Mr Nobody: NCERT Class 2 English Poem (Marigold Unit 6)

etmantra28 Jan 20217 min read

Who broke the plate? 'Nobody!' Every home has heard this, and this short poem turns it into a funny little character. Children will giggle at Mr Nobody and may even think about owning up to their own mischief.

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From the NCERT English book Marigold for Class 2, unit 6. NCERT’s newer Class 2 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Marigold.

Watch: Mr.Nobody

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

New words: mischief, quiet, agree, cracked
Comparing with 'as… as', like 'as quiet as a mouse'
Rhyming words: mouse and house
Why it is good to be honest

What the poem is about

The poem tells us about a funny little man who is as quiet as a mouse. He does all the mischief that happens in everybody’s house. No one has ever seen his face, but everyone agrees that he is the one to blame.

Whenever a plate is broken, people say it was cracked by Mr Nobody. The poem is a playful joke about how, when something goes wrong at home, nobody wants to say “I did it.” It gently reminds children to be honest.

New words, with Hindi meanings

funny: making you laugh; a little strange (हिंदी: मज़ेदार)
quiet: making very little or no noise (हिंदी: चुप)
mouse: a small animal with a long tail (हिंदी: चूहा)
mischief: naughty things that cause small trouble (हिंदी: शरारत)
agree: to think the same as someone else (हिंदी: सहमत होना)
cracked: broken, with a line or a split in it (हिंदी: टूटा हुआ)
everybody: every person; all the people (हिंदी: सब लोग)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

How quiet is Mr Nobody, according to the poem?
What does Mr Nobody do in everybody’s house?
Has anyone ever seen Mr Nobody’s face?
Has something ever been broken at your home? Who said they did it?

Answers for parents

The poem says Mr Nobody is as quiet as a mouse.
He does all the mischief that is done in everybody's house.
No, no one has ever seen his face.
For example: Yes, a glass broke once. I told Mummy that I did it.

Grammar corner: Comparing with 'as… as'

We use 'as… as' to say two things are alike in some way. The poem says Mr Nobody is as quiet as a mouse. Put a describing word in the middle.

Mr Nobody is as sneaky as a cat.
The broken plate was as white as milk.
My little brother is as naughty as Mr Nobody.

Practice at home

Spot the rhyme: Which word rhymes with 'mouse': house or plate?
Fill in the blank: as quiet as a ___.
Make your own sentence with 'as… as'.

Answers: 1. house · 2. mouse · 3. For example: My dog is as fast as the wind.

Try this

Play “Who did it?” Hide a small object, like a spoon, while your child closes their eyes. Ask, “Who took the spoon?” and everyone answers in a funny voice, “Mr Nobody!” Then let your child draw what they think Mr Nobody looks like, since no one in the poem has ever seen his face.

Tip for parents

Ask in Hindi: 'घर में जब कुछ टूटता है, तो कौन कहता है मैंने नहीं किया?' Laugh together, then say the English: 'Mr Nobody did it!' Let your child mix Hindi and English while talking about it, and praise them for every honest answer and every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the moral of the poem Mr Nobody?

It is a playful joke about blaming 'nobody' when something goes wrong at home. It gently reminds children to be honest and say 'I did it'.

Who is Mr Nobody in the poem?

He is a funny little man, as quiet as a mouse, who gets the blame for all the mischief in every house. No one has ever seen his face.

Is Mr Nobody in the new NCERT book?

Mr Nobody is a chapter from NCERT's older Marigold book for Class 2. The newer NCERT English book for Class 2 is Mridang, so check your child's school book list to see which one the school uses.

Learn every Class 2 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →