The Open Window Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 8 English It So Happened

According to the CBSE Syllabus 2023-24, this chapter has been removed from NCERT Class 8 English It So Happened Notes & Summary textbook.

Summary of The Open Window

Chapter 7 of Class 8 English Supplementary Reader – It So Happened, consists of prose – The Open Window, which is a story about a conversation between Frampton Nuttel and a young girl, Vera, who tells him about the mystery of the open window. So what’s the secret behind the open window? Read the prose summary of CBSE Class 8 English Prose Notes – The Open Window in CBSE English Notes Class 8 format to know more about it. We hope this summary will help students to get a solid understanding of the chapter in brief and refer to it before their Board exams.

Students can also improve their writing section for the English exam by practising essays on various topics.

CBSE Class 8 English The Open Window Summary

The Open Window was written by Hector Hug Munro, who was better known by the pen name ‘Saki’. The story begins with Frampton Nuttel, who visits the countryside for treatment of his nerves. He didn’t know anybody in that place, so his sister gave him some letters of introduction, hoping this would help him to get acquainted with a few people there. Once he reaches the country, he visits Mrs. Sappleton, where he meets her fifteen-year-old niece named, Vera. She is a confident and calm-looking girl who assures Mr Nuttel that her aunt will be coming downstairs soon. Meanwhile, Vera enquires with him if he knows any people around that place. He mentions that his sister visited that place some four years ago and gave him some letters of introduction. On that account, he has come to visit Mrs. Sappleton.

As Mr Nuttel looks around the room, he realises that the house is also inhabited by men. However, he is hesitant and wonders whether Mrs. Sappleton is a married woman or a widow. While he is lost in thoughts, Vera suddenly mentions that about three years ago, her aunt’s husband and her two younger brothers went out for shooting but never returned. She points towards the large French window that opens to a lawn. Further, she tells Mr Nuttel that the men never came back as they were trapped in the swampy land, and their bodies could not be recovered to date. Vera further says that her aunt, Mrs. Sappleton, always keeps this particular window open until it gets dark, hoping that her husband and brothers will return someday. Sometimes, even Vera feels that her uncles would come through the open window along with their dog in the same manner.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Sappleton arrives and apologises for being late. She also mentions her husband and brothers, who have gone out shooting for birds. Besides, she tells Mr Nuttel that she keeps the window wide open for them to enter the house so that they do not ruin the carpet with their mud-coated shoes. However, Mr Nuttel feels spooky air in the room, and he tries to change the topic of discussion. But Mrs. Sappleton continues talking about shooting and the scarcity of birds in that area.

Soon, Frampton realises that she is looking towards the window while talking to him and not paying attention to him. Suddenly she tells him that the men have returned from their shooting and were just on time for tea. This frightens Mr Nuttel even more, and he shivers with fear. He turns to look towards Vera for sympathy, but even the young girl is looking through the window with a dazed horror in her eyes.

Mr Nuttel starts feeling uncomfortable and suddenly notices three figures carrying guns under their arms, walking across the lawn towards the open window. A tired brown spaniel is also coming along with them. Frightened Mr Nuttel quickly grabs his stick and hat and rushes out of the house. Finally, Mrs. Sappleton’s husband walks into the room but is surprised that Mr Nuttel hastened out of the room without meeting him. Mrs. Sappleton tells her husband that he is ill and rushes out of the house even without bidding goodbye to anyone. The way he exits the room appears that he has seen some ghosts. To this, Vera states that probably Mr Nuttel is afraid of dogs. She mentions how he was once attacked by dogs in a cemetery, and he was so nervous that he had to spend a night in a newly dug grave with the dogs growling around him.

Conclusion of The Open Window

The chapter – The Open Window illustrates that we should not believe other people’s words blindly, who often try to manipulate or convince us to believe them. Besides, the lesson also teaches students that we should not deceive or manipulate others minds by creating fake stories or rumours unnecessarily. Here we brought you the CBSE Class 8 English It So Happened Prose Summary of The Open Window that must have helped 8th Standard students to have a thorough understanding of the chapter.

Besides, students can visit BYJU’S website to access useful resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study materials. They can also download BYJU’S: The Learning App and explore CBSE sample papers and question papers of previous years.