The King and Two Poor Men
Read the passage below and answer the questions.
There was once in a town, a King and some people, two of them very poor men. Those poor men loved each other very much. One day, one of them told the other, ‘My brother, we have lived for a long time since we were young, until now we are old, we have not had children!’ The other one told him, ‘God will offer us children.’ Soon enough, their wives became pregnant.
They carried their pregnancies until each gave birth to a son. One of the men asked the other, ‘Now both of our wives have given birth, what will you call your son?’. The other told him, ‘I will call mine Nia Moja’. He then asked the other, ‘And what name will you give to yours?’ The other said, ‘I will call mine Nia Mbili!’ They brought up their children until they became adults. Soon both of the fathers fell ill, and after some time, they both died. The two Sons buried their fathers,completed funeral rites and stayed with their mothers until the mothers also fell ill, and died after sometime. After their deaths, Nia Mbili told his companion.‘My brother, we had better leave this place because if we stay, we will be too much in grief. Therefore, prepare your food and I will prepare mine, and then we will leave!’ Nia Moja agreed. They both prepared sweet meats and packed them in their bags together with gourds of water. They left home and travelled for a long time through forests and wasteland and when they reached a certain place, Nia Moja told his companion, ‘Brother, let us rest here and eat our food.’ But the other said, ‘Oh my brother, if we eat both packets, they will get finished. Let us first eat your food and drink your water, and when they get finished, we will eat mine.’ Nia Moja agreed and they ate his food. When they finished they rested and started on the journey again. They travelled for a long time, until darkness fell, and they ate the rest of Nia Moja’s food and slept. In the morning Nia Moja told his companion, ‘My brother, let us eat your food now.’ But Nia Mbili said, ‘No, let’s go, we will eat later.’ They travelled until it was midday. ‘My brother,’ said Nia Moja, ‘bring the food, even if it is that water.’ Again Nia Mbili said ‘Aaaha. I am telling you, let’s go.’ They travelled on until darkness fell again. Nia Moja, tired and hungry now said, ‘Oh my brother, I can’t move on any more because of the thirst I am feeling.’ Nia Mbili told him, ‘If you really want to eat, bring those eyes of yours, I take them out.’ ‘I don’t want food, I just want water. Take off my eyes but give me water!’ said Nia Moja. He told him, ‘Alright, without doubt.’ He took a knife and took out his companion’s eyes and threw them down, and told him, ‘Sit there with your stupidity! You call yourself Nia Moja, good-bye then!’ He then went away. Nia Moja cried for a long time until it became very dark. He heard the wind roaring, and a little while later, big birds flying overhead. They cried, ‘Mother tell us, mother tell us,’ and the mother of the birds told them, ‘My children, what can I tell you? These events are full of wonder. That is Nia Moja whose eyes have been taken out by Nia Mbili. If he knew, he would have rubbed some leaves on his eyes and he would get his sight.’ And the birds flew away. Nia Moja stroked about gently and found the leaves. He squeezed them and rubbed his eyes and soon he could see. He said, ‘Aha, now I have become a medicine man!’ He plucked some of the leaves and filled his bag with them. He traveled for a long time and finally came to a hut belonging to an old woman who asked him, ‘My child, where are you coming from?’ He said, ‘I know where I am coming from but I don’t know where I am going to.’ He added, ‘I, grandmother, am a medicine man; I treat those people who have lost their sight!’ And the old woman said, ‘Oh my son, here we don’t pound, we don’t sweep or make iron sheets because the King’s child is blind! ‘Mmm,’ said Nia Moja. ‘I can treat the child!’ The grand old woman anxiously waited for dawn and in the morning she ran to the King’s palace and knocked. She was welcomed and she said, ‘I have come to bring you news. Those who are blind can get their sight.’ When the King was called and told of this news he said, ‘I have employed valuable medicine men with their medicines and they could not cure my child, how can this one succeed?’ The old woman said, ‘Oh King, don’t be doubtful, this one will cure your child!’ The King said, ‘Then bring him, but his head will be at my mercy if my child does not see’ Nia Moja was called and he said, ‘I don’t refuse, but let the child sleep on a sack of rice and in the morning cook the rice and call many people for a party. Then, I will come and treat him!’ That night the child slept on a sack of rice and in the morning a party was held. And even we, did not cook anymore, we went to eat at the King’s palace. When we reached there the party was opened, and the King himself was given food inside. Nia Moja then squeezed those leaves and rubbed them on the eyes of the blind child and the child could see. He asked the child, ‘Who do you see?’ Am I a white person or a black one?’ and the child said, ‘A black person.’ He took the child outside where thousands of people were gathered and he told the child, ‘Show me your mother.’ And the child did so, and also the father. Nia Moja gave the child a needle and thread and asked the child to thread it. This was done. The King exclaimed, ‘Ah! My child can see!’ A cannon was fired, and a wedding arranged. Nia Moja was made the King. He stayed for a long time until one day he saw a beggar from up where he was and he sent for the beggar to come. When the beggar was brought to him he gave orders. ‘Bathe him, give him food and a nice place to sleep.’ The beggar stayed there for a period of seven days and on the eighth, Nia Moja said, ‘Cook food, I want to eat with that poor man. ‘When the food was ready they sat down and ate. When they finished Nia Moja) asked the beggar, ‘Well, do you know me?’ and the beggar said, ‘No, Lord, I don’t know you.’ Then Nia Moja said, ‘How many were you when you left home?’ He said, “We were two, my brother, Nia Moja died on the way.’‘Aha,’ said Nia Moja. ‘Nia Moja was your brother, but he died on the way, eh?’ The beggar said, ‘Yes.’ They continued, ‘Then I am Nia Moja, the one whose eyes you took off.’ The beggar shouted, ‘Oh! So it is you? Then take me there so that you give me eyes and kingship and wealth.’ Nia Moja took Nia Mbili, the beggar, where he had been left and did the same to him and then returned home. At night those big birds came. ‘Mother tell us, mother tell us,’ and the mother told them, ‘What can I tell you, me your mother, eh? Give me that wealth and kingship!’ he said. The big birds came down and ate Nia Mbili. When Nia Moja came to check, he found leftovers. Nia Mbili had been eaten. He returned to his kingship and lived happily and comfortably thereafter. My story ends there. Questions
(a) Identify three aspects in this story that are characteristics of oral narratives.(3mks) ………………………………………………
(b) What does this story reveal to us about the beliefs of the community? (2mks) ……………………………… (c) What role do the birds play in this story? (2mks) ……………………………… (d) With illustrations from the story, give one economic, one social and one political activity that the people in the community practice. (3mks) ……………………………………………………… (e) Describe the character of Nia Moja, Nia Mbili and the King. (6mks) ……………………………………… (f) What lesson do you learn from what happens to Nia Mbili.(2mks) …………………………………… (g) Rewrite the following sentence in reported speech.(1mk) The beggar shouted “oh! so it is you? Then take me there so that you give me eyes and kinship and wealth ……………………………………………… (h) Supply a question tag:“My story ends there,……………………? ANSWERS
a) Aspects of the story that are characteristic of oral narratives.
- Opening formula – There was once……….. - Closing formular – My story ends there. - Use of animal characters with human attributes. - It has an element of fantasy i.e a blind man whose eyes have been removed regaining his sight. - Use of idiophones and repetition. - Direct translation e.g what can I tell you, me your mother. - Use of dialogue/conversation.(any 3 aspects, = 3mks) b) The community believes that it is God who gives children. Evil befalls a person who treats another badly.(Award 2marks for any of the two possible answers.) c) The birds are bearers of good news and good fortunes for those who deserve. They also act to mete punishment to those who deserve it, like Nia Mbili,.(Award 2 marks.) d) - Economic activities - Farming – bag of rice. - Hunting or livestock keeping – meat. - Black smithing – knife. Social activities. - Marriage. - Burial of the dead. Political activities. - The king and his rule. (any one well illustrated activity = 1mk (3x1 = 3mks) e) Nia moja. - Loyal and trusting to his friend – he accepts that they eat his food first, believing that the friend will do the same. - Kind – hearted – invites a beggar and gives food although the beggar turns out to be Nia Mbili, he still wants to help him. - Skillful – treats the king’s child of his blindness. Nia mbili. - Selfish and mean – tricks his friend out of his food and sight. - Cruel – he leaves his friend Nia moja alone after he removed his eyes. - Greedy – he wants to be as wealthy as Nia moja. King. - He’s firm and determined. Has employed many medicine men to cure his son on his own terms. -He is generous and appreciating. He gives Nia moja a wife and his kinship after he cures his son. N.B Identification = 1mk, illustration = 1mk (1x2 = 2mks x3 = 6mks) f) We learn that evil committed to others may one day come back to us./ Those who are kind and generous/helpful are always rewarded.(must be positive. If negative, score 0 mk) (accept any of the two options above score 2mks) g) Reported speech: The beggar exclaimed that it was me and asked/requested to be taken there to be given eyes, kingship and wealth. h) My story ends there, doesn’t it? ( wrong punctuation = 0mks) Related Searches
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