Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about The Story-Teller from Class 9 English_FL.
Let us begin with a warm-up activity from your textbook. Children always like journeying, but very soon they get bored, and one cannot simply stop the journey. One has to engage the children, or else they start disturbing the people around. Think of different ways of engaging the attention of children for a few minutes and share your thoughts with your friends. In the following story, observe how an aunt and a bachelor try to pacify restless children, and find out who the gifted story-teller really is.
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The narrative opens on a hot, sultry afternoon in a railway carriage heading to Templecombe. The compartment contains three restless children, their aunt, and a bachelor who is a stranger to them. The author immediately establishes the atmosphere by comparing the aunt and children’s persistent chatter to a housefly that refuses to be shooed away. Notice the dialogue pattern here: the aunt constantly begins with prohibitions like Do not, while the children respond with inquisitive Whys. This establishes the children’s natural curiosity and the aunt’s rigid, uninspired approach to discipline. When Cyril asks why sheep are being moved, the aunt gives weak, fatuous answers. Her inability to satisfy his logical questions frustrates the bachelor, whose deepening frown leads the aunt to label him hard and unsympathetic. This is an example of dramatic irony, as the reader understands the bachelor’s frustration is actually directed at the aunt’s poor storytelling and evasive answers.
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To distract the children, the smaller girl repeatedly recites the first line of On the Road to Mandalay. The aunt then attempts to tell a story, but it is unenterprising and dull. It features a perfectly good girl saved from a mad bull simply because of her moral character. The children immediately reject it, asking logical questions like whether the rescuers would have saved her if she were not good. The aunt’s weak justification fails to convince them. This scene is crucial for your exam preparation because it highlights the failure of traditional moralistic literature to engage young minds. The bachelor observes this failure and challenges the aunt’s storytelling ability. When she retorts that it is difficult to tell stories children understand, he accepts her challenge and begins his own tale.
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The bachelor introduces Bertha, a girl who is extraordinarily good. He uses the oxymoron horribly good to immediately capture the children’s attention. This phrase is a key literary device. By pairing a negative adverb with a positive noun, Saki introduces irony and realism. The children are intrigued because it sounds truthful, unlike the aunt’s tales. Bertha has won three medals for obedience, punctuality, and good behaviour. These medals clink as she walks, serving as both a symbol of her virtue and, ironically, the instrument of her downfall. The Prince of the country hears of her goodness and grants her a rare honour: permission to walk in his beautiful, exclusive park. The bachelor’s detailed descriptions of the park, including the absence of sheep due to a prophetic dream and the absence of flowers because pigs ate them, demonstrate his skill in logical, imaginative world-building. The children murmur approval at the Prince’s practical decision to choose pigs over flowers.
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As Bertha explores the park, she reflects on her own goodness, believing it is the reason she is allowed to enjoy this privilege. Suddenly, a mud-coloured wolf with a black tongue and pale grey eyes enters, hunting for a pig. Bertha hides in a thick myrtle shrubbery. The wolf cannot find her because the strong scent of myrtle masks her presence. However, as she trembles in fear, her three medals clink together. The wolf hears the sound, locates her, and devours her. All that remains are her shoes, bits of clothing, and the three medals. This climax is a masterclass in situational irony. The very symbols of her virtue become the cause of her tragic end. The children, however, declare it the most beautiful story they have ever heard, praising its realistic and unexpected conclusion. The aunt is outraged, calling it improper and claiming it undermines years of careful teaching. The bachelor calmly points out that he kept them quiet for ten minutes, which she could not do. As he exits the carriage at Templecombe station, he leaves the aunt to face the consequences, predicting that for the next six months the children will publicly demand improper stories from her.
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Let us now review the glossary terms to strengthen your vocabulary for the examination. Sultry means uncomfortably warm. Persistent means doing something continuously. Smack means to hit forcefully. Reluctant means unwilling. Fatuous means stupid. Frown is a facial expression showing annoyance, while a scowl is a very annoyed expression. Wager means a bet. Listlessly means unwillingly. Petulant means ill-tempered. Retort means an angry reply. Flicker means to begin to go down. Grin means to smile widely. Pinafore is a loose garment without sleeves worn over clothes. Leaps and bounds means very quickly. Shrubbery means undergrowth. Sniff out means to recognise by smelling. Catching sight of her means seeing her. Dissentient means different. Undermined means damaged. Make sure you can use these words correctly in context.
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We will now work through the comprehension section systematically. Comprehension Section C One requires you to answer the following questions in a sentence each. First, who were the occupants of the carriage? The text clearly states they were a small girl, a smaller girl, a small boy, their aunt, and a bachelor. Second, what questions haunted Cyril regarding the sheep? He persistently asked why they were being driven out and why the grass in the other field was supposedly better. Third, why did the aunt think the bachelor was hard and unsympathetic? She misinterpreted his deepening frown as disapproval of her, when it was actually frustration at her evasive answers. Fourth, who saved the girl in the aunt’s story? A group of rescuers who admired her moral character saved her from a mad bull. Fifth, what is the name of the girl in the bachelor’s story? She is named Bertha. Sixth, which remark created a wave of reaction in favour of the bachelor’s story? Describing Bertha as horribly good intrigued the children because it sounded novel and realistic.
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Continuing with C One, seventh, how did the Prince learn about Bertha? Everyone in her town talked about her exceptional goodness, and the news eventually reached him. Eighth, how did the Prince honour her? He allowed her to walk in his private, beautiful park once a week. Ninth, why was this a great honour? Because no other children were ever permitted inside the park. Tenth, when did Bertha wish she had never come to the park? The moment she saw the enormous wolf sneaking towards her. Eleventh, how did the wolf locate her? He heard the clinking sound of her medals as she trembled. Twelfth, what was the aunt’s reaction? She condemned it as a most improper story that ruined years of careful moral teaching. Always ensure your answers are concise and directly address the question.
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For Comprehension Section C Two, work in pairs and answer in a few lines each. First, how did the bachelor describe the animals? The pigs were variously coloured: black with white faces, white with black spots, black all over, grey with white patches, and some entirely white. The fish were gold, blue, and green. The wolf was mud-coloured with a black tongue and pale grey eyes gleaming with ferocity. Second, what qualities earned Bertha her medals? She won them for obedience, punctuality, and good behaviour. Third, why were sheep and flowers absent, and why was Bertha disappointed? Sheep were absent due to a prophetic dream about the Prince’s death. Flowers were absent because the pigs ate them, and the Prince chose pigs. Bertha felt disappointed because she had promised her aunts not to pick flowers, so finding none made her feel her promise was pointless. Fourth, what were Bertha’s two thoughts on her goodness? Initially, she believed her goodness earned her the privilege of visiting the park. Later, while hiding, she thought that if she were not so good, she would be safe in town instead of facing a wolf.
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For Comprehension Section C Three, discuss in groups and answer. First, how did the medals earn respect and cause death? They publicly displayed her virtue, earning admiration and the Prince’s invitation. However, their loud clinking betrayed her hiding spot to the wolf, directly causing her death. This illustrates the theme of unintended consequences. Second, is the story improper? The aunt believes it is because it contradicts traditional moral lessons. However, from a literary perspective, it is not improper but rather a sophisticated satire that teaches children that life is unpredictable and virtue does not always guarantee safety. Third, what appealed to the children? They appreciated the realistic tone, the logical explanations for the park’s features, the novelty of the phrase horribly good, and the unexpected, non-cliché ending. Fourth, how would it end without the medals? The wolf would not have heard her, would have left to hunt a pig, and Bertha would have survived safely. This highlights the irony that her visible virtue led to her downfall.
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Let us proceed to the vocabulary exercises. For V One, match the words in column A with their meaning in column B. Banish corresponds to expel. Humble matches with modest. Domicile means the place where a person lives. Foul-smelling matches with stinking. Predator is an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals. Flip means to turn quickly. For V Two, you must evaluate which of the following expressions is correct. Listen carefully to these eight pairs: one, a flock of birds or a flight of birds. Two, a swarm of insects or a colony of insects. Three, a herd of goats or a flock of goats. Four, a troupe of actors or a company of actors. Five, a wad of bank notes or a roll of bank notes. Six, a pack of cards or a deck of cards. Seven, a team of experts or a panel of experts. Eight, a bunch of grapes or a cluster of grapes. Take a moment to choose the correct collective noun for each. The correct answers are: a flock of birds, a swarm of insects, a herd of goats, a company of actors, a wad of bank notes, a pack of cards, a panel of experts, and a bunch of grapes.
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For V Three, here are the synonyms and antonyms for your practice. Calm: synonym peaceful, antonym agitated. Ignore: synonym neglect, antonym notice. Gentle: synonym mild, antonym harsh. Curious: synonym inquisitive, antonym indifferent. Humble: synonym modest, antonym arrogant. Revive: synonym restore, antonym weaken. Encounter: synonym meet, antonym avoid. Pleasant: synonym enjoyable, antonym unpleasant. Deter: synonym discourage, antonym encourage. Warm: synonym hot, antonym cold. Dignified: synonym respectable, antonym undignified. Charming: synonym delightful, antonym repulsive. Practice using these in sentences for your exams. Now we will tackle Grammar and Usage, starting with G One. You must match the statement in Column A with the correct tense form in Column B and the time reference in Column C. Here are the statements you will work with: One, Every day, I study for six hours. Two, Meet me tomorrow. Three, The train arrives on platform number four in a few minutes. Four, My aunt is visiting us next Sunday, so I cannot join you for the next party. Five, We are going to buy a new car. Six, I have finished my homework. Seven, I had finished my homework by the time my friend came, so my father allowed me to go with him. Eight, Sushma won the first prize in the recitation competition.
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Let us match them correctly. Statement one is Present tense with Present and Future reference. Statement two is Present tense with Future reference. Statement three is Present tense with Future reference. Statement four is Present tense with Future reference. Statement five is Present tense with Future reference. Statement six is Present Perfect with Past reference. Statement seven is Past Perfect with Past reference. Statement eight is Past Simple with Past reference. For G Two part a, fill in the blanks with suitable verb forms. The completed paragraph reads: I work in Sarvodaya High School. Every day, I go to Bengaluru. The train is at six O'clock. So, I get up at four thirty. My friend Suresh joins me. He teaches Biology. The train reaches Bengaluru around eight thirty. We take a bus. For G Two part b, you will construct sentences using the table details. The table gives you two time frames: Every day and Yesterday, and Every week and Last week. Here are the rows to construct: One, Go to school versus Go to Vijayapura to attend a friend's marriage. Two, Evening practise music versus Evening visit Golgumbaz. Three, Help her brother in his homework versus Go to a movie. Four, Visit her grandmother versus Spend time with relatives. Five, Thursday go swimming versus Thursday attend a music concert.
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Using these details, construct your sentences. The model answers are: Lakshmi goes to school every day but yesterday she went to Vijayapura to attend her friend's marriage. Lakshmi practises music in the evening but yesterday she visited Golgumbaz. Lakshmi helps her brother with his homework every evening but yesterday she went to a movie. Lakshmi visits her grandmother every week but last week she spent time with relatives. Lakshmi goes swimming every Thursday but last Thursday she attended a music concert. For G Three, complete the following conversation using the correct form of the verbs given in brackets. Dhaman says: Good morning, Mr. Salunke. I am from Suvarna Karnataka newspaper. I am writing an article on the lifestyle of wrestlers. Can I trouble you tomorrow for an interview? Salunke replies: I am afraid I will not be free tomorrow. I am going to Hyderabad to attend a conference. I will be back day after tomorrow. Dhaman asks: Oh! I have to submit my article the day after tomorrow. Do you think you can spare a few minutes now? Salunke says: Umm! Well, I think I can spare five minutes for you now. Dhaman asks: Tell me, how do you prepare yourself for the wrestling competition. Salunke replies: Everyday, I get up very early in the morning. I spend nearly six hours in the gymnasium. But my friend Raghu spends only two hours in the gym. Our trainer trains us rigorously. Dhaman asks: What diet do you follow? Salunke replies: I prefer lots of cereals and greens. But Raghu prefers non-vegetarian diet.
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For G Four, give reasons for the following using the verb given in brackets. The sentences with blanks are: Two, I am not hungry. I have just had my lunch. Three, The house is dirty. They have not cleaned it for months. Four, The road is closed. There has been an accident. Five, The chocolate box is empty. Somebody has eaten all the chocolates. Six, The watch is not working. You have broken the watch. For G Five, rewrite the following by filling in the blanks with the past form of the verbs in brackets. You may need past simple, past progressive, or past perfect. Here are the sentences: One, The children were making a lot of noise which disturbed the bachelor. The little girl was singing the first line repeatedly. Cyril was smacking the cushions. When the aunt asked him to look out, he started asking questions about the sheep that were in the field. The aunt tried to calm them. The bachelor decided to tell a story. His narration appealed to them. They listened with rapt attention and enjoyed it. Two, When I came home, my sister was working on the computer. Three, While Suresh was reading the text, Sony was noting down the main points. Four, The phone rang while I was having my dinner.
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Now for the Listening and Speaking activities. For part a, role play the scene where the Prince’s mother describes her prophetic dream, warning him that he will be killed by either a sheep or a falling clock, leading to their joint decision to ban both. For part b, practise interrupting a friend’s story with at least ten logical questions to build active listening skills. For part c, listen to your teacher reading the following words aloud. Note how the past marker ed is pronounced as /t/, /d/, or /id/. The words are: asked, wanted, decided, moved, learned, labelled, looked, liked, knitted, baked, bagged, crowded, gathered, chanted, bombed. Now, classify them into the three columns. Let us classify them together. Words ending in the /t/ sound are: asked, looked, liked, baked. Words ending in the /d/ sound are: moved, learned, labelled, knitted, bagged. Words ending in the /id/ sound are: wanted, decided, crowded, gathered, chanted, bombed. Remember the rule: /id/ follows t or d sounds, /t/ follows voiceless consonants, and /d/ follows voiced consonants.
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Finally, let us study the author’s background. Hector Hugh Munro was born on the eighteenth of December eighteen seventy and died on the fourteenth of November nineteen sixteen. He is better known by the pen name Saki, and also frequently as H. H. Munro. He was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirised Edwardian society and culture. He is considered a master of the short story and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. His writing was influenced by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and Kipling. In turn, he himself influenced later writers such as A. A. Milne, Noël Coward, and P. G. Wodehouse. Understanding his satirical style and historical context will greatly enhance your analysis of The Story-Teller in your examinations.
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]