Welcome to BD JOBZ PREPARATION, where we explore interesting literary pieces in a simple and engaging way. Today, we bring you “Mr Nobody,” a delightful poem that humorously captures the everyday mischief that happens in every household. Have you ever broken something, misplaced an item, or made a mess but had no one to blame? This poem introduces an invisible trickster—Mr Nobody—who takes the blame for all the small mishaps at home. Let’s dive into this amusing poem and uncover its hidden meaning!
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Mr Nobody
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr Nobody.
‘Tis he who always tears our books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For, prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr Nobody.
He puts damp wood upon the fire,
That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in the mud.
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid.
Who had them last but he?
There’s not one tosses them about
But Mr Nobody.
The fingermarks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade;
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots; they all belong
To Mr Nobody.
(Anonymous)
Bangla Meaning of Mr Nobody
মিস্টার নোবডি
আমি চিনি এক মজার লোকে,
ইঁদুরের মতো চুপচাপ,
সব দুষ্টুমি তারই কাজ,
ঘরে ঘরে সে অজস্র অপরাধ!
তার মুখ কেউ কখনো দেখেনি,
তবু সবাই একমত হয়,
যে প্লেটটি ভাঙলো, তা আগে থেকেই
মিস্টার নোবডির ভেঙে রেখেছিল!
বইয়ের পাতা ছিঁড়ে ফেলে সে,
খোলা রেখে যায় দরজা,
শার্টের বোতাম ছিড়ে ফেলে,
সুই-সুঁতো করে উধাও।
কঠিন দরজার কপাট কাঁদে,
কেউ কি তেল দেয় ভাই?
না, আমরা কেউ না, সে কাজটাও
মিস্টার নোবডির ওপর দায়!
ভেজা কাঠ দেয় আগুনে,
কেতলি তাই ফুটতে চায় না,
কাদামাটি আনে ঘরে সে,
কার্পেট হয় ময়লা!
পত্রিকা কই? কোথায় গেল?
শেষবার কে পড়েছিল তা?
না, কেউই না, সবাই জানে
মিস্টার নোবডির কাজ সেসব!
দরজার ওপরে আঙুলের দাগ,
আমরা কি রেখে যাই?
না, কখনোই না! আমরা কখনোই জানালা খোলা রাখিনা,
যেন পর্দা তার রং হারায়।
কালির দাগ টেবিলে পড়ে,
বুট পড়ে আছে এলোমেলো,
আমাদের তো নয় ওগুলো, সবই ওই
মিস্টার নোবডির!
Important Vocabulary from the Poem, Mr Nobody
Here are 15 difficult words from the poem “Mr Nobody” along with their parts of speech, meanings in Bangla and English, and sentence examples:
Mischief (noun) [দুষ্টুমি, Harm or trouble caused playfully]:
- The little boy was full of mischief and often played pranks on his friends.
Ajar (adjective/adverb) [অর্ধখোলা, Slightly open]:
- The wind blew the door ajar, making a creaking sound.
Scatters (verb) [ছড়িয়ে দেওয়া, To spread or throw things in different directions]:
- The child scatters his toys all over the floor after playing.
Squeak (verb) [চিঁ চিঁ শব্দ করা, To make a high-pitched sound]:
- The old wooden chair squeaks every time someone sits on it.
Prithee (interjection/archaic) [দয়া করে, Please (used in old English)]:
- Prithee, tell me the truth about what happened last night.
Damp (adjective) [সিক্ত, Slightly wet or moist]:
- The clothes were still damp even after drying them in the sun.
Soil (verb) [ময়লা করা, To make dirty]:
- The children soil their hands while playing in the mud.
Mislaid (verb) [ভুল করে কোথাও রাখা, To put something in the wrong place and lose it]:
- I have mislaid my keys and cannot find them anywhere.
Tosses (verb) [ছুঁড়ে মারা বা এলোমেলোভাবে রাখা, To throw or scatter randomly]:
- He tosses the books onto the table without arranging them properly.
Fingermarks (noun) [আঙুলের ছাপ, Marks left by fingers]:
- The glass window was covered in fingermarks after the kids played near it.
Blinds (noun) [জানালার পর্দা, Window coverings that block light]:
- She pulled down the blinds to keep the sunlight out of the room.
Curtains (noun) [পর্দা, Pieces of fabric used to cover windows]:
- The new curtains in the living room match the sofa perfectly.
Spill (verb) [গড়িয়ে পড়া বা ছড়িয়ে পড়া, To cause a liquid to fall or flow out]:
- He accidentally spills coffee on his white shirt during breakfast.
Lying (verb) [শুয়ে বা পড়ে থাকা, To be in a flat or resting position]:
- The cat is lying under the table, hiding from the dog.
Belong (verb) [অধিকারভুক্ত হওয়া, To be owned by someone]:
- This book does not belong to me; it is my brother’s.
Exercises
Questions
1. What kinds of mischief does Mr Nobody get up to in the house?
Ans: Mr Nobody is responsible for breaking plates, tearing books, leaving doors open, pulling buttons off shirts, scattering pins, making doors squeak by not oiling them, putting damp wood on the fire, misplacing papers, spilling ink, leaving boots lying around, and leaving fingerprints on doors.
2. Who do you think does all the mischief?
Ans: The poem humorously suggests that Mr Nobody does all the mischief, but in reality, it is the people in the house, especially children, who create these small troubles and blame an imaginary figure.
3. Make two lists of things that are mentioned in the poem that are: a. Broken or destroyed and b. Made dirty.
Ans:
a. Broken or destroyed:
- Plates
- Books
b. Made dirty:
- Carpets
- Papers
- Door (with fingermarks)
4. What is Mr Nobody compared with in the poem?
Ans: Mr Nobody is compared to “a funny little man, as quiet as a mouse,” meaning he is invisible and sneaky, never seen but always blamed for mischief.
Reference to context
Read the following references to things that are mentioned in the poem, and say what each relates to.
These are left on a door:
- Fingermarks (left by someone but blamed on Mr Nobody).
These are left lying around:
- Boots (scattered on the floor).
These are mislaid:
- Papers (placed somewhere and lost).
These are left unclosed:
- Blinds (not drawn properly, causing curtains to fade).
This is never spilt:
- Ink (although someone spills it, no one admits it).
These are pulled from shirts:
- Buttons (torn off but blamed on Mr Nobody).
These are scattered:
- Pins (spread around the house).
These are torn:
- Books (damaged but no one takes responsibility).
These are left ajar:
- Doors (not properly shut, leading to mischief).
These are soiled:
- Carpets (dirtied by muddy feet).
Words and meaning
Write words for the following. They may all be found in the poem.
- Slightly wet: Damp
- Earth that is very wet and soft: Mud
- Humorous: Funny
- A sharp, high-pitched sound: Squeak
- Throws lightly: Tosses
- Cloth hung at a window: Curtains
- Become dirty: Soil
- Neither shut nor wide open: Ajar
- Naughtiness: Mischief
Discuss and write
1. What kinds of mischief do you get up to ? Discuss naughtiness, what it means, and what happens when one is naughty.
Ans: Mischief refers to playful or naughty behavior, often causing minor trouble or annoyance. Everyone has been mischievous at some point in their life. Common mischief includes hiding things from others, playing pranks, making a mess, or secretly eating extra sweets.
2. Write about a time when you have been naughty. Say what you did, and what happened as a result.
Ans: Naughtiness means behaving in a way that is playful but sometimes troublesome. It often involves breaking small rules, disobeying elders, or causing minor chaos. When someone is naughty, they might get scolded, face consequences like extra chores, or be asked to apologize. However, naughtiness is usually not meant to harm anyone—it is just playful misbehavior.
A Time When I Was Naughty
One day, when I was about six years old, I decided to play a prank on my elder sister. She was very protective of her diary, always keeping it locked. Out of curiosity, I took her diary when she wasn’t looking and hid it under my bed. When she noticed it was missing, she became very upset and searched everywhere. After a while, she started blaming our younger brother, which made me laugh.
Eventually, my mother found out that I was the one who took the diary. She scolded me and told me that it was wrong to make someone feel bad just for fun. I felt guilty and apologized to my sister. In the end, she forgave me, but she made me promise never to touch her things again. This incident taught me that playing pranks should never hurt someone’s feelings.
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“Mr Nobody” is more than just a playful rhyme—it reflects how people, especially children, tend to avoid responsibility for their mistakes. The poem reminds us in a lighthearted way that blaming an imaginary figure doesn’t change reality. At the end of the day, owning up to our actions is important. We hope you enjoyed this fun analysis of the poem. For more engaging literary discussions and educational content, stay tuned to BD JOBZ PREPARATION!
