This question is based on WUTHERING HEIGHT. What gift did Mr. Earnshaw promise to bring Nelly Dean from Liverpool?

Analyze the question: This is a recall question from the opening of Wuthering Heights, where Nelly Dean recounts how Heathcliff arrived at the Heights.

Recall the scene: Before leaving for Liverpool, Mr. Earnshaw asks each member of the household what gift they want:

• Hindley asked for a fiddle.
• Cathy asked for a whip.
• Nelly (Ellen) Dean was offered a gift too. Mr. Earnshaw said he would bring her an apple/pocketful of apples and pears, since she was only a little girl. Strictly, this was fruit. Nelly says: "He promised me a pocketful of apples and pears."

Check the options:

• A. A bridle for her horse: no, Nelly did not have a horse. (Cathy's whip was meant for riding.)
• B. A fiddle: this was Hindley's request.
• C. Fruit: matches the apples and pears for Nelly.
• D. A set of paints: not in the story.

Answer: C. Fruit

Tip: Memorise the trio of requests: Hindley = fiddle, Cathy = whip, Nelly = fruit (apples and pears). Mr. Earnshaw returned with only the ragged orphan boy, Heathcliff, and the fiddle was crushed on the journey, which is why this scene is easy to recall in exams.