Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody.
’Tis he who always tears out books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.
He puts damp wood upon the fire
That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid;
Who had them last, but he?
There’s no one tosses them about
But Mr. Nobody.
The finger marks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots,—they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.
Which word in the poem means ‘put in a place that one cannot remember’?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Mislaid
To mislay a thing is to put it somewhere and then forget where it is.
- Mislaid is its past form. The poem says “The papers always are mislaid”.
- Someone put the papers down and now no one can find them. Example: Dadi has mislaid her glasses again.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Prithee — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Prithee is an old word for “please”. Example: “Prithee, sit down,” said the king in the old play.
Option 3: Mischief — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Mischief is naughty behaviour that causes small trouble. Example: The puppy got into mischief and chewed my shoe.
Option 4: Unclosed — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Unclosed means left open. The poem uses it for the blinds. Example: Rahul left the window unclosed and the rain came in.