Mrs Beck Drives a Hard Bargain
Summary
This is a humorous account of the speaker’s encounter with a widow who brings
her sick cat to his clinic. When the speaker informs her that the cat needs surgery
and it would cost her a pound, Mrs Beck tries to persuade the speaker to do it for
only ten shillings. She accuses the speaker of not being kind to her although she is
a poor widow. Though the speaker is doubtful about her being poor, he finally
agrees to charge only ten shillings when he realises that she would not leave till he
reduced his charges. Mrs Beck further tricks the speaker into picking up the cat
from her house on the day of the operation and dropping her afterwards within the
same amount. On the day of the operation, the speaker takes his friend, Tristan,
along with him to Mrs Beck’s house to collect the cat. They have a difficult time
trying to get hold of the cat and getting her to the clinic. The cat continues to cause
a great deal of trouble when the speaker tries to make her unconscious such that the
speaker is exhausted by the time the surgery is over. When the speaker takes the
cat back to Mrs Beck’s house, she makes him wait for his payment and at the last
moment cunningly says that she would pay only after the stitches are removed, as
she feels superstitious about paying for an incomplete task.
UNIT 7: MRS BECK DRIVES A HARD BARGAIN
Embedded Questions
1. ● No. ● Mrs Beck tries to manipulate the speaker.
2. ● collect the cat, operate on her and drop her. ● he wanted to end the discussion.
3. Tristan was thinking of hitting the cat with the apple to make it come down.
4. Mrs Beck did not care about the wellbeing of the speaker and his friend.
5. ● The speaker felt anxious because the cat was very ill-tempered and mischievous.
● He feels 'emotionally tired' after having to deal with the cat’s naughtiness and Mrs Beck’s
uncooperative attitude.
6. The speaker felt anxious because the cat was very ill-tempered and mischievous.
He feels 'emotionally tired' after having to deal with the cat’s naughtiness and Mrs Beck’s
uncooperative attitude.
Comprehension
A. 1. There was cause for doubt.
2. … it was becoming increasingly clear that I wasn’t going to win this argument.
3. When Tuesday afternoon came round, I regretted my softness.
4. “Really?” I said without enthusiasm. “Well, I wish she’d show herself. I really don’t have much...”
5. From below, Mrs Beck gave a tinkling laugh. “Oh, isn’t she a little monkey! She’s that playful,
bless her.”
6. I still didn’t feel very secure as I took her to the car.
B. 1. a. Mrs Beck’s next-door neighbour said these words to the speaker.
3 b. The tale is that of Mrs Beck being poor and having no money.
c. This information did not help Mr Herriot because Mrs Beck manipulated the situation to
bargain and persuade him to charge just ten shillings for collecting, operating and dropping
her cat.
2. a. Mrs Beck said these words when the speaker went to drop the cat after he had operated on the
cat and was expecting Mrs Beck to pay the charges.
b. Mrs Beck did not pay the speaker that day as she felt that the task of treating the cat was
unfinished. The speaker needed to go back to remove the stitches. She felt superstitious about
paying for a task that was unfinished lest something should happen to her cat.
C. 1. Mrs Beck requested the speaker to charge only ten shillings because she was a poor widow and
could not afford to pay more than that for her cat’s treatment.
2. We know that the speaker did not believe what Mrs Beck said because he felt that she did not look
very poor and this made him doubt what she said. Also, he remembered that Mrs Beck’s next-door
neighbour telling him that she used to claim that she was very poor but she actually owned a lot
of property.
3. The speaker agreed to Mrs Beck’s conditions as she was very persistent. She went on insisting
that she was a poor widow, shed tears and did not let the speaker reason with her. This made him
realise that she was a far stronger character than him and that he would not be able to win the
argument with her. Also, he wanted to close the matter and did not want to waste any more time
on it.
4. When the speaker went to Mrs Beck’s house to collect the cat, Mrs Beck told him that her cat,
Georgina, was in the garden as she liked to play there every afternoon. As they entered the garden,
they saw the fat tabby running and climbing up an apple tree. Tristan was about to hit it with an
apple but the speaker stopped him. He climbed up the tree and called the cat. The cat spat at him
and scratched his hand and dropped to the ground. Tristan caught her by the hind leg, but before
he could catch her by the scruff of her neck, Georgina bit his thumb. Then they put Georgina in a
box, tied it up with several yards of rough twine and took the box to the car.
5. Not only had the speaker had a tough time getting Georgina to his clinic, but even on the
operating table, Georgina was up to her tricks. She held her breath while the anaesthesia mask was
on her face, then jumped up when the speaker and Tristan thought she was asleep. By the time
she lost consciousness, the speaker and Tristan were sweating and by the time the operation was
over, the speaker was exhausted.
6. Mrs Beck was a very cunning woman. By not paying the speaker, she tried to ensure that he
would go back to take out the stitches. Also, by doing so she would not have to pay the speaker
separately for taking out the stitches as that too would be included in the ten shillings.
D. 1. The speaker will go back to remove the stitches as he was a very dutiful vet. This is clear from the
fact that he went to pick up Georgina, operate on her and drop her as well for just ten shillings
when he could have easily avoided it. But he would never do something that would be harmful for
the cat.
2. The title is apt for the story as Mrs Beck does bargain very hard. She was not only successful in
getting the speaker to agree to all her initial conditions but also forced him to remove the stitches
within the same amount.
Grammar
2. many – quantifier, our – possessive
3. his – possessive
4. some – quantifier, two – number, the – definite
5. the – definite, first – ordinal
6. each – quantifier, a – indefinite
7. a lot of – quantifier, the – definite
8. Whose – interrogative
Vocabulary
1. e 2. a 3. d 4. c 5. f 6. b
Listening
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c
Punctuation
1. Where will you keep these books—in an airplane hangar?
2. We finally bought the suitcase—the purple one—and left the shop.
3. Ali completed the grammar exercises—all five of them—before going out to play.
4. We waited for the bus in the heavy rain—for almost an hour.
5. Rana plants a variety of brightly coloured flowers—petunias, violets and pansies—in one corner of
the garden.
6. Things have changed now—thankfully for the better.
Writing
Suggested answers.
1. The speaker: Hello, Tristan, can you guess what happened today?
Tristan: I hope the cat did not wake up before you reached Mrs Beck’s house.
The speaker: No, thankfully, it did not. But I am talking about what happened after I reached Mrs
Beck’s house.
Tristan: What else could she have done? Was she grateful for your effort?
The speaker: You will be shocked to hear this but she actually refused to pay me the ten
shillings.
Tristan: Really! Why would she do that?
The speaker: She said that she will pay only after I remove the stitches.
Tristan: But that will be after ten days at least.
The speaker: She said that she felt superstitious about paying before the entire task was
finished.
Tristan: Why did you agree to that?
The speaker: Do you think she waited for me to agree to it? She said it and simply walked away
and I was feeling too exhausted to argue with her.
2. The speaker: Good afternoon, Mrs Beck.
Mrs Beck: Good afternoon, Mr Herriot. Georgina has just begun eating.
The speaker: Okay, please get her here as soon as she finishes.
Mrs Beck: Oh, but she has just started. She eats rather slowly. She likes to enjoy her food. Also,
she was rather shaken after the operation, so I want her to eat properly in case she
gets upset when she sees you.
The speaker: In that case, please get her to my clinic. I need to go and see another patient.
Mrs Beck: You are so heartless, Mr Herriot. You even have a problem with my poor cat
eating…just because I am a poor widow.
The speaker: I am not being heartless. The other cat is very unwell and I need to attend to it.
Mrs Beck: Oh! There she is. How understanding she is!
The speaker: Okay, let us get on with this.
MRS BECK DRIVES A HARD BARGAIN
A. Answer in brief.
1. Did the author believe Mrs Beck when she said she was a poor widow?
Ans: The author did not believe her as Mrs Beck looked quite well-off though she claimed that
a pound for the operation was unaffordable for her. The author further came to know from her
neighbour that she owned a lot of property and that she lied to everyone about her status.
2. What additional demands did Mrs Beck make after the author agreed to operate for ten shillings?
Ans: The author was in for a shock when, in addition to operating the cat for a low sum, Mrs Beck
wanted the author to take the cat from her home to the hospital and drop her back after the
surgery. The author had to relent as she started lamenting again about her state of poverty!
B. Answer in detail.
1. What efforts did the author have to take to catch the cat? Did Mrs Beck help the author?
Ans: When he reached Mrs Beck’s house along with Tristan, the author was happy to see a
cardboard box in the entrance loosely tied with strings and he assumed that the cat was inside
the box ready to be taken. But it was not so as Mrs Beck said that the cat was in the garden.
The author had to look for the cat which first darted from the bushes and went up a tree in the
garden. The author had to climb on to the tree to lure the cat to come down and in the process
got scratched by the cat as it jumped over him and finally landed down. The author had to
manage the whole act only with the help of Tristan. Mrs Beck just stood by and watched.
2. How did Mrs Beck take advantage of the author’s softness?
Ans: Mrs Beck was a smart lady who knew how to get her way. The author tried his best to
convince Mrs Beck to pay a pound for the operation. But Mrs Beck wouldn’t agree and kept
repeating her inability to pay because of her poverty. And finally she succeeded in negotiating
with the author to her advantage. She further made use of the author’s softness in making him
pick up and drop the cat home. She was so persistent and irritating that the author had no choice
but to give in to her demands. Even after the operation she managed to not pay the meager ten
shillings as she said she would pay only after the cat’s surgical stitches were removed. Thus, Mrs
Beck used every opportunity to take advantage of the author’s good nature.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. “You won’t even take pity on a poor widow.”
a. Who is the speaker? What did she want?
b. Was she really needy?
c. Did the narrator believe her?
Ans: a. The speaker is Mrs Beck. She wanted the narrator to operate on her cat for ten shillings.
b. She really wasn’t that poor. She was trying to bargain with the narrator.
c. The narrator did not believe her because she didn’t look poor and he had also heard
from reliable sources that she was well-off.
2. “ Collect….operate on her…. take her back ! All for ten shillings!”
a. Who is the narrator speaking to?
b. Who is to be operated upon?
c. Why does the speaker sound surprised?
Ans: a. The narrator is speaking to Mrs Beck.
b. Mrs Beck’s cat had to be operated upon.
c. He was taken aback because Mrs Beck’s demands were getting more and more
unreasonable for the small amount she had agreed to pay.
D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)
1. What do you think made the author give in to the unreasonable demands of Mrs Beck?
Suggested Ans: Initially the author tried his best to convince Mrs Beck to pay the fair amount
for the operation but she wouldn’t relent. After some time he realised that he was arguing with a
stronger person and gave in to her demands. After that he was caught such that he had no choice
but to abide by each and every demand of Mrs Beck.
2. Do you think the narrator should go back to Mrs Beck to remove the stitches?
Suggested Ans: a. The narrator should go back to Mrs Beck, first to complete his work and then to
get the money which he deserved. He should not let go of the money which Mrs Beck owed him.
Unless he went there, he would remain a loser.
E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)
Do you think the narrator was foolish to have agreed to all the conditions laid by Mrs Beck?
Suggested Ans: The narrator was foolish. He was a committed and sincere veterinary surgeon. He
knew very well that Mrs Beck was underpaying him. If he was foolish, he would have immediately
accepted her offer. He, from his side, tried his best to make her understand that the cost for that major
operation was much more than what she was paying him. He gave up only after he realised he was
fighting a losing battle with her. He had to face many more ordeals because of Mrs Beck till finally he
finished operating on the cat. He probably has had to deal with many such difficult owners of pets in
his profession. But his sense of responsibility and obligation gave him the positive attitude which was
needed to be a successful veterinary surgeon.
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