NCERT Solutions for Class 8th English Chapter 3 Mystery And Magic
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The unit sets three kinds of the unexplained side by side: a puzzle solved by reasoning, a magic that answers to a promise, and natural wonders that science can explain but cannot make ordinary. The Case of the Fifth Word (Donald J. Sobol) is an Encyclopedia Brown mystery. A dying jewel thief, Tim Nolan, leaves a will and a calendar sheet reading Nom Utes Sweden Hurts ; Leroy 'Encyclopedia' Brown reads the four words as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the letters d-a-y removed, and names the unwritten fifth word — Fir , or Friday. The Magic Brush of Dreams is a narrative folk-tale ballad in ABCB rhyme. Gopi is given a brush on one condition — 'Paint not for the wealthy ones, / But only for the poor' — and keeps that promise through a Zamindar's order, a prison cell, an escape
- The Case of the Fifth Word
- The Case of the Fifth Word, Part I
- The Case of the Fifth Word, Parts I and II
- The Magic Brush of Dreams
- Spectacular Wonders
Quick revision
| Word / Phrase | Where it comes | What it means | Used in the unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| nickname | The Case of the Fifth Word | A pet name; a name other than one's real name | Only his parents and teachers called him by his real name, Leroy. |
| in a matter-of-fact manner | The Case of the Fifth Word | Without showing much emotion | “Tim Nolan died yesterday,” he announced in a matter-of-fact manner. |
| hold-up | The Case of the Fifth Word | A robbery carried out with threat or violence | Davenport came to live with Nolan a week before the jewellery store hold-up. |
| nursery | The Case of the Fifth Word | A place where young plants and trees are grown for sale | He settled in Idaville and started a small palm-tree nursery. |
| testify | The Case of the Fifth Word | To make a statement in court to prove that something is true | The clerk refused to testify against him. |
| hunch | The Case of the Fifth Word | A strong feeling about something, without proof | My hunch is that he and Nolan decided to hide the loot. |
| loot | The Case of the Fifth Word | Stolen goods | …decided to hide the loot until things cooled down. |
| will | The Case of the Fifth Word | A legal document saying what happens to a person's property after their death | He managed to put his will on the kitchen table. |
| code | The Case of the Fifth Word | A hidden message | The code is simple, especially as it's written on a sheet from a calendar. |
| foreseen | The Case of the Fifth Word | Predicted | …just as Encyclopedia had foreseen. |
| comply | The Magic Brush of Dreams | To act according to an order or rule | “My lord, I can't comply.” |
| bellows | The Magic Brush of Dreams | Shouts in a deep, loud voice, in pain or anger | He bellows to his men. |
| mystifying | Spectacular Wonders | Strange or impossible to explain | India is home to some of the most mystifying natural phenomena. |
| futile | Spectacular Wonders | Useless | Attempts to use bamboo or wooden bridges proved futile. |
| bioluminescence | Spectacular Wonders | Light produced inside a living organism by a chemical reaction | This phenomenon is called bioluminescence. |
| ebb tide | Spectacular Wonders | The period when water flows away from the shore | It retreats by 2–5 km during ebb tide. |
Exercises
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us do these activities before we read Page 101
- The Case of the Fifth Word, Part I — Let us discuss Page 104
- The Case of the Fifth Word, Parts I and II — Let us discuss Page 107 & 108
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us think and reflect Page 108 to 110
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us learn Page 111 to 117
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us listen Page 117
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us speak Page 118
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us write Page 119 to 121
- The Case of the Fifth Word — Let us explore Page 121
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us do these activities before we read Page 122
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us discuss Page 127 & 128
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us think and reflect Page 128 to 130
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us learn Page 130 to 132
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us listen Page 132
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us speak Page 133
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us write Page 134 & 135
- The Magic Brush of Dreams — Let us explore Page 136
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us do these activities before we read Page 137
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us discuss Page 142
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us think and reflect Page 142 to 144
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us learn Page 144 to 148
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us listen Page 148
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us speak Page 149
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us write Page 149
- Spectacular Wonders — Let us explore Page 150