Back to: West Bengal Board Class 7th English Guide and Notes
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Introduction
Ruskin Bond, one of India’s greatest children’s writers, wrote the story “Ghosts On The Verandah.” The narrative is based on ghost and spirit stories; however, it is intended to be humorous and written in a light-hearted tone. The story centres on the narrator, his friends Kamal and Anil, as well as Anil’s mother and maid. When the narrator spends the night at Anil’s residence, a sequence of events unfold that give the reader both goosebumps and amusement.
About the Author
Anglo-Indian writer Ruskin Bond was born in the United Kingdom. The Room on the Roof, his debut novel, was published in 1956 and won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Bond has written over 500 short stories, articles, and novels, as well as 50 children’s books.
The Ghost Story Night
Ruskin Bond penned the story. Anil’s mother had an extraordinary collection of folklore in her memory, and she would occasionally amaze everyone with her tales of spirits and strange ghosts. Kamal and the narrator had been asked to spent the night at Anil’s top floor residence one evening when Anil’s father was out of town. His mother proceeded to tell them a tale about different sorts of ghosts she had observed throughout her life.
Mulia, the maid, had just had a bath and arrived on the verandah with her hair down just as she was narrating the incident. Anil’s mother told her not to go out after dusk with her hair down. She told her about Jinn spirits, who are drawn to long hair and beautiful black eyes like Mulia has. She also alarmed her by implying that they may kidnap her. Mulia was terrified, so she tied her hair up in a bun and hurried inside for safety.
The narrator became intrigued and inquired about Anil’s mother’s ability to see Jinns. Anil’s mother responded by recounting an event about a weird boy who could stretch his arm at least four yards. He was thought to be a Jinn by everyone. She then told a story about Munija, a malicious ghost that resided among lonely peepul trees. Munija would harass tongas, bullock carts, and bikes if they anger him. Munija even had the potential to cause havoc on a bus. She advised the children that if they ever passed by a peepul tree, they must cover their mouths or the Munija will enter their bodies.
Grandma’s Spirit In The House
The children found themselves in an uncomfortable position after hearing the stories. To shift the conversation’s focus, Kamal remarked that one of his friends had discovered a snake in his bed one morning. Anil’s mother worriedly asked whether he had killed it, but Kamal said it had gotten away. They finished their dinner and heard a lot more ghost stories before 11 p.m. that night, including one about Anil’s grandmother. Anil’s grandma had apparently paid the family a visit. When Kamal and the narrator heard this, they were hesitant to leave the veranda and walk to the room that was offered to them.
Anil’s mother taught them magical spells to ward off the enigmatic spirits, but it didn’t make the children feel any better. S As she continued to repeat the chants, making the youngsters feel more and more uneasy. Kamal attempted to cheer everyone up by singing a song, but this just intensified the eerie mood.
When Anil’s Mother Scared Everyone Else And Herself…
A moment later, they heard a knock on the door and the voices of Anil and Mulia, the female servant, were heard. When they opened the door, they noticed that both of them were pale and frightened. They had also been terrified by Anil’s mother’s stories. Anil inquired about Ruskin and Kamal’s well-being, to which they falsely replied that they were fine. Anil then demanded that they sleep on the opposite side of the home, where they would feel safer. As a result, they began to relocate their mattresses to a different spot. All of them were startled when they heard Anil’s mother scream from the other side of the flat. While they were considering shifting to the opposite side of the flat and sleeping there, Anil’s mother was not around.
So, she became concerned and cried that Kamal and Rusty, as well as their beds, were gone. She yelled out loud again and passed out as she came out on the porch and saw them rushing around. The kids wouldn’t let Anil’s mother tell them any more scary stories after that.
