Novel Guide: The House of Dies Drear
Story Synopsis
Thomas Small, his parents, and twin brothers leave their home in North Carolina for Ohio where Mr. Small has a job teaching history at a college. The time of the setting of the story is at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960's.Their new home has previously been a station on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Thomas received a report that stated Dies Drear, the original owner, and two slaves had been murdered at the house. One additional slave had been at the house at the time of the murder.The caretaker of the house is an elderly man named Mr. Pluto.
As Thomas is exploring the house, he meets two neighbors, Pesty and Mac . He then falls into a tunnel under the house where he hears strange sounds.Frightened, he finds an outlet from the tunnel to the kitchen. His father shows him other secret places. Further exploring and sounds lead him to a platform.A large man emerges and chases him home.This is "Mr. Pluto."Mr. and Mrs. Small feel there is something not quite right about him.
During their first night in the house something opens another hidden door and places triangles on the bedroom door frames. The next day the Smalls discover these as well as another in Mr. Small's office at the college.They attend church where they see a changed old Mr. Pluto, an angry Darrow family, and Pesty in old fashioned clothing.While looking for a locksmith, they meet Mr. Carr who warns them about the Darrows.He explains they are secretive and dig up trees and even dig under their home.
Upon returning home, the Smalls find the kitchen vandalized and a sticky substance over everything. Mr. Small and Thomas go Mr. Pluto's to accuse him. They find him in front of his cave but he quickly disappears.They find his bellows which is what has made the scary noise.They discover a hidden door and go down a tunnel to find a vast treasure house of oriental rugs, glasswear, Indian artifacts, and antique furniture.Mr.Pluto and Pesty are waiting there for them.Suddenly another Mr. Pluto appears! It is really Mayhew Skinner, Mr. Pluto's son who is an actor. He has been pretending to be his father to help keep the Darrows away during his father's illness.
Mayhew, Mr. Small, and Thomas make a plant to frighten the Darrows. Mr. Pluto won't leave so he is included in the plan as well. They let it be known that Mr. Pluto has to go into the hospital for t least one night.That night they dress up as slaves and old Mr. Drear.The Darrows come and Mr. Pluto scares them by lookinglike a bat. The drama continues as the apparitions rise up.Pesty is riding a horse with wings to further scare the Darrows.
The next day it is decided that Mr. Small will record all the treasure. It will take a long time to do so and Mr. Pluto can be the caretaker of the treasure for the rest of his life.He is a descendant of the escaped slave and this is how he knew fragments of the story of the treasure.The Darrows might have been related to another slave that might have been there. They did not know where the treasure was and so continued to search for it.
Web Sites
The Underground Railroad is an internet lesson plan designed to introduced students to the Underground Railroad and its function and then asks them to interpret primary source documents and read about a modern-day journey in order to assess the larger historical significance of the Underground Railroad.
Full Lesson Plan
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