Chapter 1

James's Happy Early Life

When James Henry Trotter was four years old, he had a very happy life.
He lived with his mother and father in a pretty house next to the sea.
There were always lots of other children to play with. He could run on the
sandy beach and splash in the ocean. It was a perfect life for a little boy.
The Terrible Day
One day, James's mother and father went to London to buy things.
Something very bad happened there. Both got eaten up by an enormous
angry rhinoceros that had run away from London Zoo. This happened in
the middle of the day on a busy street with lots of people around. This
was a very scary thing for his kind parents. But it was much worse for
James than for them. Their pain was over very quickly. They died in just
thirty-five seconds. Poor James was still alive, and suddenly he was all
alone and scared in a big, mean world. The beautiful house by the sea
had to be sold right away. The little boy took only a small bag with his
pajamas and toothbrush and was sent to live with his two aunts.
The Mean Aunts
His aunts were called Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. I'm sad to say they
were both very mean people. They were selfish and lazy and cruel. From
the very first day, they started hitting poor James for no good reason.
They never called him by his real name. They always called him bad
names like "you disgusting little beast" or "you dirty pest" or "you
miserable creature." They never gave him any toys or picture books. His
room was empty like a jail cell.
The Broken House on the Hill
Aunt Sponge, Aunt Spiker, and James lived in a strange ramshackle house
on top of a tall hill in the south of England. The hill was so tall that James
could look down from the garden and see for miles and miles across a
wonderful view of woods and fields. On very clear days, if he looked the
right way, he could see a tiny gray spot far away. That was the house
where he used to live with his dear mother and father. Just past that, he
could see the ocean - a long thin line of dark blue, like a line drawn with
ink under the sky.
James is Trapped
But James was never allowed to go down from the top of the hill. Aunt
Sponge and Aunt Spiker never wanted to take him anywhere, not even for
a short walk or a picnic. He was not allowed to go by himself either. "The
nasty little beast will only get into mischief if he goes out of the garden,"
Aunt Spiker had said. They told him terrible things would happen to him,
like being locked up in the cellar with the rats for a whole week, if he
even tried to climb over the fence.
The Empty, Sad Garden
The garden covered the whole top of the hill. It was big and desolate. The
only tree in the whole place was an ancient peach tree that never grew
any peaches. There were some dirty old bushes at the far end too. There
was no swing, no seesaw, no sandbox. No other children were ever asked
to come up the hill to play with poor James. There wasn't even a dog or
cat to keep him company. As time went by, he became sadder and
sadder, and more and more lonely. He would spend hours every day
standing at the bottom of the garden, looking wistfully at the beautiful
world of woods and fields and ocean below him that he could never visit.
It looked like a magic carpet spread out below him.
 The Secret of the Old Tower
Long ago, in a small village, there lived a boy named Sam who loved to
explore. One day, he discovered an enormous tower at the edge of town that
he had never seen before. The tower was so big that its top disappeared into
the clouds!
The tower looked very ramshackle. Its stones were crumbling, and thick vines
covered the walls. Windows were broken, and the wooden door hung crooked
on its hinges. Sam's grandmother had told him stories about this ancient
tower. She said it was hundreds of years old and had been empty for a very
long time.
As Sam walked closer, the area felt desolate. No birds sang, no flowers grew,
and even the grass looked dead. The place seemed sad and lonely, like it had
been forgotten by the world.
Inside the tower lived an old wizard named Grumpus. Grumpus was very
selfish. He had once been kind, but years of living alone had made him care
only about himself. He kept all the magic in the tower locked away and
wouldn't share it with anyone.
Because Grumpus was so lonely and mean, he felt miserable every day. He
would sit by his window and look wistfully at the happy village below, wishing
he could be part of it again. But he was too proud and stubborn to change his
ways.
One day, Sam decided to cause a little mischief. He climbed through a broken
window and explored the tower. Inside, he found rooms full of magical books,
sparkling crystals, and wonderful inventions that could help people.
"Who are you?" shouted Grumpus when he found Sam.
"I'm Sam," the boy said bravely. "Why don't you share your magic with the
village? Everyone could be happy!"
Grumpus thought about Sam's words. He realized that being selfish had made
him miserable. He decided to change.
From that day on, Grumpus used his magic to help the village. He fixed broken
things, made flowers grow, and taught children about magic. The ramshackle
tower became beautiful again, and Grumpus was never lonely or miserable
again.Sam learned that kindness and sharing can change even the grumpiest
person(most bad-tempered) into a friend.

1. What did the enormous tower look like when Sam first found it?
Answer: The tower looked ramshackle with crumbling stones, thick vines,
broken windows, and a crooked wooden door.
2. Why was the wizard Grumpus miserable?
Answer: Grumpus was miserable because he was selfish and lonely. He had
lived alone for years and wouldn't share his magic with anyone.
3. How did the area around the tower feel to Sam?
Answer: The area felt desolate - it was empty and lonely with no birds singing,
no flowers growing, and dead grass.
4. What kind of mischief did Sam do?
Answer: Sam climbed through a broken window and explored the tower without
permission.
5. How did the story end?
Answer: Grumpus decided to change and started sharing his magic with the
village. The tower became beautiful, and Grumpus was happy again.
Simple Sentences Using Vocabulary Words
Enormous
The enormous elephant was bigger than a school bus.
Rhinoceros
The rhinoceros has thick gray skin and a sharp horn on its nose.
Selfish
The selfish boy ate all the cookies and didn't share any with his sister.
Miserable
Sarah felt very sad when he saw a injured puppy in a miserable condition.
Ramshackle
The ramshackle old barn had holes in the roof and broken walls.
Cell (jail cell)
The police officer locked the bad man in a small cell at the jail.
Mischief
The puppy got into mischief by chewing up Dad's favorite shoes.
Cellar
Mom keeps old boxes and winter clothes in the cellar under our house.
Desolate
The desolate playground had no children playing because it was so cold.
Ancient
The ancient castle was built over 500 years ago by a king.
Wistfully
Tommy looked wistfully at the ice cream truck as it drove away without
stopping.
 Synonym Word Web

Instructions: Write two synonyms for each vocabulary word that a fourth
grader would understand.
1. Enormous: huge, gigantic

2. Selfish: greedy, mean

3. Miserable: sad, unhappy

4. Ramshackle: broken, falling apart

5. Mischief: trouble, naughty behavior

6. Desolate: empty, lonely

7. Ancient: very old, Antique

8. Wistfully: sadly, wishfully ((‫دل میں سوچنا کاش ایسا ہو جاتا‬

 Questions and Answers
Question: Why was it “far nastier” for James when his parents died
than it was for his parents?

Question: How do you think James feels about living on the high hill
with his aunts?

Question: Why do you think Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker never let
James leave the garden or hilltop?

Question: Where did James live at the beginning of the story, before
he moved in with his aunts?

Question: What happened to James’s parents?

Question: How do Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker treat James?

Question: What is the garden on the hill like?

Synonym Exercise
1. Enormous a) Trouble
2. Selfish b) Empty
3. Miserable c) Old
4. Ramshackle d) Sadly
5. Mischief e) Huge
6. Desolate f) Self-centered
7. Ancient g) Unhappy
8. Wistfully h) Broken-down
Fill in the Blanks
Word Bank: gigantic, greedy, sad, shaking, naughty, lonely, old, longingly
1. The dinosaur skeleton was __________ old. (Answer:)
2. The __________ castle was falling apart after hundreds of years. (Answer:)
3. She felt __________ when her best friend moved away. (Answer:)
4. The __________ boy took all the cookies without sharing. (Answer:
)
5. The elephant at the zoo was absolutely __________! (Answer:
)
6. The puppy got into __________ behavior by chewing the shoes. (Answer:
)
7. The abandoned house looked __________ with no one living there. (Answer:
)
8. He stared __________ at the toy store window. (Answer:
)
Questions and Answers
1. What did the enormous tower look like when Sam first found it?

2. Why was the wizard Grumpus miserable?

3. How did the area around the tower feel to Sam?

4. What kind of mischief did Sam do?

5. How did the story end?

Synonym Exercise
Vocabulary Word Synonym Options
Enormous A. Huge
Selfish B. Sad
Miserable C. Old
Ramshackle D. Empty
Mischief E. Greedy
Desolate F. Trouble
Ancient G. Broken-down
 Wistfully H. Sadly
Fill in the Blanks
Word Bank: gigantic, greedy, unhappy, crumbling, naughty, lonely, very old,
longingly)wistfully)
1. The __________ tower was falling apart after many years.
2. The wizard felt __________ because he had no friends.
3. Sam looked __________ at the magical books he couldn't touch.
4. The __________ building was thousands of years old.
5. The __________ castle was bigger than ten houses put together.
6. The __________ child wouldn't share his candy with anyone.
7. Getting into __________ behavior got Sam in trouble with his parents.
8. The __________ desert had no plants or animals anywhere.
 Chapter 2
Strange Things Begin to Happen
After James Henry Trotter had been living with his aunts for three whole
years, one morning something rather peculiar happened to him. This
thing, which was only a little peculiar, soon made a second thing happen
which was very peculiar. And then the very peculiar thing made a really,
really peculiar thing happen.
A Very Hot Day
It all started on a blazing hot day in the middle of summer. Aunt Sponge,
Aunt Spiker, and James were all outside in the garden. James had to work,
like always. This time he was cutting wood for the kitchen stove. Aunt
Sponge and Aunt Spiker were sitting in their deckchairs nearby, drinking
tall glasses of bubbly lemonade and watching him to make sure he didn't
stop working for even one second.
What the Aunts Looked Like
Aunt Sponge was very fat and very short. She had small eyes like a pig, a
mouth that sank in, and one of those soft white faces that looked like it
had been cooked in hot water. She was like a big white mushy
overcooked cabbage. Aunt Spiker was thin and tall and bony, and she
wore steel spectacles that clipped onto the end of her nose. She had a
screeching voice and long wet thin lips. When she got angry or excited,
little bits of spit would fly out of her mouth when she talked. There they
sat, these two ghastly hags, drinking their drinks and yelling at James to
chop faster and faster. They also talked about themselves, each one
saying how pretty she thought she was. Aunt Sponge had a long mirror on
her lap, and she kept picking it up and looking at her own hideous face.
The Aunts' Silly Song About Beauty
"I look and smell," Aunt Sponge said, "as lovely as a rose!
Just look at my face, see my nice nose!
Look at my pretty hair!
And if I take off both my socks, you'll see my cute toes."
"But don't forget," Aunt Spiker cried, "how big your belly is!"
Aunt Sponge turned red. Aunt Spiker said, "My dear, you cannot win,
Look at MY pretty curved body, my teeth, my nice smile!
Oh, beautiful me! How I love my bright looks! And please don't look at the
bump on my chin."
"My dear old fish!" Aunt Sponge cried out, "You're only bones and skin!"
"Such beauty as I have can only really shine in Hollywood!" Aunt Sponge
said. "Oh, wouldn't that be nice! I'd win all people's hearts! They'd give
me all the best parts! The movie stars would all quit!"
"I think you'd make," Aunt Spiker said, "a lovely monster."
Poor James Working Hard
Poor James was still working hard at the wood-cutting block. The heat was
awful. He was sweating all over. His arm hurt. The wood chopper was a
big dull tool that was much too heavy for a small boy to use. As he
worked, James began thinking about all the other children in the world
and what they might be doing right now. Some would be riding bikes in
their yards. Some would be walking in cool forests and picking bunches of
wildflowers. And all the little friends he used to know would be down by
the ocean, playing in the wet sand and splashing in the water...
Big tears began oozing out of James's eyes and rolling down his face. He
stopped working and leaned against the wood-cutting block, feeling so
very sad.
The Aunts Get Angry
"What's wrong with you?" Aunt Spiker screeched, glaring at him over the
top of her steel spectacles.
James began to cry. "Stop that right now and get back to your work, you
nasty little beast!" Aunt Sponge ordered.
"Oh, Auntie Sponge!" James cried out. "And Auntie Spiker! Couldn't we all
- please - just for once - go down to the ocean on the bus? It isn't very far,
and I feel so hot and awful and lonely..."
"Why, you lazy good-for-nothing boy!" Aunt Spiker shouted.
"Hit him!" cried Aunt Sponge.
"I will!" Aunt Spiker said angrily. She glared at James, and James looked
back at her with big, scared eyes. "I will hit you later today when I don't
feel so hot," she said. "And now get away from me, you disgusting little
worm, and leave me alone!"
James Runs Away to Hide
James turned and ran. He ran as fast as he could to the far end of the
garden and hid behind that bunch of dirty old bushes we talked about
before. Then he put his hands over his face and began to cry and cry.
Difficult Words & Meanings
Peculiar:Strange or unusual; not normal.
Blazing:Very, very hot; burning bright like fire.
Deckchairs:Folding chairs used outside, often in gardens or at the
beach.
Spectacles:Glasses that people wear to help them see.
Screeching:Making a loud, high, and sharp sound.
Ghastly:Very scary or horrible.
Hags:Old women who look ugly and mean.
Hideous:Very, very ugly.
Oozing:Coming out slowly, like thick liquid.
Glaring:Staring at someone in an angry way.
‫انگریزی‬ ‫اردو معنی‬ ‫تفصیل‬
‫لفظ‬
Peculiar ‫عجیب‬ ‫غیر معمولی یا انوکھا‬
Blazing ‫انتہائی گرم‬ ‫آگ کی طرح تیز گرم‬
Deckchairs ‫فولڈنگ کرسیاں‬ ‫باہر استعمال ہونے والی کرسیاں‬
Spectacles ‫عینک‬ ‫آنکھوں پر لگانے واال چشمہ‬
Screeching ‫کریختی آواز‬ ‫تیز اور بلند آواز‬
 Ghastly ‫خوفناک‬ ‫ڈراؤنا اور برا‬
Hags ‫بدصورت بڑھیا‬ ‫بری اور گندی عورت‬
Hideous ‫بھیانک‬ ‫انتہائی بدصورت‬
Oozing ‫رسنا‬ ‫آہستہ آہستہ نکلنا‬
Glaring ‫غصے سے دیکھنا‬ ‫غصیلی نظروں سے تاکنا‬

1. Question: What job did James have to do in the garden on the hot
day?
Answer: James had to cut wood for the kitchen stove.
2. Question: While James was working, what were his aunts doing?
Answer: His aunts were sitting in deckchairs, drinking tall glasses of
bubbly lemonade.
3. Question: How is Aunt Spiker described in the story?
Answer: She is described as thin, tall, and bony. She wears steel
spectacles and has a screeching voice.
4. Question: Why did James feel sad and start to cry while he was
working?
Answer: He felt sad because he was hot, tired, and lonely. He was
thinking about other children playing by the ocean and in cool forests.
5. Question: What did James ask his aunts if they could do?
Answer: He asked if they could all go down to the ocean on the bus.
6. Question: Where did James run to hide after his aunts got angry?
Answer: He ran to the far end of the garden and hid behind a bunch of
dirty old bushes.
Question: What are Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker doing while James works?
Answer: They are sitting comfortably in deckchairs, drinking tall glasses of
fizzy lemonade. They are relaxing and watching James to make sure he doesn’t
stop working.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
I. It was a blazing hot ______ in the middle of summer when James was
working outside.
Answer: day
II. James had to keep ______ wood for the kitchen stove while his aunts
watched.
Answer: chopping
III. Aunt Spiker wore steel-rimmed ______ on the end of her nose.
Answer: spectacles
IV. Aunt Sponge was very ______, like a great white overboiled cabbage.
Answer: fat
V. James begged his aunts to go to the ______ because he felt so hot and
lonely.
Answer: seaside

1. Question: What job did James have to do in the garden on the hot
day?
2. Question: While James was working, what were his aunts doing?

3. Question: How is Aunt Spiker described in the story?

4. Question: Why did James feel sad and start to cry while he was
working?

5. Question: What did James ask his aunts if they could do?

6. Question: Where did James run to hide after his aunts got angry?

7. Question: What are Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker doing while James
works?

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
I. It was a blazing hot ______ in the middle of summer when James was
working outside.Answer:
II. James had to keep ______ wood for the kitchen stove while his aunts
watched.
Answer:
III. Aunt Spiker wore steel-rimmed ______ on the end of her nose.
Answer:
IV. Aunt Sponge was very ______, like a great white overboiled cabbage.
Answer:
V. James begged his aunts to go to the ______ because he felt so hot and
lonely.
Answer:
What routine work is James Which of these describes Aunt Sponge?
doing at the start of Chapter A. A very fat, selfish woman who is mean to
2? James
A. Watering the garden b. A very skinny woman with glasses who is
b. Chopping wood for the stove kind
c. Playing with a ball c. A cheerful, pretty lady who loves James
d. Washing the dishes d. A tall woman with a gentle voice
Answer: Answer:
What are Aunt Sponge and How do the aunts react when James asks to
Aunt Spiker doing while James go to the seaside?
chops wood? A. They agree to take him for a treat.
A. Helping James work in the B. They laugh and say they will go the next
garden day.
b. Relaxing in chairs and C. They become angry and threaten to
drinking lemonade punish James.
c. Taking a nap inside the D. They ignore James as if they didn’t hear
house him.
d. Going shopping in town Answer: c. They become angry and
Answer: threaten to punish James.

Match the Columns

Peculiar: a. Making a loud, high, and sharp sound.

Blazing: b. Very scary or horrible.
Deckchairs c. Old women who look ugly and mean.
:
Spectacles d. Very, very ugly.
:
Screeching e. Coming out slowly, like thick liquid.
:
Ghastly: f. Staring at someone in an angry way.
Hags: g. Strange or unusual; not normal.
Hideous: h. Very, very hot; burning bright like fire.
Oozing: i. Folding chairs used outside, often in gardens or at
the beach.
Glaring: j. Glasses that people wear to help them see.
 The Peculiar Beach Day
One sunny day, Mia and her little brother Jake went to the beach. The sun was
blazing in the sky, so they put on their sunglasses and sat in their deckchairs.
Everything seemed perfect—until they heard a screeching sound from behind
the rocks.
"Did you hear that?" Jake asked, his eyes wide.
Mia nodded and stood up. "Let’s go look."
They walked carefully toward the rocks. Behind them, they found something
peculiar—three old women dressed in black robes, with spectacles on their
noses. Their hair was wild, and they looked very strange.
"They look like hags from a fairy tale!" whispered Jake.
Suddenly, one of the hags turned and gave them a ghastly smile. Her face was
hideous, with warts and green goo oozing from her nose.
"Children!" she cackled. "Would you like a snack?"
Mia and Jake gasped and ran back to their deckchairs. The hags were now
standing on the rocks, glaring at them.
"I don’t want to come to this beach again," said Jake, shaking.
"Me neither," said Mia. "Next time, let’s just go to the park."
Questions and Answers
1. Where did Mia and Jake go?
→ They went to the beach.
2. What strange sound did they hear?
→ They heard a screeching sound.
3. Who did they see behind the rocks?
→ They saw three old hags.
4. What was oozing from the hag’s nose?
→ Green goo was oozing from her nose.
5. What did Mia and Jake decide at the end?
→ They decided not to go to that beach again.
Synonym Exercise
1. Peculiar → b. Strange
2. Blazing → a. Bright
3. Screeching → e. Shrill
4. Ghastly → d. Awful
5. Hideous → c. Ugly
 Match the word to its synonym:
1. Peculiar → a. Bright
2. Blazing → b. Strange
3. Screeching → c. Ugly
4. Ghastly → d. Awful
5. Hideous → e. Shrill
Questions and Answers
1. Where did Mia and Jake go?
→
2. What strange sound did they hear?
→
3. Who did they see behind the rocks?
→
4. What was oozing from the hag’s nose?
→
5. What did Mia and Jake decide at the end?
→