Page 1 - LN-ON THE FACE OF IT

ON THE FACE OF IT.

LESSON NOTES

About the Author

Susan Hill is an English author of fiction and nonfiction works. Her novels include
the ‘woman in black’, ‘The mist in the mirror’ and ‘I’m the king of the castle’ for
which she received the Somerset Maugham award.

Introduction to the lesson

The story is about a teenage boy, Derry, who has a burnt face and Mr. Lamb who
is a disabled old man with an artificial leg made of tin. Derry accidentally enters
his garden so that he can hide himself from people who hate him because of his
ugly face. Mr. Lamb not only welcomes him in his garden but also encourages
him to lead a normal life, leaving behind his negative attitude towards life.

Scene1. The location is Mr. Lamb’s garden:

One can occasionally hear the birds singing and the low sound of the tree leaves.
Derry, a young boy enters the garden hesitantly.
Mr. Lamb warns him about the crab apples that usually fell in the long grass from
the tree above. Derry was shocked on hearing a voice. He asked as to who it
was.
Mr. Lamb introduced himself and also said that small sour apples known as crab
apples had fallen on the ground. If Derry would not be careful while walking
through the grass, he could trip over them and get hurt.
Derry said that he didn’t know that someone was present in the garden. He
thought it to be empty and even the house seemed empty to him.
Mr. Lamb tried to comfort him by saying that the house was empty as he was out
in the garden. He also asked him not to be afraid. Derry wanted to leave the
place.

Conversation starts between Derry and Mr. Lamb:

Mr. Lamb tried to stop him and said that there was no need to leave the garden
just because of him. He also told him that he kept the gate open for people it was
only Derry who jumped the wall.

Derry clarified that he hadn’t come to steal anything from there. Mr. Lamb agreed
by saying that at many times, apples had been stolen by young boys and that
Derry was not so young.