Introduction
St Cuthbert (?634-687) loved the many birds of his island retreat, and before he died the saint promised them ‘St Cuthbert’s Peace’: that if they lived in harmony with one another, no man or beast would disturb them and go unpunished. Five centuries later, monk Bartholomew (?-1193) saw for himself the saint’s determination to keep a promise.
IN the days when monk Bartholomew lived in St Cuthbert’s hermitage on Inner Farne,* a hawk from a neighbouring island flew over and slew his tame sparrow, which used to feed out of his hand. The hawk looked for a quiet spot for his meal, but having broken the peace of Cuthbert’s island, it was not right that he should enjoy any peace there himself.
To his dismay, the hawk discovered that he could neither escape the island nor land upon it, but must fly and fly without rest. In rising panic, he sought refuge in the chapel, where Bartholomew found the exhausted bird fluttering about uselessly by the altar, betrayed by a trail of sparrow-feathers.
Bartholomew took pity on the weary creature, and gently carried him to the shoreline, where he released him, blessing him in St Cuthbert’s name. But he did not forget to give the shamefaced hawk a lecture on leaving the birds of Inner Farne in peace.*
Bartholomew, of Viking blood, died in 1193 and was regarded by some as a saint.
See also Cuthbert and the Expert Witness.
Précis
A hawk killed a tame sparrow on St Cuthbert’s island, and was doomed to fly endlessly over the island without rest. Fortunately Bartholomew, though the sparrow had been his pet, found the frightened hawk in the chapel and took pity on him. He released him back to his own island with a blessing - and a warning about his future conduct. (60 / 60 words)
A hawk killed a tame sparrow on St Cuthbert’s island, and was doomed to fly endlessly over the island without rest. Fortunately Bartholomew, though the sparrow had been his pet, found the frightened hawk in the chapel and took pity on him. He released him back to his own island with a blessing - and a warning about his future conduct.
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: because, despite, if, just, must, not, since, unless.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
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.
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 Could. Enjoy. Hand.
2 Flutter. Look. Rise.
3 Do. Pity. Slue.
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.)
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.
fts (9+1)
fates. fats. fatuous. feats. fetes. fetus. fiats. fits. foetus.
fatso.
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