The Ogre and the New Mother
A long time ago, there was a pregnant woman whose husband had gone to work in a distant land. He was a blacksmith. This woman got a baby and an ogre played mid-wife to her. He also played the role of her nurse, cooking for her and gathering firewood. Every time the ogre came back from the forest with firewood, he would pretend to offer the food to her saying:” Wagaciari nduke tuhiuhio” (Newly delivered mother, take this delicacy). But before she could reach the food, he would withdraw it saying:” Warega ngaria.” He then munched down the food himself He would repeat the same with gruel saying,:”Wagaciari nduke gacuru. Warega nganywa.” And drank it himself This practice continued and the nursing mother became very thin and weak. The ogre himself became fat and sleek. In those days, women used to put out castor seeds to dry in the sun. Doves used to come and steal these seeds. So one day, the woman talked to one of the doves saying: “You dove, you have eaten all my castor seeds. Now, if I ask you to carry out a small errand for me, can you do it?” “Yes, I can,” answered the dove. “Right, I would like you to fly to the land of the blacksmiths and once you get there, pass the following message: Muthuri uguturai I say, oh you blacksmith Cangarara- il- ca Cangarara- I- ca Turatura narua- iI Hasten to finish whatever you’re doing Cangarara- iI- ca Cangarara- I- ca Mukaguo niaachiarire-i Your wife is with child Cangarara- i- ca Cangarara- i- ca Agiciaithio ni irimu- I An ogre is playing nurse to her Cangarara- I- ca C’angarara- i- ca Ekwiruo nduke tuhiuhio-I She’s being offered food Cángarara- i: ca Cangarara- I- ca Na warega ngaria-I But the ogre eats it all Cangarara- iI- ca Cangarara- i- ca The dove did as she was told. When she got to the place where blacksmiths were working, she sang the song. The blacksmiths heard the dove’s song and asked each other,” Who left his wife expecting a child?” One of them confessed he had and so the others asked him to go and find out what was going on at home.When he got home, he found that his wife had given birth to a baby boy but the mother was very thin and weak. She told the husband the whole story and how ogre was eating all her food and tormenting her. By this time, the ogre was in the forest gathering firewood. The husband sharpened his spear and hid himself in the house.Presently, the ogre came home with a load of firewood on his back. He dropped thefirewood with a thud and malevolently rebuked the nursing mother: “Wagaciairi urogua namururumo ucio.”(Newly delivered mother, may you fall with a similar thud!) The nursing mother answered back, “O nawe urogua.” (You too!) The ogre was surprised. He said,” You surprise me with your arrogance today. Could it be that the blacksmith has come back?” The woman’s husband was very angry. He could see all that was going on from his hiding place. Even before the ogre had finished talking about the gruel, the husband stood up, took aim and speared the ogre in the mouth knocking him flat on the floor.Before he died, the’ ogre cried with aloud voice saying. “It is just as I had said. The sojourners have come back. Oh dear me I am dying because of my greed!”And with these words he died. There ends my story. But may I not end with it. Questions
2.
(i) What are the two major themes of this story ? (4mks.) …………………………………………………………………………… (ii) Explain two-character traits of the ogre as brought out in this story. (4mks.) (iii) Explain how African authenticity is maintained in this story. (2mks.) ……………………………………………………………………… (iv) With specific reference to this story, explain what the ogre symbolizes. (2mks.) ………………………………………………………………… (v)Identify two moral lessons that are evident in this story. (4mks.) …………………………………………………………………………… (vi)What aspects of this story qualify it as an oral narrative ? (4mks.) ……………………………………………………… ANSWERS
(i) Greed √1 – the orgre was greed that he would only eat the food alone.
- he also admitted that he was dying because of his greed √1 Irresponsibility – the ogre was killed because of his lack of responsibility √1 - the ogre frustrated the woman because the husband had failed to be responsible. (ii) Greedy √1 – he denied the newly delivered mother food, and ate alone √1 Unkind √1 – he was not generous with the food to the lady √1 Sarcastic √1 – he sarcastically mocked the woman every time food was ready √1 (any 2 1mk ill 1mk ill x 2 = 4mks) (iii) use of vernacular√1 – the original language (Gikuyu) is maintained where translation is impossible. √1 Song √1 – the song the dove sang to the blacksmiths √1 (any 1 1mk 1d + 1mk ill x 1= 2mks) (iv) Evil/greed √1 – minded only his welfare and ate all the food without considering the newly delivered woman. √1 (v) (a) Greed can lead to one’s downfall √1- due to the ogre’s greed, he got trapped and killed √1 (b) Irresponsibility can bring trouble √1 – the woman’s husband was irresponsible in leaving the wife alone hence the ogre took advantage and frustrated her √1 N/B – accept any other apt moral lesson. (vi) (a) Opening formulae √1 – a long time ago √ ½ - signals the beginning √ ½ of the story (b) Closing formulae √1 – there ends my story √ ½ - signals the end √ ½ of the story. (c) Personification √1 – the ogre conversing √ ½ - this makes the story interesting √ ½ (d) Timelessness √1 – a long time ago √ ½ - story fits to be told any other time √ ½ Related Searches
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