THE MISER AND HIS GOLD Poem 8 Std X – Chapter 16 English Author Name: Jane Taylor and Ann Taylor

Pre-reading task Who is the happiest person in the world? Is he/she the one who amasses wealth? Or the one who has all the luxuries of life? Does happiness flow from money, gold, power and position? Do riches make men happy? Or do they add to their problems? Discuss in pairs or groups. After discussion listen to the teacher reading or reciting the poem.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM Wealth unused might as well not exist. Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but the empty hole. Wealth unused might as well not exist.

About the Author’s Jane Taylor and Ann Taylor Jane Taylor and Ann Taylor were the famous authors of several books for children. In 1804, they published ‘Original Poems for Infant Minds’ which was translated into many languages. In 1806 they published ‘Rhymes for the Nursery’ which includes one of the most famous poems ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’. Jane Taylor and Ann Taylor

For Memorization Within a hole which he had made A miser kept his treasure He came to see it every day This was his only pleasure. Now it chanced that once, as he knelt by the hole, He was seen by a robber bold, And the robber came back the very same night. And took away his gold. When the old man found that his treasure was gone He made such a terrible clatter That the neighbours all came running up To ask what was the matter. “Last night,” he said, “a robber took My gold and away he ran with it.” Said his neighbours, “Before the gold was gone, Pray tell us what you did with it?” “I came every day to see it, and now What can I do?” he said. “You can come every day,” his friends replied. “And look at the hole instead.”

Glossary 1. miser: a person who loves money and hates spending it. 2. treasure: wealth; gold and silver. 3. chanced: happened. 4. knelt: went down on the knees. 5. clatter: a long continuous noise (a cry).

Exercises (A. For each of the following statements four alternative responses are given. Tick off the most appropriate answer and write it in your notebook) The miser came to the hole every day because a. he had kept the treasure there b. the sight of the treasure gave him pleasure c. he was afraid that robbers might take it away d. he did not want others to know about his treasure. ii. The neighbors who came running did not know a. who the miser was b. why the miser was shouting c. where the miser was d. what the miser was doing. The Miser

Exercises (Tick off the most appropriate answer) iii. “You can come every day................./ And look at the hole instead,” said his friends. In saying so they were a. trying to comfort him b. giving advice to him c. mocking at his miserliness d. trying to help him find the treasure

Exercises B. Answer the following in one or two sentences each. i. What was the only pleasure of the miser? ii. Was the robber aware of the hidden treasure before he saw the miser at the hole? Pick up the word/phrase from the text that supports your answer. iii. Why does the poet say the robber was ‘bold’? iv. What did the neighbors ask the miser? What did he say in reply? v. Do you think the miser was a wise man? Give reasons for your answer.

C. Appreciation: 1. Imagine your younger brother/sister asks you to narrate the story of the miser. How would you narrate it? (Write a paragraph) ii. Suppose you are one of the neighbours of the miser. What piece of advice would you give him after the theft had happened? (Write in a paragraph) iii. Look at the rhyming words bold-gold List out all other pairs of rhyming words in the poem.

Activity : (Not included for the examination) Here is a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore - read the poem Far below flowed the Jumna, swift and clear, above frowned the jutting bank. Hills dark with the woods and scarred with the torrents were gathered around. Govinda, the great Sikh teacher, sat on the rock reading scriptures, when Raghunath, his disciple, proud of his wealth, came and bowed to him and said, ‘I have brought my poor present, unworthy of your acceptance.’ Thus saying he displayed before the teacher a pair of gold bangles wrought with costly stones. The master took up one of them, twirling it round his finger, and the diamonds darted shafts of light. Suddenly it slipped from his hand and rolled down the bank into the water. ‘Alas’, screamed Raghunath, and jumped into the stream. The teacher set his eye upon his book, and the water held and hid what it stole and went its way. The daylight faded when Raghunath came back to the teacher tired and dripping. He panted and said, ‘I can still get it back if you show me where it fell”. The teacher took up the remaining bangle and throwing it into the water said, ‘It is there’.

Discuss in groups the following: 1. Does the poem deal with the same theme of miserliness as the poem you studied? What is the difference between two poems in i) length ii) rhyme scheme and iii) description?