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 of the following best states the central idea of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The family blames an imaginary person for the damage it causes itself
Mr. Nobody is not a real man.
- His name says so, and the poem adds that “no one ever sees his face”.
- Look at who breaks the plates. The poem says “every plate we break”.
- So the family breaks them. Then it says the plates were cracked “By Mr. Nobody”.
- Imaginary means not real. The family does the damage and puts the blame on a person who does not exist.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: A mysterious little man secretly causes trouble in every home — Incorrect. Misread: This takes Mr. Nobody as a real person. The words “every plate we break” show that the family itself does the damage.
Option 3: Children are more careless than grown-ups about the things in a house — Incorrect. Not mentioned: The poem speaks of “we”, the whole family. It does not compare children with grown-ups.
Option 4: Small accidents in a house cannot be prevented, however careful people are — Incorrect. Wrong focus: The poem does list small accidents. But its point is the blame put on Mr. Nobody, not whether accidents can be stopped.