Summary of Hugh Chesterman's The Pie and the Tart

Introduction

Hugh Chesterman’s play The Pie and the Tart is set in 15^th century France.  It portrays the then French life in a humorous way.

The condition of Jean and Pierre

John and Pierre are beggars.  As the play opens, they pity themselves for not having taken food for the past few days.  Pierre and Jean are roaming in the street because they do not have a house.  They both talk about their troubles.  Pierre says that he was arrested for begging and the judge did not consider him as a human being.  They both plan to get some food by begging.

Gaultier and Marion

They both decide to go to different streets and beg.  Jean goes to Gaultier’s bakery shop and knocks the door.  Gaultier scolds him and shuts the door.  On the other street, Jean knocks the back door of the bakery and Marion, Gaultier’s wife, scolds him.  Gaultier comes out of the house with Marion and says that he is going to dine with the Mayor.  He says that he would send a person to take the eel pie from the shop for dinning.  Gaultier says that the person would kiss her hand to get the pie.  Marion agrees for the plan.

Jean’s Plan

Jean hears their plan.  He asks Pierre to kiss Marion’s hand and get the pie.  Pierre goes to the bakery and says that Gaultier sends him and he tries to kiss her hand.  Marion believes him and gives him the pie.  Both Jean and Pierre enjoy eating the pie.  They both like the pie very much.  Pierre says that he say a tart in their house and asks Jean to get the tart as he got the pie.

Gaultier’s Return

In the meanwhile, Gaultier comes home angrily and says that the mayor is not home.  He asks Marion to give the eel pie.  Marion says that she has given it to a person.  Gaultier scolds her for being a stupid.  At this time, Jean comes to the door asking for the tart.  Gaultier beats and asks for the pie.  Jean says that Pierre got the pie.  He also brings Pierre to Gaultier.

Pierre’s Idea

Pierre comes there and says that he gave the pie to the mayor, who came home just then.  He says that the mayor asked for the tart.  Gaultier feels happy.  He is cheated by giving the tart to Pierre.

Summary of James R. Waugh's The Silver Idol

The play The Silver Idol by James R. Waugh is about a silver idol that Jack brings from India. The play depicts the Westerner’s view of Eastern countries.

The play takes place in the drawing hall of Mr. & Mrs. Pryde’s home. As the play opens, one could see Mr. & Mrs. Pryde’s family busying themselves to receive Jack. Betty, who is engaged to Jack, is preparing herself to meet Jack. Harold, the son of Mr. & Mrs. Pryde, could not believe that Jack is back. Harold, the youngest of all is much interested in hearing strange stories from Jack who has been to a strange country like India. Jack comes to their home and all the family members are eager to learn about adventurous experience that Jack has had this time in India. Jack though feels reluctant at first, starts narrating an event that he faced in India.

Jack met an old man in India, who was being robbed by three rogues. Jack fights with them and saves the life and the valuables of the old man. The old man presented him a silver idol, which according to the old man was of Tibetan origin having magical power. The old man said that the silver idol would grant three wishes to the person who has it. He warned Jack by quoting two stories about the silver idol, which granted the wishes of its owners, but the ends were very different and tragic.

The old man said that the silver idol’s first owner was a rich man. As he had enough money, he wished for peace in his life. The next day everyone saw the rich man dead and without any worries. The second story the Indian old man said to Jack was about the strangeness of the silver idol was that of a man who had lost his wife when she was very young. The man loved his wife very much and he was passionate about her even after her death. When he got the silver idol, he wished his wife would come alive. Days passed but nothing really happened. He once went to his town and as a kind of remembrance; he went down the lane where he had a store once. To his surprise, he saw a shop that sold the same articles that he sold and the person who was selling things was exactly his wife. However, the pathetic situation was that the woman was of the same age as she had died and the man was too old and therefore she did not accept him as her husband. The man told this truth to all people in the town but nobody helped him. People considered him a lunatic and they put him in jail.

On hearing all these terrible, unbelievable and strange events, the Pryde family gets much impressed. Jack and Betty goes to the theatre. Jack absent-mindedly leaves the idol in the table and leaves for theatre with Betty. On his departure Mrs. Pryde and Harold plans to use the silver idol. Mr. Pryde warns Mrs. Pryde and Harold about not to use it. However, they both wish for a Television. As soon as they wish for a TV set, there is a knock at the door and a Visitor comes and informs the family about their winning a TV set in the competition, for which Mr. Pryde sent a coupon a month ago.

This sudden arrival of the TV set surprises Mr. and Mrs. Pryde but not Harold. Harold says that it happened very naturally and not because of the power of the idol. Saying so he asks his mother to try for another wish and it is to foretell the matches that would be a draw in the forth-coming football cup. Before this wish comes true, Jack and Betty returns home and they come to know about what is happening. Their second wish also comes true, but Harold says that he is not satisfied. He says it has happened in a natural way.

Then the whole of the family, including Jack, starts discussing it and Betty says Harold to switch on the radio for some program. As they are talking, Mrs. Pryde says that she wishes to have a lot of wealth with the silver idol in her hand and that happens to be her third wish. The answer for this wish comes through the radio that gives the summary of the program. The radio voice asks all human beings to be content with what they have, and to be happy with the existing things and not to wish for more on seeing their neighbours and friends.

Listening to the radio talk Mr. Pryde and Jack feel safe and they ask Mrs. Pryde and Harold to follow it throughout their life. Jack by the end of the play on seeing Mrs. Pryde and Harold dissatisfied asks them to turn the silver idol and read what is written on it. To everyone’s surprise below the silver idol are the words “Made in Birmingham”. Jack later says that he has played a trick on them just because Harold asked for a good yarn. The play ends in a good note that we should not be jealous of others and imitate them but to be content with what we have.

Summary of A. A. Milne's The Boy Comes Home

      

Introduction

A. A. Milne’s The Boy Comes Home is play about generation gap.  It is about a boy, Philip, who comes to his uncle’s, James, house after working in army for about 4 years.  The play says the change in the character of Philip in a comic way.

Uncle James in Dream

Philip comes home after four years of service in army.  He wakes up late and asks for breakfast to Mary, servant.  She says the Mrs. Higgins, the cook, would not give breakfast for it is too late.  Philip asks Mary to inform that he needs a ham and an egg.  Mary goes into the house. Later Aunt Emily comes and feels bad that Mrs. Higgins would leave the job, because Philip has asked for breakfast at 10AM.  Mrs. Higgins fights with Philip that she would not prepare breakfast.  Philip, immediately, asks her to resign.  She gets frightened and agrees to bring him a ham, egg and coffee.  Aunt Emily feels the change in Philip.  She feels happy about Philip’s action.

Philip goes into the kitchen and Uncle James comes.  He scolds Philip for being late.  Aunt Emily warns him to be polite with Philip for he has changed a lot.  Uncle James says that he would talk with Philip about his future.  Uncle James reads paper in the hall and he sleeps.  Philip comes in his dream and he says that he wishes to become an Architect.  He smokes in front of Uncle James.  Uncle James scolds him to behave well. 

Uncle James asks Philip to join him in his jam business.  Philip says no for his ideas.  He asks his uncle to leave him on his own.  Uncle James says that he cannot be independent until the age of 25, according to his father’s will.  Philip takes out his gun and threatens his uncle to accept with what he says.  Uncle James argues, so Philip takes out a bomb too.  Uncle James is threatened and agrees with Philip.  He fears of death.

Uncle James after Dream

Uncle James wakes up from his sleep and dream and finds Philip coming to him in real.  Philip asks sorry for being late.  He takes out his pipe and smokes.  This frightens Uncle James.  Uncle James says about his future plan for Philip-to join him in jam business.  Philip says that he would do any work other than wearing uniform.  Uncle James feels relieved.  Philip says that he wishes to sell his revolver, Uncle James laughs at hearing the word revolver.  Philip agrees to join him the very day to do business.

After the dream, Uncle James behaves in a silly way.  He laughs awkwardly many times.  He smiles for no reason.  He feels much relieved because Philip does not behave like how he behaved in his dream.

Conclusion

            In the play Uncle James, in the dream, does not understand the real thoughts of Philip.  Mary and Aunt Emily are able to understand Philip and they act as the bridge between Philip and Uncle James.

Summary of Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Introduction

Robert Browning is a famous English poet.  He has written many poems.  All his poems are in a form of drama.  They narrate a story.  The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a poem, which narrates a story.  Browning wrote this poem for small children.

A Rat Compared with Julius Caesar

            Hamelin is a small town.  It is near river Weser.  It is a beautiful town.  Five hundred years ago, the town faced many problems because of rats.  There were so many rats in the town.  They disturbed every human life.  They lived in men’s hats; they ate cheese and drank soup.  They bit babies in the cradles.  They jumped over women and spoilt their chat.  People got angry with the mayor of the town and complained about the rat menace.  The mayor and his counsel discussed the issue for a long time and they invited a man named Pied Piper.  The Pied Piper had blue eyes.  He wore a long coat, which was half-yellow and half-red.  He said that he had a secret charm and had solved many such menaces in many countries.  The mayor promised the Pied Piper a thousand guilders if he kills all the rats.  The Piper got into the street, pulled out his pipe, and started playing music with it. All kinds of rats followed him, he stopped near river Weser, and every rat fell down and died in the river.  Only one fat rat swam across the river and went into another island.  This rat is like Julius Caesar.  He swam across the river and informed all other rats about the way of the Piper and about his music.  The rat warned other rats to be careful with the Piper.

The Piper Changed his Fashion

            Every family in the town became happy.  The mayor ordered them to shut all the holes and to nail every window and door.  The Piper came to the Mayor and asked for the promised money.  The Mayor said that he would pay only fifty guilders.  He said that all the rats fell into the river and they would not come back.  The Piper got angry at the Mayor’s words.  He once again took out his pipe and started playing a sweet song.  This time all children in the town followed the Piper.  The children danced and followed him happily.  The Piper did not take the children towards the river.  He took them above a mountain.  The Mayor thought that he would stop his music at some point of time and they could take away the kids, but the Piper took away all the children into a cave.

The Lame Boy’s Sorrow

            Everyone went into the mountain except a lame boy.  He could not dance and follow the Piper like others.  The mountain side shut before the boy entered into it.  He was very sad for he was left alone in the town.  He thought that the other boys and girls would have great fun in the unseen land.  They would all enjoy the super land of the Piper.  He was left alone with the elders in the town.  He would not have anyone for his company.  The people in the town were sad because they missed their kids.

The Text in Pied Piper

            The mayor of the town sends people to search for the lost kids.  They search in all directions, but in vain.  They did not recover any of the kids.  All they got is a text – a note, that said the it would be hard to find the lost kids like that of putting a camel in a needle’s eye.  The town people did not get their kids back.  All they were able to do was that they wrote the story of the lost kids in a church window.  They named a street as Pied Piper’s Street for the street that saw the kids for the last time.  They also wrote the date 22^nd July 1376 in memory of the lost kids.

Conclusion

            This poem has a short story in it.  Though it sounds funny it gives the readers a serious message in the final line – “if we have promised them aught, let us keep our promise”.  One should be truthful to their promise.  The mayor promised the Piper some money but does not give him, so the piper takes revenge.  This is a story of crime and punishment.