By Mo-No-Yuki, 1787-1869. From ‘Ancient Tales and Folklore of japan’ (1908) by R. Gordon Smith. Licence: Public domain. Source
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‘Kichijiro finds poor O Ima blind,’ a scene from R. Gordon Smith’s ‘Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan.’ The paintings are by Mr Mo-No-Yuki, ‘who drew and painted the illustrations from sketches of my own,’ said Smith, ‘which must often have grated on his artistic ideas, keeping him awake in reflection on the crudeness of the European sense of art.’ This particular folktale, which Smith entitled ‘The Blind Beauty,’ is cleverly made: Kichijiro is ‘blinded’ by work and ambition to Ima’s love and Kanshichi’s hatred; Kanshichi is blinded by hatred; and of course Ima is blinded literally by disease. Happily, Kichijiro is also blinded by love to Ima’s poverty and disability.
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By Mo-No-Yuki, 1787-1869. From ‘Ancient Tales and Folklore of japan’ (1908) by R. Gordon Smith. Licence: Public domain.
‘Kichijiro finds poor O Ima blind,’ a scene from R. Gordon Smith’s ‘Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan.’ The paintings are by Mr Mo-No-Yuki, ‘who drew and painted the illustrations from sketches of my own,’ said Smith, ‘which must often have grated on his artistic ideas, keeping him awake in reflection on the crudeness of the European sense of art.’ This particular folktale, which Smith entitled ‘The Blind Beauty,’ is cleverly made: Kichijiro is ‘blinded’ by work and ambition to Ima’s love and Kanshichi’s hatred; Kanshichi is blinded by hatred; and of course Ima is blinded literally by disease. Happily, Kichijiro is also blinded by love to Ima’s poverty and disability.
MEANWHILE, with Kichijiro far away, Kanshichi pestered Ima month
after month without success, until one day he tried to abduct her.
Hachiyemon was glad to dismiss him; but in his madness, Kanshichi
set the shop ablaze and completely gutted it. Kanshichi was arrested,
and executed; but Hachiyemon and Ima were ruined.
Four years had passed since Kichijiro left, and working for his
uncle in Kyoto he had become wealthy. Remembering his promise to
Hachiyemon, he returned to Maizuru to ask for Ima’s hand, only to find
the business boarded up, Hachiyemon dead from grief and Ima
blinded forever, the victim of an eye infection.
Poor Ima hardly dared hope that Kichijiro would still care for
her; yet he married her at once, and moved to Maizuru to reopen
Hachiyemon’s business. He erected a memorial to her father on a
little eminence in the garden of their house. He built another to
Kashichi, for he bore him no ill-will; but he put it at the
foot of the hill. Evil-doers should not expect high places.
Express the ideas below in a single
sentence, using different words as much as possible.
Do not be satisfied with the first answer you
think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Kanshichi kidnapped Ima. Hachiyemon sacked him. Kanshichi set fire to Hachiyemon’s business.
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1Four.Since.Wealthy.
2Come.Make.Suspect.
3Build.Meanwhile.Reopen.
Variations:1.include direct and indirect speech2.include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who3.use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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