Introduction
Silas Marner has suffered griefs enough to break any man. His salvation has been a little girl: the bachelor had found her in his home, and her mother dead in the snow outside, one New Year’s Eve. It wasn’t easy to juggle a weaver’s work and a curious toddler. One day the artful creature found his scissors, snipped through the linen-band harness he had made for her safe-keeping, and wandered unnoticed out of the cottage.
Here was clearly a case of aberration in a christened child which demanded severe treatment; but Silas, overcome with convulsive joy at finding his treasure again, could do nothing but snatch her up, and cover her with half-sobbing kisses. It was not until he had carried her home, and had begun to think of the necessary washing, that he recollected the need that he should punish Eppie, and “make her remember.” The idea that she might run away again and come to harm gave him unusual resolution, and for the first time he determined to try the coal-hole — a small closet near the hearth.
“Naughty, naughty Eppie,” he suddenly began, holding her on his knee, and pointing to her muddy feet and clothes — “naughty to cut with the scissors and run away. Eppie must go into the coal-hole for being naughty. Daddy must put her in the coal-hole.”
He half-expected that this would be shock enough, and that Eppie would begin to cry. But instead of that, she began to shake herself on his knee, as if the proposition opened a pleasing novelty.
Précis
Little toddler Eppie has wandered off, leaving Silas Marner distraught. When he finds her, relief is all he feels; but slowly the thought comes to him that she must be made to understand that she has done wrong. His chosen punishment is a spell in the coal-hole by the hearth, though the prospect seems to alarm him more than Eppie.
(60 / 60 words)
Little toddler Eppie has wandered off, leaving Silas Marner distraught. When he finds her, relief is all he feels; but slowly the thought comes to him that she must be made to understand that she has done wrong. His chosen punishment is a spell in the coal-hole by the hearth, though the prospect seems to alarm him more than Eppie.
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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, otherwise, ought, since, until.
Word Games
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.
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.
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