Introduction
This little tale has popularised the expression ‘put one’s shoulder to the wheel.’ A waggoner gets into difficulties, and begs heavenly help. All right and proper so far, said Sir Roger l’Estrange, but it wouldn’t do any harm to give it a push too...
A CARTER that had laid his Wagon Fast in a Slough, stood Gaping and Bawling to as many of the Gods and Goddesses as he could Muster up, and to Hercules Especially, to Help him out of the Mire.
Why ye Lazy Puppy you, says Hercules, lay your Shoulder to the Wheel, and Prick your Oxen first, and Then is your Time to Pray. Are the Gods to do your Drudgery, d’ye think, and you lie Bellowing with Your Finger in your Mouth?
Men in Distress must Work as well as Pray, they shall be never the Better else.*
* On the need for work and prayer together, Sir Roger drew the reader’s attention to James 2:15-17, where we are told not just to pray for the poor but to help them directly. “There must be the Penny” as he put it “as well as the Pater Noster.” In Eastern Orthodox tradition this is known as ‘synergy’. See 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, and Psalm 127:1. See also L’Estrange’s retelling of Heracles and the Flea, and William Gladstone on A Spirit of Self-Reliance.
Précis
A waggoner (so says the old fable) let his cart get stuck in the mud, and without even trying to give it a push he called on Hercules to set it going again. Hercules refused, and Sir Roger L’Estrange reflected that we should not expect God to prosper the work of those who make no effort at all. (58 / 60 words)
A waggoner (so says the old fable) let his cart get stuck in the mud, and without even trying to give it a push he called on Hercules to set it going again. Hercules refused, and Sir Roger L’Estrange reflected that we should not expect God to prosper the work of those who make no effort at all.
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: despite, just, may, must, or, otherwise, since, until.
About the Author
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 Carter. Dye. He.
2 Bawl. Distress. Ye.
3 Drudgery. God. Shall.
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.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding in-.
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. Finger. 2. Help. 3. Work. 4. Man. 5. Good. 6. Mouth. 7. Shoulder. 8. Stand. 9. Lie.
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.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
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?
Your Words ()
.jpg){kind=link}