| Name | Should Wizard Hit Mommy |
| Type | Summary |
| Class | 12 |
| Board | CBSE Board |
| Author | John Hoyer Updike |
Short Summary – Should Wizard Hit Mommy
The tale opens with a description of Jack’s two young children. Bobby and Jo are the children. Clare, Jo’s wife, was expecting their third child. Jack would therefore make up stories for her daughter to read before night. Since Jo was two years old, this storytelling custom has persisted. Every time he recounts a story, Jack makes sure it is unique. However, Roger, a tiny creature, was constantly present. For example, the choice was between Roger Fish and Roger Chipmunk. Roger seeks advice from the sage old owl on issues that a wizard would handle. After paying a few pennies, the wizard’s spell would therefore resolve the issue.
Jo is getting harder to put to bed for a nap in the afternoons as she gets older. Jack makes the decision to tell her a story about Roger Skunk one day. There is a small skunk who constantly smelled awful in this tale. It is terrible because he is never played with by animals and is left alone. Roger Skunk decides to consult the sage old owl as a result. The owl sends him to the Wizard as usual. Roger Skunk is questioned by the Wizard about his wish. He says that he would want to smell like roses, and the Wizard agrees. Following that, the Skunk begins playing with the other animals, and they continue to do so until night falls. Roger Skunk finally returns home to his mother. When Jack continues the story, Jo believes it is over.
As soon as the mummy enters the house, she asks Roger who is responsible for the foul scent. She learns from Roger Skunk that he begged the Wizard to make him smell like roses since he did not like the way he smelled. The mother is furious and encourages him to accept himself for who he is as a result. She confronts the Wizard in a furious manner and demands that he restore the skunk scent after beating him.
The Wizard undoes his enchantment in this way, and Roger Skunk restores his previous smell. Jo is not happy with the new resolution, though. She requests that Jack adapt it to the Wizard hitting the mother in return. When Jack objected to this, Jo insisted that the conclusion be changed the following day when he returned with another tale. She doesn’t pay attention and follows Jack back downstairs, but now that Jack has become enraged, he threatens to beat her. She returns dissatisfied, leaving Jack and his wife to consider their options.
About the Author
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art historian, and literary critic who lived from March 18, 1932, to January 27, 2009. Only three authors have received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction multiple times. Over the course of his career, Updike authored more than 20 novels, more than a dozen collections of short stories, poetry, literary and art criticism, and children’s books.
