CLASS VIII UNIT 9 GREAT STONE FACE I

-

Q1: (i) What was the Great Stone Face? (ii) What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it? 

Ans: (i) The Great Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some gigantic rocks. These rocks were clustered together in such a position that when viewed from a certain distance, they resembled the features of a human face. However, the spectator lost the outline of the enormous face when he approached too close to the gigantic rock. He could see only a heap of enormous rocks that are piled one upon another. On the contrary, the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive when viewed from a distance. Most people dwelling in that place strongly believed that the valley owed much of its fertility to the gentle face that was continually smiling over it. 

(ii) Whenever Ernest gazed at the Great Stone Face, he felt it was smiling to him. The young boy wished it could talk to him because he felt that if it looks so very kindly, then its voice must indeed be pleasant. He said that if ever he sees a man with a similar face, he would love him very much. 

Q2: What was the story attributed to the Stone Face? 

Ans: The story attributed to the Stone Face was that someday in future, a child would be born in the valley. He would be destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time and that his face in manhood would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face. 

Q3: What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time? 

Ans: A rumour was doing the rounds throughout the valley that the great man who was supposed to bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face had finally appeared. A young man named Gathergold had left the valley and settled at a distant seaport. He had grown to be a wealthy merchant by the time he grew old. He decided to return to his native valley and live his last few days where he had been born. It was believed that he had a close resemblance to the Great Stone Face and the prophecy was about to come true for the first time.

Q4: (i) Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face? (ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right? 

Ans: (i) No, Ernest did not see the likeness of the Stone Face in Gathergold. He could not see the kindness or truthfulness in Gathergold’s face as it was missing in his unpleasant face due to his wrinkled shrewdness. 

(ii) Ernest confided and poured out his heart to the Great Stone Face that Gathergold did not have the likeness of the Stone Face at all. By the time he died, his wealth and money had disappeared and he died in poverty and neglect. 

Q5: (i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man? (ii) Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude? 

Answer: (i) General Blood-and-Thunder was another son of the valley who went to become a soldier and rose to the position of a famous commander. He desperately longed to return to his valley. The inhabitants, old neighbours and friends in the valley felt that he bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face. This made people in the valley believe that General Blood-and-Thunder was their man who would fulfill the prophecy. 

(ii)When Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face, he could not find any similarity between them. His heart assured him that the General Blood-and-Thunder was not the right person for whom they were eagerly awaiting. From this, Ernest concluded that the greatest and noblest man of his time who would bear the resemblance of the Great Stone Face was yet to come.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CLASS X THE SNAKE - D H LAWRENCE

-
  Answer the following questions briefly: 1. Why does the poet decide to stand and wait till the snake has finished drinking? What does this tell you about the poet? (Notice that he uses ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ for the snake.) Ans.  The poet decides that since he believes the snake arrived before him, he should stand and wait until the snake finishes drinking. He also feels greatly honoured that the snake had chosen his water trough to satisfy his thirst. The poet addresses the snake as ‘someone’ instead of ‘something’ as he seems to be a nature enthusiast. He also believes in giving respect to all living beings who share the space with him on earth.   2. In stanza 2 and 3, the poet gives a vivid description of the snake by using suggestive expressions. What picture of the snake do you form on the basis of this description? Ans.  The snake was yellow-brown and soft-bellied when it emerged from a crack in the earth wall and made its way to the water t...
Read more

CLASS X A SHADY PLOT

-
 Q1. Which genre of stories does Jenkins want the narrator to write? Why? Jenkins wanted the narrator to write a ghost story  for his magazine. He wanted the narrator to give the readers a story based on the supernatural. He wanted him to give his readers really 'horror' stories.  Q2. Do es the narrator like writing ghost stories? Support your answer with evidence from the story. The narrator likes writing ghost stories because this was the type of fiction he wrote the first time. The narrator was struggling for an idea and the idea for a ghost story came out of nowhere. Whenever Jenkins wanted the narrator to write a story, he could produce a perfect ghost story without much effort. Q3. What makes Helen, the ghost and her other co-ghosts organise The Writer's Inspiration Bureau? Helen and other co-ghosts organised The Writer's Insipiration Bureau because  they felt there were many writers who were struggling to come with a good plot for a story and they didnt w...
Read more

CLASS X POEM - 4 RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

-
 Question: 1 - How did the ancient mariner stop the wedding guest?  Answer: The ancient mariner used his gleaming eyes to stop the wedding guest. Question: 2 - Was the wedding guest happy to be stopped? Give reasons for your answer. Answer: The wedding guest does not seem to be happy at being stopped. He is a young person who has come to attend the wedding ceremony and would be least interested in an old tale by an old man. Question: 3 - Describe the ancient mariner. Answer: The Ancient Mariner is an old man. He is quite thin and frail. He long grey beard and there is a glitter in his eyes. Question: 4 - How does the mariner describe the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land? Answer: The mariner describes the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land; in following words. This ship is going farther and farther on the horizon. First of all, the ship appears to be going below the kirk, then below the hill. Finally the ship is so far that it appears to be e...
Read more