Susan Hill is an English author known for novels such as The Woman in Black and I'm the King of the Castle. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012 for her services to literature. The story depicts a chance meeting between Derry, a teenage boy with half his face burned by acid, and Mr. Lamb, a man with a tin leg, in the latter's garden. Through their conversation, Mr. Lamb tries to convince Derry that true beauty and worth lies within, not without, and that he should not let his disfigurement define him or cause hatred.

2. Susan Hill, CBE (born 5 February
1942) is an English author of
fiction and non-fiction works.
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.
She was appointed Commander of
the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in the 2012 Birthday
Honours for services to
literature.[1][2]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUSAN
HILL

3.  MR. LAMB
 DERR
Y

4. The story starts with a teenage boy
(Derry) who enters a garden. Due to an
accident when acid befell on his face and
got burned on one side. ... Lamb
welcomes him in his garden and tells him
not to leave just because of his presence.
People don't like his face that's what
Derry think and that's why he wants to
leave.
SETTING

5. The lesson 'On the Face of It' aptly depicts
the loneliness and sense of alienation
experienced by Derry and Mr. Lamb on
account of a disability. The actual pain and
inconvenience caused by the disabilities is
often much less than the sense of alienation
felt by the disabled person.
MOOD

6. The Tone woven into the plot of the play is
that Derry has a cold and hostile tone but in
reality, “scars do not change a person and
handicaps must be accepted by individuals
and society.” With a burned face, Derry
had to face discrimination, because of
which he had turned pessimistic.
Whereas Mr. Lamb had a motivational and
convincing tone. His language is straight
forward, that finally changes Derry into an
optimistic person.
TONE

7. Occasional: sometimes
Rustling: whisper, low
sound
Tentatively: hesitantly,
without confidence
Startled: feeling a sudden
shock

8.  Mr. Lamb warns him about the crab apples that usually fell
in the long grass from the tree above.
 Derry was shocked on hearing a voice. He asked as to who
it was.
 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.
VALUE POINTS

9. Scrump: steal from garden
Pretend: to behave as if something is
true when you know that it is not
Underneath: directly below

10. VALUE POINTS
 Mr. Lamb tried to comfort him by saying that the house was
empty as he was out in the garden.
 He also asked him not to be afraid. Derry wanted to leave the
place.
 Mr. Lamb tried and to stop him and said that there was no
need to leave the garden just because of him.
 He also told him that he kept the gate open for people it was
only Derry who jumped the wall.
 Derry got angry for being pointed at like that. He also
clarified that he hadn’t come to steal anything from there.
 Mr. Lamb agreed by saying that at many times, apples had
been stolen by young boys and that Derry was not so young.
 But still, Derry wanted to leave. Mr. Lamb told him not to be
afraid of him and asked him to stay there for a while.
 Derry told him that he was not afraid of anyone; rather
people were afraid of him

11.  Lamb asked him the reason for that.
 He told him that he knew what people thought and how
they behaved in front of him.
 Mr. Lamb questioned him about what others thought of
him.
 Derry said that people got scared on seeing his face.
 Some considered it bad or ugly while some even took pity
on him by saying that he was a poor boy.
 He added that they were fake. Actually, they all were
afraid of his face.
 He even got scared of his own face when he looked into
the mirror.
 He added that Mr Lamb will also pity him but in his
heart, he will also be scared of Derry.
VALUE POINTS

13. VALUE POINTS
 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 did.
 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 may be 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 on repeating that acid ate
his face and that it would never get cured.

15. VALUE POINTS
 Mr. Lamb did not agree with him. Derry thought that he was not
interested in his story.
 To this, Mr. Lamb said that he was interested in each and every
creation of God. He pointed out at a wall and asked him what did
he see beyond it.
 Derry replied that there were weeds or unwanted plants. Mr.
Lamb explained that there were a number of plants in his garden.
 There were flowers, trees and herbs - some plants were
considered good and some were called ‘unwanted plants’ (weed).
 It was not because they were different, all of them were green in
colour. It was about how people considered them to be- herbs or
weeds.
 In reality, they all were same just like Derry and himself. Derry
did not agree to this.
 Mr. Lamb told him that there was no difference. He was young
and Mr. Lamb was old.
 He had a burned face and Mr. Lamb had a tin leg. These things
were not so important and so, they didn’t make any difference.

16. VALUE POINTS
 Derry asked him the reason behind his tin leg. He replied that it
got damaged in an explosion many years ago.
 Kids teased him by calling him ‘Lamey- lamb’. Derry said that he
could cover the tin leg with his trousers so that no one could see it.
 Mr. Lamb said that it did not bother him much as one day, people
would get tired of teasing him and would start discussing
something else.
 Derry showed his face in reply to Lamb’s statement. Mr. Lamb
suggested that things like crab apples, weeds, spiders and the 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 things i.e. they were non - living.
 Mr. Lamb replied that all the things were related to each other.
Just like beauty is related to the beast i.e. a beautiful creation is
related to ugliness.
 Derry was confused. Mr. Lamb asked for Derry’s opinion. 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.

17. Signify: be a sign of
Daft: silly, foolish
Dribble: to fall slowly

18.  Even a handsome man is the one who does something good
rather than one who looks good.
 He said that once, a beautiful girl loved a beast for who he
was and kissed him which turned the beast into a handsome
prince.
 He wouldn’t have changed, if she hadn’t kissed him. But then
he said that he won’t change.
 Mr. Lamb said that Derry was right at that. Derry said that
no one would kiss him ever because of his face.
 Even his mother kissed him on the good side of his face. He
did not like this at all.
 He said he didn't care even if nobody kissed him. Mr. Lamb
asked him that did Derry ever want to kiss someone.
VALUE POINTS

19.  Derry asks him what he was talking about. Mr. Lamb said that
probably Derry wanted to kiss pretty girls who had long hair
and large eyes or other people whom Derry loved.
 Derry replied that no one would ever allow him to do so. Mr.
Lamb said that this was unpredictable.
 Derry said that he will never look different. When he will be as
old as Mr. Lamb then also he will have only half a face.
 Mr. Lamb said that yes he will always have half a face but the
world was full of so many things to look at.
 So, he must look at its beauty. Derry questioned him that was
the garden the whole world for him.
 Lamb said that when he was present in the garden, then the
garden was his world. He then questioned him whether his leg
hurt.
 Lamb replied that tin didn’t hurt, it never pained. Derry asked
him if he suffered pain when he lost his leg.
VALUE POINTS

20.  Lamb said that it pained back then. He then asked him if it
pained now, where the artificial leg stuck into the real one.
 Lamb said that sometimes it pained in wet weather but it was
not that important.
 Derry said that he could understand what he meant by all this
as he had heard people saying that you should take a lesson
from those who suffer in pain and never cry or complain about
their problems.
 Mr. Lamb said that he didn’t say so. Derry continued that
people told him to look at those people who were in worse
conditions than him.
 They told him that he might have become blind, be born deaf or
be handicapped and have to remain in a wheelchair.
 He may even have been born with mental disorder. Mr. Lamb
said that yes it was true and that Derry knew so much.
VALUE POINTS

22. VALUE POINTS
 Derry said that all this would not change his face. One day as
he was waiting at a bus stop, a woman passed by him.
 He heard her telling another woman that he had such a terrible
face that only his mother could love him and no one else could.
 Mr. Lamb asked him did he believe what he heard. Derry
stressed that he heard it.
 Mr. Lamb asked that was this the only thing he had heard
from someone.
 Derry said that no, he had heard many other things too. Lamb
suggested him to shut his ears i.e., he should ignore all this.
 Derry found Lamb’s words strange and added that he couldn’t
understand his questions.
 Mr. Lamb said that he liked to talk and also liked the company
of others.
 He also told him that there was no need to answer him and as
the gates were open, he could leave if he wanted to

23.  Derry did not leave and he seemed unsure of it. Mr. Lamb said
that there was a beehive in one of the trees.
 People considered the buzzing sound of the bees to be a noise
but for him it was a song sung by the bees.
 Derry explained that he had liked the place from outside and so,
had entered the garden.
 Mr. Lamb questioned that would he have entered had he seen
Mr Lamb to which Derry replied in the negative.
 Derry said that if he would have entered his garden even after
knowing that he was there, it would have been without his
permission.
 Mr. Lamb said that was not the real reason. Derry said that he
did not like going near people as they got afraid of him and
stared at him.
 Mr. Lamb suggested that he could lock himself in a room
forever.
 He then narrated a story about the man who locked himself in
his room as he was afraid of everything.
VALUE POINTS

25. VALUE POINTS
 The man thought that he would meet with an accident with a
bus, he would catch infection from someone, a donkey would
kick him to death, the lightning may hit him or he may die
because the girl whom he loved may leave him or he may even
slip off a banana and people would laugh at him.
 In order to safeguard himself from all such incidents, he locked
himself in his room.
 Derry surprisingly asked Mr. Lamb if he locked himself forever.
He replied that no, he did so for a while.
 Derry asked him what happened next. Mr Lamb replied that a
picture fell on his head and he died.
 This made him laugh a lot and he said that Mr Lamb narrated
strange talks.

26.  Mr. Lamb said that they were strange for some people.
 Derry asked what Mr Lamb did all day. He replied that he sat in
the Sun, reading books. He said that the house was full of books.
 Derry looked at the house and said that there weren't any
curtains on the windows.
 Mr Lamb replied that he did not like curtains. He liked
transparency- light, darkness and the wind too.
 Derry added that he also liked all of them and he also liked the
sound of the rain falling on the roof of his house.
 Mr Lamb commented that Derry was present minded as he
could hear.
 Derry said that his family worried about him that what would he do in
the future with a burned face.
VALUE POINTS

28. VALUE POINTS
 Mr Lamb said that Derry had everything - two arms, two legs,
two eyes, two ears, etc.
 He wanted to make Derry realize that he had so much which
many other people were deprived of.
 He added that Derry could accomplish a lot if he determined to
do so.
 Derry asked how was it possible and Mr Lamb replied that the
same was as he did.
 Derry asked if Mr Lamb had any friends and he replied that
he had a few hundred of them.
 Derry further said that still he lived alone in such a big house.
Mr Lamb said that everyone was his friend- many people
visited the garden.
 The gate remained open. They sat there, by the fire in winter
season. Kids came to pick apples and pears and to take the
honey toffees made by him.

29.  Derry said that he wasn't a friend of Mr Lamb's. He said that
Derry was a friend because he had not done any such thing that
should cease their friendship.
 Derry said that they did not know each other well to become
friends. Mr Lamb did not consider that to be important.
 He did not need Derry's particulars before becoming friends with
him. Mr Lamb said that if he wished, he could tell him his name.
 Deery replied that his name was 'Derek' but he disliked it and
wanted to be called 'Derry' instead.
 He added that he might not visit the place in future and then they
would not remain friends anymore.
 Mr Lamb asked the reason and Derry replied that one crosses
many people while walking down the street, might speak to a few
of them and never see them again. This did not mean that they
had become friends.
VALUE POINTS

31. VALUE POINTS
 Mr Lamb commented that it did not mean that strangers were
enemies, if not friends.
 Derry said that they were nothing, just people. Mr Lamb said
that it could not be that people were nothing to each other.
 Derry said that there were some people whom he hated.
 Mr Lamb replied that hatred would harm him more than the
acid that had 'only' affected his face.
 Derry commented that 'only' his face. Mr Lamb said that a
bomb explosion blew up his leg but there were worse things that
could happen - one could burn himself up from the inside by the
negative feelings.
 Derry said that when he had returned from the hospital, a
person had said that it was better if he had remained there with
people like him.
 He added that people think all disabled people should remain
together at one place.
 Mr Lamb added this meant that people without legs should remain
together and the world would become imbalanced that way.

32.  Derry said that at least no one would stare at the other because all of
them were similar.
 Mr Lamb asked Derry that did he mean that he was like all other
people with burned faces just because they had similar appearance.
 He added that everything was different. Although all things are the
same, yet they are different.
 Derry was confused. Mr Lamb said that our habits of watching,
listening and thinking differently made us different from each other.
 Derry said that he liked Mr Lamb's house and garden. He replied that
Derry was always welcome there.
 Derry said that the place was not his. Mr Lamb said that everything
was his if he wanted it to be.
 He added that all his possessions were for everyone. Derry asked if he
could visit the place again and Mr Lamb replied that he could and he
would find company too.
 He added that Derry needn't mind other people, no one would stop
him from entering the premises.
 Derry said that they probably would not like to enter the place upon
seeing him.
 Maybe they would look at his face, get scared and run away.
VALUE POINTS

34. VALUE POINTS
 Mr Lamb replied that they might or might not run away and that he
had to take a chance on that.
 Derry said that Mr Lamb had to choose out of him and the other
people as visitors because no one liked to remain near him.
 Mr Lamb would lose all his friends if he had Derry in his garden.
 Mr Lamb said that he was there and did not run away on seeing
Derry.
 He added that when he went out on the street, kids teased him
although they visited his garden and his house.
 It was like a game. They were not scared of him because he was not
scared of them.
 Derry asked that did his leg get injured in the war and Mr Lamb
replied that it did so.
 Derry asked that how would he climb up the ladder to pluck the
apples.
 He replied that there were a lot of things that he had learned to do.
 Derry added that if he climbed the tree alone, fell from it and broke
his neck, he would lie on the grass, dead.
 Mr Lamb said that it could happen. Derry asked if he could help him
pluck the apples.

35.  Mr Lamb said that he could help him if he wanted to.
 Derry said that his mother would be waiting for him. His home was
five miles away, across the fields.
 He was fourteen years of age 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 three miles away. As the weather was fine and he
had legs, he could easily go home, tell them and return.
 Derry said that once he went home, he would not be allowed to
return.
 Mr Lamb added that once home Derry himself would not feel like
coming back. Derry said that Mr Lamb did not know what all 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.
VALUE POINTS

37. VALUE POINTS
 Derry said that his family forced him to do things their way.
 Mr Lamb said that it was Derry's wish to agree with them or
not.
 Derry was confused about what he wanted, something that was
only his, and no one had it - like the garden.
 Mr Lamb said that he could find out what he wanted.
 Derry asked how he could do that. Mr Lamb told him to wait,
watch and listen.
 He added that he had to see the bees. Derry asked that did the
other visitors talk to Mr Lamb.
 Mr Lamb replied that some did while some did not. Derry said
that he did not believe that someone ever visited the place.
 Mr Lamb lived alone all by himself. No one cared for him. Mr
Lamb said that Derry could think as he pleased.
 Derry asked him the names of some of the visitors. Mr Lamb
said that names were nothing.
 They could be like Tom, Dick or Harry. He left to see the bees.
 Derry said that perhaps Mr Lamb was mentally challenged

38.  .Mr Lamb said that was a good excuse for Derry but Derry said
that Mr Lamb did not talk sense and that's why he said so.
 Mr Lamb repeated that it was a good excuse for not returning
to the garden.
 Derry's face was burned which was other people's excuse for not
seeing Derry.
 Derry said that Mr Lamb was like other people. If he was not
sorry that his face was burned, then maybe he was scared of it.
 If not that, then maybe he thought that Derry was as ugly as a
devil. He added that he was a devil. Derry shouted.
 Mr Lamb did not reply. He had gone to see the bees. Derry
became calm and said that Mr Lamb did not think him to be a
devil.
 He liked to be in the garden. Derry got up and shouted that he
was leaving and that he would return to see him.
 He did not have a tin leg, could run and would be back soon.
Derry ran off.
 The place was silent with the sounds of the creatures of the garden.
VALUE POINTS

40. VALUE POINTS
 Mr Lamb talked to the bees that they saw all that happened. They
all knew that no one ever returned to the garden.
 The second scene is at Derry’s house and Derry is talking to his
mother.
 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.
 Derry asked her the reason of her fear. He told her that Mr Lamb
was just an old man with a tin leg and had a big house without
curtains and a garden.
 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 hear bees singing and wanted to
listen to what Mr Lamb said.
 But she didn’t find it suitable and so she told him to stay at home
and think about what he wanted to.

42. VALUE POINTS
 Derry said that he hated to remain at home. His mother excused him
for speaking wrong because he felt bad and so spoke that way.
 Derry said that it had nothing to do with is face. The important thing
was how he thought and what he saw or heard.
 He announced that he would go back into the garden to help Mr.
Lamb with the crab apples.
 His mother tried to stop him but he ran away shutting the door
behind him.
 The third scene is in Mr. Lamb’s garden. There was the sound of
branches.
 Mr. Lamb was talking to himself while he was plucking the apples.
 Suddenly a harsh sound of the cracking wood was heard and the
ladder fell on the ground.
 Mr. Lamb fell too. Derry opened the gate, he was still breathing
rapidly and declared to Mr. Lamb that he had returned.
 He looked at him and found him lying on the ground. 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 because he realized that Mr. Lamb was dead.

44. The story begins with a teenage boy entering a garden. His face is
burnt on one side due to an accident when acid fell on half of his
face. He has gone there to hide himself as he is afraid of facing
people. He fears being teased by others for having such a face. But
when he enters, he finds someone already present there. He tries to
leave the place but he is stopped by the old man, Mr. Lamb, the
owner of the garden. Derry feels guilty for entering the garden
without permission. Mr. Lamb welcomes him and tells him not to
leave just because of his presence. Derry wants to leave as he
thinks people don’t like his face and moreover ,they get afraid of
his looks. But Mr. Lamb insists him to stay there. They enter into a
conversation that how Derry is not liked by anyone and how he
hates people behaving like this with him. Mr. Lamb tries to console
him. He tells him that he has a tin leg and kids make fun of him.
Still he is not depressed and enjoys his life. They both talk about
various things and this leads to revelation of Derry’s fear,
depression and hatred about his being in such condition.
SUMMARY

45. But Mr. Lamb keeps On telling him to think of the positive things.
Soon they become friends and Mr. Lamb asks him to help him in
plucking the crab apples of his garden. Derry tells him that he had
come too far from his home and hadn’t told anything about this to
his mother. Mr. Lamb tells him to take permission from his
mother. Derry finds it difficult and this leads to a small quarrel
between both of them. At last Derry tells him that he would come
back after taking his mother’s permission. His mother does not
want him to go back but he comes back again to fulfill his promise.
Meanwhile Mr. Lamb climbs the ladder on his own to pluck the
crab apples as he was sure that Derry would not return. He was
disabled and it was difficult for him to climb. Mr. Lamb falls from
his ladder and dies. Derry, on the other hand, returns to the garden
to help him. When he enters the garden, he sees Mr. Lamb lying on
the ground. Derry tries hard to make him move but did not get any
response from him. Finally he comes to know that he is dead and
starts crying.
SUMMARY

46. The play deals with the sense of loss, a sense
of isolation and how to overcome it. The actual
pain caused by a physical impairment is often
much less than the sense of alienation felt by
the person. in this chapter there are two
characters Derry who is a 14 years old boy and
his face was half burnt because acid spilt on him
and second Mr lamb who was a old man who had
lost his one leg in a war and a tin leg but he was a
extrovert but Derry was a introvert. he live very
sadness in his life but when he met Mr lamb then
he became turned into extrovert..
THEME

47. Q1.“Mind the apples!”, says Mr Lamb. Why do you think,
does he issue this instruction, to whom and how many times?
Q.2What is the attitude of Mr Lamb to the small boy who
comes to his garden ?
Q.3What explanation does the small boy offer for coming
into the garden? How does Mr Lamb react to it?
Q.4“T ‘m not afraid. People are afraid of me,” says Derry.
What do people think on seeing his face? How do they react
then?
Q.5How does Mr Lamb change the subject from ugly face to
ripe apples?
Q.6Why, according to Derry, has the old man changed the
subject?
Q.7“We’re not the same”, says Derry. How does Mr Lamb try
to convince him that there is no essential difference between
them?
SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS(2 M)

48. Q.1How did Mr. Lamb try to give courage and confidence to
Derry?
Value Points:
• Derry: suffers self – hatred & rejection.
• Mr Lamb experiences the same
• He startles Derry with his strange talks
• According to Mr.Lamb everyone and everything is
essentially the same
• The notion of beauty is relative
• His concept of the world and friendship is confusing but
appeal to Derry
• Derry gets fascinated by the old man.
• sheds his complex about his ugliness
• rediscovers the joys of life.
LONG QUESTION ANSWERS (5 M)

49. ANSWER:
Derry suffers from an acute sense of self-hatred and
rejection because of his burnt face. He feels he is very ugly
because of which no one will ever love him. Mr. Lamb too
has heard Derry only complain and bemoan about himself.
He feels very sad to see a fourteen year old boy giving up on
life just because of his physical disability. Mr. Lamb at first
startles Derry with his strange talk. He tells Derry he is
interested in everything created by God. His encouraging
words have a magical effect on Derry. Mr. Lamb’s
conversation that everyone and everything is essentially the
same, the notion of beauty is relative and his concept of the
world and friendship baffle but appeal to Derry and he gets
fascinated by the old man. Slowly he sheds his complex
about his ugliness and rediscovers the joys of life.

50. Q.1What efforts does Mr Lamb make to strike up a
friendship with Derry, the small boy, who enters his garden ?
Q.2What is the bond that unites the two—old Mr Lamb and
Derry, the small boy ? How does the old man inspire the
small boy?
Q.3 Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Lamb and
Derry.
Q.4 What impression do you form of Derry, the small boy, in
the play ‘On The Face Of It’ ?
Q.5Which qualities of Mr Lamb have impressed you most?
LONG QUESTION ANSWERS (5 M)