Chapter 5: Should Wizard Hit Mommy? – Class 12 English Vistas NCERT Solutions

Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 5 Should Wizard Hit Mommy?

Q1. Who is Jo? How does she respond to her father’s storytelling?

Jo, short for Joanne, is a lively and intelligent four-year-old girl. She is the daughter of Jack and Clare. Every evening, Jo listens eagerly to the bedtime stories her father tells her. Over time, she has become familiar with their pattern—the main character is always named Roger (Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel, Roger Skunk, etc.), who faces a problem and seeks help from a wise old wizard. These tales often involve other small forest creatures and end on a positive note. Jo doesn’t just listen quietly; she participates actively by asking questions, making suggestions, and reacting emotionally. Her involvement shows her growing imagination and awareness as she tries to connect the fantasy world of the story to her own experiences.

Q2. What possible plot line could the story continue with?

The story narrated by Jack revolves around Roger Skunk, a creature with a strong, unpleasant smell that keeps other animals away. When he visits a wizard, the wizard magically changes his smell to that of roses. This makes Roger happy because the other animals start playing with him. Jo assumes the story ends there, with Roger finally being accepted. However, Jack adds a twist. When Roger returns home, his mother is upset with his new smell and insists that he go back to the wizard to undo the change. She believes that a skunk should smell like a skunk, not something artificial. She even hits the wizard with an umbrella to make her point. In the end, the wizard restores Roger’s original smell. Surprisingly, the other animals gradually learn to accept him as he is. The story then becomes a deeper reflection on self-acceptance and parental authority.

Q3. What do you think was Jo’s problem?

Jo was troubled because the story didn’t end the way she wanted. She liked the idea of Roger Skunk being accepted and happy after the wizard helped him. But when Jack changed the ending—having Roger’s mother reject the new smell and force the wizard to reverse it—Jo felt upset. She couldn’t understand why a mother would undo something that made her child happy or hurt someone who had helped him. To Jo, the mother seemed unfair and even cruel. She strongly believed that the wizard should have stood up to Roger’s mother. Jo’s reaction shows her innocent worldview, where kindness is always rewarded, and those who help should not be punished. Her desire to change the story’s ending reveals her struggle to accept adult decisions and the complex realities they often bring.

READING WITH INSIGHT

Q1. What is the moral issue that the story raises?

The story explores the moral dilemma of whether parents should always decide what’s best for their children or let children make their own choices. It brings out the conflict between an adult’s mature understanding of the world and a child’s innocent, emotional view of fairness.

Jack, the father, supports Roger Skunk’s mother, who insists her son return to his natural state—even if that means he continues to be rejected by others. Jack believes she acted out of love and wisdom, stating, “She knew what was right.” He defends her actions, highlighting how deeply Roger Skunk still loves his mother despite everything.

Jo, however, sees things differently. To her, the mother was unfair for making her son unhappy. She passionately insists that the wizard should have refused and instead punished the mother. Jo even wants the story retold with a different ending where the wizard hits the mother, revealing her need for justice and her strong sense of right and wrong.

Q2. How does Jo want the story to end and why?

Jo is dissatisfied with how the story ends. In her imagination, the wizard is a hero who makes lives better, not someone who gives in to a harsh mother’s demands. She cannot accept that Roger Skunk, who finally smelled nice and was accepted by others, had to go back to being rejected just because his mother said so.

She wants the story to end with the wizard refusing to undo the magic—and instead standing up to the mother by hitting her on the head. Jo believes the mother was wrong to take away her son’s happiness and insists that the story should reflect that. Her version shows how children view love as making others happy and believe fairness should always win.

Q3. Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard who was hit and not the mother?

Jack takes a firm stance in defending the mother’s actions. As a parent himself, he feels responsible for upholding the idea that adults know what’s best for their children. He believes Roger’s mother acted out of love, trying to protect her son’s identity rather than letting him change to fit in.

By insisting the wizard was hit and the mother got her way, Jack reinforces the idea of parental authority. He wants Jo to understand that sometimes, what’s best isn’t what feels good in the moment. Through this, Jack tries to teach Jo a deeper life lesson about unconditional love, tradition, and trust in parental judgment.

Q4. What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position?

Jack feels trapped emotionally and mentally. He’s physically uncomfortable due to the half-renovated room he’s sitting in, symbolizing his incomplete control over both the story and his life. While he wants to fulfill his role as a good father by telling Jo a meaningful story, he’s also under pressure to support his pregnant wife downstairs.

Jo’s constant interruptions and disagreement with the story’s ending tire him. At the same time, he is reluctant to challenge his wife, Clare, or offer her help, even though he knows she needs him. He’s mentally drained and emotionally conflicted—torn between being a storyteller, a parent, and a husband. This sense of being overwhelmed leaves him feeling stuck in a difficult, awkward space.

Q5. What is your stance regarding the two endings to the Roger Skunk story?

Between the two endings, the one told by Jack seems more thoughtful and realistic. Roger Skunk’s mother doesn’t want her child to change just to fit in with others. Her decision to restore his original smell reflects a deeper message: that children should be accepted for who they are and not forced to change just to gain approval.

Though Jo’s version is driven by empathy, it’s rooted in a child’s perspective—valuing popularity and happiness above identity and authenticity. In contrast, the mother’s stance, though harsh on the surface, emphasizes love that is not dependent on others’ opinions. It also shows a parent’s long-term thinking rather than the temporary pleasure Jo envisions. Jack’s ending supports the idea that true care sometimes involves making difficult but meaningful choices.

Q6. Why is an adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child’s?

Adults and children see life differently because of their varying experiences and levels of understanding. Adults, shaped by real-world challenges, know that life often involves making tough decisions and compromising for the greater good. They understand that not all stories have happy endings, and not everything that seems good is actually right.

Children, however, live in a world of imagination and idealism. They see things in black and white—good or bad, fair or unfair—and expect justice to be swift and simple. Their innocence leads them to believe in magical solutions and happy endings. As they grow and learn, their views start to shift, but their early perspectives are often driven by emotion and a desire for fairness rather than logic or experience.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What routine did Jack follow with Jo in the evenings and during Saturday naps?

Jack had a bedtime tradition of telling a story to his daughter Jo every evening and during her Saturday afternoon naps. This practice began when Jo was two and continued regularly for almost two years.

Q2. What pattern did Jack’s stories generally follow?

Jack’s stories typically featured a character named Roger who faced some sort of issue. Roger would seek advice from a wise owl, who would then send him to a wizard. The wizard, using magic, would solve the problem in exchange for more money than Roger had. The wizard would then guide Roger to where he could find the extra money. Afterward, Roger would happily return home, his father would arrive from Boston, and they would enjoy dinner together—ending the story.

Q3. Why did storytelling feel especially tiring on Saturdays?

By Saturday, Jo was no longer sleepy during nap time like she used to be. Unlike her younger brother Bobby who would sleep with his bottle, Jo remained awake, energetic, and curious. Jack found it especially exhausting to entertain her while also trying to relax himself.

Q4. What animal did Jo pick for the day’s story, and what do we learn about it?

Jo chose a skunk for that day’s story—an animal she had recently learned about, likely at school. A skunk is a small black-and-white mammal known for releasing a strong, unpleasant odor as a defense mechanism.

Q5. Why did Roger Skunk go to the wise owl for help?

Roger Skunk was lonely because he smelled bad and the other animals didn’t want to play with him. Desperate to make friends, he sought help from the wise old owl to get rid of his offensive smell.

Q6. How did Jo and Jack respond to the mention of the new animal in the story?

When Jo heard “skunk,” she was excited and smiled, pleased with her choice. Jack felt a spark of inspiration from the new idea and eagerly began a fresh story about Roger Skunk, who was avoided by others due to his smell.

Q7. What did Jack imagine Roger Skunk’s experience of rejection to be like?

Jack pictured Roger Skunk being mocked and shunned by other animals, who called him “Roger Stinky Skunk” and ran away. He imagined Roger standing alone in sadness, tears streaming from his eyes—drawing from his own memories of childhood embarrassment.

Q8. How did Jo emotionally connect with Roger Skunk?

Jo felt deep empathy for Roger. Hearing about his tears made her emotional too. Her expressions mirrored his sadness—her lip trembled, and she appeared moved, indicating she felt Roger’s pain as if it were her own.

Q9. What conflicting pressures did Jack feel while telling the story?

Jack was torn between staying with Jo to finish the story properly and going downstairs to help his pregnant wife, Clare, with housework. His attention was divided between being a devoted father and a supportive husband.

Q10. What was Jo’s ‘reality phase,’ and how did her parents respond to it?

Jo had entered a stage where she questioned the truth behind everything. She began asking whether magical elements or factual claims were real. Jack tried to handle it gently by saying such things were real only within stories, while Clare gave her broader explanations.

Q11. How did Jack portray the wizard’s character?

To make the wizard convincing, Jack altered his voice, squinting his eyes and mimicking a grumpy, old tone. This performance brought life to the character and was one of Jack’s favorite storytelling techniques.

Q12. In what way was Roger Skunk’s story different from Jack’s usual tales?

Unlike Jack’s earlier stories that Jo enjoyed without complaint, the Skunk story frustrated her. She disliked the ending where Roger’s mother reversed the spell. Jo wanted a more satisfying conclusion where the wizard stood up for Roger.

Q13. What did Jack do to enhance the wizard’s magical effect?

Jack heightened the magical moment by chanting a rhythmic spell in the wizard’s voice, using rhyme and dramatic emphasis. He ended it with “Bingo!” to show the wizard’s success and filled the scene with the imaginary scent of roses.

Q14. How did Jo respond to Jack’s spellcasting?

Jo was completely captivated. Her face lit up with a wide smile, her nostrils flared, and her eyes sparkled. She appeared lost in the moment, much like her mother pretending enjoyment at social events.

Q15. Why did Jack call himself “a silly old daddy”?

Jack accidentally referred to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish during the story. Jo noticed the mistake and pointed it out, prompting Jack to playfully admit his blunder by calling himself a silly old daddy.

Q16. What did Jo do that irritated Jack, and what else troubled him?

Jo imitated Roger Skunk’s crying, but without any real emotion, which annoyed Jack. At the same time, he was distracted by noise from downstairs and worried about his pregnant wife Clare, who was moving heavy furniture alone.

Q17. What motivated Jack to keep the story going?

Although Roger Skunk had returned home, Jo didn’t fall asleep and began to fidget. Jack didn’t want her to feel the story was over too easily. Wanting to keep her attention and teach her a lesson, he continued the narrative further.

Q18. Why was Roger Skunk’s mother angry, and what did she say to him?

She was upset that Roger now smelled like roses—a scent she considered unnatural for a skunk. She scolded him and insisted he return to the wizard immediately so that he could undo the change and smell like a real skunk again.

Q19. Why did Roger Skunk’s mother insist on returning to the wizard?

Roger’s mother believed her son should stay true to his identity. She rejected the artificial scent and wanted him to keep the natural skunk smell, which also served as protection in the wild. Her insistence showed a desire to preserve tradition and authenticity.

Q20. How did Jo want the wizard to respond to the mother?

Jo believed the wizard should have resisted the mother’s demand. She imagined a scenario where he refused to reverse the spell and instead punished the mother for being unfair, showing her belief in defending Roger’s happiness.

Q21. Why did Jo ask her father to change the ending of the story?

Jo felt that the ending where the other animals accepted Roger Skunk later didn’t match the beginning, where they had rejected him. To her, it seemed unfair that his happiness was taken away. She wanted the wizard to protect Roger and punish the mother instead.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. Why did Jack tell stories to Jo, and how did he make them engaging?

Jack had been telling bedtime stories to his daughter Jo for the past two years. What began as a nightly ritual when she was just two continued even now, at the age of four. These storytelling sessions took place in the evenings or during Saturday naps and became a regular bonding activity between father and daughter.

Jack created each story with slight changes but followed a familiar pattern. The main character was always a small creature named Roger—Roger Skunk, Roger Squirrel, or Roger Chipmunk—who had a problem. Roger would go to a wise owl, who then directed him to a wizard. The wizard would solve the issue using magic but ask for more pennies than Roger had. He would then tell Roger where to find the extra money. After the problem was resolved, Roger would play happily with his friends, go home to his mother, and have dinner with his family.

To keep Jo engaged, Jack involved her in the storytelling. He asked questions, allowed her to pick characters, and mimicked voices, which made Jo feel like a part of the story rather than just a listener.

Q2. What issue did Roger Skunk face, and how was it resolved?

Roger Skunk had a serious problem—he had a terrible odor that caused the other animals to avoid him. They called him names and ran away, leaving him sad and lonely. Feeling dejected, Roger sought help from a wise old owl perched on a tall tree. The owl advised him to visit a wizard deep in the forest.

The wizard, upon meeting Roger, also noted the unpleasant smell and asked what Roger would like to smell like instead. Roger replied, “roses.” The wizard then cast a magic spell that changed Roger’s scent to the sweet fragrance of roses, filling his home with the smell. As a result, Roger became popular and was finally accepted by the other animals.

Q3. Why was Roger Skunk’s mother upset? Was her anger justified? What did she do?

Roger Skunk’s mother was furious when she discovered that her child no longer had his natural skunk smell. She was displeased with the new rose scent, believing that the original odor was part of who Roger was and also served as a defense against predators. From her perspective, the natural smell was essential for survival, even if it led to social rejection.

Her frustration can be seen as understandable, as a mother prioritizing her child’s safety over acceptance. Concerned about the risk posed by the pleasant scent, she dragged Roger back to the wizard and demanded that he reverse the spell. The mother then forced the wizard to restore Roger’s original smell.

Q4. What do you think about the ending of the story Should Wizard Hit Mommy?

The ending of the story is left open to interpretation, which adds depth to the narrative. Jo, deeply immersed in the fantasy, wants the wizard to resist the mother’s command and maintain the magical solution. She is disappointed when Jack, following his logic as a parent, ends the story with the wizard obeying the mother and restoring the foul smell.

Jack, exhausted both physically and emotionally, returns downstairs to see his wife Clare painting, and realizes how draining his role as a father and husband has become. He reflects on Jo’s reaction, Clare’s expectations, and his own fatigue—feeling emotionally disconnected.

The ending is subtle and layered, showing Jack caught between his responsibilities and his internal struggle. It invites readers to reflect on themes like parenting, moral responsibility, and emotional exhaustion, making it a thought-provoking conclusion.

Q5. Why does the title Should Wizard Hit Mommy? end with a question mark, and how suitable is it?

The question mark in the title highlights the central conflict of the story—should the wizard challenge the mother’s authority, or obey her demand? This moral dilemma is central to the story and reflects the differing worldviews of a child and an adult.

From Jo’s innocent perspective, the wizard is a hero who should have stood up to Roger Skunk’s mother. She sees the mother as someone who took away her son’s happiness. But from Jack’s adult viewpoint, the mother’s decision is rooted in care, identity, and protection, even if it’s unpopular.

The title cleverly involves the reader by asking them to form their own opinion. It mirrors the conversation between Jo and Jack and extends it to the audience. The ambiguity created by the question mark makes the title engaging, meaningful, and perfectly suited to the story’s central theme of conflicting values.