I started awake in the middle of the night. It was unbelievably excellent.

“Jane!” I said to my wife, “Jane, it's wonderful. It's come to me!”

But Jane did not answer.

“Jane,” I said happily, “you see, the Chinaman's head—”

“If you say Chinaman to me again,” returned my wife, sleepily, “I'll leave you. There are six pieces missing from that laundry.”

And she never knew.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

  1. What is the character of the speaker? How does the speaker's personality contribute to the humor of the story?
  2. What sort of story did he contemplate writing?
  3. What is the character of the speaker's wife? How does her personality contribute to the humor of the story?
  4. What gives humor to Theodore's remarks?
  5. Why is the incident of meeting the policeman mentioned early in the story?
  6. What gives humor to Mrs. Revis's remarks?
  7. What misunderstandings give humor to the story?

SUBJECTS FOR WRITTEN IMITATION

1. Adventures of an Amateur Detective11. Conducting a Meeting
2. Going on My Travels12. Making an Excuse
3. Reading Aloud at Home13. Cooking Experiences
4. A Mysterious Package14. Housecleaning
5. The Lost Dog15. Buying a Dress
6. My Pet Snakes16. Speaking a Foreign Language
7. Writing a Composition17. My First Speech
8. Graduation18. Little Brother
9. Being an Editor19. Being Careful
10. Doing an Errand20. My Letter Writing