"The Gum Caper" From I Have Words to Spend [1991]
Robert Cormier (1925-2000)
So there I was in that small variety store in the upper common, standing in line with the junior high school kids from B.F. Brown, waiting to pay for, of all things, bubble gum.
I’ll say one thing about the kids—they didn’t regard me with either suspicion or hostility or amusement. They simply assumed that this bewildered-looking adult liked bubble gum and was being very careful about picking out the right kind. But it so happens that I have not chewed gum in years and the reason I was buying some was . . .
But let’s go back a bit.
A minor accident a couple of days before had left the car crippled by a radiator with two leaks. The problem was getting the car to that garage out of town where it could receive the attention of Wally, the foreman.
Wally is a terrific mechanic. More than that: he is a true craftsman, almost an artist at his work. He takes pride in the jobs he performs. He treats cars and motors with reverence.
Anyway, I called Wally about the accident and about the radiator and asked him if he could send a tow truck up this way to haul the car in. Wally said he would have to hire an outside tow truck. Then he added: “But you can drive it down here yourself.”
“But the radiator has two leaks and won’t hold the water,” I said.
“What you do is this—get some chewing gum and seal up the leaks,”Wally said.
Now, if I didn’t know thatWally was an expert, I’d have ignored the suggestion and said, “Just send the tow truck.”
I mean: chewing gum, for crying out loud.
But I trust Wally implicitly in matters mechanical, and although I was still doubtful, I went up to the store and bought the gum. It took me a while to buy it because I was looking for volume—and I finally figured that bubble gum would do the trick.
Back home, I asked a certain child, who has just turned seven, if she felt like chewing some gum. “Bubble gum,” I said.
She greeted the question with surprise because ordinarily we don’t encourage her to chew gum. In fact, we discourage her.
I said: “I’ve got a couple of packages here that have to be chewed right away.”
Her eyes danced with delight, all disbelief suspended. “How come, Dad?” she asked.
“Well, the radiator in the car leaks and I’m going to use the gum to plug up the holes.”
“Oh,” she said, accepting the answer without question. She has complete faith in her father, despite the cut fingers and scratched hands my projects usually inflict upon me. She goes right on believing.
So we sat there chewing awhile and it was fun, in a way.We blew a couple of bubbles because, after all, that’s what bubble gum is all about. And then we went out to challenge the car. I lifted the hood, unscrewed the radiator cap (which took a few minutes: I finally had to pry it off) and inserted the hose in the mouth of the radiator.
The faucet was turned on and the water gushed into the radiator—and, sure enough, the water spurted from the leaks.
I had hoped, really, that the radiator might have sealed itself or something, because, frankly, I didn’t think the gum would work. And I could envision myself on a back road somewhere with a radiator suddenly turning into a fountain as the gum gave way.
Despite the doubts, I took the chewing gum and jammed it against the leaks and the spurting stopped. I refilled the radiator and looked again. No leaks.
Later, we went off to the garage and the trip passed without incident. In fact, it was beautiful. Near Fort Devens, a plane flew low overhead and nine or ten parachutists tumbled out and they floated in the air like blossoms falling from a tree. That was worth the trip alone.
At the garage, I handed Wally the keys and said, in triumph, “I made it.”
Questions for Discussion
1. “The Gum Caper” can best be described as a —
A) narrative*
B) folktale
C) biography
D) fantasy
2. What is meant by the narrator’s statement “he is a true craftsman, almost an artist at his work”?
A) Wally is able to accurately repair any car which needs fixing.*
B) Wally does a spectacular job painting and customizing cars.
C) The narrator feels Wally is a great painter and sculptor.
D) The narrator believes Wally will make an artistic creation out of his radiator.
3. figure — n. number, configuration, appearance, frame, v. calculate, summate, decide, determine, resolve, compute
If the author wanted to replace the word figured in paragraph 11, what would be the most precise word to use from the thesaurus entry?
A) Numbered
B) Appeared
C) Computed
D) Determined*
4. Which is the best summary for this passage?
A) A man’s car has broken down and he wants some bubble gum.
B) A man uses bubble gum to temporarily repair his car.*
C) A man convinces his daughter to chew gum to fix his car.
D) A man’s car has a leaking radiator and he consults a mechanic named Wally.
5. The author uses what phrase to relate a feeling of joy?
A) Paragraph 13 – “She greeted the question with surprise . . .”
B) Paragraph 15 – “Her eyes danced with delight, . . .” .
C) Paragraph 17 – “She has complete faith in her father, . . .”
D) Paragraph 18 – “So we sat there chewing awhile . . .”
6. Which phrase would cause the reader to conclude that the narrator felt silly using chewing gum?
A) Paragraph 10 – “I mean: chewing gum, for crying out loud.” .
B) Paragraph 16 – “. . . I’m going to use the gum to plug up the holes.”
C) Paragraph 18 – “. . . we sat there chewing awhile and it was fun, . . .”
D) Paragraph 21 – “. . . frankly, I didn’t think the gum would work.”
7. Which statement is an opinion expressed in the story?
A) “A minor accident a couple of days before had left the car crippled . . .”
B) “. . . get some chewing gum and seal up the leaks . . .”
C) “He takes pride in the jobs he performs.” .
D) “. . . we don’t encourage her to chew gum. In fact, we discourage her.”
8. In this story, which tone is created through the author’s word choices?
A) Serious
B) Lighthearted .
C) Mysterious
D) Excited
9. What is the overall theme of this story?
A) Always try new experiences and expand your horizons.
B) Sometimes even the strangest of ideas work. .
C) Never be afraid to go against popularly accepted ideas.
D) Often our experiences will help teach us life lessons.