Question -
Answer -
Lamb is a fourteen-year-old boy whose one side of face is burnt with acid. He comes to Mr. Lamb’s garden by climbing the outer wall thinking that there is nobody there. Mr. Lamb is an old man, who lives all alone in his house which has a big garden. He grows crab apples there and has beehives. He makes jelly from crab apples and toffees from honey. One side of Derry’s face is burnt with acid and he fights shy of meeting people.
He had many unpleasant experiences so he wants to lead a secluded life. But Mr. Lamb, who is lame because one of his legs was blown off in war and had a tin leg, does not seem to bother much about it. Unlike Derry, he is open to people and leads a normal life.
Derry is drawn towards Mr. Lamb because he can identify with him but his approach to life is different from that of Derry. Mr. Lamb enjoys meeting people despite the fact that the children call him ‘Lamey-Lamb’. He tells Derry that though there are fruits and flowers and trees and herbs of all sorts but there are weeds also.
He tells Derry that it is all life – growing same as Derry and himself. He tells Derry that Derry has got a burnt face and he has got a tin leg, but it is not important as there is no difference in Derry standing there and he sitting here. He advises Derry to keep his ears shut to what people say.
He tells Derry that locking oneself up in a room and never learning it is no solution. Mr. Lamb cites an example of a man who was afraid of the outside world where he could die, but a picture hanging on that room fell off the wall on his head and killed him. That is why Derry was drawn towards Mr. Lamb because he treated him kindly, was open-minded and had generosity of heart. He did not treat Derry as others were treating him. So, Derry was drawn towards Mr. Lamb for his sympathetic attitude, his practical wisdom and for his generosity and kindheartedness.