Question

Comprehension
The hiding place:
SUDDENLY there was a loud bang on the door. Was it a search party? If so, why had the old man given
him no warning?
A voice called out in German.
There was no time to escape to the wood-shed.
“Quick-up there!” The old woman pointed up the chimney. “There’s an opening on the right, halfway
up.”
Joseph divided into the hearth and hauled himself up over the iron spit. The fire was only smoldering
and there was not much smoke. He had not found the opening when the door burst open and two soldiers
came in. While they searched the room, he stood very still, his legs astride the chimney. He wanted to
cough. He thought his lungs would burst.
Suddenly a head peered up the chimney. It was the old woman, “They’ve gone upstairs”, she said, “But
don’t come down yet.”
She showed him where the opening was. He crept inside, coughing. He could see the sky through the
wide chimney top above him.
He was congratulating himself on his good luck when he heard the soldiers return to the room below. With
the difficulty he controlled his cough.
“What about the chimney?” said a German voice? “Plenty of room to hide up there.”
“Plenty of soot too,” said the other soldier. “Your uniform’s older than mine. What about you going up?”
“Not likely.”
“Then we’ll send a couple of bullets up for good luck.”
Two ear-splitting explosions. It seemed as if the whole chalet was falling down. Joseph clung on to his
perch. There was a great tumbling about his ears. He clung and clung and clung-till his fingers were torn
from their grip, and he fell.
When he came to his senses, he was lying on the floor. The old woman was bending over him,
washing his face from cold water.
“It’s all right-they’ve gone,” she said. “The fall of soot saved you. The soldiers ran for it when the soot
Glossary:
hearth: a floor of a fireplace
hauled: pull or draw with force
smoldering: burning slowly
explosion: blast
soot: ashes
Q.1: Initially Joseph could not find the hiding place inside the chimney. What did he do?
Q.2 What did the German soldiers do instead of going up to the chimney and why?
Q.3 What did Joseph do to avoid being captured? What would you have done in a similar situation?
Q.4: What does this story show about the character of the older woman? What is your opinion about her?

Answer 1

Answer:

I don't know

Explanation:

ask from anyone