1. What makes Vera's made-up story so believable: the listener's naivety, her vivid description of the hunters, her casual delivery, or her bold defiance of social norms by lying to an adult?

2. Has staying in the countryside offered Mr. Nuttel a break from his nervous condition? What does this reveal about the nature of his ailment?

3. Identify other young characters in literature, film, or television who deceive or outsmart their elders.

4. Develop a theory about why Vera deceives Nuttel. Is she acting out of malice? Boredom? Both?

5. What different meanings does the open window hold for the characters in the story? Provide additional examples of symbols that represent different things to different people.