Three Men On The Bummel

Title: Three Men On The Bummel

Author: Jerome. K. Jerome

Main Characters: Jerome, Harris, George

Setting/Theme Of The Story: Jerome, Harris and George, after their “eventful” trip on the river Thames along with their fox-terrier Montmorency, want to take a break again and want a nice change this time. Harris, who always loves water, suggests to go cruising in the sea. But unfortunately, for Harris, both Jerome and George are against it. Finally, they decide to go on an exciting cycling tour through the Black Forests of Germany. They hire and carry their bicycles on a train. They learn a lot of new things on their trip. They mess about crossing roads and realize that they don’t know to do an activity as simple as that. But they conclude that crossing roads was, after all, a very difficult task. They purchase different things such as cushions as they continue their “Bummel”- cycling tour. They learn about the German culture and people.  The book is filled with amazing incidents and hilarious anecdotes. They get into a lot of trouble and mess. Finally, they return home all shaken up and they decide that it had been quite a complete “change” that they had wanted. Harris comments that it had been a good “Bummel” and George questions him as to what a Bummel is. Here is Jerome’s answer to that:

“A Bummel,” Jerome explains, “I should describe as a journey, long or short, without an end; the only thing regulating it being the necessity of getting back within a given time to the point from which one started. Sometimes, it is through busy streets, and sometimes through the fields and lanes; sometimes we can spare a few hours, and sometimes a few days. But, long or short, here or there, our thoughts are ever on the running. We nod and smile to many as we pass; with some we stop and talk awhile; and with a few we walk a little way.”

Part I Enjoyed The Most: I loved the part when Jerome tries to convince his wife on allowing him on this trip. Usually, when he commented that he wasn’t feeling well, his wife would declare that what he needed was complete rest and a change of scene from the monotony of life and he would retort saying that all that was nonsense. So, this time he goes to his wife and tells her the same thing. To his great disappointment, she immediately tells him that what he needed was complete rest at HOME. Finally, he confronts her directly and tells her that he wants a long break. He even flatters her saying that if he left her for sometime, he would realize the value of her to greater extent to which his wife gladly consents. This part was very humorous and extremely interesting.