Introduction
This touching tale appears almost out of nowhere in Jerome K. Jerome’s comic novel. It reminds us that only those who utterly despair understand hope, and only those who truly grieve know the meaning of joy.
ONCE upon a time, a company of knights rode upon the marches of a thick forest. Night lay upon it, and whoever turned aside from that path was held fast in its thorny briars, and lost in its darkness.
One knight missed the way, and when his companions could not find him, they mourned for him as one dead.
But after many days, he came among them. His face was bloodied, his clothes were rent; but in his face shone Joy.
In deep forest night, he said, he had stumbled on and on, into despair. But then a queenly Lady came towards him, took him by the hand, and led him, by yet darker paths, to a place where all was Light.
And he looked, and stood as one enchanted: and all wounds and grief were forgotten.
The name of that dark forest was Sorrow. But only those who stray therein may find the dazzling glade where the Lady brought that wandering knight.
Précis
A knight became lost in a dark forest, and despaired of finding his way out. But a mysterious lady came, and led him to an enchanted glade where all his hurts fell away. Jerome’s tale reminds us that true joy comes only to those who have experienced bitter sorrow. (49 / 60 words)
A knight became lost in a dark forest, and despaired of finding his way out. But a mysterious lady came, and led him to an enchanted glade where all his hurts fell away. Jerome’s tale reminds us that true joy comes only to those who have experienced bitter sorrow.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, besides, if, just, may, must, whether.
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.
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 Hold. Ride. Sorrow.
2 Day. Joy. Thorny.
3 Bloody. Company. Once.
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.)
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. Ride. 2. Queen. 3. Time. 4. Stand. 5. Lady. 6. Company. 7. Night. 8. Dark. 9. Deep.
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 ()
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