10th English Guide unit-4 the aged mother Supplementary

10th English Guide unit-4 the aged mother Supplementary 

 GLOSSARY

Book.Page.No. 122

1.despotic (adj.) – tyrannical, cruel

2.proclamation (n) – announcement

3.barbarous (adj.) – extremely brutal or mercilessly harsh

4.abandon (v) – desert, give up completely

5.reverence (n) – deep respect

6.mandate (n) – an official order

7.summit (n) – the topmost point of a hill or mountain

8.injunction (n) – an order restraining someone from performing an act

9.shriveled (adj.) – wrinkled and contracted due to old age or due to strain

10.gravely (adv.) – seriously

A. Rearrange the sentences given below in the correct sequence.

1. The son made up his mind to take back his mother home.

2. A farmer decided to leave his old mother on top of a mountain.

3. The governor realized his mistake and abolished the law.

4. Once in Shining, a cruel ruler declared that all old people must be put to death.

5. Using the clever idea of his mother, the farmer made a rope of ashes.

6. When the farmer bade farewell, she advised him to return home with the aid of twigs.

7. Filled with dread, he hid his mother in his home.

8. The mother dropped the small twigs as markers on the way to help her son return.

Answer : 5,2,8,1,7,4,6,3.

B. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.

1. What was the cruel announcement made by the leader?

• The cruel announcement made by the leader was all the old people must be put to death.

2. Why was the farmer filled with sorrow?

• The farmer was filled with sorrow because the poor farmer loved his aged mother and as per the government decree he had to kill his old mother. 

3. What were the things carried by the farmer to the summit of the mountain?

• The farmer carried cooked food, and cool and sweet water.

4. Why did the mother become anxious as they climbed up the mountain?

• The mother became anxious as they climbed up the mountain because the paths crisscrossed one another and her son might not know the mountain paths and his return might be dangerous.

5. What did the mother drop along the way?

• The mother broke the twigs and quietly dropped them all along the way as markers

6. What was the advice given by his mother for the safe return of her son?

• When the son bade farewell to his mother, the mother told him about the path she had made with a handful of broken twigs on the path. She advised him to walk along the path which had the piles of twigs.

7. Why did the farmer’s burden seem to be light on his way back home?

• The guilty conscience of leaving his mother to die was no more. Also his firm attitude to die together did not make him feel his mother was burdensome. So the farmer’s burden seemed to be light on his way back home.

8. Where did the farmer hide his mother?

• The farmer hid his mother in the walled closet for food beneath the kitchen floor.

9. How did the farmer make the rope of ashes? On whose suggestion did he do it? 

• On his mother’s suggestion, the farmer made a rope with a twisted straw, and then stretched it upon a row of flat stones and burnt it on a windless night. When the blaze died down, they could see a rope of ashes on the stones.

10. How did the Governor realize his mistake?

• When the governor demanded the farmer to tell him from where he had got the wisdom to get a rope of ashes, the farmer informed him that he had done it on the suggestion of his old mother whom he hid in the closet. The governor was surprised and meditated upon his wrong order and abolished his decree.

C. Answer each of the following in a paragraph of 120-150 words.

1. Narrate the circumstances that led to the abandoning of the aged in Shining.

The story of the Aged Mother - poor farmer and his aged mother – humble, peaceful life 

– despotic leader – decree – felt sorry – took food and water – carried his mother to the 

mountain – decided to leave her there – reached Obatsayuma – abandoning the aged

Title :The Aged Mother

Author :Matsuo Basho

Theme :Old is gold

• “The Story of the Aged Mother” by Matsuo Basho is a story about a son and his aged widowed mother. He secretly fought against the decree of putting aged people to death. The story started at the foot of the mountain where a poor farmer lived with his aged widowed mother. They owned a bit of land and they were humble, peaceful and happy. The country was governed by a despotic leader who proclaimed the decree of killing aged people. That time, killing aged people was not uncommon. When the poor farmer heard the decree he felt sorrow in his heart, because he loved his aged mother with so much of reverence. Sorrowfully and painfully, he prepared to put his mother to death. Just as his work ended, he cooked food, wrapped it in a small piece of cloth and tied it in his neck together with a gourd filled with cool and sweet water. Then, he carried his mother on his back. The road was narrow crisscrossed many times because of many paths made by the hunters and woodcutters. He kept blindly walking towards the summit of Obatsayuma, the mountain of the “abandoning of the aged”. With tearful eyes and an aching heart, he bade farewell to his aged mother.

2. Describe the farmer’s painful journey up the mountain.

   

The Story of the Aged Mother – at the foot of mountain – peaceful and happy – governor’s 

proclamation – farmer felt sad – prepared to put mother to death – carried cooked food 

and water – carried his mother –road long and steep – narrow, crossed – paths made by 

hunters – lost ways – reached the summit

Title :The Aged Mother

Author :Matsuo Basho

Theme :Old is gold

• “The Story of the Aged Mother” by Matsuo Basho is a story about a son and his aged widowed mother. He secretly fought against the decree of putting aged people to death. The story started at the foot of the mountain where a poor farmer lived with his aged widowed mother. They owned a bit of land and they were humble, peaceful and happy. When the governor sent a proclamation that aged people should be put to death, the poor farmer felt sad in his heart because he loved his aged mother with so much. Shining at the time was ruled by the despotic leader and killing aged people was not uncommon. Sorrowfully and painfully, he prepared to put his mother to death. Just as his work ended, he cooked food, wrapped it in a small piece of cloth and tied it in his neck together with a gourd filled with cool and sweet water. Then, he carried his mother on his back. The road was long and steep. The road was narrow and was crossed and re-crossed many times because of the many paths made by the hunters and woodcutters. In some places they lost the way. He got confused but he gave no heed. He kept blindly walking towards the summit of Obatsayuma, the mountain of the “abandoning of the aged”.

3. ‘The old are wise’. Prove this with reference to the story ‘The Aged Mother’. 

The Story of the Aged Mother – old is gold – wisdom – two occasions – mother guided her 

son – to find out the way – to prepare the rope of ashes – remove the decree.

Title :The Aged Mother

Author :Matsuo Basho

Theme :Old is gold

• “The Story of the Aged Mother” by Matsuo Basho is a story about a son and his aged widowed mother. He secretly fought against the decree of putting aged people to death.We know the famous saying ‘Old is gold’. They are really gold because of their wisdom. The foundation for all the new things in the present world was laid in the olden days. In the story, we see on two occasions, the old mother guiding her son the young farmer. First when the farmer carried her to the top of the steep and narrow mountain, the old mother saw the paths crossed and re-crossed in many ways which might be very dangerous for the son to get back home. So she broke the twigs to pieces and quietly dropped them all along the way until they reached the summit. When the son bade farewell to his mother, the unselfish and loving mother told him about the path she had made with a handful of broken twigs on the path. She advised him to walk along the path which had the piles of twigs. The other occasion was when the  governor passed the order to make a rope of ashes. She gave her son a clever plan to make to rope with a twisted straw, and then stretched it upon a row of flat stones and burnt it on a windless night.When the blaze died down, they could see a rope of ashes. This idea of the old mother abolished the decree that old people should be put to death. With the crown of snow there cometh wisdom.

ADDITIONAL EXERCISES

 I. Rearrange the sentences in coherent order. 

I. 1. The son made up his mind to take back his mother home.

2. The mother dropped the small twigs as markers on the way to help her son return.

3. Once in Shining, a cruel ruler declared that all old people must be put to death.

4. When the farmer bade farewell, she advised him to return home with the aid of twigs.

5. A farmer decided to leave his old mother on top of a mountain.

 Answer: 3, 5, 2, 4, 1

II. 1. When the Governor came to know the wisdom of the old lady he removed his order of

killing the old people.

2. The farmer decided not to leave his mother on the mountain.

3. When the Governor ordered the people to make a rope of ashes, the mother helped them.

4. He hid her in the closet to avoid the neighbours’ attention.

5. He brought her back home. 

Answer: 2, 5, 4, 3, 1

III. 1. The old mother of the farmer helped them to make a rope of ashes.

2. The Governor ordered the people to make a rope of ashes.

3. When he heard the wisdom of the old lady he removed his order of killing the old people.

4. People were confused how to make a rope of ashes.

5. The governor was happy to get the rope of ashes.

Answer: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3

 III. Reading Comprehension. 

Read the following passage and answer the questions below.

1. The country Shining was governed by a despotic leader who though a warrior, had a great and cowardly shrinking from anything suggestive of failing health and strength. This caused him to send out a cruel proclamation. The entire province was given strict orders to immediately put to death all aged people. Those were barbarous days, and the custom of abandoning old people to die was not uncommon. The poor farmer loved his aged with tender reverence, and the order filled his heart with sorrow. But no one ever thought twice about obeying the mandate of the governor, so with many deep and hopeless sighs, the youth prepared for what at that time was considered the kindest mode of death.

Questions : 

1. Who governed Shining?

2. What was the cowardly thinking of the governor?

3. What proclamation did the governor send out?

4. How did the farmer feel?

5. What was the general attitude of the people?

Answers :

1. A despotic leader governed Shining.

2. The cowardly thinking of the governor was all the people with sickness and failing health should be put to death.

3. The proclamation that the governor sent out was that all aged people should immediately be put

to death. 

4. The farmer felt sorrowful because he loved his aged mother more than anything else.

5. The general attitude of the people was that no one ever thought twice about obeying the

mandate of the governor.

 IV. Passage for Comprehension. 

1. The eyes of the old mother were not so dim but that they noted the reckless hastening from one path to another, and her loving heart grew anxious. Her son did not know the mountain’s many paths and his return might be one of danger, so she stretched forth her hand and snapping the twigs from bushes as they passed, she quietly dropped a handful every few steps of the way so that they climbed, the narrow path behind them was dotted at frequent intervals with tiny piles of twigs. At last the summit

was reached. Weary and heart sick, the youth gently released his burden and silently prepared a place of comfort as his last duty to the loved one. Gathering fallen pine needles, he made a soft cushion and tenderly lifted his old mother onto it. Her wrapped her padded coat more closely about the stooping shoulders and with tearful eyes and an aching heart he said farewell.

Questions :

         1. How sharp were the eyes of the mother?

2. Why did she grow anxious?

3. What did she do for her son’s safe return?

4. How did he prepare the bed?

5. How did he bid farewell?

Answers :

1. The eyes of the mother were so sharp that they noted the reckless hastening from one path to another-crossing and recrossing of the paths.

2. She grew anxious that her son might not return home safely, as he did not know the mountain’s many paths.

3. She snapped the twigs from bushes as they passed and quietly dropped a handful every few steps of the way.

4. He gathered fallen pine needles and made a soft cushion.

5. He bade farewell with tearful eyes and an aching heart. 

2.The entire province trembled with dread. The order must be obeyed yet who in all Shining could make

a rope of ashes? 

One night, in great distress, the son whispered the news to his hidden mother. “Wait!”

she said. “I will think. I will think.” On the second day she told him what to do. “Make rope of twisted straw,” she said. “Then stretch it upon a row of flat stones and burn it on a windless night.” He called the people together and did as she said and when the blaze died down, there upon the stones, with every twist

and fibre showing perfectly, lay a rope of ashes.

Questions :

1. How did the entire province react to the governor’s order?

2. What was the order?

3. What did the farmer discuss with his aged mother?

4. What idea did the mother give her son?

5. How did the farmer carry out the instructions of the aged old mother?

Answers :

1. The entire province trembled with fear.

2. The people of Shining should make a rope of ashes.

3. The farmer discussed with his aged mother how to make a rope of ashes.

4. The mother told him to make a rope of twisted straw and then stretch it upon a row of flat stones

and burn it on a windless night.

5. The farmer called the people together and did as his aged mother instructed. When the blaze died down, they could see a rope of ashes.

Identify the character /speaker.

1. He gave orders for the aged to be put to death. - The governor 

2. He considered the order to be the kindest mode of death. - Poor farmer 

3. She quietly dropped some twigs on the way. - Aged mother

4. Let not thine eyes be blinded. - Aged mother

5. Together we will follow the path, together we will die. - Poor farmer 

6. I will think, I will think. -Aged mother 

7. The truth must be told.

-Poor farmer

8. He listened and meditated in silence.

-The governor 

9. Shining needs more than the strength of the youth.

-The governor

10. With the crown of snow there cometh wisdom.

-The governor.