Read the Oral Narrative below and then answer the questions that follow:
Mola had two wives. The first wife was faithful and had borne him children. The second wife was a fickle woman, greedy and jealous. Now Mola had taken a third wife, who admired him as a great chief. She was so devoted to him that she praised him even while she worked. Whatever she was doing, grinding, pounding, or harvesting, she would praise his name in songs like this one:
Mola my husband is great like my father. Mola my master, a lion in the hills. When he is away, I scan the hill slopes. His strength crushes me like the eagle crushing a buck’s shoulder blade. I am the field for his hoe, the soil waiting for the first rains. I hang like a liana from the mighty branches of a forest-giant. I find shelter in his presence like the velvet monkey in the thick foliage. Of the mahogany tree. I am my Mola’s mola; I fit round his strong arm. I am like the bats hanging from the ceiling of the caves in the rocks. He is the rock that no spear can kill… The second wife was annoyed with these praises for a husband who did not, she felt, give her enough presents. What was worse, the singing pleased her husband so much that he lavished most of his attentions on the third wife. So the second wife decided to sing him a song of her own. Mola, my brother, be silent in the mountain ………… It contained many more lines one could not understand. Mola began to sink into the ground, like a tree in a flood. At last he disappeared altogether, and the earth covered him altogether, and earth covered his head. The first and third wives began to wail loudly. Mola found himself in the land below. He traveled along a path until he came to copse. He decided to build a house there, but as soon as he started cutting a tree, all the trees began to cry for help. So he walked on. Then he came to a forest where he found hundreds of mushrooms. He collected large numbers until he was suddenly surrounded by the king’s soldiers, who accused him of stealing the royal herd. He said: “I was only collecting mushrooms.” He opened his bags and found animals. He emptied his bag and the animals tuned into mushrooms again. He looked at the soldiers but he saw only trees. He went on and met an old woman. She said, “guard my millet field while I am away. But do not try to catch the birds, just chase them by shouting.” She vanished and at once a flock of orange birds descended and began to eat the millet. He burnt his fingers and went away. Behind a bush he met a great lion who told him” “You are trespassing in my kingdom, but if you bring me the fire, I will give you half of my cattle.” Mola went on and found lightning, who was sitting in an old tree. He concluded a pact of friendship with lightning, who gave him a flaming torch. Mola brought the torch to King Lion, who was so pleased that he gave him cows. Suddenly, he heard the voice of his mother crying and complaining: Oh my son, who always worked for me, he used to hoe my fields! Alas for his mother! Who will now harvest my millet for me? I am old and weak!” When Mola heard this he asked permission of the lion to return to his own country, because his old mother urgently needed help with the crops. The lion agreed that this was a valid reason and called his guards to guide Mola to the door. The guards showed him a cave and Mola drove his cattle through the narrow opening. He found himself in the bushes at the foot of the hill not far from his own village. He drove the cows to his own Kraal. There was a great rejoicing in his compound, when the children saw him they raced out to meet him. The hunting dogs yelped around him. The news soon spread; Mola has come back from the underworld a rich man. His mother said: “Chase away that evil woman who bewitched you.” The villagers stoned the second wife. The third wife took her nanga, a stringed instrument and sang: My husband has come back from the land of graves. He lives again like fire in the morning …………………. Questions
a)Giving two reasons, explain why this narrative could be classified as a legend.(2mks)
................................... b)Identify the oral features evident in the story. (4mks) ………………………………………………………………………… c) “Mola has come back from the underworld a rich man.” Explain the irony in this statement. (2mks) ……………………………………………………… d)Describe the character of the second wife and show how it affects the events of the story. (3mks) …………………………………………………………… e)From what happened to Mola later, how would you interpret the line: “Mola, my brother, be silent in the mountain …..” (1mk) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… f)With clear illustrations, identify any other figures of speech used in the narrative. (4mks) …………………………………………………………… g)Explain the attitude of the third wife towards her husband.(2mks) ……………………………………………………………… h)What can we learn about the values of this community?(2mks) ……………………………………………………………………… ANSWERS
(a) It is about a hero.
- No opening oral formulae - No closing formulae (any2x1 = 2mks) (b) Use of fantasy√– (illogical happenings) e.g. a song causing a man to sink in the ground. Use of songs– the song of the third and second wife. Personification - trees began to cry for help. - The lion who spoke - Lightning who gave him … (any two well illustrated features = 2x2 = 4mks) (no identification, no mark) (c) The second wife expected that Mola would perish but he comes back a rich man√. (2mks) (d) Jealous / treacherous / malicious √(1mk)….. be silent in the mountain … √(1mk) Her treacherous / jealousy / malicious nature makes her sing a song that makes her husband sink in the underground and after many encounters in the underworld he eventually comes back from the underworld rich (e) She bewitched him / she cast a spell on him. √(1mk) (f) Metaphors (1mk) “A lion in the hills” (1mk) “I am the field of his lire” “The rock that no spear can kill.” Simile (1mk) “I hang like a liana from the mighty bananas” (1mk) “I find shelter like a velvet monkey in the thick foliage.” (identification 1mk, illustration 1mk, no identification no mark) (g) Attitude Loving / admirational (1mk) relevant illustration e.g. “He is the rock that no spear can kill…” (1mk) - Always praised the husband in songs. (should identify the attitude before illustrating for it to score) (h) The community upholds hard-work, love, friendship, peace and harmony and would severely punish anyone going against these values e.g. the second wife. (Any two values, 1mk each = 2mks) Related Searches
2 Comments
2/5/2023 13:05:12
1.what are the features of speech in the third wife's first song? 2.how does polygamy affects molas family? 3.what are the 2 economic activities depicted in tho narrative?4.why should the second wife have been stoned?
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