General Rule
1. In words of three or more syllables, look at the suffix that will act
as a signal. You will be able to determine where stress falls by
recognizing the suffix.
Example: Root word: care + suffix : ful = careful
Stress is on the first syllable = care
2.
There are other suffixes which have an effect on the syllables
Example: nice and colorless
3.
In the following examples, add the suffix and give the proper
stressed syllable.
Root + suffix
1. clear + ly =
2. loud =
3. power + ful =
4. grace =
5. improve + ment =
6. develop =
7. happy + ier =
8. pretty =
9. tidy + iest =
10.
lovely =
11.
truthful + ness =
12.
full =
13.
paint + ed =
14.
plant =
15.
bathe + ing =
Vocabulary Development
Distinguishing Features of Language
A. One of the first signs of impending adolescence is to avoid gap
between teenagers and parents. The easiest and fastest way to do
this is through the art of language.
Teenagers coined their own expressions that make adults figure out
the meaning of all these expressions.
Types:
1. A Change in Meaning
 gets?
2.
3.
It means to obtain and change to understandable.
 ride
It refers to riding that becomes asking for favoring one’s
idea.
 bread
It means food that becomes money or source of income.
Combinations of meaning
 ain’t broke = not, broken / not hurt
 ride on = ride, on / agree
 eye ball = eye, ball / meet
Combinations of Words
 Tarhead - someone who is involved in oil-based recreation
such as car racing.
 awesomity - the highest state of awesome
B. Colloquialism can generally be understood across age and socio
economic status as long as the speakers are all from the same
geographic region. Speakers may use slang words among them, but
this is not always the case.
Types:
1. Words
 Regional Differences
 use of general term
Examples:
colgate - toothpaste
soft drink - carbonated beverage
 “gonna” - going
“wanna” - want
2.
Phrases
 She’ll be right
 Eat my dust
3.
Aphorisms
 Put your money where your mouth is.
 You’re driving me up to the wall.
 When you’re dead, they really fix you up.
Introduction
Folk narratives include folktales and epics. Folk narratives are of
different kinds: myths, legends, fables and trickster tales.
Legends explain the origin of things. It is used to teach lessons in
life.
Literary Appreciation
The Butterfly
(Legend)
The garden of an old woman is also alluring. It captivates the
attention of the passer’s by. The garden is full of colorful and
flowery plants. Its redolence gives a sweet smelling all over the
place.
Everybody notices the beauty of the garden and the small
nipa hut of the old woman. Nobody can neglect the miracle
happening inside the garden.
Every night, the old woman becomes a beautiful lady. People
see dwarves helping the old woman in taking care of the plants.
The old woman is kind which can be proven by giving flowers
to the neighborhood.
One day, a couple arrived in the town. The man was so
haughty. “Look at the fisherman of this town, they look like
animals,” he said, “I hate ugly things. But, this garden is so
beautiful,” he added while picking up flowers.
“Good morning, gentleman,” greeted the old woman, “Is there
anything I can do for you?”
The man did not answer. Instead of answering the greeting,
he boastfully looked down at the old woman.
“Get out old woman; I don’t want to see your ugly face. You
are not compatible to the beauty of this garden,” angrily shouted
the stranger.
The old woman turned around and became a very pretty lady.
“I curse you. You are so arrogant. From now on you will become
an insect that lives with beautiful things like flowers.”
The man was transformed into an insect, a butterfly.
Vocabulary Words
Read and study the meanings of the vocabulary words.
1) alluring – attractive
2) compatible – be together without constriction;
harmoniously together
3) captivate – catch
4) haughty – arrogant
5) redolence – fragrance
Understanding the Text
1) Why did the garden of the old woman captivate the attention
of the passers-by?
2) What was the miracle being noticed by the people inside the
old woman’s house?
3) How will you describe the old woman? Why?
4) Why did the woman get angry to an arrogant stranger?
5) How did the lady punish the man?Introduction
The author, Grace A. Ogot is a writer from Kenya. Her novels
have been published in magazines such as Transition, Black
Orpheus and African Presense. The author has practiced in
teaching, broadcasting relations and nursing.
The Rain Came
Grace A. Ogot
“A young woman who has now known a man must die so that
the country will have rain.”
The chief was still far froom the gate when his daughter
Oganda saw him. She ran to meet him. Breathlessly, she asked
for her father. Everyone in the village is anxiously waiting to hear
when it will rain.” Labong’o held out his hands for his daughter but
he did not say a word. Puzzled by her father’s cold attitude
Oganda ran back to the village to warn the others that the chief
was back.
The atmosphere in the village was tense and confused.
Everyone moved aimlessly and fussed in the yard without actually
doing any work. A young woman whispered to her co‐wife, “If they
have not solved this rain business today, the chief will crack.”
They had watched him getting thinner and thinner as the people
kept on pestering him. “Our cattle lie dying in the fields,” they
reported. “Soon it will be our children and then ourselves. Tell us
what to do to save our lives, oh great Chief.” So the chief had
daily prayed with the Almighty through the ancestors to deliver
them from their distress.
Instead of calling the family together and giving them the
news immediately, Labong’o went to his own hut, a sign that he
was not to be disturbed. Having replaced the shutter, he sat in the
dimly‐lit hut to contemplate.
It was no longer a question of being the chief of hunger‐
stricken people that weighed Labong’o’s heart. It was the life of
his only daughter that was at stake. At the time when Oganda
came to meet him, he saw the glittering chain shining around her
waist. The prophecy was complete. “It is Oganda, Oganda, my
only daughter, who must die so young.” Labong’o burst into tears
before finishing the sentence. The chief must not weep. Society
had declared him the bravest of men. But Labong’o did not care
any more. He assumed the position of a simple father and wept
bitterly. He loved his people, the Luo (a tribe in Northern Kenya
and Uganda), but what were the Luo for him without Oganda? Her
life had bought a new life in Labong’o’s world and he ruled better
than he could remember. How would the spirit of the village
survive his beautiful daughter? “There are so many homes and so
many parents who have daughters. Why choose this one? She is
all I have.” Labong’o spoke as if the
ancestors were there, warning him to remember his promise on
the day he was enthroned when he said aloud, before the elders,
“I will lay down life, if necessary, and the life of my household, to
save this tribe from the hands of the enemy.” “Deny! Deny! He
could hear the voice of his forefathers mocking him.
When Labong’o was made chief, he was only a young man.
Unlike his father, he ruled for many ears with only one wife. But
people rebuked him because his only wife did not bear him a
daughter. He married a second, a third, and a fourth wife. But
they all gave birth to male children. When Labong’o married a fifth
wife she bore him a daughter. They called her Oganda, meaning
“beans,” because her skin was very fair. Out of Labong’o’s twenty
children, Oganda was the only girl. Though she was the chief’s
favorite, her mother’s co‐wives swallowed their jealous feeling
and showered her with love. After all, they said, Oganda was a
female child whose days in the royal family were numbered. She
would soon marry at a tender age and leave the enviable position
to someone else.
Never in his life had he been faced with such an impossible
decision. Refusing to yield to the rainmaker’s request would mean
sacrificing the whole tribe, putting the interests of the individual
above those of the society. More than that. It would mean
disobeying the ancestors, and most probably wiping the Luo
people from the surface of the earth. On the other hand, to let
Oganda die as a ransom for the people would permanently cripple
Labong’o spiritually. He knew he would never be the same chief
again.
The words of Ndithi, the medicine man, still echoed in his
ears. “Podho, the ancestor of the Luo, appeared to me in a dream
last night, and he asked me to speak to the chief and the people,”
Ndithi had said to the gathering of tribesmen. “A young woman
who has not known a man must die so that the country may have
rain. While Podho was still talking to me, I saw a young woman
standing at the lakeside, her hands raised, above her head. Her
skin was as fair as the skin of a young deer in the wilderness. Her
tall slender figure stood as a lonely reed at the river bank. Her
sleepy eyes wore a sad look like that of a bereaved mother. She
wore a gold ring on her left ear, and a glittering brass chain
around her waist. As I still marveled at the beauty of this young
woman, Podho told me, ‘Out of all the women in this land, we
have chosen this one. Let her offer herself a sacrifice to the lake
monster! And on that day, the rain will come down in torrents. Let
everyone stay at home on that day, lest he be carried away by the
floods.’”
Outside there was a strange stillness, except for the thirsty
birds that sang lazily on the dying trees. The blinding mid‐day
heat had forced the people to retire to their huts. Not far away
from the chief’s hut, tow guards were snoring away quietly.
Labong’o removed his crown and the large eagle‐head that hung
loosely on his shoulders. He left the hut, and instead of asking
Nyabog’o the messenger to beat the drum, he went straight and
beat it himself. In not time the whole household had assembled
under the siala tree where he usually addressed them. He told
Oganda to wait a while in her grandmother’s hut.
When Labong’o stood to address his household, his voice
was hoarse and the tears choked him. He started to speak, but
words refused to leave his lips. His wives and sons knew there
was great danger. Perhaps their enemies had declared war on
them. Labong’o’s eyes were red, and they could see he had been
weeping. At last he told them. “One whom we love and treasure
must be taken away from us. Oganda is to die.” Labong’o’s voice
was so faint, that he could not hear it himself. But he continued,
“The ancestors have chosen her as a sacrifice to the lake monster
in order that we may have rain.”
For the moment, there was dead silence among the people.
They were completely stunned. As a confused murmur broke out,
Oganda’s mother fainted and was carried off to her own hut. But
the other people rejoiced. They danced around singing and
chanting, “Oganda is the lucky one to die for the people. If it is to
save the people, let Oganda go.”
In her grandmother’s hut Ogand a wondered what the whole
family were discussing about her that she could not hear. Her
grandmother’s hut was well away from the chief’s court and, much
as she strained her ears, she could not hear what was said. “it
must be marriage,” she concluded. It was an accepted custom for
the family to discuss their daughter’s future marriage behind her
back. A faint smile played on Oganda’s lips as she thought of the
several young men who swallowed saliva at the mere mention of
her name.
There was Kech, the son of a neighboring clan elder. Kech was
very handsome. He had sweet meek eyes and a roaring laughter.
He would make a wonderful father, Oganda thought. But they
would not be a good match. Kech was a bit too short to be her
husband. It would humiliate her to have to look down at Kech
each time she spoke to him. Then she thought of Dimo. The tall
young man who had already distinguished himself as a brave
warrior and an outstanding wrestler. Dimo adored Oganda, but
Oganda thought he would make a cruel husband, always
quarreling and ready to fight. No, she did not like him Oganda
fingered the glittering chain on her waist as she thought of
Osinda. A long time ago when she was quite young Osinda had
given her that chain, and instead of wearing it around her neck
several times, she wore it around her waist where it could stay
permanently. She heard her heart pounding so loudly as the
thought of him. She whispered, “Let it be you they are discussing,
Osinda, the lovely one. Come now and take me away...”
The lean figure in the doorway startled Oganda who was rapt
in thought about the man she loved. “You have frightened me,
Grandma,” said Oganda laughing. “Tell me, is it my marriage you
were discussing? You can take it from me that I won’t marry any
of them.” A smile played on her lips again. She was coaxing the
old lady to tell her quickly, to tell her they were pleased with
Osinda.
In the open space outside the excited the excited relatives
were dancing and singing. They were coming to the hut now,
each carrying a gift to put at Oganda’s feet. As their singing got
nearer Oganda was able to hear what they were saying: “It is to
save the people, if it is to give us rain, let Oganda go. Let Oganda
die for her people, and for her ancestors,” Was she mad to think
that they were singing about her? How could she die? She found
the lean figure of her grandmother barring the door. She could not
get out. The look on her grandmother’s face warned her that there
was danger around the corner. “Mother, it is not marriage then?”
Oganda asked urgently. She suddenly felt panicky like a mouse
cornered by a hungry cat. Forgetting that there was only one door
in the hut Oganda fought desperately to find another exit. She
must fight for her life. But there was none.
She closed her eyes, leapt like a wild tiger through the door,
knocking her grandmother flat to the ground. There outside in
mourning garments Labong’o stood motionless, his hands folded
at the back. He held his daughter’s hand and led her away from
the excited crowd to the little red‐painted hut where her mother
was resting. Here he broke the news officially to his daughter.
For a long time the three souls who loved on another dearly
sat in darkness. It was not good speaking. And even if they tried,
the words could not have come out. In the past they had been like
three cooking stones, sharing their burdens. Taking Oganda away
from them would leave two useless stones which would not hold a
cooking pot.
News that the beautiful daughter of the chief was to
be sacrificed to give the people rain spread across the country
like wind. At sunset the chief’s village was full of relatives and
friends who had come to congratulate Oganda. Many more were
on their way coming, carrying their gifts. They would prepare her
a big farewell feast. All these relatives thought it a great honor to
be selected by the spirits to die in order that the society may live.
“Oganda’s name will always remain a living name among us,”
they boasted.
Of course it was an honor, a great honor, for her daughter to
be chosen to die for the country. But what could she gain once
her only daughter was blown away by the wind? There were so
many other women in the land, why choose her daughter, her
only child! Had human life any meaning at all – other women had
houses full of children while she, Minya, had to lose her only child!
In the cloudless sky the moon shone brightly, and the
numerous stars glittered with a bewitching beauty. The dancers of
all age‐groups assembled to dance before Oganda, who sat close
to her mother, sobbing quietly. All these years she had been with
her people she thought she understood them. But now she
discovered that she was a stranger among them. If they loved her
as they had always professed why were they not making any
attempt to save her? Did her people really understand what it felt
like to die young? Unable to restrain her emotions any longer, she
sobbed loudly as her age‐group got up to dance. They were
young and beautiful and very soon they would marry and have
their own children. They would have husbands to love and little
huts for themselves. They would have reached maturity. Oganda
touched the chain around her waist as she thought of Osinda.
She wished Osinda was there too, among her friends. “Perhaps
he is ill,” she thought gravely. The chain comforted Oganda – she
would die with it around her waist and wear it in the underground
world.
In the morning a big feast was prepared for Oganda. The
women prepared many different tasty dishes so that she could
pick and choose. “People don’t eat after death,” they said.
Delicious though the food looked, Oganda touched none of it. Let
the happy people eat. She contented herself with sips of water
from a little calabash.
The time for her departure was drawing near, and each
minute was precious. It was a day’s journey to the lake. She was
to walk all night, passing through the great forest. She was
already anointed with sacred oil. From the time Oganda received
the sad news she had expected Osinda to appear any moment.
But he was not there. A relative told her that Osinda was away on
a private visit. Oganda realized that she would never see her
beloved again.
In the afternoon the whole village stood at the gate to say
goodbye and to see her for the last time. Her mother wept on her
neck for a long time. The great chief in a mourning skin came to
the gate bare‐footed, and mingled with the people – a simple
father in grief. He took off his wrist bracelet and put it on his
daughter’s wrist saying, “You will always live among us. The spirit
of our forefathers is with you.”
Tongue‐tied and unbelieving Oganda stood there before the
people. She had nothing to say. She looked at her home once
more. She could hear her heart beating so painfully within her. All
her childhood plans were coming to an end. She felt like a flower
nipped in the bud never to enjoy the morning dew again. She
looked at her weeping mother, and whispered, “Whenever you
want to see me, always look at the sunset. I will be there.”
Oganda turned southwards to start her trek to the lake. Her
parents, relatives,
friends and admirers stood at the gate and watched her go.
Her beautiful slender figure grew smaller and smaller till she
mingled with the thin dry trees in the forest.
As Oganda walked the lonely path that wound its way in the
wilderness, she sand a song, and her own voice kept her
company.
“The ancestors have said Oganda must die
The daughter of the chief must be sacrificed
When the lake monster feeds on my flesh
The people will have rain.
Yes, the rain will come down in torrents.
The wind will blow, the thunder will roar.
And the floods will wash away the sandy beaches
When the daughter of the chief dies in the lake.
My age‐group has consented
My parents have consented
So have my friends and relatives.
Let Oganda die to give us rain.
My age‐group are young and ripe,
Ripe for womanhood and motherhood;
But Oganda must sleep with the ancestors.
Yes, rain will come down in torrents.”
The red rays of the setting sun embraced Oganda, and she
looked like a burning candle in the wilderness. The people who
came to hear her sad song were touched by her beauty. But they
all said the same thing: “If it is to save the people, if it is to give us
rain, then be not afraid. Your name will live forever among us.”
At midnight, Oganda was tired and weary. She could walk not
more. She sat under a big tree, and having sipped water from her
calabash, she rested her head on the tree trunk and slept.
When she woke up in the morning the sun was high in the
sky. After walking for many hours, she reached the ton’, a strip of
land that separated the inhabited par of the country from the
sacred place kar-lamo. No layman could enter this place and
come out alive – only those who had direct contact with the spirits
and the Almighty were allowed to enter this holy of holies. But
Oganda had to pass through this sacred land on her way to the
lake, which she had to reach at sunset.
A large crowd gathered to see her for the last time. Her voice
was now hoarse and painful, but there was not need to worry any
more. Soon she would not have to sing. The crowd looked at
Oganda sympathetically, mumbling words she could not hear. But
none of them broke loose from the crowd, and ran towards her.
The child took a small earring from her sweaty hands and gave it
to Oganda saying, “When you reach the world of the dead, give
this earring to my sister. She died last week. She forgot this ring.”
Oganda, taken aback by the strange request, took the little ring,
and handed her precious water and food to the child. She did not
need them now. Oganda did not know whether to laugh or cry.
She had heard mourners sending their love to their sweethearts,
long dead, but his idea of sending gifts was new to her.
Oganda held her breath as she crossed the barrier to enter
the sacred land. She looked appealingly at the crowd, but there
was no response. Their minds were too preoccupied with their
own survival. Rain was the precious medicine they were longing
for, and the sooner Oganda could get to her destination the
better.
A strange feeling possessed Oganda as she picked her way
in the sacred land. There were strange noises that often startled
her, and her first reaction was to take to her heels. But she
remembered that she had to fulfill the wish of her people. She
was exhausted, but the path was still winding. Then suddenly the
path ended on sandy land. The water had retreated miles away
from the shore leaving a wide stretch of sand. Beyond this was
the vast expanse of water.
Oganda felt afraid. She wanted to picture the size and shape
of the monster, but fear would not let her. The society did not talk
about it, nor did the crying children who were silenced by the
mention of its name. The sun was still up, but it was not longer
hot. For a long time Oganda walked ankle ‐ deep in the sand. She
was exhausted and longed desperately for her calabash of water.
As she moved on, she had a strange feeling that something was
following her. Was it the monster? Her hair stood erect, and a
cold paralyzing feeling ran along her spine. She looked behind,
sideways and in front, but there was nothing, except a cloud of
dust.
Oganda began to hurry but the feeling did not leave her, and
her whole body became saturated with perspiration.
The sun was going down fast and the lake shore seemed to
move along with it.
Oganda started to run. She must be at the lake before
sunset. As she ran she heard a noise coming from behind. She
looked back sharply, and something resembling a moving bush
was frantically running after her. It was about to catch up with her.
Oganda ran with all her strength. She was now determined to
throw herself into the water even before sunset. She did not look
back, but the creature was upon her. She made an effort to cry
out, as in a nightmare, but she could not hear her own voice. The
creature caught up with Oganda. In the utter confusion, as
Oganda came face to face with the unidentified creature, a strong
hand grabbed her. But she fell flat on the ground and fainted.
When the lake breeze brought her back to consciousness, a
man was bending over her.”.......!” Oganda opened her mouth to
speak, but she had lost her voice. She swallowed a mouthful of
water poured into her mouth by the stranger.
“Osinda, Osinda! Please let me die. Let me run, the sun is
going down. Let me die, let them have rain.” Osinda fondled the
glittering chain around Oganda’s waist and wiped the tears from
her face.
“We must escape quickly to the unknown land,” Osinda
said urgently. “We must run away from the wrath of the ancestors
and the retaliation of the monster.”
Oganda broke loose, afraid to escape, but Osinda grabbed
her hands again. “Listen to me, Oganda! Listen! Here are two
coats!” He then covered the whole of Oganda’s body, except her
eyes, with a leafy attire made from twigs of Bwombwe. “These will
protect us from the eyes of the ancestors and the wrath of the
monster. Now let us run out of here.” He held Oganda’s hand and
they ran from the sacred land, avoiding the path that Oganda had
followed.
The bush was thick, and the long grass entangled their feet
as they ran. Halfway through the sacred land they stopped and
looked back. The sun was almost touching the surface of the
water. They were frightened. They continued to run, now faster to
avoid the sinking sun.
“Have faith, Oganda – that thing will not reach us.”
When they reached the barrier and looked behind them
trembling, only a tip of the sun could be seen above the water’s
surface.
“It is gone! It is gone!” Oganda wept, hiding her face in her hands.
“Weep not, daughter of the chief. Let us run, let us escape.”
There was bright lightening. They looked up, frightened. Above
them black furious clouds started to gather. They began to run.
Then the thunder roared, and the rain came down in torrents.
Unlocking of Difficulties
Study the following words and their meaning:
a. Bereaved – left saddened by someone’s death
b. Calabash – a vine of Africa and Asia, hard-shelled fruit
c. Coaxing – persuading with gentleness
d. Confused – bewildered, mistaken for another
e. Enthroned – invested with power
f. Stunned – astonished overwhelmed
Introduction
Experiences are good teachers in inculating appreciation for
life with our loved ones, interaction with the people we meet and
the admiration of nature that surrounds us. In the poem “I
Wandered Lonely As a Cloud,” the author used symbolism to
show natural beauty and rich experiences that make life worth
living.
Literary Appreciation
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
was a British poet who introduced the
English Romantic Movement after
collaborating with Samuel Taylor
Coleridge to publish Wordsworth’s first
master work, “Lyrical Ballads,” in 1798.
His greatest work is entitled “The
Prelude,” a semiautobiographical poem
of his early years. His poem, “I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” is an example of a lyric poem
inspired by an event when he and his sister came across a long
row of daffodils.
I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud
William Wordsworth
I wondered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er valleys and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee.
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company;
I gazed- and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to be had brought.
For opt, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
When is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.
Unlocking of Diffculties
Study the following words and their meanings:
1) daffodils – a species of narcissus having yellow flowers
with a long trumpet-shaped corona
2) glance – look quickly
3) toss – to throw
4) sprightly – lively
5) jocund – cheerful
6) gaze – intense look
7) opt – choose
8) pensive – quiet reflection
9) solitude – being alone
Grammar Awareness
Identifying Active Voice and Passive Voice
1) Active Voice
In an active voice, the subject is the doer of the action. The
agent is stated explicitly as the grammatical subject.
Examples:
a. They will water the growing plants.
They is the agent
They is the grammatical subject.
The growing plant is the direct object that causes
the action of the agent.
b. I put soil fertilizer to make the plants healthy.
c. I is the agent.
d. I is the grammatical subject.
e. Soil fertilizer is the direct object that causes the
action of the agent.
2) Passive Voice
The thing the agent does to something is placed as the
grammatical subject of the sentence. The agent is placed
after the subject, usually in a prepositional phrase.
Something, the agent is not mentioned.
Examples:
a. Soil was cultivated by the industrious farmers.
Soil is the receiver of the action which is used as the
subject of the sentence.
b. The landscaping was designed by the interior
decorator.
Landscaping is the subject of the sentence which is the
receiver of the action.
B.
Recognizing Punctuation Marks
Semi-colon (;)
It is essentially a mark of coordination –
a. Between two clauses when no conjunction is present
Example:
The wander ran; he fell down.
b. Between main clause when commas break up.
Example:
The people appreciated for the beautiful flow of falls,
mountains, hills, looked around for sometime, happy, and
exhausted.
c. Between clauses or other construction in a series.
Example:
We plan a project, set schedule of activities, give
responsibilities to members; well explained and detailed.
d. Before a word or phrase such as namely, for example, for
instance, that introduces explanation.
Comma (,)
The uses of comma are the following:
a. To set off certain language units from the rest of the
sentence
Example:
By the way, may I have the floor to speak?
b. To set off a nonrestrictive clause
Example:
The principal, who lives in the nearby city is very efficient.
c. To set appositive
Example:
I called the secretary, Miss Susan.
d. To set off negative appositive
Example:
I closed the doors, not the windows.
e. To set off parenthetical words and phrases
Example:
I agree, of course, it’s a good plan.
f. To set transitional words and phrases
Example:
Nevertheless, I agree with you.
g. To set off an adverbial clause at the beginning or middle of
a sentence.
h. To separate coordinate or correlative sentence parts
Example:
The job is hard, for I can’t do it.
i. To separate words, phrases, clauses that constitute a
series
Example:
I gave my mother a blouse, skirt, earring a necklace
j. To separate two or more adjectives
Example:
I enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope.
k. To indicate the omission of an element
Example:
Most of them came by scooters, the old ones by cars.
l. To set off direct quotation
Example:
“I like,” she said.
m.To separate place names
Example:
I live at 101 Frisco Street, Q.C.
n. To separate dates
Example:
I was born at January 28, 1974.
Using Proper Capitalization
We use capital letters in the following:
1) The pronoun I
Example:
I shouted so loud.
I’m ready to go to school.
You leave first and I’ll follow.
2) Months of the year and days of the week
Example:
January
Sunday
February
Monday
March
Tuesday
Literary Appreciation
An Italian author and poet of the early Renaissance
era, Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) is known to modern
readers as the author of “The Decameron” and “On
Famous Women”.
Stylistically, Boccaccio stands apart from his
contemporaries by breaking the tradition
of his times and forsaking the highmannered, idealistic depictions common
in the literature of the day. Boccaccio
elected to write with a sense of realism;
and having them interact with realistic dialogue.
depicting realistic characters and scenes
s
Federigo’s Falcon
Giovanni Boccaccio
CHARACTERS:
Federigo
Monna Giovanna
the son of Monna Giovanna
There was once in Florence a young man named Federigo,
the son of Messer Filippo Alberighi, renowned above all other
men in Tuscany for his prowess in arms and for his courtliness.
As often happens to most gentlemen, he fell in love with a lady
named Monna Giovanna, in her day considered to be one of the
most beautiful and one of the most charming women that ever
there was in Florence; and in order to win her love, he
participated in jousts and tournaments, organized and gave
feasts, and spent his money without restraint; but she, no less
virtuous than beautiful, cared little for these things done on her
behalf, nor did she care for him who did them. Now, as Federigo
was spending far beyond his means and was taking nothing in, as
easily happens he lost his wealth and became poor, with nothing
but his little farm to his name (from whose revenues he lived very
meagerly) and one falcon which was among the best in the world.
More in love than ever, but knowing that he would never be
able to live the way he wished to in the city, he went to live at
Campi, where his farm was. There he passed his time hawking
whenever he could, asked nothing of anyone, and endured his
poverty patiently. Now, during the time that Federigo was reduced
to dire need, it happened that the husband of Monna Giovanna
fell ill, and realizing death was near, he made his last will. He was
very rich, and he made his son, who was growing up, his heir,
and, since he had loved Monna Giovanna very much, he made
her his heir should his son die without a legitimate heir; and then
he died.
Monna Giovanna was now a widow, and as is the custom
among our women, she went to the country with her son to spend
a year on one of her possessions very close by to Federigo’s
farm, and it happened that this young boy became friends with
Federigo and began to enjoy birds and hunting dogs; and after he
had seen Federigo’s falcon fly many times, it pleased him so
much that he very much wished it were his own, but he did not
dare to ask for it, for he could see how dear it was to Federigo.
And during this time, it happened that the young boy took ill, and
his mother was much grieved, for he was her only child and she
loved him enormously. She would spend the entire day by his
side, never ceasing to comfort him, and often asking him if there
was anything he desired, begging him to tell her what it might be,
for if it were possible to obtain it, she would certainly do
everything possible to get it. After the young boy had heard her
make this offer many times, he said:
“Mother, if you can arrange for me to have Federigo’s
falcon, I think I would be well very soon.”
When the lady heard this, she was taken aback for a
moment, and she began to think what she should do. She knew
that Federigo had loved her for a long while, in spite of the fact
that he never received a single glance from her, and so, she said
to herself:
“How can I send or go and ask for this falcon of his which is,
as I have heard tell, the best that ever flew, and besides this, his
only means of support? And how can I be so insensitive as to
wish to take away from this gentleman the only pleasure which is
left to him?”
Finally the love she bore her son persuaded her that she
should make him happy, and no matter what the consequences
might be, she would not send for the bird, but rather go herself for
it and bring it back to him; so she answered her son:
“My son, take comfort and think only of getting well, for I
promise you that the first thing I shall do tomorrow morning is to
go for it and bring it back to you.”
The child was so happy that he showed some improvement
that very day. The following morning, the lady, accompanied by
another woman, as if going for a stroll, went to Federigo’s modest
house and asked for him. Since it was not the season for it,
Federigo had not been hawking for some days and was in his
orchard, attending to certain tasks. When he heard that Monna
Giovanna was asking for him at the door, he was very surprised
and happy to run there. As she saw him coming, she greeted him
with feminine charm, and once Federigo had welcomed her
courteously, saying:
“Greetings, Federigo!” Then she continued: “I have come to
compensate you for the harm you have suffered on my account
by loving me more than you needed to; and the compensation is
this: I, along with this companion of mine, intend to dine with
you—a simple meal—this very day.”
To this Federigo humbly replied: “Madonna, I never remember
having suffered any harm because of you. On the contrary, so
much good have I received from you that if ever I have been
worth anything, it has been because of your merit and the love I
bore for you; and your generous visit is certainly so dear to me
that I would spend all over again that which I spent in the past; but
you have come to a poor host.”
Having said this, he received her into his home humbly, and
from there he led her into his garden.
Federigo, until now, had never before realized to what extent
he had wasted his wealth; but this morning, the fact that he found
nothing with which he could honor the lady for the love of whom
he had once entertained countless men in the past gave him
cause to reflect. In great anguish, he cursed himself and his
fortune and, like a man beside himself, he started running here
and there, but could find neither money nor a pawnable object.
The hour was late and his desire to honor the gracious lady was
great, but not wishing to turn for help to others (not even to his
own workman), he set his eyes upon his good falcon, perched in
a small room; and since he had nowhere else to turn, he took the
bird, and finding it plump, he decided that it would be a worthy
food for such a lady. So, without further thought, he wrung its
neck and quickly gave it to his servant girl to pluck, prepare, and
place on a spit to be roasted with care; and when he had set the
table with the whitest of tablecloths (a few of which he still had
left), he returned, with a cheerful face, to the lady in his garden,
saying that the meal he was able to prepare for her was ready.
The lady and her companion rose, went to the table together
with Federigo, who waited upon them with the greatest devotion,
and they ate the good falcon without knowing what it was they
were eating. And having left the table and spent some time in
pleasant conversation, the lady thought it time now to say what
she had come to say, and so she spoke these kind words to
Federigo:
“Federigo, if you recall your past life and my virtue, which
you perhaps mistook for harshness and cruelty, I do not doubt at
all that you will be amazed by my presumption when you hear
what my main reason for coming here is; but if you had children,
through whom you might have experienced the power of parental
love, it seems certain to me that you would, at least in part,
forgive me. But, just as you have no child, I do have one, and I
cannot escape the common laws of other mothers; the force of
such laws compels me to follow them, against my own will and
against good manners and duty, and to ask of you a gift which I
know is most precious to you; and it is naturally so, since your
extreme condition has left you no other delight, no other pleasure,
no other consolation; and this gift is your falcon, which my son is
so taken by that if I do not bring it to him, I fear his sickness will
grow so much worse that I may lose him. And therefore I beg you,
not because of the love that you bear for me, which does not
oblige you in the least, but because of your own nobility, which
you have shown to be greater than that of all others in practicing
courtliness, that you be pleased to give it to me, so that I may say
that I have saved the life of my son by means of this gift, and
because of it I have placed him in your debt forever.”
When he heard what the lady requested and knew that he
could not oblige her since he had given her the falcon to eat,
Federigo began to weep in her presence, for he could not utter a
word in reply. The lady, at first, thought his tears were caused
more by the sorrow of having to part with the good falcon than by
anything else, and she was on the verge of telling him she no
longer wished it, but she held back and waited for Federigo’s
reply after he stopped weeping. And he said:
“My lady, ever since it pleased God for me to place my love
in you, I have felt that Fortune has been hostile to me in many
things, and I have complained of her, but all this is nothing
compared to what she has just done to me, and I must never be
at peace with her again, thinking about how you have come here
to my poor home where, while it was rich, you never deigned to
come, and you requested a small gift, and Fortune worked to
make it impossible for me to give it to you; and why this is so I
shall tell you briefly. When I heard that you, out of your kindness,
wished to dine with me, I considered it fitting and right, taking into
account your excellence and your worthiness, that I should honor
you, according to my possibilities, with a more precious food than
that which I usually serve to other people; therefore, remembering
the falcon that you requested and its value, I judged it a food
worthy of you, and this very day you had it roasted and served to
you as best I could; but seeing now that you desired it in another
way, my sorrow in not being able to serve you is so great that I
shall never be able to console myself again.”
After he had said this, he laid the feathers, the feet, and the
beak of the bird before her as proof. When the lady heard and
saw this, she first reproached him for having killed such a falcon
to serve as a meal to a woman; but then to herself she
commended the greatness of his spirit, which no poverty was able
or would be able to diminish; then, having lost all hope of getting
the falcon and, perhaps because of this, of improving the health of
her son as well, she thanked Federigo both for the honor paid to
her and for his good will, and she left in grief, and returned to her
son. To his mother’s extreme sorrow, either because of his
disappointment that he could not have the falcon, or because his
illness must have necessarily led to it, the boy passed from this
life only a few days later.
After the period of her mourning and bitterness had passed,
the lady was repeatedly urged by her brothers to remarry, since
she was very rich and was still young. She said to her brothers:
“I would prefer to remain a widow, if that would please you;
but if you wish me to take a husband, you may rest assured that I
shall take no man but Federigo degli Alberighi.”
In answer to this, making fun of her, her brothers replied:
“You foolish woman, what are you saying? How can you
want him; he hasn’t a penny to his name?”
To this she replied: “My brothers, I am well aware of what
you say, but I would rather have a man who needs money than
money that needs a man.”
Seeing that she was determined and knowing Federigo to be
of noble birth, no matter how poor he was, accepted her wishes
and gave her in marriage to him with all her riches. When he
found himself the husband of such a great lady, whom he had
loved so much and who was so wealthy besides, he managed his
financial affairs with more prudence than in the past and lived with
her happily the rest of his days.
Unlocking of difficulties
Study the following words and their meaning.
 jousts – combat on horseback between two knights with
lances especially as a part of a tournament
 meagerly – not having enough of something such as money
or food
 dire – very bad
 wrung – to twist and break
 deigned – to do something that you think you should not
have t do because you are too important
 falcon – a type of hawk that can fly very fast and is
sometimes trained to hunt
 prudence – careful good judgment that allowed someone to
avoid dangers or risks