Narrative Reading Unit

Year 6 Planning Exemplification 2002–2003:


Contents

Introduction 3

Framework objectives 5

Unit plan for weeks 1 and 2 6

Resource sheets1. The long walk

1. Lesson notes 8

1a OHT a–j 10

1b Story 20

1c Annotated sheets 25

1d Questions to discuss 34

2. The giant’s necklace

2. Lesson notes 35

2a Story 38

2b OHT page 14 52

2c Annotated page 14 53

2d OHT pages 15 and 16 54

2e Annotated pages 15 and 16 55

2f OHT pages 18, 19 and 20 57

2g Annotated pages 18, 19 and 20 60

2h OHT page 21 63

2i Annotated page 21 64

2j OHT pages 26 and 27 65

2k Annotated pages 26 and 27 67

2l 69

2m 70

2n Overview 71

3. Narrative to playscript

3. Lesson notes 72

3a Checklist 74

3b Conversion of narrative to playscript 75

4. Freddie Pilcher

4. Lesson notes 76

4a OHT 77

4b Story 79


4d Questions 83

5. Meatpie on the Masham Road

5. Lesson notes 84

5a OHT 85

5b Story 88


5d Questions 94

The National Literacy Strategy

2

The object of this unit is to provide suggestions, ideas and materials to support teachers in

helping children to understand and respond to narrative texts, and to develop higher order

reading skills. Children need to explore a range of comprehension strategies, using a variety of

learning styles, that will enable them to probe beyond the literal. Key to the expansion of

children’s understanding will be the teacher’s skill in questioning. All children need frequent

exposure to ‘open’ questions that allow and encourage deduction, speculation, prediction,

inference and evaluation. These should be part of the ‘book talk’ that takes place at various

times in the classroom to enhance and develop children’s analytical thinking.

Children need plenty of experience in tackling these kinds of questions orally before they can

successfully attempt written answers. It will be helpful to most children if teachers frame the

questions in as many different ways as possible, gradually incorporating into this oral work the

kinds of wording that are typically used in written questions. Removing the obstacle of the

unfamiliar language of written questions, by introducing it and explaining it orally, will enable

children to demonstrate and teachers to assess what children do and do not understand

about texts. Teachers may find it helpful to review past reading papers, list the relevant

questions and think about how they can be adapted for use in various speaking and listening

contexts, including shared and guided reading.

Four narratives are supplied in this unit: two short stories, which are worked on over several

sessions and two extracts from novels, each studied for one session. After exploring one of

the longer texts through reading, there is an opportunity to work with the children on

converting part of the story into a playscript.

Resources

The resources include:

• lesson notes for each of the 10 lessons in the unit;

• a copy of each narrative text for the teacher to enlarge or turn into an overhead transparency

and use for demonstrating reading strategies such as text marking and note making;

• a copy of the text to photocopy for pupils so that they can practise active reading strategies;

• annotated texts or sections of text for teachers to use as support during the shared reading

sessions in order to unpick aspects of the text and lead the children through questioning

and discussion to a deeper level of understanding. The annotations are designed to prompt

discussion, and begin to include some of the more formal language of questions;

• suggested activities for independent work that build on and extend the speaking and

listening that has taken place in the shared session. The writing tasks also include elements

of formal question language and teachers will want to ensure that they provide a clear

explanation of these where necessary: they are not intended as test questions.

Introduction


3




4

Resource PurposeSheet

1a–e Lesson notes and resources for ‘The long walk’

2a–n Lesson notes and resources for ‘The giant’s necklace’

3a–b Lesson notes and resources for ‘Transforming narrative

to playscript’

4a–d Lesson notes and resources for ‘Freddie Pilcher’

5a–d Lesson notes and resources for ‘Meatpie on the

Masham Road’

Word level work

Word level teaching and learning is incorporated into the close reading of texts, particularly

strategies for working out the probable meanings of unfamiliar words using context cues.

However, focused spelling, like mental maths, needs concentrated daily attention so that

writing words correctly with a fluent hand is automatic and children’s cognitive capacity is

released to attend to the content and form of their writing. Ten minutes at the beginning of

the literacy hour every day can be spent on sharpening up children’s spelling knowledge

(W2 and 3).

Acknowledgements

‘The long walk’ by George Layton in The Fib and other stories published by Macmillan

‘The giant’s necklace’ by Michael Morpurgo in The White Horse of Zennor and also in From

Hereabout Hill published by Mammoth

‘Freddie Pilcher’ by Pie Corbett (unpublished)

‘Meatpie on the Masham Road’ by Pie Corbett (unpublished)

Introduction




5

Year 6 Term 2

Text

1. to understand aspects of narrative structure, e.g.:

• how chapters in a book (or paragraphs in a short story or chapter) are linked together;

• how authors handle time, e.g. flashbacks, stories within stories, dreams;

• how the passing of time is conveyed to the reader;

2. to analyse how individual paragraphs are structured in writing, e.g. comments sequenced

to follow the shifting thoughts of a character, examples listed to justify a point and

reiterated to give it force;

7. to identify the key features of different types of literary text, e.g. stock characters, plot

structure, and how particular texts conform, develop or undermine the type,

e.g. through parody;

8. to analyse the success of texts and writers in evoking particular responses in the reader,

e.g. where suspense is well-built;

Sentence

4. to revise work on contracting sentences:

• summary;

• note making;

• editing;

Year 6 Term 1

Word

7. to understand how words and expressions have changed over time, e.g. old verb endings

–st and –th and how some words have fallen out of use, e.g. yonder, thither.

Framework objectives



Nar

rativ

e re

adin

g: u

nit p

lan

for w

eeks

1 a

nd 2

N.B

. Fo

r th

e th

ree

day

s’ w

ork

on

‘The

gia

nt’s

nec

klac

e’ b

egin

ning

on

day

3, t

he te

ache

r ne

eds

to h

ave

read

the

first

par

t of t

he s

tory

to th

e cl

ass

out

sid

e th

e lit

erac

y ho

ur, i

dea

lly o

n d

ay 1

or

2.


6

In p

airs

, clo

se re

adin

g us

ing

activ

e re

adin

g

stra

tegi

es.

Infe

r and

ded

uce

anot

her c

hara

cter

’s p

oint

of v

iew

:

writ

e jo

urna

l ent

ry.

Rea

d o

n an

d a

pp

ly a

ctiv

e re

adin

g st

rate

gies

.

Writ

e jo

urna

l ent

ry a

s re

spon

se to

sto

ry e

ndin

g,

refle

ctin

g on

aut

hor’s

inte

nt.

Writ

e jo

urna

l ent

ry o

n ov

eral

l im

pre

ssio

n of

the

stor

y, c

iting

evi

den

ce fr

om th

e te

xt.

Com

ple

te fi

rst s

tage

of c

onve

rsio

n to

pla

yscr

ipt.

Text

mar

k an

y q

uerie

s.

Con

tinue

with

the

pro

cess

of t

rans

form

atio

n in

to a

pla

y, u

sing

che

cklis

t as

a p

rom

pt.

Cre

ate

own

scen

e b

ased

on

own

idea

s, a

pp

lyin

g

conv

entio

ns.

Sum

mar

ise

and

pre

dic

t, b

ased

on

ded

uctio

n an

d

infe

renc

e in

sha

red

read

ing.

Ans

wer

que

stio

ns re

qui

ring

use

of d

educ

tion

and

infe

renc

e, b

uild

ing

on s

hare

d re

adin

g.

Use

con

clus

ions

from

ind

epen

den

t wor

k

to s

umm

aris

e ve

rbal

ly a

resp

onse

to a

que

stio

n.

Iden

tify

tech

niq

ues

auth

or u

sed

to

enab

le re

ader

s to

em

pat

hise

.

Sha

re re

spon

ses,

ann

otat

ing

the

text

as

a m

odel

. Em

pha

sise

aut

hor’s

cra

ft.

Iden

tify

hint

s in

the

text

to th

e en

din

g.

Con

sid

er th

e st

ruct

ure

of th

e st

ory,

and

its g

enre

.

Dis

cuss

poi

nts

of d

iffic

ulty

and

reac

h

agre

emen

t.

Sha

re te

chni

que

s fo

r tac

klin

g

com

ple

xitie

s of

text

.

Par

tner

s ch

eck

each

oth

er’s

wor

k fo

r

corr

ect u

se o

f con

vent

ions

.

Focu

s on

lang

uage

feat

ures

req

uire

d in

answ

ers.

Cla

rify

the

pre

cise

focu

s of

the

que

stio

ns

and

str

ateg

ies

for a

nsw

erin

g th

em.

1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sha

red

text

, sen

tenc

e, w

ord

leve

l and

sp

eaki

ng

and

list

enin

gW

eek

Day

Gui

ded

re

adin

g/w

ritin

gIn

dep

end

ent w

ork

Ple

nary

Rea

d fi

rst h

alf o

f ‘Lo

ng w

alk’

. Dem

onst

rate

act

ive

read

ing

stra

tegi

es.

Rea

d s

econ

d h

alf o

f ‘Lo

ng w

alk’

. Dem

onst

rate

str

ateg

ies

for

refle

ctin

g on

who

le s

tory

.

Rea

d th

e ne

xt p

art o

f ‘Th

e gi

ant’s

nec

klac

e’, d

emon

stra

ting

activ

e re

adin

g st

rate

gies

.

Rea

d th

e ne

xt p

art o

f ‘Th

e gi

ant’s

nec

klac

e’, d

emon

stra

ting

activ

e re

adin

g st

rate

gies

.

Dem

onst

rate

clo

se re

adin

g to

iden

tify

auth

or’s

tech

niq

ues

for

1) c

reat

ing

amb

igui

ty a

nd c

onfu

sion

, 2) h

and

ling

time.

Cre

ate

chec

klis

t of k

ey fe

atur

es o

f pla

yscr

ipts

. Dem

onst

rate

firs

t

stag

e in

con

vert

ing

narr

ativ

e to

pla

y: id

entif

ying

func

tions

of

elem

ents

of t

ext.

Dem

onst

rate

rew

ritin

g th

e st

ory

as a

pla

y, a

rtic

ulat

ing

dec

isio

ns

abou

t con

vent

iona

l lay

out.

Col

lect

idea

s fo

r fre

sh c

onte

nt. U

se te

ache

r scr

ibin

g to

sta

rt o

ff a

new

sce

ne.

Rea

d ‘F

red

die

Pilc

her’

, dem

onst

ratin

g ac

tive

read

ing

stra

tegi

es.

Rea

d ‘M

eatp

ie o

n th

e M

asha

m R

oad

’, d

emon

stra

ting

activ

e

read

ing

stra

tegi

es.



Resources

Lesson notes for days 1 and 2Day 1

Shared text work – reading, sentence and word level andspeaking and listening• Display an enlarged/OHT copy of the first half of ‘The long walk’ (Resource sheet 1a) up to

‘ . . . don’t be frightened’, page 31 and distribute copies to pairs/individuals (Resource

sheet 1b).

• Read the story aloud, using the sample questions and comments on Resource sheet 1c

(annotated copy of story) as prompts. Model for the children how to text mark key words,

phrases, sentences and passages for closer scrutiny. Demonstrate writing brief comments

or notes in the margins, and encourage the children to make their own notes. Use paired talk

to explore some of the questions. Intersperse your reading with opportunities for the

children to read short passages independently before annotating them.

Independent work – reading, sentence and word level andspeaking and listeningWorking in pairs, ask the children to

• Text mark and reread the paragraph of the description of the boy and the grandad as they

leave the house (‘My mum gave us . . . find out’) on page 29, then discuss and list the

differences and similarities in appearance, based on the information in the text. They can

use a chart or matrix of their own devising.

• Skim read and highlight all the boy’s spoken words up to this point. What do they notice?

Plenary – reading, sentence and word level and speakingand listening • Pose the following question for discussion: ‘This story is about a boy and his grandad.

How does the author show the contrasts between the two characters?’ Children use the

conclusions from their independent work and share ideas. Summarise a verbal answer to

the question.

Day 2

Shared text work – reading, sentence and word level andspeaking and listening• Recap on day 1’s work and briefly discuss whether any themes are emerging. Read the

second half of the story, using the sample questions on Resource sheet 1c and continuing

to demonstrate text marking and annotating. Intersperse your reading with opportunities for

the children to read short passages independently before annotating them.

• After concluding the story, use the questions on Resource sheet 1d to reflect on the story as

a whole, giving children time to discuss and prepare oral responses with a partner.



Resource Sheet 1

The long walk


8


9



Resource sheet 1

contd.

• Text mark key moments in the story, e.g. when Grandad arrives at the house, when he wipes

his eyes, as he looks out of the bus window, when he looks at his plot in the graveyard.

• Remind the children that the story has been told from the boy’s point of view. Ask them to

imagine what Grandad’s thoughts might be at these key moments. If necessary, model an

example for them orally.

Independent work – reading response through journal

• Ask the children to compose individual journal entries of Grandad’s thoughts and feelings at

each or some of the key moments identified in shared reading.

Plenary – reading response

• Share a few responses, discussing how the children were able to imagine the character’s

thoughts and feelings. Help the children to identify any techniques the author used in the

story that enabled them to empathise. Note these briefly.


10


Narrative Reading UnitResource sheet 1a

The long walk OHT A

‘The long walk’ by George Layton inThe Fib and other stories

I loved it when my grandad took me out – just me andhim. I never knew when I was going out with him. It justhappened every so often. My mum’d say to me, ‘C’mon,get ready. Your grandad’s coming to take you out. Getyour clogs on.’ That was the one thing that spoilt it – myclogs. Whenever my grandad took me out, I had to weara pair of clogs that he’d given to me. Well, he’d madethem you see, that was his job before he retired, clog-maker. I didn’t half make a noise when I was wearingthem an’ all. Blimey, you could hear me a mile away. Ihated those clogs.

‘Aw, Mum, do I have to put my clogs on?’‘Now don’t ask silly questions. Go and get ready.’‘Aw, please ask Grandad if I can go without my

clogs.’‘Do you want to go or don’t you?’My mum knew I wanted to go.‘Course I want to.’‘Then go and put your clogs on.’‘Oh, heck.’

© George Layton 2002


11



Resource sheet 1a contd.

The long walk OHT B

Honest, I’d never seen anyone else wearing clogs. Iwondered where my grandad would take me today. Lasttime I’d gone to the zoo with him. It was great. I was justabout ready when I heard him knock at the front door. Iknew it was my grandad, because he always had his ownspecial knock. Everybody else used the bell. I could hearhim downstairs, he was wearing clogs himself.

‘I’m nearly ready, Grandad.’I put on my windcheater that I’d been given last

Christmas. It was maroon coloured. My friend Tony hadgot one as well only his was green, but I liked mine best.Then I went downstairs.

‘Hello Grandad.’My mum told me to give him a kiss.‘He’s getting too big to give his old grandad a kiss,

aren’t you son?’He always called me son.‘No, course not, Grandad.’He bent down so I could kiss him on his cheek. He

was all bristly and it made me laugh.‘Ooh Grandad, you haven’t shaved today, have

you?’


12



He was laughing as well. We were both laughing, wedidn’t really know why, and my mum started laughing.There we were, all three of us laughing at nothing at all.

‘No, son, I haven’t shaved. But it doesn’t mattertoday. It’ll bother nobody else today. There’s just the twoof us.’

‘Where are we going, Grandad? Where are youtaking us?’

He looked at me. His eyes were watering a bit andhe wiped them with a dark blue hanky he always had inhis top pocket.

‘We’re going on a walk, a special walk.’He was almost whispering, as if he didn’t want my

mum to hear, bending down with his whiskery face nextto mine.

‘Where are we going, Grandad? Where are wegoing? Is it a secret?’

‘You’ll see son, when we get there.’He looked a bit sad for a MINUTE, but then he

smiled and put on his flat cap.‘C’mon son, let’s get going.’My mum gave us each a pack of sandwiches, and

off we went. We must have looked a funny sight walkingdown the road together, me and my grandad. Himdressed in his flat cap and thick overcoat and clogs. Mein my maroon windcheater and short grey trousers and


The long walk OHT C


13




The long walk OHT D

clogs. But I was so happy. I didn’t know where we weregoing and neither did anyone else. Only Grandad knew,and only I was going to find out.

‘Are we walking all the way, Grandad?’ He took suchbig strides that I was half walking and half running.

‘No, son, we’ll get a trackless first to get out a bit.’By ‘trackless’ he meant a bus, and I’d heard him say

it so often that I never wondered why he said trackless.‘I’ll show you where I used to go when I was a lad.’

We didn’t have to wait long before a bus came, andwe went upstairs and sat right at the front. Grandad wasout of breath when we sat down.

‘Are you all right, Grandad?’‘Oh, aye, son. You get a better view up here.’‘Yes Grandad, you do.’Soon we were going through the ‘posh part’ where

the snobs lived. This was on the other side of the park. ‘At one time there were no roof on’t top deck. That

were before the trackless. Completely open it was – daftreally.’

The conductor came round for our fares.‘One and t’lad to the basin.’


14



I’d never heard of the basin before. I asked mygrandad what it was.

‘What’s the basin, Grandad?’‘That’s where we start our walk.’‘What basin is it? Why is it called “basin”?’‘The canal basin, it’s where the canal starts. You’ll

see.’By now we were going through a brand new

shopping centre.‘Hey look Grandad, that’s where that new bowling

alley is. My friends Tony and Barry have been. They sayit’s smashing.’

Grandad looked out of the window.‘That’s where I used to play cricket a long time ago.’‘Where the bowling alley is?’‘That’s right, son, when they were fields. It’s all

changed now. Mind, where we’re going for a walk, it’s notchanged there. No, it’s just the same there.’

We heard the conductor shout ‘basin’.‘C’mon, son, our stop, be careful now.’While we were going down the stairs, I held tight to

my grandad. Not because I thought I might fall, but I wasscared for him. He looked as though he was going to gostraight from the top to the bottom.


The long walk OHT E


15




The long walk OHT F

‘Are you all right, Grandad? Don’t fall.’He just told me not to be frightened and to hold on

tight.‘That’s right, you hold on to me, son, you’ll be all

right, don’t be frightened.’We both got off the bus, and I watched it drive away.

I didn’t know where we were, but it was very quiet.‘It’s nice here, isn’t it, Grandad?’‘This is where my dad was born, your great-

grandad.’It was a lovely place. There weren’t many shops and

there didn’t seem to be many people either. By the busstop there was a big stone thing full of water.

‘Hey, Grandad, is that where the horses used todrink?’

‘That’s right, son. I used to hold my grandad’s horsethere while it was drinking.’

I couldn’t see anything like a basin.I wondered where it was.‘Where’s the basin, Grandad?’‘We’ve got to walk there. C’mon.’

We went away from the main street, into a side street,past all these little houses. I don’t think any cars everwent down this street because there was washing strungout right across the road all the way down the street.


16



Outside some of the houses were ladies washing thefront step and scraping that yellow stone on the edges. Alot of the houses had curtains over the front door, so youcould leave the door open and the wind didn’t blow in.Mind you, it wasn’t cold even though it was October. Itwas nice. The sun was shining, not hot, but just nice.When we got further down the street, I saw that it was acul-de-sac.

‘Hey, Grandad, it’s a dead end. We must’ve comethe wrong way.’

Grandad just smiled.‘Do you think that I’m that old, that I can’t remember

the way? Here, look.’He took my hand and showed me the way. Just

before the last house in the road was a tiny snicket. Itwas so narrow that we had to go through behind eachother. I wouldn’t even have noticed this snicket if myGrandad hadn’t shown it to me.

‘Go on, son, through there.’It was very dark and all you could see was a little

speck of light at the other end, so you can tell how long itwas.

‘You go first, Grandad.’‘No, after you, son.’I didn’t want to go first.


The long walk OHT G


17




The long walk OHT H

‘No, you’d better go first, Grandad. You know theway, don’t you?’

He laughed and put his hand in his pocket andbrought out a few boiled sweets.

‘Here you are. These are for the journey. Off we gofor the last time.’

I was just going to ask him what he meant, but hecarried on talking. ‘I mean it’ll soon be winter, won’t it?Come on.’

And off we went through the dark passage. Grandadtold me that when he was a kid they used to call it theBlack Hole of Calcutta. Soon we reached the other endand it was quite strange because it was like goingthrough a door into the country. We ended up at the topof some steps, high up above the canal basin, and youcould see for miles. I could only see one barge though, inthe basin. We went down the steps. There were ahundred and fifteen steps – I counted them. Grandad was going down slowly so I was at the bottombefore him.

‘Grandad, there are a hundred and fifteen stepsthere. C’mon, let’s look at that barge.’

I ran over to have a look at it and Grandad followedme.

‘It’s like a house isn’t it, Grandad?’


18



‘It is a house. Someone lives there. C’mon, let’s sithere and have our sandwiches.’

And we did.The sun was very big and round, though it wasn’t

very hot, and the leaves on the trees were golden, andthe reflection in the water made the canal look golden.There was nobody else about, and all the noises that younever notice usually suddenly sounded special, different.Like the siren that let the workers know it was dinnertime. I’ve heard sirens lots of times since then but theynever sound so sweet. The same with the train. It musthave been miles away because I couldn’t see any steamor anything, and you had to listen quite hard, but behindthe hum of the country and town sounds mixed togetheryou could hear this knockety-knock.

When we’d finished our sandwiches we walkedalong the canal. Grandad showed me how to open thelock gates, and we were both puffed out afterwardsbecause it was hard work. After a while we walked awayfrom the canal, up a country lane. I don’t suppose wewere really that far away from home, but we seemed tobe miles out in the country, and soon we came to avillage. My Grandad said we’d catch a bus home fromthere, but first he wanted to show me something, and hetook hold of my hand. I didn’t have a clue where he


The long walk OHT I


19




The long walk OHT J

was taking me, but I got a shock when we ended up inthe graveyard. It had gone cold now. I wanted to gohome.

‘C’mon, Grandad, let’s go home now.’But he didn’t seem to be listening properly.‘In a minute, son, I just want to show you summat.’And hand in hand we walked among the

gravestones.‘There you are son, there’s my plot. That’s where I’ll

be laid to rest.’I didn’t know what to say.‘When, Grandad?’‘Soon.’He smiled and looked very happy and he bent down

and pulled out a couple of weeds. It was a very neat plot.‘C’mon, son, we’d best get going now.’When I told my mum that night that Grandad was

going to die soon, she got very cross and told me not totalk like that.

‘He’s as fit as a fiddle is your grandad. Don’t you talklike that.’

It happened three days later, at dinner time. It cameas a great shock to everybody, except of course to meand Grandad.


20



Resource sheet 1b

Copy for children

TH

E L

ON

G W

AL

K

I lo

ved

it w

hen

my

gran

dad

took

me

out

– ju

st m

e an

d hi

m.

I ne

ver

knew

whe

n I

was

goi

ng o

ut w

ith

him

. It j

ust h

appe

ned

ever

y so

oft

en. M

y m

um’d

say

to

me,

‘C’m

on,g

et r

eady

. You

r gr

anda

d’s

com

ing

tota

ke y

ou o

ut.

Get

you

r cl

ogs

on.’

Tha

t w

as t

he o

neth

ing

that

spo

ilt i

t – m

y cl

ogs.

Whe

neve

r my

gran

dad

took

me

out,

I ha

d to

wea

r a

pair

of

clog

s th

at h

e’d

give

n to

me.

Wel

l,he

’d m

ade

them

you

see

,tha

t was

his

job

befo

re h

e re

tire

d,cl

og-m

aker

. I

didn

’t h

alf

mak

e a

nois

e w

hen

I w

as w

eari

ng t

hem

an’

all.

B

lim

ey,y

ou c

ould

hea

r me

a m

ile

away

. I h

ated

thos

ecl

ogs. ‘A

w,M

um,d

o I h

ave

to p

ut m

y cl

ogs

on?’

‘Now

don

’t a

sk s

illy

que

stio

ns.

Go

and

get

read

y.’ ‘Aw

,ple

ase

ask

Gra

ndad

if I

can

go

wit

hout

my

clog

s.’ ‘D

o yo

u w

ant t

o go

or d

on’t

you

?’M

y m

um k

new

I w

ante

d to

go.

‘Cou

rse

I wan

t to.

’‘T

hen

go a

nd p

ut y

our c

logs

on.

’‘O

h,he

ck.’

Hon

est,

I’d

neve

r se

en

anyo

ne

else

w

eari

ng c

logs

. I w

onde

red

whe

re m

y gr

anda

d w

ould

27

TH

E L

ON

G W

AL

K

in T

he F

ib a

nd o

ther

sto

ries

by G

eorg

e L

ayto

n

© George Layton 2002


21



Resource sheet 1b

Copy for children contd.

and

he w

iped

them

wit

h a

dark

blu

e ha

nky

he a

lway

sha

d in

his

top

pock

et.

‘We’

re g

oing

on

a w

alk,

a sp

ecia

l wal

k.’

He

was

alm

ost w

hisp

erin

g,as

if h

e di

dn’t

wan

tm

y m

um t

o he

ar,

bend

ing

dow

n w

ith

his

whi

sker

y fa

ce n

ext t

o m

ine.

‘Whe

re a

re w

e go

ing,

Gra

ndad

? W

here

are

we

goin

g? Is

it a

sec

ret?

’‘Y

ou’l

l see

son

,whe

n w

e ge

t the

re.’

He

look

ed a

bit

sad

for

a m

inut

e,bu

t th

en h

esm

iled

and

put o

n hi

s fl

at c

ap.

‘C’m

on s

on,l

et’s

get

goi

ng.’

My

mum

gav

e us

eac

h a

pack

of

sand

wic

hes,

and

off

we

wen

t. W

e m

ust h

ave

look

ed a

fun

ny s

ight

wal

king

dow

n th

e ro

ad to

geth

er,m

e an

d m

y gr

anda

d.H

im d

ress

ed i

n hi

s fl

at c

ap a

nd t

hick

ove

rcoa

t an

dcl

ogs.

Me

in m

y m

aroo

n w

indc

heat

er a

nd s

hort

gre

ytr

ouse

rs a

nd c

logs

. But

I w

as s

o ha

ppy.

I di

dn’t

kno

ww

here

we

wer

e go

ing

and

neit

her

did

anyo

ne e

lse.

Onl

y G

rand

ad k

new

,an

d on

ly I

was

goi

ng t

o fi

ndou

t.‘A

re w

e w

alki

ng a

ll th

e w

ay,G

rand

ad?’

He

took

such

big

str

ides

tha

t I

was

hal

f w

alki

ng a

nd h

alf

runn

ing.

‘No,

son,

we’

ll g

et a

tra

ckle

ss f

irst

to

get

out

abi

t.’B

y ‘t

rack

less

’he

mea

nt a

bus

,and

I’d

hear

d hi

msa

y it

so

ofte

n th

at I

nev

er w

onde

red

why

he

said

trac

kles

s.‘I

’ll s

how

you

whe

re I

use

d to

go

whe

n I

was

ala

d.’

take

me

toda

y. L

ast

tim

e I’

d go

ne t

o th

e zo

o w

ith

him

. It

was

gre

at.

I w

as j

ust

abou

t re

ady

whe

n I

hear

d hi

m k

nock

at

the

fron

t do

or.

I kn

ew i

t w

as

my

gran

dad,

beca

use

he a

lway

s ha

d hi

s ow

n sp

ecia

lkn

ock.

Eve

rybo

dy e

lse

used

the

bell

. I c

ould

hea

r him

dow

nsta

irs,

he w

as w

eari

ng c

logs

him

self

.‘I

’m n

earl

y re

ady,

Gra

ndad

.’I

put o

n m

y w

indc

heat

er th

at I

’d b

een

give

n la

stC

hris

tmas

. It w

as m

aroo

n co

lour

ed. M

y fr

iend

Ton

yha

d go

t on

e as

wel

l on

ly h

is w

as g

reen

,bu

t I

like

d m

ine

best

. T

hen

I wen

t dow

nsta

irs.

‘Hel

lo G

rand

ad.’

My

mum

told

me

to g

ive

him

a k

iss.

‘He’

s ge

ttin

g to

o bi

g to

giv

e hi

s ol

d gr

anda

d a

kiss

,are

n’t y

ou s

on?’

He

alw

ays

calle

d m

e so

n.‘N

o,co

urse

not

,Gra

ndad

.’H

e be

nt d

own

so I

cou

ld k

iss

him

on

his

chee

k. H

e w

as a

ll br

istly

and

it m

ade

me

laug

h.‘O

oh G

rand

ad,y

ou h

aven

’t s

have

d to

day,

have

you?

’ He

was

la

ughi

ng

as

wel

l.

We

wer

e bo

th

laug

hing

,we

didn

’t r

eall

y kn

ow w

hy,a

nd m

y m

umst

arte

d la

ughi

ng.

The

re w

e w

ere,

all

thre

e of

us

laug

hing

at n

othi

ng a

t all.

‘No,

son,

I hav

en’t

sha

ved.

But

it d

oesn

’t m

atte

rto

day.

It’l

l bot

her n

obod

y el

se to

day.

The

re’s

just

the

two

of u

s.’

‘Whe

re a

re w

e go

ing,

Gra

ndad

? W

here

are

you

taki

ng u

s?’

He

look

ed a

t me.

His

eye

s w

ere

wat

erin

g a

bit

2928


22



chan

ged

now

. Min

d,w

here

we’

re g

oing

for

a w

alk,

it’s

not c

hang

ed th

ere.

No,

it’s

just

the

sam

e th

ere.

’W

e he

ard

the

cond

ucto

r sho

ut ‘b

asin

’.‘C

’mon

,son

,our

sto

p,be

car

eful

now

.’W

hile

we

wer

e go

ing

dow

n th

e st

airs

,I

held

ti

ght

to

my

gran

dad.

N

ot

beca

use

I th

ough

t I

mig

ht f

all,

but

I w

as s

care

d fo

r hi

m.

He

look

ed a

sth

ough

he

was

goi

ng t

o go

str

aigh

t fr

om t

he t

op t

o th

e bo

ttom

.‘A

re y

ou a

ll ri

ght,

Gra

ndad

? D

on’t

fall.

’H

e ju

st to

ld m

e no

t to

be f

righ

tene

d an

d to

hol

d on

tigh

t.‘T

hat’

s ri

ght,

you

hold

on

to m

e,so

n,yo

u’ll

be

all r

ight

,don

’t b

e fr

ight

ened

.’W

e bo

th g

ot o

ff t

he b

us,a

nd I

wat

ched

it

driv

eaw

ay. I

did

n’t k

now

whe

re w

e w

ere,

but i

t was

ver

yqu

iet. ‘I

t’s n

ice

here

,isn

’t it

,Gra

ndad

?’‘T

his

is w

here

my

dad

was

bor

n,yo

ur g

reat

-gr

anda

d.’

It w

as a

love

ly p

lace

. The

re w

eren

’t m

any

shop

san

d th

ere

didn

’t s

eem

to b

e m

any

peop

le e

ithe

r. B

y th

e bu

s st

op th

ere

was

a b

ig s

tone

thin

g fu

ll of

wat

er.

‘Hey

,Gra

ndad

,is

that

whe

re th

e ho

rses

use

d to

drin

k?’

‘Tha

t’s

righ

t,so

n. I

use

d to

hol

d m

y gr

anda

d’s

hors

e th

ere

whi

le it

was

dri

nkin

g.’

I cou

ldn’

t see

any

thin

g lik

e a

basi

n.I w

onde

red

whe

re it

was

.‘W

here

’s th

e ba

sin,

Gra

ndad

?’‘W

e’ve

got

to w

alk

ther

e. C

’mon

.’

We

didn

’t h

ave

to w

ait l

ong

befo

re a

bus

cam

e,an

d w

e w

ent

upst

airs

and

sat

rig

ht a

t th

e fr

ont.

Gra

ndad

was

out

of b

reat

h w

hen

we

sat d

own.

‘Are

you

all

righ

t,G

rand

ad?’

‘Oh,

aye,

son.

You

get

a b

ette

r vie

w u

p he

re.’

‘Yes

,Gra

ndad

,you

do.

’S

oon

we

wer

e go

ing

thro

ugh

the

‘pos

h pa

rt’

whe

re th

e sn

obs

live

d. T

his

was

on

the

othe

r si

de o

f th

e pa

rk.

‘At

one

tim

e th

ere

wer

e no

roo

f on

’t t

op d

eck.

Tha

t w

ere

befo

re t

he t

rack

less

. Com

plet

ely

open

it

was

– d

aft r

eally

.’T

he c

ondu

ctor

cam

e ro

und

for o

ur fa

res.

‘One

and

t’la

d to

the

basi

n.’

I’d

neve

r he

ard

of th

e ba

sin

befo

re. I

ask

ed m

ygr

anda

d w

hat i

t was

.‘W

hat’s

the

basi

n,G

rand

ad?’

‘Tha

t’s w

here

we

star

t our

wal

k.’

‘Wha

t bas

in is

it?

Why

is it

cal

led

“bas

in”?

’‘T

he c

anal

bas

in,

it’s

whe

re t

he c

anal

sta

rts.

You

’ll s

ee.’

By

now

we

wer

e go

ing

thro

ugh

a br

and

new

shop

ping

cen

tre.

‘Hey

loo

k G

rand

ad,

that

’s w

here

tha

t ne

wbo

wli

ng a

lley

is.

My

frie

nds

Tony

and

Bar

ry h

ave

been

. The

y sa

y it’

s sm

ashi

ng.’

Gra

ndad

look

ed o

ut o

f the

win

dow

.‘T

hat’

s w

here

I u

sed

to p

lay

cric

ket a

long

tim

eag

o.’ ‘W

here

the

bow

ling

alle

y is

?’‘T

hat’

s ri

ght,

son,

whe

n th

ey w

ere

fiel

ds. I

t’s

all

3130

Resource sheet 1b



23



Resource sheet 1b


‘No,

you’

d be

tter

go

firs

t,G

rand

ad. Y

ou k

now

th

e w

ay,d

on’t

you

?’H

e la

ughe

d an

d pu

t hi

s ha

nd i

n hi

s po

cket

and

brou

ght o

ut a

few

boi

led

swee

ts.

‘Her

e yo

u ar

e. T

hese

are

for

the

jour

ney.

Off

we

go fo

r the

last

tim

e.’

I w

as ju

st g

oing

to a

sk h

im w

hat h

e m

eant

,but

he

car

ried

on

talk

ing.

‘I

mea

n it

’ll

soon

be

win

ter,

won

’t it

? C

ome

on.’

And

off

we

wen

t th

roug

h th

e da

rk p

assa

ge.

Gra

ndad

tol

d m

e th

at w

hen

he w

as a

kid

the

y us

ed

to c

all i

t the

Bla

ck H

ole

of C

alcu

tta.

Soo

n w

e re

ache

dth

e ot

her

end

and

it w

as q

uite

str

ange

bec

ause

it w

asli

ke g

oing

thro

ugh

a do

or in

to th

e co

untr

y. W

e en

ded

up a

t the

top

of s

ome

step

s,hi

gh u

p ab

ove

the

cana

lba

sin,

and

you

coul

d se

e fo

r m

iles

. I c

ould

onl

y se

e on

e ba

rge

thou

gh,

in t

he b

asin

. We

wen

t do

wn

the

step

s. T

here

wer

e a

hund

red

and

fift

een

step

s –

Ico

unte

d th

em.

Gra

ndad

was

goi

ng d

own

slow

ly s

o I w

as a

t the

bot

tom

bef

ore

him

.‘G

rand

ad,t

here

are

a h

undr

ed a

nd f

ifte

en s

teps

ther

e. C

’mon

,let

’s lo

ok a

t tha

t bar

ge.’

I ra

n ov

er t

o ha

ve a

loo

k at

it

and

Gra

ndad

follo

wed

me.

‘It’s

like

a h

ouse

isn’

t it,

Gra

ndad

?’‘I

t is

a ho

use.

Som

eone

live

s th

ere.

C’m

on,l

et’s

sit h

ere

and

have

our

san

dwic

hes.

’A

nd w

e di

d.T

he s

un w

as v

ery

big

and

roun

d,th

ough

it

was

n’t

very

hot

,an

d th

e le

aves

on

the

tree

s w

ere

gold

en,a

nd th

e re

flec

tion

in th

e w

ater

mad

e th

e ca

nal

We

wen

t aw

ay f

rom

the

mai

n st

reet

,int

o a

side

stre

et,p

ast

all

thes

e li

ttle

hou

ses.

I d

on’t

thi

nk a

ny

cars

eve

r w

ent

dow

n th

is s

tree

t be

caus

e th

ere

was

was

hing

str

ung

out r

ight

acr

oss

the

road

all

the

way

dow

n th

e st

reet

. O

utsi

de s

ome

of t

he h

ouse

s w

ere

ladi

es w

ashi

ng t

he f

ront

ste

p an

d sc

rapi

ng t

hat

yell

ow s

tone

on

the

edge

s. A

lot

of

the

hous

es h

adcu

rtai

ns o

ver

the

fron

t do

or,

so y

ou c

ould

lea

ve

the

door

ope

n an

d th

e w

ind

didn

’t b

low

in.

Min

d yo

u,it

was

n’t

cold

eve

n th

ough

it

was

Oct

ober

. It

w

as n

ice.

The

sun

was

shi

ning

,not

hot

,but

just

nic

e.W

hen

we

got

furt

her

dow

n th

e st

reet

,I

saw

tha

t it

w

as a

cul

-de-

sac.

‘Hey

,G

rand

ad,

it’s

a d

ead

end.

We

mus

t’ve

co

me

the

wro

ng w

ay.’

Gra

ndad

just

sm

iled.

‘Do

you

thin

k th

at I

’m t

hat

old,

that

I c

an’t

rem

embe

r the

way

? H

ere,

look

.’H

e to

ok m

y ha

nd a

nd s

how

ed m

e th

e w

ay. J

ust

befo

re th

e la

st h

ouse

in th

e ro

ad w

as a

tiny

sni

cket

. It

was

so

narr

ow t

hat

we

had

to g

o th

roug

h be

hind

ea

ch o

ther

. I w

ould

n’t e

ven

have

not

iced

this

sni

cket

if

my

gran

dad

hadn

’t s

how

n it

to m

e.‘G

o on

,son

,thr

ough

ther

e.’

It w

as v

ery

dark

and

all

you

cou

ld s

ee w

as a

li

ttle

spe

ck o

f li

ght a

t the

oth

er e

nd,s

o yo

u ca

n te

ll

how

long

it w

as.

‘You

go

firs

t,G

rand

ad.’

‘No,

afte

r you

,son

.’I d

idn’

t wan

t to

go fi

rst.

3332


24



I did

n’t k

now

wha

t to

say.

‘Whe

n,G

rand

ad?’

‘Soo

n.’

He

smil

ed a

nd l

ooke

d ve

ry h

appy

and

he

bent

dow

n an

d pu

lled

out

a c

oupl

e of

wee

ds. I

t was

a v

ery

neat

plo

t.‘C

’mon

,son

,we’

d be

st g

et g

oing

now

.’W

hen

I to

ld m

y m

um t

hat

nigh

t th

at G

rand

ad

was

goi

ng t

o di

e so

on,

she

got

very

cro

ss a

nd t

old

me

not t

o ta

lk li

ke th

at.

‘He’

s as

fit

as

a fi

ddle

is

your

gra

ndad

. D

on’t

yo

u ta

lk li

ke th

at.’

It h

appe

ned

thre

e da

ys l

ater

,at

din

ner

tim

e. I

tca

me

as a

gre

at s

hock

to e

very

body

,exc

ept o

f cou

rse

to m

e an

d G

rand

ad.

look

gol

den.

The

re w

as n

obod

y el

se a

bout

,an

d al

l th

e no

ises

tha

t yo

u ne

ver

noti

ce u

sual

ly s

udde

nly

soun

ded

spec

ial,

diff

eren

t. L

ike

the

sire

n th

at le

t the

wor

kers

kno

w i

t w

as d

inne

r ti

me.

I’v

e he

ard

sire

ns

lots

of t

imes

sin

ce th

en b

ut th

ey n

ever

sou

nd s

o sw

eet.

The

sam

e w

ith

the

trai

n. I

t m

ust

have

bee

n m

iles

aw

ay b

ecau

se I

cou

ldn’

t see

any

ste

am o

r an

ythi

ng,

and

you

had

to li

sten

qui

te h

ard,

but b

ehin

d th

e hu

m

of th

e co

untr

y an

d to

wn

soun

ds m

ixed

toge

ther

you

coul

d he

ar th

is k

nock

ety-

knoc

k.W

hen

we’

d fi

nish

ed o

ur s

andw

iche

s w

e w

alke

dal

ong

the

cana

l. G

rand

ad s

how

ed m

e ho

w t

o op

en

the

lock

gat

es,

and

we

wer

e bo

th p

uffe

d ou

t af

ter-

war

ds b

ecau

se i

t w

as h

ard

wor

k. A

fter

a w

hile

we

wal

ked

away

fro

m t

he c

anal

,up

a c

ount

ry l

ane.

I

don’

t su

ppos

e w

e w

ere

real

ly t

hat

far

away

fro

mho

me,

but w

e se

emed

to b

e m

iles

out

in th

e co

untr

y,an

d so

on w

e ca

me

to a

vil

lage

. M

y gr

anda

d sa

id

we’

d ca

tch

a bu

s ho

me

from

ther

e,bu

t fir

st h

e w

ante

dto

sho

w m

e so

met

hing

,an

he to

ok h

old

of m

y ha

nd.

I di

dn’t

hav

e a

clue

whe

re h

e w

as t

akin

g m

e,bu

t I

got

a sh

ock

whe

n w

e en

ded

up i

n th

e gr

avey

ard.

It

had

gone

col

d no

w. I

wan

ted

to g

o ho

me.

‘C’m

on,G

rand

ad,l

et’s

go

hom

e no

w.’

But

he

didn

’t s

eem

to b

e lis

teni

ng p

rope

rly.

‘In

a m

inut

e,so

n,I

just

wan

t to

sho

w y

ousu

mm

at.’

And

ha

nd

in

hand

w

e w

alke

d am

ong

the

grav

esto

nes.

‘The

re y

ou a

re s

on,

ther

e’s

my

plot

. T

hat’

s w

here

I’ll

be la

id to

rest

.’

3534

Resource sheet 1b



25



Resource sheet 1c

Annotated Long walk

TH

E L

ON

G W

AL

K

I lo

ved

it w

hen

my

gran

dad

took

me

out

– ju

st m

e an

d hi

m.

I ne

ver

knew

whe

n I

was

goi

ng o

ut w

ith

him

. It j

ust h

appe

ned

ever

y so

oft

en. M

y m

um’d

say

to

me,

‘C’m

on,g

et r

eady

. You

r gr

anda

d’s

com

ing

tota

ke y

ou o

ut.

Get

you

r cl

ogs

on.’

Tha

t w

as t

he o

neth

ing

that

spo

ilt i

t – m

y cl

ogs.

Whe

neve

r my

gran

dad

took

me

out,

I ha

d to

wea

r a

pair

of

clog

s th

at h

e’d

give

n to

me.

Wel

l,he

’d m

ade

them

you

see

,tha

t was

his

job

befo

re h

e re

tire

d,cl

og-m

aker

. I

didn

’t h

alf

mak

e a

nois

e w

hen

I w

as w

eari

ng t

hem

an’

all.

B

lim

ey,y

ou c

ould

hea

r me

a m

ile

away

. I h

ated

thos

ecl

ogs. ‘A

w,M

um,d

o I h

ave

to p

ut m

y cl

ogs

on?’

‘Now

don

’t a

sk s

illy

que

stio

ns.

Go

and

get

read

y.’ ‘Aw

,ple

ase

ask

Gra

ndad

if I

can

go

wit

hout

my

clog

s.’ ‘D

o yo

u w

ant t

o go

or d

on’t

you

?’M

y m

um k

new

I w

ante

d to

go.

‘Cou

rse

I wan

t to.

’‘T

hen

go a

nd p

ut y

our c

logs

on.

’‘O

h,he

ck.’

Hon

est,

I’d

neve

r se

en

anyo

ne

else

w

eari

ng c

logs

. I w

onde

red

whe

re m

y gr

anda

d w

ould

27

Wha

t id

eas

doe

s th

e tit

le s

ugge

st?

Con

tras

t with

firs

t 3 w

ord

s of

the

par

agra

ph.

Day

1

Wha

t do

we

find

out

from

the

first

3 s

ente

nces

? W

hat

imp

ress

ion

do

we

form

of

how

the

boy

feel

s ab

out h

isgr

and

ad?

Why

do

you

thin

k he

has

tow

ear c

logs

for t

hese

outin

gs?

Wha

t doe

s th

is s

ente

nce

tell

us a

bou

t a)

Mum

, b) G

rand

ad?


26



Wha

t mor

e d

o w

e le

arn

from

this

pas

sage

ab

out t

here

latio

nshi

p b

etw

een

the

boy

and

the

gran

dad

?

Wha

t im

pre

ssio

n of

the

thre

ech

arac

ters

do

you

gain

from

this

par

agra

ph?

Why

mig

ht h

is e

yes

be

wat

erin

g?

28

Resource sheet 1c

Annotated Long walk contd.

take

me

toda

y. L

ast

tim

e I’

d go

ne t

o th

e zo

o w

ith

him

. It

was

gre

at.

I w

as j

ust

abou

t re

ady

whe

n I

hear

d hi

m k

nock

at

the

fron

t do

or.

I kn

ew i

t w

as

my

gran

dad,

beca

use

he a

lway

s ha

d hi

s ow

n sp

ecia

lkn

ock.

Eve

rybo

dy e

lse

used

the

bell

. I c

ould

hea

r him

dow

nsta

irs,

he w

as w

eari

ng c

logs

him

self

.‘I

’m n

earl

y re

ady,

Gra

ndad

.’I

put o

n m

y w

indc

heat

er th

at I

’d b

een

give

n la

stC

hris

tmas

. It w

as m

aroo

n co

lour

ed. M

y fr

iend

Ton

yha

d go

t on

e as

wel

l on

ly h

is w

as g

reen

,bu

t I

like

d m

ine

best

. T

hen

I wen

t dow

nsta

irs.

‘Hel

lo G

rand

ad.’

My

mum

told

me

to g

ive

him

a k

iss.

‘He’

s ge

ttin

g to

o bi

g to

giv

e hi

s ol

d gr

anda

d a

kiss

,are

n’t y

ou s

on?’

He

alw

ays

calle

d m

e so

n.‘N

o,co

urse

not

,Gra

ndad

.’H

e be

nt d

own

so I

cou

ld k

iss

him

on

his

chee

k. H

e w

as a

ll br

istly

and

it m

ade

me

laug

h.‘O

oh G

rand

ad,y

ou h

aven

’t s

have

d to

day,

have

you?

’ He

was

la

ughi

ng

as

wel

l.

We

wer

e bo

th

laug

hing

,we

didn

’t r

eall

y kn

ow w

hy,a

nd m

y m

umst

arte

d la

ughi

ng.

The

re w

e w

ere,

all

thre

e of

us

laug

hing

at n

othi

ng a

t all.

‘No,

son,

I hav

en’t

sha

ved.

But

it d

oesn

’t m

atte

rto

day.

It’l

l bot

her n

obod

y el

se to

day.

The

re’s

just

the

two

of u

s.’

‘Whe

re a

re w

e go

ing,

Gra

ndad

? W

here

are

you

taki

ng u

s?’

He

look

ed a

t me.

His

eye

s w

ere

wat

erin

g a

bit


27



Resource sheet 1c


29

Exp

lain

why

you

thin

k he

mig

ht b

e sa

d.

This

pas

sage

to b

e d

iscu

ssed

in d

etai

l in

ind

epen

den

t tim

e.

Gra

ndad

’s m

emor

ies

of th

ep

ast.

Why

has

the

auth

or u

sed

rep

etiti

on h

ere?

and

he w

iped

them

wit

h a

dark

blu

e ha

nky

he a

lway

sha

d in

his

top

pock

et.

‘We’

re g

oing

on

a w

alk,

a sp

ecia

l wal

k.’

He

was

alm

ost w

hisp

erin

g,as

if h

e di

dn’t

wan

tm

y m

um t

o he

ar,

bend

ing

dow

n w

ith

his

whi

sker

y fa

ce n

ext t

o m

ine.

‘Whe

re a

re w

e go

ing,

Gra

ndad

? W

here

are

we

goin

g? Is

it a

sec

ret?

’‘Y

ou’l

l see

son

,whe

n w

e ge

t the

re.’

He

look

ed a

bit

sad

for

a m

inut

e,bu

t th

en h

esm

iled

and

put o

n hi

s fl

at c

ap.

‘C’m

on s

on,l

et’s

get

goi

ng.’

My

mum

gav

e us

eac

h a

pack

of

sand

wic

hes,

and

off

we

wen

t. W

e m

ust h

ave

look

ed a

fun

ny s

ight

wal

king

dow

n th

e ro

ad to

geth

er,m

e an

d m

y gr

anda

d.H

im d

ress

ed i

n hi

s fl

at c

ap a

nd t

hick

ove

rcoa

t an

dcl

ogs.

Me

in m

y m

aroo

n w

indc

heat

er a

nd s

hort

gre

ytr

ouse

rs a

nd c

logs

. But

I w

as s

o ha

ppy.

I di

dn’t

kno

ww

here

we

wer

e go

ing

and

neit

her

did

anyo

ne e

lse.

Onl

y G

rand

ad k

new

,an

d on

ly I

was

goi

ng t

o fi

nd

out.

‘Are

we

wal

king

all

the

way

,Gra

ndad

?’H

e to

oksu

ch b

ig s

trid

es t

hat

I w

as h

alf

wal

king

and

hal

fru

nnin

g.‘N

o,so

n,w

e’ll

get

a t

rack

less

fir

st t

o ge

t ou

t a

bit.’

By

‘tra

ckle

ss’h

e m

eant

a b

us,a

nd I’

d he

ard

him

say

it s

o of

ten

that

I n

ever

won

dere

d w

hy h

e sa

idtr

ackl

ess.

‘I’l

l sho

w y

ou w

here

I u

sed

to g

o w

hen

I w

as a

la

d.’


28



Exp

lain

two

way

s in

whi

chth

ings

hav

e ch

ange

d fr

om

the

pas

t.

Gra

ndad

’s m

emor

ies

30

Gra

ndad

’s m

emor

ies

Resource sheet 1c


We

didn

’t h

ave

to w

ait l

ong

befo

re a

bus

cam

e,an

d w

e w

ent

upst

airs

and

sat

rig

ht a

t th

e fr

ont.

Gra

ndad

was

out

of b

reat

h w

hen

we

sat d

own.

‘Are

you

all

righ

t,G

rand

ad?’

‘Oh,

aye,

son.

You

get

a b

ette

r vie

w u

p he

re.’

‘Yes

,Gra

ndad

,you

do.

’S

oon

we

wer

e go

ing

thro

ugh

the

‘pos

h pa

rt’

whe

re th

e sn

obs

live

d. T

his

was

on

the

othe

r si

de o

f th

e pa

rk.

‘At

one

tim

e th

ere

wer

e no

roo

f on

’t t

op d

eck.

Tha

t w

ere

befo

re t

he t

rack

less

. Com

plet

ely

open

it

was

– d

aft r

eally

.’T

he c

ondu

ctor

cam

e ro

und

for o

ur fa

res.

‘One

and

t’la

d to

the

basi

n.’

I’d

neve

r he

ard

of th

e ba

sin

befo

re. I

ask

ed m

ygr

anda

d w

hat i

t was

.‘W

hat’s

the

basi

n,G

rand

ad?’

‘Tha

t’s w

here

we

star

t our

wal

k.’

‘Wha

t bas

in is

it?

Why

is it

cal

led

“bas

in”?

’‘T

he c

anal

bas

in,

it’s

whe

re t

he c

anal

sta

rts.

You

’ll s

ee.’

By

now

we

wer

e go

ing

thro

ugh

a br

and

new

shop

ping

cen

tre.

‘Hey

loo

k G

rand

ad,

that

’s w

here

tha

t ne

wbo

wli

ng a

lley

is.

My

frie

nds

Tony

and

Bar

ry h

ave

been

. The

y sa

y it’

s sm

ashi

ng.’

Gra

ndad

look

ed o

ut o

f the

win

dow

.‘T

hat’

s w

here

I u

sed

to p

lay

cric

ket a

long

tim

eag

o.’ ‘W

here

the

bow

ling

alle

y is

?’‘T

hat’

s ri

ght,

son,

whe

n th

ey w

ere

fiel

ds. I

t’s

all


29



Resource sheet 1c


31

Wha

t is

the

effe

ct o

f the

sese

nten

ces?

Wha

t is

the

effe

ct o

f thi

sim

age?

Why

doe

s G

rand

ad te

ll th

eb

oy n

ot to

be

frig

hten

ed?

Gra

ndad

’s m

emor

ies

Gra

ndad

’s m

emor

ies

Day

2

chan

ged

now

. Min

d,w

here

we’

re g

oing

for

a w

alk,

it’s

not c

hang

ed th

ere.

No,

it’s

just

the

sam

e th

ere.

’W

e he

ard

the

cond

ucto

r sho

ut ‘b

asin

’.‘C

’mon

,son

,our

sto

p,be

car

eful

now

.’W

hile

we

wer

e go

ing

dow

n th

e st

airs

,I

held

ti

ght

to

my

gran

dad.

N

ot

beca

use

I th

ough

t I

mig

ht f

all,

but

I w

as s

care

d fo

r hi

m.

He

look

ed a

sth

ough

he

was

goi

ng t

o go

str

aigh

t fr

om t

he t

op t

o th

e bo

ttom

.‘A

re y

ou a

ll ri

ght,

Gra

ndad

? D

on’t

fall.

’H

e ju

st to

ld m

e no

t to

be f

righ

tene

d an

d to

hol

d on

tigh

t.‘T

hat’

s ri

ght,

you

hold

on

to m

e,so

n,yo

u’ll

be

all r

ight

,don

’t b

e fr

ight

ened

.’W

e bo

th g

ot o

ff t

he b

us,a

nd I

wat

ched

it

driv

eaw

ay. I

did

n’t k

now

whe

re w

e w

ere,

but i

t was

ver

yqu

iet. ‘I

t’s n

ice

here

,isn

’t it

,Gra

ndad

?’‘T

his

is w

here

my

dad

was

bor

n,yo

ur g

reat

-gr

anda

d.’

It w

as a

love

ly p

lace

. The

re w

eren

’t m

any

shop

san

d th

ere

didn

’t s

eem

to b

e m

any

peop

le e

ithe

r. B

y th

e bu

s st

op th

ere

was

a b

ig s

tone

thin

g fu

ll of

wat

er.

‘Hey

,Gra

ndad

,is

that

whe

re th

e ho

rses

use

d to

drin

k?’

‘Tha

t’s

righ

t,so

n. I

use

d to

hol

d m

y gr

anda

d’s

hors

e th

ere

whi

le it

was

dri

nkin

g.’

I cou

ldn’

t see

any

thin

g lik

e a

basi

n.I w

onde

red

whe

re it

was

.‘W

here

’s th

e ba

sin,

Gra

ndad

?’‘W

e’ve

got

to w

alk

ther

e. C

’mon

.’


30



Exp

lain

wha

t the

se w

ord

sm

ean.

32

Wha

t is

the

mai

n id

ea o

f thi

sp

assa

ge?

Why

do

you

thin

k he

did

n’t

wan

t to

go fi

rst?

Wor

k ou

t the

mea

ning

by

read

ing

on.

Wha

t doe

s th

is d

escr

iptio

nm

ake

you

thin

k of

? W

hy h

asth

e au

thor

cho

sen

thes

ew

ord

s?

Resource sheet 1c


We

wen

t aw

ay f

rom

the

mai

n st

reet

,int

o a

side

stre

et,p

ast

all

thes

e li

ttle

hou

ses.

I d

on’t

thi

nk a

ny

cars

eve

r w

ent

dow

n th

is s

tree

t be

caus

e th

ere

was

was

hing

str

ung

out r

ight

acr

oss

the

road

all

the

way

dow

n th

e st

reet

. O

utsi

de s

ome

of t

he h

ouse

s w

ere

ladi

es w

ashi

ng t

he f

ront

ste

p an

d sc

rapi

ng t

hat

yell

ow s

tone

on

the

edge

s. A

lot

of

the

hous

es h

adcu

rtai

ns o

ver

the

fron

t do

or,

so y

ou c

ould

lea

ve

the

door

ope

n an

d th

e w

ind

didn

’t b

low

in.

Min

d yo

u,it

was

n’t

cold

eve

n th

ough

it

was

Oct

ober

. It

w

as n

ice.

The

sun

was

shi

ning

,not

hot

,but

just

nic

e.W

hen

we

got

furt

her

dow

n th

e st

reet

,I

saw

tha

t it

w

as a

cul

-de-

sac.

‘Hey

,G

rand

ad,

it’s

a d

ead

end.

We

mus

t’ve

co

me

the

wro

ng w

ay.’

Gra

ndad

just

sm

iled.

‘Do

you

thin

k th

at I

’m t

hat

old,

that

I c

an’t

rem

embe

r the

way

? H

ere,

look

.’H

e to

ok m

y ha

nd a

nd s

how

ed m

e th

e w

ay. J

ust

befo

re th

e la

st h

ouse

in th

e ro

ad w

as a

tiny

sni

cket

. It

was

so

narr

ow t

hat

we

had

to g

o th

roug

h be

hind

ea

ch o

ther

. I w

ould

n’t e

ven

have

not

iced

this

sni

cket

if

my

gran

dad

hadn

’t s

how

n it

to m

e.‘G

o on

,son

,thr

ough

ther

e.’

It w

as v

ery

dark

and

all

you

cou

ld s

ee w

as a

li

ttle

spe

ck o

f li

ght a

t the

oth

er e

nd,s

o yo

u ca

n te

ll

how

long

it w

as.

‘You

go

firs

t,G

rand

ad.’

‘No,

afte

r you

,son

.’I d

idn’

t wan

t to

go fi

rst.


31



Resource sheet 1c


33

Wha

t is

the

jour

ney?

Exp

lain

why

you

thin

k th

eau

thor

cho

se th

is im

age.

‘No,

you’

d be

tter

go

firs

t,G

rand

ad. Y

ou k

now

th

e w

ay,d

on’t

you

?’H

e la

ughe

d an

d pu

t hi

s ha

nd i

n hi

s po

cket

and

brou

ght o

ut a

few

boi

led

swee

ts.

‘Her

e yo

u ar

e. T

hese

are

for

the

jour

ney.

Off

we

go fo

r the

last

tim

e.’

I w

as ju

st g

oing

to a

sk h

im w

hat h

e m

eant

,but

he

car

ried

on

talk

ing.

‘I

mea

n it

’ll

soon

be

win

ter,

won

’t it

? C

ome

on.’

And

off

we

wen

t th

roug

h th

e da

rk p

assa

ge.

Gra

ndad

tol

d m

e th

at w

hen

he w

as a

kid

the

y us

ed

to c

all i

t the

Bla

ck H

ole

of C

alcu

tta.

Soo

n w

e re

ache

dth

e ot

her

end

and

it w

as q

uite

str

ange

bec

ause

it w

asli

ke g

oing

thro

ugh

a do

or in

to th

e co

untr

y. W

e en

ded

up a

t the

top

of s

ome

step

s,hi

gh u

p ab

ove

the

cana

lba

sin,

and

you

coul

d se

e fo

r m

iles

. I c

ould

onl

y se

e on

e ba

rge

thou

gh,

in t

he b

asin

. We

wen

t do

wn

the

step

s. T

here

wer

e a

hund

red

and

fift

een

step

s –

Ico

unte

d th

em.

Gra

ndad

was

goi

ng d

own

slow

ly s

o I w

as a

t the

bot

tom

bef

ore

him

.‘G

rand

ad,t

here

are

a h

undr

ed a

nd f

ifte

en s

teps

ther

e. C

’mon

,let

’s lo

ok a

t tha

t bar

ge.’

I ra

n ov

er t

o ha

ve a

loo

k at

it

and

Gra

ndad

follo

wed

me.

‘It’s

like

a h

ouse

isn’

t it,

Gra

ndad

?’‘I

t is

a ho

use.

Som

eone

live

s th

ere.

C’m

on,l

et’s

sit h

ere

and

have

our

san

dwic

hes.

’A

nd w

e di

d.T

he s

un w

as v

ery

big

and

roun

d,th

ough

it

was

n’t

very

hot

,an

d th

e le

aves

on

the

tree

s w

ere

gold

en,a

nd th

e re

flec

tion

in th

e w

ater

mad

e th

e ca

nal


32



How

doe

s th

e au

thor

bui

ld u

pth

e se

nse

that

ther

e is

som

ethi

ng s

tran

ge a

ndun

usua

l ab

out t

he e

pis

ode?

Why

do

you

thin

k he

wan

ts to

go h

ome?

34

Resource sheet 1c


look

gol

den.

The

re w

as n

obod

y el

se a

bout

,an

d al

l th

e no

ises

tha

t yo

u ne

ver

noti

ce u

sual

ly s

udde

nly

soun

ded

spec

ial,

diff

eren

t. L

ike

the

sire

n th

at le

t the

wor

kers

kno

w i

t w

as d

inne

r ti

me.

I’v

e he

ard

sire

ns

lots

of t

imes

sin

ce th

en b

ut th

ey n

ever

sou

nd s

o sw

eet.

The

sam

e w

ith

the

trai

n. I

t m

ust

have

bee

n m

iles

aw

ay b

ecau

se I

cou

ldn’

t see

any

ste

am o

r an

ythi

ng,

and

you

had

to li

sten

qui

te h

ard,

but b

ehin

d th

e hu

m

of th

e co

untr

y an

d to

wn

soun

ds m

ixed

toge

ther

you

coul

d he

ar th

is k

nock

ety-

knoc

k.W

hen

we’

d fi

nish

ed o

ur s

andw

iche

s w

e w

alke

dal

ong

the

cana

l. G

rand

ad s

how

ed m

e ho

w t

o op

en

the

lock

gat

es,

and

we

wer

e bo

th p

uffe

d ou

t af

ter-

war

ds b

ecau

se i

t w

as h

ard

wor

k. A

fter

a w

hile

we

wal

ked

away

fro

m t

he c

anal

,up

a c

ount

ry l

ane.

I

don’

t su

ppos

e w

e w

ere

real

ly t

hat

far

away

fro

mho

me,

but w

e se

emed

to b

e m

iles

out

in th

e co

untr

y,an

d so

on w

e ca

me

to a

vil

lage

. M

y gr

anda

d sa

id

we’

d ca

tch

a bu

s ho

me

from

ther

e,bu

t fir

st h

e w

ante

dto

sho

w m

e so

met

hing

,an

he to

ok h

old

of m

y ha

nd.

I di

dn’t

hav

e a

clue

whe

re h

e w

as t

akin

g m

e,bu

t I

got

a sh

ock

whe

n w

e en

ded

up i

n th

e gr

avey

ard.

It

had

gone

col

d no

w. I

wan

ted

to g

o ho

me.

‘C’m

on,G

rand

ad,l

et’s

go

hom

e no

w.’

But

he

didn

’t s

eem

to b

e lis

teni

ng p

rope

rly.

‘In

a m

inut

e,so

n,I

just

wan

t to

sho

w y

ousu

mm

at.’

And

ha

nd

in

hand

w

e w

alke

d am

ong

the

grav

esto

nes.

‘The

re y

ou a

re s

on,

ther

e’s

my

plot

. T

hat’

s w

here

I’ll

be la

id to

rest

.’


33



Resource sheet 1c


35

Wha

t is

‘it’?

Why

has

the

auth

or u

sed

thes

e w

ord

s?

Why

do

you

thin

k he

look

sha

pp

y?

I did

n’t k

now

wha

t to

say.

‘Whe

n,G

rand

ad?’

‘Soo

n.’

He

smil

ed a

nd l

ooke

d ve

ry h

appy

and

he

bent

dow

n an

d pu

lled

out

a c

oupl

e of

wee

ds. I

t was

a v

ery

neat

plo

t.‘C

’mon

,son

,we’

d be

st g

et g

oing

now

.’W

hen

I to

ld m

y m

um t

hat

nigh

t th

at G

rand

ad

was

goi

ng t

o di

e so

on,

she

got

very

cro

ss a

nd t

old

me

not t

o ta

lk li

ke th

at.

‘He’

s as

fit

as

a fi

ddle

is

your

gra

ndad

. D

on’t

yo

u ta

lk li

ke th

at.’

It h

appe

ned

thre

e da

ys l

ater

,at

din

ner

tim

e. I

tca

me

as a

gre

at s

hock

to e

very

body

,exc

ept o

f cou

rse

to m

e an

d G

rand

ad.


34



Resource sheet 1d

Questions on The long walk

Questions to discuss after finishing‘The long walk’

• Why do you think Grandad took his grandson to thegraveyard?

• ‘You’ll see son, when we get there.’ Why won’t Grandadtell the boy where they are going?

• In the story, we don’t know the boy’s name. Why do youthink the author chose not to tell us?

• We find out about Grandad’s death suddenly at the endof the story. Why do you think the author ended the storythis way?

• At several places in the story the author has hinted atwhat the ending will be. Find two examples.

• The final words in the story are ‘me and Grandad’. Whydo you think the author chose these as the final words?


35



Lesson notes for days 3, 4 and 5The page numbers in these notes refer to the version of ‘The giant’s necklace’ in From Hereabout Hill (reproduced

here as Resource sheet 2a). Introduce the story and read up to ‘ . . . before the sea took her away.’ on page 11 before

this first.

Day 3

Shared text work – reading, word and sentence level and speaking and listening

• Give copies of the story up to the paragraph ‘Oh pay him no heed . . . nothing else to do.’ (page 20) to pairs/

individuals. Recap on the part you have read to them so far, noting the author’s use of a break in the text at this

point, as if a new episode or chapter might be beginning, and pointing out that the main character appears to have

drowned a third of the way through the story. Ask for reactions to this and predictions about the rest of the story. Note

these. Ask the children to read the next paragraph and then ask the question: how much time has passed? Discuss

possibilities. Read on to page 14 in the book. Have a copy of the paragraph on page 14 (‘At first . . . down again.’)

enlarged or on OHT (Resource sheet 2b). Using Resource sheet 2c for reference, analyse the use of language. How

does the author enable us to visualise the cliff-climbing scene? Text mark and discuss key language features, e.g.

the verbs the author has chosen. Notice the change of tense at the end of the paragraph: what does it imply?

• Ask them to read the next two paragraphs, then display an enlarged/OHT version of the paragraph beginning ‘She

had asked about the man-made walling . . . ’ on page 15 (Resource sheet 2d). Using Resource sheet 2e for

reference, underline the words ‘lodes’ and ‘adits’ and discuss with the children strategies for working out the

probable meanings of unfamiliar words like these, i.e. without using a dictionary. Establish through reading round

the words that they are likely to be associated with mining, and guess at likely meanings. Make brief notes on sticky

notes, e.g. ‘lode, adit – check meanings’ and also ‘tin mines – Cornwall’ to demonstrate that sometimes readers

make notes to follow up later, in order not to break the flow of the story.

• Continue reading the story, pausing at the words ‘adit’ (‘The adit became narrower and narrower’) and ‘lode’

( . . . candles that lined the lode wall’) to ask the children to deduce whether these sentences confirm the meanings

of the words they ascribed earlier.

• Read on to ‘She was in the shadows and they still could not see her.’ (page 17).

Independent work – reading, word and sentence level and speaking and listening

Ask the children to read the next section of the story up to ‘ . . . nothing else to do.’ (page 20) to themselves. Assign two

activities for the children to do during and after reading:

• text mark and annotate any words or phrases that suggest that there is something strange or unusual about the men

• summarise who they think the two men are and why they are there.

Plenary

• Share children’s responses, text marking and annotating an enlarged copy of the same section of text as a model

(Resource sheet 2f). Use Resource sheet 2g for your reference. Draw out in discussion the author’s use of

antiquated language to suggest that the men are from another time, and the use of descriptive vocabulary and of

mysterious phrases that leave the reader with unanswered questions. Emphasise the author’s evocation of an eerie

atmosphere through the creation of a world that seems both real and unreal.

Resource sheet 2

The giant’s necklace


36



Day 4

Shared text work – reading, word and sentence leveland speaking and listening

• Give out copies of the story, making sure that children have the same copies that they annotated

yesterday. Continue to read from ‘He had a kind voice . . . ’ to ‘ . . . she smiled back.’ (page 20). Ask

them to read the next three paragraphs closely, up to ‘ . . . if he ever knew.’ (page 21), annotating the

text when they find evidence of who the men are and why they are there. Take feedback from the

children, asking them to cite their evidence (Resource sheet 2h). Use Resource sheet 2i for your

reference. Establish that this episode is a story within a story. Read on, pausing to work out the

meanings of any unfamiliar words, e.g. ‘perplexed’, ‘wrecking’, etc. up to ‘once again in their

affection’ (page 26).

• Display an OHT/enlarged version (Resource sheet 2j) of the section beginning ‘She saw as she came

round the corner . . . ’ to ‘ . . . presume that she is drowned’ on page 26. Use Resource sheet 2k for

your reference. Ask the children what they can deduce from the Land Rover marked Coastguard. Do

a close reading of this section, encouraging the children to deduce and infer from the text. Read to

the end of this section to confirm what is presumed to have happened to Cherry.

• Read on to the end of the story.


• Ask the children to compose a brief reading journal entry that reflects their response to Cherry’s

realisation that she is no longer alive. Ask them to consider whether we as readers realised the truth

at the same time as Cherry, or whether there were hints earlier on in the story. Children can skim read

from page 16 of the book and mark/note any such points.

Plenary

• Share the children’s responses and evidence. Draw their attention, if necessary, to the following:

She felt a strange affinity with him and his father. (page 25). Ask them to explain what this means and

why it is important to the story.

Resource sheet 2

contd.


37



Day 5

Shared text work – reading, word and sentence level and speaking and listening

• Recap on yesterday’s discussion about when they, as readers, realised what had happened to

Cherry. Refer back to the hints the author made, and explain that you are going to look more closely

at how the author managed to drop hints, without giving away the ending. Briefly discuss why he

wanted to do this.

• Ask the children to find the part of the story where Cherry ‘ . . . was on her feet suddenly and backing

away.’ (page 22). Talk through and complete enlarged Resource sheet 2l to help the children see that

Cherry doesn’t really understand what the young miner is trying to tell her, and he thinks Cherry

knows she has died. Taking each numbered comment in turn, ask them to find and underline it in the

text, and then discuss with their talk partner what they think the character is assuming or implying

when they speak these words. Do the first one together as an example. As they feed back their

ideas, write these in the appropriate thought bubbles for each character. Use Resource sheet 2m for

your reference.

• Move on to considering how the author uses time in the story.

• Display an uncompleted version of the chart on Resource sheet 2n and involve the children in rapidly

filling in the information to give an overview of the structure and time frame of the story, which takes

place over approximately 24 hours.

• Ask the children to consider the other aspect of ‘time’ in the story: in what ‘time’ do the miners exist,

and in what ‘time’ will Cherry now exist?


• Ask the children to reflect on the story as a whole, and on their discussions around the author’s craft,

and then make a journal entry in response to ‘Write down what you think about the story, giving

reasons for your ideas’.

Plenary

• Remind them of the planning frame they used last term when analysing and writing suspense stories,

i.e. opening/build-up/dilemma/events/resolution. Investigate whether that frame fits this story, using

Resource sheet 2n.

• Conclude with a question for them to ponder: is this a suspense story? A ghost story? An adventure

story? Or something else?

Resource sheet 2

contd.


38



Th

e G

ian

t’sN

eck

lace

So, a

min

ing

stor

y to

star

t wit

h.

For

man

y ye

ars I

use

d

to g

o ev

ery

sum

mer

to Z

enn

or.

I rea

d C

orn

ish

lege

nds

,

rese

arch

ed th

e of

ten

trag

ic h

isto

ry o

f tin

min

ing

in

Pen

wit

h, w

ande

red

the

wil

d m

oors

abo

ve Z

enn

or

Ch

urc

hto

wn

. I w

rote

a b

ook

of fi

ve sh

ort s

tori

es ca

lled

Th

e W

hit

e H

ors

e of Z

enn

or.

Th

is is

the

firs

t.

Th

e n

eck

lace

str

etch

ed f

rom

on

e en

d o

f th

e k

itch

en

tab

le t

o t

he

oth

er, a

rou

nd

th

e su

gar

bo

wl a

t th

e fa

r en

d

and

bac

k a

gain

, st

op

pin

g o

nly

a f

ew in

ches

sh

ort

of

the

toas

ter.

Th

e d

isco

ver

y o

n t

he

bea

ch o

f a

len

gth

of

aban

-

do

ned

fi

shin

g li

ne

dra

ped

w

ith

se

awee

d

had

fi

rst

sugg

este

d t

he

idea

to

Ch

erry

; an

d e

ver

y d

ay o

f th

e h

ol-

iday

sin

ce t

hen

had

bee

n s

pen

t in

on

e si

ngl

e-m

ind

ed

pu

rsu

it,

the

crea

tio

n o

f a

nec

kla

ce o

f gl

iste

nin

g p

ink

cow

rie

shel

ls.

Sh

e h

ad s

wo

rn t

o h

erse

lf a

nd

to

ever

yo

ne

else

th

at t

he

nec

kla

ce w

ou

ld n

ot

be

com

ple

te u

nti

l it 3

Resource sheet 2a

Copy for children

Th

e G

ian

t’s

Nec

kla

ce

in F

rom

Her

eabo

ut H

ill

by M

ich

ael M

orp

urg

o

© Michael Morpurgo 2002


39



‘Yo

u’v

e o

nly

go

t to

day

, C

her

ry,’

sai

d h

er m

oth

er

com

ing

over

to

th

e ta

ble

an

d p

utt

ing

an a

rm r

ou

nd

her

.

‘Ju

st t

od

ay,

that

’s a

ll.

We’

re o

ff b

ack

ho

me

tom

orr

ow

mo

rnin

g fi

rst

thin

g. W

hy

do

n’t

yo

u c

all

it a

day

, d

ear?

Yo

u’v

e b

een

at

it e

ver

y d

ay –

yo

u m

ust

be

tire

d o

f it

by

no

w.

Th

ere’

s n

o n

eed

to

go

on

, yo

u k

no

w.

We

all t

hin

k

it’s

a f

ine

nec

kla

ce a

nd

qu

ite

lon

g en

ou

gh.

It’

s lo

ng

enou

gh s

ure

ly?’

Ch

erry

sh

oo

k h

er h

ead

slo

wly

. ‘N

o,’

sh

e sa

id.

‘On

ly

that

litt

le b

it le

ft to

do a

nd th

en it

’ll b

e fi

nis

hed

.’

‘Bu

t th

ey’l

l ta

ke

ho

urs

to

co

llec

t, d

ear,

’ h

er m

oth

er

said

wea

kly

, re

cogn

isin

g an

d a

t th

e sa

me

tim

e re

spec

t-

ing

her

dau

ghte

r’s

per

sist

ence

.

‘On

ly a

few

ho

urs

,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

, b

end

ing

ov

er,

her

bro

ws

furr

ow

ing

crit

ical

ly a

s sh

e in

spec

ted

a f

law

in

on

e o

f h

er s

hel

ls, ‘

that

’s a

ll it

’ll t

ake.

D’y

ou

kn

ow

, th

ere

are

five

tho

usa

nd

, th

ree

hu

nd

red

an

d t

wen

ty-f

ive

shel

ls

in m

y n

eckla

ce a

lrea

dy?

I c

ou

nte

d th

em, s

o I

kn

ow

.’

‘Isn

’t t

hat

en

ou

gh,

Ch

erry

?’ h

er m

oth

er s

aid

des

-

per

atel

y.

‘No

,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

. ‘

I sa

id I

’d r

each

th

e to

aste

r, a

nd

I’m

goin

g to

rea

ch th

e to

aste

r.’

Her

moth

er tu

rned

aw

ay to

con

tin

ue

the

dry

ing-

up.

‘Wel

l, I

can

’t s

pen

d a

ll d

ay o

n t

he

bea

ch t

od

ay,

Ch

erry

,’ s

he

said

. ‘

If y

ou

hav

en’t

fin

ish

ed b

y t

he

tim

e

we

com

e aw

ay,

I’ll

hav

e to

lea

ve

yo

u t

her

e. W

e’v

e go

t

reac

hed

th

e to

aste

r;

and

w

hen

C

her

ry

vo

wed

sh

e

wou

ld d

o s

om

eth

ing,

sh

e in

vari

ably

did

it.

Ch

erry

was

th

e y

ou

nge

st in

a f

amil

y o

f o

lder

bro

th-

ers,

fo

ur

of

them

, wh

o h

ad t

ease

d h

er r

elen

tles

sly

sin

ce

the

day

sh

e w

as b

orn

, ele

ven

yea

rs b

efo

re.

Sh

e re

ferr

ed

to t

hem

as

‘th

e fo

ur

mis

tak

es’,

fo

r it

was

a f

amil

y j

ok

e

that

eac

h s

on

had

bee

n a

n a

ttem

pt

to p

rod

uce

a d

augh

-

ter.

To

th

eir

hu

ge d

elig

ht

Ch

erry

rea

cted

pas

sio

nat

ely t

o

any s

ligh

t o

r in

sult

wh

eth

er in

ten

ded

or

no

t. T

hei

r p

ar-

ticu

lar

targ

ets

wer

e h

er s

ize,

wh

ich

was

dim

inu

tiv

e

com

par

ed w

ith

th

eirs

, an

d h

er d

ark

fla

shin

g ey

es t

hat

cou

ld w

ith

er w

ith

on

e sc

orn

ful l

oo

k, h

er ‘z

app

ing’

loo

k,

they

cal

led

it.

Alt

ho

ugh

th

e te

asin

g w

as in

term

inab

le it

was

rar

ely

hu

rtfu

l, n

or

was

it

inte

nd

ed t

o b

e, f

or

her

broth

ers

adore

d h

er; a

nd s

he

kn

ew it

.

Ch

erry

was

po

rin

g o

ver

her

nec

kla

ce,

stil

l in

her

dre

ssin

g go

wn

. B

reak

fast

had

ju

st b

een

cle

ared

aw

ay

and

sh

e w

as a

lon

e w

ith

her

mo

ther

. S

he

fin

gere

d t

he

shel

ls li

ghtl

y, t

urn

ing

them

gen

tly u

nti

l th

e en

tire

nec

k-

lace

lay

fla

t w

ith

th

e ro

un

ded

pin

k o

f th

e sh

ells

all

up

per

mo

st.

Th

en s

he

ben

t d

ow

n a

nd

bre

ath

ed o

n e

ach

of

them

in

tu

rn,

po

lish

ing

them

ca

refu

lly

w

ith

a

nap

kin

.

‘Th

ere’

s st

ill

the

sea

in t

hem

,’ s

he

said

to

no

on

e in

par

ticu

lar.

‘Y

ou

can

sti

ll s

mel

l it

, an

d I

was

hed

th

em

and w

ash

ed th

em, y

ou

kn

ow

.’

54

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



40



Sh

e tu

rned

on

th

em,

fist

s fl

aili

ng

and

ch

ased

th

em

bac

k u

p t

he

stai

rs,

her

ey

es b

urn

ing

wit

h s

imu

late

d

fury

. ‘J

ust

‘co

s y

ou

do

n’t

bel

iev

e in

an

yth

ing

‘cep

t

mo

torb

ikes

an

d f

oo

tbal

l an

d a

ll t

hat

ru

bb

ish

, ju

st ‘

cos

yo

u’r

e gr

eat

big

, fa

t,

ign

ora

nt

pig

s …

’ S

he

hu

rled

insu

lts

up

th

e st

airs

, an

d t

he

wo

rse

the

insu

lt t

he

mo

re

they

love

d it

.

Bo

at C

ov

e ju

st b

elo

w Z

enn

or

Hea

d w

as t

he

bea

ch t

hey

had

fo

un

d a

nd

occ

up

ied

. E

ver

y y

ear

for

as l

on

g as

Ch

erry

co

uld

re

mem

ber

th

ey h

ad re

nte

d th

e sa

me

gran

ite

cott

age,

set

bac

k i

n t

he

fiel

ds

bel

ow

th

e E

agle

’s

Nes

t an

d e

ver

y y

ear

they

cam

e to

th

e sa

me

bea

ch

bec

ause

no

on

e el

se d

id.

In t

wo

wee

ks

no

t an

oth

er s

ou

l

had

ven

ture

d d

ow

n t

he

win

din

g tr

ack

th

rou

gh t

he

bra

cken

fro

m t

he

coas

tal

pat

h.

It

was

a l

on

g cl

imb

do

wn

an

d a

ver

y m

uch

lon

ger

on

e u

p.

Th

e b

each

itse

lf

was

alm

ost

hid

den

fro

m t

he

pat

h t

hat

ran

alo

ng

the

clif

f

top

a h

un

dre

d f

eet

abo

ve.

It

was

pri

vat

e an

d p

erfe

ct a

nd

thei

rs.

Th

e bo

ys

swam

in a

mo

ngs

t th

e ro

cks,

div

ing

and

sno

rkel

lin

g fo

r h

ou

rs o

n e

nd

. H

er m

oth

er a

nd

fat

her

wo

uld

sit

sid

e by s

ide

on

str

ipey

dec

k c

hai

rs.

Sh

e w

ou

ld

read

en

dle

ssly

an

d h

e w

ou

ld c

lose

his

ey

es a

gain

st t

he

sun

an

d d

ream

for

hou

rs o

n e

nd.

Ch

erry

mo

ved

aw

ay f

rom

th

em a

nd

cla

mber

ed o

ver

the

rock

s to

a n

arro

w s

trip

of

san

d i

n t

he

cov

e b

eyo

nd

to p

ack

up

an

d t

idy

th

e h

ou

se –

th

ere’

ll b

e n

o t

ime

in

the

morn

ing.

’

‘I’l

l b

e al

l ri

ght,

’ sa

id C

her

ry,

cock

ing

her

hea

d o

n

on

e si

de

to v

iew

th

e n

eck

lace

fro

m a

dif

fere

nt

angl

e.

‘Th

ere’

s n

ever

bee

n a

nec

kla

ce li

ke

this

bef

ore

, no

t in

all

the

wo

rld

. I

’m s

ure

th

ere

has

n’t

.’

An

d t

hen

, ‘Y

ou

can

leav

e m

e th

ere,

Mu

m,

and

I’l

l w

alk

bac

k.

It’

s o

nly

a

mil

e o

r so

alo

ng

the

clif

f p

ath

an

d h

alf

a m

ile

bac

k

acro

ss t

he

fiel

ds.

I’v

e d

on

e it

bef

ore

on

my o

wn

. It

’s n

ot

far.

’ Th

ere

was

a t

hu

nd

erin

g o

n t

he

stai

rs a

nd

a s

ud

den

rud

e in

vas

ion

of

the

kit

chen

. C

her

ry w

as s

urr

ou

nd

ed

by

her

fo

ur

bro

ther

s w

ho

lea

nt

ov

er t

he

tab

le i

n m

ock

appre

ciat

ion

of h

er n

eckla

ce.

‘Ooh

, pre

tty.

’

‘Do

th

ey c

om

e in

oth

er c

olo

urs

? I

mea

n, p

ink

’s n

ot

my

colo

ur.

’

‘’W

ho’s

it fo

r? A

n e

leph

ant?

’

‘It’

s fo

r a

gian

t,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

. ‘I

t’s

a gi

ant’

s n

eck

lace

,

and it

’s s

till n

ot b

ig e

nou

gh.’

It w

as t

he

per

fect

an

swer

, an

an

swer

sh

e k

new

wo

uld

sen

d h

er b

roth

ers

into

fit

s o

f la

ugh

ter.

Sh

e lo

ved

to m

ake

them

lau

gh a

t h

er a

nd

co

uld

do

it

at t

he

dro

p

of

a h

at.

Of

cou

rse

she

no

mo

re b

elie

ved

in g

ian

ts t

han

they

did

, b

ut

if i

t ti

ckle

d t

hem

pin

k t

o b

elie

ve

she

did

,

then

wh

y n

ot p

rete

nd?

76

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a

Copy for children cont.


41



and

to

be

bac

k w

ell b

efo

re d

ark

. S

he

had

cal

cula

ted

sh

e

nee

ded

on

e h

un

dre

d a

nd

fif

ty m

ore

co

wri

e sh

ells

an

d

so f

ar h

ad o

nly

fo

un

d e

igh

ty.

Sh

e w

ou

ld b

e b

ack

,

she

insi

sted

, w

hen

sh

e h

ad f

inis

hed

co

llec

tin

g en

ou

gh

shel

ls a

nd n

ot b

efore

.

Had

sh

e n

ot

bee

n s

o im

mer

sed

in h

er s

earc

h, s

ifti

ng

the

shel

ls t

hro

ugh

her

fin

gers

, sh

e w

ou

ld h

ave

no

tice

d

the

dar

k g

rey b

ank

of

clo

ud

ro

llin

g in

fro

m t

he

Atl

anti

c.

Sh

e w

ou

ld h

ave

no

tice

d t

he

wh

ite

ho

rses

gat

her

ing

ou

t

at s

ea a

nd

th

e ti

de

mo

vin

g re

mo

rsel

essl

y in

to

co

ver

th

e

rock

s b

etw

een

her

an

d B

oat

Co

ve.

W

hen

th

e cl

ou

ds

cut

off

th

e w

arm

th f

rom

th

e su

n a

s ev

enin

g ca

me

on

and

th

e se

a tu

rned

gre

y, s

he

shiv

ered

wit

h c

old

an

d

pu

t o

n h

er s

wea

ter

and

jea

ns.

S

he

did

lo

ok

up

th

en

and

saw

th

e an

gry

sea

, b

ut

she

saw

no

th

reat

in

th

at

and

did

no

t lo

ok

bac

k o

ver

her

sh

ou

lder

to

Bo

at C

ov

e.

Sh

e w

as a

war

e th

at t

ime

was

ru

nn

ing

ou

t so

sh

e w

ent

do

wn

on

her

kn

ees

agai

n a

nd

du

g fe

ver

ish

ly i

n t

he

san

d.

Sh

e h

ad to

collec

t th

irty

more

sh

ells

.

It w

as t

he

bal

efu

l so

un

d o

f th

e fo

gho

rn s

om

ewh

ere

ou

t at

sea

bey

on

d G

un

nar

ds

Hea

d t

hat

at

last

fo

rced

Ch

erry

to

tak

e so

me

acco

un

t o

f th

e in

com

ing

tid

e. S

he

loo

ked

fo

r th

e ro

cks

she

wo

uld

hav

e to

cla

mb

er o

ver

to

reac

h B

oat

Co

ve

agai

n a

nd

th

e w

ind

ing

trac

k t

hat

wo

uld

tak

e h

er u

p t

o t

he

clif

f p

ath

an

d s

afet

y, b

ut

they

wer

e go

ne.

Wh

ere

they

sh

ou

ld h

ave

bee

n, th

e se

a w

as

the

rock

s, a

nd

her

e it

was

th

at s

he

min

ed f

or

the

cow

rie

shel

ls.

In

th

e gr

itty

san

d u

nd

er t

he

clif

f fa

ce s

he

had

fou

nd

a p

arti

cula

rly

ric

h d

epo

sit.

S

he

was

lo

ok

ing

for

pin

k c

ow

rie

shel

ls o

f a

un

ifo

rm l

engt

h,

colo

ur

and

shap

e –

that

was

wh

at t

oo

k t

he

tim

e. O

ccas

ion

ally

th

e

bo

ys

wo

uld

sw

im a

rou

nd

th

e ro

cks

and

in

to

her

lit

tle

bea

ch, em

ergi

ng

fro

m t

he

sea

all go

ggle

d a

nd

fli

pp

ered

to m

ock

her

. B

ut

as s

he

pai

d t

hem

lit

tle

atte

nti

on

th

ey

soo

n t

ired

an

d w

ent

away

aga

in.

Sh

e k

new

tim

e w

as

run

nin

g sh

ort

. T

his

was

her

ver

y l

ast

chan

ce t

o f

ind

eno

ugh

sh

ells

to

co

mp

lete

th

e gi

ant’

s n

eck

lace

, an

d i

t

had

to b

e don

e.

Th

e se

a w

as c

alm

er t

hat

day

th

an s

he

had

ev

er s

een

it.

Th

e h

eat

bea

t d

ow

n f

rom

a w

ind

less

, cl

ou

dle

ss s

ky

;

even

th

e gu

lls

and

kit

tiw

akes

see

med

to

be

sile

nce

d b

y

the

sun

. C

her

ry s

earc

hed

on

, sto

pp

ing

on

ly f

or

a p

icn

ic

lun

ch o

f p

asti

es a

nd

to

mat

oes

wit

h t

he

fam

ily

bef

ore

retu

rnin

g at

on

ce h

er s

hel

ls.

In

the

end

th

e h

eat

pro

ved

to

o

mu

ch

for

her

mo

ther

an

d f

ath

er,

wh

o l

eft

the

bea

ch e

arli

er t

han

usu

al i

n m

id-a

fter

no

on

to

beg

in t

o t

idy

up

th

e co

ttag

e.

Th

e b

oy

s so

on

fo

llo

wed

bec

ause

th

ey h

ad t

ired

of

fin

d-

ing

min

iatu

re c

rab

s an

d s

eaw

eed

inst

ead

of

the

sun

ken

wre

cks

and

tre

asu

re t

hey

had

bee

n s

eek

ing.

So

, by t

ea-

tim

e C

her

ry w

as le

ft o

n h

er o

wn

on

th

e be

ach

wit

h s

tric

t

inst

ruct

ion

s to

kee

p h

er h

at o

n,

no

t to

bat

he

alo

ne

98

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



42



hig

h e

no

ugh

to

be

able

to

see

th

e th

in

stri

p o

f sa

nd

that

was

all

th

at w

as le

ft o

f B

oat

Co

ve.

It

was

on

ly a

few

yar

ds

away

, so

clo

se.

Un

til

no

w s

he

had

bee

n c

ryin

g

invo

lun

tari

ly; b

ut

no

w, a

s sh

e re

cogn

ised

th

e li

ttle

pat

h

up

th

rou

gh t

he

bra

cken

, her

hea

rt w

as li

fted

wit

h h

op

e

and

an

tici

pat

ion

. S

he

kn

ew t

hat

th

e w

ors

t w

as o

ver

,

that

if

the

sea

wo

uld

on

ly h

old

bac

k s

he

wo

uld

rea

ch

the

san

ctu

ary

of t

he

Cove

.

Sh

e tu

rned

an

d l

oo

ked

beh

ind

her

to

see

ho

w f

ar

away

th

e n

ext

wav

e w

as,

just

to

rea

ssu

re h

erse

lf t

hat

she

had

en

ou

gh t

ime.

B

ut

the

grea

t su

rge

of

gree

n

wat

er w

as o

n h

er b

efo

re s

he

cou

ld r

egis

ter

eith

er d

is-

app

oin

tmen

t o

r fe

ar.

Sh

e w

as h

url

ed b

ack

aga

inst

th

e

rock

bel

ow

her

an

d c

ove

red a

t on

ce b

y th

e se

a.

Sh

e w

as c

on

scio

us

as s

he

wen

t d

ow

n t

hat

sh

e w

as

dro

wn

ing,

bu

t sh

e st

ill

clu

tch

ed h

er s

hel

ls a

gain

st h

er

ches

t an

d h

op

ed s

he

had

en

ou

gh o

f th

em a

t la

st t

o

fin

ish

th

e gi

ant’

s n

eck

lace

. T

ho

se w

ere

her

last

th

ou

ghts

befo

re th

e se

a to

ok h

er a

way

.

Ch

erry

lay o

n h

er s

ide

wh

ere

the

tid

e h

ad li

fted

her

an

d

cou

ghed

un

til h

er lu

ngs

wer

e cl

ear.

Sh

e w

ok

e as

th

e se

a

cam

e in

on

ce a

gain

an

d f

roth

ed a

rou

nd

her

leg

s.

Sh

e

roll

ed o

n h

er b

ack

, fee

lin

g th

e sa

lt s

pra

y o

n h

er f

ace

and

saw

th

at i

t w

as n

igh

t.

Th

e sk

y a

bo

ve

her

was

das

hed

wit

h s

tars

an

d th

e m

oon

rode

thro

ugh

the

clou

ds.

alre

ady d

rivin

g in

aga

inst

th

e cl

iff

face

. S

he

was

cu

t o

ff.

In a

co

nfu

sio

n o

f w

on

der

an

d f

ear

she

loo

ked

ou

t to

sea

at t

he

hea

vin

g o

cean

th

at m

oved

in t

ow

ard

s h

er, s

eein

g

it n

ow

as

a w

rith

ing

grey

mo

nst

er b

reat

hin

g it

s fu

ry o

n

the

rock

s w

ith

eve

ry p

ou

ndin

g w

ave.

Sti

ll C

her

ry d

id n

ot

forg

et h

er s

hel

ls,

bu

t w

rap

pin

g

them

in

sid

e h

er

tow

el

she

tuck

ed

them

in

to

her

swea

ter

and

wad

ed o

ut

thro

ugh

th

e su

rf t

ow

ard

s th

e

rock

s.

If s

he

tim

ed i

t ri

ght,

sh

e re

aso

ned

, sh

e co

uld

scra

mb

le b

ack

ov

er t

hem

an

d i

nto

th

e C

ov

e as

th

e su

rf

retr

eate

d.

Sh

e re

ach

ed t

he

firs

t o

f th

e ro

cks

wit

ho

ut

too

mu

ch d

iffi

cult

y;

the

sea

her

e se

emed

to

be

pro

-

tect

ed f

rom

th

e fo

rce

of

the

oce

an b

y t

he

rock

s fu

rth

er

ou

t. H

old

ing

fast

to

th

e fi

rst

rock

sh

e ca

me

to a

nd

wit

h

the

sea

up

aro

un

d h

er w

aist

, sh

e w

aite

d f

or

the

nex

t

inco

min

g w

ave

to b

reak

an

d r

etre

at.

Th

e w

ave

was

un

exp

ecte

dly

im

po

ten

t an

d f

ell

lim

ply

on

th

e ro

cks

aro

un

d h

er.

Sh

e k

new

her

mo

men

t h

ad c

om

e an

d t

oo

k

it.

Sh

e w

as n

ot

to k

no

w t

hat

pil

ing

up

far

ou

t at

sea

was

the

firs

t o

f th

e gi

ant

sto

rm w

aves

th

at h

ad g

ath

ered

sever

al h

un

dre

d m

iles

ou

t in

th

e A

tlan

tic,

bri

ngi

ng

wit

h

it a

ll th

e m

om

entu

m a

nd v

iole

nce

of t

he

dee

p o

cean

.

Th

e ro

cks

wer

e sl

ipp

ery

un

der

foo

t an

d m

ore

th

an

on

ce C

her

ry s

lip

ped

do

wn

in

to s

eeth

ing

wh

ite

rock

po

ols

wh

ere

she

had

pla

yed

so

oft

en w

hen

th

e ti

de

was

ou

t. B

ut

she

stru

ggle

d o

n u

nti

l, f

inal

ly, s

he

had

cli

mbed

1110

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



43



as t

he

sea

crep

t ev

ery c

lose

r, e

ach

wav

e la

shin

g h

er w

ith

spra

y a

nd

eat

ing

away

gra

du

ally

at

the

bea

ch.

Sh

e

clo

sed

her

ey

es a

nd

pra

yed

, h

op

ing

agai

nst

ho

pe

that

wh

en s

he

op

ened

th

em t

he

sea

wo

uld

be

retr

eati

ng.

Bu

t h

er p

ray

ers

wen

t u

nan

swer

ed a

nd

th

e se

a ca

me

in

to c

ov

er t

he

bea

ch.

On

ce o

r tw

ice

she

tho

ugh

t sh

e

hea

rd v

oic

es a

bo

ve

her

on

th

e cl

iff

pat

h,

bu

t w

hen

sh

e

call

ed o

ut

no

on

e ca

me.

S

he

con

tin

ued

to

sh

ou

t fo

r

hel

p e

ver

y f

ew m

inu

tes,

fo

rget

tin

g it

was

fu

tile

aga

inst

the

con

tin

uo

us

roar

an

d h

iss

of

the

wav

es.

A p

air

of

rau

cou

s w

hit

e gu

lls

flew

do

wn

fro

m t

he

clif

fs t

o i

nv

es-

tiga

te h

er a

nd

sh

e ca

lled

to

th

em f

or

hel

p,

bu

t th

ey d

id

no

t se

em t

o u

nd

erst

and

an

d w

hee

led

aw

ay i

nto

th

e

nig

ht. Ch

erry

sta

yed

sit

tin

g o

n h

er r

ock

un

til

the

wav

es

thre

aten

ed t

o d

islo

dge

her

an

d t

hen

rel

uct

antl

y s

he

beg

an h

er c

lim

b.

Sh

e w

ou

ld g

o a

s fa

r as

sh

e n

eed

ed t

o

and

no

fu

rth

er.

Sh

e h

ad s

can

ned

th

e fi

rst

few

fee

t

abo

ve

for

foo

tho

lds

and

it d

id lo

ok

qu

ite

a si

mp

le c

lim

b

to b

egin

wit

h,

and

so

it

pro

ved

. B

ut

her

han

ds

wer

e

nu

mb

ed w

ith

co

ld a

nd

her

leg

s b

egan

to

tre

mb

le w

ith

the

stra

in a

lmo

st a

t o

nce

. S

he

cou

ld s

ee t

hat

th

e le

dge

she

had

no

w r

each

ed w

as t

he

last

dee

p o

ne

vis

ible

on

the

clif

f fa

ce.

Th

e sh

ells

in h

er s

wea

ter

wer

e re

stri

ctin

g

her

fre

edo

m o

f m

ov

emen

t so

sh

e d

ecid

ed s

he

wo

uld

leav

e th

em t

her

e.

Wra

pp

ed t

igh

t in

th

e to

wel

th

ey

Sh

e sc

ram

ble

d t

o h

er f

eet,

on

e h

and

sti

ll h

old

ing

her

pre

cio

us

shel

ls c

lose

to

her

. I

nst

inct

ivel

y s

he

bac

ked

away

fro

m t

he

sea

and

loo

ked

aro

un

d h

er.

Wit

h g

row

-

ing

dis

may

sh

e sa

w t

hat

sh

e h

ad b

een

th

row

n b

ack

on

the

wro

ng

sid

e o

f th

e ro

cks,

th

at s

he

was

no

t in

Bo

at

Co

ve.

Th

e ti

de

had

left

on

ly a

few

fee

t o

f sa

nd

an

d r

ock

bet

wee

n h

er a

nd

th

e cl

iff

face

. T

her

e w

as n

o w

ay b

ack

thro

ugh

the

sea

to s

afet

y.

Sh

e tu

rned

ro

un

d t

o f

ace

the

clif

f th

at s

he

real

ised

no

w w

ou

ld b

e h

er l

ast

ho

pe,

fo

r sh

e re

mem

ber

ed t

hat

this

litt

le b

each

van

ish

ed c

om

ple

tely

at

hig

h t

ide.

If

she

stay

ed w

her

e sh

e w

as s

he

wo

uld

su

rely

be

swep

t aw

ay

agai

n a

nd

th

is t

ime

she

mig

ht

no

t b

e so

fo

rtu

nat

e. B

ut

the

cold

see

med

to

hav

e ca

lmed

her

an

d s

he

reas

on

ed

mo

re d

elib

erat

ely

no

w,

wo

nd

erin

g w

hy

sh

e h

ad n

ot

trie

d c

lim

bin

g th

e cl

iff

bef

ore

. S

he

had

hu

rrie

d in

to h

er

firs

t at

tem

pt

to e

scap

e an

d i

t h

ad v

ery

nea

rly

co

st h

er

her

lif

e.

Sh

e w

ou

ld w

ait

this

tim

e u

nti

l th

e se

a fo

rced

her

up

th

e cl

iff.

P

erh

aps

the

tid

e w

ou

ld n

ot

com

e in

that

far

. Per

hap

s th

ey w

ou

ld b

e lo

ok

ing

for

her

by n

ow

.

It w

as d

ark

. S

ure

ly t

hey

wo

uld

be

sear

chin

g.

Su

rely

they

mu

st f

ind

her

so

on

. A

fter

all

, th

ey k

new

wh

ere

she

was

. Yes

, sh

e th

ou

ght,

bes

t ju

st to

wai

t an

d h

ope.

Sh

e se

ttle

d d

ow

n o

n a

led

ge o

f ro

ck t

hat

was

th

e

firs

t st

ep u

p o

n t

he

clif

f fa

ce,

dre

w h

er k

nee

s u

p t

o

her

ch

in t

o k

eep

ou

t th

e ch

ill,

an

d w

aite

d.

Sh

e w

atch

ed

1312

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



44



tho

ugh

t o

f w

alk

ing

in t

hro

ugh

th

e fr

on

t d

oo

r al

l d

rip

-

pin

g an

d

dra

mat

ic

mad

e h

er

alm

ost

ch

ok

e w

ith

exci

tem

ent.

As

she

reac

hed

fo

rwar

d t

o b

rush

a s

har

p s

ton

e fr

om

the

sole

of

her

fo

ot,

Ch

erry

no

tice

d t

hat

th

e n

arro

w

entr

ance

to

th

e ca

ve

was

hal

f se

aled

in.

Sh

e ra

n h

er f

in-

gers

ov

er t

he

sto

nes

an

d c

emen

t to

mak

e su

re,

for

the

ligh

t w

as p

oo

r.

It w

as a

t th

at m

om

ent

that

sh

e re

cog-

nis

ed e

xac

tly

wh

ere

she

was

. S

he

reca

lled

no

w t

he

gian

t fl

edgl

ing

cuck

oo

on

e o

f h

er b

roth

ers

had

sp

ott

ed

bei

ng

fed

by

a t

iny

ro

ck p

ipit

ear

lier

in

th

e h

oli

day

s,

ho

w t

hey

had

qu

arre

lled

ov

er t

he

bin

ocu

lars

an

d h

ow

,

wh

en s

he

had

fin

ally

usu

rped

th

em a

nd

mad

e h

er

esca

pe

acro

ss t

he

rock

s, s

he

had

fo

un

d t

he

cuck

oo

per

ched

at

the

entr

ance

to

a n

arro

w c

ave

som

e w

ay u

p

the

clif

f fac

e fr

om

the

beac

h.

Sh

e h

ad a

sked

ab

ou

t th

e m

an-m

ade

wal

lin

g, a

nd

her

fat

her

had

to

ld h

er o

f th

e o

ld t

in m

ines

wh

ose

lod

es

and

ad

its

cris

s-cr

oss

ed t

he

enti

re c

oas

tal

area

aro

un

d

Zen

no

r.

Th

is o

ne,

he

said

, m

igh

t h

ave

bee

n t

he

min

e

they

cal

led

Wh

eel

No

rth

Gry

lls,

an

d h

e th

ou

ght

the

adit

mu

st h

ave

bee

n w

alle

d u

p t

o p

reven

t th

e se

as f

rom

ente

rin

g th

e m

ine

in a

sto

rm.

It

was

sai

d t

her

e h

ad

bee

n a

n a

ccid

ent

in t

he

min

e o

nly

a f

ew y

ears

aft

er i

t

was

op

ened

ov

er a

hu

nd

red

yea

rs b

efo

re,

and

th

at t

he

min

e h

ad

had

to

cl

ose

so

on

af

ter

wh

en

the

min

e

wo

uld

be

qu

ite

safe

. S

he

too

k t

he

soak

ing

bu

nd

le o

ut

of

her

sw

eate

r an

d p

lace

d it

car

efu

lly a

gain

st t

he

rock

fac

e

on

th

e le

dge

bes

ide

her

, p

ush

ing

it i

n a

s fa

r as

it

wo

uld

go.

‘I’

ll b

e b

ack

fo

r y

ou

,’ s

he

said

, an

d r

each

ed u

p f

or

the

nex

t li

p o

f ro

ck.

Ju

st b

elo

w h

er t

he

sea

cras

hed

agai

nst

th

e cl

iff

as i

f it

wan

ted

to

su

ck h

er f

rom

th

e

rock

fac

e an

d c

laim

her

on

ce a

gain

. C

her

ry d

eter

min

ed

not t

o lo

ok d

ow

n b

ut t

o c

on

cen

trat

e on

the

clim

b.

At

firs

t, s

he

imag

ined

th

at t

he

glo

w a

bo

ve

her

was

fro

m a

to

rch

. S

he

sho

ute

d a

nd

scr

eam

ed u

nti

l sh

e w

as

wea

k f

rom

th

e ef

fort

of

it.

Bu

t al

tho

ugh

no

an

swer

ing

call

cam

e fr

om

th

e n

igh

t, t

he

ligh

t re

mai

ned

pal

e an

d

bec

ko

nin

g, w

ider

th

an t

hat

of

a to

rch

. W

ith

ren

ewed

ho

pe

Ch

erry

fo

un

d e

no

ugh

str

engt

h t

o in

ch h

er w

ay u

p

the

clif

f, u

nti

l sh

e re

ach

ed t

he

entr

ance

to

a n

arro

w

cave.

It

was

fil

led

wit

h a

fli

cker

ing

yel

low

ligh

t li

ke

that

of

a ca

nd

le s

hak

en b

y t

he

win

d. S

he

hau

led

her

self

up

into

th

e m

ou

th o

f th

e ca

ve

and

sat

do

wn

ex

hau

sted

,

loo

kin

g b

ack

do

wn

at

the

furi

ou

s se

a fr

oth

ing

ben

eath

her

. S

he

lau

ghed

alo

ud

in t

riu

mp

h.

Sh

e w

as s

afe!

Sh

e

had

def

ied

th

e se

a an

d w

on

! H

er o

ne

regr

et w

as t

hat

she

had

had

to

lea

ve

her

co

wri

e sh

ells

beh

ind

. S

he

wo

uld

fet

ch t

hem

to

mo

rro

w a

fter

th

e ti

de

had

go

ne

dow

n a

gain

.

Fo

r th

e fi

rst

tim

e n

ow

sh

e b

egan

to

th

ink

of

her

fam

ily

an

d

ho

w

wo

rrie

d

they

w

ou

ld

be,

b

ut

the

1514

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



45



each

fo

ot.

Sh

e h

ad g

on

e o

nly

a s

ho

rt d

ista

nce

wh

en s

he

hea

rd t

he

tap

pin

g fo

r th

e fi

rst

tim

e, d

isti

nct

an

d r

hy

th-

mic

, a

sou

nd

th

at

was

in

stan

tly

re

cogn

isab

le

as

ham

mer

ing.

It

bec

ame

shar

per

an

d n

oti

ceab

ly m

ore

met

alli

c as

sh

e m

ov

ed u

p t

he

tun

nel

. S

he

cou

ld h

ear

the

dis

tan

t m

urm

ur

of

vo

ices

an

d t

he

sou

nd

of

fall

ing

sto

ne.

Even

bef

ore

sh

e ca

me

ou

t o

f th

e tu

nn

el a

nd

into

the

vas

t ca

ve

she

kn

ew s

he

had

hap

pen

ed u

po

n a

work

ing

min

e.

Th

e ca

ve

was

dar

k i

n a

ll b

ut

on

e co

rner

an

d h

ere

she

cou

ld s

ee t

wo

men

ben

din

g to

th

eir

wo

rk,

thei

r

bac

ks

tow

ard

s h

er.

On

e o

f th

em w

as in

spec

tin

g th

e ro

ck

face

clo

sely

wh

ilst

th

e o

ther

sw

un

g h

is h

amm

er w

ith

con

tro

lled

po

wer

, p

ausi

ng

on

ly t

o s

pit

on

his

han

ds

fro

m t

ime

to t

ime.

T

hey

wo

re r

ou

nd

hat

s w

ith

tu

rned

up

bri

ms

that

ser

ved

als

o a

s ca

nd

lest

ick

s, f

or

a li

ghte

d

can

dle

was

fix

ed t

o e

ach

, th

e li

ght

dan

cin

g w

ith

th

e

shad

ow

s al

on

g th

e ca

ve w

alls

as

they

work

ed.

Ch

erry

wat

ched

fo

r so

me

mo

men

ts u

nti

l sh

e m

ade

up

her

min

d w

hat

to

do

. S

he

lon

ged

to

ru

sh u

p t

o t

hem

and

tel

l of

her

esc

ape

and

to

ask

th

em t

o t

ake

her

to

th

e

surf

ace,

bu

t a

cert

ain

sh

yn

ess

ov

erca

me

her

an

d s

he

hel

d b

ack

. H

er c

han

ce t

o in

terr

up

t ca

me

wh

en t

hey

sat

do

wn

aga

inst

th

e ro

ck f

ace

and

op

ened

th

eir

can

teen

s.

Sh

e w

as i

n t

he

shad

ow

s an

d t

hey

sti

ll c

ou

ld n

ot

see

her

.

ow

ner

s ra

n

ou

t o

f m

on

ey

to

mak

e th

e n

eces

sary

rep

airs

. T

he

enti

re s

tory

cam

e b

ack

to

her

no

w,

and

she

wo

nd

ered

wh

ere

the

cuck

oo

was

an

d w

het

her

th

e

rock

pip

it h

ad d

ied

wit

h t

he

effo

rt o

f k

eep

ing

the

fled

g-

lin

g al

ive.

T

in m

ines

, sh

e th

ou

ght,

lea

d t

o t

he

surf

ace,

and

th

e w

ay h

om

e.

Th

at t

ho

ugh

t an

d h

er n

atu

ral

inq

uis

itiv

enes

s ab

ou

t th

e so

urc

e o

f li

ght

per

suad

ed h

er

to h

er fe

et a

nd in

to th

e tu

nn

el.

Th

e ad

it b

ecam

e n

arro

wer

an

d l

ow

er a

s sh

e cr

ept

forw

ard

, so

th

at s

he

had

to

go

do

wn

on

her

han

ds

and

kn

ees,

so

met

imes

fla

t o

n h

er s

tom

ach

. A

lth

ou

gh s

he

was

ou

t o

f th

e w

ind

no

w, i

t se

emed

co

lder

. S

he

felt

sh

e

was

mo

vin

g d

ow

nw

ard

s fo

r a

min

ute

or

two

, fo

r th

e

blo

od

was

co

min

g to

her

hea

d a

nd

her

wei

ght

was

hea

vy

on

her

han

ds.

T

hen

, q

uit

e su

dd

enly

, sh

e fo

un

d

the

gro

un

d l

evel

lin

g o

ut

and

saw

a l

arge

tu

nn

el a

hea

d

of

her

. T

her

e w

as n

o d

ou

bt

as t

o w

hic

h w

ay s

he

sho

uld

turn

, fo

r o

ne

way

th

e tu

nn

el w

as b

lack

, an

d t

he

oth

er

way

was

ligh

ted

wit

h c

and

les

that

lin

ed t

he

lod

e w

all a

s

far

as s

he

cou

ld s

ee.

Sh

e ca

lled

ou

t, ‘

An

yo

ne

ther

e?

An

yo

ne

ther

e?’

Sh

e p

ause

d t

o l

iste

n f

or

the

rep

ly;

bu

t

all

she

cou

ld h

ear

no

w w

as t

he

mu

ffle

d r

oar

of

the

sea

and th

e co

nti

nu

ou

s ec

hoin

g of d

rippin

g w

ater

.

Th

e tu

nn

el w

iden

ed n

ow

an

d s

he

fou

nd

sh

e co

uld

wal

k u

pri

ght

agai

n,

bu

t h

er f

eet

hu

rt a

gain

st t

he

sto

ne

and

so

sh

e m

ov

ed s

low

ly,

feel

ing

her

way

gen

tly

wit

h

1716

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



46



we

shan

’t h

arm

yo

u.

Co

me

on

, y

ou

can

hav

e so

me

of

my

tea

if y

ou

like.

’

Th

ey s

po

ke

thei

r w

ord

s in

a m

ann

er C

her

ry h

ad

nev

er h

eard

bef

ore

. I

t w

as n

ot

the

usu

al C

orn

ish

bu

rr,

bu

t h

eav

ier

and

ro

ugh

er i

n t

on

e, m

ore

old

-fas

hio

ned

som

ehow

. Th

ere

wer

e so

man

y qu

esti

on

s in

her

min

d.

‘Bu

t I

tho

ugh

t th

e m

ine

was

clo

sed

a h

un

dre

d y

ears

ago

,’

she

said

n

erv

ou

sly.

‘Th

at’s

w

hat

I

was

to

ld,

anyw

ay.’

‘Wel

l, y

ou

was

to

ld w

ron

g,’ s

aid

th

e o

ld m

an, w

ho

m

Ch

erry

co

uld

see

mo

re c

lear

ly n

ow

un

der

his

can

dle

.

His

eyes

wer

e w

hit

e an

d s

et f

ar b

ack

in h

is h

ead

, un

nat

-

ura

lly

so

, sh

e th

ou

ght,

an

d h

is l

ips

and

mo

uth

see

med

a vi

vid r

ed in

the

can

dle

ligh

t.

‘Clo

sed

, cl

ose

d i

nd

eed

, d

oes

it

loo

k c

lose

d t

o y

ou

?

D’y

ou

th

ink

we’

re d

iggi

ng

for

wo

rms?

Over

fo

ur

tho

u-

san

d t

on

s o

f ti

n l

ast

yea

r an

d n

ine

tho

usa

nd

of

cop

per

ore

, an

d y

ou

ask

is t

he

min

e cl

ose

d?

Ov

er t

wen

ty f

ath

-

om

s b

elo

w t

he

sea

this

min

e go

es.

We’

ll d

ig r

igh

t o

ut

un

der

th

e o

cean

, h

alfw

ay t

o ’

Mer

ica

afo

re w

e cl

ose

dow

n th

is m

ine.

’

He

spo

ke

pas

sio

nat

ely

no

w,

alm

ost

an

gril

y, s

o t

hat

Ch

erry

felt

sh

e h

ad o

ffen

ded

him

.

‘Hu

sh,

Fat

her

,’ s

aid

th

e y

ou

ng

man

tak

ing

off

his

jack

et a

nd

wra

pp

ing

it r

ou

nd

Ch

erry

’s s

ho

uld

ers.

‘S

he

do

esn

’t w

ant

to h

ear

all a

bo

ut

that

. S

he’

s co

ld a

nd

wet

.

‘Tea

loo

ks

cold

aga

in,’

on

e o

f th

em s

aid

gru

ffly

. ‘’

Tis

alw

ays

cold

. I’

m s

ure

sh

e m

akes

it w

i’ c

old

wat

er.’

‘Oh

sto

p y

ou

r m

oan

ing,

Fat

her

,’ s

aid

th

e o

ther

, a

yo

un

ger

vo

ice,

Ch

erry

fel

t.

‘Sh

e d

oes

her

bes

t.

Sh

e’s

fiv

e li

ttle

on

es t

o l

oo

k a

fter

an

d p

reci

ou

s li

ttle

to

do

it

on

. S

he

do

es h

er b

est.

Yo

u m

ust

n’t

kee

p o

n a

t h

er s

o.

It

upse

ts h

er.

Sh

e does

her

bes

t.’

‘So

sh

e d

oes

, lad

, so

sh

e d

oes

. A

nd

so

fo

r th

at m

atte

r

do

I, b

ut

that

do

n’t

sto

p h

er m

oan

ing

at m

e an

d it

’ll n

ot

sto

p m

e m

oan

ing

at h

er.

If

we

did

n’t

mo

an a

t ea

ch

oth

er,

lad

, w

e’d

hav

e p

reci

ou

s li

ttle

els

e to

tal

k a

bo

ut,

and

th

at’s

a f

act.

Sh

e ex

pec

ts it

of

me,

lad

, an

d I

ex

pec

ts

it o

f her

.’

‘Ex

cuse

me,

’ C

her

ry s

aid

ten

tati

vel

y.

Sh

e fe

lt s

he

had

eav

esd

rop

ped

fo

r lo

ng

eno

ugh

. S

he

app

roac

hed

them

slo

wly

. ‘

Ex

cuse

me,

bu

t I’

ve

got

a b

it l

ost

. I

clim

bed

th

e cl

iff,

yo

u s

ee,

’co

s I

was

cu

t o

ff f

rom

th

e

Co

ve.

I w

as t

ryin

g to

get

bac

k, b

ut

I co

uld

n’t

an

d I

saw

this

ligh

t an

d s

o I

cli

mb

ed u

p.

I w

ant

to g

et h

om

e an

d I

won

der

ed if

you

cou

ld h

elp m

e ge

t to th

e to

p?’

‘To

p?’

sai

d t

he

old

er o

ne,

pee

rin

g in

to t

he

dar

k.

‘Com

e cl

ose

r, la

d, w

her

e w

e ca

n s

ee y

ou

.’

‘Sh

e’s

no

t a

lad

, F

ath

er.

Are

yo

u b

lin

d?

Can

yo

u

no

t se

e ’t

is a

fil

ly.

’T

is a

yo

un

g fi

lly,

all

wet

th

rou

gh

fro

m t

he

sea.

Co

me,

’ th

e y

ou

ng

man

sai

d, st

and

ing

up

and

bec

ko

nin

g C

her

ry i

n.

‘D

on

’t b

e af

eare

d,

litt

le g

irl,

1918

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



47



‘Th

at’s

my

gir

l.

It w

as a

new

min

e th

is,

pro

mis

ing,

ever

yo

ne

said

. T

he

bes

t ti

n in

Co

rnw

all a

nd

th

at m

ean

s

the

bes

t ti

n i

n t

he

wo

rld

. 1

86

5 i

t st

arte

d u

p a

nd

th

ey

wer

e lo

ok

ing

for

tin

ner

s, a

nd

so

Fat

her

fo

un

d a

co

ttag

e

do

wn

by

Tre

vea

l an

d c

ame

to w

ork

her

e. I

was

alr

ead

y

fou

rtee

n,

so I

jo

ined

him

do

wn

th

e m

ine.

W

e p

ros-

per

ed a

nd

th

e m

ine

pro

sper

ed,

to s

tart

wit

h.

Mo

ther

and

th

e li

ttle

ch

ild

ren

had

fu

ll b

elli

es a

nd

th

ere

was

talk

of

sin

kin

g a

fres

h s

haf

t.

Tim

es w

ere

goo

d a

nd

pro

mis

ed to

be

bett

er.’

Ch

erry

sat

tra

nsf

ixed

as

the

sto

ry o

f th

e d

isas

ter

un

fold

ed.

Sh

e h

eard

ho

w t

hey

had

bee

n t

rap

ped

by

a

fall

of

rock

, ab

ou

t h

ow

th

ey h

ad w

ork

ed t

o p

ull

th

em

away

, b

ut

beh

ind

ev

ery

ro

ck w

as a

no

ther

ro

ck a

nd

ano

ther

ro

ck.

Sh

e h

eard

ho

w t

hey

had

nev

er e

ven

hea

rd a

ny

so

un

d o

f re

scu

e.

Th

ey h

ad d

ied

, h

e sa

id,

in

two

day

s o

r so

bec

ause

th

e ai

r w

as b

ad a

nd

bec

ause

ther

e w

as to

o li

ttle

of i

t.

‘Fat

her

has

nev

er a

ccep

ted

it;

he

stil

l th

ink

s h

e’s

aliv

e, t

hat

he

goes

ho

me

to M

oth

er a

nd

th

e li

ttle

ch

il-

dre

n e

ach

ev

enin

g. B

ut

he’

s d

ead

, ju

st l

ike

me.

I c

an’t

tell

him

th

ou

gh,

for

he’

d n

ot

un

der

stan

d a

nd

it

wo

uld

brea

k h

is h

eart

if h

e ev

er k

new

.’

‘So

yo

u a

ren

’t r

eal.

I’

m j

ust

im

agin

ing

all

this

.

You

’re

just

a d

ream

.’

‘No

dre

am,

my

gir

l,’

said

th

e y

ou

ng

man

lau

ghin

g

Can

’t y

ou

see

? N

ow

let

’s m

ake

a li

ttle

fir

e to

war

m h

er

thro

ugh

. S

he’

s sh

iver

ed r

igh

t th

rou

gh t

o h

er b

on

es.

Yo

u

can

see

sh

e is

.’

‘Th

ey a

ll a

re,’

sai

d t

he

old

tin

ner

pu

llin

g h

imse

lf t

o

his

fee

t. ‘

Th

ey a

ll a

re.’

An

d h

e sh

uff

led

pas

t h

er in

to t

he

dar

k.

‘I’

ll f

etch

th

e w

oo

d,’

he

mu

tter

ed,

and

th

en

added

, ‘fo

r al

l th

e go

od it

’ll d

o.’

‘Wh

at d

oes

he

mea

n?’

C

her

ry a

sked

th

e y

ou

ng

man

, fo

r w

ho

m s

he

felt

an

inst

ant

lik

ing.

‘W

hat

did

he

mea

n b

y th

at?’

‘Oh

pay

him

no

hee

d, l

ittl

e gi

rl,’

he

said

. ‘H

e’s

an o

ld

man

no

w a

nd

tir

ed o

f th

e m

ine.

We’

re b

oth

tir

ed o

f it

,

bu

t w

e’re

pro

ud

of

it s

ee,

and

we’

ve

no

wh

ere

else

to

go, n

oth

ing

else

to d

o.’

He

had

a k

ind

vo

ice

that

was

rea

ssu

rin

g to

Ch

erry

.

He

seem

ed

som

eho

w

to

kn

ow

th

e q

ues

tio

ns

she

wan

ted

to

ask

, fo

r h

e an

swer

ed t

hem

no

w w

ith

ou

t h

er

ever

ask

ing.

‘Sit

dow

n b

y m

e w

hile

you

list

en, g

irl,’ h

e sa

id.

‘Fat

her

wil

l m

ake

a fi

re t

o w

arm

yo

u a

nd

I s

hal

l te

ll

yo

u h

ow

we

com

e to

be

her

e.

Yo

u w

on

’t b

e af

eare

d

now

, will y

ou

?’

Ch

erry

lo

ok

ed u

p i

nto

his

fac

e w

hic

h w

as y

ou

nge

r

than

sh

e h

ad e

xp

ecte

d f

rom

his

vo

ice;

bu

t li

ke

his

fath

er’s

, th

e ey

es s

eem

ed s

ad a

nd

dee

p s

et,

yet

th

ey

smiled

at h

er g

entl

y an

d s

he

smiled

bac

k.

2120

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



48



so d

o I

. Y

ou

’ll

wan

t m

e to

gu

ide

yo

u t

o t

he

surf

ace

I

s’pose

.’

‘I’m

no

t th

e fi

rst

then

?’ C

her

ry s

aid

. ‘

Th

ere’

s b

een

oth

ers

clim

b u

p i

nto

th

e m

ine

to e

scap

e fr

om

th

e se

a?

You

’ve

save

d lo

ts o

f peo

ple

.’

‘A fe

w,’ s

aid th

e ti

nn

er n

oddin

g. ‘

A fe

w.’

‘Yo

u’r

e a

kin

d p

erso

n,’

Ch

erry

sai

d, w

arm

ing

to t

he

sad

nes

s in

th

e y

ou

ng

man

’s v

oic

e.

‘I n

ever

th

ou

ght

ghost

s w

ou

ld b

e kin

d.’

‘We’

re ju

st p

eop

le, p

eop

le w

ho

’ve

pas

sed

on

,’ r

epli

ed

the

yo

un

g m

an,

tak

ing

her

el

bo

w an

d le

adin

g h

er

tow

ard

s th

e fi

re.

‘Th

ere’

s n

ice

peo

ple

an

d t

her

e’s

nas

ty

peo

ple

. I

t’s

the

sam

e if

yo

u’r

e al

ive

or

if y

ou

’re

dea

d.

Yo

u’r

e a

nic

e p

erso

n,

I ca

n t

ell

that

, ev

en t

ho

ugh

I

hav

en’t

kn

ow

n y

ou

fo

r lo

ng.

I’

m s

ad b

ecau

se I

sh

ou

ld

lik

e to

be

aliv

e ag

ain

wit

h m

y f

rien

ds

and

go

rab

bit

ing

or

bla

ckb

erry

ing

up

by

th

e ch

apel

nea

r Tr

evea

l li

ke

I u

sed

to. T

he

sun

alw

ays

seem

ed t

o b

e sh

inin

g th

en. A

fter

it

hap

pen

ed I

use

d t

o g

o u

p t

o t

he

surf

ace

and

mo

ve

amon

gst

the

peo

ple

in t

he

villag

e. I

wen

t o

ften

to

see

my

fam

ily,

bu

t if

I s

po

ke

to t

hem

th

ey n

ever

see

med

to

hea

r

me,

an

d o

f co

urs

e th

ey c

an’t

see

yo

u.

Yo

u c

an s

ee t

hem

,

but t

hey

can

’t s

ee y

ou

. Th

at’s

the

wors

t of i

t. S

o I

don

’t g

o

up

mu

ch n

ow

, ju

st t

o c

oll

ect

wo

od

fo

r th

e fi

re a

nd

a b

it

of

foo

d n

ow

an

d t

hen

. I

stay

do

wn

her

e w

ith

Fat

her

in

the

min

e an

d w

e w

ork

aw

ay d

ay a

fter

day

. F

rom

tim

e to

ou

t lo

ud

. ‘N

o m

ore

’n w

e’re

imag

inin

g y

ou

. W

e’re

rea

l

righ

t en

ou

gh, b

ut

we’

re d

ead

an

d h

ave

bee

n f

or

a h

un

-

dre

d y

ears

or

mo

re.

Gh

ost

s, s

pir

its,

th

at’s

wh

at l

ivin

g

folk

cal

l u

s. C

om

e to

th

ink

of

it,

that

’s w

hat

I c

alle

d u

s

wh

en I

was

alive

.’

Ch

erry

was

on

her

feet

su

dden

ly a

nd b

ackin

g aw

ay.

‘No

nee

d t

o b

e af

eare

d,

litt

le g

irl,

’ sa

id t

he

yo

un

g

man

ho

ldin

g o

ut

his

han

d t

ow

ard

s h

er.

‘We

wo

n’t

har

m

yo

u.

No

on

e ca

n h

arm

yo

u, n

ot

no

w.

Lo

ok

, he’

s st

arte

d

the

fire

alr

ead

y. C

om

e o

ver

an

d w

arm

yo

urs

elf.

Co

me

it’l

l b

e al

l ri

ght,

gir

l.

We’

ll l

oo

k a

fter

yo

u.

We’

ll h

elp

you

.’ ‘Bu

t I

wan

t to

go

ho

me,

’ C

her

ry s

aid

, fe

elin

g th

e

pan

ic r

isin

g to

her

vo

ice

and

try

ing

to c

on

tro

l it

. ‘

I

kn

ow

yo

u’r

e k

ind

, b

ut

I w

ant

to g

o h

om

e. M

y m

oth

er

wil

l b

e w

orr

ied

ab

ou

t m

e.

Th

ey’l

l b

e o

ut

loo

kin

g fo

r

me.

Y

ou

r li

ght

sav

ed m

y l

ife

and

I w

ant

to t

han

k y

ou

.

Bu

t I

mu

st g

o e

lse

they

’ll

wo

rry

th

emse

lves

sic

k,

I

kn

ow

they

will.’

‘Yo

u g

oin

g b

ack

ho

me?

’ th

e y

ou

ng

man

ask

ed,

and

then

he

no

dd

ed.

‘I s

’po

se y

ou

’ll w

ant

to s

ee y

ou

r fa

mil

y

agai

n.’

‘’C

ou

rse

I am

,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

per

ple

xed

by

th

e q

ues

-

tion

. ‘’C

ou

rse

I do.’

‘’Tis

a p

ity,

’ he

said

sad

ly.

‘Ever

yo

ne

pas

ses

thro

ugh

and

no

on

e st

ays.

T

hey

all

wan

t to

go

ho

me,

bu

t th

en

2322

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



49



‘Fat

her

,’ h

e sa

id.

‘Th

ink

ou

r li

ttle

fri

end

wo

uld

lik

e

to g

o h

om

e n

ow

. S

hal

l I

tak

e h

er u

p a

s I

usu

ally

do

?’

Th

e old

man

nodded

an

d w

aved

his

han

d in

dis

mis

sal.

‘Co

me

bac

k a

nd

see

us

som

etim

e, i

f y

ou

’ve

a m

ind

to,’ h

e sa

id, a

nd th

en p

ut h

is fa

ce in

his

han

ds.

‘Go

od

by

e,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

. ‘T

han

k y

ou

fo

r th

e fi

re a

nd

for

hel

pin

g m

e.

I w

on

’t f

org

et y

ou

.’

Bu

t th

e o

ld m

an

nev

er r

eplied

.

Th

e jo

urn

ey t

hro

ugh

th

e m

ine

was

lo

ng

and

dif

fi-

cult

. S

he

hel

d f

ast

to t

he

yo

un

g ti

nn

er’s

wai

st a

s th

ey

wal

ked

si

len

tly

th

rou

gh th

e d

ark

tu

nn

els,

st

op

pin

g

ever

y n

ow

an

d t

hen

to

cli

mb

a la

dd

er t

o t

he

lod

e ab

ov

e

un

til

fin

ally

th

ey c

ou

ld l

oo

k u

p t

he

shaf

t ab

ov

e th

em

and s

ee th

e day

ligh

t.

‘It’s

daw

n,’ s

aid th

e yo

un

g m

an, l

ookin

g u

p.

‘I’l

l b

e b

ack

in

tim

e fo

r b

reak

fast

,’ s

aid

Ch

erry

set

-

tin

g h

er fo

ot o

n th

e la

dder

.

‘Yo

u’l

l rem

emb

er m

e?’ t

he

yo

un

g ti

nn

er a

sked

, an

d

Ch

erry

no

dd

ed, u

nab

le t

o s

pea

k t

hro

ugh

her

tea

rs.

Sh

e

felt

a s

tran

ge a

ffin

ity

wit

h h

im a

nd

his

fat

her

. ‘

An

d i

f

yo

u s

ho

uld

ev

er n

eed

me,

co

me

bac

k a

gain

. Y

ou

may

nee

d m

e an

d I

shal

l be

her

e. I

go n

ow

her

e el

se.’

‘Th

ank

yo

u,’

sai

d C

her

ry.

‘I

wo

n’t

fo

rget

. I

do

ub

t

any

on

e is

go

ing

to b

elie

ve

me

wh

en I

tel

l th

em a

bo

ut

you

. N

o o

ne

believ

es in

gh

ost

s, n

ot u

p th

ere.

’

‘I d

ou

bt

it t

oo

. B

e h

app

y, li

ttle

fri

end

,’ h

e sa

id.

An

d

tim

e so

meo

ne

lik

e yo

u c

om

es u

p t

he

tun

nel

fro

m t

he

sea

and li

ghte

ns

ou

r dar

kn

ess.

I s

hal

l be

sad w

hen

you

go.’

Th

e o

ld m

an w

as h

un

ched

ov

er t

he

fire

ru

bb

ing

his

han

ds

and h

old

ing

them

ou

t ove

r th

e h

eat.

‘No

t o

ften

we

hav

e a

fire

,’ h

e sa

id,

his

vo

ice

mo

re

spri

tely

no

w.

‘On

ly o

n s

pec

ial o

ccas

ion

s. B

irth

day

s, o

f

cou

rse,

we

alw

ays

hav

e a

fire

on

bir

thd

ays

bac

k a

t th

e

cott

age.

Mar

tha’

s n

ext.

Yo

u d

on

’t k

no

w h

er;

she’

s m

y

on

ly d

augh

ter

– sh

e’ll

be

eigh

t o

n S

epte

mbe

r 1

0th

. S

he’

s

been

poorl

y, y

ou

kn

ow

– h

er lu

ngs

, th

at’s

wh

at th

e doct

or

said

.’ H

e si

gned

dee

ply

. ‘’Ti

s dre

adfu

l dam

p in

the

cott

age.

’Tis

wel

l n

igh

im

po

ssib

le t

o k

eep

it

ou

t.’

Th

ere

was

a

trem

or

in t

he

old

man

’s v

oic

e th

at b

etra

yed

his

em

oti

on

.

He

loo

ked

up

at

Ch

erry

an

d s

he

cou

ld s

ee t

he

tear

s in

his

eyes

. ‘

Sh

e lo

ok

s a

bit

lik

e y

ou

, m

y d

ear,

rav

en-h

aire

d

and

as

pre

tty

as

a p

ictu

re;

bu

t n

ot

so t

all,

no

t so

tal

l.

Com

e cl

ose

r, m

y dea

r, y

ou

’ll b

e w

arm

er th

at w

ay.’

Ch

erry

sat

wit

h t

hem

by

th

e fi

re t

ill

it d

ied

aw

ay t

o

no

thin

g.

Sh

e lo

nge

d t

o g

o,

to g

et h

om

e am

on

gst

the

livin

g, b

ut

the

old

man

tal

ked

on

of

his

fam

ily a

nd

th

eir

litt

le o

ne-

roo

med

co

ttag

e w

ith

a la

dd

er t

o t

he

bed

roo

m

wh

ere

they

all

hu

dd

led

to

geth

er f

or

war

mth

, o

f h

is

frie

nd

s th

at u

sed

to

mee

t in

th

e T

inn

ers’

Arm

s ev

ery

even

ing.

Th

ere

wer

e ta

les

of

wre

ckin

g an

d s

mu

ggli

ng,

and

all

th

e w

hil

e th

e y

ou

ng

man

sat

sil

ent,

un

til

ther

e

was

a lu

ll in

the

story

.

2524

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



50



the

sid

e.

As

she

cam

e d

ow

n t

he

step

s sh

e n

ote

d t

hat

the

bac

k d

oo

r o

f th

e co

ttag

e w

as o

pen

an

d s

he

cou

ld

hea

r v

oic

es i

nsi

de.

Sh

e st

ole

in

on

tip

toe.

Th

e k

itch

en

was

fu

ll o

f u

nif

orm

ed m

en d

rin

kin

g te

a, a

nd

aro

un

d

the

table

sat

her

fam

ily,

dej

ecti

on

an

d d

esp

air

etch

ed o

n

ever

y f

ace.

T

hey

had

n’t

see

n h

er y

et.

On

e o

f th

e u

ni-

form

ed m

en h

ad p

ut

do

wn

his

cu

p a

nd

was

sp

eak

ing.

His

voic

e w

as lo

w a

nd h

ush

ed.

‘You

’re

sure

the

tow

el is

her

s, n

o d

ou

bts

abou

t it?

’

Ch

erry

’s m

oth

er s

hook h

er h

ead.

‘It’

s h

er t

ow

el,’

sh

e sa

id q

uie

tly,

‘an

d t

hey

are

her

shel

ls.

Sh

e m

ust

hav

e p

ut

them

up

th

ere,

mu

st h

ave

been

the

last

thin

g sh

e did

.’

Ch

erry

saw

her

sh

ells

sp

read

ou

t o

n t

he

op

en t

ow

el

and s

tifl

ed a

sh

ou

t of j

oy.

‘We

hav

e to

say

,’ h

e w

ent

on

. ‘W

e h

ave

to s

ay t

hen

,

mo

st

regr

etta

bly

, th

at

the

chan

ces

of

fin

din

g y

ou

r

dau

ghte

r al

ive

no

w a

re v

ery

sli

m.

It

seem

s sh

e m

ust

hav

e tr

ied

to

cli

mb

th

e cl

iff

to e

scap

e th

e h

eav

y s

eas

and

fal

len

in

. W

e’v

e sc

ou

red

th

e cl

iff

top

fo

r m

iles

in

bo

th

dir

ecti

on

s an

d

cov

ered

th

e en

tire

b

each

, an

d

ther

e’s

no

sig

n o

f h

er.

Sh

e m

ust

hav

e b

een

was

hed

ou

t

to s

ea.

We

mu

st c

on

clu

de

that

sh

e is

mis

sin

g. W

e h

ave

to p

resu

me

that

sh

e is

dro

wn

ed.’

Ch

erry

co

uld

lis

ten

no

lo

nge

r b

ut

bu

rst

into

th

e

room

sh

ou

tin

g.

he

was

go

ne,

bac

k in

to t

he

tun

nel

. C

her

ry w

aite

d u

nti

l

the

ligh

t fr

om

th

e ca

nd

le i

n h

is h

at h

ad v

anis

hed

an

d

then

tu

rned

eag

erly

to

th

e la

dd

er a

nd

beg

an t

o c

lim

b u

p

tow

ards

the

ligh

t.

Sh

e fo

un

d h

erse

lf in

a p

lace

sh

e k

new

wel

l, h

igh

on

the

mo

or

by

Zen

no

r Q

uo

it.

Sh

e st

oo

d b

y t

he

ruin

ed

min

e w

ork

ings

an

d lo

ok

ed d

ow

n a

t th

e sl

eep

ing

vil

lage

shro

ud

ed i

n m

ist,

an

d t

he

calm

blu

e se

a b

eyo

nd

. T

he

sto

rm h

ad p

asse

d a

nd

th

ere

was

sca

rcel

y a

bre

ath

of

win

d e

ven

on

th

e m

oo

r. I

t w

as o

nly

ten

min

ute

s’ w

alk

do

wn

th

rou

gh t

he

bra

cken

, ac

ross

th

e ro

ad b

y t

he

Eag

le’s

Nes

t an

d d

ow

n t

he

farm

tra

ck t

o t

he

cott

age

wh

ere

her

fam

ily

wo

uld

be

wai

tin

g. S

he

beg

an t

o r

un

,

bu

t th

e cl

oth

es w

ere

stil

l h

eav

y a

nd

wet

an

d s

he

was

soo

n r

edu

ced

to

a f

ast

wal

k.

All

th

e w

hil

e sh

e w

as

det

erm

inin

g w

her

e sh

e w

ou

ld b

egin

her

sto

ry,

wo

n-

der

ing

ho

w m

uch

th

ey w

ou

ld b

elie

ve.

A

t th

e to

p o

f

the

lan

e sh

e st

op

ped

to

co

nsi

der

ho

w b

est

to m

ake

her

entr

ance

. S

ho

uld

sh

e ri

ng

the

bel

l an

d b

e fo

un

d s

tan

d-

ing

ther

e, o

r sh

ou

ld s

he

just

wal

k in

an

d s

urp

rise

th

em

ther

e at

bre

akfa

st?

Sh

e lo

nge

d t

o s

ee t

he

joy

on

th

eir

face

s, t

o fee

l th

e w

arm

th o

f th

eir

arm

s ar

ou

nd

her

an

d t

o

bask

on

ce a

gain

in th

eir

affe

ctio

n.

Sh

e sa

w a

s sh

e ca

me

rou

nd

th

e co

rner

by

th

e co

t-

tage

th

at t

her

e w

as a

lo

ng

blu

e L

and

Ro

ver

par

ked

in

the

lan

e, b

rist

lin

g w

ith

aer

ials

. ‘C

oast

guar

d’sh

e re

ad o

n

2726

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a



51



‘I’m

ho

me,

I’m

ho

me.

Lo

ok

at

me,

I’m

no

t d

row

ned

at a

ll.

I’m

her

e! I

’m h

om

e!’

Th

e te

ars

wer

e ru

nn

ing

dow

n h

er fa

ce.

Bu

t n

o o

ne

in t

he

roo

m e

ven

tu

rned

to

lo

ok

in

her

dir

ecti

on

. H

er b

roth

ers

crie

d o

pen

ly,

on

e o

f th

em

clu

tch

ing

the

gian

t’s

nec

kla

ce.

‘Bu

t it

’s m

e,’ s

he

sho

ute

d a

gain

. ‘M

e, c

an’t

yo

u s

ee?

It’s

me

and I’

ve c

om

e ba

ck.

I’m

all r

igh

t. L

ook a

t me.

’

Bu

t no o

ne

did

, an

d n

o o

ne

hea

rd.

Th

e gi

ant’s

nec

kla

ce la

y sp

read

ou

t on

the

tabl

e.

‘So

sh

e’ll

nev

er f

inis

h i

t af

ter

all,

’ sa

id h

er m

oth

er

soft

ly.

‘Poor

Ch

erry

. Poor

dea

r C

her

ry.’

An

d i

n t

hat

on

e m

om

ent

Ch

erry

kn

ew a

nd

un

der

-

sto

od

th

at s

he

was

rig

ht,

th

at s

he

wo

uld

nev

er f

inis

h

her

nec

kla

ce,

that

sh

e b

elo

nge

d n

o l

on

ger

wit

h t

he

livi

ng

but h

ad p

asse

d o

n b

eyon

d.

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Resource sheet 2a




Resource sheet 2b

OHT page 14

At first, she imagined that the glow aboveher was from a torch. She shouted andscreamed until she was weak from the effort of it.But although no answering call came from thenight, the light remained pale and beckoning,wider than that of a torch. With renewed hopeCherry found enough strength to inch her way upthe cliff, until she reached the entrance to anarrow cave. It was filled with a flickering yellowlight like that of a candle shaken by the wind. Shehauled herself up into the mouth of the cave andsat down exhausted, looking back down at thefurious sea frothing beneath her. She laughedaloud in triumph. She was safe! She had defiedthe sea and won! Her one regret was that shehad had to leave her cowrie shells behind. Shewould fetch them tomorrow after the tide hadgone down again.


52



53



Resource sheet 2c

Annotated version of OHT

page 14

Con

tras

t.

Con

cise

des

crip

tion

offe

elin

gs.

Con

nect

ive

phr

ase

sugg

ests

a p

ossi

bili

ty.

Imag

e su

gges

ts a

per

son.

Con

cise

des

crip

tion

offe

elin

gs.

Eff

ectiv

e si

mile

.

Sug

gest

s sh

e ha

s d

efea

ted

her e

nem

y in

a b

attle

.

It is

as

if th

e se

a is

a p

ower

ful

per

son.

Imp

lies

she

has

no d

oub

t she

will

get

hom

e sa

fely

.

14

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

wo

uld

be

qu

ite

safe

. S

he

too

k t

he

soak

ing

bu

nd

le o

ut

of

her

sw

eate

r an

d p

lace

d it

car

efu

lly a

gain

st t

he

rock

fac

e

on

th

e le

dge

bes

ide

her

, p

ush

ing

it i

n a

s fa

r as

it

wo

uld

go.

‘I’

ll b

e b

ack

fo

r y

ou

,’ s

he

said

, an

d r

each

ed u

p f

or

the

nex

t li

p o

f ro

ck.

Ju

st b

elo

w h

er t

he

sea

cras

hed

agai

nst

th

e cl

iff

as i

t it

wan

ted

to

su

ck h

er f

rom

th

e

rock

fac

e an

d c

laim

her

on

ce a

gain

. C

her

ry d

eter

min

ed

not t

o lo

ok d

ow

n b

ut t

o c

on

cen

trat

e on

the

clim

b.

At

firs

t, s

he

imag

ined

th

at t

he

glo

w a

bo

ve

her

was

fro

m a

to

rch

. S

he

sho

ute

d a

nd

scr

eam

ed u

nti

l sh

e w

as

wea

k f

rom

th

e ef

fort

of

it.

Bu

t al

tho

ugh

no

an

swer

ing

call

cam

e fr

om

th

e n

igh

t, t

he

ligh

t re

mai

ned

pal

e an

d

bec

ko

nin

g, w

ider

th

an t

hat

of

a to

rch

. W

ith

ren

ewed

ho

pe

Ch

erry

fo

un

d e

no

ugh

str

engt

h t

o in

ch h

er w

ay u

p

the

clif

f, u

nti

l sh

e re

ach

ed t

he

entr

ance

to

a n

arro

w

cave.

It

was

fil

led

wit

h a

fli

cker

ing

yel

low

ligh

t li

ke

that

of

a ca

nd

le s

hak

en b

y t

he

win

d. S

he

hau

led

her

self

up

into

th

e m

ou

th o

f th

e ca

ve

and

sat

do

wn

ex

hau

sted

,

loo

kin

g b

ack

do

wn

at

the

furi

ou

s se

a fr

oth

ing

ben

eath

her

. S

he

lau

ghed

alo

ud

in t

riu

mp

h.

Sh

e w

as s

afe!

Sh

e

had

def

ied

th

e se

a an

d w

on

! H

er o

ne

regr

et w

as t

hat

she

had

had

to

lea

ve

her

co

wri

e sh

ells

beh

ind

. S

he

wo

uld

fet

ch t

hem

to

mo

rro

w a

fter

th

e ti

de

had

go

ne

dow

n a

gain

.

Fo

r th

e fi

rst

tim

e n

ow

sh

e b

egan

to

th

ink

of

her

fam

ily

an

d

ho

w

wo

rrie

d

they

w

ou

ld

be,

b

ut

the

Des

crip

tive

verb

con

veys

effo

rt.

Per

soni

ficat

ion

sugg

ests

sea

is a

ngry

at h

er e

scap

e.

Sho

rt s

ente

nce

for d

ram

atic

effe

ct.


54



Resource sheet 2d

OHT pages 15 and 16

She had asked about the man-made walling,and her father had told her of the old tin mineswhose lodes and adits criss-crossed the entirecoastal area around Zennor. This one, he said,might have been the mine they called WheelNorth Grylls, and he thought the adit must havebeen walled up to prevent the seas from enteringthe mine in a storm. It was said there had been anaccident in the mine only a few years after it wasopened over a hundred years before, and that themine had had to close soon after when the mineowners ran out of money to make the necessaryrepairs. The entire story came back to her now,and she wondered where the cuckoo was andwhether the rock pipit had died with the effort ofkeeping the fledgling alive. Tin mines, shethought, lead to the surface, and the way home.That thought and her natural inquisitivenessabout the source of light persuaded her to her feetand into the tunnel.



55



Mos

t lik

ely

noun

s, b

ecau

se o

fse

nten

ce s

truc

ture

. Peo

ple

/th

ings

/ani

mal

s/p

lace

s?D

efin

itely

to d

o w

ith ti

n m

ines

. Rea

d o

n fo

r mor

ecl

ues.

Mus

t be

som

e so

rt o

f hol

e if

itha

s b

een

wal

led

up

. Sou

nds

like

a ca

ve, i

f sea

can

get

in it

.P

rob

ably

the

entr

ance

to th

eca

ve in

last

par

agra

ph.

May

be

entr

ance

to a

min

e?

15

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

tho

ugh

t o

f w

alk

ing

in t

hro

ugh

th

e fr

on

t d

oo

r al

l d

rip

-

pin

g an

d

dra

mat

ic

mad

e h

er

alm

ost

ch

ok

e w

ith

exci

tem

ent.

As

she

reac

hed

fo

rwar

d t

o b

rush

a s

har

p s

ton

e fr

om

the

sole

of

her

fo

ot,

Ch

erry

no

tice

d t

hat

th

e n

arro

w

entr

ance

to

th

e ca

ve

was

hal

f se

aled

in.

Sh

e ra

n h

er f

in-

gers

ov

er t

he

sto

nes

an

d c

emen

t to

mak

e su

re,

for

the

ligh

t w

as p

oo

r.

It w

as a

t th

at m

om

ent

that

sh

e re

cog-

nis

ed e

xac

tly

wh

ere

she

was

. S

he

reca

lled

no

w t

he

gian

t fl

edgl

ing

cuck

oo

on

e o

f h

er b

roth

ers

had

sp

ott

ed

bei

ng

fed

by

a t

iny

ro

ck p

ipit

ear

lier

in

th

e h

oli

day

s,

ho

w t

hey

had

qu

arre

lled

ov

er t

he

bin

ocu

lars

an

d h

ow

,

wh

en s

he

had

fin

ally

usu

rped

th

em a

nd

mad

e h

er

esca

pe

acro

ss t

he

rock

s, s

he

had

fo

un

d t

he

cuck

oo

per

ched

at

the

entr

ance

to

a n

arro

w c

ave

som

e w

ay u

p

the

clif

f fac

e fr

om

the

beac

h.

Sh

e h

ad a

sked

ab

ou

t th

e m

an-m

ade

wal

lin

g, a

nd

her

fat

her

had

to

ld h

er o

f th

e o

ld t

in m

ines

wh

ose

lod

es

and

ad

its

cris

s-cr

oss

ed t

he

enti

re c

oas

tal

area

aro

un

d

Zen

no

r.

Th

is o

ne,

he

said

, m

igh

t h

ave

bee

n t

he

min

e

they

cal

led

Wh

eel

No

rth

Gry

lls,

an

d h

e th

ou

ght

the

adit

mu

st h

ave

bee

n w

alle

d u

p t

o p

reven

t th

e se

as f

rom

ente

rin

g th

e m

ine

in a

sto

rm.

It

was

sai

d t

her

e h

ad

bee

n a

n a

ccid

ent

in t

he

min

e o

nly

a f

ew y

ears

aft

er i

t

was

op

ened

ov

er a

hu

nd

red

yea

rs b

efo

re,

and

th

at t

he

min

e h

ad

had

to

cl

ose

so

on

af

ter

wh

en

the

min

e

Ref

ers

bac

k to

last

par

agra

ph

– th

e en

tran

ce to

the

cave

has

bee

n se

aled

up

.

Resource sheet 2e


page 15


56



Ad

it =

som

e ki

nd o

f tun

nel o

rm

ine

entr

ance

.

16

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

ow

ner

s ra

n

ou

t o

f m

on

ey

to

mak

e th

e n

eces

sary

rep

airs

. T

he

enti

re s

tory

cam

e b

ack

to

her

no

w,

and

she

wo

nd

ered

wh

ere

the

cuck

oo

was

an

d w

het

her

th

e

rock

pip

it h

ad d

ied

wit

h t

he

effo

rt o

f k

eep

ing

the

fled

g-

lin

g al

ive.

T

in m

ines

, sh

e th

ou

ght,

lea

d t

o t

he

surf

ace,

and

th

e w

ay h

om

e.

Th

at t

ho

ugh

t an

d h

er n

atu

ral

inq

uis

itiv

enes

s ab

ou

t th

e so

urc

e o

f li

ght

per

suad

ed h

er

to h

er fe

et a

nd in

to th

e tu

nn

el.

Th

e ad

it b

ecam

e n

arro

wer

an

d l

ow

er a

s sh

e cr

ept

forw

ard

, so

th

at s

he

had

to

go

do

wn

on

her

han

ds

and

kn

ees,

so

met

imes

fla

t o

n h

er s

tom

ach

. A

lth

ou

gh s

he

was

ou

t o

f th

e w

ind

no

w, i

t se

emed

co

lder

. S

he

felt

sh

e

was

mo

vin

g d

ow

nw

ard

s fo

r a

min

ute

or

two

, fo

r th

e

blo

od

was

co

min

g to

her

hea

d a

nd

her

wei

ght

was

hea

vy

on

her

han

ds.

T

hen

, q

uit

e su

dd

enly

, sh

e fo

un

d

the

gro

un

d l

evel

lin

g o

ut

and

saw

a l

arge

tu

nn

el a

hea

d

of

her

. T

her

e w

as n

o d

ou

bt

as t

o w

hic

h w

ay s

he

sho

uld

turn

, fo

r o

ne

way

th

e tu

nn

el w

as b

lack

, an

d t

he

oth

er

way

was

ligh

ted

wit

h c

and

les

that

lin

ed t

he

lod

e w

all a

s

far

as s

he

cou

ld s

ee.

Sh

e ca

lled

ou

t, ‘

An

yo

ne

ther

e?

An

yo

ne

ther

e?’

Sh

e p

ause

d t

o l

iste

n f

or

the

rep

ly;

bu

t

all

she

cou

ld h

ear

no

w w

as t

he

mu

ffle

d r

oar

of

the

sea

and th

e co

nti

nu

ou

s ec

hoin

g of d

rippin

g w

ater

.

Th

e tu

nn

el w

iden

ed n

ow

an

d s

he

fou

nd

sh

e co

uld

wal

k u

pri

ght

agai

n,

bu

t h

er f

eet

hu

rt a

gain

st t

he

sto

ne

and

so

sh

e m

ov

ed s

low

ly,

feel

ing

her

way

gen

tly

wit

h

Resource sheet 2e


page 16


57



‘Tea looks cold again,’ one of them said gruffly.‘’Tis always cold. I’m sure she makes it wi’ coldwater.’

‘Oh stop your moaning, Father,’ said the other, ayounger voice, Cherry felt. ‘She does her best. She’s five little ones to look after and precious littleto do it on. She does her best. You mustn’t keep on at her so. It upsets her. She does her best.’

‘So she does, lad, so she does. And so for thatmatter do I, but that don’t stop her moaning at meand it’ll not stop me moaning at her. If we didn’tmoan at each other, lad, we’d have precious littleelse to talk about, and that’s a fact. She expects it of me, lad, and I expects it of her.’

‘Excuse me,’ Cherry said tentatively. She feltshe had eavesdropped for long enough. Sheapproached them slowly. ‘Excuse me, but I’ve got a bit lost. I climbed the cliff, you see, ’cos I was cutoff from the Cove. I was trying to get back, but Icouldn’t and I saw this light and so I climbed up. Iwant to get home and I wondered if you could helpme get to the top?’

‘Top?’ said the older one, peering into the dark.‘Come closer, lad, where we can see you.’

Resource sheet 2f

OHT pages 18, 19 and 20



58



‘She’s not a lad, Father. Are you blind? Can you notsee ’tis a filly. ’Tis a young filly, all wet through from thesea. Come,’ the young man said, standing up andbeckoning Cherry in. ‘Don’t be afeared, little girl, weshan’t harm you. Come on, you can have some of my tea if you like.’

They spoke their words in a manner Cherry had neverheard before. It was not the usual Cornish burr, butheavier and rougher in tone, more old-fashionedsomehow. There were so many questions in her mind.

‘But I thought the mine was closed a hundred yearsago,’ she said nervously. ‘That’s what I was told,anyway.’

‘Well, you was told wrong,’ said the old man, whomCherry could see more clearly now under his candle. His eyes were white and set far back in his head,unnaturally so, she thought, and his lips and mouthseemed a vivid red in the candlelight.

‘Closed, closed indeed, does it look closed to you?D’you think we’re digging for worms? Over fourthousand tons of tin last year and nine thousand ofcopper ore, and you ask is the mine closed? Over twenty fathoms below the sea this mine goes. We’ll

Resource sheet 2f

OHT pages 18, 19 and 20 contd.


59



dig right out under the ocean, halfway to ’Merica afore we close down this mine.’

He spoke passionately now, almost angrily, so thatCherry felt she had offended him.

‘Hush, Father,’ said the young man taking off hisjacket and wrapping it round Cherry’s shoulders. ‘She doesn’t want to hear all about that. She’s cold and wet. Can’t you see? Now let’s make a little fire towarm her through. She’s shivered right through to herbones. You can see she is.’

‘They all are,’ said the old tinner pulling himself to his feet. ‘They all are.’ And he shuffled past her into thedark. ‘I’ll fetch the wood,’ he muttered, and then added, ‘for all the good it’ll do.’

‘What does he mean?’ Cherry asked the youngman, for whom she felt an instant liking. ‘What did hemean by that?’

‘Oh pay him no heed, little girl,’ he said. ‘He’s an oldman now and tired of the mine. We’re both tired of it,but we’re proud of it see, and we’ve nowhere else togo, nothing else to do.’

Resource sheet 2f

OHT pages 18, 19 and 20 contd.


60



They

are

fath

er a

nd s

onsh

arin

g a

drin

k th

ey’v

eb

roug

ht w

ith th

em –

may

be

to w

ork?

Rar

ely

used

in m

oder

nsp

eech

.

Old

-fas

hion

ed la

ngua

ge

Old

-fas

hion

ed la

ngua

ge.

18

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Old

-fas

hion

ed la

ngua

ge.

‘Tea

loo

ks

cold

aga

in,’

on

e o

f th

em s

aid

gru

ffly

. ‘’

Tis

alw

ays

cold

. I’

m s

ure

sh

e m

akes

it w

i’ c

old

wat

er.’

‘Oh

sto

p y

ou

r m

oan

ing,

Fat

her

,’ s

aid

th

e o

ther

, a

yo

un

ger

vo

ice,

Ch

erry

fel

t.

‘Sh

e d

oes

her

bes

t.

Sh

e’s

fiv

e li

ttle

on

es t

o l

oo

k a

fter

an

d p

reci

ou

s li

ttle

to

do

it

on

. S

he

do

es h

er b

est.

Yo

u m

ust

n’t

kee

p o

n a

t h

er s

o.

It

upse

ts h

er.

Sh

e does

her

bes

t.’

‘So

sh

e d

oes

, lad

, so

sh

e d

oes

. A

nd

so

fo

r th

at m

atte

r

do

I, b

ut

that

do

n’t

sto

p h

er m

oan

ing

at m

e an

d it

’ll n

ot

sto

p m

e m

oan

ing

at h

er.

If

we

did

n’t

mo

an a

t ea

ch

oth

er,

lad

, w

e’d

hav

e p

reci

ou

s li

ttle

els

e to

tal

k a

bo

ut,

and

th

at’s

a f

act.

Sh

e ex

pec

ts it

of

me,

lad

, an

d I

ex

pec

ts

it o

f her

.’

‘Ex

cuse

me,

’ C

her

ry s

aid

ten

tati

vel

y.

Sh

e fe

lt s

he

had

eav

esd

rop

ped

fo

r lo

ng

eno

ugh

. S

he

app

roac

hed

them

slo

wly

. ‘

Ex

cuse

me,

bu

t I’

ve

got

a b

it l

ost

. I

clim

bed

th

e cl

iff,

yo

u s

ee,

’co

s I

was

cu

t o

ff f

rom

th

e

Co

ve.

I w

as t

ryin

g to

get

bac

k, b

ut

I co

uld

n’t

an

d I

saw

this

ligh

t an

d s

o I

cli

mb

ed u

p.

I w

ant

to g

et h

om

e an

d I

won

der

ed if

you

cou

ld h

elp m

e ge

t to th

e to

p?’

‘To

p?’

sai

d t

he

old

er o

ne,

pee

rin

g in

to t

he

dar

k.

‘Com

e cl

ose

r, la

d, w

her

e w

e ca

n s

ee y

ou

.’

‘Sh

e’s

no

t a

lad

, F

ath

er.

Are

yo

u b

lin

d?

Can

yo

u

no

t se

e ’t

is a

fil

ly.

’T

is a

yo

un

g fi

lly,

all

wet

th

rou

gh

fro

m t

he

sea.

Co

me,

’ th

e y

ou

ng

man

sai

d, st

and

ing

up

and

bec

ko

nin

g C

her

ry i

n.

‘D

on

’t b

e af

eare

d,

litt

le g

irl,

Resource sheet 2g

Annotations for page 18


61



She

is p

uzzl

ed, a

s is

the

read

er.

Imp

lies

that

she

sus

pec

tsth

ey a

re m

iner

s.

19

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Why

is h

e us

ing

a ca

ndle

?

Viv

id re

d a

ssoc

iate

d w

ithb

lood

.

Phr

ase

sugg

ests

som

ethi

ngw

eird

, aga

inst

nat

ure.

Sug

gest

s a

skul

l.

we

shan

’t h

arm

yo

u.

Co

me

on

, y

ou

can

hav

e so

me

of

my

tea

if y

ou

like.

’

Th

ey s

po

ke

thei

r w

ord

s in

a m

ann

er C

her

ry h

ad

nev

er h

eard

bef

ore

. I

t w

as n

ot

the

usu

al C

orn

ish

bu

rr,

bu

t h

eav

ier

and

ro

ugh

er i

n t

on

e, m

ore

old

-fas

hio

ned

som

ehow

. Th

ere

wer

e so

man

y qu

esti

on

s in

her

min

d.

‘Bu

t I

tho

ugh

t th

e m

ine

was

clo

sed

a h

un

dre

d y

ears

ago

,’

she

said

n

erv

ou

sly.

‘Th

at’s

w

hat

I

was

to

ld,

anyw

ay.’

‘Wel

l, y

ou

was

to

ld w

ron

g,’ s

aid

th

e o

ld m

an, w

ho

m

Ch

erry

co

uld

see

mo

re c

lear

ly n

ow

un

der

his

can

dle

.

His

eyes

wer

e w

hit

e an

d s

et f

ar b

ack

in h

is h

ead

, un

nat

-

ura

lly

so

, sh

e th

ou

ght,

an

d h

is l

ips

and

mo

uth

see

med

a vi

vid r

ed in

the

can

dle

ligh

t.

‘Clo

sed

, cl

ose

d i

nd

eed

, d

oes

it

loo

k c

lose

d t

o y

ou

?

D’y

ou

th

ink

we’

re d

iggi

ng

for

wo

rms?

Over

fo

ur

tho

u-

san

d t

on

s o

f ti

ne

last

yea

r an

d n

ine

tho

usa

nd

of

cop

per

ore

, an

d y

ou

ask

is t

he

min

e cl

ose

d?

Ov

er t

wen

ty f

ath

-

om

s b

elo

w t

he

sea

this

min

e go

es.

We’

ll d

ig r

igh

t o

ut

un

der

th

e o

cean

, h

alfw

ay t

o ’

Mer

ica

afo

re w

e cl

ose

dow

n th

is m

ine.

’

He

spo

ke

pas

sio

nat

ely

no

w,

alm

ost

an

gril

y, s

o t

hat

Ch

erry

felt

sh

e h

ad o

ffen

ded

him

.

‘Hu

sh,

Fat

her

,’ s

aid

th

e y

ou

ng

man

tak

ing

off

his

jack

et a

nd

wra

pp

ing

it r

ou

nd

Ch

erry

’s s

ho

uld

ers.

‘S

he

do

esn

’t w

ant

to h

ear

all a

bo

ut

that

. S

he’

s co

ld a

nd

wet

.

Resource sheet 2g


His

com

men

ts im

ply

???

Old

-fas

hion

ed la

ngua

ge.

He

beh

aves

kin

dly

as

ano

rmal

per

son

wou

ld.


62



20

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Rai

ses

mor

e q

uest

ions

for t

here

ader

. Ad

ds

to s

ense

of

unre

ality

.

She

is m

ore

puz

zled

, as

are

the

read

ers.

Phr

ases

ad

d to

air

of m

yste

ry.

Who

are

they

?

Can

’t y

ou

see

? N

ow

let

’s m

ake

a li

ttle

fir

e to

war

m h

er

thro

ugh

. S

he’

s sh

iver

ed r

igh

t th

rou

gh t

o h

er b

on

es.

Yo

u

can

see

sh

e is

.’

‘Th

ey a

ll a

re,’

sai

d t

he

old

tin

ner

pu

llin

g h

imse

lf t

o

his

fee

t. ‘

Th

ey a

ll a

re.’

An

d h

e sh

uff

led

pas

t h

er in

to t

he

dar

k.

‘I’

ll f

etch

th

e w

oo

d,’

he

mu

tter

ed,

and

th

en

added

, ‘fo

r al

l th

e go

od it

’ll d

o.’

‘Wh

at d

oes

he

mea

n?’

C

her

ry a

sked

th

e y

ou

ng

man

, fo

r w

ho

m s

he

felt

an

inst

ant

lik

ing.

‘W

hat

did

he

mea

n b

y th

at?’

‘Oh

pay

him

no

hee

d, l

ittl

e gi

rl,’

he

said

. ‘H

e’s

an o

ld

man

no

w a

nd

tir

ed o

f th

e m

ine.

We’

re b

oth

tir

ed o

f it

,

bu

t w

e’re

pro

ud

of

it s

ee,

and

we’

ve

no

wh

ere

else

to

go, n

oth

ing

else

to d

o.’

He

had

a k

ind

vo

ice

that

was

rea

ssu

rin

g to

Ch

erry

.

He

seem

ed

som

eho

w

to

kn

ow

th

e q

ues

tio

ns

she

wan

ted

to

ask

, fo

r h

e an

swer

ed t

hem

no

w w

ith

ou

t h

er

ever

ask

ing.

‘Sit

dow

n b

y m

e w

hile

you

list

en, g

irl,’ h

e sa

id.

‘Fat

her

wil

l m

ake

a fi

re t

o w

arm

yo

u a

nd

I s

hal

l te

ll

yo

u h

ow

we

com

e to

be

her

e.

Yo

u w

on

’t b

e af

eare

d

now

, will y

ou

?’

Ch

erry

lo

ok

ed u

p i

nto

his

fac

e w

hic

h w

as y

ou

nge

r

than

sh

e h

ad e

xp

ecte

d f

rom

his

vo

ice;

bu

t li

ke

his

fath

er’s

, th

e ey

es s

eem

ed s

ad a

nd

dee

p s

et,

yet

th

ey

smiled

at h

er g

entl

y an

d s

he

smiled

bac

k.

Old

-fas

hion

ed la

ngua

ge.

Resource sheet 2g



63



‘That’s my girl. It was a new mine this, promising,everyone said. The best tin in Cornwall and thatmeans the best tin in the world. 1865 it started upand they were looking for tinners, and so Fatherfound a cottage down by Treveal and came to work here. I was already fourteen, so I joined himdown the mine. We prospered and the mineprospered, to start with. Mother and the littlechildren had full bellies and there was talk of sinking a fresh shaft. Times were good andpromised to be better.’

Cherry sat transfixed as the story of the disasterunfolded. She heard how they had been trapped by a fall of rock, about how they had worked to pull them away, but behind every rock was another rock and another rock. She heard how they had never even heard any sound of rescue.They had died, he said, in two days or so becausethe air was bad and because there was too little of it.

‘Father has never accepted it; he still thinks he’salive, that he goes home to Mother and the littlechildren each evening. But he’s dead, just like me. I can’t tell him though, for he’d not understandand it would break his heart if he ever knew.’

Resource sheet 2h

OHT page 21



64



21

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Old

eno

ugh

to w

ork

in 1

865.

Tin

min

ers,

to d

ig o

ut th

e tin

from

und

ergr

ound

rock

s.

Con

firm

s th

ey a

re b

oth

tinm

iner

s.

A s

tory

with

in a

sto

ry.

‘Th

at’s

my

gir

l.

It w

as a

new

min

e th

is,

pro

mis

ing,

ever

yo

ne

said

. T

he

bes

t ti

n in

Co

rnw

all a

nd

th

at m

ean

s

the

bes

t ti

n i

n t

he

wo

rld

. 1

86

5 i

t st

arte

d u

p a

nd

th

ey

wer

e lo

ok

ing

for

tin

ner

s, a

nd

so

Fat

her

fo

un

d a

co

ttag

e

do

wn

by

Tre

vea

l an

d c

ame

to w

ork

her

e. I

was

alr

ead

y

fou

rtee

n,

so I

jo

ined

him

do

wn

th

e m

ine.

W

e p

ros-

per

ed a

nd

th

e m

ine

pro

sper

ed,

to s

tart

wit

h.

Mo

ther

and

th

e li

ttle

ch

ild

ren

had

fu

ll b

elli

es a

nd

th

ere

was

talk

of

sin

kin

g a

fres

h s

haf

t.

Tim

es w

ere

goo

d a

nd

pro

mis

ed to

be

bett

er.’

Ch

erry

sat

tra

nsf

ixed

as

the

sto

ry o

f th

e d

isas

ter

un

fold

ed.

Sh

e h

eard

ho

w t

hey

had

bee

n t

rap

ped

by

a

fall

of

rock

, ab

ou

t h

ow

th

ey h

ad w

ork

ed t

o p

ull

th

em

away

, b

ut

beh

ind

ev

ery

ro

ck w

as a

no

ther

ro

ck a

nd

ano

ther

ro

ck.

Sh

e h

eard

ho

w t

hey

had

nev

er e

ven

hea

rd a

ny

so

un

d o

f re

scu

e.

Th

ey h

ad d

ied

, h

e sa

id,

in

two

day

s o

r so

bec

ause

th

e ai

r w

as b

ad a

nd

bec

ause

ther

e w

as to

o li

ttle

of i

t.

‘Fat

her

has

nev

er a

ccep

ted

it;

he

stil

l th

ink

s h

e’s

aliv

e, t

hat

he

goes

ho

me

to M

oth

er a

nd

th

e li

ttle

ch

il-

dre

n e

ach

ev

enin

g. B

ut

he’

s d

ead

, ju

st l

ike

me.

I c

an’t

tell

him

th

ou

gh,

for

he’

d n

ot

un

der

stan

d a

nd

it

wo

uld

brea

k h

is h

eart

if h

e ev

er k

new

.’

‘So

yo

u a

ren

’t r

eal.

I’

m j

ust

im

agin

ing

all

this

.

You

’re

just

a d

ream

.’

‘No

dre

am,

my

gir

l,’

said

th

e y

ou

ng

man

lau

ghin

g

It is

pos

sib

le to

be

dea

d, b

utst

ill th

ink

you

are

aliv

e.

They

are

bot

h d

ead

real

ly.

They

die

d in

the

min

e w

hen

itco

llap

sed

.

Resource sheet 2i



65



She saw as she came round the corner by thecottage that there was a long blue Land Roverparked in the lane, bristling with aerials.‘Coastguard’ she read on the side. As she camedown the steps she noted that the back door of thecottage was open and she could hear voicesinside. She stole in on tiptoe. The kitchen was fullof uniformed men drinking tea, and around thetable sat her family, dejection and despair etchedon every face. They hadn’t seen her yet. One of the uniformed men had put down his cup and wasspeaking. His voice was low and hushed.

‘You’re sure the towel is hers, no doubts about it?’

Cherry’s mother shook her head.‘It’s her towel,’ she said quietly, ‘and they are

her shells. She must have put them up there, musthave been the last thing she did.’

Cherry saw her shells spread out on the opentowel and stifled a shout of joy.

‘We have to say,’ he went on. ‘We have to saythen, most regrettably, that the chances of findingyour daughter alive now are very slim. It seems she must have tried to climb the cliff to escape the

Resource sheet 2j

OHT pages 26 and 27



66



heavy seas and fallen in. We’ve scoured the cliff topfor miles in both directions and covered the entirebeach, and there’s no sign of her. She must havebeen washed out to sea. We must conclude that sheis missing. We have to presume that she is drowned.’

Resource sheet 2j

OHT pages 26 and 27 contd.



67



26

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

he

was

go

ne,

bac

k in

to t

he

tun

nel

. C

her

ry w

aite

d u

nti

l

the

ligh

t fr

om

th

e ca

nd

le i

n h

is h

at h

ad v

anis

hed

an

d

then

tu

rned

eag

erly

to

th

e la

dd

er a

nd

beg

an t

o c

lim

b u

p

tow

ards

the

ligh

t.

Sh

e fo

un

d h

erse

lf in

a p

lace

sh

e k

new

wel

l, h

igh

on

the

mo

or

by

Zen

no

r Q

uo

it.

Sh

e st

oo

d b

y t

he

ruin

ed

min

e w

ork

ings

an

d lo

ok

ed d

ow

n a

t th

e sl

eep

ing

vil

lage

shro

ud

ed i

n m

ist,

an

d t

he

calm

blu

e se

a b

eyo

nd

. T

he

sto

rm h

ad p

asse

d a

nd

th

ere

was

sca

rcel

y a

bre

ath

of

win

d e

ven

on

th

e m

oo

r. I

t w

as o

nly

ten

min

ute

s’ w

alk

do

wn

th

rou

gh t

he

bra

cken

, ac

ross

th

e ro

ad b

y t

he

Eag

le’s

Nes

t an

d d

ow

n t

he

farm

tra

ck t

o t

he

cott

age

wh

ere

her

fam

ily

wo

uld

be

wai

tin

g. S

he

beg

an t

o r

un

,

bu

t th

e cl

oth

es w

ere

stil

l h

eav

y a

nd

wet

an

d s

he

was

soo

n r

edu

ced

to

a f

ast

wal

k.

All

th

e w

hil

e sh

e w

as

det

erm

inin

g w

her

e sh

e w

ou

ld b

egin

her

sto

ry,

wo

n-

der

ing

ho

w m

uch

th

ey w

ou

ld b

elie

ve.

A

t th

e to

p o

f

the

lan

e sh

e st

op

ped

to

co

nsi

der

ho

w b

est

to m

ake

her

entr

ance

. S

ho

uld

sh

e ri

ng

the

bel

l an

d b

e fo

un

d s

tan

d-

ing

ther

e, o

r sh

ou

ld s

he

just

wal

k in

an

d s

urp

rise

th

em

ther

e at

bre

akfa

st?

Sh

e lo

nge

d t

o s

ee t

he

joy

on

th

eir

face

s, t

o fee

l th

e w

arm

th o

f th

eir

arm

s ar

ou

nd

her

an

d t

o

bask

on

ce a

gain

in th

eir

affe

ctio

n.

Sh

e sa

w a

s sh

e ca

me

rou

nd

th

e co

rner

by

th

e co

t-

tage

th

at t

her

e w

as a

lo

ng

blu

e L

and

Ro

ver

par

ked

in

the

lan

e, b

rist

lin

g w

ith

aer

ials

. ‘C

oast

guar

d’sh

e re

ad o

n

Wha

t is

a C

oast

guar

d?

Why

wou

ld h

e b

e at

Che

rry’

sho

use?

Resource sheet 2k



68



27

The

Gia

nt’

s N

eckl

ace

Wha

t is

the

effe

ct o

f thi

sim

age?

Why

do

they

look

like

this

?

Imp

lies

they

will

see

her

soo

n.

Who

cou

ld th

ey b

e? W

hat

unifo

rm?

Why

do

peo

ple

use

low

hu

shed

voi

ces?

Wha

t d

oes

this

sug

gest

?

Her

mot

her t

hink

s sh

e ha

sd

ied

.

Che

rry

thin

ks s

he w

ill g

et to

finis

h he

r nec

klac

e.

the

sid

e.

As

she

cam

e d

ow

n t

he

step

s sh

e n

ote

d t

hat

the

bac

k d

oo

r o

f th

e co

ttag

e w

as o

pen

an

d s

he

cou

ld

hea

r v

oic

es i

nsi

de.

Sh

e st

ole

in

on

tip

toe.

Th

e k

itch

en

was

fu

ll o

f u

nif

orm

ed m

en d

rin

kin

g te

a, a

nd

aro

un

d

the

table

sat

her

fam

ily,

dej

ecti

on

an

d d

esp

air

etch

ed o

n

ever

y f

ace.

T

hey

had

n’t

see

n h

er y

et.

On

e o

f th

e u

ni-

form

ed m

en h

ad p

ut

do

wn

his

cu

p a

nd

was

sp

eak

ing.

His

voic

e w

as lo

w a

nd h

ush

ed.

‘You

’re

sure

the

tow

el is

her

s, n

o d

ou

bts

abou

t it?

’

Ch

erry

’s m

oth

er s

hook h

er h

ead.

‘It’

s h

er t

ow

el,’

sh

e sa

id q

uie

tly,

‘an

d t

hey

are

her

shel

ls.

Sh

e m

ust

hav

e p

ut

them

up

th

ere,

mu

st h

ave

been

the

last

thin

g sh

e did

.’

Ch

erry

saw

her

sh

ells

sp

read

ou

t o

n t

he

op

en t

ow

el

and s

tifl

ed a

sh

ou

t of j

oy.

‘We

hav

e to

say

,’ h

e w

ent

on

. ‘W

e h

ave

to s

ay t

hen

,

mo

st

regr

etta

bly

, th

at

the

chan

ces

of

fin

din

g y

ou

r

dau

ghte

r al

ive

no

w a

re v

ery

sli

m.

It

seem

s sh

e m

ust

hav

e tr

ied

to

cli

mb

th

e cl

iff

to e

scap

e th

e h

eav

y s

eas

and

fal

len

in

. W

e’v

e sc

ou

red

th

e cl

iff

top

fo

r m

iles

in

bo

th

dir

ecti

on

s an

d

cov

ered

th

e en

tire

b

each

, an

d

ther

e’s

no

sig

n o

f h

er.

Sh

e m

ust

hav

e b

een

was

hed

ou

t

to s

ea.

We

mu

st c

on

clu

de

that

sh

e is

mis

sin

g. W

e h

ave

to p

resu

me

that

sh

e is

dro

wn

ed.’

Ch

erry

co

uld

lis

ten

no

lo

nge

r b

ut

bu

rst

into

th

e

room

sh

ou

tin

g.

Resource sheet 2k



69



Resource sheet 2l

Whe

n C

herr

y sa

ys .

..S

he is

imp

lyin

g ..

.W

hen

the

youn

g m

iner

say

s ..

.H

e is

imp

lyin

g ..

.

2. T

hey’

ll b

e ou

tlo

okin

g fo

r me.

Your

ligh

t sav

edm

y lif

e.

4. Y

ou’v

esa

ved

lots

of

peo

ple

.

1. N

o on

eca

n ha

rmyo

u, n

otno

w.

3. S

’pos

e yo

u’ll

wan

t to

see

your

fam

ily a

gain

?

5. Y

ou c

an s

eeth

em b

ut th

eyca

n’t s

ee y

ou.

That

’s th

e w

orst

of it

.


70



Whe

n C

herr

y sa

ys .

..S

he is

imp

lyin

g ..

.W

hen

the

youn

g m

iner

say

s ..

.H

e is

imp

lyin

g ..

.

2. T

hey’

ll b

e ou

tlo

okin

g fo

r me.

Your

ligh

t sav

edm

y lif

e.

I nea

rly d

ied

, but

I’m a

live.

Like

you

sav

ed m

ylif

e.

4. Y

ou’v

esa

ved

lots

of

peo

ple

.

1. N

o on

eca

n ha

rmyo

u, n

otno

w.

3. S

’pos

e yo

u’ll

wan

t to

see

your

fam

ily a

gain

?

5. Y

ou c

an s

eeth

em b

ut th

eyca

n’t s

ee y

ou.

That

’s th

e w

orst

of it

.

Not

now

you

’re

dea

d.

I und

erst

and

that

you

still

car

e ab

out

them

, eve

n th

ough

you’

re d

ead

.

You

will

find

out

how

up

sett

ing

this

is w

hen

it ha

pp

ens

to y

ou.

Resource sheet 2m


71



Ove

rvie

w o

f ‘Th

e gi

ant’s

nec

klac

e’

Whe

re?

In th

e ki

tche

n at

the

O

n th

e b

each

O

n th

e cl

iff

In th

e ca

ve/t

in m

ine

Bac

k at

the

cott

age

cott

age

Wha

t tim

e o

fIn

the

mor

ning

aft

er

In th

e af

tern

oon

At n

ight

A

t nig

ht

Ear

ly n

ext m

orni

ng

day

/nig

ht?

bre

akfa

st

Resource sheet 2n


72



Lesson notes for days 6, 7 and 8Transforming part of ‘The giant’s necklace’ into a playscriptDay 6

Shared text work – reading and speaking and listening

• Explain that you are going to take a section of the short story you have been working on and turn it into a playscript.

• Create two lists, headed ‘Features of narratives’ and ‘Features of playscripts’. Ask the children to discuss with talk partners

and note down as many features as they can for each list. Take feedback, discuss and agree. The ‘Features of playscripts’

can become a checklist to be added to and used later by the children for reference. Use Resource sheet 3a for your reference.

• Remind the children that in a play, everything has to be conveyed to the reader or audience through what the characters say

and do. There are no passages of description, or characters’ thoughts.

• Discuss with the children that when adapting a story into a script, they need to identify the conversations in the story that will

become the dialogue in the play, who spoke the words and how the words were spoken, and other text in the story that may

be used or adapted into stage directions for the actors. Point out that, occasionally, text in the story may have to be

discarded in the playscript, or changed into extra dialogue: for example, descriptive passages.

• Demonstrate this process by using three different coloured highlighters and creating a key as follows: first colour to highlight

words inside speech marks; second colour to highlight who spoke, and how they spoke; third colour to highlight other text.

Start with the section of the story beginning ‘Tea looks cold again . . . ’ (page 18 of ‘The giant’s necklace’) up to ‘She

approached them slowly.’ Explain your reasons for choosing each colour, i.e. how you identified which kind of text it is.

Independent work

• Ask the children to work through this part of the story, continuing the process of highlighting, and thinking carefully about

each phrase in the text and what function it is performing.

• Ask them to text mark any points where they had difficulty in coming to a decision.

Plenary

• Identify points of difficulty, scribe alternatives and discuss which is preferable.

Day 7

Shared text work – reading, writing and sentence level

• Referring back to the checklist of playscript features, remind pupils of the layout of a play, showing examples if possible.

(N.B. It is advisable not to use plays with a narrator, as this confuses the issue of moving the action along through speech and

dialogue alone.)

• Use demonstration-writing to transform the first few paragraphs of the highlighted part of the story into playscript (from ‘Tea

looks cold . . . ’). Explain as you go along the decisions you are making about layout, the conversion of some verbs and

adverbs into stage directions, and the cutting of sections that relate to the characters’ thoughts or feelings. Use Resource

sheet 3b for your reference.

• Ask the children to monitor what you are writing against the checklist of key features.

Resource sheet 3

The Giant’s Necklace


73



Independent work – reading, writing and sentence level

• Ask the children to carry on from where you stopped, converting their highlighted narratives into playscripts.

• Remind them to use the checklist for reference.

Plenary

• Ask children to share how they tackled parts of the text where speech was mixed in with information about who spoke, and

their thoughts or feelings, i.e. all three coloured highlighters were used. For example, how did they convert the following:

‘What does he mean?’ Cherry asked the young man, for whom she felt an instant liking. ‘What did he mean by that?’

Day 8

Shared text work – speaking and listening, writing, sentence and word level

• Remove the checklist from view, and ask children in pairs to note down as many key features of playscripts as they can.

Display the checklist. Recap on how to incorporate stage directions, based on the work done so far.

• Tell the children that up to now, they have been able to concentrate on applying the conventions of playscript to existing

content, because they have been using someone else’s story. Explain that today they are going to create their own playscript

by inventing some content, and writing it according to playscript conventions.

• Remind the children that in the story the younger miner led Cherry to the way out of the mine, then returned to his father. Ask

them to imagine what conversations the two men might have had after Cherry had gone. Collect a few ideas, e.g. the

younger one may have wondered aloud if Cherry would come back; they might have talked about the storm that brought her

there and about other storms they remembered; the old man might have talked about his daughter Martha; they might have

shared some food.

• Ask the children to discuss their ideas in pairs, and take some feedback so that there is a variety of suggestions to

choose from.

• Choose one of the options and use teacher scribing to compose a few lines of dialogue, using and encouraging the children

to use oral rehearsal before committing ideas to writing.

Independent work – writing, sentence and word level

• Ask the children to compose a short scene of dialogue, either continuing from the shared text you scribed, or using their

own ideas.

• Remind them to refer regularly to the checklist to ensure that they are applying the conventions correctly.

Plenary

• Hear a couple of volunteers’ scenes, then ask children to swap scripts with a partner and check each other’s work against

the checklist.

Resource sheet 3

contd.


74



Checklist of key features of playscripts

• No speech marks.

• Each person’s speech starts on a new line.

• Character’s name in the left-hand margin denotes who is speaking.

• The setting is briefly described at the beginning of the scene.

• Stage directions for the actors, explaining how the characters say their lines, or any actions

they make while saying those lines, are in brackets after the character’s name, e.g.

Wizard (waving his wand threateningly): I’m warning you!Witch (sneering): As if I care!

• Movements by the characters, including exits and entrances, are written on separate lines,

often in italics, and in the present tense, e.g.

The wizard grabs his hat and rushes out, followed by the frog.

• Plays are usually divided into a number of scenes. If there is a change of time or place, a new

scene is needed.

Resource sheet 3a


75



Sto

ry te

xt c

onve

rted

into

stag

e d

irect

ion.

Sto

ry te

xt c

ontr

acte

d i

nto

stag

e d

irect

ion.

No

spee

ch m

arks

Sto

ry te

xt c

onve

rted

into

stag

e d

irect

ion

and

inse

rted

into

the

mid

dle

of a

cha

ract

er’s

sp

eech

.

Sto

ry te

xt c

onve

rted

into

a st

age

dire

ctio

n, w

ithso

me

text

cut

.

Old

man

(gru

ffly)

:Te

a lo

oks

cold

aga

in. ’

Tis

alw

ays

cold

. I’m

sur

e sh

e m

akes

it w

i’ co

ld w

ater

.

Youn

ger m

an:

Oh

stop

you

r moa

ning

Fat

her.

She

doe

s he

r bes

t. S

he’s

five

litt

le o

nes

to lo

ok a

fter

and

pre

ciou

s lit

tle to

do

it on

. She

doe

s he

r bes

t. Y

ou m

ustn

’t ke

ep o

n at

her

so.

It u

pse

ts h

er. S

he d

oes

her b

est.

Old

man

:S

o sh

e d

oes,

lad

, so

she

doe

s. A

nd fo

r tha

t mat

ter s

o d

o I,

but

that

don

’t st

op h

er m

oani

ng a

t me

and

it’ll

not s

top

me

moa

ning

at h

er. I

f we

did

n’t m

oan

at e

ach

othe

r, la

d, w

e’d

hav

e p

reci

ous

little

els

e to

talk

abou

t, a

nd th

at’s

a fa

ct. S

he e

xpec

ts it

of m

e, la

d, a

nd I

exp

ects

it o

f her

.

Che

rry

app

roac

hes

them

slo

wly

.

Che

rry

(tent

ativ

ely)

:E

xcus

e m

e, b

ut I’

ve g

ot a

bit

lost

. I c

limb

ed th

e cl

iff, y

ou s

ee, ’

cos

I was

cut

off

from

the

Cov

e. I

was

tryi

ng

to g

et b

ack,

but

I co

uld

n’t a

nd I

saw

this

ligh

t and

so

I clim

bed

up

. I w

ant t

o ge

t hom

e an

d I

won

der

ed if

you

coul

d h

elp

me

get t

o th

e to

p?

Old

man

pee

rs to

war

ds

her v

oice

.

Old

man

:To

p?

Com

e cl

oser

, lad

, whe

re w

e ca

n se

e yo

u.

Youn

ger m

an:

She

’s n

ot a

lad

, Fat

her.

Are

you

blin

d?

Can

you

not

see

’tis

a fi

lly. ’

Tis

a yo

ung

filly

, all

wet

thro

ugh

from

the

sea.

He

stan

ds

up a

nd b

ecko

ns C

herr

y in

.

Com

e, d

on’t

be

afea

rd, l

ittle

girl

, we

shan

’t ha

rm y

ou. C

ome

on, y

ou c

an h

ave

som

e of

my

tea

if yo

u lik

e.

Che

rry

(ner

vous

ly):

But

I th

ough

t the

min

e w

as c

lose

d a

hun

dre

d y

ears

ago

. Tha

t’s w

hat I

was

told

, any

way

.

Old

man

(bec

omin

g an

gry)

:W

ell y

ou w

as to

ld w

rong

. Clo

sed

, clo

sed

ind

eed

, doe

s it

look

clo

sed

to y

ou?

D’y

ou th

ink

we’

re d

iggi

ng

for w

orm

s? O

ver f

our t

hous

and

tons

of t

in la

st y

ear a

nd n

ine

thou

sand

of c

opp

er o

re, a

nd y

ou a

sk is

the

min

e cl

osed

? O

ver t

wen

ty fa

thom

s b

elow

the

sea

this

min

e go

es. W

e’ll

dig

righ

t out

und

er th

e oc

ean,

halfw

ay to

’Mer

ica

afor

e w

e cl

ose

dow

n th

is m

ine.

The

youn

ger m

an ta

kes

off h

is ja

cket

and

wra

ps

it ro

und

Che

rry’

s sh

ould

ers.

“She

felt

she

had

…”

has

bee

n cu

t.(c

hara

cter

’s fe

elin

gs)

Sto

ry te

xt c

onve

rted

into

a s

tage

dire

ctio

n.

Resource sheet 3b

Annotations for converting

narrative to playscript


76



Lesson notes for ‘Freddie Pilcher’ by Pie CorbettDay 9

Shared text work – reading, sentence and word level and speaking and listening

• Display enlarged copy/OHT of the story (Resource sheet 4a), with only the opening paragraph visible. Ask the children to

read it, then to jot down as many ideas, questions and thoughts as they can about these two sentences. Use Resource

sheet 4c (annotated copy of the story) for your reference.

• Share initial responses, discuss some of the questions raised, and possible answers.

• Give out copies of the story (Resource sheet 4b) to the children so that they can text mark. Read up to ‘Through the bottom

of a milk bottle’ aloud, demonstrating for the children how to interrogate the text, and how they can deduce and infer from a

limited amount of information.

• Model for the children ways to underline, circle or in other ways mark a text, and make notes and comments in the margins.

• Use paired talk to explore some of the questions.

• Ask the children to read and text mark the next two paragraphs, take some feedback, then read aloud to the end, using

Resource sheet 4c for your reference.

Independent work – reading, writing, sentence and word level

• Give the children a copy of Resource sheet 4d ‘Questions about “Freddie Pilcher”’.

• Explain that for question 1, in order to summarise information in the text, they will need to skim read, looking for and

marking any evidence of what Freddie looks like. For question 2, which asks them to predict, they will need to refer to the

notes they and you have made in shared reading, before they make their predictions.

• You may wish some children to complete their independent work on OHT so that it can be shared with the class, if this is

appropriate and is part of your usual practice.

Extended plenary

• Share children’s responses, drawing out in the discussion successful ways of writing concisely, e.g. there is no need to

incorporate the question into the answer.

• Highlight the need for conditional verbs in answers which predict possible future events, e.g. might, could, may, would, etc.

and suitable connectives, e.g. It is likely that, perhaps, possibly, maybe, it could be that, etc.

Resource sheet 4

Lesson notes for day 9


77



From ‘Freddie Pilcher’ by Pie Corbett

Grandma Pugh sized the baby up like a pig at the cattlemarket. There was a pause and then she pronounced.

‘He’s got nice long legs.’ She smacked her lips togetherin approval. But then she frowned and leaned forwards.Everyone waited anxiously. The baby had opened hiseyes and was staring up at her from his cot. ‘But thatsquint won’t do!’ she declared firmly, turning her backon him and tut-tutting.

That had been Freddie Pilcher’s first meeting withGrandma Pugh. Since then, ten years had passed.Much to his grandmother’s satisfaction, his legs had notlet her original pronouncement down. She had beencorrect. The boy was a regular beanpole.

Grandma Pugh had also been correct about hiseyesight. At first, he had worn glasses. The lenses wereso thick that it was like looking at the world through thebottom of a milk bottle.

When he was old enough Freddie had been to hospitalto have an operation. Now he no longer squinted. Hestill wore glasses. Without them, he was like a fish out ofwater. His mother had to fix his glasses to his ears withsticking plaster; otherwise he kept losing them. And asshe kept saying, they might be National Health but that

Resource sheet 4a

Freddie Pilcher OHT

© Pie Corbett 2002


78



wasn’t the point. Freddie not only had poor eyesight,but he was also clumsy.

Freddie did not really seem suited to schoolwork. Butthere was one thing that he was good at and it was allon account of the length of his legs. His grandma hadbeen right to be proud of him. He could jump.

Freddie was the best jumper in school. Not only couldhe leap the furthest but also the highest. At break-times, he entertained the little ones by leaping over theschool wall into Mrs Hobson’s garden and then rapidlyvaulting back. She had been up to see the HeadTeacher several times because somebody had beentrampling on her vegetables.

It was badgers, Freddie suggested, when quizzed byMiss Harpy – definitely badgers. His dad had terribleproblems with badgers. Only last week he had lost tworows of carrots. Freddie had woken one night and heardthem rampaging through the garden, a whole herd ofthem. They rooted up the lawn, dug up the vegetablesand crunched up the snails like boiled sweets. Terriblethings, badgers. All the other children nodded theirheads sagely. There was a moment’s pause in classthree as everyone pondered on the dreadful damagethat badgers could do.

Resource sheet 4a

Freddie Pilcher OHT contd.


79



Resource sheet 4b

Children’s copy


Grandma Pugh sized the baby up like a pig atthe cattle market. There was a pause and thenshe pronounced.

‘He’s got nice long legs.’ She smacked herlips together in approval. But then shefrowned and leaned forwards. Everyonewaited anxiously. The baby had opened hiseyes and was staring up at her from his cot.‘But that squint won’t do!’ she declared firmly,turning her back on him and tut-tutting.

That had been Freddie Pilcher’s first meetingwith Grandma Pugh. Since then, ten yearshad passed. Much to his grandmother’ssatisfaction, his legs had not let her originalpronouncement down. She had been correct.The boy was a regular beanpole.

Grandma Pugh had also been correct abouthis eyesight. At first, he had worn glasses. Thelenses were so thick that it was like looking atthe world through the bottom of a milk bottle.

When he was old enough Freddie had been tohospital to have an operation. Now he nolonger squinted. He still wore glasses. Withoutthem, he was like a fish out of water. HisMother had to fix his glasses to his ears withsticking plaster; otherwise he kept losingthem. And as she kept saying, they might beNational Health but that wasn’t the point.

© Pie Corbett 2002


80



Freddie not only had poor eyesight, but hewas also clumsy.

Freddie did not really seem suited toschoolwork. But there was one thing that hewas good at and it was all on account of thelength of his legs. His grandma had been rightto be proud of him. He could jump.

Freddie was the best jumper in school. Not onlycould he leap the furthest but also the highest.At break-times, he entertained the little ones byleaping over the school wall into Mrs Hobson’sgarden and then rapidly vaulting back. She hadbeen up to see the Head Teacher several timesbecause somebody had been trampling on hervegetables.

It was badgers, Freddie suggested, whenquizzed by Miss Harpy – definitely badgers. Hisdad had terrible problems with badgers. Onlylast week he had lost two rows of carrots.Freddie had woken one night and heard themrampaging through the garden, a whole herd ofthem. They rooted up the lawn, dug up thevegetables and crunched up the snails likeboiled sweets. Terrible things, badgers. All theother children nodded their heads sagely.There was a moment’s pause in class three aseveryone pondered on the dreadful damagethat badgers could do.

Resource sheet 4b

Children’s copy contd.


81



Resource sheet 4c

Annotations for Freddie

Pilcher

Why is a pig at the cattlemarket? Suggests baby isan oddity.

Deduce whose mother sheis from surname. (Freddie’smum’s.)

What does this idiomaticphrase mean? What does itsuggest about Grandma P?

What are cattle? Whathappens at a cattlemarket? Why has theauthor chosen this simile?

‘Pronounced’ makes herseem important. Why iseveryone anxious? Heropinion matters.

Can deduce Freddie was ababy.

a regular = just like a


Grandma Pugh sized the baby up like a pig atthe cattle market. There was a pause and thenshe pronounced.

‘He’s got nice long legs.’ She smacked herlips together in approval. But then shefrowned and leaned forwards. Everyonewaited anxiously. The baby had opened hiseyes and was staring up at her from his cot.‘But that squint won’t do!’ she declared firmly, turning her back on him and tut-tutting.

That had been Freddie Pilcher’s first meetingwith Grandma Pugh. Since then, ten yearshad passed. Much to his grandmother’ssatisfaction, his legs had not let her originalpronouncement down. She had been correct.The boy was a regular beanpole.

Grandma Pugh had also been correct abouthis eyesight. At first, he had worn glasses. Thelenses were so thick that it was like looking atthe world through the bottom of a milk bottle.

When he was old enough Freddie had been tohospital to have an operation. Now he nolonger squinted. He still wore glasses. Withoutthem, he was like a fish out of water. HisMother had to fix his glasses to his ears withsticking plaster; otherwise he kept losingthem. And as she kept saying, they might beNational Health but that wasn’t the point.

Suggests she might eathim!

Meaning? Reread previous sentence: to dowith eyes?

Phrase with two meanings,literal and figurative.

Can deduce his age.

Meaning? Look withinword at ‘pole’. Connectsback to ‘his legs’, soprobably to do with hisheight.

What is the effect of thissimile? How does it help usto picture Freddie?

Contributes to picture ofFreddie.

Meaning? Refers toglasses that he kept losing, which were free.


82



Contributes to picture ofFreddie.

Short sentence for effect.

What does this namesuggest? Harpy = mythicalfemale beast.

Meaning? Something haddestroyed vegetable plot.

Why do they supportFreddie?

Meaning? Verb that lookslike ‘wonder’ – happensduring a pause, so candeduce it is something onedoes silently.

Freddie not only had poor eyesight, but hewas also clumsy.

Freddie did not really seem suited toschoolwork. But there was one thing that hewas good at and it was all on account of thelength of his legs. His grandma had been rightto be proud of him. He could jump.

Freddie was the best jumper in school. Notonly could he leap the furthest but also thehighest. At break-times, he entertained thelittle ones by leaping over the school wall intoMrs Hobson’s garden and then rapidly vaultingback. She had been up to see the HeadTeacher several times because somebody hadbeen trampling on her vegetables.

It was badgers, Freddie suggested, whenquizzed by Miss Harpy – definitely badgers. Hisdad had terrible problems with badgers. Onlylast week he had lost two rows of carrots.Freddie had woken one night and heard themrampaging through the garden, a whole herd ofthem. They rooted up the lawn, dug up thevegetables and crunched up the snails likeboiled sweets. Terrible things, badgers. All theother children nodded their heads sagely.There was a moment’s pause in class three aseveryone pondered on the dreadful damagethat badgers could do.

Specific verbs havecumulative effect.

Economical phrase: candeduce he is suspected ofcausing the damage and isbeing questioned.

Words chosen for effect.Suggest wild dangerousdestructive beasts.

Meaning? Two meanings: aherb and a wise person.Sagely = wisely.

Resource sheet 4c

contd.

Summarise what we have found out about Freddie as a person.

1. He is not clever at school.

2. He can jump amazingly.

3. He can make up convincing lies, blaming the damage to Mrs H’s garden on badgers.

4. Other children like him: they all supported his badger story and no one told on him.


83



Resource sheet 4d

Questions

Questions about ‘Freddie Pilcher’

1. Use the information from the story to write a briefdescription in your own words of Freddie Pilcher’sphysical appearance.

2. This is the opening chapter of a book. From what youhave read so far, speculate on what might happen inother chapters. You will need to bear in mind what youhave found out about Freddie and any other charactersthat have appeared.


84



Resource sheet 5

Lesson notes for day 10

Lesson notes for ‘Meatpie on the Masham Road’ by Pie CorbettDay 10

Shared text work – reading, sentence and word level andspeaking and listening

• Distribute copies of the story to individuals (Resource sheet 5b) and display an enlarged/OHT

copy (Resource sheet 5a) to annotate with the class.

• Read the story, using the sample questions and comments on Resource sheet 5c as prompts.

Model for the children how to text mark key words, phrases, sentences and passages for

closer scrutiny.

• Demonstrate writing brief comments or notes in the margins, and encourage the children to

make their own notes. Use paired talk to explore some of the questions.

• Ask the children to read and text mark occasional paragraphs independently, and take

some feedback.

Independent work – reading, writing, sentence and word level

• Give the children a copy of Resource sheet 5d ‘Questions about ‘Meatpie on the Masham

Road’.

• Tell them that when they tackle questions 1, 2 and 3, they must first find the quotes and text

mark them in their copy of the story so they can re-read them in context, before they answer the

questions.

Extended plenary

• Share children’s answers to the four questions, drawing out in the discussion the need to be

very clear about exactly what the question is asking, and strategies for answering.


85



From ‘Meatpie on the Masham Road’by Pie Corbett

‘It’s a tortoise, I tell you, it’s a tortoise.’ Therewe were, tearing towards Masham and I sawthis tortoise, making its way up the side of theroad. At first, I couldn’t believe it. We shot pastso quickly. But I knew that I had seen it. Its little head poking out as it ambled along.

Honestly, my dad never believes anything Isay. Take for instance the time that I saw aUFO in Mrs Carter’s garden. Well, I wasn’t toknow that it was her new satellite dish, was I?

Anyone would think that I exaggerated. Nextthing, he’ll need glasses. I mean there it was,plain as a plum pudding. Well, as plain as atortoise can be – and he just whizzes bywithout a care in the world.

‘Will you sit still and stop distracting me. If you carry on like that we’ll have a crash.’ Yousee – he’s getting grumpy now. The next thing, he’ll be threatening to stop the car andleave me by the side of the road.

Resource sheet 5a

Meatpie on the Masham

Road OHT

© Pie Corbett 2002


86



‘But if we don’t go back, she’ll be squashed!’ I was pleading by now. ‘I tell you it was a tortoise and it’s in great peril.’

‘Nonsense, it must have been a brick orsomething. What do you think a tortoise isdoing at the side of a busy road?’

‘Well, it’s not out shopping,’ I snapped back.‘It’s in mortal danger Dad, and you’ve got todo something. I mean if we don’t go back it’llbe just like murder!’

It took all of ten miles with me pleading andbegging. I would have gone down on bended knees but in the back of a Vauxhallthat’s not too easy. Give him his due, Dadcame off at the next roundabout, went all theway round it and drove back slowly along theother side of the road so we could look out ofthe window.

‘There it is. I told you.’

‘Steady on there,’ grunted Dad.

We pulled over onto the verge. Dad wouldn’tlet me get out of the car. He said that I might

Resource sheet 5a


Road OHT contd.


87



get excitable and put off passing motorists. Icould see him bending down and pickingsomething up. A moment later he was comingback.

‘You’re right,’ he said as he clambered backinto the car. Under his jacket he had a tortoise.

‘Here, you hold it, while I drive.’

So, I sat in the back of the car holding thetortoise. It kept quite still and felt rather cold.At first I wondered if the shock of seeing Dadhad been too much for it. (Well, you shouldsee him . . .)

I could feel its claws. The shell was criss-crossed like a noughts and crosses game inshades of brown. It looked as if it had beendragged through several hedges backwards.

‘I don’t think that this tortoise has had a goodtime,’ I muttered.

Dad didn’t reply. He turned up the car heaterand drove towards home.

‘Lord alone knows what your Mother will say,’was his only comment.

Resource sheet 5a


Road OHT contd.


88




‘It’s a tortoise, I tell you, it’s a tortoise.’

There we were, tearing towards Masham and Isaw this tortoise, making its way up the side ofthe road. At first, I couldn’t believe it. We shotpast so quickly. But I knew that I had seen it.Its little head poking out as it ambled along.



‘Will you sit still and stop distracting me. If youcarry on like that we’ll have a crash.’ You see –he’s getting grumpy now. The next thing, he’llbe threatening to stop the car and leave me bythe side of the road.

‘But if we don’t go back, she’ll be squashed!’I was pleading by now. ‘I tell you it was atortoise and it’s in great peril.’


Resource sheet 5b

Children’s copy

© Pie Corbett 2002


89




It took all of ten miles with me pleading andbegging. I would have gone down on bendedknees but in the back of a Vauxhall that’s nottoo easy. Give him his due, Dad came off atthe next roundabout, went all the way round itand drove back slowly along the other side ofthe road so we could look out of the window.



We pulled over onto the verge. Dad wouldn’tlet me get out of the car. He said that I mightget excitable and put off passing motorists. Icould see him bending down and pickingsomething up. A moment later he was comingback.



So, I sat in the back of the car holding thetortoise. It kept quite still and felt rather cold.At first I wondered if the shock of seeing Dadhad been too much for it. (Well, you shouldsee him . . . )

Resource sheet 5b



90



I could feel its claws. The shell was criss-crossed like a noughts and crosses game inshades of brown. It looked as if it had beendragged through several hedgesbackwards.

‘I don’t think that this tortoise has had agood time,’ I muttered.


‘Lord alone knows what your Mother willsay,’ was his only comment.

Resource sheet 5b



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‘It’s a tortoise, I tell you, it’s a tortoise.’

There we were, tearing towards Masham and Isaw this tortoise, making its way up the side ofthe road. At first, I couldn’t believe it. We shotpast so quickly. But I knew that I had seen it.Its little head poking out as it ambled along.



‘Will you sit still and stop distracting me. If you carry on like that we’ll have a crash.’ Yousee – he’s getting grumpy now. The next thing,he’ll be threatening to stop the car and leaveme by the side of the road.

‘But if we don’t go back, she’ll be squashed!’I was pleading by now. ‘I tell you it was atortoise and it’s in great peril.’


Who are ‘we’? Read on tofind out.

Informal, chatty style.

Contrast two verbs.

Effect of word = pace oftortoise. If unsure ofmeaning, try to work outfrom context, priorknowledge.

This suggests he has donethis in the past. What does itadd to our picture of thechild?

What does it add to ourpicture of the child?

Informal, chatty style.

Resource sheet 5c

Annotations for Meatpie on

the Masham Road


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What is the effect of thissentence? How does itcontribute to the style?

What is the image we getfrom these words and whyis it effective?

What does this phraseimply?


It took all of ten miles with me pleading andbegging. I would have gone down on bendedknees but in the back of a Vauxhall that’s nottoo easy. Give him his due, Dad came off atthe next roundabout, went all the way round itand drove back slowly along the other side ofthe road so we could look out of the window.



We pulled over onto the verge. Dad wouldn’tlet me get out of the car. He said that I mightget excitable and put off passing motorists. Icould see him bending down and pickingsomething up. A moment later he was comingback.



So, I sat in the back of the car holding thetortoise. It kept quite still and felt rather cold.At first I wondered if the shock of seeing Dadhad been too much for it. (Well, you shouldsee him . . . )

Resource sheet 5c


the Masham Road contd.


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I could feel its claws. The shell was criss-crossed like a noughts and crosses game inshades of brown. It looked as if it had beendragged through several hedges backwards.

‘I don’t think that this tortoise has had a goodtime,’ I muttered.


‘Lord alone knows what your Mother will say,’was his only comment.

Explain what you think theauthor means by thesewords.

Resource sheet 5c


the Masham Road contd.


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Questions about ‘Meatpie on the Masham Road’

1. ‘It’s in great peril’ ‘it’s in mortal danger’ ‘it’ll be just like murder!’Explain as fully as you can a) why you think the narrator uses these wordsand b) what they tell us about the narrator.

2. ‘Give him his due, Dad came off at the next roundabout, went all the wayround it and drove slowly back down the other side of the road.’What does this tell us about Dad? Find and copy another example of Dad’s behaviour that shows a similarresponse.

3. ‘Lord alone knows what your Mother will say,’ was his only comment.What impression of the narrator’s mum do we form from reading these words?

4. Is ‘Meatpie on the Masham Road’ a good title for this story? Give your reasons.

Resource sheet 5d

Questions

Narrative Reading Unit

Documents

Transcript of Narrative Reading Unit