a substantial sum of money.
Bassett visits the dying Paul to tell him the news of Malabar’s victory and the immense amount of money he has won. In his final moments, Paul, still caught in his delusion, asks his mother if he is lucky, believing he has finally achieved what she desired.
Paul dies that night, having tragically sacrificed his health and ultimately his life in a desperate and misguided attempt to win his mother’s love and silence the insatiable demands of the house. The story concludes with Uncle Oscar’s grim reflection on the situation, noting the vast financial gain but the terrible loss of the boy, a “poor devil” who rode his rocking horse to death in his quest for a winner.
Summary of the Lesson The Rocking-horse Winner in Hindi
कहानी पॉल नाम के एक युवा लड़के के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है, जो अपनी सुंदर लेकिन भावनात्मक रूप से दूर माँ, अपने सुंदर लेकिन अप्रभावी पिता और अपनी दो बहनों के साथ एक समृद्ध घर में रहता है।हालाँकि, घर हमेशा एक अनकही लेकिन स्पष्ट चिंता से भरा रहता हैः “अधिक पैसा होना चाहिए! और भी पैसे होने चाहिए! “वित्तीय कमी की यह निरंतर, लगभग संवेदनशील फुसफुसाहट संवेदनशील पॉल को गहराई से प्रभावित करती है।
कहानी पॉल नाम के एक युवा लड़के के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है, जो अपनी सुंदर लेकिन भावनात्मक रूप से दूर माँ, अपने सुंदर लेकिन अप्रभावी पिता और अपनी दो बहनों के साथ एक समृद्ध घर में रहता है।हालाँकि, घर हमेशा एक अनकही लेकिन स्पष्ट चिंता से भरा रहता हैः “अधिक पैसा होना चाहिए! और भी पैसे होने चाहिए! “वित्तीय कमी की यह निरंतर, लगभग संवेदनशील फुसफुसाहट संवेदनशील पॉल को गहराई से प्रभावित करती है।
पॉल अपनी माँ की नाखुशी और उसके इस विश्वास से पूरी तरह से अवगत हो जाता है कि परिवार की गरीबी उसके पिता की “भाग्य की कमी” से उत्पन्न होती है।अपनी माँ के दुख को कम करने और उसके प्यार और अनुमोदन को प्राप्त करने की इच्छा से प्रेरित, पॉल इस मायावी “भाग्य” को खोजने के लिए जुनूनी हो जाता है जो उसे लगता है कि उनके लिए धन लाएगा।
पॉल अपनी माँ की नाखुशी और उसके इस विश्वास से पूरी तरह से अवगत हो जाता है कि परिवार की गरीबी उसके पिता की “भाग्य की कमी” से उत्पन्न होती है।अपनी माँ के दुख को कम करने और उसके प्यार और अनुमोदन को प्राप्त करने की इच्छा से प्रेरित, पॉल इस मायावी “भाग्य” को खोजने के लिए जुनूनी हो जाता है जो उसे लगता है कि उनके लिए धन लाएगा।
भाग्यशाली दौड़ घोड़ों की खोज के लिए उनकी अनूठी विधि में उनका पुराना, कुछ हद तक दुबला-पतला घोड़ा शामिल है।तीव्र एकाग्रता और लगभग उग्र उन्माद की स्थिति में, पॉल बेतहाशा घोड़े की सवारी करेगा, यह मानते हुए कि जैसे ही वह एक प्रकार की परमानंद की चोटी पर पहुंचेगा, उसे जीतने वाले घोड़े का नाम पता चल जाएगा।यह अनुष्ठान उसकी बहनों के लिए परेशान करने वाला है और यहां तक कि नर्स से भी चिंता पैदा करता है।
भाग्यशाली दौड़ घोड़ों की खोज के लिए उनकी अनूठी विधि में उनका पुराना, कुछ हद तक दुबला-पतला घोड़ा शामिल है।तीव्र एकाग्रता और लगभग उग्र उन्माद की स्थिति में, पॉल बेतहाशा घोड़े की सवारी करेगा, यह मानते हुए कि जैसे ही वह एक प्रकार की परमानंद की चोटी पर पहुंचेगा, उसे जीतने वाले घोड़े का नाम पता चल जाएगा।यह अनुष्ठान उसकी बहनों के लिए परेशान करने वाला है और यहां तक कि नर्स से भी चिंता पैदा करता है।
पॉल बैसेट, युवा माली, जिसे घुड़दौड़ में गहरी रुचि है, और उसके अमीर लेकिन कुछ हद तक अलग चाचा ऑस्कर पर भरोसा करता है।बैसेट पॉल की घोषणाओं को गंभीरता से लेते हैं, और वे पॉल की “अंतर्दृष्टि” के आधार पर दांव लगाना शुरू कर देते हैं।शुरू में, पॉल की भविष्यवाणियाँ उल्लेखनीय रूप से सटीक साबित होती हैं, जिससे महत्वपूर्ण जीत होती है।पॉल गुप्त रूप से अपने चाचा को पैसे देता है, जो पॉल की माँ को उसकी वित्तीय चिंताओं को कम करने की उम्मीद में गुमनाम जन्मदिन के उपहारों की एक श्रृंखला के रूप में देने की व्यवस्था करता है।
पॉल बैसेट, युवा माली, जिसे घुड़दौड़ में गहरी रुचि है, और उसके अमीर लेकिन कुछ हद तक अलग चाचा ऑस्कर पर भरोसा करता है।बैसेट पॉल की घोषणाओं को गंभीरता से लेते हैं, और वे पॉल की “अंतर्दृष्टि” के आधार पर दांव लगाना शुरू कर देते हैं।शुरू में, पॉल की भविष्यवाणियाँ उल्लेखनीय रूप से सटीक साबित होती हैं, जिससे महत्वपूर्ण जीत होती है।पॉल गुप्त रूप से अपने चाचा को पैसे देता है, जो पॉल की माँ को उसकी वित्तीय चिंताओं को कम करने की उम्मीद में गुमनाम जन्मदिन के उपहारों की एक श्रृंखला के रूप में देने की व्यवस्था करता है।
हालाँकि, पैसे का प्रवाह घर में अतृप्त आवश्यकता को कम करने के लिए बहुत कम करता है।इसके बजाय, अधिक पैसे के लिए फुसफुसाहट तेज हो जाती है, जिससे पॉल भाग्य की अपनी जुनूनी खोज में आगे बढ़ जाता है।वह तेजी से तनावग्रस्त हो जाता है और पीछे हट जाता है, उसका स्वास्थ्य स्पष्ट रूप से बिगड़ता जा रहा है।उसकी माँ, हालांकि अब पैसे प्राप्त कर रही है, भावनात्मक रूप से दूर रहती है और उसकी और अधिक की इच्छा बढ़ती ही जा रही है।वह अपनी वित्तीय चिंता की गहराई और संतुष्टि पाने में असमर्थता का खुलासा करते हुए एक बार में पूरी राशि प्राप्त करने की भी कोशिश करती है।
हालाँकि, पैसे का प्रवाह घर में अतृप्त आवश्यकता को कम करने के लिए बहुत कम करता है।इसके बजाय, अधिक पैसे के लिए फुसफुसाहट तेज हो जाती है, जिससे पॉल भाग्य की अपनी जुनूनी खोज में आगे बढ़ जाता है।वह तेजी से तनावग्रस्त हो जाता है और पीछे हट जाता है, उसका स्वास्थ्य स्पष्ट रूप से बिगड़ता जा रहा है।उसकी माँ, हालांकि अब पैसे प्राप्त कर रही है, भावनात्मक रूप से दूर रहती है और उसकी और अधिक की इच्छा बढ़ती ही जा रही है।वह अपनी वित्तीय चिंता की गहराई और संतुष्टि पाने में असमर्थता का खुलासा करते हुए एक बार में पूरी राशि प्राप्त करने की भी कोशिश करती है।
जैसे ही डर्बी आती है, पॉल मालाबार नाम के घोड़े पर बैठ जाता है।जैसे-जैसे वह महत्वपूर्ण “ज्ञान” तक पहुँचने की कोशिश करता है, उसकी लड़खड़ाते हुए घोड़े की सवारी अधिक हिंसक और हताश हो जाती है।डर्बी से दो रात पहले, उसकी माँ, एक पार्टी में भाग लेती है, पॉल के बारे में अचानक और तीव्र चिंता से उबर जाती है।वह घर फोन करती है और आश्वस्त करती है कि वह शारीरिक रूप से ठीक है, उसकी बेचैनी को दूर करने की कोशिश करती है।
जैसे ही डर्बी आती है, पॉल मालाबार नाम के घोड़े पर बैठ जाता है।जैसे-जैसे वह महत्वपूर्ण “ज्ञान” तक पहुँचने की कोशिश करता है, उसकी लड़खड़ाते हुए घोड़े की सवारी अधिक हिंसक और हताश हो जाती है।डर्बी से दो रात पहले, उसकी माँ, एक पार्टी में भाग लेती है, पॉल के बारे में अचानक और तीव्र चिंता से उबर जाती है।वह घर फोन करती है और आश्वस्त करती है कि वह शारीरिक रूप से ठीक है, उसकी बेचैनी को दूर करने की कोशिश करती है।
हालाँकि, उसकी चिंता बनी रहती है, और जब वह और उसका पति उस रात देर से घर लौटते हैं, तो वह पॉल के कमरे की ओर खींची जाती है।वह उसे भयानक परमानंद की स्थिति में पाती है, अंधेरे में हिंसक रूप से अपने हिलते हुए घोड़े पर सवार होकर चिल्लाती है, “यह मालाबार है!यह मालाबार है! “प्रकाश के अचानक घुसने से वह गिर जाता है।
हालाँकि, उसकी चिंता बनी रहती है, और जब वह और उसका पति उस रात देर से घर लौटते हैं, तो वह पॉल के कमरे की ओर खींची जाती है।वह उसे भयानक परमानंद की स्थिति में पाती है, अंधेरे में हिंसक रूप से अपने हिलते हुए घोड़े पर सवार होकर चिल्लाती है, “यह मालाबार है!यह मालाबार है! “प्रकाश के अचानक घुसने से वह गिर जाता है।
पॉल मस्तिष्क ज्वर के साथ कोमा में चला जाता है।अपनी उन्मादी अवस्था में, वह मालाबार सहित घोड़ों के नाम पुकारना जारी रखता है।चाचा ऑस्कर, अपने शुरुआती संदेह के बावजूद, पॉल के दृढ़ विश्वास और बैसेट के विश्वास से प्रभावित होते हैं, और वह मालाबार पर एक महत्वपूर्ण दांव लगाते हैं, जो लंबी बाधाओं पर जीतता है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप पर्याप्त राशि मिलती है।
पॉल मस्तिष्क ज्वर के साथ कोमा में चला जाता है।अपनी उन्मादी अवस्था में, वह मालाबार सहित घोड़ों के नाम पुकारना जारी रखता है।चाचा ऑस्कर, अपने शुरुआती संदेह के बावजूद, पॉल के दृढ़ विश्वास और बैसेट के विश्वास से प्रभावित होते हैं, और वह मालाबार पर एक महत्वपूर्ण दांव लगाते हैं, जो लंबी बाधाओं पर जीतता है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप पर्याप्त राशि मिलती है।
बैसेट मरने वाले पॉल से मिलने जाता है और उसे मालाबार की जीत और उसके द्वारा जीती गई अपार राशि की खबर बताता है।अपने अंतिम क्षणों में, पॉल, जो अभी भी अपने भ्रम में फंसा हुआ है, अपनी माँ से पूछता है कि क्या वह भाग्यशाली है, यह मानते हुए कि उसने आखिरकार वह हासिल कर लिया है जो वह चाहती थी।
बैसेट मरने वाले पॉल से मिलने जाता है और उसे मालाबार की जीत और उसके द्वारा जीती गई अपार राशि की खबर बताता है।अपने अंतिम क्षणों में, पॉल, जो अभी भी अपने भ्रम में फंसा हुआ है, अपनी माँ से पूछता है कि क्या वह भाग्यशाली है, यह मानते हुए कि उसने आखिरकार वह हासिल कर लिया है जो वह चाहती थी।
पॉल उस रात मर जाता है, उसने अपनी माँ का प्यार जीतने और घर की अतृप्त मांगों को चुप कराने के हताश और गुमराह प्रयास में दुखद रूप से अपने स्वास्थ्य और अंततः अपने जीवन का त्याग कर दिया।कहानी का समापन स्थिति पर चाचा ऑस्कर के गंभीर प्रतिबिंब के साथ होता है, जिसमें विशाल वित्तीय लाभ पर ध्यान दिया जाता है, लेकिन लड़के के भयानक नुकसान पर ध्यान दिया जाता है, एक “गरीब शैतान” जो एक विजेता की खोज में अपने लड़खड़ाते घोड़े पर सवार होकर मर जाता है।
पॉल उस रात मर जाता है, उसने अपनी माँ का प्यार जीतने और घर की अतृप्त मांगों को चुप कराने के हताश और गुमराह प्रयास में दुखद रूप से अपने स्वास्थ्य और अंततः अपने जीवन का त्याग कर दिया।कहानी का समापन स्थिति पर चाचा ऑस्कर के गंभीर प्रतिबिंब के साथ होता है, जिसमें विशाल वित्तीय लाभ पर ध्यान दिया जाता है, लेकिन लड़के के भयानक नुकसान पर ध्यान दिया जाता है, एक “गरीब शैतान” जो एक विजेता की खोज में अपने लड़खड़ाते घोड़े पर सवार होकर मर जाता है।
Theme of the Lesson The Rocking-Horse Winner
The Destructive Nature of Materialism
D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-horse Winner” tells a powerful story that explores several important themes. One major theme is the harmful effects of materialism. The family’s constant craving for money, driven by the house’s persistent “whispering,” creates a tense environment and emotional neglect. The mother’s preoccupation with wealth prevents her from loving her children, showing how the quest for money can damage real connections between people.
Obsession and its Consequences
The story also examines obsession and its effects. Paul feels a desperate need to bring “luck” to his mother and make her happy, which turns into a dangerous obsession with predicting winning racehorses. His intense rocking becomes a ritual that drains his energy and ultimately harms his health. This shows how focusing too much on one goal can lead to serious consequences.
Distorted Perception of Luck
Lawrence highlights a distorted view of luck. Paul thinks luck is something he can control through his rocking horse, which is both childish and tragic. This misunderstanding contrasts with the idea that luck is a matter of chance. It shows how the family’s worries influence Paul’s developing mind. He believes that luck is the key to solving their problems and feels pressured to deliver it.
Emotional Neglect and its Impact
The story also critiques emotional neglect and its deep impact on children. Paul’s desire for his mother’s love drives him to desperate actions. Her distance and obsession with wealth leave him feeling invisible and unloved, prompting him to seek approval through his ability to earn money. His tragic end highlights the severe consequences of unmet emotional needs during childhood.
Supernatural and Psychological
The story ‘The Rocking-Horse Winner’ hints at both the supernatural and psychological aspects. The house’s “whispering” can represent both the family’s worries and Paul’s internal struggles. His ability to predict winning horses blurs the line between reality and illusion, emphasizing the mental toll of his obsession.
The Rocking-Horse Winner Lesson Explanation
Passage: There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck. She married for love and love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet, she felt they had been thrust upon her and she could not love them. They looked at her coldly as if they were finding fault with her. And hurriedly she felt she must cover up some fault in herself. Yet what it was that she must cover up she never knew. Nevertheless, when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard. This troubled her and, in her manner, she was all the more gentle and anxious for her children as if she loved them very much. Only she herself knew that at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: ‘She is such a good mother. She adores her children.’ Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They read it in each other’s eyes.
There were a boy and two little girls. They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighbourhood.
Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money.
The mother had a small income and the father had a small income but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these prospects never materialised. There was always the grinding sense of the shortage of money though the style was always kept up.
Word meanings
Turned to dust: to be reduced to nothing, to lose all value or significance, or to be completely destroyed
Bonny: Attractive and healthy-looking
Thrust upon: Forced or imposed on someone unwillingly.
Cover up: To prevent people from discovering something dishonorable or criminal.
Go hard: To become emotionally hardened or unfeeling.
Discreet: Careful and circumspect in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or attracting undue attention.
Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Keep up: To maintain a certain standard or level, especially of expenditure or social position.
Good prospects: Likely chances for future success or improvement.
Materialised: Became real or actual; happened.
Grinding: Oppressive or relentless; causing weariness or distress.
Explanation of the above passage—A woman existed who was pretty, who began with all the good things, but still she had no good fortune. She got married because of love, and that love became nothing. She had pretty children, but she felt like they had been forced on her, and she could not feel love for them. They looked at her in a cold way, as if they were finding something wrong with her. And quickly, she felt she needed to hide some fault in herself. But she never knew what it was that she needed to hide. However, when her children were around, she always felt the middle of her heart become tough. This bothered her, and the way she acted was even more kind and worried about her children, as if she loved them a lot. Only she knew that in the middle of her heart was a small, hard spot that could not feel love for anyone. People said about her that she is such a good mother and loves her children very much. Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew that this was not true. They could see the absence of love in each other’s eyes.
There was a male child and two young female children. They stayed in a nice house, with a yard, and they had quiet helpers, and they thought they were better than everyone else nearby.
Even though they lived in a fancy way, they always felt worried in the house. There was never enough money.
The mother and father had a little money coming in, but it was not nearly enough for the important social level they had to maintain. The father went to the city to work. But even though he had good chances for the future, these chances never actually happened. There was always a constant feeling of not having enough money, even though they always kept up their fancy lifestyle.
Passage: At last the mother said: ‘I will see if I can’t make something.’ But she did not know where to begin. She racked her brains, and tried this thing and the other but could not find anything successful. The failure made deep lines come into her face. Her children were growing up; they would have to go to school. There must be more money, there must be more money. The father, who was always very handsome and expensive in his tastes, seemed as if he never would be able to do anything worth doing. And the mother, who had a great belief in herself, did not succeed any better, and her tastes were just as expensive.
And so the house came to be haunted by the unspoken phrase: ‘There must be more money! There must be more money!’ The children could hear it all the time, though nobody said it aloud. They heard it at Christmas, when expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery. Behind the shining modern rocking-horse, behind the smart doll’s house, a voice would start whispering: ‘There must be more money! There must be more money!’ And the children would stop playing, to listen for a moment. They would look into each other’s eyes to see if they had all heard. And each one saw in the eyes of the other two that they too had heard. ‘There must be more money! There must be more money!’
It came whispering from the springs of the still-swaying rocking-horse and even the horse, bending his wooden, champing head, heard it. The big doll, sitting so pink and smirking in her new pram, could hear it quite plainly and seemed to be smirking all the more self-consciously because of it. The foolish puppy, too, that took the place of the teddy-bear, he was looking so extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that he heard the secret whisper all over the house: ‘There must be more money!’
Yet nobody ever said it aloud. The whisper was everywhere and therefore no one spoke it. Just as no one ever says ‘we are breathing’ in spite of the fact that breath is coming and going all the time.
Word meanings
Racked her brains: Made a great effort to think of or remember something.
Splendid: magnificent; very impressive.
Nursery: a room in a house for the special use of young children.
Champing: Making a noisy chewing sound, often repeatedly. It can also describe the action of a horse moving its jaws and biting on the bit.
Smirking: Smiling in a silly or unpleasant way that shows that you are pleased with yourself, or with someone else’s bad luck.
Pram: A four-wheeled carriage for a baby, pushed by a person walking. (Also known as a stroller or baby carriage in some regions).
Explanation of the above passage—Finally, the mother said that she would try to make some money. But she didn’t know where to start. She thought very hard and tried different things, but she couldn’t find anything that worked well. Because she kept failing, lines appeared on her face out of worry. Her children were getting older; they would need to go to school. There needed to be more money, there needed to be more money. The father, who was always good-looking and liked expensive things, seemed like he would never be able to do anything useful. And the mother, who really believed in her own abilities, didn’t do any better, and she liked expensive things just as much.
And so, the house became filled with the feeling of the repetitive words that no one said out loud that they need more money. The children could hear it all the time, even though no one actually spoke it. They heard it at Christmas, when expensive and fancy toys filled their playroom. Behind the shiny, new rocking horse, behind the nice dollhouse, a quiet voice would start saying in repetition that they need more money. And the children would stop playing for a moment to listen. They would look at each other to see if they had all heard it. And each child saw in the others’ eyes that they had heard it too, the voice that said they needed more money.
The quiet voice in repetition that they need more money came in from the springs of the rocking horse that was still moving back and forth. Even the horse bending its wooden head looking like it was chewing, heard it. The pink big doll with a fake smile sitting in her new stroller, could hear it clearly and seemed to be smiling more in a way that showed she knew something because of it. The silly looking little dog toy, which was now where the teddy bear used to be also heard quiet voices all over the house that they needed more money.
Yet, no one ever said it out loud. The quiet voice was everywhere but no one spoke about it, like how no one ever says they are breathing even though they are always breathing in and out.
Passage: ‘Mother,’ said the boy Paul one day, ‘why don’t we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use uncle’s, or else a taxi?’
‘Because we’re the poor members of the family,’ said the mother.
‘But why are we, mother?’
‘Well—I suppose,’ she said slowly and bitterly, ‘it’s because your father has no luck.’
The boy was silent for some time.
‘Is luck money, mother?’ he asked, rather timidly.
‘No, Paul, not quite. It’s what causes you to have money.’
‘Oh!’, said Paul vaguely. ‘I thought when Uncle Oscar said filthy lucre, it meant money.’
‘Filthy lucre does mean money,’ said the mother. ‘But it’s lucre, not luck.’
‘Oh,’ said the boy. ‘Then what is luck, mother?’
‘It’s what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money.’
‘Oh! Will you? And is father not lucky?’
‘Very unlucky, I should say,’ she said bitterly.
The boy watched her with unsure eyes.
‘Why?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know. Nobody ever knows why one person is lucky and another unlucky.’
‘Do they? Nobody at all? Does nobody know?’
‘Perhaps God. But He never tells.’
‘He ought to, then. And aren’t you lucky either, mother?’
‘I can’t be, if I married an unlucky husband.’
‘But by yourself, aren’t you?’
‘I used to think I was, before I married. Now I think I am very unlucky indeed.’
‘Why?’
‘Well—never mind! Perhaps I’m not really,’ she said. The child looked at her to see if she meant it. But he saw, by the lines of her mouth, that she was only trying to hide something from him.
‘Well, anyhow,’ he said stoutly, ‘I’m a lucky person.’
‘Why?’ said his mother, with a sudden laugh.
He stared at her. He didn’t even know why he had said it.
‘God told me,’ he asserted, brazening it out.
‘I hope He did, dear,’ she said, again with a laugh, but rather bitter.
‘He did, mother!’
‘Excellent!’ said the mother, using one of her husband’s exclamations.
Word meanings
Timidly: in a manner that shows a lack of courage or confidence.
Vaguely:in a way that is uncertain, indefinite or unclear; roughly.
Filthy lucre: Money obtained in a dishonorable way; ill-gotten gains. It often carries a negative connotation, suggesting the money is tainted or morally questionable.
Stoutly: With courage and determination; firmly. It implies a resolute or bold manner of speaking or acting.
Asserted: Stated a fact or belief confidently and forcefully. It means to declare something as true.
Brazening it out: To face a difficult or embarrassing situation with bold confidence or defiance, often when one is in the wrong or knows they are lying. It implies a shameless or impudent way of carrying oneself.
Exclamations: a sudden cry or remark expressing surprise, strong emotion, or pain.
Explanation of the above passage— One day, the boy Paul asked his mother why they didn’t own a car and always had to use their uncle’s or a taxi. His mother replied that it was because they were the poor relatives in the family. When he asked why they were poor, his mother said slowly and sadly that it was because his father had no luck.
The boy was quiet for a while before asking timidly if luck was the same as money. His mother explained that it wasn’t exactly money, but it was what made people have money. Paul then mentioned that he thought “filthy lucre,” a term Uncle Oscar used, meant money. His mother confirmed that it did mean money, but it was “lucre,” not “luck.” Paul then asked what luck was, and his mother repeated that it was what caused people to have money, explaining that lucky people have money and that being born lucky was better than being born rich because rich people could lose their money, but lucky people would always get more.
Paul then asked if his father wasn’t lucky. His mother replied bitterly that he was very unlucky. The boy watched her with uncertain eyes and asked why. She said she didn’t know, and that nobody ever knew why some people were lucky and others weren’t. Paul questioned if absolutely nobody knew, and his mother suggested that perhaps God knew, but he never told. Paul thought God should tell them and then asked if his mother wasn’t lucky either. She said she couldn’t be if she had married an unlucky husband. When he asked if she was lucky by herself, she said she used to think so before she got married, but now she thought she was very unlucky. When he asked why, she hesitated and then said never mind, maybe she wasn’t really unlucky. The child looked at her to see if she meant it, but he could tell from her mouth that she was trying to hide something.
Anyway, the boy declared confidently that he was a lucky person. His mother laughed suddenly and asked why. He stared at her, not even knowing why he had said it. He then asserted boldly that God had told him. His mother laughed again, but with a hint of bitterness, and said she hoped he had. Paul insisted that he had, and his mother exclaimed “Excellent!” using one of her husband’s expressions.
Passage: The boy saw she did not believe him; or rather, that she paid no attention to his assertion. This angered him somewhat and made him want to compel her attention.
He went off by himself, vaguely, in a childish way, seeking for the clue to ‘luck’. Absorbed, taking no heed of other people, he went about with a sort of stealth, seeking inwardly for luck. He wanted luck. He wanted it, he wanted it. When the two girls were playing dolls in the nursery, he would sit on his big rocking-horse, charging madly into space, with a frenzy that made the little girls peer at him uneasily. Wildly the horse careered. The waving dark hair of the boy tossed, his eyes had a strange glare in them. The little girls dared not speak to him.
When he had ridden to the end of his mad little journey, he climbed down and stood in front of his rocking-horse, staring fixedly into its lowered face. Its red mouth was slightly open, its big eye was wide and glassy-bright.
‘Now!’ he would silently command the snorting steed. ‘Now, take me to where there is luck. Now take me!’
And he would slash the horse on the neck with the little whip he had asked Uncle Oscar for. He knew the horse could take him to where there was luck if only he forced it. So he would mount again and start on his furious ride, hoping at last to get there. He knew he could get there.
Word meanings
Compel: To force or oblige someone to do something.
Heed: To pay attention to; take notice of.
Stealth: Secret, cautious, or surreptitious action or movement.
Charging into: To rush quickly and perhaps haphazardly into a room, building, or other space
Frenzy: A state of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior.
Peer: look with difficulty or concentration at someone or something.
Careered: Moved swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction.
Slash: lash, whip, or thrash.
Steed: a horse being ridden or available for riding.
Mount: To get on or climb onto (something, especially a horse or bicycle).
Furious: Extremely angry.
Explanation of the above passage—The boy noticed that his mother didn’t believe him or, more accurately, that she wasn’t paying any attention to what he said. This made him a bit angry and he wanted to make her listen to him.
He went off alone, in a vague, childlike way, trying to figure out what “luck” was. He was so focused on this that he didn’t notice other people. He moved around quietly, searching inside himself for luck. He really wanted luck. When his two sisters were playing with their dolls in the playroom, he would sit on his big rocking horse and ride it very fast, as if moving forward into nothing. He rode with such wild energy that his little sisters would look at him nervously. The horse moved wildly. The boy’s dark hair flew around, and his eyes looked strange and bright. His sisters were afraid to talk to him.
When he finished his fast, short ride, he would get off and stand in front of his rocking horse, staring hard at its head, which was pointing down. Its red mouth was a little open, and its big eye was wide and shiny.
Then, he would silently tell the snorting toy horse to take him to the place where there was luck.
And he would hit the horse on its neck with the small whip he had asked Uncle Oscar for. He believed the horse could take him to where luck was if he just made it. So, he would get back on and start his angry ride again, hoping to finally arrive there. He was sure he could get there.
Passage: ‘You’ll break your horse, Paul!’ said the nurse.
‘He’s always riding like that, I wish he’d leave off ’, said his sister, Joan.
But he only glared down on them in silence. Nurse gave him up. She could make nothing of him. Anyhow, he was growing beyond her.
One day his mother and his Uncle Oscar came in when he was on one of his furious rides. He did not speak to them. ‘Hello, you young jockey! Riding a winner?’ said his uncle.
‘Aren’t you growing too big for a rocking-horse? You’re not a very little boy any longer, you know,’ said his mother.
But Paul only gave a blue glare from his big, rather close-set eyes. He would speak to nobody when he was in full tilt. His mother watched him with an anxious expression on her face.
At last he suddenly stopped forcing his horse into the mechanical gallop and slid down.
‘Well, I got there,’ he announced fiercely, his blue eyes still flaring and his sturdy long legs straddling apart.
‘Where did you get to?’ asked his mother.
‘Where I wanted to go,’ he flared back at her.
‘That’s right, son!’ said Uncle Oscar, ‘Don’t you stop till you get there. What’s the horse’s name?’
‘He doesn’t have a name,’ said the boy.
‘Gets on without all right?’ asked the uncle.
‘Well, he has different names. He was called Sansovino last week.’
‘Sansovino, eh? Won the Ascot. How did you know his name?’
‘He always talks about horse-races with Bassett,’ said Joan.
Word meanings
Glared: Looked at someone or something in an angry or hostile way.
Gave him up: Stopped trying to do something or achieve something
Make nothing of him: disregarding someone or failing to understand them.
Going beyond her: Moving beyond her influence or control
Close set eyes: eyes are positioned closer together than what is typically considered average or wide-set.
Tilt: a state of intense activity, energy, or excitement, often to the point of being overwhelmed or single-minded
Mechanical: done without thought or spontaneity; automatic.
Gallop: (Of a horse or other quadruped) move at its fastest pace, using all four limbs in such a way that all are off the ground at some point in each stride.
Slid down: to move downwards along a surface in a smooth, gliding motion.
Fiercely: In a savagely violent or aggressive way.
Sturdy: Strongly and firmly built; robust.
Straddling apart: Standing or sitting with the legs wide apart.
Flared back: Replied in a sudden, angry, or aggressive way.
Explanation of the above passage— The nurse told the boy, Paul, that he would break his horse. His sister, Joan, said that he was always riding like that and wished he would stop. But he just looked down at them silently with an angry stare. The nurse gave up on him because she couldn’t understand him, and also because he was getting too old for her to manage.
One day, his mother and his Uncle Oscar came in while he was riding his rocking horse very fast. He didn’t talk to them. His uncle greeted him, calling him a young jockey and asking if he was riding a winner. His mother commented that he was getting too big for a rocking horse and wasn’t a very little boy anymore. But Paul just looked at them with a cold, blue stare from his big eyes that were close together. Paul’s eyes represent his dreams, his passion and the futility of his attempts to get luck for his mother. He wouldn’t speak to anyone when he was riding full speed. His mother watched him with a worried look on her face.
Finally, he stopped pushing his horse to move mechanically and got off. He announced fiercely that he had arrived, his blue eyes still shining brightly and his strong, long legs spread apart. His mother asked where he had arrived. He snapped back that he had arrived where he wanted to go. His Uncle Oscar agreed, telling him not to stop until he got there and asking what the horse’s name was. The boy said the horse didn’t have a name. His uncle asked if it managed alright without one. The boy replied that it had different names and that last week it was called Sansovino. His uncle, surprised that it was the name of a horse that had won the Ascot race, asked how he knew its name. Joan explained that he always talked about horse races with Bassett.
Passage: The uncle was delighted to find that his small nephew was posted with all the racing news. Bassett, the young gardener, who had been wounded in the left foot in the war and had got his present job through Oscar Cresswell whose batman he had been, was a perfect blade of the ‘turf’. He lived in the racing events, and the small boy lived with him.
Oscar Cresswell got it all from Bassett.
‘Master Paul comes and asks me so I can’t do more than tell him, sir,’ said Bassett, his face terribly serious, as if he were speaking of religious matters.
‘And does he ever put anything on a horse he fancies?’ ‘Well—I don’t want to give him away—he’s a young sport, a fine sport, sir. Would you mind asking himself? He sort of takes a pleasure in it and perhaps he’d feel I was giving him away, sir, if you don’t mind.’
Bassett was serious as a church.
The uncle went back to his nephew and took him off for a ride in the car.
‘Say, Paul, old man, do you ever put anything on a horse?’ the uncle asked.
The boy watched the handsome man closely.
‘Why, do you think I oughtn’t to?’ he parried.
‘Not a bit of it! I thought perhaps you might give me a tip for the Lincoln.’
Word meanings
Delighted: Feeling or showing great pleasure.
Batman: (chiefly British, historical) An officer’s personal servant in the armed forces. In the context of the story, it refers to Bassett having served Uncle Oscar in this capacity during the war.
Blade: While “blade” can mean a sharp edge or a leaf of grass, here it’s used in a more figurative sense. Think of it as someone who is perfectly suited to, knowledgeable about, and integrated into the “turf.”
Turf: In this context, “turf” refers to the racecourse or the world of horse racing.
Blade of the Turf: Bassett is likely to know the horses, the jockeys, the form, and all the intricacies of the sport. He isn’t an outsider or a novice.
Fancies: regard (a horse, team, or player) as a likely winner.
Gave him away: betrayed someone
Serious as church: extremely serious, solemn, or grave.
parried: answer (a question or accusation) evasively.
Explanation of the above passage—The uncle was happy to find out that his young nephew knew all the latest news about horse racing. Bassett, the young gardener who had hurt his left foot in the war and got his current job through Oscar Cresswell, whose helper he had been in the army, was very knowledgeable about horse racing. Bassett was always thinking about racing events, and the little boy (Paul) spent a lot of time with him.
Oscar Cresswell learned everything about racing from Bassett. Bassett said to Uncle Oscar very seriously, as if it were a religious topic, that Master Paul came and asked him, so he couldn’t help but tell him things. When asked if Paul ever bet on a horse he liked, Bassett hesitated, saying he didn’t want to reveal Paul’s secret, as he was a young and fine sportsman. He suggested that the uncle ask Paul himself, as Paul enjoyed it and might feel Bassett was betraying him if he told the uncle. Bassett was very serious about this.
The uncle then went back to his nephew and took him for a drive in the car. He asked Paul if he ever bet on horses. The boy looked closely at his handsome uncle and asked why he would think he shouldn’t bet on the horses. The uncle replied that he didn’t think he shouldn’t bet on the horses at all, and that he was wondering if Paul could give him a tip for the Lincoln race.
Passage: The car sped on into the country, going down to Uncle Oscar’s place in Hampshire.
‘Honour bright?’ said the nephew.
‘Honour bright, son!’ said the uncle.
‘Well, then, Daffodil.’
‘Daffodil! I doubt it, sonny. What about Mirza?’
‘I only know the winner,’ said the boy. ‘That’s Daffodil.’
‘Daffodil, eh?’
There was a pause. Daffodil was an obscure horse comparatively.
‘Uncle!’
‘Yes, son?’
‘You won’t let it go any further, will you? I promised Bassett.’
‘Bassett be damned, old man! What’s he got to do with it?’
‘We’re partners. We’ve been partners from the first. Uncle, he lent me my first five shillings which I lost. I promised him. Honour bright, it was only between me and him; only you gave me that ten-shilling note I started winning with so I thought you were lucky. You won’t let it go any further, will you?’
The boy gazed at his uncle from those big, hot, blue eyes, set rather close together. The uncle stirred and laughed uneasily.
‘Right you are, son! I’ll keep your tip private. Daffodil, eh? How much are you putting on him?’
‘All except twenty pounds,’ said the boy. ‘I keep that in reserve.’
The uncle thought it a good joke.
‘You keep twenty pounds in reserve, do you, you young romancer? What are you betting, then?’
I’m betting three hundred,’ said the boy gravely. ‘But it’s between you and me Uncle Oscar! Honour bright?’
Word meanings
Sped on: something continued moving quickly, often forward
Going down: a downward movement
obscure: hidden
sonny: used by an older person as a familiar form of address for a young boy.
damned: condemned
shillings: a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence.
Stirred: arouse strong feelings in (someone); move or excite.
tip: predict as likely to win or achieve something.
reserve: retain for future use.
romancer: storyteller
gravely: seriously
Explanation of the above passage—The car drove into the countryside, heading to Uncle Oscar’s place in Hampshire. The nephew asked if he promised to keep it a secret. The uncle assured him that he did. So, the nephew said “Daffodil.” The uncle expressed doubt, suggesting Mirza instead. But the boy insisted he only knew the winner, which was Daffodil. The uncle repeated “Daffodil” with surprise.
There was a pause, as Daffodil was not a well-known horse. Then the nephew called out to his uncle, interrupting his thoughts, to which his uncle replied. The nephew asked if his uncle wouldn’t tell anyone else, because Paul had promised Bassett. His uncle dismissed Bassett, asking what he had to do with it. The nephew explained that they were partners and had been from the beginning. He reminded his uncle that Bassett had lent him his first five shillings, which he had lost, and that he had promised Bassett to keep their betting a secret. He added that the ten-shilling note his uncle had given him was what he started winning with, so he thought his uncle was lucky. He repeated his request that his uncle wouldn’t tell anyone.
The boy looked intently at his uncle with his big, bright blue eyes that were close together. The uncle shifted uncomfortably and laughed nervously. He agreed to keep the tip private, repeating “Daffodil”. He then asked how much Paul was betting on the horse. The boy replied that he was betting everything except twenty pounds, which he was keeping as a reserve.
The uncle thought this was funny. He asked if Paul, this young dreamer, really kept twenty pounds in reserve and then asked how much he was actually betting. The boy said seriously that he was betting three hundred pounds, but it was just between him and Uncle Oscar, and he asked for his uncle’s word of honor.
Passage: The uncle burst into a roar of laughter.
‘It’s between you and me all right, you young Nat Gould,’ he said, laughing. ‘But where’s your three hundred?’
‘Bassett keeps it for me. We’re partners.’
‘You are, are you? And what is Bassett putting on Daffodil?’
‘He won’t go quite as high as I do, I expect. Perhaps he’ll go a hundred and fifty.’
‘What pennies?’ laughed the uncle.
‘Pounds,’ said the child, with a surprised look at his uncle.
‘Bassett keeps a bigger reserve than I do.’ Between wonder and amusement, Uncle Oscar was silent. He pursued that matter no further but he determined to take his nephew with him to the Lincoln races.
‘Now, son,’ he said, ‘I’m putting twenty on Mirza and I’ll put five on for you on any horse you fancy. What’s your pick?’
‘Daffodil, uncle.’
‘No, not the fiver on Daffodil.’
‘I should if it was my own fiver,’ said the child.
‘Good! Good! Right you are! A fiver for me and a fiver for you on Daffodil.’
Word meanings
Roar of laughter: A loud, unrestrained outburst of amusement.
Pennies: a British bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound.
Pounds: the basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence.
amusement: the state or experience of finding something funny.
Pursued: to follow someone or something
Fancy: To have a liking or preference for (something). In the context of betting, it means to believe a particular horse will win.
Fiver: (British slang) A five-pound note (£5).
Explanation of the above passage— The uncle burst out laughing, calling him a young Nat Gould (a writer of racing novels) and saying it was definitely between them. He then asked where the three hundred pounds was. Paul explained that Bassett was keeping it for him because they were partners. The uncle asked if they were, and then asked how much Bassett was betting on Daffodil. Paul guessed that Bassett wouldn’t bet as much as him, maybe around a hundred and fifty pounds. The uncle laughed, questioned him if the amount was in pennies. Paul looked surprised and corrected him, saying “Pounds,” and added that Bassett kept a bigger reserve than he did. Between amazement and amusement, Uncle Oscar was silent. He didn’t ask any more questions about it but decided to take his nephew to the Lincoln races with him.
Then, the uncle told Paul that he was betting twenty pounds on Mirza and would also bet five pounds for Paul on any horse he liked. He asked Paul to choose his pick. Paul chose Daffodil. The uncle said no, not the five pounds on Daffodil. The boy replied that he would if it were his own five pounds. The uncle agreed, saying good, and decided to bet five pounds for himself and five pounds for Paul on Daffodil.
Passage: The child had never been to a race-meeting before, and his eyes were blue fire. He pursed his mouth tight and watched. A Frenchman, just in front, had put his money on Lancelot. Wild with excitement, he flayed his arms up and down, yelling ‘Lancelot! Lancelot!’ in his French accent. Daffodil came in first, Lancelot second, Mirza third. The child, flushed and with eyes blazing, was curiously serene. His uncle brought him four five-pound notes, four to one.
‘What am I to do with these?’ he cried, waving them before the boy’s eyes.
“I suppose we’ll talk to Bassett,’ said the boy. ‘I expect I have fifteen hundred now and twenty in reserve; and this twenty.’
His uncle studied him for some moments.
‘Look here, son!’ he said, ‘You’re not serious about Bassett and that fIfteen hundred, are you?’
‘Yes, I am. But it’s between you and me, uncle. Honour bright?’
‘Honour bright all right, son! But I must talk to Bassett.’
‘If you’d like to be a partner, uncle, with Bassett and me, we could all be partners. Only, you’d have to promise, Honour bright, uncle, not to let it go beyond us three. Bassett and I are lucky, and you must be lucky, because it was your ten shillings I started winning with…’
Word meanings
Pursed: (of lips) tightly compressed and narrowed, typically expressing disapproval or concentration.
Flayed his arms: a person is moving their arms in a rapid, energetic, and sometimes uncontrolled way, often like a thrashing or flapping motion
accent: a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class.
Yelling: shouting loudly, typically to express strong emotion or to attract attention.
Flushed: (of a person’s face) red and hot, typically as a result of illness or strong emotion.
Blazing: burning fiercely or brightly; also used figuratively to describe eyes shining intensely with emotion.
Serene: calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil.
Explanation of the above passage—The boy was seeing a horse race for the first time, and his eyes were full of excitement. He closed his mouth tightly and watched carefully. A French man standing just in front of him had bet on a horse named Lancelot. He was very excited and moved his arms up and down, shouting “Lancelot! Lancelot!” in his French accent. The horse Daffodil finished first, Lancelot came in second, and Mirza finished third. The boy, with red cheeks and bright eyes, was surprisingly calm. His uncle gave him four five-pound notes because he got four to one. The uncle asked what he should do with the money, waving it in front of the boy’s eyes. The boy replied that he supposed they would talk to Bassett and that he expected he now had fifteen hundred pounds plus the twenty he had kept aside, and this new twenty pounds. His uncle looked at him for a moment and then asked if he was serious about Bassett and the fifteen hundred pounds. The boy said he was, but it was between him and his uncle, asking for his word of honor. His uncle agreed but said he needed to talk to Bassett. The boy suggested that if his uncle wanted to become partners with Bassett and him, they could all be partners. However, Paul made his uncle promise, in his honor, not to tell anyone else. Paul explained that Bassett and he were lucky, and his uncle must be lucky too because he was the one who gave him the ten shillings Paul started winning with.
Passage: Uncle Oscar took both Bassett and Paul into Richmond Park for an afternoon, and there they talked.
‘It’s like this, you see, sir,’ Bassett said. ‘Master Paul would get me talking about racing events, spinning yarns, you know, sir. And he was always keen on knowing if I’d made or if I’d lost. It’s about a year since now that I put five shillings on Blush of Dawn for him; and we lost. Then the luck turned, with that ten shillings he had from you: that we put on Singhalese. And since that time, it’s been pretty steady, all things considering. ‘What do you say, Master Paul?’
We’re all right when we’re sure,’ said Paul. ‘It’s when we’re not quite sure that we go down.’
‘Oh, but we’re careful then,’ said Bassett.
‘But when are you sure?’ smiled Uncle Oscar.
‘It’s Master Paul, sir,’ said Bassett in a secret, religious voice. ‘It’s as if he had it from heaven. Like Daffodil, now, for the Lincoln. That was as sure as eggs.’
‘Did you put anything on Daffodil?’ asked Oscar Cresswell.
‘Yes, sir. I made my bit.’
‘And my nephew?’
Bassett was obstinately silent, looking at Paul.
‘I made twelve hundred, didn’t I, Bassett? I told uncle I was putting three hundred on Daffodil.’
‘That’s right,’ said Bassett, nodding.
‘But where’s the money?’ asked the uncle.
‘I keep it safe locked up, sir. Master Paul, he can have it any minute he likes to ask for it.’
‘What, fifteen hundred pounds?’
‘And twenty. And forty, that is, with the twenty he made on the course.’
‘It’s amazing,’ said the uncle.
‘If Master Paul offers you to be partners, sir, I would, if I were you: if you’ll excuse me,’ said Bassett.
Oscar Cresswell thought about it.
‘I’ll see the money,’ he said.
Word meanings
Spinning yarns: telling long, often exaggerated or imaginative stories.
He had it from heaven: This phrase implies that someone possesses knowledge or insight that seems to come from a divine or supernatural source, suggesting absolute certainty or an inexplicable understanding.
religious voice: a divine or spiritual communication, guidance, or inspiration that individuals perceive or interpret as coming from a higher power.
As sure as eggs: absolutely certain; without a doubt; as reliable or predictable as the fact that hens lay eggs.
I made my bit: an informal way of saying “I did my part” or “I contributed what I could.”
Obstinately: stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action despite attempts to persuade one to do so.
Explanation of the above passage—Uncle Oscar took both Bassett and Paul to Richmond Park one afternoon, and they had a conversation there. Bassett explained that Master Paul would always get him talking about horse racing, telling stories. He added that Paul was always interested in knowing if he had won or lost money. Bassett mentioned that about a year ago, he had bet five shillings on a horse named Blush of Dawn for Paul, and they had lost. But then their luck changed with the ten shillings from the uncle, which they bet on a horse named Singhalese. Since then, Bassett said, things had been pretty steady. He then asked Master Paul for his opinion. Paul said that they were successful when they were sure about a horse, but they lost when they weren’t completely sure. Bassett agreed, saying they were careful in those situations. Uncle Oscar then smiled and asked when they were ever sure. Bassett replied in a quiet, serious tone that it was Master Paul. He said it was as if Paul knew things from heaven, like with Daffodil for the Lincoln race, which he was as certain about as he was about eggs. Oscar Cresswell asked if Bassett had bet anything on Daffodil. Bassett said yes, he had made a little money. Oscar then asked about his nephew. Bassett remained silent and looked at Paul. Paul stated that he had made twelve hundred pounds and reminded his uncle that he had said he was betting three hundred on Daffodil. Bassett nodded in agreement. The uncle then asked where the money was. Bassett replied that he kept it safely locked up and that Master Paul could have it anytime he asked. The uncle exclaimed in surprise the amount they had earned from betting, “fifteen hundred pounds”. Bassett corrected him, saying it was fifteen hundred and twenty, adding the twenty pounds Paul had won at the racecourse. The uncle was amazed. Bassett advised Uncle Oscar that if Master Paul offered him to be partners, he should accept, if he would excuse his saying so. Oscar Cresswell thought about it and then said he wanted to see the money.
Passage: They drove home again and, sure enough, Bassett came round to the garden-house with fifteen hundred pounds in notes. The twenty pounds reserve was left with Joe Gleen, in the Turf Commission deposit.
‘You see, it’s all right, uncle, when I’m sure. Then we go strong, for all we’re worth. Don’t we, Bassett?’
‘We do that, Master Paul.’
‘And when are you sure?’ said the uncle, laughing.
‘Oh, well, sometimes I’m absolutely sure, like about Daffodil,’ said the boy; ‘and sometimes I have an idea; and sometimes I haven’t even an idea, have I, Bassett? Then we’re careful, because we mostly go down.’
‘You do, do you? And when you’re sure, like about Daffodil, what makes you sure, sonny?’
‘Oh, well, I don’t know,’ said the boy uneasily. ‘I’m sure, you know, uncle; that’s all.’
‘It’s as if he had it from heaven, sir,’ Bassett reiterated.
‘I should say so!’ said the uncle.
But he became a partner. And when the Leger was coming on, Paul was ‘sure’ about Lively Spark which was a quite inconsiderable horse. The boy insisted on putting a thousand on the horse, Bassett went for five hundred and Oscar Cresswell two hundred. Lively Spark came in first and the betting had been ten to one against him. Paul had made ten thousand.
‘You see,’ he said, ‘I was absolutely sure of him.’
Even Oscar Cresswell had cleared two thousand.
Word meanings
Turf Commission deposit: This refers to money deposited with a Turf Commission, which is an organization that regulates horse racing and betting. The deposit would likely be a stake or security for placing bets on horse races.
Reiterated: say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
Inconsiderable: Small in size, amount, or importance; not worth considering..
Explanation of the above passage—They drove back home, and as expected, Bassett came to the garden house with fifteen hundred pounds in banknotes. The twenty pounds they had kept aside was still with Joe Gleen, in the betting commission’s account.
The boy told his uncle that he was always right when he was sure, and that’s when they bet a lot of money. He asked Bassett if that wasn’t true, and Bassett agreed, saying they did that. The uncle laughed and asked when he was sure. The boy explained that sometimes he was completely sure, like with the horse Daffodil, and sometimes he just had a feeling. He also admitted that sometimes he had no idea at all, asking Bassett if that wasn’t the case, and Bassett agreed. The boy then said that they were careful then because they usually lost. The uncle asked if that was so, and when he was sure, like with Daffodil, what made him so sure. The boy said uncomfortably that he didn’t know, he was just sure, that was all. Bassett repeated that it was as if the boy had information from heaven. The uncle agreed.
So, the uncle became a partner. When the Leger race was coming up, Paul was “sure” about a horse called Lively Spark, which wasn’t considered a very good horse. The boy insisted on betting a thousand pounds on it, Bassett bet five hundred, and Oscar Cresswell bet two hundred. Lively Spark won, and the odds against it had been ten to one. Paul had won ten thousand pounds. He said that he had been completely sure about that horse. Even Oscar Cresswell had won two thousand pounds.
Passage: ‘Look here, son,’ he said, ‘this sort of thing makes me nervous.’
‘It needn’t, uncle! Perhaps I shan’t be sure again for a long time.’
‘But what are you going to do with your money?’ asked the uncle.
‘Of course,’ said the boy, ‘I started it for mother. She said she had no luck because father is unlucky, so I thought if I was lucky, it might stop whispering.’
‘What might stop whispering?’
‘Our house. I hate our house for whispering.’
‘What does it whisper?’
‘Why—why—’ the boy fidgeted—‘why, I don’t know. But it’s always short of money, you know, uncle.’
‘I know it, son, I know it.’
‘You know people send mother writs, don’t you, uncle?’
‘I’m afraid I do,’ said the uncle.
‘And then the house whispers, like people laughing at you behind your back. It’s awful, that is why I thought if I was lucky—’
‘You might stop it,’ added the uncle.
The boy watched him with big blue eyes that had an uncanny cold fire in them, and he said never a word.
‘Well, then,’ said the uncle. ‘What are we doing?’
‘I shouldn’t like mother to know I was lucky,’ said the boy. ‘Why not, son?’
‘She’d stop me.’
‘I don’t think she would.’
‘Oh!’—and the boy writhed in an odd way—‘I don’t want her to know, uncle.’
Word meanings
no luck: used to express disappointment that something has not happened or is unlikely to happen.
Fidgeted: Made small, restless movements, often due to nervousness, impatience, or boredom.
Writs: formal written orders issued by judicial or executive authorities
Awful: very bad or unpleasant.
Uncanny: Strange or mysterious, often in a way that is unsettling or difficult to explain; seeming to have supernatural qualities.
cold fire: a paradoxical phrase that describe a look that is passionate or intense, like the intensity of fire, but also cold or detached.
Writhed: Twisted or squirmed, often violently, usually due to pain, agony, or great discomfort
Explanation of the above passage—The uncle told the boy that those kind of things made him nervous. The boy replied that he didn’t need to, and maybe he wouldn’t be sure again for a long time. The uncle then asked what he was going to do with his money. The boy explained that he had started doing it for his mother. She had said she had no luck because his father was unlucky, so he thought if he was lucky, it might stop the whispering. The uncle asked what whispering he meant. The boy replied that he meant their house, saying he hated it for whispering. When asked what it whispered, the boy fidgeted and said he didn’t know, but it was always short of money. The uncle said he knew. The boy then asked if his uncle knew that people sent his mother legal demands for money. The uncle said sadly that he was afraid he did. The boy explained that then the house whispered, like people laughing at them behind their back, and it was awful, which was why he thought if only he was lucky. The uncle finished his sentence, saying he might stop it. The boy looked at him with big blue eyes that had a strange, cold fire in them and said nothing.
Then, the uncle asked what they were going to do. The boy said he didn’t want his mother to know he was lucky. His uncle asked why not. The boy said she would stop him. The uncle didn’t think she would. The boy then twisted uncomfortably and said he didn’t want her to know.
Passage: ‘All right, son! We’ll manage it without her knowing.’ They managed it very easily. Paul, at the other’s suggestion, handed over five thousand pounds to his uncle, who deposited it with the family lawyer, who was then to inform Paul’s mother that a relative had put five thousand pounds into his hands, which sum was to be paid out a thousand pounds at a time, on the mother’s birthday, for the next five years.
‘So she’ll have a birthday present of a thousand pounds for five successive years,’ said Uncle Oscar. ‘I hope it won’t make it all the harder for her later.’
‘Paul’s mother had her birthday in November. The house had been ‘whispering’ worse than ever lately and, even in spite of his luck, Paul could not bear up against it. He was very anxious to see the effect of the birthday letter telling his mother about the thousand pounds.
When there were no visitors, Paul now took his meals with his parents as he was beyond the nursery control. His mother went into town nearly every day. She had discovered that she had an odd knack of sketching furs and dress materials, so she worked secretly in the studio of a friend who was the chief ‘artist’ for the leading drapers. She drew the figures of ladies in furs and ladies in silk and sequins for the newspaper advertisements. This young woman artist earned several thousand pounds a year; but Paul’s mother only made several hundreds and she was again dissatisfied. She so wanted to be first in something, and she did not succeed, even in making sketches for drapery advertisements.
Word meanings
Knack: A special talent, skill, or aptitude for doing something easily and well.
Drapers: Retailers or dealers in cloth, fabrics, and sometimes sewing materials and clothing.
Sequins: Small, shiny, often disc-shaped ornaments sewn onto clothing for decoration.
Drapery advertisements: Advertisements for cloth, fabrics, curtains, or the services of a draper (a seller of fabrics).
Explanation of the above passage—The uncle told the boy it was alright and they would manage it without his mother knowing. They did it very easily. Paul, following his uncle’s suggestion, gave him five thousand pounds. His uncle then gave the money to the family lawyer. The lawyer was instructed to tell Paul’s mother that a relative had given him five thousand pounds, which would be paid to her in installments of a thousand pounds each year on her birthday for the next five years.
Uncle Oscar said that this way, she would have a birthday gift of a thousand pounds for five years in a row. He hoped it wouldn’t make things harder for her later.
Paul’s mother’s birthday was in November. The feeling of the house needing more money had become stronger than ever lately, and even though Paul had been lucky with his bets, he was finding it hard to cope with it. He was very eager to see how his mother would react to the birthday letter about the thousand pounds.
Now that Paul was older, he ate his meals with his parents instead of in the nursery when there were no guests. His mother went to town almost every day. She had discovered she was surprisingly good at sketching furs and dress fabrics. So, she secretly worked in the studio of a friend who was the main artist for the leading clothing stores. She drew pictures of women wearing furs and women in silk and sparkly dresses for newspaper advertisements. This young woman artist earned several thousand pounds a year, but Paul’s mother only made a few hundred, and she was still unhappy. She really wanted to be the best at something, but she wasn’t even succeeding in making sketches for clothing advertisements.
Passage: She was down to breakfast on the morning of her birthday. Paul watched her face as she read her letters. He knew the lawyer’s letter. As his mother read it, her face hardened and became more expressionless. Then, a cold determined look came on her mouth. She hid the letter under the pile of others and said not a word about it.
‘Didn’t you have anything nice in the post for your birthday, mother?’ said Paul.
‘Quite moderately nice,’ she said, her voice cold and absent.
She went away to town without saying more.
But in the afternoon Uncle Oscar appeared. He said Paul’s mother had had a long interview with the lawyer, asking if the whole five thousand could not be advanced at once, as she was in debt.
‘What do you think, uncle?’ said the boy.
‘I leave it to you, son.’
‘Oh, let her have it, then! We can get some more with the other,’ said the boy.
‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, laddie!’ said Uncle Oscar.
‘But I’m sure to know for the Grand National; or the Lincolnshire; or else the Derby. I’m sure to know for one of them,’ said Paul.
Word meanings
Face hardened: The expression on someone’s face became stern, severe, or showed a lack of emotion, often indicating anger, determination, or disappointment.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: An idiom meaning it is better to hold onto something you have and are certain of, even if it seems less valuable, than to risk losing it by trying to get something more appealing but uncertain.
Laddie: A familiar Scottish term of address for a young boy.
Explanation of the above passage—On the morning of her birthday, she came down to breakfast. Paul watched her face as she read her mail. He recognized the lawyer’s letter. As his mother read it, her face became hard and showed no emotion. Then, a cold, determined look appeared around her mouth. She put the letter under the other mail and didn’t say anything about it.
Paul asked his mother if she had received anything nice in the mail for her birthday. She replied coldly and distractedly that it was moderately nice. She then went to town without saying anything more.
But in the afternoon, Uncle Oscar arrived. He said that Paul’s mother had had a long talk with the lawyer, asking if she could get the whole five thousand pounds at once because she was in debt.
The boy asked his uncle what he thought. His uncle replied that he would leave it up to him. Paul said to let her have it then, and they could get more money with their other betting. Uncle Oscar then said that it was better to have something for sure than to hope for more later. But Paul said he was sure he would know the winners for the Grand National, or the Lincolnshire, or the Derby, saying he was sure he would know for at least one of them.
Passage: So Uncle Oscar signed the agreement and Paul’s mother touched the whole five thousand. Then something very curious happened. The voices in the house suddenly went mad, like a chorus of frogs on a spring evening. There were certain new furnishings, and Paul had a tutor. He was really going to Eton, his father’s school, in the following autumn. There were flowers in the winter and a blossoming of the luxury Paul’s mother had been used to. And yet the voices in the house, behind the sprays of mimosa and almond-blossoms, and from under the piles of iridescent cushions, simply thrilled and screamed in a sort of ecstasy: ‘There must be more money! Oh-h-h! There must be more money! Oh, now, now-w! Now-w-w there must be more money—more than ever! More than ever!’
It frightened Paul terribly. He studied away at his Latin and Greek with his tutor. But his intense hours were spent with Bassett. The Grand National had gone by; he had not ‘known,’ and had lost a hundred pounds. Summer was at hand. He was in agony for the Lincoln. But even for the Lincoln he didn’t ‘know,’ and he lost fifty pounds. He became wild-eyed and strange as if something were going to explode in him.
‘Let it alone, son! Don’t you bother about it,’ urged Uncle Oscar. But it was as if the boy couldn’t really hear what his uncle was saying.
‘I’ve got to know for the Derby! I’ve got to know for the Derby!’ the child reiterated, his big blue eyes blazing with a sort of madness.
Word meanings
chorus: a part of a song which is repeated after each verse.
Sprays of mimosa: Small branches or stems bearing clusters of bright yellow, fluffy flowers of the mimosa tree or shrub.
Almond-blossoms: The delicate pink or white flowers that appear on almond trees in early spring.
Iridescent: Showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles. These colors often have a rainbow-like effect.
Frightened: Feeling or showing fear; terrified.
Reiterated: Said something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
Explanation of the above passage—So, Uncle Oscar signed the agreement, and Paul’s mother received all five thousand pounds. After that, something very strange happened. The feeling of needing more money in the house suddenly became intense, like a lot of frogs croaking loudly on a spring evening. They bought some new furniture, and Paul got a private teacher. He was going to Eton, his father’s old school, in the autumn. There were flowers even in winter, and Paul’s mother enjoyed the luxurious lifestyle she was used to. However, the feeling of needing more money in the house, coming from behind the decorations of mimosa and almond blossoms and from under the shiny cushions, just kept repeating loudly and excitedly that they need more money more than ever before
This scared Paul very much. He studied his Latin and Greek with his tutor. But he spent his most intense time with Bassett. The Grand National race had happened, but he hadn’t “known” the winner and had lost a hundred pounds. Summer was coming. He was very anxious about the Lincoln race. But even for Lincoln, he didn’t “know” the winner, and he lost fifty pounds. He started to look wild and strange, as if he was about to explode.
Uncle Oscar urged him to leave it alone and not to worry about it. But it was as if the boy couldn’t really hear what his uncle was saying. The child kept repeating that he had to know for the Derby race, his big blue eyes shining with a kind of craziness.
Passage: His mother noticed how overwrought he was.
You’d better go to the seaside. Wouldn’t you like to go now to the seaside, instead of waiting? I think you’d better,’ she said, looking down at him anxiously, her heart curiously heavy because of him.
But the child lifted his uncanny blue eyes.
‘I couldn’t possibly go before the Derby, mother!’ he said. ‘I couldn’t possibly!’
‘Why not?’ she said, her voice becoming heavy when she was opposed. ‘Why not? You can still go from the seaside to see the Derby with your Uncle Oscar, if that’s what you wish. No need for you to wait here. Besides, I think you care too much about these races. It’s a bad sign. My family had been a gambling family and you won’t know till you grow up how much damage it has done. But it has done damage. I shall have to send Bassett away and ask Uncle Oscar not to talk racing to you, unless you promise to be reasonable about it: go away to the seaside and forget it. You’re all nerves!’
‘I’ll do what you like, mother, so long as you don’t send me away till after the Derby’, the boy said.
‘Send you away from where? Just from this house?’
‘Yes,’ he said, gazing at her.
‘Why, you curious child, what makes you care about this house so much, suddenly? I never knew you loved it.’
He gazed at her without speaking. He had a secret within a secret, something he had not divulged, even to Bassett or to his Uncle Oscar.
Word meanings
Overwrought: In a state of nervous excitement or anxiety.
Gambling: The activity of betting money or possessions on an event with an uncertain outcome, typically with the intention of winning money or material goods.
Divulged: Made known (private or sensitive information).
Explanation of the above passage—His mother noticed how stressed and upset he was. She suggested that he should go to the seaside, asking if he would like to go now instead of waiting, saying she thought it would be better for him. She looked down at him worriedly, feeling strangely sad because of him.
But the child looked up with his unusual blue eyes and said that he absolutely couldn’t go before the Derby race, it was impossible. When she was contradicted, her voice became stern, and she asked why not. She pointed out that he could still go to the Derby with his Uncle Oscar from the seaside if he wanted to, so there was no need for him to wait there. Besides, she thought he cared too much about these races, which she said was a bad sign. She explained that her family had been a gambling family, and he wouldn’t understand until he was older how much damage it had caused, but it had caused damage. She said she would have to send Bassett away and ask Uncle Oscar not to talk about racing to him unless he promised to be reasonable about it, advising him to go to the seaside and forget about it because he was worried.
The boy said he would do whatever she wanted as long as she didn’t send him away until after the Derby. She asked him to clarify where she would be sending him away from, she was just sending him away from that house. He looked at her and said yes. She then asked him, surprised, why he suddenly cared so much about that house, saying she never knew he loved it. He just looked at her without speaking. He had a secret that he hadn’t told anyone, not even Bassett or his Uncle Oscar.
Passage: But his mother, after standing undecided and a little bit sullen for some moments, said:
‘Very well, then! Don’t go to the seaside till after the Derby, if you don’t wish it. But promise me you won’t let your nerves go to pieces. Promise you won’t think so much about horse-racing and events, as you call them.’
‘Oh, no,’ said the boy casually. ‘I won’t think much about them, mother. You needn’t worry. I wouldn’t worry, mother, if I were you.’
‘If you were me and I were you,’ said his mother, ‘I wonder what we should do!’
‘But you know you needn’t worry, mother, don’t you?’ the boy repeated.
‘I should be awfully glad to know it,’ she said wearily.
‘Oh, well, you can, you know, I mean, you ought to know, you needn’t worry,’ he insisted.
‘Ought I? Then I’ll see about it,’ she said.
Paul’s secret of secrets was his wooden horse, that which had no name. Since he was emancipated from a nurse and a nursery-governess, he had had his rockinghorse removed to his own bedroom at the top of the house.
‘Surely you’re too big for a rocking-horse’, his mother had remonstrated.
‘Well, you see, mother, till I can have a real horse, I like to have some sort of animal about,’ had been his quaint answer.
‘Do you feel he keeps you company?’ She laughed.
‘Oh, yes! He’s very good, he always keeps me company when I’m there,’ said Paul.
So the horse, rather shabby, stood in an arrested prance in the boy’s bedroom.
Word meanings
Let your nerves go to pieces: To become extremely nervous, anxious, or emotionally unstable.
Emancipated: Freed from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberated. In this context, likely freed from the control of a nurse and governess.
Remonstrated: Made a forcefully reproachful protest.
Quaint: Attractively unusual or old-fashioned.
Prance: Move with high springy steps.
Explanation of the above passage—But his mother, after standing there undecided and a little sulky for a few moments, said very well then, he didn’t have to go to the seaside until after the Derby if he didn’t want to. But she made him promise that he wouldn’t let his nerves get the better of him and that he wouldn’t think so much about horse racing and the “events,” as he called them.
The boy replied casually, he wouldn’t think much about them, so she didn’t need to worry. He added that if he were her, he wouldn’t worry. His mother responded that if he were her and she were him, she wondered what they would do. But the boy repeated that she knew she didn’t need to worry. She said wearily that she would be awfully glad to know that. He insisted that she could know, he meant she ought to know, she didn’t need to worry. She replied that if she ought to, then she would see about it.
Paul’s biggest secret was his wooden horse, the one that had no name. Since he no longer had a nurse and a governess, he had had his rocking horse moved to his own bedroom at the top of the house. His mother had objected, saying surely he was too big for a rocking horse. His peculiar answer had been that until he could have a real horse, he liked to have some kind of animal around. She laughed and asked if he felt it kept him company. Paul agreed, it was very good and always kept him company when he was there. So, the rather worn-out horse stood still in a pose of running in the boy’s bedroom.
Passage: The Derby was drawing near and the boy grew more and more tense. He hardly heard what was spoken to him, he was very frail, and his eyes were really uncanny. His mother had sudden strange seizures of uneasiness about him. Sometimes for half an hour, she would feel a sudden anxiety about him that was almost anguish. She wanted to rush to him at once and know that he was safe.
Two nights before the Derby, she was at a big party in town, when one of her rushes of anxiety about her boy, her firstborn, gripped her heart till she could hardly speak. She fought with the feeling, might and main, for she believed in common sense. But it was too strong. She had to leave the dance and go downstairs to telephone to the country. The children’s nursery-governess was terribly surprised and startled at being rung up in the night.
‘Are the children all right, Miss Wilmot?’
‘Oh yes, they are quite all right.’
‘Master Paul? Is he all right?’
‘He went to bed as right as a trivet. Shall I run up and look at him?’
‘No,’ said Paul’s mother reluctantly. ‘No. Don’t trouble. It’s all right. Don’t sit up. We shall be home fairly soon.’ She did not want her son’s privacy intruded upon.
‘Very good,’ said the governess.
Word meanings
Frail: Weak and delicate; easily damaged or broken.
Seizures: Sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain that can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings, and levels of consciousness.
might and main: with all one’s strength and effort
Rung up: Called someone on the telephone.
As right as a trivet: In excellent condition; perfectly well or correct. A trivet is a three-legged stand, so something “as right as a trivet” is stable and well-balanced.
Intruded: Forced one’s way in without permission or welcome.
Reluctantly: Unwillingly; hesitantly.
Explanation of the above passage—The Derby race was getting closer, and the boy was becoming more and more nervous. He barely paid attention to what people said to him, he was very thin and weak, and his eyes looked really strange. His mother started having sudden, odd feelings of worry about him. Sometimes, for half an hour at a time, she would feel a sudden anxiety about him that was almost painful. She wanted to rush to him immediately to make sure he was safe.
Two nights before the Derby, she was at a big party in town when one of these sudden waves of worry about her oldest son gripped her heart so strongly that she could hardly speak. She fought against the feeling with all her strength because she believed in being sensible. But it was too powerful. She had to leave the dance and go downstairs to call their house in the countryside. The children’s governess was very surprised and startled to get a phone call in the middle of the night.
Paul’s mother asked Miss Wilmot if the children were alright. Miss Wilmot replied that they were quite alright. Then Paul’s mother asked if Master Paul was alright. Miss Wilmot said he had gone to bed perfectly fine and asked if she should go up and check on him. Paul’s mother hesitated and then said no, not to trouble herself and told her not to stay up because they would be home fairly soon. She didn’t want anyone to disturb her son’s privacy. Miss Wilmot said very well.
Passage: It was about one o’clock when Paul’s mother and father drove up to their house. All was still. Paul’s mother went to her room and slipped off her white fur cloak. She had told her maid not to wait up for her. She heard her husband downstairs, mixing a whisky and soda.
And then, because of the strange anxiety at her heart, she stole upstairs to her son’s room. Noiselessly she went along the upper corridor. Was there a faint noise? What was it?
She stood, with arrested muscles, outside his door, listening. There was a strange, heavy and yet not loud noise. Her heart stood still. It was a soundless noise, yet rushing and powerful. Something huge in violent, hushed motion. What was it? What in God’s name was it? She ought to know. She felt that she knew the noise. She knew what it was.
Yet she could not place it. She couldn’t say what it was. And on and on it went, like a madness.
Softly, frozen with anxiety and fear, she turned the door handle.
The room was dark. Yet in the space near the window, she heard and saw something move to and fro. She gazed in fear and amazement.
Then suddenly she switched on the light and saw her son, in his green pyjamas, madly surging on the rockinghorse. The blaze of light suddenly lit him up, as he urged the wooden horse, and lit her up, as she stood, blonde, in her dress of pale green and crystal in the doorway.
Word meanings
Cloak: An outer garment, typically long and sleeveless, worn loosely over the shoulders.
Hushed: Very quiet or silent.
Frozen with anxiety: Unable to move or act due to extreme worry and nervousness.
Amazement: A feeling of great surprise and wonder.
Blaze: A very bright or fiercely burning fire or light.
Explanation of the above passage—It was around one o’clock when Paul’s mother and father arrived home. Everything was quiet. Paul’s mother went to her room and took off her white fur coat. She had told her maid not to wait for her. She heard her husband downstairs making whisky and soda.
Then, because of the strange worry in her heart, she quietly went upstairs to her son’s room. She walked silently along the upstairs hallway. She questioned herself if there was a faint noise and if it was what the sound was about.
She stopped outside his door, her muscles tense, listening. There was a strange, heavy, yet quiet noise. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. It was a soundless noise, but it felt like something rushing and powerful. Something huge moving violently but silently. She wondered what the sound was about and what on earth it was. She felt like she should know. She felt like she recognized the noise. She knew what it was.
Yet, she couldn’t place it. She couldn’t say what it was. And it went on and on, like madness.
Softly, frozen with worry and fear, she turned the doorknob.
The room was dark. But in the area near the window, she heard and saw something moving back and forth. She stared in fear and amazement.
Then, she suddenly turned on the light and saw her son, in his green pajamas, riding the rocking horse wildly. The sudden bright light shone on him as he urged the wooden horse, and it shone on her as she stood there in her blonde hair dressed in pale green and crystal dress in the doorway. This description of the woman (likely the mother) contrasts with the intensity of Paul’s activity. Her blonde hair, pale green and crystal dress suggest a calmness and ethereal presence, a stark contrast to Paul’s frenzied state. The color choices also evoke a sense of nature and innocence, further emphasizing the contrast with Paul’s obsession.
Passage: ‘Paul,’ she cried. ‘Whatever are you doing?’
‘It’s Malabar!’ he screamed in a powerful, strange voice. It’s Malabar!’
His eyes blazed at her for one strange and senseless second, as he ceased urging his wooden horse. Then he fell with a crash to the ground and she, all her tormented motherhood flooding upon her, rushed to gather him up.
But he was unconscious, and unconscious he remained, with some brain-fever. He talked and tossed, and his mother sat stonily by his side.
Word meanings
Tormented: Experiencing severe mental or physical suffering; deeply troubled or distressed.
Flooding upon her: Overwhelming her suddenly and intensely, like a rush of water. In this context, it refers to a sudden and powerful surge of emotion.
Explanation of the above passage—She shouted his name “Paul!”, asking him what on earth he was doing.
He yelled back in a strong, strange voice, “It’s Malabar! It’s Malabar!”
His eyes glared at her for a weird, senseless moment as he stopped pushing his wooden horse. Then he fell to the ground with a loud thud. Overwhelmed by her intense maternal feelings, she rushed to pick him up.
But he was unconscious and remained unconscious, suffering from some kind of brain fever. He talked and moved restlessly, while his mother sat beside him, unfeeling.
Passage: ‘Malabar! It’s Malabar! Bassett! Bassett, I know! It’s Malabar!’
So the child cried, trying to get up and urge the rockinghorse that gave him his inspiration.
‘What does he mean by Malabar?’ asked the heartfrozen mother. ‘I don’t know,’ said the father stonily.
‘What does he mean by Malabar?’ she asked her brother Oscar.
‘It’s one of the horses running for the Derby,’ was the answer.
And, in spite of himself, Oscar Cresswell spoke to Bassett, and himself put a thousand on Malabar: at fourteen to one.
The third day of the illness was critical: they were waiting for a change. The boy, with his rather long, curly hair, was tossing ceaselessly on the pillow. He neither slept nor regained consciousness, and his eyes were like blue stones. His mother sat, feeling her heart had gone, turned actually into a stone.
Word meanings
Heartfrozen: Emotionally numb or devoid of feeling, often due to extreme shock, grief, or fear.
Ceaselessly: Without stopping or pausing; continuously.
Regained: Recovered something lost or taken away; in this context, it refers to returning to a normal state of awareness.
Consciousness: The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.
Explanation of the above passage—He would cry out, “Malabar! It’s Malabar! Bassett! Bassett, I know! It’s Malabar!” as if trying to get up and urge on the rocking horse that gave him his intuition.
The heart-stricken mother asked what he meant by Malabar. The father replied unemotionally that he didn’t know. She then asked her brother Oscar what Malabar meant. He answered that it was one of the horses running in the Derby. And despite himself, Oscar Cresswell spoke to Bassett and placed a thousand-pound bet on Malabar at odds of fourteen to one.
The third day of the illness was crucial; they were waiting for a change. The boy, with his rather long, curly hair, kept moving restlessly on the pillow. He neither sleeps nor regains consciousness, and his eyes are like cold, blue stones. His mother sat there, feeling like her heart had died and turned into actual stone.
Passage: In the evening, Oscar Cresswell did not come, but Bassett sent a message, saying could he come up for a moment, just one moment? Paul’s mother was very angry at the intrusion but, on second thought, she agreed. The boy was the same. Perhaps Bassett might bring him to consciousness.
The gardener, a shortish fellow with a little brown moustache and sharp little brown eyes, tiptoed into the room, touched his imaginary cap to Paul’s mother, and stole to the bedside, staring with glittering, smallish eyes at the tossing, dying child.
‘Master Paul,’ he whispered, ‘Master Paul! Malabar came in first all right, a clean win. I did as you told me. You’ve made over seventy thousand pounds, you have; you’ve got over eighty thousand. Malabar came in all right, Master Paul.’
Word meanings
Intrusion: The act of entering a place or situation where one is not welcome or has no right to be.
Moustache: A strip of hair left to grow above the upper lip.
Tiptoed: Walked quietly and carefully with one’s heels raised and only the toes touching the ground.
Glittering: Shining brightly with flashes of light.
Explanation of the above passage—In the evening, Oscar Cresswell didn’t visit, but Bassett sent a message asking if he could come up for a moment. Paul’s mother was initially very angry about the interruption, but after thinking about it, she agreed, hoping Bassett might somehow bring the boy back to consciousness, as his condition remained the same.
The gardener, a short man with a small brown mustache and sharp little brown eyes, quietly entered the room. He politely touched his head as if touching an imaginary cap to Paul’s mother and moved silently to the bedside. He stared with bright, small eyes at the restless, dying child.
He whispered to Master Paul that Malabar won the race, a clear victory. He did as Paul told him. He had made over seventy thousand pounds; he have more than eighty thousand. Malabar came in first.
Passage: ‘Malabar! Malabar! Did I say Malabar, mother? Did I say Malabar? Do you think I’m lucky, mother? I knew Malabar, didn’t I? Over eighty thousand pounds! I call that lucky, don’t you, mother? Over eighty thousand pounds! I knew, didn’t I know I knew? Malabar came in all right. If I ride my horse till I’m sure, then I tell you, Bassett, you can go as high as you like. Did you go for all you were worth, Bassett?
‘I went a thousand on it, Master Paul.’
‘I never told you, mother, that if I can ride my horse, and get there, then I’m absolutely sure—oh, absolutely mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky!’
‘No, you never did,’ said his mother.
But the boy died in the night.
And even as he lay dead, his mother heard her brother’s voice saying to her: ‘My God, Hester, you’re eighty-odd thousand to the good, and a poor devil of a son to the bad. But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner.’
Word meanings
gone out of a life: someone or something is no longer a part of a person’s life, either permanently or temporarily.
Explanation of the above passage—The boy cried out, Malabar! Malabar! Mother, didn’t he say Malabar. Didn’t he say Malabar. He further asked if she thinks he was lucky. He knew Malabar. Over eighty thousand pounds! He would call that lucky, he asked his mother if thinks the same. Over eighty thousand pounds! He knew it. Malabar won. If he rode his horse until he was sure, then he told Bassett and he could bet as much as he wanted. He asked Bassett if he bet everything he had.
Bassett replied that he had bet a thousand pounds on it.
The boy said that he had never told his mother that if he could ride his horse and reach that feeling, then he was absolutely sure and asked his mother the same question for confirmation. He was lucky.
His mother replied that he never had.
But the boy died during the night.
And even as he lay dead, his mother heard her brother’s voice saying to her that Hester (Paul’s mother) had gained over eighty thousand pounds, but she had lost a poor son. But poor boy, poor boy, it’s probably best that he’s gone from a life where he rides his rocking horse to find a winner.
Conclusion
The story The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is about a young boy named Paul. Paul becomes fixated on luck and how it relates to getting money. Through Paul, Lawrence highlights themes of materialism, obsession, and the harmful results of placing too much importance on wealth. Students can take help from this post to understand the lesson and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp over The Rocking-Horse Winner. This lesson includes the summary of The Rocking-Horse Winner which will help students of class 11 to get a quick recap of the story.