words to know

daft sillyjerkin a sleeveless jacket, typically made of leatherroller a heavy cylindrical stone used to flatten grassshutters wooden window coverssquirm to wriggle or twist the body from side to sideweed to pull up wild plants growing in unwanted places

Chapter 1

This is the story of the most extraordinary child who ever stuck his tongue out at the Prime Minister.

His name was Nicobobinus. He lived a long time ago, in a city called Venice, and he could do anything.

Of course, not everybody knew he could do anything. In fact, only his best friend, Rosie, knew, and nobody took any notice of anything Rosie said, because she was always having wild ideas anyway.

One day, for example, Rosie said to Nicobobinus: ‘Let’s pull up every single weed on your doorstep.’

‘Let’s not,’ said Nicobobinus (which is what Rosie thought he would say).

‘In that case,’ replied Rosie, ‘let’s discover the Land of Dragons!’

‘Don’t be daft!’ said Nicobobinus. ‘How can we do that?’

‘Because you can do anything,’ said Rosie.

So, the next morning, just as it was getting light, Rosie threw little pebbles up at Nicobobinus’s shutters. Nicobobinus was still half asleep when he looked out.

‘What’s the matter, Rosie?’ he asked.

‘Ssh!’ whispered Rosie. ‘I’ve got the buns and the lemonade.’

1 Nicobobinus

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‘What for?’ asked Nicobobinus.

‘Supplies for the road!’ whispered Rosie.

‘Where are we going?’ asked Nicobobinus.

‘We’re going to find the Land of Dragons,’ whispered Rosie. ‘Don’t you remember?’

‘Oh…I thought you might have forgotten about that,’ said Nicobobinus.

‘No fear!’ said Rosie. ‘It’s one of the best ideas I’ve ever had!’

‘What about the weeding?’ said Nicobobinus.

‘Come on!’ said Rosie.

So they set off through the early morning town. When they got to the end of the narrow street where they lived, they met a Nightwatchman who said: ‘Where are you two going at this hour?’

‘We’re going to look for the Land of Dragons,’ said Nicobobinus.

‘You can’t do that at this time of the morning,’ said the Nightwatchman. But before he could grab them, Rosie and Nicobobinus were sprinting away as fast as they could.

And they didn’t stop running until they had crossed three bridges, and tripped over a dog that was lying asleep under a garden wall. Rosie’s bottle of lemonade smashed against the wall, and the dog leapt to its feet, barking as if it had thought Dogs’ Doomsday had arrived. For a moment, they were sure it was going to bite them, but then it noticed the two buns that had rolled into the gutter, and it wolfed them down, barked ‘Thank you!’, and ran off to tell its friends.

‘We’re not going to get far without supplies,’ said Rosie gloomily.

‘I wonder if I could pick a few of those?’ said Nicobobinus, gazing up at an apple-tree on the other side of the garden wall.

‘Of course you can!’ said Rosie. ‘Stand on my shoulders.’

So Nicobobinus stood on Rosie’s shoulders, and climbed onto the wall. But the tree was further away than he thought, and as he reached out, he lost his balance, and fell with a crash, down into the most magnificent garden he had ever been in.

Nicobobinus looked back up at the high wall, but there was no way he could climb back.

‘What am I going to do?’ he yelled.

‘You’ll think of something!’ Rosie yelled back, crossing her fingers very hard.

‘Oy!’ said a voice behind Nicobobinus.

Nicobobinus didn’t stop to look who it was – he ran … straight into a tree.

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‘Got you!’ said the voice, and Nicobobinus felt five thick fingers on his neck.

‘Ow!’ said Nicobobinus.

‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ said the voice, and Nicobobinus felt five more thick fingers round his wrist. But, Nicobobinus, instead of trying to run away, doubled himself up and went backwards as fast as he could, so the man’s legs were knocked from under him, and he landed in a pile of leaves.

‘Are you alright?’ called Rosie, but she didn’t hear any reply, except for the man, who growled:

‘Just you wait … Both of you!’

‘Oh dear,’ said Rosie.’ Sounds like trouble….’

And she was right.

Chapter 2

Nicobobinus ran as fast as he could, across the lawn, down the path, round a hedge, and into a little shed, and bolted the door.

‘Open up!’ cried the Man, and the hinges creaked and the door shook, as he banged it with his fists.

‘That door’s not going to last long,’ thought Nicobobinus to himself, and he dragged a large, old stone roller up against it.

‘Open this door at once, d’you hear?’ the Man was shouting. But Nicobobinus didn’t hear anything at all—he was too amazed by what he had found.

‘You’ll have to come out eventually,’ the Man was saying, ‘and the longer you leave it, the worse it’ll be for you.’

But he could have saved his breath. Nicobobinus was on his knees examining what he had revealed when he moved the roller. He brushed off the dust, and undid the catch, and then lifted it up…

‘Right! I’m going to break this door down!’ said the Man. And then, because he knew he’d have to repair the door himself, he added: ‘Do you hear?’

But Nicobobinus didn’t hear. Nicobobinus had disappeared through the trap-door he had discovered, and was running down stone steps that were slippery with slime and that smelt of graveyards, and that went down and down, deeper into the ground, until it became pitch black.

‘Rosie,’ said Nicobobinus to himself, ‘this is all your fault!’

He heard his heart pounding, and his steps echoing along the dank rock of the narrow passageway, until all at once there was nothing, and before he realised he was falling in the blackness…he was!

While ReadingWhat sort of trouble could Rosie and Nicobobinus have possibly gotten into? Think and discuss with your classmates.

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Several thoughts flashed through his mind at the same time. The first was something along the lines of: ‘Bother!’ (only a bit ruder). The second was a rather unkind thought about his best friend, who had instigated the whole expedition, and it involved her dangling over a snake pit, while numerous fierce dragons flew at her chanting: ‘How could you do it to him? Poor Nicobobinus!’ The third thought was: ‘Suppose it’s a well? A deep, unused well, with slimy, slippery sides that you could never climb, and icy water at the bottom that…’

At this point, he discovered it was not a well... He made this discovery very suddenly, and very painfully.

‘Ouff!’ said Nicobobinus, and he lay there in the pitch blackness, with not a single breath left in his body, for what seemed like the whole winter, but was probably only a few seconds.

He came to himself, in fact, just as a stone hit him on the head.

‘Ouff!’ said Nicobobinus again, and then realised he could hear footsteps high above him.

‘Stop, sir!’ he called out. But the footsteps kept on coming down.

‘Ah ha! I’ve got you now!’ cried the Man. ‘And I shall beat every bone in your body, until it is black and…’

Nicobobinus supposed the man was going to say ‘blue’, but, in fact, the next word he uttered sounded more like: ‘Bkfahooharrrrrgggghhhhgmph!’ It was not a word with which Nicobobinus was at all familiar, but he understood its meaning perfectly, and moved smartly out of the way.

Crash.

‘Are you alright!’ he asked.

There was silence.

Nicobobinus felt his way back in the pitch dark, until his hand touched the Man’s leather jerkin. The Man was lying as still as death, but he was breathing.

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‘I must get help,’ said Nicobobinus to himself, and he began groping around in the blackness to find another way out. When he found it, however, his heart sank. The only exit appeared to be a narrow gap, down by the floor, no more than a foot high.

‘I can’t squirm through that in the pitch dark!’ he said to himself, but at that very moment, he heard Rosie’s cheerful voice saying: ‘You can do it!’

Nicobobinus span round, and there – to his immense surprise – was… nothing. No Rosie… No anybody…

‘But I don’t know if it leads anywhere!’ he said to the voice in his head. ‘And it’s such a tight squeeze – I might get stuck!’

He didn’t hear Rosie’s voice again, but he knew what it would have said, and that was how he found himself wriggling down a narrow passage of stone in the pitch black. He squirmed and he wriggled there in the black for a long, long time, and the tunnel got narrower, until he could hardly inch along it.

‘I’m going back!’ he said to himself, but he didn’t. He just kept wriggling and squirming, until suddenly he found he could stand up. He took a pace forward, and immediately fell over stone steps leading up.

‘Ow!’ he said, although what he really meant was: ‘Thank goodness!’

He began to climb, and he was still climbing some minutes later.

‘It must be a tower,’ he thought, ‘or the grandest house in Venice!’ But at that very moment, he saw a crack of light. He stretched out his hand and found himself touching a catch that clicked softly in the dark. A panel suddenly slid open, and Nicobobinus stepped through into the most amazing room he’d ever seen.

About the AuthorThese are the first two chapters from a novel called Nicobobinus by Terry Jones. It is full of humour and adventure, and you should read the whole novel if you get a chance. Besides writing books and poems, Terry Jones is a comedian, screenwriter, actor, director, and historian!

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Exercises

1

A COMPREHENSION

1. Answer the following questions.a. What do we learn about Nicobobinus in the first paragraph?b. Who is Rosie?c. Why don’t people pay attention to what Rosie says?d. What two things does Rosie suggest that she and Nicobobinus should do?e. When do the children go on their adventure and what do they take with them?f. Who do they meet on their journey? Say what happens at each of the two encounters.g. How does Nicobobinus escape from the Man in the orchard?h. How does Nicobobinus get out of the well?

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.i. What shows us that the Man in the orchard doesn’t really want to break down the door

to the shed?j. What are the thoughts Nicobobinus has as he is falling down the well? For each one,

explain what you think he is feeling.

2. Write the lines of speech below. Put the name of the speaker after each one.a. ‘Ah ha! I’ve got you now!’ b. ‘Let’s pull up every single weed on your doorstep.’c. ‘It’s one of the best ideas I’ve ever had!’d. ‘Ow!’e. ‘Open this door at once, d’you hear?’f. ‘You’ll think of something!’

B WORKING WITH WORDS

Look at this list of words and phrases from the story.

replied whispered yelled growled

called out cried asked shouted

Find where they have been used in the story. Most of the time authors will use the verb ‘said’ but sometimes they need to be more precise. Pick out any four examples from above and use them in sentences of your own.

She said, ‘Hello!’

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Hello!

hello!!

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C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE

SENTENCES1. Write questions for these answers.

(Note: Variations are possible!)a. She was the Prime Minister.b. Possibly, but I’m not sure about that.c. It, most certainly, is not.d. I did.e. They call them the ‘terrible twins’.

2. Make a statement, a command, a question, and an exclamation for each of the pairs of words given below. Don’t forget the proper punctuation marks.

Example: man/machine A man is not a machine. (Statement) Is a man a machine? (Question) Make that man fix the machine. (Command) That’s not a man, but a machine! (Exclamation)

a. cat/doorc. pots/empty

b. treasure/islandd. noise/loud

3. Convert the following exclamations into statements. Do not change the meaning.

a. What a lovely dress!c. How angry she is!

b. How brave you are!d. What a fine day it is!

IDIOMATIC LANGUAGEHere is a sentence from the story.

So they set off through the early morning town. When they got to the end of the narrow street where they lived, they met a Nightwatchman who said: ‘Where are you two going at this hour?’

In this sentence the phrase set off means began a journey. We call such an expression an idiom. There are many idiomatic expressions in English.

Look at the ways in which the word set is used in the following:

• set about something: begin When Mrs Ali got home she set about preparing

dinner for her family.• set someone back: delay This puncture is going to set us back one hour.

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Make three statements, three exclamations, and three questions about the story you have just read.

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• set in: begin The winter has set in early this year.• set someone off: cause to begin If you laugh at any of Rahim’s jokes it will set him off telling jokes all night.• set something off: cause to explode, cause to begin, make something look attractive

i. To celebrate the New Year, the people set off fireworks in the street. ii. The burglar broke the window and set off the alarm. iii. This blue ribbon sets off her dark hair beautifully.• set on someone: attack The burglar was set on by the dog.• set out: begin (with the intention of doing something) The man set out to clean the whole house, but only cleaned one room.• set to: start energetically If you set to, you can finish the work today.• set up: establish oneself in a business or profession, place in position Mr Sher has set up his son as a bookseller. Every day the man sets up his little stall on the street corner.

Now write one sentence of your own for each of the phrases above.

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D LISTENING AND SPEAKING

1. Listen to the description of Venice and answer the questions. Mark the correct answers with a tick.

a. Venice is a city in i. Italy. ii. France.b. The city is like a i. maze. ii. market.c. Venice is famous for its i. furniture. ii. architecture. iii. airport. iv. cars.d. The city is in danger of i. melting. ii. drowning. iii. sinking. iv. burning.e. Venice has lots of i. museums and cafes. ii. cafes and cars. iii. famous artists. iv. art and animals.

2. Write five detailed sentences about where you live. Then, in a small group, take turns to read out your work. Make notes on what you hear from others. Next, take turns to ask questions about what you read out. How much information did your classmate record?

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PROJECT• Nicobobinus is set in the famous city of Venice.

• Venice is actually 118 islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is the most famous canal city in the world.

• Do you know of any other areas or cities that are famous for their canals?

• Prepare a bright, colourful promotional poster for two canal cities in the world. Make sure you include lots of pictures and information about the place, such as: its history, speciality foods, famous landmarks, tourist attractions, how to get there, where to stay, and more!

E COMPOSITION

‘A panel suddenly slid open, and Nicobobinus stepped through into the most amazing room he’d ever seen.’

What would the most amazing room you have ever seen look like? Write a description of the room and its contents.

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words to knowaccede to agree to a demand or requestbuggy (here) a horse drawn cartcounter-proposition an offer made as an alternative to a previous oneforeclose to take back a property that was bought with borrowed money because

that money is not being paid back as agreedmortgage a loan, usually taken when buying propertyprominent important; well-known provisions food, drink, and equipmentscout a soldier or other person sent out to investigate (in secret)subjugation to be brought under complete control; conquered surreptitiously without being noticed; secretlytreachery betrayal of trust

The Ransom of Red Chief2

A story about a kidnapping in which the kidnappers get more than they bargained for …

We were down South, in Alabama—Bill Driscoll and myself—when this kidnapping idea struck us.

Bill and me had about six hundred dollars, and we needed just two thousand dollars more to buy some land in Western Illinois. We figured that family love is strongest in semi-rural communities and decided to do our kidnapping in Summit, a small town.

We selected for our victim the only child of a prominent citizen named Ebenezer Dorset. Mr Dorset was known for his wealth which he made from lending mortgages and making foreclosures. The kid was a boy of ten, with freckles, and bright red hair. Bill and me figured that Ebenezer would agree to pay a ransom of two thousand dollars. But wait till I tell you what happened.

About two miles from Summit was a little tree-covered mountain. On the rear slope of this mountain was a cave. There we stored provisions.

One evening, we drove in a buggy past old Dorset’s house. The kid was in the street, throwing rocks at a kitten on the opposite fence.

‘Hey!’ says Bill. ‘Would you like some candy?’

The boy threw a piece of brick at Bill’s head.

That boy put up a fight, but, eventually, we got him in the buggy and drove up to the cave. After dark I drove the buggy back to the village I had hired it in, and walked back.

Bill was examining and treating the scratches and bruises on his face and legs. There was a

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fire burning in the cave, and the boy was sitting by it, with two buzzard tail-feathers stuck in his red hair. He points a stick at me, and says:

‘Ha! cursed paleface, do you dare to enter Red Chief’s camp?’

‘He’s all right now,’ says Bill. ‘We’re playing Red Indian. I’m Old Hank, Red Chief’s captive, and I’m to be scalped at daybreak.

Ouch! That kid can kick hard.’

That boy seemed very happy. The fun of camping out had made him forget that he was a captive. He immediately named me Snake-eye, the Spy, and announced that I was to meet my end the next day.

Then we had supper; and he filled his mouth full of meat, bread, and gravy, and talked. His speech went something like this:

‘I never camped out before,’ it’s fun; but I had a pet once, and I was nine last birthday. Are there any

real Red Indians in these woods? I want some more gravy. Do the moving

trees make the wind blow?

We had five puppies. What makes your nose so red, Hank? My father has lots of money. Are the stars hot? Do oxen make any noise? Why are oranges round? A parrot can talk, but a monkey or a fish can’t.’

Every few minutes he would remember that he was Red Indian and would let out a war-whoop that made Old Hank shiver. That boy had Bill terrorized from the start.

I says, ‘Kid, would you like to go home?’

‘Aw, what for?’ says he. ‘I don’t have any fun at home. I hate school. I like camping. You won’t take me home, Snake-eye, will you?’

‘Not right away,’ says I.

‘Yay!’ says he. ‘I never had such fun in all my life.’

At about eleven o’clock, we spread down some wide blankets and went to bed. Red Chief kept us awake for three hours, jumping up and reaching for his rifle and screeching in our ears, as each crackle of a twig or the rustle of a leaf made him imagine that outlaws were approaching. At last, I fell into a troubled sleep, and dreamed that I had been kidnapped and chained to a tree by a ferocious pirate with red hair.

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Just at daybreak, I was awakened by awful screams from Bill.

I jumped up to see what the matter was. Red Chief was sitting on Bill’s chest, holding him by the hair. In his other hand he had the sharp knife; and he was seriously trying to take Bill’s scalp, as he’d promised the evening before.

I got the knife away from the kid and made him lie down again. But, from that moment, Bill’s spirit was broken. He laid down on his side of the bed, but he never closed an eye again in sleep as long as that boy was with us.

‘Ain’t it awful, Sam? No one will pay money to get a little imp like that back!’

‘His parents will,’ says I.

I went to the top of the little mountain and looked around. Over toward Summit I expected to see a search party. But what I saw was a peaceful landscape. ‘Perhaps,’ says I to myself, ‘it has not yet been discovered.’

When I got to the cave I found Bill backed up against the side of it, breathing hard, and the boy threatening to smash him with a rock half as big as a coconut.

‘He put a red-hot boiled potato down my back,’ explained Bill, ‘and then mashed it with his foot; and I hit him.’

I took the rock away from the boy and kind of patched up the argument. ‘I’ll fix you,’ says the kid to Bill.

By and by, Bill calms down and says: ‘Sam, you won’t go away and leave me here alone, will you?’

I went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled.

‘If you don’t behave,’ says I, ‘I’ll take you straight home. Now, be good.’

I made him and Bill shake hands. Then I took Bill aside and told him I was going to Poplar Cove, a little village three miles away, to find out what reaction the kidnapping had caused.

‘You know, Sam,’ says Bill, ‘I’ve stood by you in earthquakes, fire, floods, and cyclones. I never lost my nerve yet till we kidnapped that kid. You won’t leave me long with him, will you?’

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‘I’ll be back soon,’ says I. ‘You must keep the boy amused till I return. Let’s write the letter to Mr Dorset, demanding the ransom and how it should be paid.’

Bill and I wrote it while Red Chief strutted up and down, guarding the cave. Bill begged me tearfully to make the ransom fifteen hundred dollars instead of two thousand.

So, to relieve Bill, I agreed.

Ebenezer Dorset, Esq.:

We have your boy. It is useless for anyone to attempt to find him. We will only return him if you meet these terms: We demand fifteen hundred dollars; the money to be left at midnight to-night at the same box as your reply—at the lone tree. Send your answer by messenger at half-past eight tonight. If you attempt any treachery, you will never see your boy again.If you pay the money, he will be returned to you safe and well. These terms are final, and if you do not accede to them no further communication will be attempted.

Two Desperate Men.

I walked to Poplar Cove and sat around the post-office store, chatting to customers. One guy says that he hears Summit is all upset on account of Elder Dorset’s boy having been lost or stolen. That was all I wanted to know. I posted my letter surreptitiously and came away.

When I got back to the cave Bill and the boy were not to be found so I waited.

Half an hour later, Bill appeared out of the bushes. Behind him was the kid, stepping softly like a scout, with a broad grin on his face. Bill stopped, took off his hat, and wiped his face with a red handkerchief. The kid stopped about eight feet behind him.

‘Sam,’ says Bill, ‘I’m sorry but the boy is gone. I have sent him home. I have been subjugated to such awful tortures. I reached my limit.’

‘What’s the trouble, Bill?’ I ask.

‘I was rode like a horse,’ says Bill, ‘Then I was given oats. Sand ain’t edible. I tell you, Sam, a human can only stand so much. I takes him down the mountain. On the way he kicks and bites. But he’s gone—gone home. I showed him the way. I’m sorry we lose the ransom; but it was either that or me to the madhouse.’

‘Bill,’ says I, ‘have a look behind you.’

Bill turns and sees the boy, and loses his complexion and sits down. For an hour I was afraid for his mind. And then I reminded him that we would get the ransom and be off with it by midnight if old Dorset paid up. So Bill braced himself.

This was my scheme for collecting the ransom without being caught. The tree under which the answer, and later the money, was to be left was in a wide open area. If any police came, I would see them a mile off. At half-past eight I was well hidden in the tree, waiting.

While ReadingDo you think the two desperate men will get the ransom or not? Give your reasons.

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Exactly on time, a half-grown boy rides up the road on a bicycle, slips a note into the box, and pedals away again.

I got the note, and was back at the cave soon after. By the lantern, I read it to Bill.

Two Desperate Men.

Gentlemen: I received your letter. I think the ransom you ask for the return of my son is a little high. I hereby make you a counter-proposition, which I am sure you will accept. You pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands. But bring him at midnight so that the neighbours don’t stop you.

Very respectfully,Ebenezer Dorset.

‘The cheek—’ I began. But I glanced at Bill, and hesitated. His eyes were pleading with me.

‘Sam,’ says he, ‘We’ve got the money. This kid will send me crazy. I think Mr. Dorset is generous for making us such an offer. Don’t let the chance go!’

‘Honestly, Bill,’ says I, ‘he has got on my nerves too. We’ll take Dorset’s offer and make our get-away.’

That night, we got him to go by saying that his father had bought a new toy for him, and we were going to play with the new toys the next day.

Just at the moment when I should have been collecting a ransom, Bill was giving two hundred and fifty dollars to Dorset.

When the kid found out we were going to leave him he fastened himself as tight as a leech to Bill’s leg. His father peeled him away.

‘How long can you hold him?’ asks Bill.

‘I’m not as strong as I used to be,’ says old Dorset, ‘but I think I can promise you ten minutes.’

‘Enough,’ says Bill. ‘In ten minutes I shall cross the country, and be over the Canadian border.’

And, as dark as it was, and as fat as Bill was, and as good a runner as I am, he was a mile and a half out of Summit before I could catch up with him.

O. Henry (adapted)

About the AuthorO. Henry (1862–1910) was William Sidney Porter’s pen name. His short stories are known for their playful and witty content, and their unexpected or surprise ending. ‘The Ransom of Red Chief’ is a brilliant example of O. Henry’s use of a plot twist and humour.

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Exercises

A COMPREHENSION

1. Answer the following questions.a. Which part of the United States of America is this story set in?b. Why did the two men decide to kidnap someone?c. What is the first sign we have in the story that the kidnappers

have picked a difficult ‘victim’?d. What do we learn about Ebenezer Dorset?e. What other crimes have Sam and Bill committed? f. What do we learn about Johnny Dorset? g. What games did Johnny play?h. Why did Bill try to release Johnny before they

had the ransom?i. How did Sam and Bill get Johnny to go home?j. Where did Bill say that he would get to in 10 minutes?

Is that possible? What does he mean?

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.k. What effect did Johnny have on the two men? l. Which characters do you feel sympathy for? Why?

2. Answer the following questions with reference to context.a. At last, I fell into a troubled sleep, and dreamed that I had been kidnapped and

chained to a tree by a ferocious pirate with red hair. i. Who is this about? ii. Why is his sleep ‘troubled’? iii. Why is this a strange dream for this character to be having?

b. I think Mr. Dorset is generous for making us such an offer. i. Who is the speaker and to whom are the words addressed? ii. Who is Mr. Dorset and what is his offer? iii. Why is this offer unusual in this situation?

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Do you think this story is funny? Which parts of the story are funny?

Challenge

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B WORKING WITH WORDS

1. Use these words and phrases in sentences of your own. Discuss them first.a. treacheryd. surreptitiouslyg. like a leech

b. ferociouse. stood by youh. patched up

c. propositionf. get on my nerves i. take it off your hands

2. Look at these sentences from the passage and change them into correct English:

a. Bill and me had about six hundred dollars. b. I was rode like a horse.c. Ain’t it awful, Sam?d. Sand ain’t edible!

3. Find two or more meanings for each of the following words. Use your dictionary.

a. rattle b. scalp c. homed. glance e. figure f. prominentg. store h. curse i. noise j. moment

C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

We learned that sentences are complete thoughts put into words.Example: He threw a piece of brick at Bill’s head.

This is a complete thought and therefore it is a sentence.

Now look at this: He threw

It is not a complete thought and therefore it is not a sentence.

All sentences are made up of two parts: a subject and a predicate.

The part of the sentence that contains the thing or person we are talking about is called the subject. What is said about the subject is called the predicate.

Subject Predicate Johnny The men Bill’s leg

played with his toys. arrived at the little cave. was cut and bruised.

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The subject of a sentence does not always come before the predicate.

‘Hey,’ says Bill.

Sometimes the subject of the sentence is left out.

Now go!

In this sentence, the subject is understood, so it is not written.

The subject is you. To show the full subject and predicate, we have to write:

You, now go! (OR) You, go now!

1. Write the following sentences in your exercise book, putting a box (or brackets) around the subject and a line under the predicate.

Example: (The cat) drank the milk.a. Bill rose slowly. b. Be good, Johnny.c. Now I want you to go home. d. Nobody got any sleep because of the noise.e. Just do it.

2. Add suitable subjects to the following so that they become complete sentences.a. ambled down the road.

b. At the end of the day, stretches out in his chair.

c. In the large mansion lies

d. When they arrived, looked astonished.

e. chased the cats.

f. cleaned up the mess.

D LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Johnny talks a lot! Find the paragraph that contains his speech during dinner. Take turns to read it aloud. Imagine you are Johnny. How would he say these lines? Act it.

E COMPOSITION

Imagine that you are Johnny Dorset. Write about what happened to you. Use details and phrases from the passage if you wish.

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words to knowhad my day my best days are past: I am now oldmane long hair on the head and neck of a

horsetopmost bar top bar (of the gate in the fence)weary tired

The Old Brown Horse

The old brown horse looks over the fenceIn a weary sort of way; He seems to be saying to all who pass: ‘Well, folks, I’ve had my day—I’m simply watching the world go by, And nobody seems to mind, As they’re dashing past in their motor cars, A horse who is lame and half-blind.’

The old brown horse has a shaggy coat, But once he was young and trim, And he used to trot through the woods and lanes With the man who was fond of him. But his master rides in a motor car, And it makes him feel quite sad When he thinks of the days that used to be, And of all the times they had.

Sometimes a friendly soul will stop Near the fence, where the tired old head Rests wearily on the topmost bar, And a friendly word is said. Then the old brown horse gives a little sigh As he feels the kindly touch Of a hand on his mane or his shaggy coat, And he doesn’t mind so much.

So if you pass by the field one day, Just stop for a word or two With the old brown horse who was once as young And as full of life as you. He’ll love the touch of your soft young hand, And I know he’ll seem to say‘Oh, thank you, friend, for the kindly thought For a horse who has had his day.’

W. F. Holmes

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Exercises

A UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

1. Answer the following questions.a. What do we learn about the horse from his appearance and behaviour?b. What does the poet ask the reader to do? c. When does the horse feel that life now is not so bad?

These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.d. Why is the horse no longer used for riding? Give at least two reasons.e. Who might have been responsible for neglecting the horse?

Why was it neglected?f. What would you have done to make the horse’s last years comfortable?

2. Mark these statements as true (T) or false (F).a. The old horse is pleased with life. b. The old horse likes having visitors. c. People who drive past are interested in the horse. d. The horse does not like being touched.

3. Answer the following questions with reference to context.‘Oh, thank you, friend, for the kindly thought For a horse who has had his day.’

The underlined phrase means:a. has become tired of his lifeb. has lived through another dayc. has now grown old

4. Do you think there is a rhyming pattern in the poem? What is it?

5. Which words and expressions tell us that the poet cares about the horse?

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verbnoun

B WORKING WITH WORDS

Here are some words from the poem: they may be used when speaking about horses and riding.

coat riding lame trot mane

Here are some other words. Which words may be added to the list above? Circle them. If you don’t know the meaning, look them up in a dictionary.

race stirrup library fetlock saddle rein

cashew jump turnip gallop heading canter

spade Shetland pony shoe turret hoof

C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE1. Add suitable predicates to the following to make sentences.

a. We .b. That man who is the president .c. An engine .d. The woman with the glasses .e. The dog without a tail .

The subject of a sentence consists of naming words and the predicate is concerned with doing or being. The main word in the subject is a noun and the main word in the predicate is a verb.

Example: The happy girl sang loudly.

2. Underline only the main noun (or nouns) and the main verb in the following.a. The boy walked along briskly.b. His dog followed closely behind.c. The long electric train crashed into the back of a goods train.d. Saima and Alina are playing in the garden.e. We heard them crying.f. The elephant has large ears.g. Parvez and Shahid live in Multan.

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D LISTENING AND SPEAKING

VOWEL SOUNDSIn English there are five vowels, ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u’. In most of the languages, the vowel sounds always remain the same but in English this does not happen. For example, take the words put and but. The ‘u’ sound in put is like the ‘oo’ sound in foot. The ‘u’ sound in but is like the ‘u’ in mud, hut, and gum.

Read this list of words aloud. Note how the e at the end of the word changes the sound of the previous vowel.

sit bit pill mill bill kit

site bite pile mile bile kite

rot dot not hop mop lop

rote dote note hope mope lope

pin din fin rob lob job

pine dine fine robe lobe globe

E COMPOSITION

1. Activitya. Make a table with four columns and six rows.b. Put the following phrases in Column 1 (from rows 2 to 6).

the sea the rain a river a storm a hot sunny day

c. Put these words in Row 1 (columns 2–4).

colours sounds movement

d. When you have finished your table, think of words which could be associated with each subject in b. above. Write the words in the appropriate boxes.

2. Writing Complete the activity above first. Then, when you have filled in all the words you can

think of, pick one subject and use the words to write a poem.

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