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.
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Word Games
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
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.
1 Although. Care. Uncle.
2 Business. Envious. Fifteen.
3 Day. Hope. Other.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
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.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
shn (5+1)
sheen. shin. shine. shone. shun.
ashen.
