1. “What Stumped the Bluejays” by Mark Twain
Gathered by M.karami
PNU of Khorasgan
Autumn 1394

2. Mark Twain: A Brief Background
Real name: Samuel Langhorne Clemens
American author and humorist
Wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
often called "The Great American Novel"
Lived
Childhood—Hannibal, Missouri
Worked on a riverboat—hence, the name Mark Twain
Quotes :
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

3. Summery
It is the story of how animals can speak. bluejays, as the author points out, are the smartest and best speakers of all. On one occasion there was a bluejay who found a hole on the roof of a house. The Bluejay decided to store his acorns here, however, when the bluejay put the acorn in the hole it didn't appear to be there when he looked down. The Bluejay tried several more times, but every time the acorn was not in the hole where he had placed it.

4. The bluejay grew more and more determined and stuffed in the hole enough acorns that could have fed his family for a very long time. Finally the bird cried out in anger. Another Bluejay flew by to see what was going on. This Bluejay tried what the first had done and agreed that it was indeed a perplexing situation. More and more Bluejays came from everywhere but no one could understand what the reason was. Then an old jay cam over, but instead of looking down the hole, he flew all the way around the house. He then discovered the reason for the disappearing acorns.

5. The hole had been in a chimney, in which the acorns would fall out from as they went downward. All of the Bluejays came to see and realized how foolish they had been. All of the Bluejays chuckled with one and other at their foolishness. Then one by one they flew away. But the author does point out that even now Bluejays come by that hole and tell others of the humorous story. Though the story was about Bluejays, it symbolizes the authors of that time period.

6. Vocabulary Reckon: (Infml) to think or assume
Beast: animal with four feet
Delivery: manner of speaking (in lectures, etc)
Bristle: be thickly covered with sth
Lockjaw: tetanus in which the jaws become rigidly closed
Aggravating: annoying, irritating
Metaphor: Irony
Rattling: fast or brisk
Rustle: making noise as rubbing against each other
Strike: find
Acorn: fruit of the oak tree with a cup like base
Knothole: a hole in a board where a knot has fallen out
Tilt: slope, slant
Chimbly: chimney

7. Vocabulary Fetch: to go and bring sth back Confound: confuse
Muttering: whispering, murmuring
Tackle: deal with or overcome
To get the upper hand of sb: control sb
To break loose: escape confinement or restriction
Hove: threw
Tucker out: tire or exhaust sb
Dispute: argue about sth
Whoop: loud cry
Cock: to tilt or slant
Absurdity: stupid, laughable, ridiculous
Guffaw: to laugh very loudly

8. Technical Terms
Point of view : told in the First-person by a speaker who matter-of-factly and conversationally tells the reader about a friend of his, Jim Baker, who is able to understand animal talk.
Theme:
It explores themes of determination and language
Setting:
1- An empty house in an abandoned area near the blue hills, California US
2- a sunny Sunday morning in a summer

9. Technical Terms Plot Internal conflict: the bluejays
Rising action: begun when the bluejay didn’t hear the acorn fall
Climax: the point at which five thousand bluejays gathered to resolve the mystery of that hole
Falling action: occurred when an old bluejay discovered the perplexing enigma
Conclusion: Baker concludes the story by telling the reader that all of the birds enjoyed their visits, except an owl from Nova Scotia who failed to see the humor in it. But the same owl was also disappointed in his visit to Yosemite.

10. Technical Terms Dynamic character: the first bluejay
Static Character: Jim Baker
protagonist: the first bluejay
Moral point: to solve a problematic situation you must have a good and serious determination and use other’s point of view and advice.
Proverb: “Fall. Stand. Learn. Adapt.”