If I Were You | Story in Brief | Class IX

Story in Detail

• Gerrard is involved in theatre and resides in a lonely cottage in the Essex Countryside.

• It is his presence of mind that saves him from being killed by an intruder who wants to take on his identity so as to safeguard him from the police.

• Gerrard shows no sign of fear when the intruder breaks into his house and speaks with gun point at Gerrard.

• The intruder who breaks into Gerrard’s cottage was a jewel chief and is wanted for the murder.

• He comes to know that Gerrard confines himself inside his cottage and does not meet tradespeople.

• The intruder tells him that when he arrived at Aylesbury, he saw him in a car and overheard two people talking about him that Gerrard is a mysterious man and stays mostly inside. So the intruder wants to take his identity by wearing his clothes and spectacles.

• On Understanding the intention of the intruder, Gerrard quickly comes up with a plan and tells the intruder that he himself is a fugitive and is also on the run from the police.

• As proof he shows the intruder a bag which contains the theatre props- a gun and a false moustache among other things.

• He says that he was to leave in a getaway car in disguise and requests the intruder to go with him.

• Gerrard opens the door and asks the intruder to check for himself. As the man leans to check, Gerrard pushes him in and shuts the door, which is actually a cupboard. Thus he managed to get the intruder arrested and saved his own life.

• Gerrard decides to include the entire story with the intruder in his next play.