The Wise Man and His Sons
A long time ago there was a wise old man who was respected throughout Kenya because of his wisdom. When he grew old and feeble and realized that his days were coming to an end, he called his six sons to his bedside to deliver his will. ‘My dear sons,’ he said, ‘I am growing weak and old, and one of these days am going to die and leave you to take care of my wealth and perpetuate this family. I have great confidence in you, but I want to warn you that unless you live in unity and harmony you could easily get destroyed by your enemies.’ ‘We promise you father,’ they replied, ‘that we shall live in unity, and we shall uphold the respect you gained over the years, and we shall take care of this family and defend our property.’ ‘Once upon a time,’ he began, ‘cows lived in the wilderness like other wild beasts. They grazed in the jungle in large herds and were not afraid of the other animals. But they were constantly attacked by the other strong beasts like lions, leopards, elephants and when the cows realized that they could not live in peace in the jungle, they decided to seek help from men. They all agreed to live under the protection of men except for three stupid sister cows. Their names were Ndune (Red), Nyange (White), and Nguno (hornless). Ndune was as red as ochre and her eyes were fierce and had sparks like fire when she was angry. Her horns were long, sharp, and strong and she could scare any beast. Ndune was loved by her sisters dearly. Nyange had a white coat, as white as snow. She also had fierce horns, but looked more peaceful than Ndune, and was not so much feared, but when she was angry her white fur became whiter, and blinding to other animals. Nguno looked like a clown without horns, and annoyed other animals who regarded her as an abnormal creature of God who should not be attacked. ‘I think you know this story,’ he said ‘Yes,’ they replied, ‘but please continue, father.’ ‘One day lion, who was very clever, decided to divide the three sister cows, kill them one by one, and eat them. Lion had tried to catch them before. But the three cows had fought and killed many beasts. Nyange and Nguno would charge their assailant from back and front while Ndune would come from the side and, with her sharp fierce horns, fierce the enemy’s stomach, tear it open, and kill him instantly. Lion could not kill any of them unless he divided them and attached them separately. ‘So one day the clever lion went and spoke to Ndune. He told her that she was respected in the jungle for her fierce horns and her beautiful red coat. He told her that if she lived apart from her sisters she would never be attacked by anyone. She would be made the duchess of the whole jungle kingdom. Her sisters were very ugly and annoying and that is why the three of them were constantly attacked. Ndune was very much tempted to leave her sisters when she heard what the clever lion told her. Next the lion went to Nyange and praised her beauty. He told her that she was born a peacemaker because of her white coat, and that she should have spent much of her time seeking peace in the jungle. He told her that if she left her fierce and domineering sister Ndune, and also avoid the company of her monstrous and abnormal sister Nguno, then lion would make her the beauty queen of the jungle and find her a good husband there. Nyange was flattered and started to think about the idea of living apart from her sisters. ‘Finally the lion went to see Nguno. He told her that she was the most peaceful cow that ever existed, and that she was highly respected for her elegant hornless head. It was risky on her part to live with her sisters who were constantly attacked by savage beasts because of their fierce horns and their provocative coats. Lion promised to protect Nguno if she deserted her sisters at once. Nguno, who was getting tired of fighting ceaseless battles was happy about this friendly gesture, and at once decided to desert her sisters without pausing to think it over.’ ‘No sooner did she leave her sisters than she was caught by lion and killed. ‘Nyange also slipped away from Ndune the following day and went to look for lion so that she could be made the jungle queen of beauty. She too was caught and killed. Now Ndune was left alone, and she was also caught and killed. That was the fate of the three stupid cows. Had they continued to live together in unity, they would have lived.’ ‘It is a very good story, father,’ said the six sons,’ and it has a great lesson in it. We shall continue to live in unity.’‘ Good, my sons,’ the old man continued, ‘I am very pleased to hear that, and I know that you will not let me down. I have one more example to show you, come closer.’ At this point he showed them six sticks, equal in size. He gave one to each of the sons. ‘Break them in two, please,’ he commanded. The sons broke the sticks at one go. He asked them to break them into smaller bits, and this they did. Then he produced a bundle to his sons, and asked to pass it to one another, to examine it closely and see how it was bound. Then he asked them to break the bundle, and they all tried one after the other. None of them could manage to break the bundle, and he took it back intact. ‘You see, my sons,’ each one of you is like these cows or these sticks,’ he said. ‘If you are not united you will be destroyed like the three cows that were devoured by lion, or like the six sticks you have just destroyed. But if you stay together like this bundle of sticks, you will defeat your enemies, and you will be able to protect your property and sustain this family.’ ‘Yes, father,’ replied his sons, ‘unity is strength and we shall always remain united.’ Questions
a)Identify any three features of an oral narrative found in this story (3 marks)
…………………………………………………… b)Identify and classify the two types of narratives in this story. (2 marks) …………………………………………………………… c)What tactic does the lion use to separate the cows? (2 marks) ………………………………………………………………………… d)Briefly describe the character trait of the three cows. (2 marks) …………………………………………………………………………… e)Give two reasons why the old man uses the two illustrations to make his point clear instead of using one. (3 marks) ………………………………………………………………………… f)Give two saying, one similar to and one contrasting to the one used in the story. (2 marks) …………………………………………… g)Identify and show the effectiveness of any two styles in the story; apart from the one in (f)above.(2marks) …………………………… g)How would you make rendition of this narrative lively? (2 marks) ……………………………………………………………………… g)Which are the social-economic activities of the given community? (1 mark) ……………………………………… ANSWERS
- Opening formula
Personification Fantasy - there is a moral lesson where unity is emphasized. `Timeless (Any three x 1 = 3 marks) a) - Human tales- the wise man was with his son. - Trickster- the lion tricked the 3 cow - Fable- animal characters are used b) Divide and rule- he separated the three and kills them Flattery- he flattered them by appealing for their traits and killed them. c) Gullible- are easily cheated by the lion Foolish- easily cheated by the lion Vain/naïve- are flattered and easily fall into the trap d) Repetition creates emphasize on the need for unity. - The first story shows how unity helped the cows even when they foolishly refused to seek man’s help - The second story shows that the sticks are easily to break individually not as a bundle e) i. Many hands make light work ii. Divided we fall, united we stand Too many cooks spoil the broth f) i. Dialogue – breaks the monotony of narration and creates authenticity ii. Proverbs- to show the wisdom the father is imparting on the sons iii. Allegory story within a story / extended metaphor iv. Imagery/ simile- sons compared to sticks individually and collectively showing str3ength v. narration- used to present different aspects i.e. first, second and third person point of view g) - involve the audience by making them break the sticks individually - use props/ accompaniments e.g. costumes like a stool for the old man - Dramatization of the actions in walking away and breaking sticks - Tonal variation/mimicry of different characters h) pastoralism- animal keeping (cows) Father advising sons (social activities) Related Searches
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AuthorMAURICE A NYAMOTI |
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