Summary of Ruskin Bond's Pret in House

 

Introduction

            Ruskin Bond was born in India for a British couple.  He was educated in India.  After completing his college he started to write stories and novels.  He has won many awards for his stories and novels.  “Pret in House” is an excerpt from Ruskin Bond’s “Ghosts of a Hill-Station”.  It introduces a mischievous ghost, Pret.  It narrates a few tricks played by Pret and how it makes the people at a home to move to another house.

Pret in the Peepal Tree

            A small boy is the narrator of the story.  He starts the story by introducing the house of Pret.  In India, prets usually live in peepal trees.  The Pret, in this story, lives in a peepal tree, which has grown in between a compound wall that divides the narrator’s house from the road.  Pret does not trouble the people inside the house because it is busy disturbing the people in the road.  It would frighten the pony pulling a cart.  It would get into the engine of a bus or car and make it breakdown.  It would knock the topis of the men.  Everyone will be confused.  Pret can be heard and felt but not seen.

Pret and Jaspal

            Jaspal is a tailor.  He stitches grandmother’s clothes.  In India people will not yawn by standing under a peepal tree.  Once Jaspal yawns under the tree without closing his mouth with his fingers.  Pret easily enters into his mouth and upsets his stomach, so that he is not able to finish his work on time. 

Pret Enters the House

            One day the PWD officers ask grandfather’s permission to cut down the peepal tree, so that they could extent the road.  Grandfather agrees to this.  The Pret loses its house.  It finds difficult to cope up with the PWD officers.  So the Pret enters the narrator’s house and gives a lot of trouble to the people inside the house.

Pret and Grandmother

            After Pret’s stay, the grandmother’s spectacles will always be found missing.  She keeps it in one place and it will be found in some other place.  One day her spectacle is seen in the nose of the stuffed wild boar hanging in the veranda wall.  Another day it is found dangling in the parrot’s cage.  Pret also cuts all the sweet peas, which are grown by the grandfather.

Pret and Aunt Minnie

            Pret disturbs Uncle Ken during his sleep by pulling away his bed sheet.  Aunt Minnie comes from Burma to stay with them.  Pret replaced her tooth paste with grandfahter’s shaving cream.  She brushes her teeth with shaving cream and her mouth foams.  One day Pret hits her hardly with grapes and she is wounded.  Pret also disturbs the young narrator by hiding his ink bottle.

Grandmother’s Decision

            The grandmother decides to vacate the house, so that they can be peaceful and happy.  They pack two carts with their households.  They also load their car and move to the new house.  As they move they hear some noise above the car.  The grandfather and others confirm that it is the voice of the Pret and it is happy to occupy their new house.

Pret’s Character

            Pret is mischievous and sadistic.  It disturbs others so that it is happy.  Pret makes fun of others by its deeds.  It can also be called as selfish.  It does not have a companion, so it disturbs and plays with everyone it sees.  As readers, we enjoy the pranks played by Pret.  Its actions are disturbing, yet enjoyed by kids and readers.