On The Face of It

- Susan Hill
SAMARTH KHANDELWAL

CLASS – XII B

SUB : ENGLISH

ROLL NO. 15

ADARSH WORLD SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

– This is a play featuring an old man and a small boy meeting in the former’s
garden.
– The old man strikes up a friendship with the boy who is very withdrawn and
defiant.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dame Susan Hill, Lady Wells (born 5 February 1942) is an English author of fiction and
non fiction works.

She went to scarborough convent school where she showed interest in theatre &
literature.

 Her novels include The Woman in Black, The Mist in the Mirror, and 

I'm the King of the Castle, for which she received the Somerset Maugham Award in 1971.
INTRODUCTION TO
LESSON
– The story is about a teenage boy, Derry, who has a burnt face and Mr. Lamb
who is a disabled old man with an artificial leg made if tin.
– Derry accidently enters his garden so that he can hide himself from people who
hate him because of his ugly face.
– Mr. Lamb not only welcomes him in his garden but also encourages him to lead
a normal life, leaving behind his past.
Derry was a teenager who was highly pessimistic and withdrawn from the
society. He always remained isolated and lonely as his half face was been
disfigured by acid.
Mr. Lamb was an old man
with a tin leg. He lived in a
big house and had a lot of
books.
He overcame his loneliness
by reading books and talking
to people who all came to
his garden.
FIRST SCENCE
MR. LAMB’S GARDEN
Derry liked secluded places so one day he scaled the
boundary wall of Mr. Lamb’s garden and jumped into it
Mr. Lamb introduced himself and also said that small
sour apples known as crab apples had fallen on the
ground. If Derry would not be careful while walking
through the grass, he could trip over them and get
hurt. Derry said that he didn’t know that someone
was present in the garden. He thought it to be
empty and even the house seemed empty to him.
Mr. Lamb tried to comfort him by saying that the
house was empty as he was out in the garden. Mr.
Lamb agreed by saying that at many times, apples
had been stolen by young boys and Derry was not so
young but still he wanted to leave.
Mr. Lamb said that he wasn’t afraid of Derry.
Derry was shocked to hear that. Then Mr.
Lamb told him that he would bring a ladder
and stick and pick fine and ripe crab apples as
they made a good jelly. He also told him that
in September, they get ripe and become a
magic fruit having orange and golden colour.
He also asked him to join him in doing so.
Derry pointed him for changing the topic just
like other people asked him to do.
He added that Mr. Lamb didn’t ask him about his
face because he was afraid of asking about it.
Derry got annoyed and said that he did not like
the company of people. Mr. Lamb guessed that
maybe his face got burnt in some fire. Derry told
him that it was due to acid that had burned half of
his face. He was so grieved/sad that he kept
repeating that acid ate his face and it is not going
to get cured.
Mr. Lamb was interested in creations of god. So he asked Derry to look beyond the
wall. He explained that there were number of plants in his garden. There were
flowers, trees and herbs, however some plants were considered and some were
considered as a weed. It is not because they were different, all of them were green,
but about how people considered them to be i.e herbs or weeds. In reality, they were
same just like Derry and himself.. Derry did not agreed to this. Mr. Lamb told him that
there was no difference. He was young and Mr. Lamb was old. He had burned face
and Mr. Lamb had a tin leg. These things were not so important so they didn’t make a
difference. Derry also asked the reason behind his tin leg to which he replied that it
got damaged in an explosion many years ago. He also said that he was been teased
by Lamby Lamb. Derry said that he could cover his leg with trouser so no one could
see it. But Mr. Lamb replied to him positively saying that it did not bother him much
because one day, people would get tired of teasing him. Derry showed his face in
reply to Lamb’s statement. Mr. Lamb suggested that things like crab apples, weeds,
spiders and tall sunflowers could also be some of the other things that people would
probably look at and discuss.
Derry commented that the other things mentioned by Mr. Lamb were non
living things. Mr. Lamb replied that all the things were related to each other.
Just like beauty is related to beast similarly every beautiful creation is related to
ugliness. Derry replied that often he had heard people saying that beauty is not
related to one’s appearance, rather, inner beauty is our real beauty. He further
added that beauty loved the monstrous beast for herself and when she kissed
him he changed into a handsome prince, but he wont change. He sadly said
that no one will ever kiss him except his mother, that too his mother was used
to kiss him on the other side of his face. Mr. Lamb asked him that did he care if
he didn’t kiss the girl he loved to which Derry replied that he wont ever look
different, he will look like him when he will get old however half of his face is
already looking like that. He asked Mr. Lamb if his leg hurts to which he replied
that his leg doesn’t generally hurts in wet weather and it doesn’t signify. Derry
asked him that if he even could have born blinded or born deaf or have to live
in a wheelchair still it wouldn’t change his face.
Mr. Lamb told him that he had a hive of bees behind those trees over there,
some heard bees and said that they buzz, but if you listen to them for a long
time, they humm i.e they sing. Derry then said that he doesn’t like being with
people and when they stare he thinks people being afraid of him. Then Mr. Lamb
asked him to lock himself in a room and never leave it and explained it by giving
an example of a man who did the same thing as he was afraid of everything in
this world thus to be away from all such things he locked himself in his room and
stayed there. But then a picture fell onto his head and killed him. After hearing
this, Derry laughed a lot.

Then Derry asked him what did he do all day to which he replied that he read
books sitting in the sun. Derry asked him about the windows uncovered with
curtains. Mr. Lamb wasn’t fond of curtains as he liked the light, darkness and
keeping windows open as well as to hear the wind. Then Derry also replied that
he also like to hear raindrops on the roof. He said that they always talked about
him like what will he be doing when they all have gone looking like that. Mr. Lamb
told him that he had got two arms, two legs and eyes and ears, a tongue and a
brain, he could do more than the rest.
Click icon to add picture
Derry said that his mother would be waiting for him. His home was 5 miles away, across
the fields. He was 14 but still he was supposed to tell her where he was. Mr. Lamb
added that people had the habit of worrying. Derry added that actually they were in the
habit of fussing. Mr. Lamb asked Derry to go home and inform his mother of his
whereabouts. His house was 3 miles. As the weather was fine and he had legs he could
easily go to home. Derry said that once he went home, he would not be allowed to
return. Derry said that once he went home, he went home, he would not be able to
return. Mr. Lamb did not know what he could do. Mr. Lamb said that only Derry knew
what he could do. Derry started to say that if he chose.. But was interrupted by Mr.
Lamb. He said that Derry had to choose and he could not tell him what to do.
SECOND SCENE
DERRY’S HOUSE
 Click icon to add picture
His mother asked what did Derry think of her. She had
already heard about Mr. Lamb. Derry told her not to
believe what others said but she warned him that she
knew what was required to be known about any
person and therefore asked him not to go back. He
said that he wanted to go back and listen to things.
His mother was curious to know what was it that he
wanted to listen. He replied that he wanted to listen
to what Mr. Lamb said. But she didn’t find it suitable
and so she told him to stay at home. Derry hated to
remain at home as he thought that it had nothing to
do with face but the important thing was how he
thought and what he saw or heard. His mother tried
to stop him but he ran away to meet Mr. Lamb
shutting the door behind him
SCENE THREE
MR. LAMB’S GARDEN
Back in the garden, Mr. Lamb was on a ladder picking apples with the help of the
stick, suddenly ladder falls and lamb falls too. Derry opened the gate, he was still
breathing rapidly and declared to Mr. Lamb that he had returned. He went near
him and tried to talk to him but no one replied Derry kept on calling him by his
name and suddenly started crying. He did so as he realised Mr. Lamb was dead.
MORAL
The positive moral of the story is, the ones who are
physically challenged and differently abled must
focus on the brighter side of life and they must not
brood over the shortcomings they have.
All we need to do is to accept physically challenged
people instead of pitying on them.
 THANKYOU!
SAMARTH KHANDELWAL
XII B