PDF chapter test TRY NOW
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 fiber showing perfectly, lay a rope of ashes.
Explanation:
Fear filled the entire territory when the king's messengers delivered his next announcement. It's because they had to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of presenting the governor with a rope made of ashes. People in Shining were afraid that if they did not follow his orders, they would be considered disobedient. The poor farmer was also concerned about how to follow with the order. He told his elderly mother about the king's command. The dear mother, desperate to save her good-hearted son, requested some time to figure out how to carry out the king's command. Then, the next day, as she said, gave her son an idea for making a rope out of ashes the next day.
The wise mother advised her son to make a rope out of twisted straw and burn it on a row of flat stones on a windless night. The farmer called the people of Shining and carried out his mother's instructions. What a marvel that was. After the fire had gone away, the ashes on the stone had taken on the appearance of a rope made of ashes. Finally, the farmer carried out the king's order.
Meaning of difficult words:
S. No. | Words | Meaning |
1. | Distress | The state of being in severe danger and needing immediate help |
2. | Whisper | To speak softly |
3. | Blaze | Strong burning fire |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). English Standard-10. The Aged Mother - Matsuo Basho (pp. 120-122). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
Register for free to see more content