Then after another week, man came again to him, and said: Lord, I find that my life is very lonely since I gave you back that creature. I remember how she used to dance and sing to me, and look at me out of the corner of her eye, and play with me, and cling to me; and her laughter was music, and she was beautiful to look at, and soft to touch: so give her back to me again. So Twashtri said: Very well: and gave her back again.
Then after only three days, man came back to him again, and said: Lord, I know not how it is; but after all, I have come to the conclusion that she is more of a trouble than a pleasure to me: so please take her back again. But Twashtri said: Out on you! Be off! I will have no more of this. You must manage how you can. Then man said: But I cannot live with her. And Twashtri replied: Neither could you live without her. And he turned his back on man, and went on with his work. Then man said: What is to be done? for I cannot live either with or without her.*
From ‘A Digit of the Moon’ (1898) by Francis William Bain (1863-1940).
“The very echo of Martial” noted Bain helpfully, leaving breadcrumbs to the Western classics. Martial (AD ?38-?103) was a poet from what is now Spain, known for his epigrams, such as this ‘on a friend’: “You are at once morose and agreeable, pleasing and repulsive. I can neither live with you, nor without you.”
Précis
After a lonely week, Man began to regret resigning Woman to her maker. Twashtri obligingly restored his gift; yet barely three days later Man returned, full of his old complaints. This time Twashtri angrily refused to take Woman back, and Man was left to reflect at leisure that he could neither live with Woman nor live without her. (58 / 60 words)
After a lonely week, Man began to regret resigning Woman to her maker. Twashtri obligingly restored his gift; yet barely three days later Man returned, full of his old complaints. This time Twashtri angrily refused to take Woman back, and Man was left to reflect at leisure that he could neither live with Woman nor live without 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: must, or, otherwise, ought, since, unless, whereas, who.
Archive
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 Give. Jay. Lonely.
2 Flower. Parrot. You.
3 Cloud. Creation. Material.
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.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Grass. 2. Trunk. 3. Light. 4. Can. 5. Live. 6. Fire. 7. Left. 8. Man. 9. Found.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Cry. 2. Material. 3. Use. 4. Look. 5. Reply. 6. Cloud. 7. Sweet. 8. Music. 9. Dance.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
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.
thrs (8)
authorise. authors. others. theirs. theories. theorise. threes. throes.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
