PENGUIN READERS

Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

British and American Stories

age of thirty-five. After three years in prison absorbing
stories from the other prisoners, he settled in New York
and became a full-time writer. He is particularly known
for his sharp openings and fast narrative style.
Hector Hugh Munro, also known as Saki (1870–1916)
was born in Burma but brought up in Devon by two
unmarried aunts. This was not a happy childhood and
often features in his stories. He wrote apparently light-
hearted stories with a darker side. He particularly enjoyed
ending his stories with an unexpected twist. He was killed
fighting in the First World War.
Mark Twain (1835–1910) was a riverboat pilot on the
About the authors Mississippi and then a reporter in San Francisco before
All the writers in this book were of British or American becoming a writer. His humour and sharp observation
nationality, and came from a range of very different make him just as popular today as he was in his own time.
backgrounds. He is particularly famous for writing The Adventures of
Herbert Ernest Bates (1905–74) was a British writer. Tom Sawyer.
He set many of his novels and short stories in the rural Francis Marion Crawford (1854 –1909) was an American
Midlands of England. He invented an idyllic way of life born into a very wealthy family in Italy. He enjoyed a
and drew happy portraits of country characters and their glamorous lifestyle and visited exotic locations in many
simple ways. He also wrote about his wartime experiences lands, about which he wrote. For a time he was America’s
in the air force. most successful novelist.
William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was born Stephen Leacock (1869–1944) was a Canadian humorist.
at the British Embassy in Paris. He studied philosophy He was a full-time political economist and a part-time
in Germany and medicine in London, and then settled writer. His stories belong to the American humorist
in Paris in 1898 to begin his career as a writer. Some of tradition of Mark Twain.
his short stories are considered among the finest in the
English language. He is praised for his narrative skill and Summary
sharp unromantic observation. There is one overall theme that concerns all the stories
William Saroyan (1908–81), an Armenian born in – they are all about people coping in different ways
California, was a self-taught writer with a gift for creating with the world around them. The stories focus on a
atmosphere in his stories. He wrote about the tragedy wide range of people, from Armenians living in California,
and comedy of everyday life in the Armenian community, to a gravedigger in the English countryside.
emphasizing the individuality of ordinary folk.
Silas the Good, H.E. Bates
David Herbert Lawrence (1885–1930) was the first Old Uncle Silas was working as a gravedigger. One spring
British writer from a genuinely working class background. afternoon he fell asleep in a grave, his bottle of beer filled
His father was a coal-miner and his mother a teacher. with iced tea in his hands. A passing lady became furious
Despite ill health, he travelled widely and wrote at the sight of man drinking on holy ground. With a cup
continuously during his short life. He wrote with a direct of tea, flattering words, and stories about having become
and fresh style about human relationships, and was often a good man in spite of a difficult life – and the alcohol in
in trouble with the law for his clear descriptions of sex. the tea which the lady didn’t notice – uncle Silas softened
O’Henry, pen name of W.S. Porter, (1862–1910) was her, and she was later seen on the train, talkative and
born in North Carolina in America and did not begin excited, with flowers and a strong smell, happy to have
writing until he found himself in prison for fraud at the met a good man.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

British and American Stories

Mabel, W. Somerset Maugham menu, and she mistypes its name: ‘Dearest Walter with
At a club in a village on his way to Pagan, the narrator hard-boiled egg’. This mistake, together with a problem in
is told the story of George, a local man. George had met her W key, enables Walter to find her when he goes to the
Mabel in England and they had agreed to marry in six restaurant by chance. She had moved and Walter had not
months; but difficulties had made it seven years. On the been able to find her.
day she was coming, George felt that he couldn’t marry The Open Window, H.H. Munro (Saki)
a woman he practically didn’t remember, so he wrote a Having moved to the countryside in search of a cure for
letter for her and left. His escape led him across Asia, his nerves, and carrying a letter of introduction from his
but wherever he arrived there was news that Mabel was sister, Mr Nuttel visits the Sappletons. Vera, a fifteen- year-
following him. When he finally felt safe, Mabel arrived old girl, explains to him that the window is open because
and said how relieved she was to see he had not changed, three years before Mrs Sappleton’s husband and brothers
as it would have otherwise been difficult to tell him left through it and never returned. They sank in a bog and
she would not marry him. After five minutes they were their bodies were never found, so her aunt is still waiting
married. Now Mabel is on a trip and George misses her. for them. Mrs Sappleton comes down and explains that
The Barber’s Uncle, William Saroyan the window is open because her husband and brothers are
A boy of eleven decides to have his hair cut when a bird about to return. When Mr Nuttel sees them coming, he
tries to nest in it. The barber, a wise man who shares the runs off without a word. Vera explains to the family that
boy’s love for the contemplation of the paradoxical nature he was probably afraid of the dog, as he had been attacked
of the world and man, tells him the story of his uncle by dogs in cemetery in India and had had to spend the
Misak. Misak lived on fighting people until he lost his night in a grave. Vera had a great imagination.
strength and, at the age of forty, poor and lonely, travelled The Income-Tax Man, Mark Twain
the world and joined a touring show in which he put his The narrator receives a visitor in his shop and, unwilling
head in a tiger’s mouth. Eventually, the tiger bit his head to show his ignorance about what he does, tries to trick
off. The boy leaves the barber’s shop with a bad haircut him into speaking about his business by boasting about
and a deep reflection on the loneliness of man and the how much money he has made during the year. He is
contradictory nature of reality. shocked to find that his visitor is an income tax assessor,
The Rocking-Horse Winner, D.H. Lawrence and sees a rich man who helps him fill in his forms so as
Paul, a little boy, hears from his mother that they are an not to pay what he should according to what he told the
unlucky family. In his house, he permanently hears the assessor. He manages not to pay at the cost of his self-
echo of the need for more money. He decides that he respect.
won’t be unlucky and asks his rocking-horse about the The Upper Berth, F. Marion Crawford
winners in horse races, which he learns about from the At a party, Brisbane, an old sailor, tells a story about a
gardener – a secret he shares with his uncle. Paul gathers a ghost on board the Kamtschatka. He had been assigned
large amount of money for his mother, but it doesn’t seem the lower berth in cabin 105 and noticed everybody was
to be enough, and getting more becomes an obsession that nervous about it. On the fist night, he found the window
leads him to a brain fever that eventually kills him. His open, and heard the man who shared the cabin with him
mother is left with 80,000 pounds and no son. ran away. The following morning he was told that the man
Springtime on the Menu, O. Henry had disappeared. The same had happened to three other
Sarah, a copy-typist, types the menus for a restaurant in men who had travelled in that cabin before. Brisbane soon
exchange for daily meals. Spring has come, which she has found that the window would open during the night and
been waiting because Walter, a young farmer she met the was determined to find out what happened. He stayed
summer before, promised her they would marry when in the cabin during the night with the Captain, and they
it came. But the weather is still cold, and Walter has not found there was a strange damp creature in the upper
written in two weeks. Sarah types the menus daydreaming berth. They fought it out, and the cabin was locked to
of a day on the farm, when Walter put dandelions on passengers. Neither he nor the Captain travelled in the
her hair. She cries as she sees a dish of dandelions on the Kamtschatka again.

c Pearson Education Limited 2008 British and American Stories - Teacher’s notes 2 of 5
 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

British and American Stories

My Bank Account, Stephen Leacock After reading
The narrator has an irrational fear of banks but, having 2 Pair work: In pairs, students make a list of other
received a raise in his salary, decides that he needs to words that could be added to the list of clues in
activity 1.
open an account. When he gets into the bank, his nerves 3 Discuss: Ask students: What is the difference, for
lead him into asking to see the manager alone, saying he Uncle Silas, between a woman and a female? Does being
would open a very large account, walking into the safe and seen as a woman or a female depend on the looks or the
writing a cheque for the whole amount he had deposited. attitude? Do you think all women are sometimes seen as
He leaves the bank with his 56 dollars in his pocket, and women and sometimes as females depending on their
different roles?
decides to keep his savings in a sock. 4 Discuss: Tell students: This story is about a meeting
between two people with different ideas about the world.
Background and themes Do you think this meeting will have a positive effect on
The modern short story emerged as a literary form in the the woman? Why/why not?
middle of the nineteenth century. At one time thought 5 Write: Tell students: Think of what happens in your
mind when you think. Stream of consciousness is the
of as a short novel, today it is celebrated as a genre in its name of a way of writing that tries to express the feelings,
own right. It first became popular in America. Perhaps the thoughts, ideas and memories in the mind. To imitate
fleeting moment which short story writers match so well thought, it uses practically no punctuation and takes the
was more appropriate to the fast-moving, dynamic world form of an interior voice. Ask students to write a
of America, than the more traditional world of Victorian paragraph with the woman’s thoughts as she walked
away. Students then share their paragraphs and
England, where it was not paid much attention until later compare their ideas to their discussion in Activity 5.
in the century when writers like D.H. Lawrence, Rudyard 6 Artwork: In groups, students change the ending of
Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson began to make such the story; then they make a cartoon that shows what
good use of it. happened. The other groups ‘read’ the endings from
the pictures and the class discusses how the whole
Often short stories were written for magazines and had story changes with a different ending.
to be an exact number of words to fit in a page. When
Mabel, pages 6–10
a writer has only 2,000 words to tell a story, every word
Before reading
has to count. Length is often the only thing short stories
7 Guess: Ask students: How do you expect a man to react
have in common. A short story might be a portrait of when he suddenly realizes he is about to marry a woman
an interesting character, a mood, a joke, or a mystery. It he has not seen in years? And a woman?
might be an exploration of a shared human experience. It
After reading
will often have an unexpected twist at the end. 8 Role play: Students role play the conversation
Reading a short story is a very different experience from between George and Mabel after she has had her
bath.
reading a novel. We usually read it in one sitting. We can
9 Research: Students find in a map or the Internet
hold in our minds what happens at the beginning all the whether George was travelling north or south as he
way through to the end. If the events of the story all take moved from town to town. They make a map with
place in one location, we can accumulate all the details his itinerary.
into one big mental picture. 10 Write: Tell students to imagine that George answered
each of the telegrams Mabel sent to him, making a
The opening sentence is often the key to the success or different excuse on each occasion. Students write the
failure of the story. telegrams and the class votes for the best excuses.
11 Group work: In groups, students decide where
George would have travelled if the story had been set
Discussion activities in their continent/country. Then groups narrate
Silas The Good, pages 1–5 George’s escape to the class.
Before reading 12 Write: In pairs or groups, students rewrite the ending
1 Guess: Tell students: These words are related to Silas’s so that Mabel does find George changed and decides
work. What do you think he does? Spade; churchyard; not to marry him. They include Mabel’s words and
dead; tombstone. Students guess and then check. George’s reaction. Then they discuss how the story
changes.

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 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

British and American Stories

The Barber’s Uncle, pages 11–17 25 Research: Students search the Internet for
Before reading information about the ‘Derby’ and share it with the
13 Discuss: Tell students: A line in this story says: ‘That’s class.
the way with the world. Always telling you what to do.’ 26 Discuss: In groups, students discuss what Paul’s uncle
Do you think the world would be different if people means when he says ‘A bird in the hand is worth two
looked more at what they do and not so much at what in the bush.’ (page 29)
others do? 27 Role play: Students role play a conversation between
Paul’s mother and father after Paul’s death. Ask
After reading students to think about the arguments each may use
14 Role play: In pairs, students take the roles of Miss to blame the other.
Gamma and the narrator. Miss Gamma explains to 28 Discuss: Students work in groups. Tell them: Paul
the boy why he needs a haircut and the boy answers would not have died if his relationship with his mother
why he thinks he doesn’t. had been different. Ask them: Do you agree? Groups
15 Debate: Divide the class into two groups and have share their ideas.
them debate the following: From the story, you can
see that A: money is important in life; B: money is Springtime on the Menu, pages 35–39
not important in life. After reading
16 Write: In groups, students write an epitaph for Uncle 29 Write, game: In groups, students write as many
Misak, beginning ‘Here lies a man who …’ reasons why Sarah was crying over the menu to add
17 Pair work: In pairs, students discuss what the to the fourth paragraph on page 35 as they can in two
narrator did when he grew up. They share their stories minutes. The group that writes the longest list wins.
with the class and explain why they chose that future 30 Pair work: In pairs, students find the advice on
for the boy. writing stories that the author gives the reader. Then
18 Write: Students write a short story for children in they discuss whether they do what the author says
which the bird that tried to nest in the narrator’s head they should not do when they write stories in class.
tells his story to other birds. 31 Write: Tell students that this is a fragment of ‘In the
19 Discuss: Ask students: Do you think that people who Good Old Summertime’ by Ren Shields: ‘There’s a
adapt to the standards and expectations of the society time each year / That we always hold dear, / Good old
they live in are not so lonely as those who do not? summer time; / With the birds and the trees’es / And
Or is loneliness an unavoidable part of human life for sweet scented breezes, / Good old summer time.’ Ask
everybody? them to re-write lines 3 to 5 for different seasons, for
20 Artwork: Students design a cover for a book starting example: ‘Good old spring time, / With dandelions
with this story. The cover must reflect the idea that on your hair, / And plenty of time to spare, / Good
everything is beautiful and ugly, happy and sad, good old spring time.’ The class votes for the best lines.
and evil at the same time. 32 Role play: Students imagine that the waiter did not
want to give Walter Sarah’s address because he didn’t
The Rocking-Horse Winner, pages 18–34 know him. They role play their conversation.
After reading 33 Artwork: Students imagine a film is made based on
21 Research: Students look for information about the this story. They make a poster to publicize it.
meaning and origin of the expression ‘keep up with 34 Group work: In groups, students choose the music
the Jonses’. Then they discuss whether they think for the following scenes in the film in activity 39:
Paul’s mother is trying to keep up with the Jonses or Sarah is cold in her room, looking through the
fighting against her feeling of personal failure? window; Sarah remembers her walk with Walter with
22 Discuss: Ask students how they think the following dandelions on her hair; Sarah hears Walter’s voice in
events affect Paul: his mother tells him that his father her hall. They explain their choices to the class.
is unlucky and she is unlucky too, for having married 35 Pair work: In pairs, students make a list of dishes that
him (page 20) / his uncle tells him not to stop before include flowers and another ingredient for Sarah’s
he gets where he wants to go (page 22). menu. Then the class chooses the most original.
23 Read carefully: Tell students to re-read carefully the
last paragraph of the story and to imagine that Paul’s The Open Window, pages 40–43
uncle remains silent, but later writes a letter to his Before reading
sister telling her what he thinks of what has 36 Pair work: Students work in pairs. Tell them: In this
happened. Students write the letter. story, a man’s sister’s acquaintance’s niece tells the man a
24 Role play: Students take the roles of Paul’s sisters as story about the man’s sister’s acquaintance’s husband and
adults, and role play a conversation they have about two brothers. Ask them: How many characters are there
the whisper they heard at home. in the story? Students make a list of characters and
then check.

c Pearson Education Limited 2008 British and American Stories - Teacher’s notes  of 5
 PENGUIN READERS
Teacher’s notes LEVEL 5 Teacher Support Programme

British and American Stories

After reading 48 Pair work: In pairs, students discuss how they think
37 Role play: Students work in groups of five or six. Tell the narrator would tell this story to his grandchildren
them to imagine that Framton Nuttel does not run and what he would tell them he learned from the
out of the house. He stays in the room with Vera, Mrs experience. Pairs share their ideas.
Sappleton, Mr Sappleton and one or two of the
brothers. He says, ‘Vera told me that you were dead.’ The Upper Berth, pages 49–65
Students take parts and continue the conversation. Before reading
38 Write: In pairs, students re-write the ending of the 49 Guess: Tell students: On board the Kamtschatka there
story. They continue from ‘I expect it was the dog; he is a doctor, the captain, a steward and a sailor. One of
told me he had a terrible fear of dogs …’ and write a them is called Robert. Who is he if the opposite of these
different version of the reason why Nuttel was afraid statements is true?
of dogs. The class votes for the best story. Brisbane is not an old sailor. / Robert doesn’t know
39 Research: Students search the Internet for the captain of the ship. / The doctor doesn’t invite
information about the characteristics of a bog and Brisbane to his cabin. Robert invites the old sailor to
explain why they are dangerous. They prepare brief his cabin.
presentations for the class.
After reading
40 Write: Students write the article that a newspaper
50 Read carefully and write: In groups, students read
would have published if the story told by Mrs
the description of the ghostly creature on page 65
Sappleton’s niece had been true.
and write a description of a different creature. Groups
41 Discuss: Tell students: Mr Nuttel believed that illnesses
share their texts and the class votes on the most
were an appropriate topic for a conversation with
frightening ghost.
somebody you do not know very well. Ask them: Which
51 Role play: Students imagine that a team of sailors
topics do you think are appropriate?
rescues the man that shares the cabin with Brisbane
The Income-Tax Man, pages 44–48 from the water. They role play their conversation with
Before reading the man.
42 Guess: Tell students: Some people think that it is better 52 Write: Students write an entry in the Captain’s log
to be the owner of your silence than a slave of your explaining why cabin 105 has to remain closed.
words. What do you think this means? Read the title of 53 Artwork: Students imagine a film director wants to
the story. What words may the narrator be a slave of ? make a film based on the ghost of the Kamtschatka.
They choose the name and make a poster for it.
After reading 54 Pair work: Students read the bottom of page 52,
43 Role play: Tell students to imagine that the narrator where Brisbane says he goes to sleep thinking of
knew who his visitor was and have them role play the complaints to be made the next day, and choosing the
conversation they would have had in that case. most powerful words in the language. What would he
44 Write, research: Students write some of the fourteen say the following day.
questions in the form that the narrator found in the
envelope. Then they search the Internet for income My Bank Account, pages 66–69
tax forms and compare them to what the narrator Before reading
describes and to their own forms. 55 Guess: Have students look up the word ‘phobia’ in
45 Read carefully and group work: Divide the their dictionaries. Tell them to read the title of the
class into two groups. Ask them these questions: story and discuss what the character in this story may
a) What does the author think about the education have a phobia of.
of children?
After reading
b) What does he think about ‘the men of moral value,
56 Discuss: Students discuss if phobias are a common
of high business standards, of great social standing’?
disorder today, and what kinds of phobias seem to be
Groups discuss their answers and explain to the class
the most common.
where in the text they found their answers.
57 Group work and write: In groups, students discuss
46 Debate: Divide the class into two groups and have
why the manager seems to be waiting for a detective.
them debate the following issue: Income tax has to be
They add one or two paragraphs to the story
high and the money collected must be used to provide
explaining what had happened at the bank.
health services, food and shelter to poorer people.
58 Research: Students search the Internet for
Groups take opposite positions and debate it.
information about the Pinkerton Detective Agency
47 Write: Tell students to imagine they are journalists
and prepare a brief presentation for the class.
and write an opinion article in which they discuss
how they think people who lie in their income-tax Vocabulary activities
statements should be punished. For the Word List and vocabulary activities, go to
www.penguinreaders.com.

c Pearson Education Limited 2008 British and American Stories - Teacher’s notes 5 of 5