Maharashtra State Board Textbook Solutions

Standard VI – English

Chapter 4.3 – Mr Nobody

Paraphrase of the Poem

Ans: “Mr Nobody” is a poem whose poet is unknown. The poem talks about many small careless actions that happen in our homes. Often, when something goes wrong, people say that Mr Nobody has done it. In reality, these mistakes are caused by our own careless behaviour.

The poet wants us to understand that instead of blaming an imaginary person like Mr Nobody, we should be responsible for our actions and do our work properly.

The poem begins by describing a funny little person called Mr Nobody who lives in every house. He quietly does all the mischief, but no one ever sees his face. Whenever a plate is found cracked, everyone says that Mr Nobody must have done it.

Mr Nobody is blamed for tearing books, leaving doors slightly open, pulling buttons off shirts, and scattering pins here and there. The door continues to squeak because no one oils it, but the blame is still given to Mr Nobody.

Similarly, when finger marks appear on the door, blinds are left open, curtains fade, ink spills, or books and boots lie around carelessly, everyone says that Mr Nobody has done it.

Through this poem, the poet reminds us that we should not blame others for our mistakes and should learn to be careful and responsible in our daily habits.

Meanings

Word	Meaning
mischief	troublesome or playful behaviour
cracked	broken or damaged
ajar	slightly open
scatters	throws things here and there
afar	at a distance
prithee	please (an old English polite request meaning “I pray thee”)
blinds	screens or coverings for windows
fade	lose colour or brightness gradually
spill	cause liquid to fall or flow out of a container

Pointers

1. Read the poem aloud.

Ans: Students must recite the poem aloud.

2. Complete the following chart of personal pronouns using words from the brackets –

(him, our, we, he, her, their, it, me, your).

Person	Pronouns
First	I, we
	my, our
	me, us
	mine, ours
Second	you
	your
	you
	yours
Third	he, she, it, they
	his, her, its, their
	him, her, them
	his, hers, its, theirs

Which of the above pronouns do you use when you talk about yourself?

Ans: I, my, me, us, our, ours.

Suppose you are telling someone about the good/bad things they have done. What pronoun are you likely to use?

Ans: You, your, yours.

Suppose you are complaining about one or more persons/things to your teacher/mother. What pronouns will you use?

Ans: He, she, they, him, her, them, his, hers, theirs.

3. Write all the instances of the mischief done by Mr Nobody.

Ans: The instances of mischief done by Mr Nobody are as follows:

1. He cracks or breaks plates.
2. He tears books.
3. He leaves the door ajar.
4. He pulls buttons from our shirts.
5. He scatters pins far and wide.
6. He does not oil the door and leaves it squeaking.
7. He leaves finger marks on the door.
8. He spills the ink.
9. He leaves boots lying around instead of putting them in their proper place.

4. What characteristics of Mr Nobody do we learn about from this poem?

Ans: Mr Nobody appears to be mischievous, careless, and irresponsible. He does not handle things properly and often damages them. He behaves carelessly by leaving doors open, tearing books, and scattering pins. Through this character, the poet shows how people often blame their own careless actions on an imaginary person called Mr Nobody.

5. Imagine that there is a Mr Somebody who has to correct all the wrongs that are done by Mr Nobody. Write in the following table, what Mr Somebody will have to do.

Mr Nobody’s Actions	Tasks for Mr Somebody
1. The plate is broken/cracked.	Mend the plate or throw it away carefully.
2. The book is torn.	Repair the book using tape or glue.
3. The door is ajar.	Close the door properly.
4. The buttons are pulled from the shirt.	Stitch the buttons back onto the shirt.
5. The pins are scattered.	Collect the pins and keep them safely in a container.
6. The door is still squeaking.	Oil the door to stop the squeaking sound.
7. There are finger marks upon the door.	Clean and wipe the door properly.
8. The ink has spilled over.	Wipe and clean the spilled ink carefully.
9. Boots are lying around.	Arrange the shoes neatly on the shoe rack.
10. Expensive clothes are scattered.	Gather the clothes and place them in the laundry basket.
11. Dirty plates are on the table.	Pick up the plates and place them in the sink for washing.
12. The comb is left without cleaning.	Remove the hair from the comb, clean it, and keep it properly.

6. Write about one occasion each when you have behaved like –

(a) Mr Nobody

Ans: Once I took out a thermometer to check my temperature because I thought I had a fever. After using it, I carelessly left it on my bed. Later, my mother came to check on me and accidentally sat on it. The thermometer broke and also hurt her hand. That day, I realised that my careless behaviour was just like Mr Nobody.

(b) Mr Somebody

Ans: One day my father left home in a hurry for work and forgot his mobile phone. I noticed it immediately after he left. I quickly ran after him and gave it to him so that he would not miss any important calls.

7. Listen and complete

Close your books. The teacher will dictate some lines from the poem. She will say the first half and you have to write the entire line/verse.

(a)

Ans: I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!

(b)

Ans: There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr Nobody.

8. Use the following expressions in your own sentences

(a) We all agree that

Ans: We all agree that we should plant more trees to protect our environment.

(b) It is he/she who

Ans: It is she who helped the old lady cross the road.

(c) Don’t you see

Ans: Don’t you see that hard work is necessary to achieve success?

(d) None of us

Ans: None of us had ever thought of such an interesting idea before.