The Treasure in the Forest by H. G Wells [Class 12 summary in simple language]

The Treasure in the Forest written by H. G. Wells is about an adventurous journey undertaken by two friends in search of a treasure.

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The Treasure in the Forest

Characters in “The Treasure in the Forest”

Evan and Hooker: They are friends who travel for treasure.

Short summary of Treasure in the Forest

The Treasure in the Forest is an ominous (अनिष्टसूचक) story where two friends undertake a risk journey in search of a mysterious treasure.. The two friends had killed a Chinese and took a map from him which showed the way to the treasure. Following the map, the two friends successfully reached the place where the treasure they wanted was buried. But they couldn't make use of the treasure because they lost their life. Evan and Hooker died because they were not well prepared for the journey and they ignored the signals (dots) in the map. When Evans and Hooker reached the place, they found a dead body of a China-man. The two friends simply ignored the dead body thinking that it might have been snake bitten.

Detailed Summary of Treasure in the Forest

The story begins with an adventure of two friends: Evans and Hooker. They were heading towards the island where the treasure was hidden. The two friends looked tired. They had no food to eat and no water to drink. They started their journey quickly and without adequate (पर्याप्त) preparation. In spite of such difficulties, they dared to continue their journey.

Hooker was pointing his fingers on the map to identify the location. He noticed some dots on the map. Hooker was not sure what those dots indicate. So, he asked Evan. Evan too could not figure out what those dots indicate. They both ignored the dots and moved ahead. They just dreamed of having the treasure and enjoy their life. Shortly, Evan slept on the canoe while Hooker was handling the paddle.

They saw the reefs as shown on the map. They crossed the river and came across by a river. They got out of the canoe and drank water from the river. Then, the two friends walked inside the forest. As they reached the spot where the treasure was buried, they saw a dead corpse. They were shocked finding that someone had already known about the treasure. The dead body looked alike of Chang-hi. But they confirmed themselves that he wasn't Chang-hi because they had killed him. Evan and Hooker found that the dead body was blue and guessed that a snake might have bitten him.

Then, Evan quickly checks the treasure. He saw golden ingots and got excited. Evan found that the treasure was safe. Evan, then, started to put the golden ingots in his coat. But soon, he got pricked by a thorn. However, he didn't care it continued putting the ingots.

Hooker looked the dead body. He was quite suspicious about the mysterious death of the dead body. Hooker told Evans that they must bury the dead body. Evans scolded Hooker and told him to stop being foolish.

After having discussed for a while, they decided to move towards their canoe. They both put the golden ingots in their coat.

As they were leaving the spot, Evans got sudden pain on his whole body. He wanted to take a rest for a while.

Hooker worried about his friend's sudden pain. Then, Evan shouted with a great pain and crumpled on the ground until his feet touched his chest. Hooker was terrified. He asked Evan if he could help him. Evan shouted not to go closer to him and save himself from being suffered too. Evan suggested Hooker to leave the golden ingots and return back quickly. But hooker was too terrified to act wisely.

Soon, Hooker was also pricked by the thorns. He thought of saving his friend and taking the gold upto the canoe. As he tried to lift those ingots, he too got sudden muscle cramp. The both friends laid there paralyzed.

Finally, Hooker understood what those dots, which they ignored, meant. The dots, in fact, indicated the poisonous thorns which had pickled them. The cause of the Chinaman's death, behind the palm tree, was also the same. They came to know that Chang-hi had put those poisonous thorns for the safety of the treasure. Hooker realized that Chang-hi was clever.

Hooker cried for help but it was all useless. Since they were amidst the lonely forest, nobody came to help them. They had no options besides waiting death to come.

Lesson to learn

•   Greed leads to destruction
• Always plan and prepare well before undertaking any journey.
•   A friend in need is a friend indeed. (Hooker didn't leave his friend Evans when he was in danger. Rather he too accepted death.)

The Treasure in the Forest Class 12 Exercise and Question Answer

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions

Describe the expository scene of the story The Treasure in the Forest.

The story begins with two men, Evans and Hooker, in a canoe approaching an island. The author describes the landscape, the forest, mountains, and the bay, creating a vivid picture of the setting. The sky is hot and the sea is calm.

 

What does the map look like and how do Evan and Hooker interpret it?

The map is rough and worn, showing the bay, reef, river, and a clump of palm trees. Evans interprets it, pointing out the river, the place marked by a star, and the dotted line leading to a clump of palm trees. They plan to mark the treasure location as they enter the lagoon.

How did Evan and Hooker know about the treasure?

Evans and Hooker learned about the treasure from a Chinese man, Chang-hi, who had found it and wanted their help to retrieve it. The treasure was hidden for 200 years, and Chang-hi had deserted his ship to re-bury the ingots.

 

Describe Evan’s dream.

Evans dreams about the night he and Hooker discovered the Chinamen's secret. The dream includes moonlit trees, a fire, and the figures of the Chinamen talking. There's a Spanish galleon, a shipwrecked crew, and Chang-hi finding and hiding the treasure.

What do the two treasure hunters see when they walk towards the island?

As they walk towards the island, Evans and Hooker see a gap in the forest with sunlight and colored flowers. They hear rushing water, indicating the presence of a river.

 

In what condition did the treasure hunters find the dead man?

The treasure hunters found a dead Chinaman lying face down in a clear space among the trees. Nearby, there's a spade, a heap of stones, and a freshly dug hole, suggesting someone else had been there before them.

How did the treasure hunters try to carry gold ingots to the canoe?

To carry the gold ingots to the canoe, Evans and Hooker use Evans' jacket as a makeshift bag. They lift the heavy gold masses onto the coat, planning to transport them to the mainland.

How were Evan and Hooker poisoned?

Evan and Hooker were poisoned when Hooker pricked his thumb on a thorn while handling the ingots. Evans, too, felt a prick on his hand. Later, both experience symptoms of poisoning, with Evans collapsing and Hooker realizing they were poisoned by thorns similar to those used by Dyaks in their blowing-tubes.

Reference to the context

How do you know the story is set on a tropical island?

You can tell the story is set on a tropical island because it mentions a canoe approaching the land, a bay, a reef, a river, a virgin forest, and mountains. These are common features of tropical islands.

 

Why do you think Evan and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure in a desert island?

Evans and Hooker took the risk of finding the buried treasure because they were greedy. They wanted the gold and thought it was worth taking a dangerous journey to get it, even though they faced challenges like the heat and the unknown.

Do you think the narrator of the story is racist? If yes, what made him feel superior to other races?

The story does not show the narrator being racist. However, some characters in the story, like Evans, make racist remarks when they refer to the Chinamen in a disrespectful way. This shows the characters' attitudes, not the narrator's.

 

What do you think is the moral of the story?

The moral of the story is that greed can lead to bad consequences. Evans and Hooker were greedy for the treasure, and their greed led to a dangerous situation. The story teaches us to be careful and not let greed make us do things that can harm ourselves or others.