BY BONNIE CHAMBERLAIN

Centuries ago a great artist was engaged in painting a mural for a cathedral in a Sicilian town. The subject was the life of Jesus.

CATHEDRAL

MURAL- a wall painting

The painting was almost complete except for the faces of two important figures. The faces of child Jesus and Judas Iscariot . He searched far and wide for these two faces

. CHILD JESUS JUDAS ISCARIOT

One day the artist came across some children playing in the street. Among them was a twelve year old child

Though the child was dirty he looked like an angel. The artist took the boy home and

completed the painting of Child Jesus.

He continued his search for the model for the model for Judas but in vain.He had envisioned the model in his mind as a man warped by life , enfeebled by surrender to greed and lust

One afternoon when the artist was at the tavern he found a gaunt and tattered figure begging for wine at the threshold .The artist was startled . The face seemed to bear the marks of every sin of mankind.

The artist said “Come with me ,I’ll give you wine and food and clothing . Here at last was the model for Judas.

As the work progressed a change came over the model. A strange tension replaced the stuporous languor and his bloodshot eyes were fixed with horror on the painted likeness of himself

As the work progressed a change came over the model. The painter said “ My son I’d like to help you ‘,What troubles you so?”The model began to sob and buried his face in his hands “ Don’t you remember me ? Years ago I was your model for Child Jesus

Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases given below to form a complete meaningful paragraph

Centuries ago a great artist(i)_____ to paint a mural for the cathedral in a Sicilian town. The subject was the(ii)_____. For many years the artist (iii)_______ and finally the painting was finished (iv)_______two most important figures; the child Jesus and Judas Iscariot.He searched (v)______ for models for those two figures .(i) laboured diligently(ii) far and wide(iii) was engaged(iv) life of Jesus Christ(v) except for the

• An old priest told me the story when I was very young

Bonnie Chamberlain• “ Wine , Wine”

The model for Judas• “Come with me and I will give you wine , and food

and clothing The artist

• “ My son , I’d like to help you “ The artist

• “ What troubles you so?” The artist• “ Do you not then remember me” The model for Judas

MATCH THE FOLLOWING

1. Mural Author2. Cathedral Model for Judas3. Model for Child Jesus Wall painting4. Wine Sicilian town5. Bonnie chamberlain Twelve year old

boy

CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION FOR THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES

1. The artist was painting ____a. the life of Judas Iscariot b. the life of a young man c. the life of an aged man d. the life of Jesus

2. The model for the child Jesus was _______a. 6 years old b. 12 years old c. 14 years old d. an infant

3. The villainous model the artist sought was ______a. Difficult to find b. readily available c. located easily d. unwilling to pose for him

4. The young man who approached the artist begged for _______

a. Money b. winec. food d. clothes

5. The model was actually ___________a. The artists’ son b. one who had posed for the child Jesus c. angry with the artist d. tortured by the artist

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :-

One day while walking in an old part of the city he came upon some children playing in the street . Among them was a twelve year old boy whose face stirred the painter’s heart .It was the face of an angel – a very dirty one , perhaps, but the face he needed .The artist took the child home with him, and day after day the boy sat patiently until the face the child Jesus was finished .But the painter still found no one to serve as a model for the portrait of Judas. For years , haunted by the fear that his masterpiece would remain unfinished , he continued his search. The artist painted the face of child Jesus using the boy as the model .

QUESTIONS1. What did the artist see in the street?

The artist saw some children playing in the street.2. Whom did he come across in the street?

He came across a twelve year old boy in the street.

3. What kind of face did the boy have?The boy had the face of an angel, but it was dirty.

4. What did the artist do with the help of the boy ?5. What was the fear that haunted the painter?

The fear that haunted the painter was that his masterpiece would remain unfinished.

Mind mapA great artist was engaged to paint

the wall of a cathedral

The subject was the Life of

Jesus

The artist worked on it for

many years

He searched for models for those two

figures far and wide

A twelve year old boy’s face

stirred the painter’s heart

His face was like an angel

They were the child Jesus and Judas Iscariot

Finally he completed except for the two most important figures

THE END