|
READ THIS
The simple story of a young man who has a passion for music.
READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:
This is a story without words. It would be better if I could show you some photographs, only then you
might say: "That's nice," or "Oh I like that one." But it would be better to say nothing. The heart that sings
makes no more sound than the heart that sobs. A film, perhaps? -- but I cannot make films. Then let
me show you the pictures, and you will see the story without my saying anything.
The guitar is leaning against the wall of a mud hut somewhere in the Kei. There's a flutter of coloured
ribbon on the top and you can see the light shining on the strings. It's a cheap old guitar -- scarred and
scratched by long usage -- long miles of rubbing against a threadbare jacket, long hours in the sun, and
wind, and rain.
Tembe comes out of the darkness of the hut and stands blinking in the doorway. He looks about him and
stretches himself in a yawn. Then he looks down at the guitar leaning against the wall and he picks it up.
His hard, work-rough fingers brush the strings once, twice.
At once there is the sound of children's voices, and as Tembe sits down in the doorway eight or nine
children come running and gather round him. They chatter and laugh and hop about until Tembe brushes
the strings once with a strong downward sweep of his hand, and then they are quiet.
They sit down in the dust, shuffling into comfort like ragged sparrows.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
|
TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
The short story begins, "This is a story without words".
- How then does the narrator attempt to unfold the tale? (4)
[Need help?]
The author says he does not want to describe the story in words but that he would rather choose to show
the reader several pictures, each one portraying an episode of the story.
But, of course, he can't show you any pictures and therefore tells the story!
The use of several pictures is then a metaphor, to give the readers the impression that we are watching
the incidents in a series of pictures.
The author rejects the metaphor of the story being told in movie clips, yet would not this metaphor be a
better one? After all, movies are more likely to show action than a series of photographs!
|
- Why does the narrator not want to use the image of photographs? (4)
[Need help?]
The author appears reluctant to use the metaphor of photographs because he is scared that people might
admire his technique in taking the pictures, rather than look at the story itself.
The narrator wants the reader to become involved in the person of Tembe rather than just admiring the
way the story is presented.
|
How do you know that the guitar is well used and very old? (4)
[Need help?]
One knows that the guitar is played often because the strings are bright and shiny, and the light shines
off them. A guitar which is seldom played has tarnished strings which do not shine.
The guitar is also scarred and scratched through long, rough usage.
|
Why does Tembe stand "blinking" in the doorway? (2)
[Need help?]
It is possible that Tembe has just woken up. It is also possible that it is dark inside the hut, and that the
light is bright outside which causes him to blink as he reaches the doorway.
|
What word tells you that Tembe is gentle and loving with his guitar? (2)
[Need help?]
The narrator tells us that Tembe "brushes the strings" of the guitar.
The word "brush" has a connotation of gentleness. He doesn't pluck the strings, or thump them
or strum them. He brushes them!
|
Why does the guitar have coloured ribbons attached to his guitar? (4)
[Need help?]
The coloured ribbons were originally attached to the bicycle of the man who tied guitar strings to it to make
a singing noise.
When the man wrecked his bicycle and abandoned it, Tembe took not only the guitar strings but also the
coloured ribbons, which he used to decorate his guitar.
|
When Tembe purchased his guitar, it had no strings.
- Why could he not simply buy strings? (2)
[Need help?]
Tembe wanted to buy some guitar strings but found that he had lost his tobacco bag which contained his
money.
|
- What does Tembe use instead of strings? Why does this not work? (4)
[Need help?]
He tried using ordinary string of varying thicknesses on his guitar. Have you ever tried to play a guitar
which has cord-string instead of proper guitar-string? It doesn't work! It simply makes a dull tuneless
noise.
|
- When at last he does acquire strings, where do they originate? (4)
[Need help?]
He eventually saw a man buy some guitar strings which he attached to his bicycle. When he then rode
the bike at speed, the air passing rapidly over the strings would cause them to sing.
The man rode his bicycle so fast to demonstrate the singing that he did not see a motorist stop her car
just in front of him, and open her door.
He crashed headlong into the door and totally wrecked his bicycle. The man now had no use whatever
for the guitar strings (or the coloured ribbons) and gave them to Tembe.
|
|
