The Hundred Dresses – I & II Summary, Word Meanings, Author & Lesson Notes (UP Board Class 10)

The Hundred Dresses – I & II – Eleanor Estes

About the Lesson

The Hundred Dresses – I & II is a sensitive and emotional story about bullying, prejudice, and the importance of kindness and empathy. The lesson revolves around a Polish-American girl named Wanda Petronski, who is quiet, poor, and often teased by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Her classmates—especially Peggy and Maddie—mock her claim that she owns “a hundred dresses” at home.

The story teaches powerful moral values:

• We must never judge others by their appearance or background.
• Bullying hurts silently, even when the victim says nothing.
• Kindness and compassion are more important than popularity.

About the Author – Eleanor Estes

Eleanor Estes (1906–1988) was an American children’s author and librarian. She is known for writing realistic stories inspired by her own childhood experiences. Estes wrote many award-winning books, including Ginger Pye, which won the Newbery Medal.
Her writing is simple yet emotionally rich, focusing on the themes of friendship, empathy, innocence, and social issues. The Hundred Dresses is one of her most famous works and is based partly on a real incident from her school days.

Summary of the Lesson (600 Words)

The Hundred Dresses – I & II is a touching story about a young Polish immigrant girl, Wanda Petronski, who studies in an American school. Wanda is quiet, shy, and hardly talks to anyone. She lives in a poor neighbourhood called Boggins Heights and wears the same faded blue dress to school every day. Because of her strange last name and worn-out dress, she becomes the target of teasing, especially by two girls—Peggy, the most popular girl, and Maddie, her close friend.

One day, Wanda calmly tells her classmates that she has a hundred dresses and sixty pairs of shoes at home. The other girls find this unbelievable because Wanda always appears in the same old dress. They think she is lying and make fun of her daily. Maddie, although she joins the teasing, feels uneasy because she herself is poor and fears that she may become the next target.

A drawing contest is announced, and all students participate. Wanda submits her drawings but remains absent from school for several days. On the day of the results, everyone is shocked to see that Wanda has created one hundred beautiful dress designs, each more lovely than the other. She wins the contest, proving her talent and honesty.

After the competition, Maddie and Peggy realize their mistake. They regret teasing Wanda and feel guilty for hurting her feelings. They decide to visit her house to apologize, but when they reach Boggins Heights, they learn that Wanda and her family have moved away to another city because they were tired of being mocked for their Polish identity.

Wanda leaves a letter for the school in which she thanks the teachers and students. She also asks them to keep two of her best drawings—one for Maddie and one for Peggy. The girls are deeply moved when they discover that the drawings resemble themselves. They understand that Wanda had a kind heart and never held any anger toward them, despite being bullied.

Maddie feels extremely guilty and makes a promise to herself that she will never remain silent again if she sees someone being bullied. She learns that silence encourages cruelty, and one must speak up for what is right.

The story highlights important values—compassion, equality, courage, and the power of apology. Wanda teaches everyone a lesson without saying a single harsh word. She shows that true talent, dignity, and kindness can overcome prejudice. Through her silence, Wanda becomes a symbol of inner strength and forgiveness.

In the end, both Maddie and Peggy learn that words and actions leave a lasting impact. They realize that people should never be mocked for being different or poor. The story concludes with a strong message: every individual deserves respect, and kindness is the greatest virtue we can offer to others.

50 Difficult Words – Pronunciation – Hindi Meaning

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning (Hindi)
1. Petronski	Peh-tron-ski	पेट्रॉन्स्की (नाम)
2. Contest	Kon-test	प्रतियोगिता
3. Bullies	बू-लीज़	तंग करने वाले
4. Mocking	मॉक-िंग	मज़ाक उड़ाना
5. Shabby	शैबी	जीर्ण-शीर्ण, खराब
6. Immigrant	इमि-ग्रैन्ट	प्रवासी
7. Silence	साइलेंस	चुप्पी
8. Absence	ऐब्सेन्स	अनुपस्थिति
9. Astonished	अस-टॉनि-श्ड	आश्चर्यचकित
10. Admiration	ऐड-मि-रे-शन	प्रशंसा
11. Classroom	क्लास-रूम	कक्षा
12. Teasing	टीज़-िंग	चिढ़ाना
13. Faded	फे-डिड	फीका
14. Mysterious	मिस्टीरियस	रहस्यमय
15. Popular	पॉप्यूलर	लोकप्रिय
16. Argument	आर्ग्यू-मेंट	तर्क-वितर्क
17. Disappointed	डिस-अपॉइन-टिड	निराश
18. Forgiveness	फॉर-गिव-नेस	क्षमा
19. Sketches	स्के-चेज़	रेखाचित्र
20. Designs	डि-ज़ाइन्स	डिज़ाइन
21. Talent	टैलेन्ट	प्रतिभा
22. Beautiful	ब्युटिफुल	सुंदर
23. Classroom	क्लास-रूम	कक्षा
24. Murmured	मर-मर्ड	बड़बड़ाया
25. Regret	री-ग्रेट	पछतावा
26. Embarrassed	एम्बैरेस्ट	शर्मिंदा
27. Whisper	विस्पर	फुसफुसाना
28. Complaint	कम्प्लेंट	शिकायत
29. Immense	इमेंस	अत्यंत बड़ा
30. Poverty	पॉवर्टी	गरीबी
31. Determined	डिटरमाइन्ड	दृढ़ निश्चयी
32. Resembled	री-ज़ेम्बल्ड	समान दिखना
33. Expression	एक्स-प्रे-शन	अभिव्यक्ति
34. Motionless	मोशन-लेस	स्थिर
35. Hurtful	हर्ट-फुल	हानिकारक
36. Apologize	अपॉलोज़ाइज़	माफी माँगना
37. Compassion	कम्पैशन	करुणा
38. Equality	इक्वालिटी	समानता
39. Prejudice	प्रेजुडिस	पक्षपात
40. Dignity	डिग्निटी	गरिमा
41. Responsibility	रिस्पॉन्सिबिलिटी	ज़िम्मेदारी
42. Conscience	कॉन-शन्स	अंतरात्मा
43. Encouraged	एन-करिज्ड	प्रोत्साहित
44. Remained	री-मेण्ड	बना रहा
45. Announced	अनाउन्स्ड	घोषणा की
46. Envelope	एन-वलोप	लिफ़ाफ़ा
47. Kindness	काइन्ड-नेस	दयालुता
48. Discrimination	डिस्क्रिमिनेशन	भेदभाव
49. Tremendous	ट्रेमेन्डस	अत्यधिक
50. Hesitated	हेज़ि-टेटेड	हिचकिचाया