NCERT · Class 10 · English · First Flight: From the Diary of Anne FrankWho was Mr. Keesing and why was he annoyed with Anne? What punishment did he give her?

Mr. Keesing was Anne Frank’s mathematics teacher at school. He was an old-fashioned man who was frequently annoyed with Anne because she talked too much during his classes, which disrupted the lessons. Despite several warnings and reprimands, Anne did not stop her habit of talking. Consequently, Mr. Keesing decided to assign her extra homework as a form of punishment. He asked her to write an essay on the subject 'A Chatterbox.' When she continued to talk even after that, he assigned her a second essay titled 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox.' Finally, when her talkative nature persisted, he gave her a third assignment with the ridiculous title 'Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox.' Initially, Mr. Keesing used these assignments to mock Anne’s talkative nature and silence her. However, Anne used her wit and creativity to turn these punishments into a source of humor, which eventually changed Mr. Keesing's attitude towards her and her habit.