5. SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY ? - JOHN UPDIKE

5. SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY ?   

  - JOHN UPDIKE 

Jo

 SUMMARY OF THE STORY 

Jack tells his daughter Jo, a four-year old girl, a story every evening to make her sleep . Each new story was a slight variation of a basic tale. Today he tells her a story of a stinky Skunk. His name was Roger Skunk. 

He smelled so bad that none of the other little creatures of the forest would play with him. He went to a wise old owl with his problem. The owl sent him to a wizard. Roger Skunk was very happy and ran out into the forest. All the other little animals gathered around him because he smelled so good. They played a number of games, when it was evening, they all ran home to their mommies. 

When Roger Skunk went home, his mommy said, "What's that awful smell ?" Roger Skunk said, "it's me, Mommy , I smell like roses," She asked who made him smell like that. He said, "The wizard."

She along with Roger Skunk went to that wizard. She hit her umbrella on the head of the wizard complied the instruction. Roger Skunk did not smell of roses any more. He smelled very bad again. Daddy Skunk returned home from Boston. They had their supper. When Roger Skunk was in bed Mommy Skunk came up and hugged him and said he smelled like her little baby skunk again. She loved him very much. And that's the end of the story. 

Jo wanted another end of the story "Then the wizard hit Mommy on the head and did not change that little skunk back," She insisted that her Daddy should tell the story with this end. But he asked her to sleep and he went downstairs to help his wife Clare in painting the articles including a cage, Jo came running down the stairs. Jack felt caught in an ugly middle position. 

The wood work, a cage and baseboards were all around there. He also felt him along with wife caught in the cage. He did not want to speak with her, work with her, touch her, anything.

जैक की 4 वर्ष की पुत्री जो को कहानी सुनने की आदत है। यह सिलसिला तब से शुरू होता है जब जो दो साल की थी। जो बिना कहानी सुने सोती नही है। जैक की कहानी का एक मुख्य किरदार होता है जिसका नाम रोजर होता है। कभी रोजर फिश, कभी रोजर बंदर, कभी रोजर भालू....

आज जो जैक कहानी सुनाता है  उसका हीरो होता है रोजर स्कंक। रोजर स्कंक छोटा सा अमरीकन जंगली जानवर होता है जिस पर बदबू आती है और कोई उसके अगल बगल रहना और खेलना पसंद नहीं करता है। रोजर इस वजह से हमेशा दुखी रहता है। वह अपनी समस्या लेकर समझदार उल्लू के पास जाता है। उल्लू उसे बताता है कि नदी पार जाकर आपको छोटा सा घर दिखेगा उसमें जादूगर रहता है। जादूगर ही रोजर स्कंक की  समस्या का समाधान कर सकता है। 

                रोजर स्कंक जादूगर के पास जाता है और अपनी सारी समस्या बताता है। जादूगर अपनी जादुई छड़ी लेता है और मंत्रोचारण करता है। और पूछता है कि तुम्हें कौन सी खुशबू चाहिए। स्कंक काफी सोचने के बाद बताता है रोज की खुशबू। जो बड़ी खुश हो जाती है। 

जादूगर स्कंक को गुलाब की खुशबू दे देता है। स्कंक खुश हो जाता है और दौड़ते हुए अपने साथियों के पास खेलने पहुंचता है। सारे दोस्त अब स्कंक को अपना लेते हेयर बहुत सारे गेम खेलते है और शाम को अपनी मम्मियों के पास चले जाते है।

     

परंतु घर पहुंचते ही उसकी मम्मी ने जैसे ही उसे गले लगाया तो पूछा की ये बदबू तुम पर कहां से आ रही है। स्कंक बोलता है कि मां यह बदबू नहीं है बल्कि रोज की खुशबू है।

लेकिन उसकी मां बड़ी दुखी और गुस्सा होती है और पूछती है कि यह बदबू किसने दी तुम्हें। अभी चलो मेरे साथ और उसको सबक सिखाती हूं। रोजर स्कंक रोकने की कोशिश करता है परन्त उसकी मां सुनने को तैयार नहीं होती और छाता पकड़ रोजर को लेकर जादूगर्वके घर जा धमकती है।

छाते से जादूगर के सर पर जोर से मारती है और उसको रोजर की बदबू वापस करने को बोलती है। जादूगर वैसे ही करता है। लेकिन जो कहानी के इस अंत से नाराज हो जाती है।जो  चाहती थी कि जादूगर ने भी रोजर स्कंक की माँ के सर पर छाता मारा और बदबू नहीं लौटाई।   और उसे स्टुपिड मां बोलती है। 

जैक कहता है कि रोजर स्कंक के दोस्त समय के साथ साथ स्कंक की बदबू के आदि  हो जाते है और उसके साथ खेलना शुरू कर देते है।  और स्कंक अपनी मम्मी से बहुत प्यार करता है तो माँ की बात मान  लेता है। 

Long answer type questions

Q 1- What is the moral issue that the story raises ? 

Ans- introduction : Joanne (Jo) is a four-year old girl. her father Jack tells her stories in the evenings and for Saturday naps.
The story: Today he was telling a story about Roger Skunk. He smelled so bad that none of the other little woodland creatures world play with him. The big wise old owl directed him to the wizard to solve his problem of bad smell. The wizard changed his smell to that of roses. When he came to the forest, all the other little animals gathered around him and played with him.
 But when he went home, his mother was not happy . She took him back to the wizard and asked him to change his smell to his original one. He changed his smell to his original bad smell. Now the mother was happy and loved him very much.
Conclusion : The moral issue is : Should the parents decide the future of their children, or children should have the freedom to choose their own careers?

Q 2- How does Jo want the story to end and why ? 
Ans-  Introduction : When Roger Skunk went home, his mother said, "What's that awful smell? Who made you smell like that ?"
How Jack ended the story : Skunk's mother along with him went to the wizard. She hit the wizard with get umbrella right over the head and demanded to change the smell of her son to the original smell. The wizard changed the smell of roses to that bad smell and Roger skunk smelled very haqd again."
How Jo wants to story to end : Jo does not agree to the above end of the story, She agitates to hear this end. She wants., "Then the wizard hit her on the head and did not change that little skunk back". Conclusion: Why ? Jo thinks that all the other little animals of the forest will run away from Roger Skunk because he smells very  bad again. they will cry, "uh-oh, here comes Roger Stinky Skunk". This will make Roger Skunk hate himself, which is not a good end.

Q 3- Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother? 
Ans - Introduction : Jack insists that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother.
Reasons: The mother of Roger Skunk was not stupid. She did not like the unnatural smell (the smell of the roses). When Roger Skunk was in bed his Mommy came up and hugged him and said he smelled like her little baby skunk again and she loved him very much.
Jack asserts that the point is that the little skunk loved his mommy more than he loved all the other little animals and she new what was right.
His love for his mommy is shown by the fact that he took his mommy to the wizard. She hit the wizard and forced him to change the smell of roses to his original bad smell.
Conclusion : Jack insists on this ending to emphasise the concern of the parents for their children and their role in bringing them up on proper lines.

Q 4-  What makes Jack fell caught in an ugly middle position?
Ans - Introduction : Jack feels caught in an ugly middle position as a father and as a husband. he has to perform both the duties.
As a father : His daughter Jo is not satisfied with the end of the story he has finished, she wants that the story be ended in another way. She wants him to tell her the story that wizard took his magic wand and hit that mommy. He says to her, "Tomorrow you say the wizard hit that mommy ." But she insists that he should say it now.
As a husband : His pregnant wife Clare was painting the wood work and other articles downstairs. He wanted to help her in the work of painting. Jack closed the door and went downstairs.
Clare asked if the story was a long one.
Meanwhile Jo was coming downstairs. Then he called,"Joanne!
Shall I come up there and slap you ?"
In that situation Jack fell caught in an ugly middle position. He would neither satisfy his daughter nor did he help his poor wife.
Conclusion : He also felt entrapped in the cage along with his wife. He did not want to speak with her , work with her, touch her, anything.