STAGE
3
A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
Retold by Jennifer Bassett
Introduction
This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only
and should not be given to students.
The stories
The Pigeon is about a Polish man called Jan Szager
who has come to live in a small Scottish town after the
Second World War. During the war, Jan was taken to a
prison camp because his great-grandfather was
Jewish. His wife and daughter were taken to a
separate camp. Jan survived the war, but his wife and
cold dark house. In the previous autumn, he met a
daughter did not. He has now married a kind Scottish
twenty-year old girl called Andrina and she now comes
woman called Ella.
every afternoon to help him. But one day at the end of
It’s New Year’s Eve and Ella is going out to celebrate,
February, Torvald starts to feel very ill and Andrina
but Jan doesn’t want to join her this year. He has
doesn’t come to his house as usual. After several days,
recently been looking after an ill pigeon. He decides to
he realizes that Andrina has stopped coming.
take the bird out into the dark streets. He remembers
On the last afternoon that Andrina came to the
his dead family and for a moment he believes that he
house, Torvald talked of how fifty years ago he had
has his daughter again in his hands. But he then
once loved a poor young girl called Sigrid. But the girl
realizes that he is only holding a pigeon and it is now
had become pregnant and he had run away from
dead. He suddenly needs to be back with Ella and
her and gone to sea. Andrina seemed shocked by
rushes home. She understands his deep sadness and
the story.
carefully helps him to bury the pigeon in the garden.
When Torvald later asks others on the island about
Donald and the Drovers is set on the islands of
Andrina, they have never heard of her. He then gets an
the Outer Hebrides in the 1890s. Twice a year, men
unexpected letter from Sigrid in Australia, explaining
called drovers come from the mainland to buy cattle at
her years of silence. She tells him that their daughter
the island markets. Two of the islands, South Uist and
had a daughter called Andrina – their grandchild.
Benbecula are separated by a ford – it is only possible
Andrina has often said that she wants to know more
to walk across the ford when the tide is low. When the
about her grandfather and wishes to go to Scotland to
tide comes in, the only safe place is a very small island
care for him in his old age. She is very interested to
between South Uist and Benbecula.
learn more about her grandparents’ love story. But
A ferryman called Donald has a boat for travellers
Sigrid finishes the letter by saying that this will now
who have missed the low tide. One evening, Donald
never happen as Andrina died suddenly last week, in
agrees to take three drovers across the ford. On the
the first days of spring.
way, Donald asks them to pay six pence each, but they
The Confession takes place in a police interview
only offer him three pence. Donald lets them off the
room. Ian has been arrested and is being interviewed
boat and rows away. The drovers then realize that
by a detective. Ian explains at great length about the
Donald has left them on the dark, lonely island in the
crime he has committed with his brother Tony and
middle of the ford.
some friends. One day, Ian and Tony pretended to be
Donald rows home and waits for a while. He
officials from the Department of Transport. They
decides that he has left the drovers long enough to
stopped a truck, tied up the driver and stole the cargo
teach them a lesson. He then goes back to pick them
of washing machines. But they didn’t realize that the
up. They offer him a lot of money to take them away,
washing machines belonged to a famous drug dealer
but he only accepts his original six pence fare. He
called Eddie Hart, who was using one of the machines
wishes to prove that he is honest, unlike the drovers.
to transport drugs. Ian tried to return the drugs to
Andrina is set on the island of Orkney. After years
Eddie, but failed. He knows he is in deep trouble and
at sea, Captain Torvald has returned to live alone in a
wants police protection.
1
© Oxford university press
STAGE
3
A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
Retold by Jennifer Bassett
During the interview, the detective goes out to
check some facts on the computer. When the
confession is finished, the detective tells Ian that he is
lying. We finally learn that Ian is a fantasist and the
whole story is one long lie.
The Day I Met Sean Connery is set at the BBC
TV building in Glasgow. A lively young woman called
Marina has always loved the Scottish film star Sean
Connery. She is at the BBC building when she learns
that he is coming there later that day. She finds the
restaurant for BBC employees and overhears a man
talking about the actor. She follows the man to a TV
studio and is very excited to see Sean Connery there.
She then follows him into a lift and learns where his
room will be.
She returns to the BBC restaurant to buy tea and
shortbread. She pretends to be a tea lady and goes
into the actor’s room. He accepts the tea, but then the
real tea lady enters. It is now obvious that the girl is an
imposter. He asks her why she has done this and she
excitedly tells him everything about her life. He chats
kindly to her and gives her advice about her future.
She finishes her day feeling happy and confident.
2
© Oxford university press
STAGE
STAGE
23
A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
Pre-reading activity
Word search
Look at the definitions and find the words in the word search below.
Definitions:
1 cows that are kept for their milk or meat
2 a large hole in the side of a hill or cliff
s
h
o
r
t
b
r
e
a
d
k
x
3 a young sheep
z
c
a
t
t
l
e
q
f
g
t
r
4 a boat that takes people on short journeys
across a river or the sea
l
o
r
r
y
w
b
k
e
l
o
b
5 a rich biscuit (cookie) made with a lot
of butter
c
c
l
a
m
b
p
z
r
o
r
u
h
r
s
h
o
r
e
t
r
c
c
c
6 the land along the edge of the sea
u
o
r
n
l
d
u
i
y
h
h
k
7 a small simple building with one room
8 a round metal container with a handle, for
carrying water
t
f
c
a
v
e
m
d
v
f
j
e
m
t
j
g
k
v
s
e
n
w
d
t
9 a long narrow walkway inside a building
x
c
o
r
r
i
d
o
r
b
l
q
10 a small, simple house or farm
11 a small electric light you can carry in the hand
12 the movement of the sea towards the land, and away from it
13 a large vehicle for carrying cargo on the roads
14 a lake, or a small bit of sea almost surrounded by land
To the teacher
s
h
o
r
t
b
r
e
a
d
k
x
z
c
a
t
t
l
e
q
f
g
t
r
l
o
r
r
y
w
b
k
e
l
o
b
minutes to find as many words as possible. Then ask
c
c
l
a
m
b
p
z
r
o
r
u
them to match the words that they have found with the
h
r
s
h
o
r
e
t
r
c
c
c
through the words as a class and deal with any remaining
u
o
r
n
l
d
u
i
y
h
h
k
difficulty over meanings. Explain that loch and croft are
t
f
c
a
v
e
m
d
v
f
j
e
Then ask the class which words from the word search
m
t
j
g
k
v
s
e
n
w
d
t
they would particularly associate with Scotland and why.
x
c
o
r
r
i
d
o
r
b
l
q
Aim: To introduce key vocabulary and encourage
students to predict information about Scotland.
Time: 40–45 minutes
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to each
group of students. Tell the students that they have ten
definitions. They can use the glossary to help them. Go
words particularly used in Scotland.
Finally, brainstorm any other words they would associate
with Scotland.
Key: 1 cattle, 2 cave, 3 lamb, 4 ferry, 5 shortbread,
6 shore, 7 hut, 8 bucket, 9 corridor, 10 croft, 11 torch,
12 tide, 13 lorry, 14 loch.
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STAGE
STAGE
23
A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
While reading activity
What will happen next?
Donald and the Drovers
Which of these things do you think will happen in the story?
WILL
HAPPEN
MAY
HAPPEN
WON’T
HAPPEN
YOUR OWN
COMMENTS
WON’T
HAPPEN
YOUR OWN
COMMENTS
The men wait on the island for Donald to return.
They are very frightened.
Another ferryman takes the men away, but they
are angry with Donald and try to kill him.
Donald returns, but the men fight him, take his
boat and leave him on the island.
Donald returns after a few hours and takes the
men away for six pence.
Donald returns and finally agrees to take the men
away for a lot of money.
The Day I Met Sean Connery
Which of these things do you think will happen in the story?
WILL
HAPPEN
MAY
HAPPEN
Marina searches for Sean Connery, but finally
meets him on the train home.
Marina finds Sean Connery and is really
impressed with his height and looks.
Marina meets Sean Connery, but is disappointed
because he’s very rude.
Marina pretends to be a tea lady, goes to Sean
Connery’s room and chats to him.
Marina follows a man who looks like Sean
Connery, but it isn’t really him.
To the teacher
Where: Donald and the Drovers page 17 when students Time: 10 minutes for each story
have read up to the wave symbol which indicates a break Organization: Stop the students reading at the point
in the story. The Day I Met Sean Connery page 49 indicated above. Ask them to fill in the table with their
when students have finished the final paragraph ending: predictions of what will happen next. They can also add
‘I couldn’t believe it.’
their own ideas. They should keep their worksheets to
Aim: To encourage students to predict the development compare at the end with the real story.
of the stories.
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4
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STAGE
STAGE
23
A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
After reading activity
What’s he/she like?
Tick the right words for each person.
Ella
Jan
Donald
The
Drovers
Captain
Torvald
Ian
Marina
Sean
Connery
charming
clever
foolish
handsome
helpful
honest
kind
lonely
mean
quiet
patient
sad
talkative
weak
To the teacher
Aim: To revise the key characters and their characteristics Students may have slightly different answers, but they
through discussion.
need to be able to justify their ideas.
Time: 30 minutes
Key: [possible answers] Ella: honest, kind, patient; Jan:
Organization: Give each student, or group of students, a kind, quiet, sad; Donald: helpful, honest, kind; The
copy of the grid. Ask which story each character comes Drovers: foolish, mean; Captain Torvald: foolish, lonely,
from and check the meaning of the adjectives. Then ask weak; Ian: talkative, lonely, foolish; Marina: talkative,
the students to tick the adjectives which are relevant to kind, clever; Sean Connery: charming, kind, helpful,
each character. Encourage discussion. Class feedback. handsome
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