For one thing I had awakened to a comprehension of her beauty. Her face was rarely out of my mind, with its arrogant innocence, its sudden brilliancies and its as sudden languors. Her movements delighted me, her darting grace, the insolent assurance of her carriage, and then, without warning, the relapse into the child or the hoyden.* Even her bad manners soon ceased to annoy me, for in my eyes they had lost all vulgarity. They were the harshnesses of a creature staving off tragedy. Indeed it was her very extravagances that allured, for they made me see her as a solitary little figure set in a patch of light on a great stage among shadows, defying of her own choice the terrors of the unknown.
What made my capture complete was the way she treated me. She seemed to have chosen me as her friend, and to find comfort and security in being with me. To others she might be rude and petulant, but never to me. Whenever she saw me she would make straight for me, like a docile child waiting for orders. She would dance or sit out with me till her retinue of youth was goaded to fury.
She seemed to guess at the points in her behaviour which I did not like and to strive to amend them. We had become the closest friends, and friendship with Koré Arabin was a dangerous pastime.
From ‘The Dancing Floor’ (1926) by John Buchan (1875-1940).
* Jane Austen gave us a perfect cameo of the little hoyden in Catherine Morland at the age of ten, who “was fond of all boys’ play” and was “noisy and wild, hated confinement and cleanliness, and loved nothing so well in the world as rolling down the green slope at the back of the house”. See An Unlikely Heroine. The word ‘hoyden’, which probably comes from Middle Dutch and is related to the word ‘heathen’, is considered dated now. If anyone dared apply such a label today, he might call Koré a tomboy; but a tomboy may be anxiously cultivating an ironic style, whereas a hoyden just doesn’t care — a defining element of Koré’s magnetism.
Précis
Leithen’s first impressions of Koré had been negative, but now that he understood more of her past, her awkwardness had taken on even a heroic character. The fact that she had appealed to him for help so trustingly only drew him the more. Her appeal was growing, and he realised how easily he might fall in love with her. (59 / 60 words)
Leithen’s first impressions of Koré had been negative, but now that he understood more of her past, her awkwardness had taken on even a heroic character. The fact that she had appealed to him for help so trustingly only drew him the more. Her appeal was growing, and he realised how easily he might fall in love with her.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, besides, despite, just, may, must, whether, who.
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Word Games
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 Order. Petulant. Sorceress.
2 Child. Flower. Youth.
3 Do. Extravagance. Very.
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.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Mind. 2 Treat. 3 Comfort. 4 Figure. 5 Stage. 6 Blind. 7 Light. 8 Wait. 9 Race.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
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.
tnts (5)
taints. taunts. tenets. tents. tints.
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