| Literal Comprehension

As the writer was driving up to London in his new car, the hitch-hiker asked for a lift. When he got into the car, he said he was in a skilled trade. Because of the new car, he guessed that he must have been a successful writer. He encouraged the writer to drive the vehicle at a speed of 129km/hr as claimed by the carmaker.

When the car was running at 120km/hr a policeman stopped the car and wrote down the writer’s name and address and other details in a book of tickets. He issued the narrator threats of license cancellation and imprisonment. He also wrote down the passengers’ names and addresses and warned them that they would have to go to court.

After the policeman is gone, the hitch-hiker rolled a cigarette very fast. This made the writer curious. He proved that he was a skilled workman by showing the writer’s belt, shoelaces, and many other things. He did not like to be called a pickpocket, but a finger smith. He puzzled the writer by showing the policeman’s notebook and ticket book. They were safe and decide to leave the highway and make a bonfire to burn.

| Interpretation

This story might be telling that practical knowledge is the best knowledge i.e., gained through experience of life. The writer focuses on the truth of life, which is to become very good at something very hard. This story also presents the proudness and carelessness of an educated person.

| Critical Thinking

This story is very interesting and gives more respect to the hitch-hiker. It is too agreeable that no easy work makes a man great but hard work brings success in our life.

Though the presentation of the story is marvelous, I have some critical issues:

• Is it possible to take one’s belt, and shoelace, and watch silently?
• Why should the writer speed up the car? Is he dumb that even doesn’t know a hitch-hiker understands the speed of the car?

| Assimilation

Reading this story has changed much of me. I felt that one needs a lot of formal education to be efficient, capable, genius, respectable, and likable. But my views are shaken badly after reading this story.

I need to coach myself to do something that is pretty tough and sounds almost impossible. Also, I learned that we must be a master of something than a jack of everything.