Unit 4 - Supplementary: The Aged Mother

Unit 4 - Supplementary: The Aged Mother - Book Back Exercises

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A. Rearrange the following sentences in the correct sequence

The correct sequence of events is:

1. Once in Shining, a cruel ruler declared that all old people must be put to death.
2. A farmer decided to leave his old mother on top of a mountain.
3. The mother dropped the small twigs as markers on the way to help her son return.
4. When the farmer bade farewell, she advised him to return home with the aid of twigs.
5. The son made up his mind to take back his mother home.
6. Filled with dread, he hid his mother in his home.
7. Using the clever idea of his mother, the farmer made a rope of ashes.
8. The governor realized his mistake and abolished the law.

B. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences

1. What was the cruel announcement made by the leader? The cruel announcement made by the leader was a proclamation ordering that all aged people in the entire province must be immediately put to death.

2. Why was the farmer filled with sorrow? The farmer was filled with sorrow because he loved his aged mother with tender reverence, and the governor's mandate required him to put her to death.

3. What were the things carried by the farmer to the summit of the mountain? The farmer carried a quantity of unwhitened rice, which was cooked, dried, and tied in a square cloth, and a gourd filled with cool, sweet water to the mountain's summit.

4. Why did the mother become anxious as they climbed up the mountain? The mother became anxious because her son did not know the mountain's many paths, and she feared that his return journey might be dangerous for him.

5. What did the mother drop along the way? The mother quietly dropped tiny piles of twigs every few steps of the way as they climbed.

6. What was the advice given by his mother for the safe return of her son? Her mother advised him to look carefully and follow the path which holds the piles of twigs, as they would guide him back to the familiar path.

7. Why did the farmer’s burden seem to be light on his way back home? The farmer's burden seemed light on his way back home because he had decided to bring his mother back to their hut instead of abandoning her, filling him with a renewed sense of purpose.

8. Where did the farmer hide his mother? The farmer hid his mother beneath the kitchen floor in a walled closet, which was covered and hidden from view.

9. How did the farmer make the rope of ashes? On whose suggestion did he do it? The farmer made the rope of ashes by first making a rope of twisted straw, then stretching it upon a row of flat stones, and burning it on a windless night. He did it on the suggestion of his hidden mother.

10. How did the Governor realize his mistake? The Governor realized his mistake after the farmer revealed that his aged mother had provided the wisdom for making the rope of ashes. He then remembered the saying, "with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom!", understanding that the country needed wisdom beyond just the strength of youth.

C. Answer each of the following in a paragraph of 120 to 150 words

1. Narrate the circumstances that led to the abandoning of the aged in Shining. The country of Shining was governed by a despotic leader who harbored a great and cowardly fear of anything indicating declining health and strength. This personal apprehension led him to issue a cruel proclamation across the entire province: all aged people were to be immediately put to death. This decree reflected the "barbarous days" where abandoning old people to die was an accepted, albeit harsh, custom. Despite the deep love that the poor farmer felt for his aged, widowed mother, the strictness of the mandate left no room for defiance. With "deep and hopeless sighs," he felt compelled to prepare for what was then considered the "kindest mode of death." These circumstances, driven by the leader's fear and the prevailing societal norms, forced the farmer to embark on the painful task of taking his mother to the "mountain of the abandoning of the aged."

2. Describe the farmer’s painful journey up the mountain. The farmer's journey up the mountain with his aged mother was depicted as a painful and arduous undertaking. He commenced the ascent at sundown, carrying his "helpless old mother" on his back, a poignant image of his grim duty. The path itself was described as "long and steep," a "narrow road" that was frequently "crossed and re-crossed by many paths made by the hunters and woodcutters." This intricate network of trails caused them to become "lost and confused" in several places. However, the farmer, consumed by sorrow and the gravity of his task, "gave no heed" to the difficult terrain, continuing to climb "blindly upward" towards the summit of Obatsuyama, the mountain designated for abandonment. The weight of his mother, coupled with the emotional burden of the cruel task he was performing, made every step of this journey a testament to his deep, though seemingly futile, obedience to the tyrannical law.

3. ‘The old are wise’. Prove this with reference to the story ‘The Aged Mother. The story "The Aged Mother" powerfully demonstrates the wisdom of the elderly through the actions of the aged mother. When her son was forced to take her to the mountain to die, her "eyes were not so dim" that she failed to notice his confused navigation of the treacherous paths. Driven by selfless love, she discreetly dropped tiny piles of twigs along the way, creating a guiding trail for his safe return, an act of foresight that proved crucial. Later, when the governor issued an impossible command to produce a "rope of ashes," it was the hidden aged mother who provided the solution. She instructed her son to make a rope of twisted straw, lay it on flat stones, and burn it on a windless night, resulting in a perfect rope of ashes. This remarkable display of practical wisdom, which eluded all others in the province, deeply impressed the governor. He realized the folly of his cruel law and abolished it, declaring, "with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom!" Her intelligence not only saved her own life but also brought about a significant, positive change for all the aged in Shining, proving the invaluable wisdom that comes with age.

D. Identify the character/speaker

• He gave orders for the aged to be put to death. - The despotic leader/governor of Shining.
• He considered the order to be the kindest mode of death. - The farmer/son (referring to his own obligation to the mandate).
• She quietly dropped some twigs on the way. - The aged mother.
• Let not thine eyes be blinded. - The aged mother.
• Together we will follow the path, together we will die. - The farmer/son.
• I will think. I will think. - The aged mother.
• The truth must be told. - The farmer/son.
• He listened and meditated in silence. - The Governor.
• Shining needs more than the strength of the youth. - The Governor.
• With the crown of snow there cometh wisdom. - The Governor (quoting a well-known saying).

E. Choose the appropriate answer and fill in the blanks

1. Shining was governed by a cruel leader.
2. The unwhitened rice was the principal food for the poor.
3. The road was crossed and re-crossed by many paths made by the hunters and woodcutters.
4. Gathering fallen pine (needles) he made a soft cushion and tenderly lifted his old mother onto it.
5. The governor demanded that his subjects should present him with a rope of ashes.

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