Refund (one act play) by Percival Wilde

Refund (One act play)

Percival Wilde

Refund is a beautiful one act play written by Percival Wilde.  It is the story of a former student Wasserkopf.  After an interval of eighteen years, Wasserkopf come back to his school to get back his tuition fees.  He says that he did not get good education and that was why he failed in life.  He was fired from his last job and he thought that  he learned nothing.   Then his old classmate Lederer advised him to go to school and get back his tuition fees. The principal and teachers were shocked at this. If Wasserkopf were paid back his tuition fees, the next day, all former students would come and demand their tuition fees.  So the principal and teachers decided not to refund the tuition fees. They decided to conduct a re-examination and Wassserkopf should not be failed in any subject.  Whatever his answers must be proved correct and he should pass the exam.  Thus the exam is conducted and Waxsserkopf passed every subject with the highest marks. Finally he is kicked out of the school.  The play is a hilarious comedy.

2. The Mathematics Master designed the examination.  He advised the Principal and other teachers that they should prevent Wasserkopf  from failing because he would demand the refund of the tuition fees. So whatever his answers, the teacher must prove that his answers are correct.  They all agreed to this proposal.

3. In the re-examination, the Mathematics Master requested Wasserkopf  to sit on the chair, but Wasserkopf angrily said “to hell with a seat” and he would stand.  But the Mathematics Master said that the answer was excellent.  Wasserkopf meant that he did not like written examination and he liked oral exam. Secondly his physical condition was good.  Therefore Wasserkopf passed the Physical Culture subject with the highest marks.

4. In the re-examination, the History Master asked Wasserkopf how long the thirty years war lasted.  Wasserkopf answered that the thirty years war lasted seven meters. The Master said that the answer was excellent because Wasserkopf  made a lot of researches on the subject based on Einstein’s Relativity Theory.  So a year is represented as a meter and seven years are seven meters. But actual warfare took place only for less than twelve hours in a day.  Thus thirty years war lasted seven meters. The answer is excellent and

Wasserkopf passed the exams.

5. The Principal and Masters proved every foolish answer of Wasserkopf as correct and they passed Wasserkopf in the re-examination. They kicked Wasserkopf out of the school

Questions.

1.  Why does Wasserkopf demand a refund of his tuition fees?     1^st paragraph

2.  How does Wasserkopf get the idea of refund?                              1^st paragraph

3.  How does the Mathematics Master design the exam?                2^nd paragraph

4.  “To hell with a seat, I shall stand”- How does the Mathematics Master interpret Wasserkopf's refusal to occupy a seat?                                             3^rd paragraph

5.      How, according to the History Master, thirty years can be thirty meters?

         4th paragraph