First Bell 2.0 Online Class 08 - 24 August 2021What is a folk tale?
A folktale is a story passed on by word of mouth, or a legend or myth shared among people of a culture. (ഐതിഹ്യം,പഴങ്കഥ)
Folk tales are stories that usually begin with expressions like 'Once upon a time, 'Long long ago, 'in distant past', etc. The characters can be birds, animals, human beings, and mythical beings. Such kind of stories is passed from one generation to another by the way of mouth. The author of such stories is unknown. And the main purpose of the story is to impart a lesson or a moral.
HASEGAWA TAKEJIRO
Hasegawa Takejiro (1853–1938) was an innovative Japanese publisher specializing in books in European languages on Japanese subjects. He employed leading foreign residents as translators and noted Japanese artists as illustrators, and became a leading purveyor of export books and publications for foreign residents in Japan.
Reading Section - A LONG, long time ago, in a small country village in Japan, there lived a poor farmer and his wife, who were very good people....................... He liked to draw cats during study hours and to draw cats even where cats ought not to have been drawn at all.
1. How did the story begin?
Answer: A LONG, long time ago.
2. Where did the story take place?
Answer: In a small country village in Japan.
3. The farmer's family was a very rich family. Say whether the statement is true or false.
Answer: False.
4. Why did his parents decide to make him a priest?
Answer: Because he was quite weak and small, and people said he could never grow very big.
5. Who is a priest?
Answer: A priest is a person who worships God and conducts religious rituals.
6. Why did the parents take the boy to the priest?
Answer : So that he would have their little boy for his acolyte.
Assignment - Write a conversation between the father and the little boy on their way to the temple.
(Features of a conversation are available in the discourse section of this blog.)
Recap
Events in the first part of the story.
Your friend comes from a distant place to visit you. How will you advise him?
Example - You had better take rest.
You had better sleep well.
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First Bell 2.0 Online Class 09 - 2 September 2021conversation between the father and son on their way to the temple.
Answer
Son: Father, where is the temple? Is it far away from here?
Father: No... It's only a short distance from here. We are about to reach.
Son: Hm. do I need to stay there for long?
Father: It depends... If you study well, you can become a priest soon.
Son: Whatever you say... I feel sad, father... how can I live there without seeing my mother? I'll miss my brothers and sisters. I have never been away from you .. I don't know how it's going to be..?
Father: That won't be a problem at all. We'll surely come to meet you. Moreover, your brothers and sisters will be very happy once you become a priest.
Son: Father, is that priest a young man?
Father: No, he is an old man, why?
Son: Will he scold me?
Father: Why do you worry so much? You know a priest has to be strict with his acolyte, right? You're a good boy... No need to worry at all.
Son: Father, Look is that the temple?
Father: Yes dear, we reached the temple. Now, let me tell you something. You ought to obey whatever the priest says. And remember this is a temple, it"ll be better if you stop drawing them. You are my
clever boy, aren't you? I know you won't disappoint your father.
Son: I understand father. I'll do my best.
Father: Come on, let's go in and meet the priest.
Son: Yes father, let's go.
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Reading Section - Whenever he found himself alone, he drew cats. ............ and he made up his mind to go to them and ask them to take him for their acolyte.
1. Where did he drew cats?
Answer: He drew them on the margins of the priest’s books, and on all the screens of the temple, and on the walls, and on the pillars.
2. The boy couldn't stop drawings cats. What could be the reason behind the boy's action?
a) He was disobedient
b) He didn't want to learn under the priest.
c) He was lazy.
d) He had the genius of an artist.
Answer: d) He had the genius of an artist.
3. What was the advice of the priest to the boy?
Answer: 'Avoid large places at night, keep to small!’
4. After leaving the temple he made up his mind to go to another temple. Where was the temple?
Answer: 12 miles away.
5. Why did he decide to go there?
Answer: To ask them to take him for their acolyte.
6. What do you mean by the word 'acolyte'?
Answer: a person assisting a priest in a religious service or procession. സഹായി
(മതപരമായ ചടങ്ങുകളില് പുരോഹിതനെ സഹായിക്കുന്ന ആള്)
Assignment: The boy decided to go to another temple in the nearby village. His mind was filled with different kinds of thoughts and feelings. Write the diary entry of the boy.
(Features of a Diary entry are given in the Discourse section of this blog.)
Events in the second part of the story.
* In the temple the boy drew cats everywhere when he was alone.
* The priest warned him not to do so. He couldn't help him drawing cats.
* He had what is called 'the genius of an artist.
* The priest understood that he could not be a good acolyte.
* The priest asked him to go away from there as soon as possible.
* He told that he could not become a priest but perhaps he might become a good painter.
* The priest gave him a final word of advice - "Avoid large places at night, keep to small"
* He left the temple very sad.
* He decided to the big temple in the next village and ask them to take him for their acolyte.
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First Bell 2.0 Online Class 10 - 6 September 2021Diary Entry of the boy
18 August 2021 Wednesday 8:00 pm
What a day it was... Oh god! Why am I like this ? Drawing cats, it is my passion. I can't stop it... I feel helpless But I can't go home too. Father will be very angry. It is better to go to the big temple next village, Perhaps, the priests there will accept me as acolyte. God, please help!
Reading Section : Now that, big temple was closed up but the boy did not know this fact.......... when he suddenly remembered the words, ‘Avoid large places keep to small!’
1. Why didn’t the boy go home after he left the temple?
Answer: He felt sure his father would punish him for having been disobedient to the priest, so he was afraid to go home.
2. When the boy entered the temple he did not see anyone. What could be the reason?
Answer: The big temple was closed up.The reason it had been closed up was that a goblin had frightened the priests away, and had taken possession of the place.
3. Why did he choose a small place to sleep?
Answer: He remembered the words, ‘Avoid large places keep to small!’
Phrasal Verbs
Make out - to understand
Set out - start a journey
Made up one's mind - decided
Assignment:
First Bell 2.0 Online Class 11 - 16 September 2021Answers :
1. Make out
2. made up his mind
3. set out
Reading Section : The temple was very large, he was all alone; and as he thought of these words,.......Some of the cats which he drew are still shown to travellers in Japan.
1. What were the words of the priest?
Answer: ‘Avoid large places keep to small!’
2. Where did the boy find a safe place to sleep on?
Answer: In a little cabinet, with a sliding door.
3. What was the dreadful voice that the boy heard?
Answer: A noise of fighting and screaming.
4. What did the boy see the next morning?
Answer: He saw was that all the floor of the temple was covered with blood. And then he saw, lying dead in the middle of it, an enormous, monstrous rat, a goblin rat, bigger than a cow!
5. How do you think the goblin rat was killed?
Answer: The goblin had been killed by the cats which he had drawn.
6. Was the advice of the priest helpful to the boy? Why?
Answer: Yes, for the first time, he understood why the wise old priest had said to him.
Major Events
Once In a small village there lived a farmer and his wife. They have many children who are capable farm-hands, except for the youngest son who is intelligent but small and frail
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