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Short Summary of the Chapter: The Best Christmas Present in the World
A man went to a junk shop in Bridport and bought an old roll-top desk. It was cheap and broken, but he wanted to repair it. On Christmas Eve, while fixing the desk, he found a secret drawer. Inside it, there was a tin box with a note that said, “Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.”
He opened the box and found a letter written by Captain Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie. The letter was dated December 26, 1914. In the letter, Jim wrote about a special event that happened during World War I, between the British and the German soldiers.
On Christmas morning, German soldiers waved a white flag and shouted “Happy Christmas” across no man’s land. Slowly, soldiers from both sides came out of their trenches, shook hands, shared food and drinks, and even played a football match. Jim and a German officer named Hans Wolf became friends. Hans said he played the cello in an orchestra and liked Thomas Hardy’s book Far from the Madding Crowd. That Christmas felt peaceful and full of joy. But later, the soldiers had to return to their trenches.
The next day, the man who found the letter went to look for Mrs Macpherson. He found that her house, 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport, had burned down. She now lived in Burlington House, a nursing home on the Dorchester road. He went there to give her the letter.
When he gave her the letter, she thought he was her husband Jim and became very happy. She called him her “best Christmas present in the world.” The man didn’t correct her. She held his hand, kissed his cheek, and felt comforted.
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Detailed and Point wise Summary of the Chapter:
1. A Desk from a Junk Shop: The narrator saw an old roll-top desk in a junk shop in Bridport. It was broken, had scorch marks, and one leg was badly fixed. The shopkeeper said it was from the early nineteenth century and made of oak wood. The narrator bought it because it was cheap, and he thought he could repair it.
2. A Secret Drawer on Christmas Eve: On Christmas Eve, he started fixing the desk. He took out all the drawers, but the last one was stuck. He hit it hard, and it opened. Inside, he found a secret drawer. There was a small black tin box with a note on it that said: “Jim’s last letter received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.” He knew it was wrong to open it, but he was too curious.
3. Jim’s Letter to Connie: The letter was written by Captain Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie. It was dated December 26, 1914. Jim wrote about a wonderful thing that had happened during the First World War between the British and the German soldiers.
4. A Christmas Truce in the War: On Christmas morning, it was cold and quiet. Suddenly, a German soldier, whom they called Fritz, waved a white flag and shouted, “Happy Christmas, Tommy!” (Tommy was a name used for British soldiers). British soldiers replied and slowly both sides came out of their trenches. They shared food and drinks like schnapps and sausage and even played a football match in no man’s land (the land between the trenches). The Germans won 2–1.
5. A New Friendship: Jim met a German officer named Hans Wolf. He said he was from Dusseldorf and played the cello in an orchestra. He had a wife and a baby son. He had never been to England but loved Thomas Hardy’s book Far from the Madding Crowd. They shared stories and Christmas cake. They felt like friends, not enemies.
6. Back to War: When the match ended, they went back to their trenches. At night, the Germans sang “Silent Night” in German. The British sang “While Shepherds Watched.” It was a moment of peace and love during war. Jim hoped the war would end and he would return home by next Christmas.
7. The Search for Connie: After reading the letter, the narrator went to 12 Copper Beeches, Bridport to return it. But the house had burned down. An old man said Mrs. Macpherson, now 101 years old, lived in Burlington House, a nursing home on Dorchester Road. The fire may have started because she used candles, not electricity.
8. The Best Christmas Present: The narrator visited Connie. She was sitting alone in a wheelchair. He gave her the letter. She thought he was Jim, her husband. Her eyes filled with tears of joy. She said, “You told me you’d come home by Christmas. And here you are. The best Christmas present in the world.”
She held his hand, kissed his cheek, and asked him to read the letter to her. She also talked about marzipan cake, just like in the letter.
This story shows how even during war, people can share love, peace, and hope.
Pointwise Summary of the Chapter:
1. The narrator bought an old roll-top desk from a junk shop in Bridport on a low price because it was broken and burned.
2. On Christmas Eve, while repairing the desk, he found a secret drawer with a black tin box inside.
3. On the box was a note that said: “Jim’s last letter, received January 25, 1915. To be buried with me when the time comes.”
4. Inside the box was a letter written by Captain Jim Macpherson to his wife Connie, dated December 26, 1914.
5. The letter told about a Christmas truce during World War I between the British and German soldiers.
6. Soldiers from both sides came out of their trenches, shared food, drinks, and played a football match. The Germans won 2–1.
7. Jim became friends with a German officer named Hans Wolf, who liked Thomas Hardy’s book and played the cello.
8. That day brought peace and joy, and the soldiers sang carols like Silent Night and While Shepherds Watched.
9. The narrator went to find Mrs Macpherson, who was now 101 years old and living in Burlington House, a nursing home.
10. She mistook the narrator for her husband Jim and called him “the best Christmas present in the world.”