3. A Gist of Great Stone Face I

We'll go through the essence of Great Stone Face I before moving on to the Great Stone Face II to acquire a better grasp of the lesson.

 

Ernest, the narrative's Protagonist, Ernest' mother, Mr. Gathergold, and Mr. Blood-and-Thunder are among the characters introduced by the narrator in the Great Stone Face I story.

 

What is a "Great Stone Face"?:

 

The Great stone face was a creation by the hands of nature. A lot of rocks accumulated together on a perpendicular mountainside, forming all the attributes of a human face. It would be possible to clearly view the Great stone face from a distance, while it’s impossible when being close to it as one could only figure out the huge rocks on the mountain and not the sketch of its face. The everlasting smile on Great stone’s kind, pleasant face, was believed to be responsible for the valley’s richness.

 

Ernest was his mother's only child, and he spent his infancy in the valley of The Great Stone Face. He constantly assisted his mother with home tasks as an obedient, cherished, and faithful son. When he was a small boy, he told his mother that he wished for the Great Stone Face to talk. He enjoyed spending time looking at the Great Stone Face, which he saw as a teacher. When his mother told him about the legend of the Great Stone Face, he was enthralled and began to anticipate its arrival.

 

According to legend, a kid would be born with The Great Stone Visage's face, displaying noble characteristics and growing up to be the greatest person of his age. Ernest was already captivated by the Great Stone Face, and his mother's story just fueled his desire for the mountain to speak to him. So, day by day, his enthusiasm for the Great Stone Face increased. Even though he was a little child, he spent his time helping his mother and staring at the Great Stone Face mountain for extended periods of time at the end of each day, rather than playing with his friends or engaging in other forms of entertainment. He was overcome with joy every time he gazed upon the Great Stone Face.

 

The first section of the Great Stone Face story revolved upon Ernest and his passion for the Great Stone Face. As Ernest also had a great desire to meet a person who looked like The Great Stone Face, he yearned to meet someone who looked like Great Stone Face since he was a child. After performing his daily tasks, he would always spend hours looking at the mountain.

 

A few years later, a man named Mr.Gathergold appeared in the valley, said to resemble The Great Stone Face, but the rumour was quickly dismissed following his death, as Ernest predicted. Ernest came to the correct conclusion that Gathergold was not a likeness of Great Stone Face because he strongly felt that the prophesied man would not give precedence to worldly pleasures above virtues.

 

After several years, a commander known as Mr.Blood-and-Thunder arrived in the valley, and the valley's inhabitants began to regard him as a human figure resembling The Great Stone Face. Ernest remained sceptical, believing that a person of war could hardly be compared to a peaceful face like The Great Stone Face.

 

Ernest's disapproval was motivated by genuine concerns. Ernest was not pleased with Mr. Gathergold (shrewd, money-making guy) or Mr. Blood-and-Thunder (a person of authority or warrior) because the man Ernest was seeking for was expected to possess noble, heavenly qualities rather than be wealthy or powerful.

 

Ernest had always longed for a nobleman who could fulfil his mother's prophecy, someone who resembled "The Great Stone Face." His hunt was never completed, but it did endure until the end of Part I. As a result, The Great Stone Face I concludes without a satisfactory answer as to who would fulfil the prophecy in part II.

 

Meaning of difficult words: