Paper 2A:Writers’ Viewpoints

and Perspectives

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Differentiated Workbook

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SOURCE A: Roald Dahl describes an event from his childhood, where he and some school friends play a trick on the owner of the local sweet shop, a woman called Mrs. Partchett.

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My four friends and I had come across a loose floor-board at the back of the classroom, and when we prised it up with the blade of a pocket-knife, we discovered a big hollow space underneath. This, we decided, would be our secret hiding place for sweets and other small treasures such as conkers and monkey-nuts and birds' eggs. Every afternoon, when the last lesson was over, the five of us would wait until the classroom had emptied, then we would lift up the floor-board and examine our secret hoard, perhaps adding to it or taking something away.

One day, when we lifted it up, we found a dead mouse lying among our treasures. It was an exciting discovery. Thwaites took it out by its tail and waved it in front of our faces.

“What shall we do with it?” he cried. “It stinks!” someone shouted. “Throw it out of the window quick!”“Hold on a tick,” I said. “Don't throw it away.”Thwaites hesitated. They all looked at me.

When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty. I must tell you, therefore, that it was I and I alone who had the idea for the great and daring Mouse Plot. We all have our moments of brilliance and glory, and this was mine.

“Why don't we”, I said, “slip it into one of Mrs Pratchett's jars of sweets? Then when she puts her dirty hand in to grab a handful, she'll grab a stinky dead mouse instead.”

The other four stared at me in wonder. Then, as the sheer genius of the plot began to sink in, they all started grinning. They slapped me on the back. They cheered me and danced around the classroom.

“We'll do it today!” they cried. “We'll do it on the way home! You had the idea,” they said to me, “so you can be the one to put the mouse in the jar.”

Thwaites handed me the mouse. I put it into my trouser pocket. Then the five of us left the school, crossed the village green and headed for the sweet-shop. We were tremendously excited. We felt like a gang of desperados setting out to rob a train or blow up the sheriff's office.

“Make sure you put it into a jar which is used often,” somebody said.“I'm putting it in Gobstoppers,” I said. “The Gobstopper jar is never behind the counter.”“I've got a penny,” Thwaites said, “so I'll ask for one Sherbet Sucker and one Bootlace. And while she turns away to get them, you slip the mouse in quickly with the Gobstoppers.” Everything was arranged.

We were strutting a little as we entered the shop. We were the victors now and Mrs Pratchett was the victim. She stood behind the counter, and her small malignant pig-eyes

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watched us suspiciously as we came forward.

“One Sherbet Sucker, please,” Thwaites said to her, holding out his penny. I kept to the rear of the group, and when I saw Mrs Pratchett turn her head away for a couple of seconds to fish a Sherbet Sucker out of the box, I lifted the heavy glass lid of the Gobstopper jar and dropped the mouse in. Then I replaced the lid as silently as possible. My heart was thumping like mad and my hands had gone all sweaty.

“And one Bootlace, please,” I heard Thwaites saying. When I turned round, I saw Mrs Pratchett holding out the Bootlace in her filthy fingers.“I don't want all the lot of you troopin' in 'ere if only one of you is buyin’,” she screamed at us. “Now beat it! Go on, get out!”

As soon as we were outside, we broke into a run. “Did you do it?” they shouted at me.“Of course I did!” I said. “Well done you!” they cried. “What a super show!”

I felt like a hero. I was a hero. It was marvellous to be so popular.

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Q1: TICK four statements below which are TRUE.

The shopkeeper is called Mrs. Thwaites Roald Dahl was a quiet, shy child at school

Roald Dahl feels ashamed afterwards

Mrs. Pratchett does not trust the children

Dahl placed the mouse in the Gobstopper jar

Dahl was nervous when in the sweet shop

The boys played the trick on their way home

EXTENSION: Read SOURCE A, lines 1 to 9.

Label the image with words or phrases used to describe the boys’ secret hiding place and what they will use it for. Write these as quotations.

Q2: Write a summary to explain what happened on this day.

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What to do:

(1) Read the sentences below.(2) Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the Word Box below.

Roald Dahl begins by describing how, one day at _____________________ school, he

and his friends discover a loose __________________________ at the back of the

_______________________. They lift it up with a pen knife and decide that they will use it

as a secret hiding place for sweets, conkers and other _____________________________.

One day, the boys lift the floorboard and discover a ______________________, dead

mouse. Roald Dahl comes up with the idea of playing a ______________________ on the

owner of the local sweet shop, Mrs. Pratchett.

On the way home from school that day, the boys troop into the sweet shop. When Mrs.

Pratchett turns her back on the boys to get a Sherbet Sucker for a boy called

____________________, Roald Dahl drops the stinky, dead mouse into the jar of giant gob

stoppers so when she puts her hand in, she grabs the mouse and gets a ________________

instead.

The plan works perfectly and the boys leave the shop, laughing. Roald Dahl says he

felt like “a hero” and was “popular” for being so ______________________.

Q2: EXTENSION

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WORD BOX: Use each word only once.

daring Thwaites prank floorboard stinky

primary treasures shock classroom

Using each of the sentence starters below, write the summary of what happens by completing the sentences in your own words.

At the back of Roald Dahl’s primary school classroom, there is …

One day, the boys lift the floorboard and discover … … …

Roald Dahl comes up with a plan. He suggests … … …

At the end of the school day, the boys … … …

The plan is successful and Roald Dahl feels … … …

Q3: Re-read the passage below, taken from the source.

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We were strutting a little as we entered the shop. We were the victors now and Mrs Pratchett was the victim. She stood behind the counter, and her small malignant pig-eyes watched us suspiciously as we came forward.

“One Sherbet Sucker, please,” Thwaites said to her, holding out his penny. I kept to the rear of the group, and when I saw Mrs Pratchett turn her head away for a couple of seconds to fish a Sherbet Sucker out of the box, I lifted the heavy glass lid of the Gobstopper jar and dropped the mouse in. Then I replaced the lid as silently as possible. My heart was thumping like mad and my hands had gone all sweaty.

“And one Bootlace, please,” I heard Thwaites saying. When I turned round, I saw Mrs Pratchett holding out the Bootlace in her filthy fingers.“I don't want all the lot of you troopin' in 'ere if only one of you is buyin’,” she screamed at us. “Now beat it! Go on, get out!”

How does the writer use language to convey impressions of Mrs. Pratchett?

What to do:

(1) Highlight 3 phrases that create impressions for the reader of Mrs. Pratchett.

(2) Write out those 3 phrases below as quotations.

1: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

3: ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Q3b: Write Up

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What to do:

(1) Write out the sentences below.(2) Fill in the blanks. Choose the correct word from the Word Box below.

The writer uses language in interesting ways to convey his _____________________

of the sweet shop owner, Mrs. Pratchett. Roald Dahl gives his readers the impression that

Mrs. Pratchett was a very __________________________ woman who the children did not

like. He conveys this impression when he describes the way she looks at the boys when they

enter her shop. He describes her as having: “small, malignant pig eyes”. By comparing her

to a ________________, the reader gets the impression that Mrs. Pratchett is unattractive.

Roald Dahl also conveys the impression that Mrs. Pratchett is __________________.

When she reaches into the sweet jar, Roald Dahl notices her “filthy fingers.” As she is

handling sweets that children will put into their mouths, she should have _______________

hands but the adjective “filthy” helps us to understand that Mrs. Pratchett is

________________________ and unpleasant. Also, she “screamed” at the children for all

coming into the shop when only one boy bought sweets. This shows that she has a bad

___________________ and does not like the ________________________________ either.

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WORD BOX: Use each word only once.

children dirty viewpoint pig

unhygienic clean temper unpleasant