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Introduction
The following story was told by Captain Charles Johnson (fl. 1724-36), who is widely credited with kindling our national fascination with pirates and highwaymen. The captain tells it well but he is let down by affecting a Welsh dialect so near to being incomprehensible that I felt obliged to paraphrase the whole thing.
Tom Dorbel’s career in highway robbery* began when he met a sturdy Welshman on the road,* and following the highwayman’s etiquette demanded his victim’s money, otherwise Tom would be obliged to shoot him. “I have no money, look you,” replied the Welshman, speaking as he guessed the Devon man would expect a simple Welshman to speak, “but threescore pounds [£60] of my Master’s; and God forbid I should give away my Master’s money! for what would Master think I was a-doing of?”
“You must not put me off with your cant” roared Tom. “It’s money I want, and money I will get, I don’t care whose it is, or you can expect to be shot through the head here and now.”
The Welshman handed over the money to Tom, repeating that it was not his to give. Responsibility for his Master’s money seemed to prey cruelly on the Welshman’s mind. “So that my Master does not think I have spent his money,” he went on with a touch of apology in his voice, “I am desiring you to be so good as to pounce* my coat through the lapels. Then he will see that I was robbed.”
* The author tells us that Tom Dorbel (?-1714) came from Shaftsbury in Dorset.
* Johnson does not name the Welshman. When T. J. Llewelyn Prichard (?-?1875/6) told this story in The Adventures and Vagaries of Twm Shon Catti, descriptive of Life in Wales (1828), he cast Twm as the resourceful Welshman and left the highwayman unnamed. Twm Siôn Cati (?1530-1609), also known as Thomas Jones, was a Welsh folkhero akin to Robin Hood.
* The word pounce originally meant a tool for stamping or punching holes. Later it was applied to bird talons, and then to the act of suddenly descending on prey. Here the word means ‘punch a hole’ in something.
Précis
The story goes that back in the eighteenth century, a Welshman was stopped on the road by Tom Dorbel, the highwayman. Tom brushed aside the Welshman’s plea that the money carried, some sixty pounds, was not his to hand over, but he did, on request, put a ball through the Welshman’s coat, as evidence of the robbery. (57 / 60 words)
The story goes that back in the eighteenth century, a Welshman was stopped on the road by Tom Dorbel, the highwayman. Tom brushed aside the Welshman’s plea that the money carried, some sixty pounds, was not his to hand over, but he did, on request, put a ball through the Welshman’s coat, as evidence of the robbery.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, if, or, otherwise, unless, whereas, whether.
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.
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