SAMPLE A Publication of Complete Curriculum

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All rights reserved; No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from the Publisher or Authorized Agent. Published in electronicSAMPLE format in the U.S.A.

TM   Acknowledgments Complete Curriculum’s K-12 curriculumKDV been team-developed by a consortium of teachers, administrators, educational and subject matter specialists, graphic artists and editors.

In a collaborative environment, each professional participant contributed to ensuring the quality, integrity and effectiveness of each Compete Curriculum resource was commensurate with the required educational benchmarks and contemporary standards Complete Curriculum had set forth at the onset of this publishing program. 



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Lesson 1 Vocabulary List One Frequently Used Words Objective: The student will recognize frequently encountered words, read them fluently, and understand the words and their history.

Lesson 2 Make Me Laugh! Thomas Nast – “Cartoonist for America” Objective: The student will be introduced to analyzing the various ways that visual image-makers (graphic artists, illustrators) communicate information and affect impressions and opinions.

Lesson 3 Written Humor The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry Objective: The student will analyze global themes, universal truths, and principles within and across texts to createSAMPLE a deeper understanding by drawing conclusions, making inferences, and synthesizing.

Lesson 4 Writing Diary Entries Objective: The student will set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing a narrative as a diary entry.

Lesson 5 Vocabulary Assessment—List One Journal Writing Objective: The student will demonstrate understanding of and familiarity with the Vocabulary words introduced in Vocabulary List One.

Lesson 6 Vocabulary List Two Objective: The student will recognize frequently encountered words, read them fluently, and understand the words.

Lesson 7 Communicate With Humor Create a Comic Strip Objective: The student will read an informational article on the origin of comic books, then create an original comic strip or cartoon.

Lesson 8 Drawing and Revising a Cartoon Objective: The student will improve writing and communication skills by revising the cartoon created in the previous Lesson.

Lesson 9 Using Humor in Writing Objective: The student will learn and recognize the elements of humor and employ those elements in an original composition.

               

Lesson 10 Vocabulary Assessment—List Two Revising Humorous Writing Objective: The student will revise the humorous writing piece from Lesson 9 and assess its quality by using a rubric. The student’s knowledge of Vocabulary words in List Two will be assessed.

Lesson 11 Vocabulary List Three Objective: The student will recognize frequently encountered words, read them fluently, and use them correctly in speech and writing.

Lesson 12 Early American Culture The Ballad of John Henry Objective: The student will study the influence of early North American immigrants on America’s oral tradition.SAMPLE Lesson 13 Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving Objective: The student will read an example of early American literature for comprehension and appreciation. The student will pay special attention to the setting as a literary element.

Lesson 14 American and World Folklore Henry Hudson and the Catskill Gnomes Retold by S. E. Schlosser Objective: The student will study an example of American folklore, then research international examples of folklore, and compare them to each other.

Lesson 15 Vocabulary Assessment—List Three Using Quotation Marks Objective: The student will participate in a Vocabulary Assessment. The student will compose dialogue correctly using quotation marks.

Lesson 16 Vocabulary List Four Frequently Misspelled Words Objective: The student will take time to recognize frequently misspelled words.

Lesson 17 The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle Objective: The student will read a short story for comprehension and appreciation. The student will identify the literary elements of conflict, plot, and characterization. The student will use deductive reasoning to solve problems.

                Lesson 18 Writing a Mystery Story Objective: The student will write a mystery story which can be solved using deductive reasoning.

Lesson 19 Writing a Mystery Story Objective: The student will produce a mystery story demonstrating evidence of deductive reasoning, and control over writing conventions.

Lesson 20 Vocabulary Assessment—List Four Journal Writing Objective: The student will learn to recognize words that are often misspelled. The student will respond to a writing prompt.

Lesson 21 Vocabulary List Five Homonyms SAMPLE Objective: The student will learn to recognize words that sound the same, but have different meanings and different spellings. The student will practice usage of homonyms.

Lesson 22 Self Discovery . . . Who Are You? Objective: The student will practice introspection to compose an autobiographical poem.

Lesson 23 What’s in a Name? Rumpelstiltskin Objective: The student will read a German fairy tale. The student will study the themes evident in the tale, then will write a composition reacting to one of the themes.

Lesson 24 The Heart Project A Timeline of Your Life Objective: The student will participate in a retrospective activity including family genealogy, a timeline, autobiographical writing, and goal setting.

Lesson 25 Your Family Tree Objective: The student will continue to participate in a retrospective activity including family genealogy, a timeline, autobiographical writing, and goal setting.

Lesson 26 A Special Event Objective: The student will participate in a retrospective activity including family genealogy, a timeline, autobiographical writing, and goal setting.

Lesson 27 Your Future Objective: The student will participate in a retrospective activity including family genealogy, a timeline, autobiographical writing, and goal setting.

                Lesson 28 Vocabulary List Five—Assessment Journal Writing Objective: The student will demonstrate ability to recognize and can use homonyms in correct sentences.

Lesson 29 Do You Know This Word? Objective: The student will recognize homonyms that are most often mixed up and misspelled.

Lesson 30 Haiku Objective: The student will study the Japanese poetry form haiku. The student will create original haiku verses.

Lesson 31 Vocabulary List Six—Commonly Confused Words Descriptive Writing SAMPLE Objective: The student will work on recognizing and spelling commonly confused words. The student will use figures of speech to describe a personal experience.

Lesson 32 Master of Mood: Edgar Allan Poe The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Objective: The student will read a classic American short story for comprehension and appreciation, focusing on the author’s descriptive powers and the mood of the story. The student will gain expertise in written and expressive skills by responding to the story.

Lesson 33 Responding to The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Objective: The student will create a written piece to highlight Poe’s development of mood and to increase his audience’s appreciation of Poe’s craft.

Lesson 34 The Open Window by Saki Objective: The student will read a short story, understand and recognize satire, and interpret and analyze characters and events in the story.

Lesson 35 Vocabulary List Six— Assessment Which Author Kept You Reading? Objective: The student will demonstrate understanding and use of confusing words used often in their reading and writing. The student will compare The Tell-Tale Heart and The Open Window in a written response.

Lesson 36 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Introduction and Chapter One – Into the Primitive Objective: The student will analyze the structure, elements, style and purpose of narrative genre including historical fiction, science fiction and realistic fiction.

               

Lesson 37 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapters Two— The Law of the Club and the Fang Objective: The student will analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction.

Lesson 38 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Three – The Dominant Primordial Beast Objective: The student will continue to analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction using a reading log in preparation for further activity.

Lesson 39 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Four – Who Has Won to Mastership Objective: The student will continue to analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction usingSAMPLE a reading log in preparation for further activity. Lesson 40 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Five – The Toil of Trace and Trail Objective: The student will continue to analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction using a reading log in preparation for further activity.

Lesson 41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Six–For the Love of a Man Objective: The student will continue to analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction using a reading log in preparation for further activity.

Lesson 42 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter 7 – The Sounding of the Call Objective: The student will continue to analyze the structure, elements and style of a work of fiction using a reading log in preparation for further activity.

Lesson 43 Responding to The Call of the Wild by Jack London Objective: The student will analyze The Call of the Wild by studying setting, plot, characters, and conflict.

Lesson 44 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Worksheet Objective: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the story The Call of the Wild.

Lesson 45 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Quiz Objective: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the content of The Call of the Wild.

                Lesson 46 Tell Us a Story…Your Story! Objective: The student will set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing a narrative. The student will apply a variety of pre-writing strategies and organize rising and falling actions in a story.

Lesson 47 Tell Us a Story Character Development Objective: The student will create a work of fiction and develop characters which have depth and personality.

Lesson 48 Writing a Story—The First Draft Objective: The student will draft focused ideas experimenting with various ways of sequencing; drafting for coherence and consistency in word choice, structure, and style.

Lesson 49 Writing a Story – ProofreadingSAMPLE and Editing Objective: The student will proofread and edit writing using grade-level expectations.

Lesson 50 Writing a Story – The Finishing Touches Objective: The student will write a cohesive fictional story.

Lesson 51 Success is Yours! Objective: The student will evaluate his story for organization, editing, presentation, English conventions, and literary elements.

Lesson 52 Vocabulary List Seven Different Kinds of Sentences Objective: The student will use a variety of grammatical structures in sentence compositions. The student will identify and create simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Lesson 53 What is the name of that word? Sentence Combining Objective: The student will learn, identify, and use the various parts of speech present in the English language.

Lesson 54 Complex, Not Complicated! Objective: The student will use a variety of grammatical structures in compositions.

Lesson 55 Adjective Clauses Objective: The student will use adjective clauses in compositions. The student will develop effective writing strategies.

               

Lesson 56 Adverb Clauses Objective: The student will use adverb clauses in compositions. The student will develop writing skills.

Lesson 57 Participles and Participial Phrases Objective: The student will learn to identify and use participial phrases.

Lesson 58 Gerunds and Gerund Phrases Objective: The student will learn a variety of grammatical structures in compositions including infinitives, gerunds, participial phrases.

Lesson 59 Informational Reading “Thomas Alva Edison: Birthplace and Early Life” Objective: The studentSAMPLE will read for information, identify key points, and summarize the information in writing.

Lesson 60 Vocabulary List Seven—Assessment Objective: The student will increase Vocabulary word recognition to enhance reading and writing skills.

Lesson 61 Vocabulary List Eight The Many Sounds of “S” Objective: This Vocabulary Lesson will teach the student to recognize the different sounds and spellings for the letter “s.”

Lesson 62 The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry Objective: The student will read classic literature as an introduction to irony. Key Vocabulary: Irony of situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result. In literature, it is typically used for humorous or dramatic effect.

Lesson 63 Vocabulary List Eight—Assessment Improving the World Writing Assignment Objective: The student will use correct spelling of sounds expressed with different letters.

Lesson 64 Reading Strategies Objective: The student will learn to practice active reading strategies to enhance understanding and enjoyment of books and stories.

Lesson 65 Understanding a Story’s Background Objective: The student will gain understanding for the background of a story using his or her own research methods.

               

Lesson 66 Vocabulary List Nine Introduction to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Objective: The student will recognize and use correct spelling conventions in the context of writing and reading.

Lesson 67 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave One– Marley’s Ghost Objective: The student will plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for reading comprehension by applying appropriate metacognitive skills.

Lesson 68 Vocabulary List Nine Writing Assignment Based upon Stave One of A Christmas Carol Objective: The student will demonstrate reading and Vocabulary word comprehension by writing a descriptiveSAMPLE essay based upon Stave One of A Christmas Carol. Lesson 69 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave Two – The First of the Three Spirits Objective: The student will read Stave Two and demonstrate knowledge of A Christmas Carol.

Lesson 70 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave Two Assessment Objective: The student will demonstrate knowledge of A Christmas Carol and mastery of the Vocabulary words for Stave Two.

Lesson 71 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave Three – The Second of the Three Spirits Objective: The student will actively read Stave Three of A Christmas Carol using strategies learned in Lesson 64.

Lesson 72 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave Three – The Second of the Three Spirits Word Analogies Objective: The student will recognize and discuss the theme of A Christmas Carol.

Lesson 73 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Stave Four– The Last of the Spirits Objective: The student will actively read A Christmas Carol and practice descriptive writing or drawing.

               

Lesson 74 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Character Study Objective: The student will create a character and write a story about this character.

Lesson 75 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Stave Five – The End of It Objective: The student will complete the reading of A Christmas Carol and understand and recognize character development.

Lesson 76 A Christmas Carol – Reflection and Review Objective: The student will demonstrate an understanding of A Christmas Carol by writing test questions for the entire story.

Lesson 77 A Christmas Carol AssessmentSAMPLE Objective: The student will recall the details and show understanding of the literary elements in this story.

Lesson 78 Vocabulary List Nine The Impact of Memories Objective: Through a writing assignment, the student will display an understanding of the impact of memories as shown through Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

Lesson 79 A Closer Look at Verbs Objective: The student will review the use of verbs.

Lesson 80 Writing a Comparison and Contrast Essay Objective: The student will write a comparison and contrast essay.

Lesson 81 Vocabulary List Ten – Assessment Objective: The student will recognize and apply frequently used words.

Lesson 82 Reading Non-Fiction “World Eskimo-Indian Olympics” Objective: The student will read informational articles finding facts and assimilating information.

Lesson 83 Reading Non-Fiction “Amelia, Where are you?” Objective: The student will actively read an informational article and practice note taking skills.

                Lesson 84 Reading Non-Fiction “The Barringer Meteorite Crater Reading” Objective: The student will actively read an informational article for information and meaning.

Lesson 85 Recalling Vocabulary and Retaining Information Objective: The student will become familiar with frequently used words, understanding their definitions, knowing their spellings, and using them correctly in sentences. The student will summarize the informational articles in Lessons 82, 83, and 84.

Lesson 86 Reading Non-Fiction “Louis Pasteur” Objective: The student will continue using an active reader technique for informational articles.

Lesson 87 SAMPLE Reading Non-Fiction “Wonder of Wonders: Nature at its Best” Yellowstone National Park Objective: The student will be an active reader while reading information articles.

Lesson 88 Writing an Informational Article Yellowstone National Park Objective:: The student will use her skill as a writer to produce an informational article about Yellowstone National Park.

Lesson 89 Writing an Informational Article, Continued Yellowstone National Park Objective: The student will use research skills to get accurate information, take notes and write about a topic.

Lesson 90 Reading Skills Assessment The Call of the Wild by Jack London Excerpt from Chapter VII – The Sounding of the Call Objective: The student will participate in an Assessment measuring reading skills and analysis.

Lesson 91 Reading for Information Robert E. Lee Objective: The student will apply significant knowledge from grade-level social studies and U.S. History. The student will practice note taking skills, reading comprehension strate- gies, and improve Vocabulary.

                Lesson 92 A Timeline of Civil Rights Objective: The student will apply significant knowledge of grade-level social studies. The student will demonstrate the ability to read a timeline.

Lesson 93 Reading for Information “Our Constitution” Objective: The student will apply significant knowledge from social studies.

Lesson 94 Analogies Objective: The student will know the meanings of words encountered frequently in grade-level reading. The student will demonstrate expertise in finding how words are related.

Lesson 95 Vocabulary List Eleven Building VocabularySAMPLE and Writing Skills Objective: The student will master the skill of learning and using an expanded Vocabulary.

Lesson 96 Biographical Sketch of Booker T. Washington “Booker T. Washington” Objective: The student will read a biographical sketch of Booker T. Washington and show comprehension by answering questions about the reading. The student will be introduced to the author of the book covering Lessons 97 through 116.

Lesson 97 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Introduction, Chapter One Objective: The student will read an autobiography and evaluate it for evidence of stereotypes. The student will respond to the book in writing to provide evidence of understanding.

Lesson 98 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Two Objective: The student will continue to read an autobiography for understanding and will evaluate the book as an example of the culture and philosophy of the era in which it was written.

Lesson 99 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Three Objective: The student will continue reading Booker T. Washington’s autobiography and evaluate the impact of racial identity on the author.

Lesson 100 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington, Chapter Four Objective: The student will continue to gain insight, perspective, and comprehension skills by reading an autobiographical account.

               

Lesson 101 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Five Objective: The student will continue reading Booker T. Washington’s autobiography for comprehension, appreciation, and exposure to new ideas.

Lesson 102 Up From Slavery Written Reflection Objective: The student will reflect on the issues and ideas prompted in Chapters 1-5 of Up From Slavery and write a reflective essay expressing them.

Lesson 103 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Six Objective: The student will read Up From Slavery for appreciation, comprehension, and exposure to new ideas. The student will demonstrate comprehension by answering questions at the end of the reading. SAMPLE Lesson 104 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Seven Objective: The student will actively read Booker T. Washington’s autobiography and answer comprehension questions following Chapter Seven.

Lesson 105 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Eight Objective: The student will read Up From Slavery for comprehension and enjoyment, increasing Vocabulary and demonstrating understanding.

Lesson 106 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Nine Objective: The student will actively read Booker T. Washington’s autobiography for enjoyment, understanding, and evaluation.

Lesson 107 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Ten Objective: The student will continue reading Up From Slavery to increase Vocabulary, understand another place and time, and develop understanding of race in America.

Lesson 108 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Reflecting on the Benefits of Handmade Goods Objective: The student will demonstrate knowledge of Up From Slavery. The student will create a writing piece speaking in the voice of a student of the Tuskegee Institute in Booker T. Washington’s day.

                Lesson 109 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Eleven Objective: The student will read an autobiographical piece. The student will investigate rail travel in late nineteenth century America and compute the cost.

Lesson 110 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Twelve Objective: The student will continue reading and appreciation of Booker T. Washington’s autobiography.

Lesson 111 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Thirteen Objective: The student will continue reading Up From Slavery for appreciation and comprehension.

Lesson 112 Up From Slavery by BookerSAMPLE T. Washington Chapter Fourteen Objective: The student will read Chapter Fourteen of Up From Slavery for appreciation and comprehension.

Lesson 113 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Fifteen Objective: The student will read Up From Slavery and continue to expand understanding of the author and the times in which he lived.

Lesson 114 What is Your Passion? Writing Persuasively Objective: The student will exhibit personal style and voice to create a persuasive essay.

Lesson 115 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Sixteen Objective: The student will read Booker T. Washington’s autobiography. She will demonstrate comprehension and build understanding of the author and the America in which the story takes place.

Lesson 116 Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Chapter Seventeen Objective: The student will complete Up From Slavery, once again demonstrating understanding of the reading, and the times and culture of Booker T. Washington’s day.

Lesson 117 Comparing and Contrasting Up From Slavery and A Christmas Carol Objective: The student will create a composition comparing and contrasting two literary pieces. The student will analyze and evaluate both pieces and demonstrate expertise in written expression.

               

Lesson 118 Completing and Evaluating the Comparison and Contrast Essay – A Christmas Carol and Up From Slavery Objective: The student will continue the writing process of the comparison and contrast essay begun in Lesson 117.

Lesson 119 Verbs: What do they do in a sentence? Objective: The student will review and master the purpose of verbs in sentences.

Lesson 120 What is an Adverb? Objective: The student will recognize and master the use of adverbs in writing.

Lesson 121 Words to Wow Your Writing! Objective: The studentSAMPLE will study Vocabulary for meaning, spelling, and applied use in writing.

Lesson 122 Expository Writing: How Healthy are You? Objective: The student will use a variety of Vocabulary words to communicate in writing more effectively.

Lesson 123 Dream Camp Objective: The student will draft ideas experimenting with various ways of sequencing ideas chronologically by importance.

Lesson 124 Dream Camp – Scheduling Activities Objective: The student will plan activities for Dream Camp. The student will develop staffing requirements and an advertising program for the camp.

Lesson 125 Vocabulary List Twelve – Assessment Objective: The student will be assessed on the spelling and meaning of the Vocabulary words.

Lesson 126 Vocabulary List Thirteen Words Worth Using Objective: The student will learn more Vocabulary words to use in spoken and written expression.

Lesson 127 Dream Camp – Eating Healthy Objective: The student will research dietary information to design healthy menus for Dream Camp. Information will be synthesized to create the menus.

                Lesson 128 Dream Camp – Staying Physically and Mentally Fit Objective: The student will continue the dream camp project by ordering and planning camper schedules.

Lesson 129 What is…Just So? “How the Whale Got His Throat” by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will analyze organizational patterns including chronological sequence, compare/contrast and cause/effect.

Lesson 130 Vocabulary List Fourteen-Assessment Uh-oh! A Writing Assignment Objective: The student will apply deductive reasoning and writing skills by writing an essay on a personal life experience about making the wrong decision or taking the wrong action and what was learned from it. SAMPLE Lesson 131 Vocabulary List Fifteen What a Conundrum! Objective: The student will learn to decode new words and understand the meaning of new words.

Lesson 132 Personification Objective: The student will exhibit personal style and voice by using personification to enhance the written message.

Lesson 133 The Power of Words and Pictures Objective: The student will interpret and analyze the various ways in which visual image-makers (e.g., graphic artists, illustrators) communicate information and affect impressions and opinions, and will become more conscious of advertising techniques.

Lesson 134 Descriptive Language Objective: The student will use words to create descriptive images in compositions.

Lesson 135 Vocabulary List Fifteen—Assessment It Won’t be a Conundrum! Objective: The student will be assessed on the spelling and meaning of Vocabulary words.

Lesson 136 Vocabulary List Sixteen It was Serendipity! Objective: The student will determine the meaning of words and Vocabulary.

               

Lesson 137 Rikki-tikki-tavi by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will analyze the role of rising and falling actions, minor characters in relation to conflict, and creditability of the narrator.

Lesson 138 Assess Rikki-tikki-tavi Assessment Objective: The student will analyze author’s craft including symbolism, imagery, and consistency to develop credible narrators, rising and falling actions, and minor characters.

Lesson 139 Writing Dialogue Objective: The student will display a personal writing style and voice into a narrative writing assignment.

Lesson 140 Vocabulary List Sixteen – Assessment Idioms SAMPLE Objective: The student will learn the meaning and spelling of commonly used words.

Lesson 141 Vocabulary List Seventeen Articulate! Objective: The student will become familiar with frequently used words and their meanings to increase Vocabulary.

Lesson 142 The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton Objective: The student will read and analyze a classic short story, build Vocabulary skills, summarize it orally, practice reflection and perform analysis.

Lesson 143 Debate: The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton Objective: The student will participate in a debate and will utilize research skills, oral presentation skills, and organization skills.

Lesson 144 The Story of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting Chapters One, Two and Three Objective: The student will be enthusiastic about reading and become an independent reader.

Lesson 145 Vocabulary List Seventeen – Assessment Punctuation Practice Objective: The student will practice correct spelling for frequently used words. The student will also practice using punctuation marks.

                Lesson 146 Vocabulary List Eighteen The Persuasive Essay Objective: The student will learn to use correct spelling of frequently used words and will write a persuasive essay.

Lesson 147 The Story of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting Chapters Five and Six Objective: The student will be enthusiastic about reading and become an independent reader.

Lesson 148 Writing a Children’s Story Objective: The student will set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing a narrative or informational piece.

Lesson 149 Writing a Children’s SAMPLEStory, Continued Objective: The student will set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing a narrative.

Lesson 150 Vocabulary List Eighteen – Assessment “How the Leopard Got its Spots” by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will, in the context of writing, use correct spelling conventions.

Lesson 151 Vocabulary List Nineteen Literary Terms Objective: The student will acquire and apply strategies to identify unknown words and construct meaning.

Lesson 152 “How the Alphabet Was Made” by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will read one of Kipling’s Just So stories for comprehension and appreciation.

Lesson 153 Tall Tales, Folk Tales, and Fables Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm Objective: The student will read a fairy tale, then research international tales to compare and summarize.

Lesson 154 Comparing Folk Tales Objective: The student will analyze the structure, elements, style, and purpose of narrative genre.

                Lesson 155 Vocabulary List Nineteen Assessment Writing a Folk Tale Objective: The student will determine the meaning of words and including literary terms.

Lesson 156 Vocabulary List Twenty Using Context to Build Vocabulary Objective: The student will develop the skill of figuring out the meaning of a new word through context clues.

Lesson 157 The Impact of Immigration Objective: The student will consider the impact of immigrants on United States culture and create a composition on that topic.

Lesson 158 Nonviolent Resistance “Mahatma Gandhi” SAMPLE Objective: The student will read an informational article about Gandhi. The student will think about and analyze his contributions to the world, then create a composition on the subject.

Lesson 159 From Coast to Coast Objective: The student will complete a research and writing assignment on traveling from coast to coast in the U.S which will require application of skills and knowledge in math, social studies, geography and science.

Lesson 160 Vocabulary List Twenty – Assessment Sensory Writing Objective: The student will know the meanings of words encountered in grade-level reading.

Lesson 161 Vocabulary List Twenty-One: Homophones and Homographs Newspaper Article Writing Objective: The student will acquire and apply strategies to identify homophones and homographs. The student will improve written communication skills by practicing news writing strategies.

Lesson 162Vocabulary List Twenty-One –Assessment Time Capsule Objective:: The student will determine the meaning of words and phrases including content area Vocabulary. The student will read for information and practice summarization skills. The student will select items in the newspaper that identify us a people and explain why they are representative.

                Lesson 163 Vocabulary List Twenty-Two – More Commonly Confused Words If You Were an Animal . . . Objective: The student will learn to distinguish between Vocabulary words of similar pronunciation and be able to use them correctly.

Lesson 164 Conducting Research, Note-taking and Paraphrasing “The Candy with the Maker’s Name” Objective: The student will formulate research questions that demonstrate critical evaluation of multiple resources, perspectives and culminate in a final project.

Lesson 165 Conducting Research and Taking Notes on a Chosen Topic Objective: The student will formulate research questions that demonstrate critical evaluation of resources. SAMPLE

Lesson 166 Research Guidelines Objective: The student will formulate a research question that demonstrates critical evaluation of multiple resources.

Lesson 167 Developing a Research Topic Objective: The student will formulate research questions that demonstrate critical evaluation and will culminate in a project.

Lesson 168 Developing a Thesis Statement Making an Outline Objective: The student will produce a final research product

Lesson 169 Writing a Research Paper Objective: The student will write the first draft of a formal research paper supporting a thesis statement based upon information researched, organized and outlined.

Lesson 170 Vocabulary List Twenty-Two – Assessment Word Origins Objective: The student will be assessed on correctly using commonly confused words; the student will gain more awareness of how the English language has been influenced by foreign languages and cultures.

Lesson 171 A Dynamic Language “Jack Kilby” Objective: The student will know the meanings of words frequently encountered words while reading and recognize their origin.

               

Lesson 172 The Cat that Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will read one of Kipling’s Just So stories, then will demonstrate summarization skills.

Lesson 173 “The Crab that Played with the Sea” by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will read one of Kipling’s Just So stories and demonstrate understanding by answering comprehension questions following the reading.

Lesson 174 “The Butterfly that Stamped” by Rudyard Kipling Objective: The student will read a Kipling Just So story for comprehension and appreciation.

Lesson 175 SAMPLE Vocabulary List Twenty-Three Introduction to A Dog’s Tale by Mark Twain Objective: The student will know the meanings of words encountered in grade-level reading context.

Lesson 176 A Dog’s Tale by Mark Twain Objective: The student will read a classic short story recognizing the underlying meaning and using inferences.

Lesson 177 Reading for Information “When Laundry was a Real Chore” Objective: The student will read an informational article to demonstrate comprehension and ability to identify important points. The student will use this information in Lesson 179 as part of an essay comparing two articles.

Lesson 178 Reading for Information “Car of the Future?” Objective: The student will read an informational article then create a written response using details from the article to support a point.

Lesson 179 Comparing Informational Articles Objective:: The student will reflect on two informational articles, and then write an essay comparing them and demonstrating mastery of the conventions of English.

Lesson 180 Punctuation and Grammar – Review and Assessment Objective: The student will use correct writing conventions. 



SAMPLE

Take Off To a Fine Start In Language Arts!

To the Student

Each daily Lesson begins with a question. This isn’t a trick question – you can’t study for this question – but you do have to think about it before you answer. The more you think, write or talk about your answer, the more relevant the material will become, the more interested you will be in what you are about to learn, and the better you will be able to understand and apply what you are about to learn.

TM Eighth Grade Language Arts Common Core CompleteCurriculumLesson Alignment Reading: Literature --Key Ideas and Details

RL.8.1.Citethetextualevidencethatmoststrongly 13,14,17,32,34,42,61,69,70, supportsananalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyaswell 79,75Ͳ77,137,138,142,144,154, asinferencesdrawnfromthetext. 173,176 RL.8.2.Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextand analyzeitsdevelopmentoverthecourseofthetext, 17,23,32,34,36Ͳ45,62,67,69Ͳ77, includingitsrelationshiptothecharacters,setting,and 137,138,142,144,154,172,173, plot;provideanobjectivesummaryofthetext. 176

RL.8.3.Analyzehowparticularlinesofdialogueorincidents inastoryordramapropeltheaction,revealaspectsofa 3,17,32,34,36,38,40,69,70, character,orprovokeadecision. 138,144,154,173,174,176 --Craft and Structure RL.8.4.DeterminethemeanSAMPLEingofwordsandphrasesas theyareusedinatext,includingfigurativeandconnotative meanings;analyzetheimpactofspecificwordchoiceson 1,3,5,6,11,13,15,17,21,32,36, meaningandtone,includinganalogiesorallusionstoother 37

RL.8.5.Compareandcontrastthestructureoftwoormore textsandanalyzehowthedifferingstructureofeachtext contributestoitsmeaningandstyle. 14,35,154

RL.8.6.Analyzehowdifferencesinthepointsofviewofthe charactersandtheaudienceorreader(e.g.,created throughtheuseofdramaticirony)createsucheffectsas suspenseorhumor. 135,174 --Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RL.8.7.Analyzetheextenttowhichafilmedorlive productionofastoryordramastaysfaithfultoordeparts fromthetextorscript,evaluatingthechoicesmadebythe directororactors. 77, RL.8.8.(Notapplicabletoliterature)

RL.8.9.Analyzehowamodernworkoffictiondrawson themes,patternsofevents,orcharactertypesfrommyths, traditionalstories,orreligiousworkssuchastheBible, includingdescribinghowthematerialisrenderednew. 138,150,153 --Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity RL.8.10.Bytheendoftheyear,readandcomprehend literature,includingstories,dramas,andpoems,atthe 3,12Ͳ14,17,23,32,34Ͳ42,62,67, highendofgrades6–8textcomplexitybandindependently 69,71Ͳ77,129,137,138,142,144, andproficiently. 147,150,152,153,172Ͳ174,176 Reading: Informational Text Key Ideas and Details

RI.8.1.Citethetextualevidencethatmoststrongly supportsananalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyaswell 2,5,82,84,86,91,93,96,97,98, asinferencesdrawnfromthetext. 103,105Ͳ107,110,116,178 RI.8.2.Determineacentralideaofatextandanalyzeits developmentoverthecourseofthetext,includingits relationshiptosupportingideas;provideanobjective 59,82Ͳ84,86,87,91,93,99Ͳ101, summaryofthetext. 103Ͳ107,110,111,113,115

RI.8.3.AnalyzehowatextSAMPLEmakesconnectionsamongand distinctionsbetweenindividuals,ideas,orevents(e.g., throughcomparisons,analogies,orcategories). 103,117 --Craft and Structure

RI.8.4.Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesas theyareusedinatext,includingfigurative,connotative, andtechnicalmeanings;analyzetheimpactofspecific wordchoicesonmeaningandtone,includinganalogiesor allusionstoothertexts. 82,83,91,93

RI.8.5.Analyzeindetailthestructureofaspecific paragraphinatext,includingtheroleofparticular sentencesindevelopingandrefiningakeyconcept. 178,

RI.8.6.Determineanauthor’spointofvieworpurposeina textandanalyzehowtheauthoracknowledgesand respondstoconflictingevidenceorviewpoints. 83,86 --Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

RI.8.7.Evaluatetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofusing differentmediums(e.g.,printordigitaltext,video, multimedia)topresentaparticulartopicoridea. 2, RI.8.8.Delineateandevaluatetheargumentandspecific claimsinatext,assessingwhetherthereasoningissound andtheevidenceisrelevantandsufficient;recognizewhen irrelevantevidenceisintroduced. 157, RI.8.9.Analyzeacaseinwhichtwoormoretextsprovide conflictinginformationonthesametopicandidentify wherethetextsdisagreeonmattersoffactor interpretation. 157, --Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

RI.8.10.Bytheendoftheyear,readandcomprehend 2,59,65,82Ͳ87,90,91,93,96Ͳ101, literarynonfictionatthehighendofthegrades6–8text 103Ͳ107,109Ͳ113,115,116,158, complexitybandindependentlyandproficiently. 161,162,164,171,175,177,178 Writing --Text Types and Purposes

W.8.1.Writeargumentstosupportclaimswithclear reasonsandrelevantevidence. Introduceclaim(s),acknowledgeSAMPLEanddistinguishthe claim(s)fromalternateoropposingclaims,andorganize thereasonsandevidencelogically. 114,146

Supportclaim(s)withlogicalreasoningandrelevant evidence,usingaccurate,crediblesourcesand demonstratinganunderstandingofthetopicortext. 114,146

Usewords,phrases,andclausestocreatecohesionand clarifytherelationshipsamongclaim(s),counterclaims, reasons,andevidence. 114,146 Establishandmaintainaformalstyle. 114,146

Provideaconcludingstatementorsectionthatfollows fromandsupportstheargumentpresented. 114,146

W.8.2.Writeinformative/explanatorytextstoexaminea topicandconveyideas,concepts,andinformationthrough theselection,organization,andanalysisofrelevant content. Introduceatopicclearly,previewingwhatistofollow; organizeideas,concepts,andinformationintobroader categories;includeformatting(e.g.,headings),graphics (e.g.,charts,tables),andmultimediawhenusefultoaiding comprehension. 24—27,80,122,168,169

Developthetopicwithrelevant,wellͲchosenfacts, definitions,concretedetails,quotations,orother informationandexamples. 24Ͳ27,80,122,169 Useappropriateandvariedtransitionstocreatecohesion andclarifytherelationshipsamongideasandconcepts. 24Ͳ27,80,122,169 UsepreciselanguageanddomainͲspecificvocabularyto informaboutorexplainthetopic. 24Ͳ27,80,122,169 Establishandmaintainaformalstyle. 24Ͳ27,80,122,169

Provideaconcludingstatementorsectionthatfollows fromandsupportstheinformationorexplanation presented. 24Ͳ27,80,122,169

W.8.3.Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimagined experiencesoreventsusingeffectivetechnique,relevant descriptivedetails,andwellͲstructuredeventsequences. EngageandorientthereaderSAMPLEbyestablishingacontextand pointofviewandintroducinganarratorand/orcharacters; organizeaneventsequencethatunfoldsnaturallyand logically. 9,16,18,19,46Ͳ48,50,108,139

Usenarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,pacing, description,andreflection,todevelopexperiences,events, and/orcharacters. 9,16,18,19,46Ͳ48,50,108,139

Useavarietyoftransitionwords,phrases,andclausesto conveysequence,signalshiftsfromonetimeframeor settingtoanother,andshowtherelationshipsamong experiencesandevents. 9,16,18,19,46Ͳ48,50,108,139

Useprecisewordsandphrases,relevantdescriptive details,andsensorylanguagetocapturetheactionand conveyexperiencesandevents. 9,16,18,19,46Ͳ48,50,108,139

Provideaconclusionthatfollowsfromandreflectsonthe narratedexperiencesorevents. 9,16,18,19,46Ͳ48,50,108,139 -- Production and Distribution of Writing W.8.4.Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthe 4,9,10,18Ͳ20,22,23,30,31,35, development,organization,andstyleareappropriateto 43,102,122Ͳ124,127Ͳ131,134, task,purpose,andaudience.(GradeͲspecificexpectations 148,149 forwritingtypesaredefinedinstandards1–3above.)  W.8.5.Withsomeguidanceandsupportfrompeersand adults,developandstrengthenwritingasneededby planning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganew approach,focusingonhowwellpurposeandaudience 4,8,10,19,24,49,65,75,118 W.8.6.Usetechnology,includingtheInternet,toproduce andpublishwritingandpresenttherelationshipsbetween informationandideasefficientlyaswellastointeractand collaboratewithothers. 24Ͳ28,89,127,128,132,142,159 --Research to Build and Present Knowledge W.8.7.Conductshortresearchprojectstoanswera question(includingaselfͲgeneratedquestion),drawingon 12,14,23,37,39,60,61,65,83,86Ͳ severalsourcesandgeneratingadditionalrelated,focused 89,91,92,95,103,105,115,116, questionsthatallowformultipleavenuesofexploration. 132,143,152,158,159 W.8.8.Gatherrelevantinformationfrommultipleprintand digitalsources,usingsearchtermseffectively;assessthe 12,14,23,65,87Ͳ89,92,124,127, credibilityandaccuracyofeachsource;andquoteor 128,132,153,159,164Ͳ168,175, paraphrasethedataandconclusionsofotherswhile 177 W.8.9.Drawevidencefromliteraryorinformationaltexts tosupportanalysis,reflection,andresearch. Applygrade8Readingstandards toliterature(e.g., “Analyzehowamodernworkoffictiondrawsonthemes, patternsofevents,orcharactertypesfrommyths, 14,23,33,35,43,44,68,76,78, traditionalstories,orreligiousSAMPLEworkssuchastheBible, 154 Applygrade8Readingstandards toliterarynonfiction (e.g.,“Delineateandevaluatetheargumentandspecific claimsinatext,assessingwhetherthereasoningissound andtheevidenceisrelevantandsufficient;recognizewhen 83,86,98,117,179 --Range of Writing 2,4,5,7,9,11,13,14,16,18Ͳ20, W.8.10.Writeroutinelyoverextendedtimeframes(time 22Ͳ33,35,37,39Ͳ41,43,44,46Ͳ51, forresearch,reflection,andrevision)andshortertime 61Ͳ63,68,71Ͳ75,80,99,102,106, frames(asinglesittingoradayortwo. 110,112,113,117,118,122Ͳ124, Speaking and Listening --Comprehension and Collaboration SL.8.1.Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborative discussions(oneͲonͲone,ingroups,andteacherͲled)with diversepartnersongrade8topics,texts,andissues, buildingonothers’ideasandexpressingtheirownclearly. Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadorresearched materialunderstudy;explicitlydrawonthatpreparation byreferringtoevidenceonthetopic,text,orissueto probeandreflectonideasunderdiscussion. 69,104,109,143

FollowrulesforcollegialdiscussionsanddecisionͲmaking, trackprogresstowardspecificgoalsanddeadlines,and defineindividualrolesasneeded. 64,104,109,143

Posequestionsthatconnecttheideasofseveralspeakers andrespondtoothers’questionsandcommentswith relevantevidence,observations,andideas. 69,104,109

Acknowledgenewinformationexpressedbyothers,and, whenwarranted,qualifyorjustifytheirownviewsinlight oftheevidencepresented. 69,104,109,143 SL.8.2.Analyzethepurposeofinformationpresentedin diversemediaandformats(e.g.,visually,quantitatively, orally)andevaluatethemotives(e.g.,social,commercial, political)behinditspresentation. 133, SL.8.3.Delineateaspeaker’sargumentandspecificclaims, evaluatingthesoundnessofthereasoningandrelevance andsufficiencyoftheevidenceandidentifyingwhen irrelevantevidenceisintroduced. 143, --Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas SL.8.4.Presentclaimsandfindings,emphasizingsalient pointsinafocused,coherentmannerwithrelevant evidence,soundvalidreasoning,andwellͲchosendetails; useappropriateeyecontact,adequatevolume,andclear 60,86,90,143

SL.8.5.Integratemultimediaandvisualdisplaysinto 90,128 presentationstoclarifyinformation,strengthenclaimsand evidence,andaddinterest. SL.8.6.AdaptspeechtoaSAMPLEvarietyofcontextsandtasks, demonstratingcommandofformalEnglishwhenindicated orappropriate. 60,86,90,143 Language --Conventions of Standards English

L.8.1.Demonstratecommandoftheconventionsof standardEnglishgrammarandusagewhenwritingor speaking.

Explainthefunctionofverbals(gerunds,participles, infinitives)ingeneralandtheirfunctioninparticular sentences. 57,58

Formanduseverbsintheactiveandpassivevoice. 79,119

Formanduseverbsintheindicative,imperative, interrogative,conditional,andsubjunctivemood. 79,

Recognizeandcorrectinappropriateshiftsinverbvoice andmood.* 79,

L.8.2.Demonstratecommandoftheconventionsof standardEnglishcapitalization,punctuation,andspelling whenwriting.

Usepunctuation(comma,ellipsis,dash)toindicateapause orbreak. 52,145,180 Useanellipsistoindicateanomission. ,,,,,, , , Spellcorrectly. 146,148,149,155,170,180 --Knowledge of Language

L.8.3.Useknowledgeoflanguageanditsconventionswhen writing,speaking,reading,orlistening. Useverbsintheactiveandpassivevoiceandinthe conditionalandsubjunctivemoodtoachieveparticular effects(e.g.,emphasizingtheactorortheaction; expressinguncertaintyordescribingastatecontraryto fact). 79, --Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

L.8.4.Determineorclarifythemeaningofunknownand multipleͲmeaningwordsorSAMPLEphrasesbasedongrade8 readingandcontent ,choosingflexiblyfromarangeof strategies.

Usecontext(e.g.,theoverallmeaningofasentenceor paragraph;aword’spositionorfunctioninasentence)asa cluetothemeaningofawordorphrase. 36,37,83,156

Usecommon,gradeͲappropriateGreekorLatinaffixesand rootsascluestothemeaningofaword(e.g.,precede, recede,secede ). 70,170

Consultgeneralandspecializedreferencematerials(e.g., dictionaries,glossaries,thesauruses),bothprintanddigital, 1,6,11,13,17,21,29,31,32,36, tofindthepronunciationofawordordetermineorclarify 37,52,53,61,63,66,78,85,95, itsprecisemeaningoritspartofspeech. 121,130

Verifythepreliminarydeterminationofthemeaningofa wordorphrase(e.g.,bycheckingtheinferredmeaningin contextorinadictionary). 36,37,66.

L.8.5.Demonstrateunderstandingoffigurativelanguage, wordrelationships,andnuancesinwordmeanings.

Interpretfiguresofspeech(e.g.verbalirony,puns)in context. 9,31,140,162 Usetherelationshipbetweenparticularwordstobetter understandeachofthewords. 72,94

Distinguishamongtheconnotations(associations)of wordswithsimilardenotations(definitions)(e.g., bullheaded,willful,firm,persistent,resolute ). 136,140,162,163 1,3,5,6,13,15,17,21,28,31,32, 35Ͳ37,52,53,60,61,63,66,70, L.8.6.AcquireanduseaccuratelygradeͲappropriate 72,76,77,81,82,85,91,94,95, generalacademicanddomainͲspecificwordsandphrases; 99,121,125,126,130,131,135, gathervocabularyknowledgewhenconsideringawordor 136,138,140,141,150,151,155, phraseimportanttocomprehensionorexpression. 156,160Ͳ163,170,171,175 SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 1—1

Lesson 1 Vocabulary List One Frequently Used Words

Look at the list of words and pronounce the words with which you are already familiar. Ask your teacher for help with the words you do not know how to pronounce.

List One area assessment authority benefit SAMPLE concept consistent create data definition economic environment establish estimate factors financial formula identified individual STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 1—2

Your assignment for this Lesson is to write each word in your Vocabulary notebook. Then, look up and write each word’s definition and write a sentence showing you understand what the word means. For the words you find most difficult, write three or four sentences using them.

Be prepared! In Lesson Five you will be tested on the meaning of these words.

In addition to a word’s meaning, its part of speech for the words is helpful when using them in writing. When you are looking up each word, notice what the part of speech is for each one.

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 1—3

To help you understand how to thoroughly understand a word, below is a map showing how you can “dissect” a word to better understand its etymology, meaning, use, and part of speech. Talking Bubbles Web Map

SAMPLE

After you have completed the assignment for each of the 20 words in this List, choose two of them to complete the Talking Bubble Map.

Lesson
Wrap-Up: Learning new words is an essential building block of being a good writer. Be sure you are familiar with Vocabulary List One. Apply your knowledge to future writing assignments.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 2—1

Lesson 2 Make Me Laugh! Thomas Nast – “Cartoonist for America”

Many a truth is told with humor! Learning to read visual images is part of communicating.

The Lesson will begin with you writing about a funny situation that you have either been part of, or have seen. This will be considered a quick write, meaning that you will not need to rewrite or revise your original writing. It is about getting your ideas and experiences into words.

Next there will be an informational reading about a cartoonist.

This will be followed in the next Lesson by reading a short story that takes an ironic twist and makes you laugh. SAMPLE You will then look at cartoons from newspapers or comic books and discuss how the color, design and words communicate a message. You will have an opportunity to design a car- toon to make us laugh.

“What makes you laugh?” “Why do people say that “laughter is the best medicine”? Visualize some hilarious situations.

Take out your writing notebook and pencil. Pick up your pencil and begin writing your answer to these questions when your instructor says start. You will have 10 minutes to write. Once you start writing do not stop; just keep writing. When the 10 minutes are up, your teacher will tell you to stop. Then, you will read or tell about what came to your mind.

Many creative people are able to put a funny situation into pictures. They draw and write cartoons. What feelings can be expressed in cartoons? What are your favorite characters or story-lines written in cartoon style? In your notebook, write down the characteristics you think make a good cartoonist.

Now you will read a short informational article about a cartoonist. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 2—2

Cartoonist for America

Many children like to draw. Notebooks and sketch pads become filled with realistic or fanciful pictures. Some children grow up to find jobs that pay them for their artwork. A few people become famous for such work. Thomas Nast fits that last category. His drawings influenced elections and army recruitment. He has been called the Father of American Cartooning.

Thomas Nast was born on September 27, 1840, in Germany. His family immigrated to New York City, where Nast was able to study art. He moved on to work in an art gallery, and by the age of fifteen, he had a job with a newspaper as an artist! He was on his way to fame, doing what he loved best.

When Nast turned twenty-one, he paused to get married. He and his wife, Sarah, had five children - two boys and three girls. Nast also was fortunate to have begun his career as a political cartoonist for a national magazine -- Harper’s Weekly. His cartoons appeared in that magazine from 1862 to 1886. He used his art to help the cause of the North in the Civil War, drive corrupt politicians out of office, and influence presidential races. He created Uncle Sam. He also came up with the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant. SAMPLEWhat is funny is that his choice of these animals was not complementary, but the two political parties embraced them and continue to use them to this day!

Thomas Nast might have earned a living as a political cartoonist, but that is not all he did. He also illustrated books -- that is, he drew the pictures to go with an author’s story. Nast illustrated more than 110 books in his lifetime! He is also attributed with giving us a vision of our classic Santa Claus now associated with Clement C. Moore’s poem, The Night before Christmas. His artistic nature was further released through painting historical scenes.

Now that you have read this short article, did this cartoonist show the qualities you thought a famous person of this type would have?

Take the short quiz on Mr. Nast.

Lesson-Wrap-Up: Try to design and draw an original cartoon based on something you think is funny.

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 2—3

Thomas Nast Quiz

Choose the correct answer to the question.

1. From what you know of Uncle Sam, he is a symbol of: a. ____politician b. ____The U. S. President c. ____The U. S. Army

d. ____The U. S. A.

2. We can conclude that the magazine published Nast’s cartoons______a. ____every week b. ____elsewhere c. ____oftenSAMPLE d. ____reluctantly

3. Thomas Nast was the ______of American Cartooning. a. ____Nast’s favorite relative b. ____Consul c. ____Father d. ____Santa Claus

4. To become successful, Nast must have put a lot of ______into his work. a. ____imitation b. ____thought c. ____friends d. ____color

5. Before Nast worked at the newspaper, he: a. ____illustrated books b. ____became a consul to Ecuador c. ____covered the Civil War d. ____studied art in New York City

Print STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—1

Lesson 3 Written Humor The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry

Before you begin reading this short story, there a few things to remember so you can interact with the words and completely experience the story.

How to read a short story Good readers must be interactive. As you, the reader, begin a story, keep a question in your mind. Consider the events, the characters, where the story is taking place and the meaning of the story.

Question As you read, ask questions and then read to find the answers to these questions. onderW about why the story is titled as it is. Question why a character acts a certain way or makes a particular remark.SAMPLE Read to find out.

Predict Make predictions about what will happen and read for the details that help you make more predictions. Base your predictions on experience and former knowledge.

Clarify Take time to clarify. Go back and reread until you are sure you understand the events and can remember the details. Then you can adjust your predictions of what will happen next.

Summarize Review the main events. Identify what seems to be important, and consider the significance

Pull It Together Think about the story after you are done reading. Pull together all the details and consider the effect of the story as a whole. What does the story mean to you? How do you feel about it?

Using these strategies will help you become a more effective reader. You will be better able to recall details, interpret meaning, and apply this meaning to your life. Now here are a few key words you will need to recognize while reading: undeleterious, fraudulent, provisions, ransom, stealthy

The plot of a story is dependent upon some kind of conflict. Sometimes the conflict is within the character: internal conflict. Other times the conflict is with other characters or forces of nature: external conflict. In this story there is both external and internal conflict.

As you read this story, look for the conflicts and recognize how they are resolved.

Now use the Story Elements Worksheet to write about this story’s conflict and resolution. STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—2

THE RANSOM OF RED CHIEF By O. Henry It looked like a good thing: but wait till I tell you. We were down South, in Alabama—Bill Drisco ll and myself—when this kidnapping idea struck us. It was, as Bill afterward expressed it, “during a moment of temporary mental apparition”; but we didn’t find that out till later. There was a town down there, as flat as a flannel-cake, and called Summit, of course. It contained inhabitants of as undeleterious and self-satisfied a class of peasantry as ever clustered around a Maypole. Bill and me had a joint capital of about six hundred dollars, and we needed just two thousand dollars more to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scheme in Western Illinois with. We talked it over on the front steps of the hotel. Philoprogenitiveness, says we, is strong in semi-rural communities; therefore and for other reasons, a kidnapping project ought to do better there than in the radius of newspapers that send reporters out in plain clothes to stir up talk about such things. We knew that Summit couldn’t get after us with anything stronger than constables and maybe some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers’ Budget. So, it looked good. We selected for ourSAMPLE victim the only child of a prominent citizen named Ebenezer Dorset. The father was respectable and tight, a mortgage fancier and a stern, upright collection-plate passer and forecloser. The kid was a boy of ten, with bas-relief freckles, and hair the color of the cover of the magazine you buy at the news-stand when you want to catch a train. Bill and me figured that Ebenezer would melt down for a ransom of two thousand dollars to a cent. But wait till I tell you. About two miles from Summit was a little mountain, covered with a dense cedar brake. On the rear elevation of this mountain was a cave. There we stored provisions. One evening after sundown, we drove in a buggy past old Dorset’s house. The kid was in the street, throwing rocks at a kitten on the opposite fence. “Hey, little boy!” says Bill, “would you like to have a bag of candy and a nice ride?” The boy catches Bill neatly in the eye with a piece of brick. “That will cost the old man an extra five hundred dollars,” says Bill, climbing over the wheel. That boy put up a fight like a welter-weight cinnamon bear; but, at last, we got him down in the bottom of the buggy and drove away. We took him up to the cave and I hitched the horse in the cedar brake. After dark I drove the buggy to the little village, three miles away, where we had hired it, and walked back to the mountain. Bill was pasting court-plaster over the scratches and bruises on his features. There was a fire burning behind the big rock at the entrance of the cave, and the boy was watching a pot of boiling coffee, with two buzzard tail-feathers stuck in his red hair. He points a stick at me when I come up, and says: “Ha! Cursed paleface, do you dare to enter the camp of Red Chief, the terror of the plains? “He’s all right now,” says Bill, rolling up his trousers and examining some bruises on his shins. “We’re playing Indian. We’re making Buffalo Bill’s show look like magic-lantern views of Palestine in the town hall. I’m Old Hank, the Trapper, Red Chief’s captive, and I’m to be scalped at daybreak. By Geronimo! that kid can kick hard.” Yes, sir, that boy seemed to be having the time of his life. The fun of camping out in a cave had made him forget that he was a captive himself. He immediately christened me Snake-eye, the Spy, and announced that, when his braves returned from the warpath, I was to be broiled at the stake at the rising of the sun. STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—3

Then we had supper; and he filled his mouth full of bacon and bread and gravy, and began to talk. He made a during-dinner speech something like this: “I like this fine. I never camped out before; but I had a pet ‘possum once, and I was nine last birth- day. I hate to go to school. Rats ate up sixteen of Jimmy Talbot’s aunt’s speckled hen’s eggs. Are there any real Indians in these woods? I want some more gravy. Does the trees moving make the wind blow? We had five puppies. What makes your nose so red, Hank? My father has lots of money. Are the stars hot? I whipped Ed Walker twice, Saturday. I don’t like girls. You dassent catch toads unless with a string. Do oxen make any noise? Why are oranges round? Have you got beds to sleep on in this cave? Amos Murray has got six toes. A parrot can talk, but a monkey or a fish can’t. How many does it take to make twelve?” Every few minutes he would remember that he was a pesky redskin, and pick up his stick rifle and tiptoe to the mouth of the cave to rubber for the scouts of the hated paleface. Now and then he would let out a war-whoop that made Old Hank the Trapper shiver. That boy had Bill terrorized from the start. “Red Chief,” says I to the kid, “would you like to go home?” “Aw, what for?” says he. “I don’t have any fun at home. I hate to go to school. I like to camp out. You won’t take me back homeSAMPLE again, Snake-eye, will you?” “Not right away,” says I. “We’ll stay here in the cave a while.” “All right!” says he. “That’ll be fine. I never had such fun in all my life.” We went to bed about eleven o’clock. We spread down some wide blankets and quilts and put Red Chief between us. We weren’t afraid he’d run away. He kept us awake for three hours, jumping up and reaching for his rifle and screeching: “Hist! pard,” in mine and Bill’s ears, as the fancied crackle of a twig or the rustle of a leaf revealed to his young imagination the stealthy approach of the outlaw band. At last, I fell into a troubled sleep, and dreamed that I had been kidnapped and chained to a tree by a ferocious pirate with red hair. Just at daybreak, I was awakened by a series of awful screams from Bill. They weren’t yells, or howls, or shouts, or whoops, or yawps, such as you’d expect from a manly set of vocal organs—they were simply indecent, terrifying, humiliating screams, such as women emit when they see ghosts or caterpillars. It’s an awful thing to hear a strong, desperate, fat man scream incontinently in a cave at daybreak. I jumped up to see what the matter was. Red Chief was sitting on Bill’s chest, with one hand twined in Bill’s hair. In the other he had the sharp case-knife we used for slicing bacon; and he was industriously and realistically trying to take Bill’s scalp, according to the sentence that had been pronounced upon him the evening before. I got the knife away from the kid and made him lie down again. But, from that moment, Bill’s spirit was broken. He laid down on his side of the bed, but he never closed an eye again in sleep as long as that boy was with us. I dozed off for a while, but along toward sun-up I remembered that Red Chief had said I was to be burned at the stake at the rising of the sun. I wasn’t nervous or afraid; but I sat up and lit my pipe and leaned against a rock. “What you getting up so soon for, Sam?” asked Bill. “Me?” says I. “Oh, I got a kind of a pain in my shoulder. I thought sitting up would rest it.” “You’re a liar!” says Bill. “You’re afraid. You was to be burned at sunrise, and you was afraid he’d do it. And he would, too, if he could find a match. Ain’t it awful, Sam? Do you think anybody will pay out money to get a little imp like that back home?” “Sure,” said I. “A rowdy kid like that is just the kind that parents dote on. Now, you and the Chief get STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—4

up and cook breakfast, while I go up on the top of this mountain and reconnoiter.” I went up on the peak of the little mountain and ran my eye over the contiguous vicinity. Over toward Summit I expected to see the sturdy yeomanry of the village armed with scythes and pitchforks beating the countryside for the dastardly kidnappers. But what I saw was a peaceful landscape dotted with one man ploughing with a dun mule. Nobody was dragging the creek; no couriers dashed hither and yon, bringing tidings of no news to the distracted parents. There was a sylvan attitude of somnolent sleepiness pervading that section of the external outward surface of Alabama that lay exposed to my view. “Perhaps,” says I to myself, “it has not yet been discovered that the wolves have borne away the tender lambkin from the fold. Heaven help the wolves!” says I, and I went down the mountain to breakfast. When I got to the cave I found Bill backed up against the side of it, breathing hard, and the boy threatening to smash him with a rock half as big as a cocoanut. “He put a red-hot boiled potato down my back,” explained Bill, “and then mashed it with his foot; and I boxed his ears. Have you got a gun about you, Sam?” I took the rock away from the boy and kind of patched up the argument. “I’ll fix you,” says the kid to Bill. “No man ever yetSAMPLE struck the Red Chief but what he got paid for it. You better beware!” After breakfast the kid takes a piece of leather with strings wrapped around it out of his pocket and goes outside the cave unwinding it. “What’s he up to now?” says Bill, anxiously. “You don’t think he’ll run away, do you, Sam?” “No fear of it,” says I. “He don’t seem to be much of a home body. But we’ve got to fix up some plan about the ransom. There don’t seem to be much excitement around Summit on account of his disappear- ance; but maybe they haven’t realized yet that he’s gone. His folks may think he’s spending the night with Aunt Jane or one of the neighbors. Anyhow, he’ll be missed to-day. To-night we must get a message to his father demanding the two thousand dollars for his return.” Just then we heard a kind Of war-whoop, such as David might have emitted when he knocked out the champion Goliath. It was a sling that Red Chief had pulled out of his pocket, and he was whirling it around his head. I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of a sigh from Bill, like a horse gives out when you take his saddle off. A [negro] head rock the size of an egg had caught Bill just behind his left ear. He loosened himself all over and fell in the fire across the frying pan of hot water for washing the dishes. I dragged him out and poured cold water on his head for half an hour. By and by, Bill sits up and feels behind his ear and says: “Sam, do you know who my favourite Biblical character is?” “Take it easy,” says I. “You’ll come to your senses presently.” “King Herod,” says he. “You won’t go away and leave me here alone, will you, Sam?” I went out and caught that boy and shook him until his freckles rattled. “If you don’t behave,” says I, “I’ll take you straight home. Now, are you going to be good, or not?” “I was only funning,” says he sullenly. “I didn’t mean to hurt Old Hank. But what did he hit me for? I’ll behave, Snake-eye, if you won’t send me home, and if you’ll let me play the Black Scout to-day.” “I don’t know the game,” says I. “That’s for you and Mr. Bill to decide. He’s your playmate for the day. I’m going away for a while, on business. Now, you come in and make friends with him and say you are sorry for hurting him, or home you go, at once.” STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—5

I made him and Bill shake hands, and then I took Bill aside and told him I was going to Poplar Cove, a little village three miles from the cave, and find out what I could about how the kidnapping had been re- garded in Summit. Also, I thought it best to send a peremptory letter to old man Dorset that day, demand- ing the ransom and dictating how it should be paid. “You know, Sam,” says Bill, “I’ve stood by you without batting an eye in earthquakes, fire and flood—in poker games, dynamite outrages, police raids, train robberies and cyclones. I never lost my nerve yet till we kidnapped that two-legged skyrocket of a kid. He’s got me going. You won’t leave me long with him, will you, Sam?” “I’ll be back some time this afternoon,” says I. “You must keep the boy amused and quiet till I return. And now we’ll write the letter to old Dorset.” Bill and I got paper and pencil and worked on the letter while Red Chief, with a blanket wrapped around him, strutted up and down, guarding the mouth of the cave. Bill begged me tearfully to make the ransom fifteen hundred dollars instead of two thousand. “I ain’t attempting,” says he, “to decry the celebrated moral aspect of parental affection, but we’re dealing with humans, and it ain’t human for any- body to give up two thousand dollars for that forty-pound chunk of freckled wildcat. I’m willing to take a chance at fifteen hundredSAMPLE dollars. You can charge the difference up to me.” So, to relieve Bill, I acceded, and we collaborated a letter that ran this way: Ebenezer Dorset, Esq.: We have your boy concealed in a place far from Summit. It is useless for you or the most skilful detectives to attempt to find him. Absolutely, the only terms on which you can have him restored to you are these: We demand fifteen hundred dollars in large bills for his return; the money to be left at midnight to-night at the same spot and in the same box as your reply—as hereinafter de- scribed. If you agree to these terms, send your answer in writing by a solitary messenger to-night at half-past eight o’clock. After crossing Owl Creek, on the road to Poplar Cove, there are three large trees about a hundred yards apart, close to the fence of the wheat field on the right-hand side. At the bottom of the fence-post, opposite the third tree, will be found a small pasteboard box. The messenger will place the answer in this box and return immediately to Summit. If you attempt any treachery or fail to comply with our demand as stated, you will never see your boy again. If you pay the money as demanded, he will be returned to you safe and well within three hours. These terms are final, and if you do not accede to them no further communication will be attempted.

TWO DESPERATE MEN.

I addressed this letter to Dorset, and put it in my pocket. As I was about to start, the kid comes up to me and says: “Aw, Snake-eye, you said I could play the Black Scout while you was gone.” “Play it, of course,” says I. “Mr. Bill will play with you. What kind of a game is it?” “I’m the Black Scout,” says Red Chief, “and I have to ride to the stockade to warn the settlers that STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—6

the Indians are coming. I’m tired of playing Indian myself. I want to be the Black Scout.” “All right,” says I. “It sounds harmless to me. I guess Mr. Bill will help you foil the pesky savages.” “What am I to do?” asks Bill, looking at the kid suspiciously. “You are the hoss,” says Black Scout. “Get down on your hands and knees. How can I ride to the stockade without a hoss?” “You’d better keep him interested,” said I, “till we get the scheme going. Loosen up.” Bill gets down on his all fours, and a look comes in his eye like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap. “How far is it to the stockade, kid?” he asks, in a husky manner of voice. “Ninety miles,” says the Black Scout. “And you have to hump yourself to get there on time. Whoa, now!” The Black Scout jumps on Bill’s back and digs his heels in his side. “For Heaven’s sake,” says Bill, “hurry back, Sam, as soon as you can. I wish we hadn’t made the ransom more than a thousand.SAMPLE Say, you quit kicking me or I’ll get up and warm you good.” I walked over to Poplar Cove and sat around the post office and store, talking with the chawba- cons that came in to trade. One whiskerando says that he hears Summit is all upset on account of Elder Ebenezer Dorset’s boy having been lost or stolen. That was all I wanted to know. I bought some smoking tobacco, referred casually to the price of black-eyed peas, posted my letter surreptitiously and came away. The postmaster said the mail-carrier would come by in an hour to take the mail on to Summit. When I got back to the cave Bill and the boy were not to be found. I explored the vicinity of the cave, and risked a yodel or two, but there was no response. So I lighted my pipe and sat down on a mossy bank to await developments. In about half an hour I heard the bushes rustle, and Bill wabbled out into the little glade in front of the cave. Behind him was the kid, stepping softly like a scout, with a broad grin on his face. Bill stopped, took off his hat and wiped his face with a red handkerchief. The kid stopped about eight feet behind him. “Sam,” says Bill, “I suppose you’ll think I’m a renegade, but I couldn’t help it. I’m a grown person with masculine proclivities and habits of self-defense, but there is a time when all systems of egotism and predominance fail. The boy is gone. I have sent him home. All is off. There was martyrs in old times,” goes on Bill, “that suffered death rather than give up the particular graft they enjoyed. None of ‘em ever was subjugated to such supernatural tortures as I have been. I tried to be faithful to our articles of depre- dation; but there came a limit.” “What’s the trouble, Bill?” I asks him. “I was rode,” says Bill, “the ninety miles to the stockade, not barring an inch. Then, when the settlers was rescued, I was given oats. Sand ain’t a palatable substitute. And then, for an hour I had to try to explain to him why there was nothin’ in holes, how a road can run both ways and what makes the grass green. I tell you, Sam, a human can only stand so much. I takes him by the neck of his clothes and drags him down the mountain. On the way he kicks my legs black-and-blue from the knees down; and I’ve got to have two or three bites on my thumb and hand cauterized. “But he’s gone”—continues Bill—“gone home. I showed him the road to Summit and kicked him about eight feet nearer there at one kick. I’m sorry we lose the ransom; but it was either that or Bill Driscoll to the madhouse.” STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—7

Bill is puffing and blowing, but there is a look of ineffable peace and growing content on his rose-pink features. “Bill,” says I, “there isn’t any heart disease in your family, is there? “No,” says Bill, “nothing chronic except malaria and accidents. Why?” “Then you might turn around,” says I, “and have a took behind you.” Bill turns and sees the boy, and loses his complexion and sits down plump on the round and begins to pluck aimlessly at grass and little sticks. For an hour I was afraid for his mind. And then I told him that my scheme was to put the whole job through immediately and that we would get the ransom and be off with it by midnight if old Dorset fell in with our proposition. So Bill braced up enough to give the kid a weak sort of a smile and a promise to play the Russian in a Japanese war with him is soon as he felt a little better. I had a scheme for collecting that ransom without danger of being caught by counterplots that ought to commend itself to professional kidnappers. The tree under which the answer was to be left—and the money later on—was close to the road fence with big, bare fields on all sides. If a gang of constables should be watching forSAMPLE any one to come for the note they could see him a long way off crossing the fields or in the road. But no, sirree! At half-past eight I was up in that tree as well hidden as a tree toad, waiting for the messenger to arrive. Exactly on time, a half-grown boy rides up the road on a bicycle, locates the pasteboard box at the foot of the fence-post, slips a folded piece of paper into it and pedals away again back toward Summit. I waited an hour and then concluded the thing was square. I slid down the tree, got the note, slipped along the fence till I struck the woods, and was back at the cave in another half an hour. I opened the note, got near the lantern and read it to Bill. It was written with a pen in a crabbed hand, and the sum and substance of it was this: Two Desperate Men. Gentlemen: I received your letter to-day by post, in regard to the ransom you ask for the return of my son. I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counter-proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands. You had better come at night, for the neighbors believe he is lost, and I couldn’t be responsible for what they would do to anybody they saw bringing him back. Very respectfully,

EBENEZER DORSET.

“Great pirates of Penzance!” says I; “of all the impudent—“ But I glanced at Bill, and hesitated. He had the most appealing look in his eyes I ever saw on the face of a dumb or a talking brute. “Sam,” says he, “what’s two hundred and fifty dollars, after all? We’ve got the money. One more night of this kid will send me to a bed in Bedlam. Besides being a thorough gentleman, I think Mr. Dorset is a spendthrift for making us such a liberal offer. You ain’t going to let the chance go, are you?” “Tell you the truth, Bill,” says I, “this little he ewe lamb has somewhat got on my nerves too. We’ll take him home, pay the ransom and make our get-away.” We took him home that night. We got him to go by telling him that his father had bought a silver-mounted rifle and a pair of moccasins for him, and we were going to hunt bears the next day. STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—8

It was just twelve o’clock when we knocked at Ebenezer’s front door. Just at the moment when I should have been abstracting the fifteen hundred dollars from the box under the tree, according to the original proposition, Bill was counting out two hundred and fifty dollars into Dorset’s hand. When the kid found out we were going to leave him at home he started up a howl like a calliope and fastened himself as tight as a leech to Bill’s leg. His father peeled him away gradually, like a porous plaster. “How long can you hold him?” asks Bill. “I’m not as strong as I used to be,” says old Dorset, “but I think I can promise you ten minutes.” “Enough,” says Bill. “In ten minutes I shall cross the Central, Southern and Middle Western States, and be legging it trippingly for the Canadian border.” And, as dark as it was, and as fat as Bill was, and as good a runner as I am, he was a good mile and a half out of Summit beforeSAMPLE I could catch up with him.

STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—9

Story Elements

A story has a plot, characters, and setting. The plot needs to have some kind of conflict to create interest in the story unless the story reveals events and the events themselves are the telling of the story.

Recognizing the conflict in the story is part of engaging yourself in predicting and wonder- ing what will happen next. As you enter into the plot you can determine which characters are the protagonists and the antagonists. These are the characters that are in conflict. Some stories have the conflict within the character, as when a story is about one character who must decide what to do and has many options. Thus the plot changes as the choices are made. When the conflict or problem is between characters, one character plays off the actions of the other. The reader must follow closely in order to think with the character.

A device that a storySAMPLE writer may use in disclosing the plot is foreshadowing. This device allows the writer to drop hints to the reader of what might happen. Again the reader must look for such details. As the plot unfolds, the reader will gain satisfaction if he reads carefully and has discovered these clues and therefore was correct in his predictions.

A writer may use a flashback to keep the reader informed as to what the character may or may not do in the story. This is often used at the beginning of a story. The writer puts the character in the present and allows the character to retell a former event or situation in his life. It allows the reader to connect with who the character is and how the character may act in the upcoming events.

At some point in the story there is a climax or deciding moment that lets the reader know how the conflict or problem may be solved. After this is written, the plot is coming to an end. Some story writers leave you “hanging” and wanting to know more about the character. Then the story writer can write a series of books following the initial writing.

Lesson
Wrap-Up: The Ransom of Red Chief is a story that ends up quite differently than you would expect in a story about a kidnapping. The kidnappers end up being the victims instead of the boy and his family. The twist in the story, making the opposite true instead of what is expected in a situation, is called irony. STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—10

STORY ELEMENTS Worksheet

Problem/conflict

SAMPLE

Attempts to solve the problem/conflict STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 3—11

SAMPLE

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 4—1

Lesson 4 Writing Diary Entries

Now that you have read the story, The Ransom of Red Chief, imagine you are the brat from the story. Walk in his shoes. Become a mischievous, obnoxious brat. Now thinking like Red Chief, write a two-day diary for the days spent with Sam and Bill. Tell how you think and feel while camping out in the woods and playing “Snake-eye” and “Old Hank.” Write about those feelings and what you are thinking.

After you have your first draft written, reread it to yourself out loud. Do not tell about Red Chief. Speak as if you were Red Chief. You will write in the first person using the pronoun I.

Revise any sentences that are not from Red Chief’s point of view. Rewrite your work correcting all punctuationSAMPLE and grammar errors. Perhaps you would even like to draw a picture of one of the scenes.

Now take some time to review your Vocabulary words from Lesson One. Be ready for a Vocabulary test. Be sure you know the meaning of the words.

Lesson
Wrap-Up: Red Chief is an incorrigible young man. His spirits are always up. Writing in his voice makes the writer take on some of his high spirits. It is entertaining and refreshing to step into the character of someone else. Think of another character from literature. Create a diary entry speaking in the voice of that character. Did you step into the role as energetically as you did when writing as Red Chief?

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 5—1

Lesson 5 Vocabulary Assessment—List One Journal Writing

Your teacher will pronounce each word and ask that you write a short definition of the word. Then you will be asked to use some of the words in complete sentences. area

Bssessment SAMPLE

authority

benefit

concept STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 5—2

consistent

create

data SAMPLE

economic

environment

establish STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 5—3

estimate

factors

financial SAMPLE

formula

identified

individual

Correct the test with your teacher and discuss any errors in meaning or use of the words. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 5—4

Communicating through the skill of writing is essential for a complete education. Practicing writing is necessary to increase that skill. Journal writing allows time for creative thinking along with some specific guidelines. The formula for good writing involves:

Interesting ideas Organization of those ideas A personal voice Word choices that fit the mood of the writing Sentence fluency

These are the basic traits of good writing. The goal of using writing prompts often is to give you time to respond to specific experiences or situations. It is not meant to be used as a final piece of writing. There is no need to write and rewrite, although journal writings can become part of a final writing assignment at a later time. You must try your best to use correct spelling and grammar. Try to picture your response to the prompt before you begin writing. Use your words to describe the picture you have in your mind. After you write your entry, readSAMPLE it out loud to yourself. Does it make sense? Did your words recreate the picture you had in your mind? Will someone else be able to picture and follow your story?

Your teacher will check your journal to see that you have completed the prompt and followed directions. Journal writing is a great way to increase your writing fluency. Use your journal often to simply experience putting words on paper. Writing is a skill like any other: the more practice you have, the better you become.

Keep your journal writings in a writing notebook so you can have them available for reference when longer, complete writings are assigned.

Here is your writing prompt.

My Favorite Color is...

Everyone has a favorite color. Think about what yours is and why it is your favorite. Think about things that are your favorite color and how they make you feel. For example, if you liked the color blue, you might write: “Blue always makes me feel calm. It reminds me of the ocean. I could watch the ocean for hours. When I do, I always feel peaceful. I can almost hear the soothing sounds of the waves upon a beach when I look at the color blue.” Write a paper explaining several reasons why ______is your favorite color! Remember to use specific details to support and explain your reasons. Use interesting adjectives and descriptions to make your paper interesting to read.

Lesson
Wrap-Up: One of the enjoyable qualities of writing in a journal is that you do not have to write and rewrite to create an acceptable final copy. The purpose of the journal is to practice your writing, to create your voice, to experiment with Vocabulary, to build expertise, and to enjoy the process.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 6—1

Lesson 6 Vocabulary List Two

Your words to study for this week are on the next page. After you locate and write their definitions and parts of speech, your assignment will be to create a crossword puzzle using the definitions as clues. Try to use all of the words in your puzzle. If you have never done a crossword puzzle, get a newspaper or book with a crossword puzzle so you can see what one looks like.

Here is an example with a few words.

I N T E R P R E T A T I O N N O C L C SAMPLEE U 3 E S P O N S E

In this example: 1. down is the opposite of out. (in) 2. down is a part in a play (role) 3. down when something happens (occur)

1. across is to understand or reword something (interpretation) 2. across is to answer to (response) STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 6—2

Your Vocabulary words for this week are listed below. achieve acquisition administration affect appropriate aspect assistance categories SAMPLE chapter commission community complex computer conclusion conduct consequences construction consumer credit cultural design distinction elements STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 6—3

equation evaluation features final focus impact injury institute investment SAMPLE item journal

It is time to work independently on your definitions and crossword puzzle. You will be tested on the words in Lesson Ten.

Lesson
Wrap-Up: Creating a crossword puzzle is fun, but not easy. It is a creative process that causes you to look at words differently. When your puzzle is complete, give it to someone else to complete.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 7—1

Lesson 7 Communicate with Humor Create a Comic Strip

This Lesson encourages you to use humor to make a point or communicate a message. After discussing various types of cartoons and comic strips, you will have an opportunity to create your own comic strip like this one.

SAMPLE Your teacher will show you a variety of cartoons and comic strips to examine and discuss. Use one of them as the basis for answering the following questions. Discuss your answers with your teacher.

Identify the caption and/or title.

Locate three words, phrases, or images used by the artist to identify objects or people.

Identify the words, phrases, or images that are most important in communicating the message.

What emotions are revealed in the cartoon or comic strip? List some adjectives that describe them.

In order create your own cartoon or comic strip, you will have to brainstorm your ideas. Think of a quick situation you want to depict. On the next page is a list of things that could be funny. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 7—2

IDEAS

CHARACTERS SITUATIONS A fly doing acrobatics Sharks playing a video game Cat working on an assembly line Spider reading a book Scientist conducting a crazy experiment Little child going trick or treating Apes playing a piano Cow swinging from a tree Snakes eating bananas Cowboy SAMPLE playing with a balloon Man-eating plant reading a newspaper Sled dog licking its paws Doctor cutting something with a saw Bird talking Octopus ironing clothes and cleaning Turtle jumping across a moat Mouse singing in an opera Skeleton giving a speech Worm lifting weights Baby talking a class Monsters in a rock band

Mix and match the characters and situations to create your own cartoon.

Think: “What if…?” How will your character look and act in one of these situations?

Draw: The great idea that pops into your head.

The possibilities are endless; use your imagination!

Drawing is another form of communication. Even as a cartoonist, the creator must be clear about the message expressed. This means the words (if there are any) and the illustration should support the same message. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 7—3

Try to produce an eight panel cartoon. Another approach would be to create one detailed illustration revealing a message to persuade the reader to accept your point of view. Have fun!

Lesson
Wrap-Up: Each time you learn a new way to communicate, your communications skills increase. TheSAMPLE challenge when creating a cartoon is to be creative, concise, and witty.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 8—1 Lesson 8 Drawing and Revising a Cartoon

Let’s look at what your original thoughts and drawings express. What audience were you hoping to address? Do you think the audience will enjoy your comic?

Have you ever seen a political cartoon? The first political cartoon was done by Ben Franklin. He was published with a drawing of a snake broken apart. Each of the sections of the snake had the initials of the colonies. The words on it were “join, or die.” It was a time for the colonies to fight for their independence. Why do you think he may have used a snake as his symbol? (At that time, it was widely believed that if you cut a snake up in parts it could regenerate itself into a whole again.) Think of the thoughts and feeling a snake connotes… good and evil, forked tongue, sneaky. Ben Franklin was trying to encourage people to make up their minds whether they would be loyalists or patriots. Were they for the new America or faithful to England? It was time for America’s fight for freedom, the RevolutionarySAMPLE War. Cartoonists do not put words or pictures into their cartoon without considering how this will be interpreted by their audience.

Revise your cartoon carefully making sure it is saying what you want. If you end up creating a unique character with a message, continue to let those characters have “life.” Keep adding to your visual story throughout the year. Perhaps you can begin a book of your own works and add to it whenever you have time or come up with a new idea.

Consider the following questions as you work on your cartoon. What objects or symbols are you using? What do they mean in your cartoon? Does your cartoon have a title? Are you using words and dialogue in your cartoon? What are the most important words you have used which most strongly DommunicateT the meaning of your cartoon?

Lesson
Wrap-Up: When writing an essay or writing a cartoon, considering who your audience is guides your work. Always be aware of your audience. It could be you, or it could be schoolmates, your teacher, readers of a local newspaper, politicians, or other groups of people. Think about how a cartoon created for your peers might be different than one for the teachers of a school.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 9—1

Lesson 9 Using Humor in Writing

Some people are naturally funny; others are born serious. One is not better than the other, for we need both types of people in this world. A dose of humor will bring your writing to life and encourage the reader to continue reading.

We will begin with something easy: funny words. There are words that sound funny. There are words that tickle the reader’s funny bone. Does the term Adam’s apple crack you up? What words do you find funny? List them here:

Personal quirks–odd ways of doing something– are sometimes humorous. If you invent a person who stomps a cockroach, sprays bug killer on it, and then slaps the remains with a fly swatter as if life were still possible–screaming the entire time, you will have given them an entertaining personal quirk. Chances are good that you know someone with an interesting quirk. TweakSAMPLE it a little. Kick it up a notch. When you have got something funny, write it down.

Another element of humor is exaggeration. Extreme exaggeration is called hyperbole.

Here are two examples:

He was so nervous that when someone tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped out of his shoes.

He was so nervous that when someone tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped so high his head scraped the ceiling.

If you stick with the facts, the boy in the first sentence might have jumped only half an inch off the ground. That does not trigger the humorous picture in our brain that the other, more exaggerated, example does.

What you need to do now is outline a situation that could be exaggerated for humor. Be brief; the idea is to get a flow of funny ideas. You are not required to write a paper for this. One to three sentences will be fine.

Opposites often invite a humorous reaction. Think of friends or couples who are oppo- sites. The classic TV sitcom, The Odd Couple, played up the different traits of two divorced men who became roommates. Felix Unger was a neat freak; Oscar Madison was a slob. Much of the show’s humor was derived from their extreme differences and their dramatic reactions to each other. On your own, come up with two opposite traits that you feel would be funny. They may be physical traits or emotional traits, or they may be personal quirks like those of Felix and Oscar. Make a list of them. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 9—2

Metaphors Bnd Timiles Dan Jnject Iumor Jnto B Ttory Pr Seport.

Metaphors describe something as being something else. Example: We were two ships pass- ing in the night.

Similes describe something as being like something else. (We were like two ships ...) To use a simile on the jumpy boy mentioned previously, you might say that he was “as nervous as a grasshopper in a chicken coop.”

Come up with your own metaphor or simile to describe the reaction of a nervous person.

Before moving on, complete the Metaphors Practice Worksheet on the next page.

Enjoy this writing; use some similes, metaphors and some hyperboles in your sentences.

Make sure to help SAMPLEthe reader transition from one part of the story to the next smoothly. Be original. Do not use an old joke. Do not use lines or borrow plots from movies.

Do not tell the reader that something is funny. If it is, readers will discover it for themselves. If it is not, insisting that it is will not convince your reader.

Be logical. The premise should be based in reality.

Dare to make fun of yourself. Do not make fun of others.

Now you are going to give your creativity a workout. You will write a humorous essay, at least one and a half pages in length. Read over your personal list of funny words, quirks, the exaggerated situation, the opposite traits, and the metaphor or simile.

Do any of those give you an idea for a story or essay?

If not, you may choose one of the following titles as your springboard into humor. Have fun with it! “The Amazing Friendship of Two Extreme Opposites” “Wait Till You Hear What Happened to Me” “When Bragging Led to Embarrassment” “How Not to Open a Pickle Jar” “The Art of Turning Red” “The Day Pigs Flew”

Lesson
Wrap-Up: It could be said that writing humorously is serious business. Just be- cause the result is funny does not mean that it is easy to do. Even so, try to enjoy the process. Exaggeration can be fun. Using creative language can be fun. Your words are the tools that craft the jokes. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 9—3

Metaphors Practice Worksheet

Select the choice that explains the meaning of the metaphor.

Mary is the sunshine of my life; she means everything to me.

A. Mary is important to me. B. Mary is yellow. C. Mary is standing on the roof.

Tom is my life.

A. Tom is important. B. Tom doesn’t matter. C. Tom is a cat. SAMPLE

The stars were jewels in the night sky.

A. The stars are not out tonight. B. The stars were bright and sparkling. C. The stars are expensive.

The lady was a drifter, never staying too long in one place.

A. The lady was young. B. The lady traveled from place to place. C. The lady drifts in the sea.

The children were fish in the water, having grown up on a lake.

A. The children were poor swimmers. B. The children loved the water and swam well. C. The children were on a cruise. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 10—1

Lesson 10 Vocabulary Assessment—List Two Revising Humorous Writing

You will begin this Lesson by completing the Vocabulary Assessment, which will test your memory of the words in List Two. As your teacher reads each sentence aloud, write in the correct Vocabulary word in the blank.

After finishing the Assessment, take out your humorous writing. If it is not complete, discuss with your teacher what you were able to do and where you need support. If it is a complete rough draft, look at it while measuring it against the Six-point Rubric with your teacher. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 10—2

Six-point Rubric Score 6 v Any errors in the text are insignificant. v The use of grammar and spelling bring out the meaning and voice. v The writer uses a variety of literary techniques and conventions to bring out the meaning. v The writer shows control of the conventions for the grade level. v The writing is ready for publishing.

Score 5 v There are a few errors, but they do not affect the clarity of the piece. v The writer uses conventions to enhance the piece. v The writer has control of the conventions used according to grade level. v The piece is ready for publishing after a few minor corrections. Score 4 SAMPLE v Errors are noticeable but do not impede the meaning. v The writer makes the piece readable. v The writer has control of conventions more often than not. v The final edit is needed for publishing. v Errors are noticeable but do not impede the meaning. v The writer makes the piece readable. v The writer has control of conventions more often than not. v The final edit is needed for publishing.

Score 3 v Errors slow the reader down though it is possible to determine the message. v Though many conventions are used correctly, the errors are serious enough to affect readability. v The writer knows the grammar and terms, but cannot yet use them effectively. v Thorough editing is required for publishing.

Score 2 v Many errors make reading a chore. v Some parts are done correctly, but serious errors impair readability. v The writer knows some conventions, but is not in control of them. v Line-by-line editing is required.

Score 1 v Serious, frequent errors in sentence structure, grammar, and organization make reading the text a chore. v The reader must search to find things done correctly. v The writer is not in control of most conventions. v Careful, word-by-word editing is required. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 10—3

Vocabulary AssessmentList Two

1. Our new ______has a virus and I am unable to get online.

2. In ______, I wish to invite all of you to the celebration

of our success.

3. It is extremely important that your ______is

exemplary when we visit the museum.

4. The ______of your poor choices mean no free time online today. 5. The ______ofSAMPLE this project shows great thought and

knowledge of your subject.

6. The person who purchases goods is considered a ______.

7. Your ______is excellent due to paying your bills on time.

8. The ______center downtown is educational experience for all

who see it.

9. The ______of your cartoon needs to lead the writer to an

understanding of your message.

10. There is great ______in being part of a service

project where you help other people.

11. The ______of your writing will be done by you and your instructor.

12. The main ______in a cartoon are originality,

creativity and humor.

13. The ______Assessment of your success will come at

the end of your course work. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 10—4

14. Keeping a ______in your writing is like keeping a spot

light on the star in a play

15. The ______of not studying is failure.

16. The ______to his eye made it impossible for him to earn a driving license.

17. There are many kinds of ______for learning.

18. The ______of time studying will guarantee educational success.

19. There are many ______on the table.

20. Keeping a ______during a vacation will provide you a resource

for reliving SAMPLEthe memory of an experience.

How did you do?

Take pride in the parts you were successful in creating; they are your stars. All writers need to revise what they write the first time. Most important is a clear message and, in this case, a try at making your reader laugh

Your Rubric score will show you the improvements you will need to work on with this piece of writing. Take the rest of this period to work on the final copy of your humorous writing. Perhaps you would like to draw an illustration for your writing.

Lesson
WrapUp: Review the rubric to better understand the distinctions between excellent and not acceptable work. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 11—1

Lesson 11 Vocabulary List•••• Three

In this Lesson, you will be introduced to Vocabulary List Three. You are to write the words in your Vocabulary notebook.

It is important that you recognize the words when reading so you understand their meanings.

Find a short definition for each word and the part of speech. For all of the nouns, draw an illustration of the word to help you remember what the word is and what it means.

Study these words so you will be ready for the Vocabulary BTTFTTNFOU

 justification SAMPLE layer link location maximum minorities negative outcome partnership philosophy physical proportion published reaction registered reliance STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 11—2

removed schema sequence specified sufficient task technical techniques technology SAMPLE validity volume

For the remainder of this Lesson, do a quick write in your journal about what you have read during the past nine Lessons. A quick write means the writing piece is for expressing thoughts, information and ideas, not for formal publishing.

Include 5 to 10 facts about cartoon history, drawing a cartoon, writing humor, writing ele- ments and conflict in story plots. Look back at your completed Lessons to stimulate your memory if necessary. Turn in your journal to your teacher for Bssessment.

Lesson Wrap-up: There is a maxim which says, “Variety is the spice of life.” What do you think that means? Do you agree or disagree with that philosophy? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 12—1

Lesson 12 Early American Culture The Ballad of John Henry

We are in the st century. How long has America been a country? What do you know about the people who immigrated to the Americas to form the early colonies?

Knowing why they came to America may be a clue to what they believed in and what their values were. Make a list of the things you know about Early American culture and a list of things you would like to learn.

Place your information in the KWL Chart below.

Put the things you know in the “What I Know” box. Put the things you want to know in the “What I Want to Find Out” box, and the things you learned in the “What I Learned” box. Do you think SAMPLEyou could find the information you want to learn?

KWL CHART What I Know (K) What I want to find out What I Learned (L) (W)

Before you begin your independent work of researching, read about the oral tradition that came before the written word. Understand the oral tradition. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 12—2

The Ballad of John Henry

John Henry was written as a ballad. It was sung long before it was written down. Part of the oral tradition was passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Usually a ballad is more effective when it is heard than when it is read silently. This is especially true when the ballad is written in dialect.

One of the following stanzas is written in dialect, the other in standard English. Read each stanza silently and then aloud quietly to yourself.

Cap’n says to John Henry, “gonna bring me a steam drill ‘round
Gonna take that steam drill out on the job,
Gonna whop that steel on down, Lawd, Lawd, gonna whop that steel on down.”

The captain said toSAMPLE John Henry, “I’m going to bring a steam drill around, I’m going to put that drill out on the job, Going to drive that steel into the ground, Lord, Lord, going to drive that steel into the ground.”

Which stanza is easier to read silently?

Which stanza sounds better read aloud?

In what way does the dialect add to the flavor and effectiveness of the ballad?

8IP
XBT John Henry.

What did he do?

Where does the dialect come from?

Now take some time to research information about how the culture of the countries of the pioneers influenced the early writers of the early 1800’s. Find out what countries sent immigrants to North America. Find out the religious and political beliefs of the early settlers. What sorts of professions did the settlers have? Why did they come to the New World and what did they expect to accomplish?

Lesson Wrap-up: Reading and learning about long-ago characters – real and fictional – from American history tells us a lot about the people who came before us. The values, the traits, and the activities of American folk heroes reflect the values, traits, and activities of early Americans. Do you see how they shaped the future? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—1

Lesson 13 Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving is a famous American short story published in 1819. It is the story of a man who fell asleep and woke up 20 years later. Imagine what a strange and unnerving experience that would be.

Because the story was written so long ago, the language may seem unusual to you. It may be helpful if you read the story aloud with your teacher. A list of Vocabulary words is given to help you with understanding the story. chivalrous: adj courteous martial: adj suitableSAMPLE for war domestic: adj of home and family obliging: adj feeling a need to repay a favor keener: adj sharp, clear understanding wistfully: adj wishing for something; thinking about having majestic: adj royal, awesome, grand incomprehensible: adj not able to totally understand something evidently: adj clear, obvious melancholy: adj not happy, sad or mournful

About the author: Washington Irving lived from 1783 to 1859 and was the first author to gain fame in both Europe and America. He created Rip Van Winkle from a tale he heard in Germany. He changed the setting to America in the Catskill Mountains, which is spelled Kaatskill, in the story. Irving created a magical quality from a strange old folk tale passed down from generation to generation for fascinated listeners.

Time and change: In this story, the change of time affects the characters and setting dramatically. Changes in the setting over time are especially important to the story as a whole.

Prewriting: In your notebook, write about a place with which you are very familiar. Use as many details as you can so a reader can picture your special place. Now, use your imagination to create a vision of what that same place will look like many years from now. Consider describing a playground, your own bedroom, or a favorite vacation place. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—2

Focus reading: As you read, try to picture the setting of the story. Look for the details of the Catskill Mountains as they are described. Keep this question in mind: “How does the setting change as time passes?” Be an active reader. Question, predict, clarify and summarize.

Writing Activity

After you have competed the reading, imagine you fall asleep for a long period of time. What changes might you find in your neighborhood when you awaken? Write your comparison to “old” and “new”. OR, let us say you fall asleep NOW and sleep for twenty years. What do you think your NEW world would look like? Can you draw a picture of your future world? SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—3

Rip Van Winkle Story Questions

Recognize the changes in the passage of time: What historical and political changes took place during the “long” sleep? What were the signs of these changes?

SAMPLE

How does the local inn reflect the political and social changes that occurred while Rip was
BTMFFQ

What changes occurred in Rip Van Winkle’s personal life? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—4

When he awoke what changes did he see in the woods?

SAMPLE How is his home different? Speculate on how Rip felt about his status as a widower.

Identify the following characters: Dame Van Winkle, Judity Gardenier, Nicholas Vedder, Wolf, Derrick Van Bummell. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—5

Lesson Wrap-up: The idea of time travel or skipping around in time is intriguing. Some- times people think about going back in time; other times they think about moving into the future. That is what Rip did. It does not sound altogether comfortable, but in the end, it seems to have worked out for Rip.

In our world, changes are occurring at a lightning pace. Think about the world of 20 years ago. Find 20 inventions or new technologies that exist today which did not exist 20 years ago.

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—6

Rip Van Winkle By Washington Irving

Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill Mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swell- ing up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but sometimes when the rest of the landscape is cloudless they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.

At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle-roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonistsSAMPLE in the early time of the province, just about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant (may he rest in peace!), and there were some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed windows and gable fronts, surmounted with weathercocks.

In that same village, and in one of these very houses (which, to tell the precise truth, was sadly time- worn and weather-beaten), there lived many years since, while the country was yet a province of Great Britain, a simple, good-natured fellow, of the name of Rip Van Winkle. He was a descendant of the Van Winkles who figured so gallantly in the chivalrous days of Peter Stuyvesant, and accompanied him to the siege of Fort Christina. He inherited, however, but little of the martial character of his ancestors. I have observed that he was a simple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor, and an obedient henpecked husband.

Indeed, to the latter circumstance might be owing that meekness of spirit which gained him such universal popularity; for those men are most apt to be obsequious and conciliating abroad, who are under the discipline of shrews at home. Their tempers, doubtless, are rendered pliant and malleable in the fiery furnace of domestic tribulation; and a curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. A termagant wife may, therefore, in some respects be considered a tolerable blessing, and if so, Rip Van Winkle was thrice blessed.

Certain it is, that he was a great favorite among all the good wives of the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all family squabbles; and never failed, whenever they talked those matters over in their evening gossipings, to lay all the blame on Dame Van Winkle. The children of the village, too, would shout with joy whenever he approached. He assisted at their sports, made their play- things, taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories of ghosts, witches, and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the village, he was surrounded by a troop of them hanging on his skirts, clambering on his back, and playing a thousand tricks on him with impunity; and not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighborhood.

The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor. It could not be from the want of assiduity or perseverance; for he would sit on a wet rock, with a rod as long and heavy as a Tartar’s lance, and fish all day without a murmur, even though he should not be STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—7

encouraged by a single nibble. He would carry a fowling-piece on his shoulder for hours together, trudg- ing through woods and swamps, and up hill and down dale, to shoot a few squirrels or wild pigeons. He would never refuse to assist a neighbor, even in the roughest toil, and was a foremost man at all country frolics for husking Indian corn, or building stone-fences; the women of the village, too, used to employ him to run their errands, and to do such little odd jobs as their less obliging husbands would not do for them. In a word, Rip was ready to attend to anybody’s business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.

In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country; everything about it went wrong, and would go wrong, in spite of him. His fences were continually falling to pieces; his cow would either go astray or get among the cabbages; weeds were sure to grow quicker in his fields than anywhere else; the rain always made a point of setting in just as he had some out-door work to do; so that though his patrimonial estate had dwindled away under his man- agement, acre by acre, until there was little more left than a mere patch of Indian corn and potatoes, yet it was the worst-conditioned farm in the neighborhood. His children, too,SAMPLE were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody. His son Rip, an urchin begotten in his own likeness, promised to inherit the habits, with the old clothes of his father. He was generally seen trooping like a colt at his mother’s heels, equipped in a pair of his father’s cast-off galli- gaskins, which he had much ado to hold up with one hand, as a fine lady does her train in bad weather.

Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in perfect contentment; but his wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family. Morning, noon, and night her tongue was incessantly going, and everything he said or did was sure to produce a torrent of household eloquence. Rip had but one way of replying to all lectures of the kind, and that, by frequent use, had grown into a habit. He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing. This, however, always provoked a fresh volley from his wife; so that he was fain to draw off his forces, and take to the outside of the house—the only side which, in truth, belongs to a henpecked husband.

Rip’s sole domestic adherent was his dog Wolf, who was as much henpecked as his master; for Dame Van Winkle regarded them as companions in idleness, and even looked upon Wolf with an evil eye, as the cause of his master’s going so often astray. True it is, in all points of spirit befitting an honorable dog, he was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods—but what courage can withstand the ever-during and all-besetting terrors of a woman’s tongue? The moment Wolf entered the house his crest fell, his tail drooped to the ground, or curled between his legs; he sneaked about with a gallows air, casting many a sidelong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and at the least flourish of a broomstick or ladle he would fly to the door with yelping precipitation.

Times grew worse and worse with Rip Van Winkle as years of matrimony rolled on; a tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. For a long while he used to console himself, when driven from home, by frequenting a kind of perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle personages of the village, which held its sessions on a bench before a small inn, designated by a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George the Third. Here they used to sit in the shade through a long lazy summer’s day, talking listlessly over village gossip, or telling endless sleepy stories about nothing. But it would have been worth any statesman’s money to have heard the pro- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—8

found discussions that sometimes took place, when by chance an old newspaper fell into their hands from some passing tranquil. How solemnly they would listen to the contents, as drawled out by Derrick Van Bummel, the schoolmaster, a dapper, learned little man, who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary; and how sagely they would deliberate upon public events some months after they had taken place.

The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas Vedder, a patriarch of the village, and landlord of the inn, at the door of which he took his seat from morning till night, just moving suf- ficiently to avoid the sun and keep in the shade of a large tree; so that the neighbors could tell the hour by his movements as accurately as by a sun-dial. It is true he was rarely heard to speak, but smoked his pipe incessantly. His adherents, however (for every great man has his adherents), perfectly understood him, and knew how to gather his opinions. When anything that was read or related displeased him, he was observed to smoke his pipe vehemently, and to send forth short, frequent and angry puffs; but when pleased, he would inhale the smoke slowly and tranquilly, and emit it in light and placid clouds; and sometimes, taking the pipe from his mouth, and letting the fragrant vapor curl about his nose, would gravely nod his head inSAMPLE token of perfect approbation. From even this stronghold the unlucky Rip was at length routed by his termagant wife, who would suddenly break in upon the tranquility of the assemblage and call the members all to naught; nor was that august personage, Nicholas Vedder himself, sacred from the daring tongue of this terrible virago, who charged him outright with encouraging her husband in habits of idleness.

Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods. Here he would sometimes seat himself at the foot of a tree, and share the contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom he sympathized as a fellow-sufferer in persecution. “Poor Wolf,” he would say, “thy mistress leads thee a dog’s life of it; but never mind, my lad, whilst I live thou shalt never want a friend to stand by thee!” Wolf would wag his tail, look wistfully in his master’s face, and if dogs can feel pity, I verily believe he reciprocated the sentiment with all his heart.

In a long ramble of the kind on a fine autumnal day, Rip had unconsciously scrambled to one of the highest parts of the Kaatskill Mountains. He was after his favorite sport of squirrel shooting, and the still solitudes had echoed and re-echoed with the reports of his gun.

Panting and fatigued, he threw himself, late in the afternoon, on a green knoll, covered with mountain herbage that crowned the brow of a precipice. From an opening between the trees he could overlook all the lower country for many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly Hudson, far, far below him, moving on its silent but majestic course, with the reflection of a purple cloud, or the sail of a lagging bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom, and at last losing itself in the blue highlands.

On the other side he looked down into a deep mountain glen, wild, lonely, and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending cliffs, and scarcely lighted by the reflected rays of the setting sun.

For some time Rip lay musing on this scene; evening was gradually advancing, the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys; he saw that it would be dark long before he could reach the village, and he heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of encountering the terrors of Dame Van Winkle. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—9

As he was about to descend, he heard a voice from a distance, hallooing, “Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!” He looked round, but could see nothing but a crow winging its solitary flight across the moun- tain. He thought his fancy must have deceived him, and turned again to descend, when he heard the same cry ring through the still evening air: “Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!”—at the same time Wolf bristled up his back, and giving a low growl, skulked to his master’s side, looking fearfully down into the glen. Rip now felt a vague apprehension stealing over him; he looked anxiously in the same direction, and perceived a strange figure slowly toiling up the rocks, and bending under the weight of something he carried on his back. He was surprised to see any human being in this lonely and unfrequented place; but supposing it to be some one of the neighborhood in need of his assistance, he hastened down to yield it.

On nearer approach he was still more surprised at the singularity of the stranger’s appearance. He was a short, square-built old fellow, with thick bushy hair, and a grizzled beard. His dress was of the antique Dutch fashion: a cloth jerkin strapped round the waist, several pairs of breeches, the outer one of ample volume, decorated with rows of buttons down the sides, and bunches at the knees. He bore on his shoulder a stout keg, that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to approach and assist him with the load. Though rather shy and distrustful of this new acquaintance, Rip complied with his usual alacrity; and mutuallySAMPLE relieving one another, they clambered up a narrow gully, apparently the dry bed of a mountain torrent. As they ascended, Rip every now and then heard long rolling peals like distant thunder that seemed to issue out of a deep ravine, or rather cleft, between lofty rocks, toward which their rugged path conducted. He paused for a moment, but supposing it to be the muttering of one of those transient thunder-showers which often take place in mountain heights, he proceeded. Passing through the ravine, they came to a hollow, like a small amphitheatre, surrounded by perpendicular precipices, over the brinks of which impending trees shot their branches, so that you only caught glimpses of the azure sky and the bright evening cloud. During the whole time Rip and his companion had labored on in silence; for though the former tranquil greatly what could be the object of carrying a keg of liquor up this wild mountain, yet there was something strange and incomprehensible about the unknown, that inspired awe and checked familiarity.

On entering the amphitheatre, new objects of wonder presented themselves. On a level spot in the center was a company of odd-looking personages playing at ninepins. They were dressed in a quaint outlandish fashion; some wore short doublets, others jerkins, with long knives in their belts, and most of them had enormous breeches of similar style with that of the guide’s. Their visages, too, were peculiar; one had a large beard, broad face, and small piggish eyes; the face of another seemed to consist entirely of nose, and was surmounted by a white sugar-loaf hat, set off with a little red cock’s tail. They all had beards, of various shapes and colors. There was one who seemed to be the commander. He was a stout old gentle- man, with a weather-beaten countenance; he wore a laced doublet, broad belt and hanger, high-crowned hat and feather, red stockings, and high-heeled shoes, with roses in them. The whole group reminded Rip of the figures in an old Flemish painting in the parlor of Dominie Van Shaick, the village parson, which had been brought over from Holland at the time of the settlement.

What seemed particularly odd to Rip was, that though these folks were evidently amusing themselves, yet they maintained the gravest faces, the most mysterious silence, and were, withal, the most melancholy party of pleasure he had ever witnessed. Nothing interrupted the stillness of the scene but the noise of the balls, which, whenever they were rolled, echoed along the mountains like rumbling peals of thunder.

As Rip and his companion approached them, they suddenly desisted from their play, and stared at him with such, fixed, statue-like gaze, and such strange, uncouth, lack-lustre countenances, that his heart turned within him, and his knees smote together. His companion now emptied the contents of the keg STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—10

into large flagons, and made signs to him to wait upon the company. He obeyed with fear and trembling; they quaffed the liquor in profound silence, and then returned to their game.

By degrees Rip’s awe and apprehension subsided. He even ventured, when no eye was fixed upon him, to taste the beverage, which he found had much of the flavor of excellent Hollands. He was naturally a thirsty soul, and was soon tempted to repeat the draught. One taste provoked another; and he reiterated his visits to the flagon so often that at length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head, his head gradually declined, and he fell into a deep sleep.

On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes—it was a bright, sunny morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze.

“Surely,” thought Rip, “I have not slept here all night.” He recalled the occurrences before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor—the mountain ravine—the wild retreat among the rocks—the woe-begone party at ninepins—the flagon—“Oh! That flagon! That wicked flagon!” thought Rip—“what excuse shallSAMPLE I make to Dame Van Winkle?” He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean, well-oiled fowling-piece, he found an old fire- lock lying by him, the barrel incrusted with rust, the lock falling off, and the stock worm-eaten. He now suspected that the grave roisterers of the mountain had put a trick upon him, and, having dosed him with liquor, had robbed him of his gun.

Wolf, too, had disappeared, but he might have strayed away after a squirrel or partridge. He whistled after him, and shouted his name, but all in vain; the echoes repeated his whistle and shout, but no dog was to be seen.

He determined to revisit the scene of the last evening’s gambol, and if he met with any of the party, to demand his dog and gun. As he rose to walk, he found himself stiff in the joints, and wanting in his usual activity. “These mountain beds do not agree with me,” thought Rip, “and if this frolic should lay me up with a fit of the rheumatism, I shall have a blessed time with Dame Van Winkle.” With some difficulty he got down into the glen; he found the gully up which he and his companion has ascended the preceding evening; but to his astonishment a mountain stream was now foaming down it, leaping from rock to rock, and filling the glen with babbling murmurs. He, however, made shift to scramble up its sides, working his toilsome way through thickets of birch, sassafras, and witch-hazel, and sometimes tripped up or entangled by the wild grapevines that twisted their coils or tendrils from tree to tree, and spread a kind of network in his path.

At length he reached to where the ravine had opened through the cliffs to the amphitheatre; but no traces of such opening remained. The rocks presented a high, impenetrable wall, over which the torrent came tumbling in a sheet of feathery foam, and fell into a broad, deep basin, black from the shadows of the surrounding forest. Here, then, poor Rip was brought to a stand. He again called and whistled after his dog; he was only answered by the cawing of a flock of idle crows, sporting high in air about a dry tree that overhung a sunny precipice; and who, secure in their elevation, seemed to look down and scoff at the poor man’s perplexities. What was to be done the morning was passing away, and Rip felt famished for want of his breakfast. He grieved to give up his dog and gun; he dreaded to meet his wife; but it would not do to starve among the mountains. He shook his head, shouldered the rusty firelock, and, with a heart full of trouble and anxiety, turned his steps homeward. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—11

As he approached the village he met a number of people, but none whom he knew, which somewhat surprised him, for he had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country round. Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all stared at him with equal marks of surprise, and whenever they cast their eyes upon him, invariably stroked their chins. The con- stant recurrence of this gesture induced Rip, involuntarily, to do the same, when, to his astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long!

He had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop of strange children ran at his heels, hooting after him, and pointing at his gray beard. The dogs, too, not one of which he recognized for an old acquaintance, barked at him as he passed. The very village was altered; it was larger and more populous. There were rows of houses which he had never seen before, and those which had been his familiar haunts had disappeared. Strange names were over the doors—strange faces at the windows—everything was strange. His mind now misgave him; he began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched.

Surely this was his native village, which he had left but the day before. There stood the Kaatskill Mountains—there ranSAMPLE the silver Hudson at a distance—there was every hill and dale precisely as it had always been—Rip was sorely perplexed—“That flagon last night,” thought he, “has addled my poor head sadly!”

It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own house, which he approached with silent awe, expecting every moment to hear the shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay—the roof fallen in, the windows shattered, and the doors off the hinges. A half-starved dog that looked like Wolf was skulking about it. Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed—“My very dog,” sighed poor Rip, “has forgotten me!”

He entered the house, which, to tell the truth, Dame Van Winkle had always kept in neat order. It was empty, forlorn, and apparently abandoned. This desolateness overcame all his connubial fears—he called loudly for his wife and children—the lonely chambers rang for a moment with his voice, and then again all was silence.

He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the village inn—but it, too, was gone. A large, rickety wooden building stood in its place, with great gaping windows, some of them broken and mended with old hats and petticoats, and over the door was painted, “The Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle.” Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of stars and stripes—all this was strange and incomprehensible. He recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a tranquil, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL WASHINGTON.

There was, as usual, a crowd of folk about the door, but none that Rip recollected. The very character of the people seemed changed. There was a busy, bustling, disputatious tone about it, instead of the accustomed phlegm and drowsy tranquility. He looked in vain for the sage Nicholas Vedder, with his broad face, double chin, and fair long pipe, uttering clouds of tobacco-smoke instead of idle speeches; or Van Bummel, the schoolmaster, doling forth the contents of an ancient newspaper. In place of these, a lean, bilious-looking fellow, with his pockets full of hand-bills, was haranguing vehemently about rights STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—12

of citizens —elections—members of congress—liberty—Bunker’s Hill—heroes of seventy-six—and other words, which were a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winkle.

The appearance of Rip, with his long grizzled beard, his rusty fowling-piece, his uncouth dress, and an army of women and children at his heels, soon attracted the attention of the tavern-politicians. They crowded round him, eying him from head to foot with great curiosity. The orator bustled up to him, and, drawing him partly aside, inquired “on which side he voted?” Rip stared in vacant stupidity. Another short but busy little fellow pulled him by the arm, and, rising on tiptoe, inquired in his ear, “Whether he was Federal or Democrat?” Rip was equally at a loss to comprehend the question; when a knowing, self-important old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his way through the crowd, putting them to the right and left with his elbows as he passed, and planting himself before Van Winkle, with one arm akimbo, the other resting on his cane, his keen eyes and sharp hat penetrating, as it were, into his very soul, demanded in an austere tone, “what brought him to the election with a gun on his shoulder, and a mob at his heels, and whether he meant to breed a riot in the village?”—“Alas! Gentlemen,” cried Rip, somewhat dismayed, “I am a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject of the king, God bless him!” SAMPLE Here a general shout burst from the bystanders—“A tory! A tory! A spy! A refugee! Hustle him! Away with him!” It was with great difficulty that the self-important man in the cocked hat restored order; and, having assumed a tenfold austerity of brow, demanded again of the unknown culprit what he came there for, and whom he was seeking? The poor man humbly assured him that he meant no harm, but merely came there in search of some of his neighbors, who used to keep about the tavern.

“Well—who are they?—name them.”

Rip bethought himself a moment, and inquired, “Where’s Nicholas Vedder?”

There was a silence for a little while, when an old man replied, in a thin, piping voice: “Nicholas Vedder! Why, he is dead and gone these eighteen years! There was a wooden tombstone in the church- yard that used to tell all about him, but that’s rotten and gone too.”

“Where’s Brom Dutcher?”

“Oh, he went off to the army in the beginning of the war; some say he was killed at the storming of Stony Point—others say he was drowned in a squall at the foot of Antony’s Nose. I don’t know—he never came back again.”

“Where’s Van Bummel, the schoolmaster?”

“He went off to the wars too, was a great militia general, and is now in Congress.”

Rip’s heart died away at hearing of these sad changes in his home and friends, and finding himself thus alone in the world. Every answer puzzled him too, by treating of such enormous lapses of time, and of matters which he could not understand: war—Congress—Stony Point; he had no courage to ask after any more friends, but cried out in despair, “Does nobody here know Rip Van Winkle?”

“Oh, Rip Van Winkle!” exclaimed two or three. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—13

“Oh, to be sure! That’s Rip Van Winkle yonder, leaning against the tree.” Rip looked, and beheld a precise counterpart of himself, as he went up the mountain: apparently as lazy, and certainly as ragged. The poor fellow was now completely confounded. He doubted his own identity, and whether he was himself or another man. In the midst of his bewilderment, the man in the cocked hat demanded who he was, and what was his name?

“God knows,” exclaimed he, at his wit’s end; “I’m not myself—I’m somebody else—that’s me yonder—no—that’s somebody else got into my shoes—I was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and they’ve changed my gun, and everything’s changed, and I’m changed, and I can’t tell what’s my name, or who I am!”

The bystanders began now to look at each other, nod, wink significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads. There was a whisper, also, about securing the gun, and keeping the old fellow from do- ing mischief, at the very suggestion of which the self-important man in the cocked hat retired with some precipitation. At this critical moment a fresh, comely woman pressed through the throng to get a peep at the gray-bearded man. She had a chubby child in her arms, which, frightened at his looks, began to cry. “Hush, Rip,” cried she,SAMPLE “hush, you little fool; the old man won’t hurt you.” The name of the child, the air of the mother, the tone of her voice, all awakened a train of recollections in his mind. “What is your name, my good woman?” asked he.

“Judith Gardenier.”

“And your father’s name?”

“Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it’s twenty years since he went away from home with his gun, and never has been heard of since,--his dog came home without him; but whether he shot himself or was carried away by the Indians, nobody can tell. I was then but a little girl.”

Rip had but one question more to ask; and he put it with a faltering voice:--“Where’s your mother?”

“Oh, she too had died but a short time since; she broke a blood-vessel in a fit of passion at a New England peddler.”

There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelligence. The honest man could contain himself no longer. He caught his daughter and her child in his arms. “I am your father!” cried he—“Young Rip Van Winkle once—old Rip Van Winkle now! Does nobody know poor Rip Van Winkle?”

All stood amazed, until an old woman, tottering out from among the crowd, put her hand to her brow, and peering under it in his face for a moment, exclaimed, “Sure enough it is Rip Van Winkle—it is himself! Welcome home again, old neighbor—Why, where have you been these twenty long years?”

Rip’s story was soon told, for the whole twenty years had been to him but as one night. The neighbors stared when they heard it; some were seen to wink at each other, and put their tongues in their cheeks; and the self-important man in the cocked hat, who, when the alarm was over, had returned to the field, screwed down the corners of his mouth, and shook his head—upon which there was a general shaking of the head throughout the assemblage.

It was determined, however, to take the opinion of old Peter Vanderdonk, who was seen slowly STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 13—14

advancing up the road. He was a descendant of the historian of that name, who wrote one of the earliest accounts of the province. Peter was the most ancient inhabitant of the village, and well versed in all the wonderful events and traditions of the neighborhood. He recollected Rip at once, and corroborated his story in the most satisfactory manner. He assured the company that it was a fact, handed down from his ancestor the historian, that the Kaatskill Mountains had always been haunted by strange beings. That it was affirmed that the great Hendrick Hudson, the first discoverer of the river and country, kept a kind of vigil there every twenty years, with his crew of the Half-moon; being permitted in this way to revisit the scenes of his enterprise, and keep a guardian eye upon the river and the great city called by his name. That his father had once seen them in their old Dutch dresses playing at ninepins in a hollow of the mountain; and that he himself had heard, one summer afternoon, the sound of their balls like distant peals of thunder.

To make a long story short, the company broke up and returned to the more important concerns of the election. Rip’s daughter took him home to live with her; she had a snug well-furnished house, and a stout cheery farmer for a husband, whom Rip recollected for one of the urchins that used to climb upon his back. As to Rip’s son and heir, who was the ditto of himself, seen leaning against the tree, he was employed to workSAMPLE on the farm; but evinced a hereditary disposition to attend to anything else but his business.

Rip now resumed his old walks and habits; he soon found many of his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time; and preferred making friends among the rising generation, with whom he soon grew into great favor.

Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived at that happy age when a man can be idle with impunity, he took his place once more on the bench at the inn door, and was reverenced as one of the pa- triarchs of the village, and a chronicle of the old times “before the war.” It was some time before he could get into the regular track of gossip, or could be made to comprehend the strange events that had taken place during his torpor. How that there had been a revolutionary war—that the country had thrown off the yoke of old England—and that, instead of being a subject of his Majesty George the Third, he was now a free citizen of the United States. Rip, in fact, was no politician; the changes of states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that was—petticoat government.

Happily that was at an end; he had got his neck out of the yoke of matrimony, and could go in and out whenever he pleased, without dreading the tyranny of Dame Van Winkle. Whenever her name was mentioned, however, he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and cast up his eyes, which might pass either for an expression of resignation to his fate, or joy at his deliverance.

He used to tell his story to every stranger that arrived at Mr. Doolittle’s hotel. He was observed, at first, to vary on some points every time he told it, which was, doubtless, owing to his having so recently awaked. It at last settled down precisely to the tale I have related, and not a man, woman, or child in the neighborhood but knew it by heart. Some always pretended to doubt the reality of it, and insisted that Rip had been out of his head, and that this was one point on which he always remained flighty. The old Dutch inhabitants, however, almost universally gave it full credit. Even to this day they never hear a thunder- storm of a summer afternoon about the Kaatskill, but they say Hendrick Hudson and his crew are at their game of ninepins; and it is a common wish of all henpecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle’s flagon. STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 14—2

Lesson 14 American and World Folklore Henry Hudson and the Catskill Gnomes Retold by S. E. Schlosser

In Lesson 13 you read Rip Van Winkle and contemplated the changes time makes. Washington Irving based the story on a German folk tale called Peter Klaus the Goatherd by J. C. C. Nachtigal. Stories and tales from around the world seem to follow similar themes.

Henry Hudson and the Catskill Gnomes is another story set in New York State which has slight connections to Rip Van Winkle. Read the story, then summarize it for your teacher. Folk tales are fun to read. Their wisdom is offered in a lighthearted manner. There is a sense of adventure and accomplishment that appeals to the reader. You are going to have an opportunity to SAMPLEcompare some folk tales from around the world to Rip Van Winkle.

Use the Internet to locate the following three tales:

Peter Klaus the Goatherd by J. C. C. Nachtigal Honi M’agel, a Jewish folk tale Ranka, a third century Chinese tale retold by Lionel Giles in A Gallery of Chinese Immortals +HQU\+XGVRQDQGWKH&DWVNLOO*QRPHVUHWROGE\6(6FKORVVHU

Read each story

Summarize each story.

Write one paragraph describing similarities between the four stories, Rip Van Winkle, Peter Klaus the Goatherd, Honi M’agel, and Ranka. The paragraph should have a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence summing up your paragraph. Be sure to edit your paragraph for clarity, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. When you are finished with it, it should be your highest quality work.

Lesson Wrap-up: When studying world mythology, religion, or legends, it is often startling to learn how similar tales appear in various cultures scattered around the globe. What do you think that says about humankind? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 15—3

Lesson 15 Vocabulary Assessment—List Three Using Quotation Marks

It is now time to show you can remember the words by completing a test. You will match the word with a short definition. Write the number of the word next to the letter of the correct definition.

1. volume a.____ two or more working together

2. philosophy b.____ the result

3. validity c.____ the study of minds, thoughts

4. partnership d.____ the sound level 5. technologySAMPLE e.____ being logically sound 6. outcomes f.____ the study of tech

7. techniques g.____ single thickness of the same layer

8. negative h.____ the job

9. task i.____ the opposite of positive

10. minorities j.____ the way of doing something

11. sufficient k.____ the connector

12. maximum l. ____ following one thing after another

13. specified m.____ the largest amount

14. location n.____ defined clearly

15. sequence o.____ just enough

16. link p.____ where it is

17. scheme q.____ groups differing from the larger group

18. layer r.____ dependence or confidence

19. removed s.____ outline or model

20. justification t.____ to take away

21. reliance u.____ fact showing an action to be necessary

22. physical v.____ the finished product; printed STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 15—4

23. registered w.____ to respond

24. proportion x.____ the body

25. reaction y.____ portion in relation to the whole

26. published z.____ to be official; recorded

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 15—5

“What did he say?”

Now it is time to write using quotation marks. You may have noticed when reading stories that there are quotation marks around the exact words of characters when they are speaking.

The rules for using quotation marks are:

When writing dialogue, begin a new paragraph with each change of speaker.

A direct quotation represents a person’s exact words or thoughts and is enclosed in quotation marks.


*G
ZPV
BSFOhU
VTJOH
UIF
XIPMF
RVPBUJPO
ZPV
QMBDF
FMMJQTJT
UISFF
EPUT BGUFS
UIF
MBTU
XPSE
UIBU
ZPV
VTFE
PG
UIF
RVPUBUJPO

An indirect quotation (not the exact words the person said) gives the general meaning of another person’s thoughtsSAMPLE with no quotation marks necessary. Always place a comma or a period inside the final quotation mark.

Imagine you are there when Rip Van Winkle wakes up in the woods OR when you wake up from your twenty year imagined sleep.

Write your conversation with the first person you see. If you choose the talking with Rip Van Winkle example, you are the first person he sees as he looks around and wonders what happened to him. Have a conversation with him using quotation marks around your exact words and his words. Your conversation should be at least one page long. Look at the example to help you get started.

Example: “Where am I?” asked Rip. “Who are you?” I asked. “What do you mean, who am I? Can’t you see, I am me?” “Uh, you look sort of different,” I retorted. “Where did this beard come from…where is my dog?”

Lesson Wrap-up: Punctuating quotations correctly is important. The commas and end marks go inside the end quotation mark. Correct punctuation helps your reader make sense of your writing. Punctuation marks serve as road signs to keep “traffic” flowing smoothly. Be sure to pay special attention to all punctuation Lessons as they will have great impact on the clarity of your writing.

PRINT STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 16—1

Lesson 16 Vocabulary List Four Frequently Misspelled Words

The object of this Lesson is to learn how to spell the words that are often misspelled. These words must be recognized for the letters and order of letters. You will not have to look up the definitions for these words; instead take the time to practice spelling these words. Using these words in writing will help you remember how to spell them correctly.

There are words that writers use often but are just as often misspelled. You will have until Lesson Twenty to practice the spelling of the words in writing. You will look at the word, say the word and use it in a sentence orally. Then you will group the words and see if you could use them in writing. Across: placed crosswise;SAMPLE over Again: anew

Allot (to allow for): give out; allow to have

Answer: a statement that is made in reply to a question or request

Appearance: outward aspect of a person or thing

Balloon: small thin inflatable rubber bag with narrow neck

Bureau: a unit of government or a piece of furniture with drawers

College: the body of faculty and students of a college; an institution of higher learning

Concede: be willing to give-up; acknowledge defeat

Cousin: the child or your aunt or uncle

Definite: precise; explicit and clearly defined

Does: verb forms are: did, done, doing, does; means engage in; get done; to act or perform an action

Embarrass: cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious

Exhilarate: fill with emotion; to enliven or invigorate or make cheerful

February: the month following January and preceding march

Forty: the cardinal number that is the product of ten and four

Half: one of two equal parts of a divisible whole

Interesting: be on the mind of; be of importance STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 16—2

Knowledge: the result of perception and learning and reasoning

Laugh: the sound of laughing; a humorous anecdote or remark

This is a partial list; there will be more lists in later Lessons.

Look over the list and see if you could write a narrative using all of these words. Have fun! Be as creative as possible.

Below is a sample beginning to your writing piece. Feel free to use it or start with some- thing of your own.

One February afternoon, my cousins and I were embarrassed by something silly we said out loud. It would notSAMPLE have been so bad except across the room from us sat our boyfriends…. Lesson Wrap-up: There are so many words in English that are NOT spelled as they sound. It makes it very confusing for writers. Be aware of words that give you trouble and practice them. Practice makes perfect!

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—1

Lesson 17 The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle

You are going to have an opportunity to improve your powers of deductive reasoning.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s, The Adventure of the Speckled Band is a classic story invoking de- ductive reasoning to solve the mystery. Doyle’s hero, Sherlock Holmes, is a master at using deductive powers to find solutions to mysteries. He is at his finest in this tale.

Follow the suggestions given below to guide your reading, understanding, and enjoy- ment of the story.

What to look for while reading: In the story The Adventure of the Speckled Band Sherlock Holmes, the main character (protagonist), is preventing Dr. Roylott, the minor character (antagonist),SAMPLE from achieving a goal. Which character achieves his goal? Look for the conflict between characters. Are the two characters equally matched in their skills of out-witting the other?

Reflect on the story: Who committed the crime? Why or how was Julia killed? How did Sherlock Holmes deduct the possible way that Julia dead? From reading the way this was solved, do you think you could solve a similar problem? If so, what would you need to know or discover in order to resolve the problem? Think of ways you can improve your powers of observation.

Explain: One of the elements in a story is conflict. Sometimes the conflict is within the character (deciding what do), or with other characters or situations. Conflict creates interest in a story since it makes us wonder who will win.

Learn: Characters in a story have different qualities, just as human beings have different qualities. The protagonist is the main character in a literary work. Normally the reader sympathizes with this character.

The antagonist is the character or force in the conflict with the main character. The struggle between the two creates the central conflict in the story.

Plot is the sequence of events in novels, short stories, dramas. The plot involves the two basic elements: characters and conflict.

In a mystery or science fiction story, the sequence must be orderly. Details are extremely important so the reader can try to discover or understand the movement of the plot. Suspense is developed with the order of the plot creating a point of climax. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—2

End goal:
After you read The Adventure of the Speckled Band, discuss the story with your teacher, and answer some written questions. Next, you will read some short stories and puzzles on the Internet which use deductive reasoning to solve the problem. When you have sufficient practice, using the examples from the Internet and from Sherlock Holmes, you will write a mystery which can be solved by using deductive reasoning. You will complete the mystery in Lesson 18.

Step 1 Brainstorm your idea or central conflict. Map your story. Who are the characters? What is the conflict? How will it be resolved? Where or when is the story set?

Step 2 Write a first draft.

Step 3 Reread the story toSAMPLE yourself out loud. Do you have enough detail? Does your writing read smoothly? Did you say what you wanted to say? Do you think it would be clear to another reader?

Your challenge is to revise that draft by changing words you used too often.

Did you write all of this in one long paragraph or did you have several paragraphs? Remember each paragraph expresses its own main idea with supporting details. If you used more than one paragraph did you use an effective transition phrase or words to move from one idea to another?

Now, have someone else read the story. Make changes as suggested.

Step Four: Rewrite the story with all conventions corrected. Illustrate or do a front page for your story.

All four steps of the writing process are necessary and work will be submitted for each step. Begin working on Step One. Steps Two and Three will be completed during Lesson 18. Step Four will be completed in Lesson 19.

Sherlock Holmes uses deductive reasoning to solve this mystery. He recognized the mud on Helen’s jacket indicated that she drove in a dogcart along a heavy road fresh with mud on her way to the train station. Only dogcarts throw up mud this way.

Think about how you have solved problems using deductive reasoning. Suppose you have two younger siblings, and a game in your room was moved and broken. How did you figure out which one may have done this? Perhaps you have watched a television show STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—3

that developed its story line on a mystery and you can figure out what happened before the end of the show. Being able to do that is using deductive reasoning.

Your teacher will give you some Internet web sites designed to improve your powers of deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the process of thinking or reasoning logically from given statements to a conclusion. Sherlock Holmes used Helen Stoner’s statements to come to a conclusion about how her sister was murdered.

Use the mysteries found on Internet sites to sharpen your power of deductive reasoning. Then, using one of the mysteries or puzzles you have solved as an example, create a deductive reasoning puzzle or mystery of your own. Write it carefully, being sure to give clues, but not solutions. Share your creation with your teacher and a peer. It will be fun to see if your readers can use their deductive reasoning to solve your puzzle.

Lesson Wrap-up: Reading a master story teller like Arthur Conan Doyle is always a pleasure. His logical and deductive style of problem solving always captures interest and challenges the reader to match his ability. Planning and writing your own mystery patterned on principlesSAMPLE of deductive reasoning will challenge you, also. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—4

The Speckled Band Story Questions

Write the number of the correct answer on each line.

____1. The crime committed in the story is

a. robbery b. arson c. murder

_____2. The victim is

a. Mrs. Hudson b. Helen Stoner c. Julia Stoner

_____3. The crime is committed with

a. a gum b. a loose snake c. a bomb _____4.SAMPLE The crime is committed because the person a. does not want to turn money over to the victim

b. is being blackmailed

c. wants vengeance for an injury

_____5. The crime takes place in

a. the sitting room b. a gypsy camp c. a bedroom

Match the correct conflict with the sentence that matches.

1. ___ Holmes intends to go to Stoke Moran 2. ___ Helen wants to marry 3. ___ An adder is loose in the room 4. ___ Helen locks herself in her room

5. ___ Helen thinks her sister’s death was murder

a. Holmes lights the lamp and lashes out with a cane b. Roylott tells Holmes to keep out of his affairs c. Wild animals roam on the estate d. Roylott wants to keep the entire legacy (money). e. Helen’s fiancé thinks she is imaging things STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—5

THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND By Sir Conan Doyle

On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic. Of all these varied cases, however, I cannot recall any which presented more singular features than that which was associated with the well-known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran. The events in question occurred in the early days of my association with Holmes, when we were sharing rooms as bachelors in Baker Street. It is possible that I might have placed them upon record before, but a promise of secrecy was made at the time, from which I have only been freed during the last month by the untimely death of the lady to whom the pledge was given. It is perhaps as well that the facts should now come to light, for I have reasons to know that there are widespread rumors as to the death of Dr. GrimesbySAMPLE Roylott which tend to make the matter even more terrible than the truth.

It was early in April in the year ’83 that I woke one morning to find Sherlock Holmes standing, fully dressed, by the side of my bed. He was a late riser, as a rule, and as the clock on the mantelpiece showed me that it was only a quarter-past seven, I blinked up at him in some surprise, and perhaps just a little resentment, for I was myself regular in my habits.

“Very sorry to knock you up, Watson,” said he, “but it’s the common lot this morning. Mrs. Hudson has been knocked up, she retorted upon me, and I on you.”

“What is it, then—a fire?”

“No; a client. It seems that a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement, who insists upon seeing me. She is waiting now in the sitting-room. Now, when young ladies wander about the metropolis at this hour of the morning, and knock sleepy people up out of their beds, I presume that it is something very pressing which they have to communicate. Should it prove to be an interesting case, you would, I am sure, wish to follow it from the outset. I thought, at any rate, that I should call you and give you the chance.”

“My dear fellow, I would not miss it for anything.”

I had no keener pleasure than in following Holmes in his professional investigations, and in admiring the rapid deductions, as swift as intuitions, and yet always founded on a logical basis with which he unraveled the problems which were submitted to him. I rapidly threw on my clothes and was ready in a few minutes to accompany my friend down to the sitting-room. A lady dressed in black and heavily veiled, who had been sitting in the window, rose as we entered.

“Good-morning, madam,” said Holmes cheerily. “My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my intimate friend and associate, Dr. Watson, before whom you can speak as freely as before myself. Ha! I am glad to see that Mrs. Hudson has had the good sense to light the fire. Pray draw up to it, and I shall order you a cup of hot coffee, for I observe that you are shivering.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—6

“It is not cold which makes me shiver,” said the woman in a low voice, changing her seat as requested.

“What, then?”

“It is fear, Mr. Holmes. It is terror.” She raised her veil as she spoke, and we could see that she was indeed in a pitiable state of agitation, her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal. Her features and figure were those of a woman of thirty, but her hair was shot with premature grey, and her expression was weary and haggard. Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive glances.

“You must not fear,” said he soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. “We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt. You have come in by train this morning, I see.”

“You know me, then?”

“No, but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station.” SAMPLE The lady gave a violent start and stared in bewilderment at my companion.

“There is no mystery, my dear madam,” said he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver.”

“Whatever your reasons may be, you are perfectly correct,” said she. “I started from home before six, reached Leatherhead at twenty past, and came in by the first train to Waterloo. Sir, I can stand this strain no longer; I shall go mad if it continues. I have no one to turn to—none, save only one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be of little aid. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you helped in the hour of her sore need. It was from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think that you could help me, too, and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness which surrounds me? At present it is out of my power to reward you for your services, but in a month or six weeks I shall be married, with the control of my own income, and then at least you shall not find me ungrateful.”

Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, drew out a small case-book, which he consulted.

“Farintosh,” said he. “Ah yes, I recall the case; it was concerned with an opal tiara. I think it was before your time, Watson. I can only say, madam, that I shall be happy to devote the same care to your case as I did to that of your friend. As to reward, my profession is its own reward; but you are at liberty to defray whatever expenses I may be put to, at the time which suits you best. And now I beg that you will lay before us everything that may help us in forming an opinion upon the matter.”

“Alas!” replied our visitor, “the very horror of my situation lies in the fact that my fears are so vague, and my suspicions depend so entirely upon small points, which might seem trivial to another, that even he to whom of all others I have a right to look for help and advice looks upon all that I tell him about it as the fancies of a nervous woman. He does not say so, but I can read it from his soothing answers and averted eyes. But I have heard, Mr. Holmes, that you can see deeply into the manifold wickedness of the human STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—7

heart. You may advise me how to walk amid the dangers which encompass me.”

“I am all attention, madam.”

“My name is Helen Stoner, and I am living with my stepfather, who is the last survivor of one of the oldest Saxon families in England, the Roylotts of Stoke Moran, on the western border of Surrey.”

Holmes nodded his head. “The name is familiar to me,” said he.

“The family was at one time among the richest in England, and the estates extended over the borders into Berkshire in the north, and Hampshire in the west. In the last century, however, four successive heirs were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition, and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the days of the Regency. Nothing was left save a few acres of ground, and the two-hundred-year-old house, which is itself crushed under a heavy mortgage. The last squire dragged out his existence there, living the horrible life of an aristocratic pauper; but his only son, my stepfather, seeing that he must adapt himself to the new conditions, obtained an advance from a relative, which enabled him to take a medical degree and went out to Calcutta, where, by his professional skill and his force of character, he established a large practice. In a fitSAMPLE of anger, however, caused by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house, he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence. As it was, he suffered a long term of imprisonment and afterwards returned to England a morose and disappointed man.

“When Dr. Roylott was in India he married my mother, Mrs. Stoner, the young widow of Major- General Stoner, of the Bengal Artillery. My sister Julia and I were twins, and we were only two years old at the time of my mother’s re-marriage. She had a considerable sum of money—not less than £1000 a year—and this she bequeathed to Dr. Roylott entirely while we resided with him, with a provision that a certain annual sum should be allowed to each of us in the event of our marriage. Shortly after our return to England my mother died—she was killed eight years ago in a railway accident near Crewe. Dr. Roylott then abandoned his attempts to establish himself in practice in London and took us to live with him in the old ancestral house at Stoke Moran. The money which my mother had left was enough for all our wants, and there seemed to be no obstacle to our happiness.

“But a terrible change came over our stepfather about this time. Instead of making friends and ex- changing visits with our neighbors, who had at first been overjoyed to see a Roylott of Stoke Moran back in the old family seat, he shut himself up in his house and seldom came out save to indulge in ferocious quarrels with whoever might cross his path. Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather’s case it had, I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics. A series of disgraceful brawls took place, two of which ended in the police-court, until at last he became the terror of the village, and the folks would fly at his approach, for he is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger.

“Last week he hurled the local blacksmith over a parapet into a stream, and it was only by paying over all the money which I could gather together that I was able to avert another public exposure. He had no friends at all save the wandering gypsies, and he would give these vagabonds leave to encamp upon the few acres of bramble-covered land which represent the family estate, and would accept in return the hospitality of their tents, wandering away with them sometimes for weeks on end. He has a passion also for Indian animals, which are sent over to him by a correspondent, and he has at this moment a cheetah and a baboon, which wander freely over his grounds and are feared by the villagers almost as much as their master. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—8

“You can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I had no great pleasure in our lives. No servant would stay with us, and for a long time we did all the work of the house. She was but thirty at the time of her death, and yet her hair had already begun to whiten, even as mine has.”

“Your sister is dead, then?”

“She died just two years ago, and it is of her death that I wish to speak to you. You can understand that, living the life which I have described, we were little likely to see anyone of our own age and position. We had, however, an aunt, my mother’s maiden sister, Miss Honoria Westphail, who lives near Harrow, and we were occasionally allowed to pay short visits at this lady’s house. Julia went there at Christmas two years ago, and met there a half-pay major of marines, to whom she became engaged. My stepfather learned of the engagement when my sister returned and offered no objection to the marriage; but within a fortnight of the day which had been fixed for the wedding, the terrible event occurred which has deprived me of my only companion.”

Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and his head sunk in a cushion, but he half openedSAMPLE his lids now and glanced across at his visitor. “Pray be precise as to details,” said he.

“It is easy for me to be so, for every event of that dreadful time is seared into my memory. The manor- house is, as I have already said, very old, and only one wing is now inhabited. The bedrooms in this wing are on the ground floor, the sitting-rooms being in the central block of the buildings. Of these bedrooms the first is Dr. Roylott’s, the second my sister’s, and the third my own. There is no communication between them, but they all open out into the same corridor. Do I make myself plain?”

“Perfectly so.”

“The windows of the three rooms open out upon the lawn. That fatal night Dr. Roylott had gone to his room early, though we knew that he had not retired to rest, for my sister was troubled by the smell of the strong Indian cigars which it was his custom to smoke. She left her room, therefore, and came into mine, where she sat for some time, chatting about her approaching wedding. At eleven o’clock she rose to leave me, but she paused at the door and looked back.

“ ‘Tell me, Helen,’ said she, ‘have you ever heard anyone whistle in the dead of the night?’

“ ‘Never,’ said I.

“ ‘I suppose that you could not possibly whistle, yourself, in your sleep?’

“ ‘Certainly not. But why?’

“ ‘Because during the last few nights I have always, about three in the morning, heard a low, clear whistle. I am a light sleeper, and it has awakened me. I cannot tell where it came from—perhaps from the next room, perhaps from the lawn. I thought that I would just ask you whether you had heard it.’

“ ‘No, I have not. It must be those wretched gypsies in the plantation.’

“ ‘Very likely. And yet if it were on the lawn, I wonder that you did not hear it also.’ STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—9

“ ‘Ah, but I sleep more heavily than you.’

“ ‘Well, it is of no great consequence, at any rate.’ She smiled back at me, closed my door, and a few moments later I heard her key turn in the lock.”

“Indeed,” said Holmes. “Was it your custom always to lock yourselves in at night?”

“Always.”

“And why?”

“I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetah and a baboon. We had no feeling of security unless our doors were locked.”

“Quite so. Pray proceed with your statement.”

“I could not sleepSAMPLE that night. A vague feeling of impending misfortune impressed me. My sister and I, you will recollect, were twins, and you know how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied. It was a wild night. The wind was howling outside, and the rain was beating and splash- ing against the windows. Suddenly, amid all the hubbub of the gale, there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman. I knew that it was my sister’s voice. I sprang from my bed, wrapped a shawl round me, and rushed into the corridor. As I opened my door I seemed to hear a low whistle, such as my sister described, and a few moments later a clanging sound, as if a mass of metal had fallen. As I ran down the passage, my sister’s door was unlocked, and revolved slowly upon its hinges. I stared at it horror-stricken, not knowing what was about to issue from it. By the light of the corridor-lamp I saw my sister appear at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping for help, her whole figure swaying to and fro like that of a drunkard. I ran to her and threw my arms round her, but at that moment her knees seemed to give way and she fell to the ground. She writhed as one who is in terrible pain, and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed. At first I thought that she had not recognized me, but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out in a voice which I shall never forget, ‘Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ There was something else which she would fain have said, and she stabbed with her finger into the air in the direction of the doctor’s room, but a fresh convulsion seized her and choked her words. I rushed out, calling loudly for my stepfather, and I met him hastening from his room in his dressing- gown. When he reached my sister’s side she was unconscious, and though he poured brandy down her throat and sent for medical aid from the village, all efforts were in vain, for she slowly sank and died without having recovered her consciousness. Such was the dreadful end of my beloved sister.”

“One moment,” said Holmes, “are you sure about this whistle and metallic sound? Could you swear to it?”

“That was what the county coroner asked me at the inquiry. It is my strong impression that I heard it, and yet, among the crash of the gale and the creaking of an old house, I may possibly have been deceived.”

“Was your sister dressed?”

“No, she was in her night-dress. In her right hand was found the charred stump of a match, and in her left a match-box.” “Showing that she had struck a light and looked about her when the alarm took place. That is STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—10

important. And what conclusions did the coroner come to?”

“He investigated the case with great care, for Dr. Roylott’s conduct had long been notorious in the county, but he was unable to find any satisfactory cause of death. My evidence showed that the door had been fastened upon the inner side, and the windows were blocked by old-fashioned shutters with broad iron bars, which were secured every night. The walls were carefully sounded, and were shown to be quite solid all round, and the flooring was also thoroughly examined, with the same result. The chimney is wide, but is barred up by four large staples. It is certain, therefore, that my sister was quite alone when she met her end. Besides, there were no marks of any violence upon her.” “How about poison?” “The doctors examined her for it, but without success.” “What do you think that this unfortunate lady died of, then?” “It is my belief that she died of pure fear and nervous shock, though what it was that frightened her I cannot imagine.” “Were there gypsiesSAMPLE in the plantation at the time?” “Yes, there are nearly always some there.” “Ah, and what did you gather from this allusion to a band—a speckled band?”

“Sometimes I have thought that it was merely the wild talk of delirium, sometimes that it may have referred to some band of people, perhaps to these very gypsies in the plantation. I do not know whether the spotted handkerchiefs which so many of them wear over their heads might have suggested the strange adjective which she used.” Holmes shook his head like a man who is far from being satisfied.

“These are very deep waters,” said he; “pray go on with your narrative.”

“Two years have passed since then, and my life has been until lately lonelier than ever. A month ago, however, a dear friend, whom I have known for many years, has done me the honour to ask my hand in marriage. His name is Armitage—Percy Armitage—the second son of Mr. Armitage, of Crane Water, near Reading. My stepfather has offered no opposition to the match, and we are to be married in the course of the spring. Two days ago some repairs were started in the west wing of the building, and my bedroom wall has been pierced, so that I have had to move into the chamber in which my sister died, and to sleep in the very bed in which she slept. Imagine, then, my thrill of terror when last night, as I lay awake, thinking over her terrible fate, I suddenly heard in the silence of the night the low whistle which had been the herald of her own death. I sprang up and lit the lamp, but nothing was to be seen in the room. I was too shaken to go to bed again, however, so I dressed, and as soon as it was daylight I slipped down, got a dog-cart at the Crown Inn, which is opposite, and drove to Leatherhead, from whence I have come on this morning with the one object of seeing you and asking your advice.” “You have done wisely,” said my friend. “But have you told me all?” “Yes, all.” “Miss Roylott, you have not. You are screening your stepfather.” “Why, what do you mean?” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—11

For answer Holmes pushed back the frill of black lace which fringed the hand that lay upon our visi- tor’s knee. Five little livid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, were printed upon the white wrist.

“You have been cruelly used,” said Holmes.

The lady coloured deeply and covered over her injured wrist. “He is a hard man,” she said, “and perhaps he hardly knows his own strength.”

There was a long silence, during which Holmes leaned his chin upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire.

“This is a very deep business,” he said at last. “There are a thousand details which I should desire to know before I decide upon our course of action. Yet we have not a moment to lose. If we were to come to Stoke Moran to-day, would it be possible for us to see over these rooms without the knowledge of your stepfather?”

“As it happens, he spoke of coming into town to-day upon some most important business. It is probable that he will beSAMPLE away all day, and that there would be nothing to disturb you. We have a house- keeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily get her out of the way.” “Excellent. You are not averse to this trip, Watson?” “By no means.” “Then we shall both come. What are you going to do yourself?”

“I have one or two things which I would wish to do now that I am in town. But I shall return by the twelve o’clock train, so as to be there in time for your coming.”

“And you may expect us early in the afternoon. I have myself some small business matters to attend to. Will you not wait and breakfast?”

“No, I must go. My heart is lightened already since I have confided my trouble to you. I shall look forward to seeing you again this afternoon.” She dropped her thick black veil over her face and glided from the room. “And what do you think of it all, Watson?” asked Sherlock Holmes, leaning back in his chair. “It seems to me to be a most dark and sinister business.”

“Dark enough and sinister enough.”

“Yet if the lady is correct in saying that the flooring and walls are sound, and that the door, win- dow, and chimney are impassable, then her sister must have been undoubtedly alone when she met her mysterious end.”

“What becomes, then, of these nocturnal whistles, and what of the very peculiar words of the

dying woman?”

“I cannot think.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—12

“When you combine the ideas of whistles at night, the presence of a band of gypsies who are on intimate terms with this old doctor, the fact that we have every reason to believe that the doctor has an interest in preventing his stepdaughter’s marriage, the dying allusion to a band, and, finally, the fact that Miss Helen Stoner heard a metallic clang, which might have been caused by one of those metal bars that secured the shutters falling back into its place, I think that there is good ground to think that the mystery may be cleared along those lines.”

“But what, then, did the gypsies do?”

“I cannot imagine.”

“I see many objections to any such theory.”

“And so do I. It is precisely for that reason that we are going to Stoke Moran this day. I want to see whether the objections are fatal, or if they may be explained away. But what in the name of the devil!” The ejaculation hadSAMPLE been drawn from my companion by the fact that our door had been suddenly dashed open, and that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture. His costume was a peculiar mixture of the professional and of the agricultural, having a black top-hat, a long frock-coat, and a pair of high gaiters, with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. So tall was he that his hat actually brushed the cross bar of the doorway, and his breadth seemed to span it across from side to side. A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles, burned yellow with the sun, and marked with every evil passion, was turned from one to the other of us, while his deep-set, bile-shot eyes, and his high, thin, fleshless nose, gave him somewhat the resemblance to a fierce old bird of prey.

“Which of you is Holmes?” asked this apparition.

“My name, sir; but you have the advantage of me,” said my companion quietly.

“I am Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran.”

“Indeed, Doctor,” said Holmes blandly. “Pray take a seat.”

“I will do nothing of the kind. My stepdaughter has been here. I have traced her. What has she been saying to you?”

“It is a little cold for the time of the year,” said Holmes.

“What has she been saying to you?” screamed the old man furiously.

“But I have heard that the crocuses promise well,” continued my companion imperturbably.

“Ha! You put me off, do you?” said our new visitor, taking a step forward and shaking his hunting- crop. “I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler.”

My friend smiled.

“Holmes, the busybody!” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—13

His smile broadened.

“Holmes, the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office!”

Holmes chuckled heartily. “Your conversation is most entertaining,” said he. “When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draught.”

“I will go when I have said my say. Don’t you dare to meddle with my affairs. I know that Miss Stoner has been here. I traced her! I am a dangerous man to fall foul of! See here.” He stepped swiftly forward, seized the poker, and bent it into a curve with his huge brown hands.

“See that you keep yourself out of my grip,” he snarled, and hurling the twisted poker into the fireplace he strode out of the room.

“He seems a very amiable person,” said Holmes, laughing. “I am not quite so bulky, but if he had remained I might have shown him that my grip was not much more feeble than his own.” As he spoke he picked up the steel pokerSAMPLE and, with a sudden effort, straightened it out again. “Fancy his having the insolence to confound me with the official detective force! This incident gives zest to our investigation, however, and I only trust that our little friend will not suffer from her impru- dence in allowing this brute to trace her. And now, Watson, we shall order breakfast, and afterwards I shall walk down to Doctors’ Commons, where I hope to get some data which may help us in this matter.”

It was nearly one o’clock when Sherlock Holmes returned from his excursion. He held in his hand a sheet of blue paper, scrawled over with notes and figures.

“I have seen the will of the deceased wife,” said he. “To determine its exact meaning I have been obliged to work out the present prices of the investments with which it is concerned. The total income, which at the time of the wife’s death was little short of £1100, is now, through the fall in agricultural prices, not more than £750. Each daughter can claim an income of £250, in case of marriage. It is evident, there- fore, that if both girls had married, this beauty would have had a mere pittance, while even one of them would cripple him to a very serious extent. My morning’s work has not been wasted, since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for standing in the way of anything of the sort. And now, Watson, this is too serious for dawdling, especially as the old man is aware that we are interesting ourselves in his affairs; so if you are ready, we shall call a cab and drive to Waterloo. I should be very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your pocket. An Eley’s No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel pokers into knots. That and a tooth-brush are, I think, all that we need.”

At Waterloo we were fortunate in catching a train for Leatherhead, where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes. It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens. The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me at least there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged. My companion sat in the front of the trap, his arms folded, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and his chin sunk upon his breast, buried in the deepest thought. Suddenly, however, he started, tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed over the meadows.

“Look there!” said he.

A heavily timbered park stretched up in a gentle slope, thickening into a grove at the highest point. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—14

From amid the branches there jutted out the grey gables and high roof-tree of a very old mansion.

“Stoke Moran?” said he.

“Yes, sir, that be the house of Dr. Grimesby Roylott,” remarked the driver.

“There is some building going on there,” said Holmes; “that is where we are going.”

“There’s the village,” said the driver, pointing to a cluster of roofs some distance to the left; “but if you want to get to the house, you’ll find it shorter to get over this stile, and so by the foot-path over the fields. There it is, where the lady is walking.”

“And the lady, I fancy, is Miss Stoner,” observed Holmes, shading his eyes. “Yes, I think we had better do as you suggest.”

We got off, paid our fare, and the trap rattled back on its way to Leatherhead.

“I thought it as well,” said Holmes as we climbed the stile, “that this fellow should think we had come here as architects, or onSAMPLE some definite business. It may stop his gossip. Good-afternoon, Miss Stoner. You see that we have been as good as our word.”

Our client of the morning had hurried forward to meet us with a face which spoke her joy. “I have been waiting so eagerly for you,” she cried, shaking hands with us warmly. “All has turned out splendidly. Dr. Roylott has gone to town, and it is unlikely that he will be back before evening.”

“We have had the pleasure of making the doctor’s acquaintance,” said Holmes, and in a few words he sketched out what had occurred. Miss Stoner turned white to the lips as she listened.

“Good heavens!” she cried, “he has followed me, then.”

“So it appears.”

“He is so cunning that I never know when I am safe from him. What will he say when he returns?”

“He must guard himself, for he may find that there is someone more cunning than himself upon his track. You must lock yourself up from him to-night. If he is violent, we shall take you away to your aunt’s at Harrow. Now, we must make the best use of our time, so kindly take us at once to the rooms which we are to examine.”

The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin. The central portion was in little better repair, but the right-hand block was comparatively modern, and the blinds in the windows, with the blue smoke curling up from the chimneys, showed that this was where the family resided. Some scaffolding had been erected against the end wall, and the stone-work had been broken into, but there were no signs of any workmen at the moment of our visit. Holmes walked slowly up and down the ill-trimmed lawn and examined with deep attention the outsides of the windows.

“This, I take it, belongs to the room in which you used to sleep, the centre one to your sister’s, and the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—15

one next to the main building to Dr. Roylott’s chamber?”

“Exactly so. But I am now sleeping in the middle one.”

“Pending the alterations, as I understand. By the way, there does not seem to be any very pressing need for repairs at that end wall.”

“There were none. I believe that it was an excuse to move me from my room.”

“Ah! that is suggestive. Now, on the other side of this narrow wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open. There are windows in it, of course?”

“Yes, but very small ones. Too narrow for anyone to pass through.”

“As you both locked your doors at night, your rooms were unapproachable from that side. Now, would you have the kindness to go into your room and bar your shutters?” Miss Stoner did so,SAMPLE and Holmes, after a careful examination throughThe Open Window, endeavoured in every way to force the shutter open, but without success. There was no slit through which a knife could be passed to raise the bar. Then with his lens he tested the hinges, but they were of solid iron, built firmly into the massive masonry. “Hum!” said he, scratching his chin in some perplexity, “my theory certainly presents some difficulties. No one could pass these shutters if they were bolted. Well, we shall see if the inside throws any light upon the matter.”

A small side door led into the whitewashed corridor from which the three bedrooms opened. Holmes refused to examine the third chamber, so we passed at once to the second, that in which Miss Stoner was now sleeping, and in which her sister had met with her fate. It was a homely little room, with a low ceiling and a gaping fireplace, after the fashion of old country-houses. A brown chest of drawers stood in one corner, a narrow white-counterpaned bed in another, and a dressing-table on the left-hand side of the window. These articles, with two small wicker-work chairs, made up all the furniture in the room save for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre. The boards round and the panelling of the walls were of brown, worm-eaten oak, so old and discolored that it may have dated from the original building of the house. Holmes drew one of the chairs into a corner and sat silent, while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down, taking in every detail of the apartment.

“Where does that bell communicate with?” he asked at last pointing to a thick bell-rope which hung down beside the bed, the tassel actually lying upon the pillow.

“It goes to the housekeeper’s room.”

“It looks newer than the other things?”

“Yes, it was only put there a couple of years ago. ” “Your sister asked for it, I suppose?”

“No, I never heard of her using it. We used always to get what we wanted for ourselves.”

“Indeed, it seemed unnecessary to put so nice a bell-pull there. You will excuse me for a few minutes while I satisfy myself as to this floor.” He threw himself down upon his face with his lens in his hand and STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—16

crawled swiftly backward and forward, examining minutely the cracks between the boards. Then he did the same with the wood-work with which the chamber was panelled. Finally he walked over to the bed and spent some time in staring at it and in running his eye up and down the wall. Finally he took the bell-rope in his hand and gave it a brisk tug.

“Why, it’s a dummy,” said he.

“Won’t it ring?”

“No, it is not even attached to a wire. This is very interesting. You can see now that it is fastened to a hook just above where the little opening for the ventilator is.”

“How very absurd! I never noticed that before.”

“Very strange!” muttered Holmes, pulling at the rope. “There are one or two very singular points about this room. For example, what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another room, when, with the same trouble, he mightSAMPLE have communicated with the outside air!” “That is also quite modern,” said the lady.

“Done about the same time as the bell-rope?” remarked Holmes.

“Yes, there were several little changes carried out about that time.”

“They seem to have been of a most interesting character—dummy bell-ropes, and ventilators which do not ventilate. With your permission, Miss Stoner, we shall now carry our researches into the inner apartment.”

Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s chamber was larger than that of his step-daughter, but was as plainly furnished. A camp-bed, a small wooden shelf full of books, mostly of a technical character, an armchair beside the bed, a plain wooden chair against the wall, a round table, and a large iron safe were the principal things which met the eye. Holmes walked slowly round and examined each and all of them with the keenest interest.

“What’s in here?” he asked, tapping the safe.

“My stepfather’s business papers.”

“Oh! you have seen inside, then?”

“Only once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of papers. ” “There isn’t a cat in it, for example?”

“No. What a strange idea!” “Well, look at this!” He took up a small saucer of milk which stood on the top of it.

“No; we don’t keep a cat. But there is a cheetah and a baboon.”

“Ah, yes, of course! Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a saucer of milk does not go very far in STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—17

satisfying its wants, I daresay. There is one point which I should wish to determine.” He squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat of it with the greatest attention.

“Thank you. That is quite settled,” said he, rising and putting his lens in his pocket. “Hullo! Here is something interesting!”

The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash hung on one corner of the bed. The lash, however, was curled upon itself and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord.

“What do you make of that, Watson?”

“It’s a common enough lash. But I don’t know why it should be tied.”

“That is not quite so common, is it? Ah, me! it’s a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all. I think that I have seen enough now, Miss Stoner, and with your permission we shall walk out upon theSAMPLE lawn.” I had never seen my friend’s face so grim or his brow so dark as it was when we turned from the scene of this investigation. We had walked several times up and down the lawn, neither Miss Stoner nor myself liking to break in upon his thoughts before he roused himself from his reverie.

“It is very essential, Miss Stoner,” said he, “that you should absolutely follow my advice in every respect.”

“I shall most certainly do so.”

“The matter is too serious for any hesitation. Your life may depend upon your compliance.”

“I assure you that I am in your hands.”

“In the first place, both my friend and I must spend the night in your room.”

Both Miss Stoner and I gazed at him in astonishment.

“Yes, it must be so. Let me explain. I believe that that is the village inn over there?”

“Yes, that is the Crown.”

“Very good. Your windows would be visible from there?”

“Certainly.”

“You must confine yourself to your room, on pretence of a headache, when your stepfather comes back. Then when you hear him retire for the night, you must open the shutters of your window, undo the hasp, put your lamp there as a signal to us, and then withdraw quietly with everything which you are likely to want into the room which you used to occupy. I have no doubt that, in spite of the repairs, you could manage there for one night.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—18

“Oh, yes, easily.”

“The rest you will leave in our hands.”

“But what will you do?”

“We shall spend the night in your room, and we shall investigate the cause of this noise which has disturbed you.”

“I believe, Mr. Holmes, that you have already made up your mind,” said Miss Stoner, laying her hand upon my companion’s sleeve.

“Perhaps I have.”

“Then, for pity’s sake, tell me what was the cause of my sister’s death.” “I should prefer toSAMPLE have clearer proofs before I speak.” “You can at least tell me whether my own thought is correct, and if she died from some sudden fright.”

“No, I do not think so. I think that there was probably some more tangible cause. And now, Miss Stoner, we must leave you for if Dr. Roylott returned and saw us our journey would be in vain. Good-bye, and be brave, for if you will do what I have told you, you may rest assured that we shall soon drive away the dangers that threaten you.”

Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn. They were on the upper floor, and from our window we could command a view of the avenue gate, and of the inhabited wing of Stoke Moran Manor House. At dusk we saw Dr. Grimesby Roylott drive past, his huge form looming up beside the little figure of the lad who drove him. The boy had some slight difficulty in undoing the heavy iron gates, and we heard the hoarse roar of the doctor’s voice and saw the fury with which he shook his clinched fists at him. The trap drove on, and a few minutes later we saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as the lamp was lit in one of the sitting-rooms. “Do you know, Watson,” said Holmes as we sat together in the gathering darkness, “I have really some scruples as to taking you to-night. There is a distinct element of danger.”

“Can I be of assistance?”

“Your presence might be invaluable.”

“Then I shall certainly come.” “It is very kind of you.”

“You speak of danger. You have evidently seen more in these rooms than was visible to me.”

“No, but I fancy that I may have deduced a little more. I imagine that you saw all that I did.”

“I saw nothing remarkable save the bell-rope, and what purpose that could answer I confess is more STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—19

than I can imagine.”

“You saw the ventilator, too?”

“Yes, but I do not think that it is such a very unusual thing to have a small opening between two rooms. It was so small that a rat could hardly pass through.”

“I knew that we should find a ventilator before ever we came to Stoke Moran.”

“My dear Holmes!”

“Oh, yes, I did. You remember in her statement she said that her sister could smell Dr. Roylott’s cigar. Now, of course that suggested at once that there must be a communication between the two rooms. It could only be a small one, or it would have been remarked upon at the coroner’s inquiry. I deduced a ventilator.”

“But what harm canSAMPLE there be in that?”

“Well, there is at least a curious coincidence of dates. A ventilator is made, a cord is hung, and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies. Does not that strike you?”

“I cannot as yet see any connection.”

“Did you observe anything very peculiar about that bed?”

“No.”

“It was clamped to the floor. Did you ever see a bed fastened like that before?”

“I cannot say that I have.”

“The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same relative position to the ventilator and to the rope—or so we may call it, since it was clearly never meant for a bell-pull.”

“Holmes,” I cried, “I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at. We are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible crime.”

“Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession. This man strikes even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shall be able to strike deeper still. But we shall have horrors enough before the night is over; for goodness’ sake let us have a quiet pipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something more cheerful.”

About nine o’clock the light among the trees was extinguished, and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House. Two hours passed slowly away, and then, suddenly, just at the stroke of eleven, a single STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—20

bright light shone out right in front of us.

“That is our signal,” said Holmes, springing to his feet; “it comes from the middle window.”

As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord, explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance, and that it was possible that we might spend the night there. A moment later we were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowing in our faces, and one yellow light twinkling in front of us through the gloom to guide us on our somber errand.

There was little difficulty in entering the grounds, for unrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall. Making our way among the trees, we reached the lawn, crossed it, and were about to enter through the window when out from a clump of laurel bushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distorted child, who threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs and then ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkness. “My God!” I whispered;SAMPLE “did you see it?” Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a low laugh and put his lips to my ear.

“It is a nice household,” he murmured. “That is the baboon.” I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected. There was a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders at any moment. I confess that I felt easier in my mind when, after following Holmes’ example and slipping off my shoes, I found myself inside the bedroom. My companion noiseless- ly closed the shutters, moved the lamp onto the table, and cast his eyes round the room. All was as we had seen it in the daytime. Then creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand, he whispered into my ear again so gently that it was all that I could do to distinguish the words:

“The least sound would be fatal to our plans.”

I nodded to show that I had heard.

“We must sit without light. He would see it through the ventilator.”

I nodded again.

“Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your pistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the bed, and you in that chair.”

I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.

Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness.

How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear a sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—21

of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness.

From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one and two and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.

Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Someone in the next room had lit a dark-lantern. I heard a gentle sound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible—a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull. “You see it, Watson?”SAMPLE he yelled. “You see it?” But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low, clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing. He had ceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened. It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the sleepers from their beds. It struck cold to our hearts, and I stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me, until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose.

“What can it mean?” I gasped.

“It means that it is all over,” Holmes answered. “And perhaps, after all, it is for the best. Take your pistol, and we will enter Dr. Roylott’s room.”

With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the cham- ber door without any reply from within. Then he turned the handle and entered, I at his heels, with the cocked pistol in my hand. It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood a dark-lantern with the shutter half open, throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylott clad in a long grey dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding be- neath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dread- ful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. As we entered he made neither sound nor motion.

“The band! the speckled band!” whispered Holmes. I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear began to move, and there reared itself from STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—22

among his hair the squat diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.

“It is a swamp adder!” cried Holmes; “the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another. Let us thrust this creature back into its den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner to some place of shelter and let the county police know what has happened.”

As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man’s lap, and throwing the noose round the reptile’s neck he drew it from its horrid perch and, carrying it at arm’s length, threw it into the iron safe, which he closed upon it.

Such are the true facts of the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran. It is not necessary that I should prolong a narrative which has already run to too great a length by telling how we broke the sad news to the terrified girl, how we conveyed her by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Har- row, of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly playing with a dangerous pet. The little which I had yet to learn of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as weSAMPLE travelled back next day. “I had,” said he, “come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dan- gerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. The presence of the gypsies, and the use of the word ‘band,’ which was used by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match, were sufficient to put me upon an entirely wrong scent. I can only claim the merit that I instantly reconsidered my position when, however, it became clear to me that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not come either from the window or the door. My attention was speedily drawn, as I have already remarked to you, to this ventilator, and to the bell-rope which hung down to the bed. The discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt that I was prob- ably on the right track. The idea of using a form of poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical test was just such a one as would occur to a clever and ruthless man who had had an Eastern training. The rapidity with which such a poison would take effect would also, from his point of view, be an advantage. It would be a sharp-eyed coroner, indeed, who could distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where the poison fangs had done their work. Then I thought of the whistle. Of course he must recall the snake before the morning light revealed it to the victim. He had trained it, probably by the use of the milk which we saw, to return to him when summoned. He would put it through this ventila- tor at the hour that he thought best, with the certainty that it would crawl down the rope and land on the bed. It might or might not bite the occupant, perhaps she might escape every night for a week, but sooner or later she must fall a victim.

“I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his room. An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in the habit of standing on it, which of course would be necessary in order that he should reach the ventilator. The sight of the safe, the saucer of milk, and the loop of whipcord were enough to finally dispel any doubts which may have remained. The metallic clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant. Having once made up my mind, you know the steps which I took in order to put the matter to the proof. I STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 17—23

heard the creature hiss as I have no doubt that you did also, and I instantly lit the light and attacked it.”

“With the result of driving it through the ventilator.”

“And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master at the other side. Some of the blows of my cane came home and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimesby Roylott’s death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience.”

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 18—1

Lesson 18 Writing a Mystery Story In Lesson 18 you will continue working on your deductive reasoning mystery story.

You began Step One in Lesson Seventeen. Complete Step One, then use your material from Step One to compose your first draft.

Complete the steps as outlined below. When your story is complete, submit material representing all four steps to your teacher. All four steps are reprinted for you below.

By the end of Lesson 19 you should be finished with the entire project.

Step One: Brainstorm your idea or central conflict. Map your story. Who are the characters? What is the conflict? How will it be resolved?SAMPLE Where or when is the story set? Step Two: Write a first draft. Step Three: Reread the story to yourself out loud. Do you have enough detail? Does your writing read smoothly? Did you say what you wanted to say? Do you think it would be clear to another reader?

Your challenge is to revise that draft by changing words you used too often.

Did you write all of this in one long paragraph or did you have several paragraphs? Remember each paragraph expresses its own main idea with supporting details. If you used more than one paragraph did you use an effective transition phrase or words to move from one idea to another?

Have someone else read the story.

Make changes as suggested. Go for it! Look to improve your ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions (spelling, grammar errors). Step Four: Rewrite the story with all conventions corrected. Illustrate or do a front page for your story. Lesson Wrap-up: You are in the middle of a writing project that challenges your creativity as a writer and your ability to think logically. This means you are being challenged on two levels. Through this writing exercise, you can showcase your ability to meet both challenges – create a sound piece of writing and demonstrate your deductive reasoning skills. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 19—1

Lesson 19 Writing a Mystery Story

You will complete your mystery story in Lesson 19.

You should have in your possession your edited and improved rough draft. Read it again to make sure the clues you have given are adequate, but not so obvious that there is no mystery.

Be sure you have organized your story so that the reader can easily follow the events as they happen. When you are satisfied that the story is your best effort, type the story on a computer if possible.

Design, draw, and color an illustration for the cover of your story. Be sure that the cover has the story’s titleSAMPLE and the name of the author – you! When you submit this project to your teacher, include the following:

Pre-writing material from Step One Rough draft showing evidence of editing and corrections from Steps Two and Three Final copy complete with a cover illustration from Step Four

Lesson Wrap-up: Think about how your story would have – or could have – turned out if deductive reasoning weren’t a part of it. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 20—1

Lesson 20 Vocabulary Assessment—List Four Journal Writing

Lesson 20 is divided into two parts. During the first part you will take a test on the List Four Vocabulary words.

Your teacher will dictate the words aloud to you and you will write the word spelling it correctly. These words were introduced in Lesson 16.

The second part of Lesson 20 is a journal writing piece. The writing prompt is wide rang- ing and will require serious thought as you respond. Organize your response into para- graphs.

The first paragraph should answer the first question: If you could change one thing about the world to makeSAMPLE it a better place, what would it be? Compose at least one well developed paragraph to respond to each of the other three questions in the writing prompt. Well developed paragraphs have topic sentences, several supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence summing up the paragraph.

As you respond in your Writing Journal, remember this is your opportunity to address an important issue you believe would make the world a better place. Give it thoughtful con- sideration. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 20—2

Writing Prompt

One person can make a difference. That difference can lead to changes in the world!

If you could change one thing to make the world a better place what would it be?

Why would you make this change?

Who would benefit from it?

Why would this change be an important one? SAMPLE

Lesson Wrap-up: Look at your completed journal entry. Remember, one person can make a difference. What is one element in your response that you can do now to make a difference in the world? There is an old saying that says even the longest journey begins with a single step. How can you begin today?

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 20—3

List Four Vocabulary Words Spelling Assessment

SAMPLE

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 21—1

Lesson 21 Vocabulary List Five Homonyms Have you ever been confused by a word that was spoken or wonder which word to use when you are writing? That is the nature of our English language and what makes it different from many others. We have many words that sound the same, but have different meanings. They are spelled differently also. You will need to look at the words and find out which words have what meanings.

Look at the words and pronounce them. They will sound alike. Check out what is different about each word. What is the order of the letters? What letters are different? accept - except aisle - isle bare - bear SAMPLE born - borne capital - capitol cash - cache ceiling - sealing cellar - seller censor - censer cereal - serial coarse - course colonel - kernel complement - compliment council - counsel forth - fourth herd - heard hole - whole horse - hoarse led - lead lean - lien STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 21—2

Now look up each word in a dictionary, and in your Vocabulary Notebook write a sentence with each of the words. Look up the words for which you do not know the definition or how to use. You will have this class period to complete this assignment. Be ready to spell the words. Lesson Wrap-up: Homonyms can be extremely confusing. This Lesson is an opportunity to brush up on the spellings and meanings. Every bit of expertise you gain in Vocabulary leads to becoming a more proficient writer.

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—1

Lesson 22 Who Am I?

For this Lesson, you will write a poem that celebrates your life and who you are.

You are worth celebrating and have unique experiences that make you, you. Your poem will be a list of places special to you. It will include symbols, your heritage, your country, and your vision for the future. Rhythm and rhyme are not necessary. This is a Life Poem.

The pre-writing exercise requires you to make several lists. You will use the lists to write the poem.

Begin by thinking of a room in your house where you spend a lot of time.

Without naming the room, list things about the room. You may use adjectives, verbs and adverbs. A kitchenSAMPLE may be cluttered with dishes and smell like apple pie. The dish clutter and aroma of apple pie do not have to be present now, but they still may represent the room. Be creative.

Your next list will be larger. Use the same ideas, but now apply the concept to your yard or home area.

Envision the activities and feelings this brings to your mind and heart. What sounds do you hear? Write at least six thoughts for this list. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—2

For your third list, think about the city, county or town you live in or near.

What makes this place special and unique? Do not name the location. Give a clue and a description. You need to be familiar with what you are describing without researching the place.

SAMPLE The fourth list is about your country, but you may not use the word America.

Write things that represent the United States: Statue of Liberty, Liberty Bell, flag. Think about what your country means to you. You may include people who have jobs that serve the public.

Your next list will include personal background – go deep inside yourself.

Think about your heritage. Did you or one of your relatives come from another country? Do you and your family celebrate your heritage with traditional ceremonies? This will help to more fully describe you and your life. Put items reflecting your personal heritage on this list. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—3

Your last list is your vision of your future.

Think about your dreams and hopes for your future and your family’s future. Where will you be? What might you be doing? List the sounds, sights and situations of your future. This list may include music, food, and sports, as well as home and career.

SAMPLE You are now going to put your lists into a poem. The lists you made will each become a stanza for your life poem. The first list and first stanza are about the room.

You will begin each stanza with “I am from…” and end each stanza with “I am from home.”

Here is an example of a room:

I am from comfort food made with love, From cold, fresh milk and bubbling pots, From dirty pots and pans, From freshly baked bread and banana cake, I am from home…busy, noisy, happy and filling.

Your second and all other stanzas should follow the same pattern. Begin with “I am from,” and each line beginning with “from” or “and”.

Here is a heritage example:

I am from stubborn, firm stock From Christmas with Cinder Klaus and God Jul, From Swedish meatballs and coffee cake, I am from home with five brothers and sisters, love

After you do a rough draft of your Life Poem, reread it and make corrections and clarifications. Rewrite, shape, and polish your poem. Read it out loud to see how it sounds to you. It should flow smoothly and recreate your “heart” feelings. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—4

The formula for the Life Poem is:

t
4UBO[B

5IF
SPPN
JO
XIJDI
ZPV
TQFOE
UIF
NPTU
UJNF t
4UBO[B

:PVS
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BOE
ZBSE t
4UBO[B

:PVS
DPNNVOJUZ
PS
TUBUF t
4UBO[B

:PVS
DPVOUSZ t
4UBO[B

:PVS
GBNJMZ
CBDLHSPVOE t
4UBO[B

:PVS
WJTJPO
GPS
UIF
GVUVSF

Lesson Wrap-up: This poem is a snapshot of who you are – save it and read it in the future: do you think that’s still who you are? Who would you like to see this poem so that they could understand you better? SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—5

My Life Poem

Write your rough draft in the writing space below. Once you have written your poem, go back and revise it, polish it, and make it the best it can be.

SAMPLE

When you have revised your poem, write a final draft on the next page. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 22—6

My Life Poem

SAMPLE

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 23—1

Lesson 23 What’s in a Name?

Read this story for enjoyment. When you are finished with the story, you will be asked to choose a writing assignment reflecting on the ideas in Rumpelstiltskin. Could there ever have been a real person like Rumpelstiltskin?

Lesson Wrap-up: Reading fairy tales is always a pleasant and diverting experience. They recall simpler, bygone days, yet the wisdom expressed in these tales is universal and has applications for modern day people. Proof for that statement lies in the composition you will produce. You will apply st century experiences and opinions to a fairy tale published by the Grimm Brothers early in the th century. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 23—2

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream of water; and upon the stream there stood a mill. The miller’s house was close by, and the miller, you must know, had a very beautiful daughter. She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; and the miller was so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who used to come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold out of straw. Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard the miller’s boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl to be brought before him. Then he led her to a chamber in his palace where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a spinning-wheel, and said, ‘All this must be spun into gold before morning, as you love your life.’ It was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only a silly boast of her father, for that she could do no such thing as spin straw into gold: the chamber door was locked, and she was left alone.

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in, and said, ‘Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you weepingSAMPLE for?’ ‘Alas!’ said she, ‘I must spin this straw into gold, and I know not how.’ ‘What will you give me,’ said the hobgoblin, ‘to do it for you?’ ‘My necklace,’ replied the maiden. He took her at her word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang:

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’

And round about the wheel went merrily; the work was quickly done, and the straw was all spun into gold.

When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up the poor miller’s daughter again with a fresh task. Then she knew not what to do, and sat down once more to weep; but the dwarf soon opened the door, and said, ‘What will you give me to do your task?’ ‘The ring on my finger,’ said she. So her little friend took the ring, and began to work at the wheel again, and whistled and sang:

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’

till, long before morning, all was done again.

The king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure; but still he had not enough: so he took the miller’s daughter to a yet larger heap, and said, ‘All this must be spun tonight; and if it is, you shall be my queen.’ As soon as she was alone that dwarf came in, and said, ‘What will you give me to spin gold for you this third time?’ ‘I have nothing left,’ said she. ‘Then say you will give me,’ said the little man, ‘the first little child that you may have when you are queen.’ ‘That may never be,’ thought the miller’s daughter: and as she knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would do what he asked. Round went the wheel again to the old song, and the manikin once more spun the heap into gold. The king came in the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 23—3

morning, and, finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; so he married the miller’s daughter, and she really became queen.

At the birth of her first little child she was very glad, and forgot the dwarf, and what she had said. But one day he came into her room, where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of it. Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, ‘I will give you three days’ grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, you shall keep your child.’

Now the queen lay awake all night, thinking of all the odd names that she had ever heard; and she sent messengers all over the land to find out new ones. The next day the little man came, and she began with TIMOTHY, ICHABOD, BENJAMIN, JEREMIAH, and all the names she could remember; but to all and each of them he said, ‘Madam, that is not my name.’

The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of, BANDY-LEGS, HUNCH- BACK, CROOK-SHANKS, and so on; but the little gentleman still said to every one of them, ‘Madam, that is not my name.’SAMPLE The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, ‘I have travelled two days without hearing of any other names; but yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a little hut; and before the hut burnt a fire; and round about the fire a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing:

‘”Merrily the feast I’ll make. Today I’ll brew, tomorrow bake; Merrily I’ll dance and sing, For next day will a stranger bring. Little does my lady dream Rumpelstiltskin is my name!”’

When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up. Then the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child, to take home with him to his hut in the woods; and he cried out, ‘Now, lady, what is my name?’

‘Is it JOHN?’ asked she.

‘No, madam!’

‘Is it TOM?’

‘No, madam!’

‘Is it JEMMY?’

‘It is not.’ STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 23—4

‘Can your name be RUMPELSTILTSKIN?’ said the lady slyly.

‘Some witch told you that!-- some witch told you that!’ cried the little man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.

Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing, and said, ‘We wish you a very good morning, and a merry feast, Mr. RUMPLESTILTSKIN!”

Respond:

Rumpelstiltskin is an entertaining fairy tale. However, if you look at it on a deeper level, there are some themes embedded in the story which provoke additional thought. One theme in the story is the unpleasant consequences of bragging. Another theme is the role of women and value placed on household skills deemed by some to be in the woman’s realm. The ultimate cost of accepting assistance from someone is another theme present in the story. SAMPLE Think about the three themes above and prepare to respond in writing to one of the themes. Your composition should describe the theme you have chosen in the first para- graph and state your support or disagreement with the stated theme. The next para- graphs should state your reasons for supporting or disagreeing with the theme. Each paragraph should develop a different reason for your support or lack thereof. Your last paragraph should restate the theme you are discussing and make an ending statement summing up your position.

Write in your notebook, and be prepared to hand your writing in to your teacher.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 24—1

Lesson 24 The Heart Project A Timeline of Your Life

Begin this project by drawing a large heart. Think about what has stayed in your heart.

What memories, moments, people, animals, objects, places, books, fears, scars, friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, other people, journeys, secrets, dreams, crushes, relation- ships, comforts, learning experiences have stayed in your heart? What is at the center? What is at the edges? What is in your heart?

Write these things inside your heart – which things seem most important?

You may want to color code your items or just add color to help your work stand out. For example, you may choose one color for people, another color for moments, another color for places, anotherSAMPLE color for fears, and so on.

Take the time to think about all matters that belong on your heart and in your heart. Include them all. If you can color coordinate your work, it will make it more impressive.

The second part of Lesson 24’s assignment is to make a timeline of your life. Draw a line across a sheet of paper. Put your birthday on the far left side. Above the line mark all of your birthdays in one year increments.

Below the line write the noteworthy experiences that occurred during each year of your life. Noteworthy experiences may include the birth of a sibling, moving, staying in the hospital, a special vacation, or getting a pet. There is no limit to what you may include.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Did you get everything? It can be hard to think of all your most impor- tant moments at once. Go ahead and re-draw the heart or the timeline if you feel like you want to make changes.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 25—1

Lesson 25 Your Family Tree

Families come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Design a family tree to fit your circumstances.

You will be at the bottom of the tree. Your siblings, your cousins, and you will be on the same level. Parents and aunts and uncles will be above you. Your grandparents will be above your parents. Your grandparents’ parents will be above them, and so on.

If you do not have enough information about your family, and your family members are not able to help you, consider using the Internet to obtain information about your relatives.

An interesting sidebar to your family tree is discovering why your family has certain celebrations. Do you know why your family observes certain holidays or participates in practices which areSAMPLE common to your family only? List some of your family traditions. Find out the origin of the celebrations and traditions.

Another interesting sidebar to your family tree is the meaning of your family name. Finding out the origin and meaning of your family name is another appropriate addition to this assignment. See if you can find out the meaning or the origin of your family name. You may need to ask family members for information or conduct an Internet search to find the information.

Lesson Wrap-Up: So what’s in a name? Where does your family come from, and what do they think is important? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 25—2

My Family Tree

Use this Worksheet as an example – fill in whatever you can. If you are missing any infor- mation, don’t worry – just do your best.

My family name is:SAMPLE

My name means:

My family comes from:

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 26—1

Lesson 26 A Special Event

As you decide what special event you wish to include in your Self Discovery project, consider this: People do not remember days, but moments in life.

Have you ever skipped a smooth flat stone in a clear pond? As it hits the water, the stone makes ripples around the point of impact. Then it skips, and more ripples appear. You can help generate ripples in your mind whenever you want to remember details about a particular subject.

Write the name of the special event in the center of a page. Focus on that event and draw “ripples” out from it, jotting down any detail at all that you can remember. Each ripple can then generate ripples of its own. Soon you will have a whole page of memories, and it will be easy to beginSAMPLE writing. When you begin writing, remember that your reader wants your experience to come to life.

Use descriptive words. Use words that appeal to all of the senses. Draw a picture with your words so that the reader can experience what happened to you. Write at least one page about your special event. You will have to edit your first draft so that the version that you submit as part of this assignment reflects proper use of grammar and punctuation and is your best effort.

Lesson Wrap-Up: What do you think is so special about your event? What makes it uniquely yours?

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 27—1

Lesson 27 Your Future

This portion of the Self Discovery assignment takes you into the future.

Consider your vision of the future. Where do you want to be in ten years’ time? What will your values be? What will you be doing? What will your accomplishments be at that point in your life? What will your daily life be like?

Write several paragraphs about the future you. Answer the questions given in the preced- ing paragraph for each new decade of your life – your teens, your twenties, and so on. Go as far into the future as you like, but you must have at least five paragraphs, one for each decade, reflecting your future self, future accomplishments, future lifestyle, and future values. When you are doneSAMPLE writing, assemble all of the pieces to the Self Discovery project and put them in order. You will have to make the title page. Check with your teacher to make sure you have all the necessary components.

v Title page (includes the title you have chosen, your name, and the date) v Heart page v Pictures of yourself at different ages (optional) v Copies of special awards, certificates (optional) v Your Life Poem (optional) v Timeline of your life v Family tree v Special Event or Happening writing piece v Your Future writing piece

Lesson Wrap-up: You have just completed a monumental project. You have examined your heart, searched through the events of your life, created a timeline, completed your family tree, highlighted a special event, and articulated your vision of the future. This project is one you should put in your portfolio and keep it for reference as you go through life.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 28—1

Lesson 28 Vocabulary List Five—Assessment Journal Writing

Lesson 28 is divided into two parts.

First you will take a Vocabulary Assessment.

You will be asked to spell the correct homonym from the list in Lesson 21. Your teacher will use the word in a sentence. You will write the correct homonym based on how it is used in the sentence. There is a Worksheet at the end of this Lesson for you to use

Part Two of Lesson 28 involves a journal writing assignment.

You will respond in your Writing Journal to a prompt. Give a detailed, thoughtful response using correctSAMPLE grammar, punctuation, and proper conventions of English. The prompt is given below.

Do you have something that is especially important to you? It could be something you found, made or has been given to you. Write a passage explaining what this item is and why it is important to you. Draw a picture of your special something.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Reflecting on a much loved possession and writing about it is a rewarding experience. Writing about something about which you have strong feelings gives you a head start. The words seem to come easier when your heart is involved. Do you agree with that statement? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 28—2

Lesson 28 Vocabulary Assessment

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3. SAMPLE

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10. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 28—3

11.

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Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 29—1

Lesson 29 Do You Know This Word? In Lesson 29 you are once again going to study homonyms, words that sound alike, but have different meanings and spellings. Write each word in your Vocabulary notebook. Find each word’s definition and write it in your notebook. Lastly, create an original sentence and write it in your Vocabulary notebook, using each word correctly. ought aught principal principle recede reseed SAMPLE right rite wright write rote wrote sight site cite stationary stationery straight strait their there ware wear where weather whether STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 29—2

It is not enough to read Vocabulary words, and be tested on them. The way to learn and own new words is to use them. This assignment will operate as a review of all of the Vocabulary words studied in th grade language arts from Lessons 1 through 29.

Refer to all of the Vocabulary words you have learned.

You have been assigned Vocabulary words in Lessons 1, 6, 11, 16, 21 and 29. Select five words from each list. You will have a total of 30 words. Use those thirty words to create an imaginary conversation between yourself and one other person.

Set up the conversation like the dialogue in a play. The names will appear at the left margin of your paper with a colon following each name. If you are speaking, your name would be at the left side of the paper with a colon after your name. The words you will “speak” in your imaginary conversation will follow the colon. An ExampleSAMPLE of Dialogue: JULIET Ay me!

ROMEO She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art As glorious to this night, being o’er my head As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air.

JULIET O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.

ROMEO [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 29—3

The other person’s name will appear on the left side of the paper with a colon following the name, and the words he or she “speaks” will follow the colon. If you wish to include more than one other person in the conversation, you may do so.

This assignment calls for understanding of the words and correct usage in conversation. Your conversation should not be disjointed, but should flow as a conversation normally would. Underline each Vocabulary word as you use it. Remember, you need 30 Vocabulary words to complete the assignment.

Lesson Wrap-up: Your brain should be bursting with Vocabulary words! You have been immersed in new words and using them in an imaginary conversation. The challenge to you now is this: Use ten of those words in a real conversation today. Impress your friends and family with your new found knowledge. SAMPLE

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 30—1

Lesson 30 Haiku

Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry. It is a deceptively simple form of verse, but it evokes beautiful images and strong feelings.

Haiku usually focuses on the natural world and has a reference to one of the four seasons. Using just seventeen syllables in English, haiku creates a vivid word picture. Haiku captures a scene or a moment or expresses a feeling.

Japanese haiku, because of the obvious language differences, differs in form from the English version. Japanese haiku usually appear on one line. Japanese does not have syllables as defined in English. The English construction of haiku is an attempt to mirror the spirit and discipline of Japanese haiku. Matsuo Basho wasSAMPLE an early haiku poet in Japan. He lived from 1664 to 1694. Here are three of his poems:

Old pond A frog jumps The sound of water

The wind of Mt. Fuji I’ve brought my fan! A gift from Edo

The first cold shower Even the monkey seems to 8ant B little coat of straw

These poems are translated from Japanese, so they do not conform to English haiku form. Yet they depict the essence of haiku. The focus is laser-like. The natural world is a part of each poem. They capture a moment in time. The poem about the wind of Mt. Fuji seems to express a feeling of surprise or even joy.

The words are carefully chosen to create a particular image, feeling, or experience. When you create your haiku, use the same attention to detail so that your haiku evoke the image or feeling you are describing. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 30—2

The elements often used in English haiku are: t
UISFF
MJOFT
t
POF
MJOF
PG
åWF
TZMMBCMFT
t
POF
MJOF
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TFWFO
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TZMMBCMFT

Here is an example:

Surf pounding like drums, Sand warm between my brown toes, My own beach haven.

In English, one vowel sound is present per syllable.

Your charge is to create a haiku booklet. Write five haiku and illustrate each one. Your booklet should have a cover page with a picture, the title of your booklet, and your name on it. Following that,SAMPLE each poem should appear separately on its own page. Draw or find a picture to illustrate each poem. Writing haiku demands focus and dis- cipline. It takes patience and time. Take the time to create poetry that eloquently defines a moment in time and space.

Lesson Wrap-up: Haiku is popular with students because the concept is easy to grasp, the poems are short, and students are not overwhelmed by rhymes or rules. They are fun to write. Appreciating the literature of another country creates a bond between cultures, which is an added bonus when studying haiku.

Print STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 31—1

Lesson 31 Vocabulary List Six—Commonly Confused Words Descriptive Writing

Have you ever been confused or unsure of which word to use between two similar sounding words?

List Six contains words that are common in reading and writing but are confusing in both spelling and meaning.

Look at each word, then write it in your notebook. Look up each word’s meaning and use it in a sentence. allusion illusion SAMPLE affect effect breath breathe choose chose conscience conscious desert dessert emigrate immigrate later latter liable STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 31—2

libel loose lose nauseated nauseous proceed precede quiet quite SAMPLE than then

You will need to know how to spell and use these words. Study them each night. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 31—3

Descriptive Writing Descriptive writing creates a picture of a person, place, thing, or event. Descriptions of people or places depict the physical appearance and show the reader why the subject is special. Memorable experiences in the writer’s life and observations that the writer has made can be captured with this type of writing.

Good descriptive language includes:

Vivid sensory details

Clear and consistent organization

Leaving the reader with a main impression

To prepare for the descriptive writing activity, your teacher is going to time your silent brainstorming and your writing. You are going to be writing about your favorite meal. Take two minutes SAMPLEto silently think about your favorite meal. No writing is allowed. Think about every aspect of the meal. Your teacher will tell you when time is up.

Next, you will write for ten minutes about your favorite meal. Again you will be timed. Write steadily for ten minutes without stopping. Do not worry about anything except getting your thoughts on paper in as descriptive a way possible.

When time is called, read what you have written. More than likely you need to add more descriptive language to your writing piece. If you use metaphors, similes, and personification, your writing becomes much more descriptive.

A metaphor compares two things without using the word “like” or “as.” The pizza was a gift to my eyes as it arrived decked out in oozing cheese three-layers deep.

A simile compares two things using the word “like” or “as.” The pizza was like a gift to my hungry eyes.

“Hungry eyes” is another figure of speech called personification where a writer gives human qualities to something it does not or cannot possess. Eyes cannot literally be “hungry.”

Take some time now to practice using metaphors, similes, and personification.

Write metaphors describing the color of the sky, the sound of a cheering crowd, a baby’s laughter, the sound of a basketball being passed from one player to another, the taste of your favorite ice cream, the way your bedroom looks, the way the kitchen smells when someone is cooking dinner, the sound of a car door closing, the way your sheets feel on your skin, and the sound of the wind in pine trees. Remember, metaphors compare two things without using like or as.

Write similes describing, the color of your favorite jacket, the sound of a young child cry- ing, the sound of feet running up and down the basketball court, the taste of salsa, the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 31—4

way your house looks from the sidewalk, the way the house smells when someone has done a complete housecleaning, the sound of a car’s engine starting, the way a dog’s fur feels to your hand, and the sound of waves breaking on the shore. Remember, similes compare two things by using like or as. Personification is a tool that makes your writing lively. Use personification to describe leaves blowing around the yard, thunder, the sounds of pots and pans banging, the sound of rain falling on the window, and the sound of logs burning in a campfire.

Writing prompt: Describe your favorite meal.

When responding to the writing prompt, use metaphors and similes when making your descriptions. These literary devices will help your writing come alive for the reader. The descriptive response needs to be at least one page long.

You will want to include the setting where you are eating, the people sharing the meal, and the food itself. Include in your response sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and how things feel. Imagine yourselfSAMPLE in the location where you are eating the food…smell the aroma, taste the flavors. Give a detailed account of your experience. Try to use as many adjectives and figures of speech as you can to make your reader experience your topic.

Your writing will be evaluated based on the following rubric:

Introduction captures attention - the introduction must make the reader want to read more Sensory details create a picture – your scenes and action should come alive The writing flows – one sentence logically follows another, as does each paragraph Creates a main impression – what is your story trying to say? Does it succeed?

Lesson Wrap-up: Descriptive writing forces you to take time to focus on your five senses. It requires you to take the time to select words purposefully and makes your writing burst with sights, sounds, tastes, odors, and makes the experience palpable. Increased expertise with words makes all of your writing better. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—1 Lesson 32 Master of Mood: Edgar Allan Poe The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

You will read the work of a famous author who has the ability to put you on the edge of your seat when you read. Edgar Allan Poe wrote some of the darkest literature ever written. He did this with short stories and poetry.

Mood and atmosphere in a story contribute to the overall feeling the author creates. Some examples of feelings or moods created with just a word are joy, sadness, mystification, or fright. These feelings are created by the story’s setting, what the characters say or how they act, and the events of the story. The author crafts the story by carefully selecting the words (diction) in the story.

Diction is the specific word choice based on its connotation to better depict what the author is trying to SAMPLEsay. Example: using the word petrified instead of startled creates the impression that the character was scared out of his or her mind rather than simply caught off guard. Poe is a master of diction because he is very good at choosing the best synonym to set the proper mood.
As you read look for the descriptive details that help create the atmosphere. How do these details make you feel as you read? What emotions does the text stir up in you?

Before you read this selection, try to write a spooky paragraph of your own - see if you can incorporate some of the Vocabulary words below. You may want to include a description of the weather, the time, and the place where your story takes place. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—2

Take some time to study the listed Vocabulary words for The Tell-Tale Heart:

Acute•• adjective•• meaning sensitive

Crevice•• noun••meaning narrow opening

Dissimulation•• noun•• meaning the hiding of one’s feelings

Suavity•• noun•• meaning politeness

Profound•• adjective•• meaning deep meaning; beyond obvious

Gesticulations•• noun•• meaning energetic hand or arm gesture

Sagacity•• noun•• meaning very intelligence and sound judgment

Derision•• noun•• meaningSAMPLE contempt After writing about a spooky setting, sit back, or on the edge of your seat, and read The Tell-Tale Heart.

Lesson Wrap-Up: The Tell Tale Heart is a classic short story of suspense written by an American literary icon. His fiction still appears on library shelves today and is still checked out by modern American readers a century and a half after his death. Poe’s sense of the macabre is unparalleled. He knows exactly what to say and when to stop to create the maximum effect. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—3

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

TRUE! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses - not destroyed - not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in [heck]. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily - how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture - a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees - very gradually - I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen howSAMPLE wisely I proceeded - with what caution - with what foresight - with what dissimula- tion I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it - oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly - very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this, And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously - cautiously (for the hinges creaked) - I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights - every night just at midnight - but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers - of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back - but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out - “Who’s there?”

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening; - just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—4

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief - oh, no! - it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when over- charged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself - “It is nothing but the wind in the chimney - it is only a mouse crossing the floor,” or “It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp.” Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel - although he neither saw nor heard - to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little - a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it - you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily - until, at length a simpleSAMPLE dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.

It was open - wide, wide open - and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinct- ness - all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the [cursed] spot.

And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense? - now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eve. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! - do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me - the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man’s hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once - once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsa- tion. He was stone dead. His eve would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—5

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye - not even his - could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out - no stain of any kind - no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all - ha! ha!

When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o’clock - still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, - for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, - for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search - search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues,SAMPLE while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: - It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness - until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.

No doubt I now grew _very_ pale; - but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased - and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound - much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath - and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly - more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men - but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed - I raved - I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder - louder - louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! - no, no! They heard! - they suspected! - they knew! - they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now - again! - hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!

“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! here, here! - It is the beating of his hideous heart!” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—6

Reflect on the story:

1. Write or share your response to this story. How did it make you feel?

2. Why do you think people like to read horror stories? SAMPLE

3. The author of this story says he is not “mad.” Do you agree or disagree and why?

4. Look back and find three or four distinctive words Poe used to create the mood.

.

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 32—7

5. Atmosphere and mood are the overall feeling created in a story. Poe uses details to create his mood. This helps the reader picture what the character is feeling. Look at the paragraph beginning with, “Presently I heard a slight groan…” List three details that help the reader feel what the old man is feeling.

6. Choosing your words carefully will enhance your ability to create a mood or atmosphere. Try to recreate these sentences by changing what the words are compared to: SAMPLE Moon: The golden globe of the moon lit up the road as though it were a street light.

Store: The tiny store displays so many jewels that it resembles a huge jewelry box.

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 33—1

Lesson 33 Responding to The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe You will be creating a personal response to The Tell-Tale Heart. This work attracts attention because it is creepy. The reader cannot help but remember it. Consider the following aspects of the story:

Characters - who did it? Purpose - why was it done? Acts - what was done? Scenes - when or where did it happen? Weapons - how wasSAMPLE it done? Once you have these questions answered from the details of the story, you are ready to put the project in order. The purpose of responding to A Tell-Tale Heart is to help another person appreciate the author’s work. You will either be making a written response or a slideshow presentation in response to A Tell-Tale Heart.

First, express your purpose in making this response. Your first paragraph or opening slide should make a general statement about The Tell Tale Heart, expressing your opinion about it as a piece of literature.

Second, summarize the plot of the story.

Third, highlight the details used by the author in creating the atmosphere and mood of this short story. Include those details in your response. Consider his word choices and use of suspense. Discuss them in your presentation.

Fourth, select a specific aspect of the story that made a strong impression on you. Tell the audience why that particular aspect of the story struck you strongly. Give examples from the story.

Fifth, discuss the effect of the point-of-view on the story. In this particular story, Poe told the story from the point-of-view of the murderer. This keeps the reader in on the “mad- ness” of the act. Consider how the point-of-view affects the tension. Tell your audience how important (if at all) the point-of-view is. Last, summarize your opinions and main ideas to make a final point to your audience. Go to work!

Lesson Wrap-Up: You have had an opportunity to express yourself on a classic piece by Edgar Allan Poe. You analyzed, reflected upon, and expressed your opinions and observations on a short story which is well known in the annals of American literature. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—1

Lesson 34 The Open Window by Saki

In Lesson 34 you will read and study a famous short story by English writer, H. H. Munro. His pen name is Saki. His short stories often satirized British society of the time. Satire is a type of writing which uses sarcasm or irony to expose someone’s foolishness or folly. As you are reading, try to identify the character who is the object of satire.

When you are finished with the story, there are questions to answer.

Lesson Wrap-Up: If you liked this type of story, look up some of Saki’s other stories. Perhaps you would like to read Shirley Jackson, an American writer who wrote horror stories with a mischievous tone much like thoseSAMPLE of Saki. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—2

The Open Window by Saki

“My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel,” said a very self-possessed young lady of fifteen; “in the meantime you must try and put up with me.”

Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.

“I know how it will be,” his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; “you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice.”

Framton wonderedSAMPLE whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he was presenting one of the letters of introduction, came into the nice division.

“Do you know many of the people round here?” asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.

“Hardly a soul,” said Framton. “My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here.”

He made the last statement in a tone of distinct regret.

“Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?” pursued the self-possessed young lady. “Only her name and address,” admitted the caller. He was wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or widowed state. An undefinable something about the room seemed to suggest masculine habitation.

“Her great tragedy happened just three years ago,” said the child; “that would be since your sister’s time.”

“Her tragedy?” asked Framton; somehow in this restful country spot tragedies seemed out of place.

“You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,” said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened on to a lawn.

“It is quite warm for the time of the year,” said Framton; “but has that window got anything to do with the tragedy?”

“Out through that window, three years ago to a day, her husband and her two young brothers went off for their day’s shooting. They never came back. In crossing the moor to their favorite snipe-shooting ground they were all three engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog. It had been that dreadful wet summer, you know, and places that were safe in other years gave way suddenly without warning. Their bodies were never recovered. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—3

That was the dreadful part of it.” Here the child’s voice lost its self-possessed note and became falter- ingly human. “Poor aunt always thinks that they will come back some day, they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in at that window just as they used to do. That is why the window is kept open every evening till it is quite dusk.

Poor dear aunt, she has often told me how they went out, her husband with his white waterproof coat over his arm, and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing ‘Bertie, why do you bound?’ as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on her nerves. Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window—“

She broke off with a little shudder. It was a relief to Framton when the aunt bustled into the room with a whirl of apologies for being late in making her appearance.

“I hope Vera has been amusing you?” she said. “She has been verySAMPLE interesting,” said Framton. “I hope you don’t mind The Open Window,” said Mrs. Sappleton briskly; “my husband and brothers will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They’ve been out for snipe in the marshes to-day, so they’ll make a fine mess over my poor carpets. So like you men-folk, isn’t it?”

She rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity of birds, and the prospects for duck in the winter. To Framton it was all purely horrible. He made a desperate but only partially successful effort to turn the talk on to a less ghastly topic; he was conscious that his hostess was giving him only a frag- ment of her attention, and her eyes were constantly straying past him to The Open Window and the lawn beyond.

It was certainly an unfortunate coincidence that he should have paid his visit on this tragic anniversary.

“The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise,” announced Framton, who laboured under the toler- ably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one’s ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure. “On the matter of diet they are not so much in agreement,” he continued.

“No?” said Mrs. Sappleton, in a voice which only replaced a yawn at the last moment. Then she suddenly brightened into alert attention—but not to what Framton was saying.

“Here they are at last!” she cried. “Just in time for tea, and don’t they look as if they were muddy up to the eyes!”

Framton shivered slightly and turned towards the niece with a look intended to convey sympathetic comprehension. The child was staring out through The Open Window with dazed horror in her eyes. In a chill shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat and looked in the same direction.

In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window; they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—4

shoulders. A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared the house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: “I said, Bertie, why do you bound?”

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall-door, the gravel- drive, and the front gate were dimly-noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid an imminent collision.

“Here we are, my dear,” said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming in through the window; “fairly muddy, but most of it’s dry. Who was that who bolted out as we came up?”

“A most extraordinary man, a Mr. Nuttel,” said Mrs. Sappleton; “could only talk about his illnesses, and dashed off without a word of good-bye or apology when you arrived. One would think he had seen a ghost.”

“I expect it was the spaniel,” said the niece calmly; “he told me he had a horror of dogs. He was once hunted into a cemeterySAMPLE somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning and foaming just above him. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve.”

Romance at short notice was her specialty. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—5

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

What happened in this story?

SAMPLE What did the author want us to interpret about the characters in this story?

Have you ever been in a situation where you were not sure whether to believe the storyteller? How did that make you feel? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—6

Was the author successful in creating the human emotions? What actions of the character show the feelings not spoken in words?

Identify the main charactersSAMPLE in the story.

Write a paragraph describing your impression of Framton Nuttel. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—7

Write a paragraph describing your impression of Vera.

Select three adjectives to describe this story. Use those three adjectives to form the topic sentence of aSAMPLE paragraph you will write giving your impression of The Open Window as a whole.

Write the paragraph. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 34—8

In the story Framton was hoodwinked by Vera. He believed every word of the story she spun for him. Tell about a time you believed someone’s story which turned out to be untrue. What were the consequences of believing the person’s story?

SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—1

Lesson 35 Vocabulary List Six— Assessment Which Author Kept You Reading?

Lesson 35 is divided into two parts. In the first part you will take an Assessment on the Vo- cabulary words in List Six. These are words that are commonly confused. Complete each sentence with the correct word.

After you have completed the Vocabulary Assessment, you will write on the differences between Saki and Edgar Allen Poe:

Compare A Tell-Tale Heart and The Open Window. Consider the mood, the characters, level of suspense, and the settings of each story. Include in your response which story you preferred. Give reasons to back up your opinion. Use the chart to guide your thinking in the prewriting process. Choose two topics and write one paragraph for each topic comparing the twoSAMPLE stories. Space is provided for you to jot notes on each subject

For example, if you choose to write about mood and setting, the mood paragraph will compare the moods of the two stories. The setting paragraph will compare the settings of the two stories. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—2

The Tell Tale Heart

Character

Setting SAMPLE

Mood

Suspense STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—3

The Open Window

Character

Setting SAMPLE

Mood

Suspense STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—4

Now, write your paragraph:

SAMPLE

Lesson Wrap-Up: You have studied two short stories by two master storytellers. They have many similarities. Do you think they are more alike than they are different? Wheth- er you prefer Poe to Saki depends on your taste in literature. Both stories are gems, even though you are bound to have a preference for one more than the other. Find another short story by the author you prefer. Read it. Did you like it as well as the one in this book? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—5

Lesson 35—Vocabulary Assessment

Allusion Chose Later Nauseous Illusion Conscience Latter Proceed Affect Conscious Liable Precede Effect Desert Libel Quiet Breath Dessert Loose Quite Breathe Emigrate Lose Than Choose Immigrate Nauseated Then

1. Please be ______when you enter the room.

2. ______withSAMPLE caution when you cross the busy street.

3. When you make popcorn you should place the popped corn in a bowl and

______add butter and salt.

4. The patient was ______and asked for a basin in case he vomited.

5. There were ______a few children at the book store waiting the newly released book.

6. Your grandparents ______you on our family tree.

7. Please do not ______this signed check.

8. The motion of the boat made them ______.

9. The lawyer told him he was ______for what he said.

10. She made two remarks. She said my work was unique. She also said it was atrocious.

It was the ______remark that offended me. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 35—6

11. I don’t have time now. Please ask me that question______.

12. It is______to purposely write an untrue news story about someone.

13. That knot is too______to hold the door open.

14. Pie is my favorite ______.

15. All of the people in the accident were able to speak. They were ______.

16. Have you ever SAMPLEbeen to a barren place like a______?

17. Your ______will help you decide between right and wrong.

18. He is an ______to our country.

19. Yesterday you ______one of these gifts.

20. What you thought you saw was only an ______.

21. If you ______the less expensive sweater, you may have two instead of one.

22. When you ______from your country you go to another country.

23. The speaker made an ______to fact that our football team won the state tournament.

24. The ______of studying includes getting good grades.

25. I can ______your choice by telling you there will be money in it for you if you select the blue shirt. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—1

Lesson 36 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Introduction and Chapter One – Into the Primitive

You are going to embark on a literary journey into the cold tundra of the North. Through the eyes of a master author, Jack London, you will move from the warmth of California into the harsh landscape of Alaska. There are several steps for you to follow before you read and as you read. Read The Call of the Wild actively, and you will experience the great pleasure of an extraordinary story.

As you read, you will record new words and increase your Vocabulary by taking the time to look them up in the dictionary and use them yourself in writing. This realistic fiction story could only be told by an author with an intimate knowledge of the setting and the characters. When SAMPLEyou get an urge to write a realistic type of story, be sure it is about something or some place you know well.

When you finish this novel you may start to develop a character and a plot that satisfies your creative talents.

As you read The Call of the Wild, follow the steps given in the Reading for Meaning Study Guide.

Reading for Meaning Study Guide Read for meaning: Take sentences from your book and look for the underlying meaning the author wanted to convey.

Predict: As you read, think what you think will happen next based on information you are given as you read.

Conflict: Keep in mind there can be conflict inside or outside the character.

Theme: The central message, concern, or insight into life expressed in a literary work is its theme. It is an important idea the author wants to express about something considered a fundamental truth.

Symbolism: A symbol is anything that stands for or represents something else. Symbols are usually concrete objects or images that represent abstract ideas. Example: a sun can represent light, truth, or a promising future. The American flag is a symbol of the United States.

Imagery: An image is a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses: sound, smell, taste, look, and touch.

Narrator: The speaker or character who tells a story

Point of view: It is the perspective from which the story is told: First person: story is told by the main character; perspective is limited to the thoughts, STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—2

feelings, and ideas of the story teller

Third person: story is told by a person who is not the main character; the story teller’s per- spective is limited and does not know what all of the characters are thinking and feeling

Third person omniscient (knowing all): The story is told by a narrator who is not a character but views the events through the eyes of more than one of the characters. It is like an outsider of the story looking in and knowing all.

Foreshadowing: A clue or hint that suggest events that have yet to occur

Before beginning the actual reading of the novel, The Call of the Wild, prepare a reading log to complete after each chapter. You will submit the reading log to your teacher when the novel project is finished. Your reading log should be headed with the title and author of the book you are reading. Label the contents of your log by chapter, also.

Read! Read your novel chapter by chapter. For each chapter you will do Vocabulary work, make a prediction SAMPLEabout what will happen in the upcoming chapter, visualize the action, and demonstrate understanding of the story. Doing all of these activities will help you to enjoy this great novel.

Vocabulary - Write down words you do not know (at least five words per chapter). From the context clues given in the sentence, predict the meaning of the words. Look them up in a dictionary to confirm that meaning. In your reading log you should have five Vocabulary words per chapter, your predicted meaning based on context, and the dictionary definition.

Study Questions - Write questions as you read. Read to discover the answer to your questions. As your reading reveals the answers to your questions, write the answers down. In your reading log you should have at least three questions per chapter. The questions can be about anything you wonder about as you read. Illustrations - Illustrate (draw pictures) scenes you want to remember as you read. Write a sentence to tell what you are illustrating. In your reading log you should have at least one illustration per chapter. Summary - Follow the plot development. Where is this taking place? Who are the main characters? What is the conflict? With whom is the conflict? Is the conflict within the character or is it an external conflict? What is the critical point in the plot? This will be a point where there is a decision that resolves the problem. How does the story end? In your reading log you should sum up the action of each chapter in three to five sentences. Note the characters and conflict present in each chapter. This is a guide to being an interactive reader. Stories come alive when you invest your thinking skills into the magic of the world of words!

Lesson Wrap-Up: Reading a Jack London novel can be a wrenching experience. The brutality with which animals were treated assaults the reader with a vengeance. The trauma Buck experienced in Chapter One is terribly graphic. Jack London’s prose is vivid, intense, and memorable. The Call of the Wild is a novel that stays with the reader for many years. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—3

Call of the Wild Chapter One Into the Primitive

“Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again from its brumal sleep Wakens the ferine strain.”

Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tide-water dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steam- ship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furrySAMPLE coats to protect them from the frost. Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. Judge Miller’s place, it was called. It stood back from the road, half hidden among the trees, through which glimpses could be caught of the wide cool veranda that ran around its four sides.

The house was approached by graveled driveways which wound about through wide-spreading lawns and under the interlacing boughs of tall poplars. At the rear things were on even a more spacious scale than at the front. There were great stables, where a dozen grooms and boys held forth, rows of vine-clad servants’ cottages, an endless and orderly array of outhouses, long grape arbors, green pastures, orchards, and berry patches. Then there was the pumping plant for the artesian well, and the big cement tank where Judge Miller’s boys took their morning plunge and kept cool in the hot afternoon.

And over this great demesne Buck ruled. Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life. It was true, there were other dogs, There could not but be other dogs on so vast a place, but they did not count. They came and went, resided in the populous kennels, or lived obscurely in the recesses of the house after the fashion of Toots, the Japanese pug, or Ysabel, the Mexican hairless,--strange creatures that rarely put nose out of doors or set foot to ground. On the other hand, there were the fox terriers, a score of them at least, who yelped fearful promises at Toots and Ysabel looking out of the windows at them and protected by a legion of housemaids armed with brooms and mops.

But Buck was neither house-dog nor kennel-dog. The whole realm was his. He plunged into the swimming tank or went hunting with the Judge’s sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge’s daugh- ters, on long twilight or early morning rambles; on wintry nights he lay at the Judge’s feet before the roaring library fire; he carried the Judge’s grandsons on his back, or rolled them in the grass, and guarded their footsteps through wild adventures down to the fountain in the stable yard, and even beyond, where the paddocks were, and the berry patches. Among the terriers he stalked imperiously, and Toots and Ysabel he utterly ignored, for he was king,--king over all creeping, crawling, flying things of Judge Miller’s place, humans included.

His father, Elmo, a huge St. Bernard, had been the Judge’s inseparable companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father. He was not so large,--he weighed only one hundred and forty pounds,- -for his mother, Shep, had been a Scotch shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred and forty pounds, to STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—4

which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in right royal fashion. During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived the life of a sated aristo- crat; he had a fine pride in himself, was even a trifle egotistical, as country gentlemen sometimes become because of their insular situation. But he had saved himself by not becoming a mere pampered house- dog. Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a health preserver.

And this was the manner of dog Buck was in the fall of 1897, when the Klondike strike dragged men from all the world into the frozen North. But Buck did not read the newspapers, and he did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener’s helpers, was an undesirable acquaintance. Manuel had one besetting sin. He loved to play Chinese lottery. Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting weakness--faith in a system; and this made his [doom] certain. For to play a system requires money, while the wages of a gardener’s helper do not lap over the needs of a wife and numerous progeny. The Judge was at a meeting of the Raisin Growers’ Association, and the boys were busy organizing an athletic club, on the memorable night of Manuel’s treachery. No one saw him and Buck go off through the orchard on what Buck imagined was merely a stroll. And with the exception of a solitary man, no one saw them arrive at the little flag station known as College Park.SAMPLE This man talked with Manuel, and money chinked between them. “You might wrap up the goods before you deliver ‘m,” the stranger said gruffly, and Manuel doubled a piece of stout rope around Buck’s neck under the collar.

“Twist it, an’ you’ll choke ‘m plentee,” said Manuel, and the stranger grunted a ready affirmative. Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity. To be sure, it was an unwonted performance: but he had learned to trust in men he knew, and to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own. But when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger’s hands, he growled menacingly. He had merely intimated his displeasure, in his pride believing that to intimate was to command. But to his surprise the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. In quick rage he sprang at the man, who met him halfway, grappled him close by the throat, and with a deft twist threw him over on his back. Then the rope tightened mercilessly, while Buck struggled in a fury, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his great chest panting futilely. Never in all his life had he been so vilely treated, and never in all his life had he been so angry. But his strength ebbed, his eyes glazed, and he knew nothing when the train was flagged and the two men threw him into the baggage car.

The next he knew, he was dimly aware that his tongue was hurting and that he was being jolted along in some kind of a conveyance. The hoarse shriek of a locomotive whistling a crossing told him where he was. He had travelled too often with the Judge not to know the sensation of riding in a baggage car. He opened his eyes, and into them came the unbridled anger of a kidnapped king. The man sprang for his throat, but Buck was too quick for him. His jaws closed on the hand, nor did they relax till his senses were choked out of him once more.

“Yep, has fits,” the man said, hiding his mangled hand from the baggage man, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle. “I’m takin’ ‘m up for the boss to ‘Frisco. A crack dog-doctor there thinks that he can cure ‘m.”

Concerning that night’s ride, the man spoke most eloquently for himself, in a little shed back of a saloon on the San Francisco water front. “All I get is fifty for it,” he grumbled; “an’ I wouldn’t do it over for a thousand, cold cash.” His hand was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief, and the right trouser leg was ripped from knee to ankle. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—5

“How much did the other mug get?” the saloon-keeper demanded.

“A hundred,” was the reply. “Wouldn’t take a sou less, so help me.”

“That makes a hundred and fifty,” the saloon-keeper calculated; “and he’s worth it, or I’m a square- head.”

The kidnapper undid the bloody wrappings and looked at his lacerated hand. “If I don’t get the hydrophoby--”

“It’ll be because you was born to hang,” laughed the saloon- keeper. “Here, lend me a hand before you pull your freight,” he added.

Dazed, suffering intolerable pain from throat and tongue, with the life half throttled out of him, Buck attempted to face his tormentors. But he was thrown down and choked repeatedly, till they succeeded in filing the heavy brass collar from off his neck. Then the rope was removed, and he was flung into a cage-like crate. ThereSAMPLE he lay for the remainder of the weary night, nursing his wrath and wounded pride. He could not understand what it all meant. What did they want with him, these strange men? Why were they keeping him pent up in this narrow crate? He did not know why, but he felt oppressed by the vague sense of impending calamity. Several times during the night he sprang to his feet when the shed door rattled open, expecting to see the Judge, or the boys at least. But each time it was the bulging face of the saloon-keeper that peered in at him by the sickly light of a tallow candle. And each time the joyful bark that trembled in Buck’s throat was twisted into a savage growl.

But the saloon-keeper let him alone, and in the morning four men entered and picked up the crate. More tormentors, Buck decided, for they were evil-looking creatures, ragged and unkempt; and he stormed and raged at them through the bars. They only laughed and poked sticks at him, which he promptly assailed with his teeth till he realized that that was what they wanted. Whereupon he lay down sullenly and allowed the crate to be lifted into a wagon. Then he, and the crate in which he was impris- oned, began a passage through many hands. Clerks in the express office took charge of him; he was carted about in another wagon; a truck carried him, with an assortment of boxes and parcels, upon a ferry steamer; he was trucked off the steamer into a great railway depot, and finally he was deposited in an express car.

For two days and nights this express car was dragged along at the tail of shrieking locomotives; and for two days and nights Buck neither ate nor drank. In his anger he had met the first advances of the express messengers with growls, and they had retaliated by teasing him. When he flung himself against the bars, quivering and frothing, they laughed at him and taunted him. They growled and barked like de- testable dogs, mewed, and flapped their arms and crowed. It was all very silly, he knew; but therefore the more outrage to his dignity, and his anger waxed and waxed. He did not mind the hunger so much, but the lack of water caused him severe suffering and fanned his wrath to fever-pitch. For that matter, high- strung and finely sensitive, the ill treatment had flung himinto a fever, which was fed by the inflammation of his parched and swollen throat and tongue. He was glad for one thing: the rope was off his neck. That had given them an unfair advantage; but now that it was off, he would show them. They would never get another rope around his neck. Upon that he was resolved. For two days and nights he neither ate nor drank, and during those two days and nights of torment, he accumulated a fund of wrath that boded ill for whoever first fell foul of him. His eyes turned blood-shot, and he was metamorphosed into a raging fiend. So changed was he that the Judge himself would not have recognized him; and the express messengers STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—6

breathed with relief when they bundled him off the train at Seattle.

Four men gingerly carried the crate from the wagon into a small, high-walled back yard. A stout man, with a red sweater that sagged generously at the neck, came out and signed the book for the driver. That was the man, Buck divined, the next tormentor, and he hurled himself savagely against the bars. The man smiled grimly, and brought a hatchet and a club.

“You ain’t going to take him out now?” the driver asked.

“Sure,” the man replied, driving the hatchet into the crate for a pry. There was an instantaneous scat- tering of the four men who had carried it in, and from safe perches on top the wall they prepared to watch the performance. Buck rushed at the splintering wood, sinking his teeth into it, surging and wrestling with it. Wherever the hatchet fell on the outside, he was there on the inside, snarling and growling, as furiously anxious to get out as the man in the red sweater was calmly intent on getting him out.

“Now, you red-eyed devil,” he said, when he had made an opening sufficient for the passage of Buck’s body. At the same timeSAMPLE he dropped the hatchet and shifted the club to his right hand. And Buck was truly a red-eyed devil, as he drew himself together for the spring, hair bristling, mouth foaming, a mad glitter in his blood-shot eyes. Straight at the man he launched his one hundred and forty pounds of fury, surcharged with the pent passion of two days and nights. In mid air, just as his jaws were about to close on the man, he received a shock that checked his body and brought his teeth together with an agonizing clip. He whirled over, fetching the ground on his back and side. He had never been struck by a club in his life, and did not understand. With a snarl that was part bark and more scream he was again on his feet and launched into the air. And again the shock came and he was brought crushingly to the ground. This time he was aware that it was the club, but his madness knew no caution. A dozen times he charged, and as often the club broke the charge and smashed him down.

After a particularly fierce blow, he crawled to his feet, too dazed to rush. He staggered limply about, the blood flowing from nose and mouth and ears, his beautiful coat sprayed and flecked with bloody slaver. Then the man advanced and deliberately dealt him a frightful blow on the nose. All the pain he had endured was as nothing compared with the exquisite agony of this. With a roar that was almost lion- like in its ferocity, he again hurled himself at the man. But the man, shifting the club from right to left, coolly caught him by the under jaw, at the same time wrenching downward and backward. Buck de- scribed a complete circle in the air, and half of another, then crashed to the ground on his head and chest.

For the last time he rushed. The man struck the shrewd blow he had purposely withheld for so long, and Buck crumpled up and went down, knocked utterly senseless. “He’s no slouch at dog-breakin’, that’s wot I say,” one of the men on the wall cried enthusiastically.

“Druther break cayuses any day, and twice on Sundays,” was the reply of the driver, as he climbed on the wagon and started the horses. Buck’s senses came back to him, but not his strength. He lay where he had fallen, and from there he watched the man in the red sweater.

“’Answers to the name of Buck,’ “ the man soliloquized, quoting from the saloon-keeper’s letter which had announced the consignment of the crate and contents. “Well, Buck, my boy,” he went on in a genial voice, “we’ve had our little ruction, and the best thing we can do is to let it go at that. You’ve learned your place, and I know mine. Be a good dog and all ‘ll go well and the goose hang high. Be a bad dog, and I’ll whale the stuffin’ outa you. Understand?” As he spoke he fearlessly patted the head he had so merci- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—7

lessly pounded, and though Buck’s hair involuntarily bristled at touch of the hand, he endured it without protest. When the man brought him water he drank eagerly, and later bolted a generous meal of raw meat, chunk by chunk, from the man’s hand.

He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the Lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction half- way. The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect; and while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused. As the days went by, other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some docilely, and some raging and roaring as he had come; and, one and all, he watched them pass under the dominion of the man in the red sweater. Again and again, as he looked at each brutal per- formance, the Lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated. Of this last Buck was never guilty, though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged their tails, and licked his hand. Also he saw one dog, that would nei- ther conciliate nor obey, finally killed in the struggle for mastery. Now and again menSAMPLE came, strangers, who talked excitedly, wheedlingly, and in all kinds of fashions to the man in the red sweater. And at such times that money passed between them the strangers took one or more of the dogs away with them. Buck wondered where they went, for they never came back; but the fear of the future was strong upon him, and he was glad each time when he was not selected.

Yet his time came, in the end, in the form of a little weakened man who spat broken English and many strange and uncouth exclamations which Buck could not understand.

“Sacredam!” he cried, when his eyes lit upon Buck. “Dat one dam bully dog! Eh? How moch?” “Three hundred, and a present at that,” was the prompt reply of the man in the red sweater. “And seem’ it’s government money, you ain’t got no kick coming, eh, Perrault?”

Perrault grinned. Considering that the price of dogs had been boomed skyward by the unwonted demand, it was not an unfair sum for so fine an animal. The Canadian Government would be no loser, nor would its dispatches travel the slower. Perrault knew dogs, and when he looked at Buck he knew that he was one in a thousand-- “One in ten t’ousand,” he commented mentally. Buck saw money pass between them, and was not surprised when Curly, a good-natured Newfoundland, and he were led away by the little weakened man. That was the last he saw of the man in the red sweater, and as Curly and he looked at receding Seattle from the deck of the Narwhal, it was the last he saw of the warm South- land. Curly and he were taken below by Perrault and turned over to a black-faced giant called Francois. Perrault was a French-Canadian, and swarthy; but Francois was a French-Canadian half-breed, and twice as swarthy. They were a new kind of men to Buck (of which he was destined to see many more), and while he developed no affection for them, he none the less grew honestly to respect them. He speedily learned that Perrault and Francois were fair men, calm and impartial in administering justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs.

In the ‘tween-decks of the Narwhal, Buck and Curly joined two other dogs. One of them was a big, snow-white fellow from Spitzbergen who had been brought away by a whaling captain, and who had later accompanied a Geological Survey into the Barrens. He was friendly, in a treacherous sort of way, smiling into one’s face the while he meditated some underhand trick, as, for instance, when he stole from Buck’s food at the first meal. As Buck sprang to punish him, the lash of Francois’s whip sang through the air, reaching the culprit first; and nothing remained to Buck but to recover the bone. That was fair of STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 36—8

Francois, he decided, and the half-breed began his rise in Buck’s estimation.

The other dog made no advances, nor received any; also, he did not attempt to steal from the new- comers. He was a gloomy, morose fellow, and he showed Curly plainly that all he desired was to be left alone, and further, that there would be trouble if he were not left alone. “Dave” he was called, and he ate and slept, or yawned between times, and took interest in nothing, not even when the Narwhal crossed Queen Charlotte Sound and rolled and pitched and bucked like a thing possessed. When Buck and Curly grew excited, half wild with fear, he raised his head as though annoyed, favored them with an incurious glance, yawned, and went to sleep again.

Day and night the ship throbbed to the tireless pulse of the propeller, and though one day was very like another, it was apparent to Buck that the weather was steadily growing colder. At last, one morn- ing, the propeller was quiet, and the Narwhal was pervaded with an atmosphere of excitement. He felt it, as did the other dogs, and knew that a change was at hand. Francois leashed them and brought them on deck. At the first step upon the cold surface, Buck’s feet sank into a white mushy something very like mud. He sprang back with a snort. More of this white stuff was falling through the air. He shook himself, but more of it fell uponSAMPLE him. He sniffed it curiously, then licked some up on his tongue. It bit like fire, and the next instant was gone. This puzzled him. He tried it again, with the same result. The onlookers laughed uproariously, and he felt ashamed, he knew not why, for it was his first snow.

Reading Log: Now that you have finished Chapter One of The Call of the Wild, be sure that your read- ing notebook is up to date. You need five Vocabulary words with your definition predic- tions based on context, and a dictionary definition. You need three questions which have occurred to you as you read Chapter One. You should have one drawing of a scene from this chapter. You also need a three to five sentence summary of the chapter. Identify the characters and conflict present in Chapter One. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—1

Lesson 37 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapters Two—The Law of the Club and the Fang

You will continue reading Jack London’s Call of the Wild. Be especially attentive to Buck’s survivability as he adjusts to his new surroundings.

Lesson Wrap-Up: In Chapter Two the reader learns more about Buck’s survival. He was a quick and observant learner. Those qualities saved his life. The chapter is titled The Law of the Club and the Fang. That title expresses the type of Lessons Buck had to learn to sur- vive. List some of the things he learned. Think of a time when you were in a new situation. What kinds of Lessons did you have to learn to survive? SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—2

Chapter Two The Law of Club and Fang

Buck’s first day on the Dyea beach was like a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise. He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial. No lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be bored. Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment’s safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. There was imperative need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang.

He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgettable Lesson. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it. Curly was the victim. They were camped near the log store, where she, in her friendly way, made advances to a husky dog the size of a full-grown wolf, though not half so large as she. There was no warn- ing, only a leap in likeSAMPLE a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw.

It was the wolf manner of fighting, to strike and leap away; but there was more to it than this. Thirty or forty huskies ran to the spot and surrounded the combatants in an intent and silent circle. Buck did not comprehend that silent intentness, nor the eager way with which they were licking their chops. Curly rushed her antagonist, who struck again and leaped aside. He met her next rush with his chest, in a pecu- liar fashion that tumbled her off her feet. She never regained them, This was what the onlooking huskies had waited for. They closed in upon her, snarling and yelping, and she was buried, screaming with agony, beneath the bristling mass of bodies.

So sudden was it, and so unexpected, that Buck was taken aback. He saw Spitz run out his scarlet tongue in a way he had of laughing; and he saw Francois, swinging an axe, spring into the mess of dogs. Three men with clubs were helping him to scatter them. It did not take long. Two minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were clubbed off. But she lay there limp and lifeless in the bloody, trampled snow, almost literally torn to pieces, the swart half-breed standing over her and curs- ing horribly. The scene often came back to Buck to trouble him in his sleep. So that was the way. No fair play. Once down, that was the end of you. Well, he would see to it that he never went down. Spitz ran out his tongue and laughed again, and from that moment Buck hated him with a bitter and deathless hatred. Before he had recovered from the shock caused by the tragic passing of Curly, he received another shock. Francois fastened upon him an arrangement of straps and buckles. It was a harness, such as he had seen the grooms put on the horses at home. And as he had seen horses work, so he was set to work, hauling Francois on a sled to the forest that fringed the valley, and returning with a load of firewood. Though his dignity was sorely hurt by thus being made a draught animal, he was too wise to rebel. He buckled down with a will and did his best, though it was all new and strange. Francois was stern, demanding instant obedience, and by virtue of his whip receiving instant obedience; while Dave, who was an experienced wheeler, nipped Buck’s hind quarters whenever he was in error. Spitz was the leader, likewise experienced, and while he could not always get at Buck, he growled sharp reproof now and again, or cunningly threw his weight in the traces to jerk Buck into the way he should go. Buck learned easily, and under the combined tuition of his two mates and Francois made remarkable progress. Ere they returned to camp he knew enough to stop at”ho,” to go ahead at “mush,” to swing wide on the bends, and to keep clear of the wheeler when the loaded sled shot downhill at their heels. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—3

“T’ree vair’ good dogs,” Francois told Perrault. “Dat Buck, heem pool lak [heck]. I tich heem queek as anyt’ing.”

By afternoon, Perrault, who was in a hurry to be on the trail with his dispatches, returned with two more dogs. “Billee” and “Joe” he called them, two brothers, and true huskies both. Sons of the one mother though they were, they were as different as day and night. Billee’s one fault was his excessive good nature, while Joe was the very opposite, sour and introspective, with a perpetual snarl and a malignant eye. Buck received them in comradely fashion, Dave ignored them, while Spitz proceeded to thrash first one and then the other. Billee wagged his tail appeasingly, turned to run when he saw that appeasement was of no avail, and cried (still appeasingly) when Spitz’s sharp teeth scored his flank. But no matter how Spitz circled, Joe whirled around on his heels to face him, mane bristling, ears laid back, lips writhing and snarling, jaws clipping together as fast as he could snap, and eyes diabolically gleaming--the incarnation of belligerent fear. So terrible was his appearance that Spitz was forced to forego disciplining him; but to cover his own discomfiture he turned upon the inoffensive and wailing Billee and drove him to the con- fines of the camp. SAMPLE By evening Perrault secured another dog, an old husky, long and lean and gaunt, with a battle-scarred face and a single eye which flashed a warning of prowess that commanded respect. He was called Sol-leks, which means the Angry One. Like Dave, he asked nothing, gave nothing, expected nothing; and when he marched slowly and deliberately into their midst, even Spitz left him alone. He had one peculiarity which Buck was unlucky enough to discover. He did not like to be approached on his blind side. Of this offence Buck was unwittingly guilty, and the first knowledge he had of his indiscretion was when Sol-leks whirled upon him and slashed his shoulder to the bone for three inches up and down. Forever after Buck avoided his blind side, and to the last of their comradeship had no more trouble. His only apparent ambition, like Dave’s, was to be left alone; though, as Buck was afterward to learn, each of them possessed one other and even more vital ambition.

That night Buck faced the great problem of sleeping. The tent, illumined by a candle, glowed warmly in the midst of the white plain; and when he, as a matter of course, entered it, both Perrault and Fran- cois bombarded him with curses and cooking utensils, till he recovered from his consternation and fled ignominiously into the outer cold. A chill wind was blowing that nipped him sharply and bit with especial venom into his wounded shoulder. He lay down on the snow and attempted to sleep, but the frost soon drove him shivering to his feet. Miserable and disconsolate, he wandered about among the many tents, only to find that one place was as cold as another. Here and there savage dogs rushed upon him, but he bristled his neck-hair and snarled (for he was learning fast), and they let him go his way unmolested.

Finally an idea came to him. He would return and see how his own team-mates were making out. To his astonishment, they had disappeared. Again he wandered about through the great camp, looking for them, and again he returned. Were they in the tent? No, that could not be, else he would not have been driven out. Then where could they possibly be? With drooping tail and shivering body, very for- lorn indeed, he aimlessly circled the tent. Suddenly the snow gave way beneath his fore legs and he sank down. Something wriggled under his feet. He sprang back bristling and snarling, fearful of the unseen and unknown. But a friendly little yelp reassured him, and he went back to investigate. A whiff of warm air ascended to his nostrils, and there, curled up under the snow in a snug ball, lay Billee. He whined placatingly, squirmed and wriggled to show his good will and intentions, and even ventured, as a bribe for peace, to lick Buck’s face with his warm wet tongue. Another Lesson. So that was the way they did it, eh? Buck confidently selected a spot, and with much fuss and wasted effort proceeded to dig a hole for him- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—4

self. In a trice the heat from his body filled the confined space and he was asleep. The day had been long and arduous, and he slept soundly and comfortably, though he growled and barked and wrestled with bad dreams.

Nor did he open his eyes till roused by the noises of the waking camp. At first he did not know where he was. It had snowed during the night and he was completely buried. The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him--the fear of the wild thing for the trap. It was a token that he was harking back through his own life to the lives of his forebears; for he was a civilized dog, an unduly civilized dog, and of his own experience knew no trap and so could not of himself fear it. The muscles of his whole body contracted spasmodically and instinctively, the hair on his neck and shoulders stood on end, and with a ferocious snarl he bounded straight up into the blinding day, the snow flying about him in a flashing cloud. Ere he landed on his feet, he saw the white camp spread out before him and knew where he was and remembered all that had passed from the time he went for a stroll with Manuel to the hole he had dug for himself the night before.

A shout from FrancoisSAMPLE hailed his appearance. “Wot I say?” the dog-driver cried to Perrault. “Dat Buck for sure learn queek as anyt’ing.”

Perrault nodded gravely. As courier for the Canadian Government, bearing important dispatches, he was anxious to secure the best dogs, and he was particularly gladdened by the possession of Buck.

Three more huskies were added to the team inside an hour, making a total of nine, and before another quarter of an hour had passed they were in harness and swinging up the trail toward the Dyea Canon. Buck was glad to be gone, and though the work was hard he found he did not particularly despise it. He was surprised at the eagerness which animated the whole team and which was communicated to him; but still more surprising was the change wrought in Dave and Sol-leks. They were new dogs, utterly transformed by the harness. All passiveness and unconcern had dropped from them. They were alert and active, anxious that the work should go well, and fiercely irritable with whatever, by delay or confusion, retarded that work. The toil of the traces seemed the supreme expression of their being, and all that they lived for and the only thing in which they took delight.

Dave was wheeler or sled dog, pulling in front of him was Buck, then came Sol-leks; the rest of the team was strung out ahead, single file, to the leader, which position was filled by Spitz. Buck had been purposely placed between Dave and Sol-leks so that he might receive instruction. Apt scholar that he was, they were equally apt teachers, never allowing him to linger long in error, and enforcing their teaching with their sharp teeth. Dave was fair and very wise. He never nipped Buck without cause, and he never failed to nip him when he stood in need of it. As Francois’s whip backed him up, Buck found it to be cheaper to mend his ways than to retaliate. Once, during a brief halt, when he got tangled in the traces and delayed the start, both Dave and Sol-leks flew at him and administered a sound trouncing. The resulting tangle was even worse, but Buck took good care to keep the traces clear thereafter; and ere the day was done, so well had he mastered his work, his mates about ceased nagging him. Francois’s whip snapped less frequently, and Perrault even honored Buck by lifting up his feet and carefully examining them.

It was a hard day’s run, up the Canon, through Sheep Camp, past the Scales and the timber line, across glaciers and snowdrifts hundreds of feet deep, and over the great Chilcoot Divide, which stands between the salt water and the fresh and guards forbiddingly the sad and lonely North. They made good time down the chain of lakes which fills the craters of extinct volcanoes, and late that night pulled into the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—5

huge camp at the head of Lake Bennett, where thousands of gold seekers were building boats against the break-up of the ice in the spring. Buck made his hole in the snow and slept the sleep of the exhausted just, but all too early was routed out in the cold darkness and harnessed with his mates to the sled. That day they made forty miles, the trail being packed; but the next day, and for many days to follow, they broke their own trail, worked harder, and made poorer time. As a rule, Perrault travelled ahead of the team, packing the snow with webbed shoes to make it easier for them. Francois, guiding the sled at the gee-pole, sometimes exchanged places with him, but not often. Perrault was in a hurry, and he prided himself on his knowledge of ice, which knowledge was indispensable, for the fall ice was very thin, and where there was swift water, there was no ice at all.

Day after day, for days unending, Buck toiled in the traces. Always, they broke camp in the dark, and the first gray of dawn found them hitting the trail with fresh miles reeled off behind them. And always they pitched camp after dark, eating their bit of fish, and crawling to sleep into the snow. Buck was ravenous. The pound and a half of sun-dried salmon, which was his ration for each day, seemed to go nowhere. He never had enough, and suffered from perpetual hunger pangs. Yet the other dogs, because they weighed less and were born to the life, received a pound only of the fish and managed to keep in good condition. He swiftly SAMPLElost the fastidiousness which had characterized his old life. A dainty eater, he found that his mates, finishing first, robbed him of his unfinished ration. There was no defending it. While he was fighting off two or three, it was disappearing down the throats of the others. To remedy this, he ate as fast as they; and, so greatly did hunger compel him, he was not above taking what did not belong to him. He watched and learned. When he saw Pike, one of the new dogs, a clever malingerer and thief, slyly steal a slice of bacon when Perrault’s back was turned, he duplicated the performance the following day, getting away with the whole chunk. A great uproar was raised, but he was unsuspected; while Dub, an awkward blunderer who was always getting caught, was punished for Buck’s misdeed.

This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment. It marked his adaptability, his capacity to adjust himself to changing conditions, the lack of which would have meant swift and terrible death. It marked, further, the decay or going to pieces of his moral nature, a vain thing and a handicap in the ruthless struggle for existence. It was all well enough in the Southland, under the law of love and fellowship, to respect private property and personal feelings; but in the Northland, under the law of club and fang, whoso took such things into account was a fool, and in so far as he observed them he would fail to prosper. Not that Buck reasoned it out. He was fit, that was all, and unconsciously he accommodated himself to the new mode of life. All his days, no matter what the odds, he had never run from a fight. But the club of the man in the red sweater had beaten into him a more fundamental and primitive code. Civilized, he could have died for a moral consideration, say the defense of Judge Miller’s riding-whip; but the completeness of his decivilization was now evidenced by his ability to flee from the defense of a moral consideration and so save his hide. He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach. He did not rob openly, but stole secretly and cunningly, out of respect for club and fang. In short, the things he did were done because it was easier to do them than not to do them.

His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard as iron, and he grew callous to all ordinary pain. He achieved an internal as well as external economy. He could eat anything, no matter how loathsome or indigestible; and, once eaten, the juices of his stomach extracted the last least particle of nutriment; and his blood carried it to the farthest reaches of his body, building it into the toughest and stoutest of tissues. Sight and scent became remarkably keen, while his hearing developed such acuteness that in his sleep he heard the faintest sound and knew whether it heralded peace or peril. He learned to bite the ice out with his teeth when it collected between his toes; and when he was thirsty and there was a thick scum of ice over the water hole, he would break it by rearing and striking it with stiff STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 37—6

fore legs. His most conspicuous trait was an ability to scent the wind and forecast it a night in advance. No matter how breathless the air when he dug his nest by tree or bank, the wind that later blew inevitably found him to leeward, sheltered and snug.

And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again. The domesti- cated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as they ran it down. It was no task for him to learn to fight with cut and slash and the quick wolf snap. In this manner had fought forgotten ancestors. They quickened the old life within him, and the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed were his tricks. They came to him without effort or discovery, as though they had been his always. And when, on the still cold nights, he pointed his nose at a star and howled long and wolf like, it was his ancestors, dead and dust, pointing nose at star and howling down through the centuries and through him. And his cadences were their cadences, the cadences which voiced their woe and what to them was the meaning of the stiffness, and the cold, and dark.

Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is, the ancient song surged through him and he came into his own again; and heSAMPLE came because men had found a yellow metal in the North, and because Manuel was a gardener’s helper whose wages did not lap over the needs of his wife and divers small copies of himself. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—1

Lesson 38 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Three – The Dominant Primordial Beast

Continue reading Call of the Wild and keeping careful notes in your Reading Log.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Buck’s kidnapping created a metamorphosis in him. He not only survived, he excelled. He was put into a situation through no fault or choice of his own. He fought his battles, he went after what he wanted, and he used every physical and men- tal skill he possessed to defeat his enemy. We do not live in days of the Gold Rush as Buck did, and we are human beings, not dogs, yet there are many Lessons to be learned from Buck. Make a list of Lessons you have learned from Buck. Which ones can you apply to your life? SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—2

Chapter Three The Dominant Primordial Beast

The dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck, and under the fierce conditions of trail life it grew and grew. Yet it was a secret growth. His newborn cunning gave him poise and control. He was too busy adjusting himself to the new life to feel at ease, and not only did he not pick fights, but he avoided them whenever possible. A certain deliberateness characterized his attitude. He was not prone to rashness and precipitate action; and in the bitter hatred between him and Spitz he betrayed no impatience, shunned all offensive acts.

On the other hand, possibly because he divined in Buck a dangerous rival, Spitz never lost an opportunity of showing his teeth. He even went out of his way to bully Buck, striving constantly to start the fight which could end only in the death of one or the other. Early in the trip this might have taken place had it not been for an unwonted accident. At the end of this day they made a bleak and miserable camp on the shore of Lake Le Barge. Driving snow, a wind that cut like a white-hot knife, and darkness had forced them to grope for a camping place. They could hardly have fared worse. At their backs rose a perpendicular wall ofSAMPLE rock, and Perrault and Francois were compelled to make their fire and spread their sleeping robes on the ice of the lake itself. The tent they had discarded at Dyea in order to travel light. A few sticks of driftwood furnished them with a fire that thawed down through the ice and left them to eat supper in the dark.

Close in under the sheltering rock Buck made his nest. So snug and warm was it, that he was loath to leave it when Francois distributed the fish which he had first thawed over the fire. But when Buck finished his ration and returned, he found his nest occupied. A warning snarl told him that the trespasser was Spitz. Till now Buck had avoided trouble with his enemy, but this was too much. The beast in him roared. He sprang upon Spitz with a fury which surprised them both, and Spitz particularly, for his whole experience with Buck had gone to teach him that his rival was an unusually timid dog, who managed to hold his own only because of his great weight and size.

Francois was surprised, too, when they shot out in a tangle from the disrupted nest and he divined the cause of the trouble. “A-a- ah!” he cried to Buck. “Gif it to heem, by Gar! Gif it to heem, the dirty t’eef!”

Spitz was equally willing. He was crying with sheer rage and eagerness as he circled back and forth for a chance to spring in. Buck was no less eager, and no less cautious, as he likewise circled back and forth for the advantage. But it was then that the unexpected happened, the thing which projected their struggle for supremacy far into the future, past many a weary mile of trail and toil.

An oath from Perrault, the resounding impact of a club upon a bony frame, and a shrill yelp of pain, heralded the breaking forth of pandemonium. The camp was suddenly discovered to be alive with skulking furry forms,--starving huskies, four or five score of them, who had scented the camp from some Indian village. They had crept in while Buck and Spitz were fighting, and when the two men sprang among them with stout clubs they showed their teeth and fought back. They were crazed by the smell of the food. Perrault found one with head buried in the grub-box. His club landed heavily on the gaunt ribs, and the grub-box was capsized on the ground. On the instant a score of the famished brutes were scrambling for the bread and bacon. The clubs fell upon them unheeded. They yelped and howled under the rain of blows, but struggled none the less madly till the last crumb had been devoured.

In the meantime the astonished team-dogs had burst out of their nests only to be set upon by the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—3

fierce invaders. Never had Buck seen such dogs. It seemed as though their bones would burst through their skins. They were mere skeletons, draped loosely in draggled hides, with blazing eyes and slavered fangs. But the hunger-madness made them terrifying, irresistible. There was no opposing them. The team-dogs were swept back against the cliff at the first onset. Buck was beset by three huskies, and in a trice his head and shoulders were ripped and slashed. The din was frightful. Billee was crying as usual. Dave and Sol-leks, dripping blood from a score of wounds, were fighting bravely side by side. Joe was snapping like a demon. Once, his teeth closed on the fore leg of a husky, and he crunched down through the bone. Pike, the malingerer, leaped upon the crippled animal, breaking its neck with a quick flash of teeth and a jerk, Buck got a frothing adversary by the throat, and was sprayed with blood when his teeth sank through the jugular. The warm taste of it in his mouth goaded him to greater fierceness. He flung himself upon another, and at the same time felt teeth sink into his own throat. It was Spitz, treacherously attacking from the side.

Perrault and Francois, having cleaned out their part of the camp, hurried to save their sled-dogs. The wild wave of famished beasts rolled back before them, and Buck shook himself free. But it was only for a moment. The two men were compelled to run back to save the grub, upon which the huskies returned to the attack on the team.SAMPLE Billee, terrified into bravery, sprang through the savage circle and fled away over the ice. Pike and Dub followed on his heels, with the rest of the team behind. As Buck drew himself together to spring after them, out of the tail of his eye he saw Spitz rush upon him with the evident intention of overthrowing him. Once off his feet and under that mass of huskies, there was no hope for him. But he braced himself to the shock of Spitz’s charge, then joined the flight out on the lake.

Later, the nine team-dogs gathered together and sought shelter in the forest. Though un-pursued, they were in a sorry plight. There was not one who was not wounded in four or five places, while some were wounded grievously. Dub was badly injured in a hind leg; Dolly, the last husky added to the team at Dyea, had a badly torn throat; Joe had lost an eye; while Billee, the good-natured, with an ear chewed and rent to ribbons, cried and whimpered throughout the night. At daybreak they limped warily back to camp, to find the marauders gone and the two men in bad tempers. Fully half their grub supply was gone. The huskies had chewed through the sled lashings and canvas coverings. In fact, nothing, no matter how remotely eatable, had escaped them. They had eaten a pair of Perrault’s moose-hide moccasins, chunks out of the leather traces, and even two feet of lash from the end of Francois’s whip. He broke from a mournful contemplation of it to look over his wounded dogs.

“Ah, my frien’s,” he said softly, “mebbe it mek you mad dog, dose many bites. Mebbe all mad dog, sacredam! Wot you t’ink, eh,Perrault?”

The courier shook his head dubiously. With four hundred miles of trail still between him and Dawson, he could ill afford to have madness break out among his dogs. Two hours of cursing and exertion got the harnesses into shape, and the wound-stiffened team was under way, struggling painfully over the hardest part of the trail they had yet encountered, and for that matter, the hardest between them and Dawson.

The Thirty Mile River was wide open. Its wild water defied the frost, and it was in the eddies only and in the quiet places that the ice held at all. Six days of exhausting toil were required to cover those thirty terrible miles. And terrible they were, for every foot of them was accomplished at the risk of life to dog and man. A dozen times, Perrault, nosing the way broke through the ice bridges, being saved by the long pole he carried, which he so held that it fell each time across the hole made by his body. But a cold snap was on, the thermometer registering fifty below zero, and each time he broke through he was compelled STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—4

for very life to build a fire and dry his garments.

Nothing daunted him. It was because nothing daunted him that he had been chosen for govern- ment courier. He took all manner of risks, resolutely thrusting his little weakened face into the frost and struggling on from dim dawn to dark. He skirted the frowning shores on rim ice that bent and crackled under foot and upon which they dared not halt. Once, the sled broke through, with Dave and Buck, and they were half-frozen and all but drowned by the time they were dragged out. The usual fire was necessary to save them. They were coated solidly with ice, and the two men kept them on the run around the fire, sweating and thawing, so close that they were singed by the flames.

At another time Spitz went through, dragging the whole team after him up to Buck, who strained backward with all his strength, his fore paws on the slippery edge and the ice quivering and snapping all around. But behind him was Dave, likewise straining backward, and behind the sled was Francois, pulling till his tendons cracked.

Again, the rim ice broke away before and behind, and there was no escape except up the cliff. Perrault scaled it by aSAMPLE miracle, while Francois prayed for just that miracle; and with every thong and sled lashing and the last bit of harness rove into a long rope, the dogs were hoisted, one by one, to the cliff crest. Francois came up last, after the sled and load. Then came the search for a place to descend, which descent was ultimately made by the aid of the rope, and night found them back on the river with a quarter of a mile to the day’s credit.

By the time they made the Hootalinqua and good ice, Buck was played out. The rest of the dogs were in like condition; but Perrault, to make up lost time, pushed them late and early. The first day they covered thirty-five miles to the Big Salmon; the next day thirty-five more to the Little Salmon; the third day forty miles, which brought them well up toward the Five Fingers.

Buck’s feet were not so compact and hard as the feet of the huskies. His had softened during the many generations since the day his last wild ancestor was tamed by a cave-dweller or river man. All day long he limped in agony, and camp once made, lay down like a dead dog. Hungry as he was, he would not move to receive his ration of fish, which Francois had to bring to him. Also, the dog-driver rubbed Buck’s feet for half an hour each night after supper, and sacrificed the tops of his own moccasins to make four moccasins for Buck. This was a great relief, and Buck caused even the weakened face of Perrault to twist itself into a grin one morning, when Francois forgot the moccasins and Buck lay on his back, his four feet waving appealingly in the air, and refused to budge without them. Later his feet grew hard to the trail, and the worn-out foot-gear was thrown away.

At the Pelly one morning, as they were harnessing up, Dolly, who had never been conspicuous for anything, went suddenly mad. She announced her condition by a long, heartbreaking wolf howl that sent every dog bristling with fear, then sprang straight for Buck. He had never seen a dog go mad, nor did he have any reason to fear madness; yet he knew that here was horror, and fled away from it in a panic. Straight away he raced, with Dolly, panting and frothing, one leap behind; nor could she gain on him, so great was his terror, nor could he leave her, so great was her madness. He plunged through the wooded breast of the island, flew down to the lower end, crossed a back channel filled with rough ice to another island, gained a third island, curved back to the main river, and in desperation started to cross it. And all the time, though he did not look, he could hear her snarling just one leap behind. Francois called to him a quarter of a mile away and he doubled back, still one leap ahead, gasping painfully for air and putting all his faith in that Francois would save him. The dog-driver held the axe poised in his hand, and as Buck STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—5

shot past him the axe crashed down upon mad Dolly’s head.

Buck staggered over against the sled, exhausted, sobbing for breath, helpless. This was Spitz’s opportunity. He sprang upon Buck, and twice his teeth sank into his unresisting foe and ripped and tore the flesh to the bone. Then Francois’s lash descended, and Buck had the satisfaction of watching Spitz receive the worst whipping as yet administered to any of the teams.

“One devil, dat Spitz,” remarked Perrault. “Some dam day heem keel dat Buck.”

“Dat Buck two devils,” was Francois’s rejoinder. “All de tam I watch dat Buck I know for sure. Lissen: some dam fine day heem get mad lak [heck] an’ den heem chew dat Spitz all up an’ spit heem out on de snow. Sure. I know.”

From then on it was war between them. Spitz, as lead-dog and acknowledged master of the team, felt his supremacy threatened by this strange Southland dog. And strange Buck was to him, for of the many Southland dogs he had known, not one had shown up worthily in camp and on trail. They were all too soft, dying under the SAMPLEtoil, the frost, and starvation. Buck was the exception. He alone endured and prospered, matching the husky in strength, savagery, and cunning. Then he was a masterful dog, and what made him dangerous was the fact that the club of the man in the red sweater had knocked all blind pluck and rashness out of his desire for mastery. He was preeminently cunning, and could bide his time with a patience that was nothing less than primitive.

It was inevitable that the clash for leadership should come. Buck wanted it. He wanted it because it was his nature, because he had been gripped tight by that nameless, incomprehensible pride of the trail and trace--that pride which holds dogs in the toil to the last gasp, which lures them to die joyfully in the harness, and breaks their hearts if they are cut out of the harness. This was the pride of Dave as wheel-dog, of Sol-leks as he pulled with all his strength; the pride that laid hold of them at break of camp, transforming them from sour and sullen brutes into straining, eager, ambitious creatures; the pride that spurred them on all day and dropped them at pitch of camp at night, letting them fall back into gloomy unrest and uncontent. This was the pride that bore up Spitz and made him thrash the sled-dogs who blundered and shirked in the traces or hid away at harness-up time in the morning. Likewise it was this pride that made him fear Buck as a possible lead-dog. And this was Buck’s pride, too.

He openly threatened the other’s leadership. He came between him and the shirks he should have punished. And he did it deliberately. One night there was a heavy snowfall, and in the morning Pike, the malingerer, did not appear. He was securely hidden in his nest under a foot of snow. Francois called him and sought him in vain. Spitz was wild with wrath. He raged through the camp, smelling and digging in every likely place, snarling so frightfully that Pike heard and shivered in his hiding-place.

But when he was at last unearthed, and Spitz flew at him to punish him, Buck flew, with equal rage, in between. So unexpected was it, and so shrewdly managed, that Spitz was hurled backward and off his feet. Pike, who had been trembling abjectly, took heart at this open mutiny, and sprang upon his overthrown leader. Buck, to whom fair play was a forgotten code, likewise sprang upon Spitz. But Francois, chuckling at the incident while unswerving in the administration of justice, brought his lash down upon Buck with all his might. This failed to drive Buck from his prostrate rival, and the butt of the whip was brought into play. Half- stunned by the blow, Buck was knocked backward and the lash laid upon him again and again, while Spitz soundly punished the many times offending Pike. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—6

In the days that followed, as Dawson grew closer and closer, Buck still continued to interfere between Spitz and the culprits; but he did it craftily, when Francois was not around, With the covert mutiny of Buck, a general insubordination sprang up and increased. Dave and Sol-leks were unaffected, but the rest of the team went from bad to worse. Things no longer went right. There was continual bickering and jangling. Trouble was always afoot, and at the bottom of it was Buck. He kept Francois busy, for the dog- driver was in constant apprehension of the life-and-death struggle between the two which he knew must take place sooner or later; and on more than one night the sounds of quarrelling and strife among the other dogs turned him out of his sleeping robe, fearful that Buck and Spitz were at it.

But the opportunity did not present itself, and they pulled into Dawson one dreary afternoon with the great fight still to come. Here were many men, and countless dogs, and Buck found them all at work. It seemed the ordained order of things that dogs should work. All day they swung up and down the main street in long teams, and in the night their jingling bells still went by. They hauled cabin logs and fire- wood, freighted up to the mines, and did all manner of work that horses did in the Santa Clara Valley. Here and there Buck met Southland dogs, but in the main they were the wild wolf husky breed. Every night, regularly, at nine, at twelve, at three, they lifted a nocturnal song, a weird and eerie chant, in which it was Buck’s delight toSAMPLE join. With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, or the stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the huskies might have been the defiance of life, only it was pitched in minor key, with long- drawn wailings and half-sobs, and was more the pleading of life, the articulate travail of existence. It was an old song, old as the breed itself--one of the first songs of the younger world in a day when songs were sad. It was invested with the woe of unnumbered generations, this plaint by which Buck was so strangely stirred. When he moaned and sobbed, it was with the pain of living that was of old the pain of his wild fathers, and the fear and mystery of the cold and dark that was to them fear and mystery. And that he should be stirred by it marked the completeness with which he harked back through the ages of fire and roof to the raw beginnings of life in the howling ages.

Seven days from the time they pulled into Dawson, they dropped down the steep bank by the Barracks to the Yukon Trail, and pulled for Dyea and Salt Water. Perrault was carrying dispatches if anything more urgent than those he had brought in; also, the travel pride had gripped him, and he purposed to make the record trip of the year. Several things favored him in this. The week’s rest had recuperated the dogs and put them in thorough trim. The trail they had broken into the country was packed hard by later journeyers. And further, the police had arranged in two or three places deposits of grub for dog and man, and he was travelling light.

They made Sixty Mile, which is a fifty-mile run, on the first day; and the second day saw them booming up the Yukon well on their way to Pelly. But such splendid running was achieved not without great trouble and vexation on the part of Francois. The insidious revolt led by Buck had destroyed the solidarity of the team. It no longer was as one dog leaping in the traces. The encouragement Buck gave the rebels led them into all kinds of petty misdemeanors. No more was Spitz a leader greatly to be feared. The old awe departed, and they grew equal to challenging his authority. Pike robbed him of half a fish one night, and gulped it down under the protection of Buck. Another night Dub and Joe fought Spitz and made him forego the punishment they deserved.

And even Billee, the good-natured, was less good-natured, and whined not half so placatingly as in former days. Buck never came near Spitz without snarling and bristling menacingly. In fact, his conduct approached that of a bully, and he was given to swaggering up and down before Spitz’s very nose. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—7

The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations with one another. They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam. Dave and Sol-leks alone were unaltered, though they were made irritable by the unending squabbling. Francois swore strange barbarous oaths, and stamped the snow in futile rage, and tore his hair. His lash was always singing among the dogs, but it was of small avail. Directly his back was turned they were at it again. He backed up Spitz with his whip, while Buck backed up the remainder of the team. Francois knew he was behind all the trouble, and Buck knew he knew; but Buck was too clever ever again to be caught red-handed. He worked faithfully in the harness, for the toil had become a delight to him; yet it was a greater delight slyly to precipitate a fight amongst his mates and tangle the traces.

At the mouth of the Tahkeena, one night after supper, Dub turned up a snowshoe rabbit, blundered it, and missed. In a second the whole team was in full cry. A hundred yards away was a camp of the North- west Police, with fifty dogs, huskies all, who joined the chase. The rabbit sped down the river, turned off into a small creek, up the frozen bed of which it held steadily. It ran lightly on the surface of the snow, while the dogs ploughed through by main strength. Buck led the pack, sixty strong, around bend after bend, but he could not gain. He lay down low to the race, whining eagerly, his splendid body flashing for- ward, leap by leap, in SAMPLEthe wan white moonlight. And leap by leap, like some pale frost wraith, the snow- shoe rabbit flashed on ahead.

All that stirring of old instincts which at stated periods drives men out from the sounding cities to forest and plain to kill things by chemically propelled leaden pellets, the blood lust, the joy to kill--all this was Buck’s, only it was infinitely more intimate. He was ranging at the head of the pack, running the wild thing down, the living meat, to kill with his own teeth and wash his muzzle to the eyes in warm blood.

There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad on a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight. He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars and over the face of dead matter that did not move.

But Spitz, cold and calculating even in his supreme moods, left the pack and cut across a narrow neck of land where the creek made a long bend around. Buck did not know of this, and as he rounded the bend, the frost wraith of a rabbit still flitting before him, he saw another and larger frost wraith leap from the overhanging bank into the immediate path of the rabbit. It was Spitz. The rabbit could not turn, and as the white teeth broke its back in mid air it shrieked as loudly as a stricken man may shriek. At sound of this, the cry of Life plunging down from Life’s apex in the grip of Death, the fall pack at Buck’s heels raised a [heck]’s chorus of delight.

Buck did not cry out. He did not check himself, but drove in upon Spitz, shoulder to shoulder, so hard that he missed the throat. They rolled over and over in the powdery snow. Spitz gained his feet almost as though he had not been overthrown, slashing Buck down the shoulder and leaping clear. Twice his teeth clipped together, like the steel jaws of a trap, as he backed away for better footing, with lean and lifting lips that writhed and snarled. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 38—8

In a flash Buck knew it. The time had come. It was to the death. As they circled about, snarling, ears laid back, keenly watchful for the advantage, the scene came to Buck with a sense of familiarity. He seemed to remember it all,--the white woods, and earth, and moonlight, and the thrill of battle. Over the whiteness and silence brooded a ghostly calm. There was not the faintest whisper of air--nothing moved, not a leaf quivered, the visible breaths of the dogs rising slowly and lingering in the frosty air. They had made short work of the snowshoe rabbit, these dogs that were ill-tamed wolves; and they were now drawn up in an expectant circle. They, too, were silent, their eyes only gleaming and their breaths drifting slowly upward. To Buck it was nothing new or strange, this scene of old time. It was as though it had always been, the wonted way of things.

Spitz was a practiced fighter. From Spitzbergen through the Arctic, and across Canada and the Barrens, he had held his own with all manner of dogs and achieved to mastery over them. Bitter rage was his, but never blind rage. In passion to rend and destroy, he never forgot that his enemy was in like passion to rend and destroy. He never rushed till he was prepared to receive a rush; never attacked till he had first defended that attack. In vain Buck stroveSAMPLE to sink his teeth in the neck of the big white dog. Wherever his fangs struck for the softer flesh, they were countered by the fangs of Spitz. Fang clashed fang, and lips were cut and bleeding, but Buck could not penetrate his enemy’s guard. Then he warmed up and enveloped Spitz in a whirlwind of rushes. Time and time again he tried for the snow-white throat, where life bubbled near to the surface, and each time and every time Spitz slashed him and got away. Then Buck took to rushing, as though for the throat, when, suddenly drawing back his head and curving in from the side, he would drive his shoulder at the shoulder of Spitz, as a ram by which to overthrow him. But instead, Buck’s shoulder was slashed down each time as Spitz leaped lightly away.

Spitz was untouched, while Buck was streaming with blood and panting hard. The fight was growing desperate. And all the while the silent and wolfish circle waited to finish off whichever dog went down. As Buck grew winded, Spitz took to rushing, and he kept him staggering for footing. Once Buck went over, and the whole circle of sixty dogs started up; but he recovered himself, almost in mid air, and the circle sank down again and waited.

But Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness-- imagination. He fought by instinct, but he could fight by head as well. He rushed, as though attempting the old shoulder trick, but at the last instant swept low to the snow and in. His teeth closed on Spitz’s left fore leg. There was a crunch of breaking bone, and the white dog faced him on three legs. Thrice he tried to knock him over, then repeated the trick and broke the right fore leg. Despite the pain and helplessness, Spitz struggled madly to keep up. He saw the silent circle, with gleaming eyes, lolling tongues, and silvery breaths drifting upward, closing in upon him as he had seen similar circles close in upon beaten antagonists in the past. Only this time he was the one who was beaten.

There was no hope for him. Buck was inexorable. Mercy was a thing reserved for gentler climes. He maneuvered for the final rush. The circle had tightened till he could feel the breaths of the huskies on his flanks. He could see them, beyond Spitz and to either side, half crouching for the spring, their eyes fixed upon him. A pause seemed to fall. Every animal was motionless as though turned to stone. Only Spitz quivered and bristled as he staggered back and forth, snarling with horrible menace, as though to frighten off impending death. Then Buck sprang in and out; but while he was in, shoulder had at last squarely met shoulder. The dark circle became a dot on the moon-flooded snow as Spitz disappeared from view. Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast who had made his kill and found it good. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—1

Lesson 39 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Four – Who Has Won to Mastership

Continue to read The Call of the Wild, taking careful notes in your reading log. You may wish to review the Reading Log instructions from Lesson 36.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Chapter Four is an intriguing portion of The Call of the Wild. It opens with Buck demanding the fruits of his victory over Spitz. It ends with the death of Dave. Both events speak to the incredible heart of these dogs. It is impossible not to admire Buck and Dave. This is a work of fiction. It would be interesting to research evidence of real life examples of the intelligence, loyalty, and heart of man’s best friend. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—2

Chapter Four Who Has Won to Mastership

“Eh? Wot I say? I spik true w’en I say dat Buck two devils.” This was Francois’s speech next morning when he discovered Spitz missing and Buck covered with wounds. He drew him to the fire and by its light pointed them out.

“Dat Spitz fight lak [heck],” said Perrault, as he surveyed the gaping rips and cuts. “An’ dat Buck fight lak two hells,” was Francois’s answer. “An’ now we make good time. No more Spitz, no more trouble, sure.”

While Perrault packed the camp outfit and loaded the sled, the dog-driver proceeded to harness the dogs. Buck trotted up to the place Spitz would have occupied as leader; but Francois, not noticing him, brought Sol-leks to the coveted position. In his judgment, Sol-leks was the best lead-dog left. Buck sprang upon Sol-leks in a fury, driving him back and standing in his place.

“Eh? eh?” FrancoisSAMPLE cried, slapping his thighs gleefully. “Look at dat Buck. Heem keel dat Spitz, heem t’ink to take de job.”

“Go ‘way, Chook!” he cried, but Buck refused to budge.

He took Buck by the scruff of the neck, and though the dog growled threateningly, dragged him to one side and replaced Sol-leks. The old dog did not like it, and showed plainly that he was afraid of Buck. Francois was obdurate, but when he turned his back Buck again displaced Sol-leks, who was not at all unwilling to go.

Francois was angry. “Now, by Gar, I feex you!” he cried, coming back with a heavy club in his hand.

Buck remembered the man in the red sweater, and retreated slowly; nor did he attempt to charge in when Sol-leks was once more brought forward. But he circled just beyond the range of the club, snarling with bitterness and rage; and while he circled he watched the club so as to dodge it if thrown by Francois, for he was become wise in the way of clubs. The driver went about his work, and he called to Buck when he was ready to put him in his old place in front of Dave. Buck retreated two or three steps. Francois followed him up, whereupon he again retreated. After some time of this, Francois threw down the club, thinking that Buck feared a thrashing. But Buck was in open revolt. He wanted, not to escape a clubbing, but to have the leadership. It was his by right. He had earned it, and he would not be content with less.

Perrault took a hand. Between them they ran him about for the better part of an hour. They threw clubs at him. He dodged. They cursed him, and his fathers and mothers before him, and all his seed to come after him down to the remotest generation, and every hair on his body and drop of blood in his veins; and he answered curse with snarl and kept out of their reach. He did not try to run away, but retreated around and around the camp, advertising plainly that when his desire was met, he would come in and be good.

Francois sat down and scratched his head. Perrault looked at his watch and swore. Time was flying, and they should have been on the trail an hour gone. Francois scratched his head again. He shook it and grinned sheepishly at the courier, who shrugged his shoulders in sign that they were beaten. Then Francois went up to where Sol-leks stood and called to Buck. Buck laughed, as dogs laugh, yet kept his STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—3

distance. Francois unfastened Sol-leks’s traces and put him back in his old place. The team stood har- nessed to the sled in an unbroken line, ready for the trail. There was no place for Buck save at the front. Once more Francois called, and once more Buck laughed and kept away.

“T’row down de club,” Perrault commanded.

Francois complied, whereupon Buck trotted in, laughing triumphantly, and swung around into position at the head of the team. His traces were fastened, the sled broken out, and with both men running they dashed out on to the river trail.

Highly as the dog-driver had fore valued Buck, with his two devils, he found, while the day was yet young, that he had undervalued. At a bound Buck took up the duties of leadership; and where judgment was required, and quick thinking and quick acting, he showed himself the superior even of Spitz, of whom Francois had never seen an equal.

But it was in giving the law and making his mates live up to it, that Buck excelled. Dave and Sol-leks did not mind the changeSAMPLE in leadership. It was none of their business. Their business was to toil, and toil mightily, in the traces. So long as that were not interfered with, they did not care what happened. Billee, the good-natured, could lead for all they cared, so long as he kept order. The rest of the team, however, had grown unruly during the last days of Spitz, and their surprise was great now that Buck proceeded to lick them into shape.

Pike, who pulled at Buck’s heels, and who never put an ounce more of his weight against the breast- band than he was compelled to do, was swiftly and repeatedly shaken for loafing; and ere the first day was done he was pulling more than ever before in his life. The first night in camp, Joe, the sour one, was punished roundly-- a thing that Spitz had never succeeded in doing. Buck simply smothered him by virtue of superior weight, and cut him up till he ceased snapping and began to whine for mercy.

The general tone of the team picked up immediately. It recovered its old-time solidarity, and once more the dogs leaped as one dog in the traces. At the Rink Rapids two native huskies, Teek and Koona, were added; and the celerity with which Buck broke them in took away Francois’s breath.

“Nevaire such a dog as dat Buck!” he cried. “No, nevaire! Heem worth one t’ousan’ dollair, by Gar! Eh? Wot you say, Perrault?”

And Perrault nodded. He was ahead of the record then, and gaining day by day. The trail was in ex- cellent condition, well packed and hard, and there was no new-fallen snow with which to contend. It was not too cold. The temperature dropped to fifty below zero and remained there the whole trip. The men rode and ran by turn, and the dogs were kept on the jump, with but infrequent stoppages.

The Thirty Mile River was comparatively coated with ice, and they covered in one day going out what had taken them ten days coming in. In one run they made a sixty-mile dash from the foot of Lake Le Barge to the White Horse Rapids. Across Marsh, Tagish, and Bennett (seventy miles of lakes), they flew so fast that the man whose turn it was to run towed behind the sled at the end of a rope. And on the last night of the second week they topped White Pass and dropped down the sea slope with the lights of Skaguay and of the shipping at their feet.

It was a record run. Each day for fourteen days they had averaged forty miles. For three days Perrault STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—4

and Francois threw chests up and down the main street of Skaguay and were deluged with invitations to drink, while the team was the constant centre of a worshipful crowd of dog-busters and mushers. Then three or four western bad men aspired to clean out the town, were riddled like pepper-boxes for their pains, and public interest turned to other idols. Next came official orders. Francois called Buck to him, threw his arms around him, wept over him. And that was the last of Francois and Perrault. Like other men, they passed out of Buck’s life for good.

A Scotch half-breed took charge of him and his mates, and in company with a dozen other dog-teams he started back over the weary trail to Dawson. It was no light running now, nor record time, but heavy toil each day, with a heavy load behind; for this was the mail train, carrying word from the world to the men who sought gold under the shadow of the Pole.

Buck did not like it, but he bore up well to the work, taking pride in it after the manner of Dave and Sol-leks, and seeing that his mates, whether they prided in it or not, did their fair share. It was a monotonous life, operating with machine-like regularity. One day was very like another. At a certain time each morning the cooks turned out, fires were built, and breakfast was eaten. Then, while some broke camp, others harnessedSAMPLE the dogs, and they were under way an hour or so before the darkness fell which gave warning of dawn. At night, camp was made. Some pitched the flies, others cut firewood and pine boughs for the beds, and still others carried water or ice for the cooks. Also, the dogs were fed. To them, this was the one feature of the day, though it was good to loaf around, after the fish was eaten, for an hour or so with the other dogs, of which there were five score and odd. There were fierce fighters among them, but three battles with the fiercest brought Buck to mastery, so that when he bristled and showed his teeth they got out of his way.

Best of all, perhaps, he loved to lie near the fire, hind legs crouched under him, fore legs stretched out in front, head raised, and eyes blinking dreamily at the flames. Sometimes he thought of Judge Miller’s big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley, and of the cement swimming-tank, and Ysabel, the Mexican hairless, and Toots, the Japanese pug; but oftener he remembered the man in the red sweater, the death of Curly, the great fight with Spitz, and the good things he had eaten or would like to eat. He was not homesick. The Sunland was very dim and distant, and such memories had no power over him. Far more potent were the memories of his heredity that gave things he had never seen before a seeming familiarity; the instincts (which were but the memories of his ancestors become habits) which had lapsed in later days, and still later, in him, quickened and become alive again.

Sometimes as he crouched there, blinking dreamily at the flames, it seemed that the flames were of another fire, and that as he crouched by this other fire he saw another and different man from the half- breed cook before him. This other man was shorter of leg and longer of arm, with muscles that were stringy and knotty rather than rounded and swelling. The hair of this man was long and matted, and his head slanted back under it from the eyes. He uttered strange sounds, and seemed very much afraid of the darkness, into which he peered continually, clutching in his hand, which hung midway between knee and foot, a stick with a heavy stone made fast to the end. He was all but naked, a ragged and fire-scorched skin hanging part way down his back, but on his body there was much hair. In some places, across the chest and shoulders and down the outside of the arms and thighs, it was matted into almost a thick fur. He did not stand erect, but with trunk inclined forward from the hips, on legs that bent at the knees. About his body there was a peculiar springiness, or resiliency, almost catlike, and a quick alertness as of one who lived in perpetual fear of things seen and unseen.

At other times this hairy man squatted by the fire with head between his legs and slept. On such STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—5

occasions his elbows were on his knees, his hands clasped above his head as though to shed rain by the hairy arms. And beyond that fire, in the circling darkness, Buck could see many gleaming coals, two by two, always two by two, which he knew to be the eyes of great beasts of prey. And he could hear the crash- ing of their bodies through the undergrowth, and the noises they made in the night. And dreaming there by the Yukon bank, with lazy eyes blinking at the fire, these sounds and sights of another world would make the hair to rise along his back and stand on end across his shoulders and up his neck, till he whim- pered low and suppressed, or growled softly, and the half-breed cook shouted at him, “Hey, you Buck, wake up!” Whereupon the other world would vanish and the real world come into his eyes, and he would get up and yawn and stretch as though he had been asleep.

It was a hard trip, with the mail behind them, and the heavy work wore them down. They were short of weight and in poor condition when they made Dawson, and should have had a ten days’ or a week’s rest at least. But in two days’ time they dropped down the Yukon bank from the Barracks, loaded with letters for the outside. The dogs were tired, the drivers grumbling, and to make matters worse, it snowed every day. This meant a soft trail, greater friction on the runners, and heavier pulling for the dogs; yet the drivers were fair throughSAMPLE it all, and did their best for the animals. Each night the dogs were attended to first. They ate before the drivers ate, and no man sought his sleeping-robe till he had seen to the feet of the dogs he drove. Still, their strength went down. Since the beginning of the winter they had travelled eighteen hundred miles, dragging sleds the whole weary distance; and eighteen hundred miles will tell upon life of the toughest. Buck stood it, keeping his mates up to their work and maintaining discipline, though he, too, was very tired. Billee cried and whimpered regularly in his sleep each night. Joe was sourer than ever, and Sol-leks was unapproachable, blind side or other side.

But it was Dave who suffered most of all. Something had gone wrong with him. He became more morose and irritable, and when camp was pitched at once made his nest, where his driver fed him. Once out of the harness and down, he did not get on his feet again till harness-up time in the morning. Some- times, in the traces, when jerked by a sudden stoppage of the sled, or by straining to start it, he would cry out with pain. The driver examined him, but could find nothing. All the drivers became interested in his case. They talked it over at meal-time, and over their last pipes before going to bed, and one night they held a consultation. He was brought from his nest to the fire and was pressed and prodded till he cried out many times. Something was wrong inside, but they could locate no broken bones, could not make it out.

By the time Cassiar Bar was reached, he was so weak that he was falling repeatedly in the traces. The Scotch half-breed called a halt and took him out of the team, making the next dog, Sol-leks, fast to the sled. His intention was to rest Dave, letting him run free behind the sled. Sick as he was, Dave resented being taken out, grunting and growling while the traces were unfastened, and whimpering broken- heartedly when he saw Sol-leks in the position he had held and served so long. For the pride of trace and trail was his, and, sick unto death, he could not bear that another dog should do his work.

When the sled started, he floundered in the soft snow alongside the beaten trail, attacking Sol-leks with his teeth, rushing against him and trying to thrust him off into the soft snow on the other side, striv- ing to leap inside his traces and get between him and the sled, and all the while whining and yelping and crying with grief and pain. The half-breed tried to drive him away with the whip; but he paid no heed to the stinging lash, and the man had not the heart to strike harder. Dave refused to run quietly on the trail behind the sled, where the going was easy, but continued to flounder alongside in the soft snow, where the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 39—6

going was most difficult, till exhausted. Then he fell, and lay where he fell, howling lugubriously as the long train of sleds churned by.

With the last remnant of his strength he managed to stagger along behind till the train made another stop, when he floundered past the sleds to his own, where he stood alongside Sol-leks. His driver lingered a moment to get a light for his pipe from the man behind. Then he returned and started his dogs. They swung out on the trail with remarkable lack of exertion, turned their heads uneasily, and stopped in surprise. The driver was surprised, too; the sled had not moved. He called his comrades to witness the sight. Dave had bitten through both of Sol-leks’s traces, and was standing directly in front of the sled in his proper place.

He pleaded with his eyes to remain there. The driver was perplexed. His comrades talked of how a dog could break its heart through being denied the work that killed it, and recalled instances they had known, where dogs, too old for the toil, or injured, had died because they were cut out of the traces. Also, they held it a mercy, since Dave was to die anyway, that he should die in the traces, heart-easy and content. So he was harnessed in again, and proudly he pulled as of old, though more than once he cried out involuntarily fromSAMPLE the bite of his inward hurt. Several times he fell down and was dragged in the traces, and once the sled ran upon him so that he limped thereafter in one of his hind legs.

But he held out till camp was reached, when his driver made a place for him by the fire. Morning found him too weak to travel. At harness-up time he tried to crawl to his driver. By convulsive efforts he got on his feet, staggered, and fell. Then he wormed his way forward slowly toward where the harnesses were being put on his mates. He would advance his fore legs and drag up his body with a sort of hitching movement, when he would advance his fore legs and hitch ahead again for a few more inches. His strength left him, and the last his mates saw of him he lay gasping in the snow and yearning toward them. But they could hear him mournfully howling till they passed out of sight behind a belt of river timber.

Here the train was halted. The Scotch half-breed slowly retraced his steps to the camp they had left. The men ceased talking. A revolver-shot rang out. The man came back hurriedly. The whips snapped, the bells tinkled merrily, the sleds churned along the trail; but Buck knew, and every dog knew, what had taken place behind the belt of river trees. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—1

Lesson 40 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Five – The Toil of Trace and Trail

Continue to read A Call of the Wild, taking careful notes in your reading log.

Lesson Wrap-Up: The previous chapter highlighted the intelligence and heart of the dogs, Buck and Dave. Chapter Five highlights the arrogance, foolishness, callousness, and cruelty of humans. Do those contrasting images suggest a possible theme? London’s writ- ing is so sharply drawn that the characters can almost step from the pages of the book. It is impossible to remain neutral about the characters and events of The Call of the Wild. Hal, Charles, and Mercedes make many mistakes due to their conceit and inexperience. Do you know anyone who has fallen victim to those same qualities? Valuable Messons can be learned from them,SAMPLE too. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—2

Chapter Five The Toil of Trace and Trail

Thirty days from the time it left Dawson, the Salt Water Mail, with Buck and his mates at the fore, arrived at Skaguay. They were in a wretched state, worn out and worn down. Buck’s one hundred and forty pounds had dwindled to one hundred and fifteen. The rest of his mates, though lighter dogs, had relatively lost more weight than he. Pike, the malingerer, who, in his lifetime of deceit, had often success- fully feigned a hurt leg, was now limping in earnest. Sol-leks was limping, and Dub was suffering from a wrenched shoulder-blade.

They were all terribly footsore. No spring or rebound was left in them. Their feet fell heavily on the trail, jarring their bodies and doubling the fatigue of a day’s travel. There was nothing the matter with them except that they were dead tired. It was not the dead-tiredness that comes through brief and excessive effort, from which recovery is a matter of hours; but it was the dead-tiredness that comes through the slow and prolonged strength drainage of months of toil. There was no power of recuperation left, no reserve strengthSAMPLE to call upon. It had been all used, the last least bit of it. Every muscle, every fiber, every cell, was tired, dead tired. And there was reason for it. In less than five months they had travelled twenty-five hundred miles, during the last eighteen hundred of which they had had but five days’ rest. When they arrived at Skaguay they were apparently on their last legs. They could barely keep the traces taut, and on the down grades just managed to keep out of the way of the sled.

“Mush on, poor sore feets,” the driver encouraged them as they tottered down the main street of Skaguay. “Dis is de las’. Den we get one long res’. Eh? For sure. One bully long res’.”

The drivers confidently expected a long stopover. Themselves, they had covered twelve hundred miles with two days’ rest, and in the nature of reason and common justice they deserved an interval of loafing. But so many were the men who had rushed into the Klondike, and so many were the sweethearts, wives, and kin that had not rushed in, that the congested mail was taking on Alpine proportions; also, there were official orders. Fresh batches of Hudson Bay dogs were to take the places of those worthless for the trail. The worthless ones were to be got rid of, and, since dogs count for little against dollars, they were to be sold.

Three days passed, by which time Buck and his mates found how really tired and weak they were. Then, on the morning of the fourth day, two men from the States came along and bought them, harness and all, for a song. The men addressed each other as “Hal” and “Charles.” Charles was a middle-aged, lightish-colored man, with weak and watery eyes and a mustache that twisted fiercely and vigorously up, giving the lie to the limply drooping lip it concealed. Hal was a youngster of nineteen or twenty, with a big Colt’s revolver and a hunting-knife strapped about him on a belt that fairly bristled with cartridges. This belt was the most salient thing about him. It advertised his callowness—a callowness sheer and unutterable. Both men were manifestly out of place, and why such as they should adventure the North is part of the mystery of things that passes understanding.

Buck heard the chaffering, saw the money pass between the man and the Government agent, and knew that the Scotch half-breed and the mail-train drivers were passing out of his life on the heels of Perrault and Francois and the others who had gone before. When driven with his mates to the new owners’ camp, Buck saw a slipshod and slovenly affair, tent half stretched, dishes unwashed, everything in disorder; also, he saw a woman. “Mercedes” the men called her. She was Charles’s wife and Hal’s sister--a STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—3

nice family party.

Buck watched them apprehensively as they proceeded to take down the tent and load the sled. There was a great deal of effort about their manner, but no businesslike method. The tent was rolled into an awkward bundle three times as large as it should have been. The tin dishes were packed away unwashed. Mercedes continually fluttered in the way of her men and kept up an unbroken chattering of remonstrance and advice. When they put a clothes-sack on the front of the sled, she suggested it should go on the back; and when they had put it on the back, and covered it over with a couple of other bundles, she discovered overlooked articles which could abide nowhere else but in that very sack, and they unloaded again.

Three men from a neighboring tent came out and looked on, grinning and winking at one another.

“You’ve got a right smart load as it is,” said one of them; “and it’s not me should tell you your business, but I wouldn’t tote that tent along if I was you.” “Undreamed of!”SAMPLE cried Mercedes, throwing up her hands in dainty dismay. “However in the world could I manage without a tent?”

“It’s springtime, and you won’t get any more cold weather,” the man replied.

She shook her head decidedly, and Charles and Hal put the last odds and ends on top the mountainous load.

“Think it’ll ride?” one of the men asked.

“Why shouldn’t it?” Charles demanded rather shortly.

“Oh, that’s all right, that’s all right,” the man hastened meekly to say. “I was just a-wonderin’, that is all. It seemed a mite top-heavy.”

Charles turned his back and drew the lashings down as well as he could, which was not in the least well.

“An’ of course the dogs can hike along all day with that contraption behind them,” affirmed a second of the men.

“Certainly,” said Hal, with freezing politeness, taking hold of the gee-pole with one hand and swing- ing his whip from the other. “Mush!” he shouted. “Mush on there!”

The dogs sprang against the breast-bands, strained hard for a few moments, then relaxed. They were unable to move the sled.

“The lazy brutes, I’ll show them,” he cried, preparing to lash out at them with the whip. But Mercedes interfered, crying, “Oh, Hal, you mustn’t,” as she caught hold of the whip and wrenched it from him. “The poor dears! Now you must promise you won’t be harsh with them for the rest of the trip, or I won’t go a step.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—4

“Precious lot you know about dogs,” her brother sneered; “and I wish you’d leave me alone. They’re lazy, I tell you, and you’ve got to whip them to get anything out of them. That’s their way. You ask any one. Ask one of those men.”

Mercedes looked at them imploringly, untold repugnance at sight of pain written in her pretty face.

“They’re weak as water, if you want to know,” came the reply from one of the men. “Plum tuckered out, that’s what’s the matter. They need a rest.”

“Rest be blanked,” said Hal, with his beardless lips; and Mercedes said, “Oh!” in pain and sorrow at the oath.

But she was a clannish creature, and rushed at once to the defense of her brother. “Never mind that man,” she said pointedly. “You’re driving our dogs, and you do what you think best with them.”

Again Hal’s whip fell upon the dogs. They threw themselves against the breast-bands, dug their feet into the packed snow,SAMPLE got down low to it, and put forth all their strength. The sled held as though it were an anchor. After two efforts, they stood still, panting. The whip was whistling savagely, when once more Mercedes interfered. She dropped on her knees before Buck, with tears in her eyes, and put her arms around his neck.

“You poor, poor dears,” she cried sympathetically, “why don’t you pull hard?--then you wouldn’t be whipped.” Buck did not like her, but he was feeling too miserable to resist her, taking it as part of the day’s miserable work.

One of the onlookers, who had been clenching his teeth to suppress hot speech, now spoke up:-- “It’s not that I care a whoop what becomes of you, but for the dogs’ sakes I just want to tell you, you can help them a mighty lot by breaking out that sled. The runners are froze fast. Throw your weight against the gee-pole, right and left, and break it out.”

A third time the attempt was made, but this time, following the advice, Hal broke out the runners which had been frozen to the snow. The overloaded and unwieldy sled forged ahead, Buck and his mates struggling frantically under the rain of blows. A hundred yards ahead the path turned and sloped steeply into the main street. It would have required an experienced man to keep the top-heavy sled upright, and Hal was not such a man. As they swung on the turn the sled went over, spilling half its load through the loose lashings. The dogs never stopped. The lightened sled bounded on its side behind them. They were angry because of the ill treatment they had received and the unjust load. Buck was raging. He broke into a run, the team following his lead. Hal cried “Whoa! whoa!” but they gave no heed. He tripped and was pulled off his feet. The capsized sled ground over him, and the dogs dashed on up the street, adding to the gayety of Skaguay as they scattered the remainder of the outfit along its chief thoroughfare.

Kind-hearted citizens caught the dogs and gathered up the scattered belongings. Also, they gave ad- vice. Half the load and twice the dogs, if they ever expected to reach Dawson, was what was said. Hal and his sister and brother-in-law listened unwillingly, pitched tent, and overhauled the outfit. Canned goods were turned out that made men laugh, for canned goods on the Long Trail is a thing to dream about.

“Blankets for a hotel” quoth one of the men who laughed and helped. “Half as many is too much; get rid of them. Throw away that tent, and all those dishes,--who’s going to wash them, anyway? Good Lord, STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—5

do you think you’re travelling on a Pullman?”

And so it went, the inexorable elimination of the superfluous. Mercedes cried when her clothes-bags were dumped on the ground and article after article was thrown out. She cried in general, and she cried in particular over each discarded thing. She clasped hands about knees, rocking back and forth broken- heartedly. She averred she would not go an inch, not for a dozen Charleses. She appealed to everybody and to everything, finally wiping her eyes and proceeding to cast out even articles of apparel that were imperative necessaries. And in her zeal, when she had finished with her own, she attacked the belongings of her men and went through them like a tornado.

This accomplished, the outfit, though cut in half, was still a formidable bulk. Charles and Hal went out in the evening and bought six Outside dogs. These, added to the six of the original team, and Teek and Koona, the huskies obtained at the Rink Rapids on the record trip, brought the team up to fourteen. But the Outside dogs, though practically broken in since their landing, did not amount to much. Three were short-haired pointers, one was a Newfoundland, and the other two were mongrels of indeterminate breed. They did not seem to know anything, these newcomers. Buck and his comrades looked upon them with disgust, and thoughSAMPLE he speedily taught them their places and what not to do, he could not teach them what to do. They did not take kindly to trace and trail. With the exception of the two mongrels, they were bewildered and spirit-broken by the strange savage environment in which they found themselves and by the ill treatment they had received. The two mongrels were without spirit at all; bones were the only things breakable about them.

With the newcomers hopeless and forlorn, and the old team worn out by twenty-five hundred miles of continuous trail, the outlook was anything but bright. The two men, however, were quite cheerful. And they were proud, too. They were doing the thing in style, with fourteen dogs. They had seen other sleds depart over the Pass for Dawson, or come in from Dawson, but never had they seen a sled with so many as fourteen dogs. In the nature of Arctic travel there was a reason why fourteen dogs should not drag one sled, and that was that one sled could not carry the food for fourteen dogs. But Charles and Hal did not know this. They had worked the trip out with a pencil, so much to a dog, so many dogs, so many days, Q.E.D. Mercedes looked over their shoulders and nodded comprehensively, it was all so very simple.

Late next morning Buck led the long team up the street. There was nothing lively about it, no snap or go in him and his fellows. They were starting dead weary. Four times he had covered the distance between Salt Water and Dawson, and the knowledge that, jaded and tired, he was facing the same trail once more, made him bitter. His heart was not in the work, nor was the heart of any dog. The Outsides were timid and frightened, the Insides without confidence in their masters.

Buck felt vaguely that there was no depending upon these two men and the woman. They did not know how to do anything, and as the days went by it became apparent that they could not learn. They were slack in all things, without order or discipline. It took them half the night to pitch a slovenly camp, and half the morning to break that camp and get the sled loaded in fashion so slovenly that for the rest of the day they were occupied in stopping and rearranging the load. Some days they did not make ten miles. On other days they were unable to get started at all. And on no day did they succeed in making more than half the distance used by the men as a basis in their dog-food computation.

It was inevitable that they should go short on dog-food. But they hastened it by overfeeding, bringing the day nearer when underfeeding would commence. The Outside dogs, whose digestions had not been trained by chronic famine to make the most of little, had voracious appetites. And when, in addition to STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—6

this, the worn- out huskies pulled weakly, Hal decided that the orthodox ration was too small. He doubled it. And to cap it all, when Mercedes, with tears in her pretty eyes and a quaver in her throat, could not cajole him into giving the dogs still more, she stole from the fish-sacks and fed them slyly. But it was not food that Buck and the huskies needed, but rest. And though they were making poor time, the heavy load they dragged sapped their strength severely.

Then came the underfeeding. Hal awoke one day to the fact that his dog-food was half gone and the distance only quarter covered; further, that for love or money no additional dog-food was to be obtained. So he cut down even the orthodox ration and tried to increase the day’s travel. His sister and brother-in- law seconded him; but they were frustrated by their heavy outfit and their own incompetence. It was a simple matter to give the dogs less food; but it was impossible to make the dogs travel faster, while their own inability to get under way earlier in the morning prevented them from travelling longer hours. Not only did they not know how to work dogs, but they did not know how to work themselves.

The first to go was Dub. Poor blundering thief that he was, always getting caught and punished, he had none the less been a faithful worker. His wrenched shoulder-blade, untreated and unrested, went from bad to worse, tillSAMPLE finally Hal shot him with the big Colt’s revolver. It is a saying of the country that an Outside dog starves to death on the ration of the husky, so the six Outside dogs under Buck could do no less than die on half the ration of the husky. The Newfoundland went first, followed by the three short-haired pointers, the two mongrels hanging more grittily on to life, but going in the end.

By this time all the amenities and gentleness of the Southland had fallen away from the three people. Shorn of its glamour and romance, Arctic travel became to them a reality too harsh for their manhood and womanhood. Mercedes ceased weeping over the dogs, being too occupied with weeping over herself and with quarrelling with her husband and brother. To quarrel was the one thing they were never too weary to do. Their irritability arose out of their misery, increased with it, doubled upon it, out distanced it. The wonderful patience of the trail which comes to men who toil hard and suffer sore, and remain sweet of speech and kindly, did not come to these two men and the woman. They had no inkling of such a patience. They were stiff and in pain; their muscles ached, their bones ached, their very hearts ached; and because of this they became sharp of speech, and hard words were first on their lips in the morning and last at night.

Charles and Hal wrangled whenever Mercedes gave them a chance. It was the cherished belief of each that he did more than his share of the work, and neither forbore to speak this belief at every opportunity. Sometimes Mercedes sided with her husband, sometimes with her brother. The result was a beautiful and unending family quarrel. Starting from a dispute as to which should chop a few sticks for the fire (a dis- pute which concerned only Charles and Hal), presently would be lugged in the rest of the family, fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, people thousands of miles away, and some of them dead. That Hal’s views on art, or the sort of society plays his mother’s brother wrote, should have anything to do with the chopping of a few sticks of firewood, passes comprehension; nevertheless the quarrel was as likely to tend in that direction as in the direction of Charles’s political

prejudices. And that Charles’s sister’s tale-bearing tongue should be relevant to the building of a Yukon fire, was apparent only to Mercedes, who disburdened herself of copious opinions upon that topic, and incidentally upon a few other traits unpleasantly peculiar to her husband’s family. In the meantime the fire remained unbuilt, the camp half pitched, and the dogs unfed.

Mercedes nursed a special grievance--the grievance of sex. She was pretty and soft, and had been STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—7

chivalrously treated all her days. But the present treatment by her husband and brother was everything save chivalrous. It was her custom to be helpless. They complained. Upon which impeachment of what to her was her most essential sex-prerogative, she made their lives unendurable. She no longer considered the dogs, and because she was sore and tired, she persisted in riding on the sled. She was pretty and soft, but she weighed one hundred and twenty pounds--a lusty last straw to the load dragged by the weak and starving animals. She rode for days, till they fell in the traces and the sled stood still. Charles and Hal begged her to get off and walk, pleaded with her, entreated, the while she wept and importuned Heaven with a recital of their brutality.

On one occasion they took her off the sled by main strength. They never did it again. She let her legs go limp like a spoiled child, and sat down on the trail. They went on their way, but she did not move. After they had travelled three miles they unloaded the sled, came back for her, and by main strength put her on the sled again.

In the excess of their own misery they were callous to the suffering of their animals. Hal’s theory, which he practiced on others, was that one must get hardened. He had started out preaching it to his sister and brother-in-law.SAMPLE Failing there, he hammered it into the dogs with a club. At the Five Fingers the dog-food gave out, and a toothless old squaw offered to trade them a few pounds of frozen horse-hide for the Colt’s revolver that kept the big hunting-knife company at Hal’s hip. A poor substitute for food was this hide, just as it had been stripped from the starved horses of the cattlemen six months back. In its fro- zen state it was more like strips of galvanized iron, and when a dog wrestled it into his stomach it thawed into thin and innutritious leathery strings and into a mass of short hair, irritating and indigestible.

And through it all Buck staggered along at the head of the team as in a nightmare. He pulled when he could; when he could no longer pull, he fell down and remained down till blows from whip or club drove him to his feet again. All the stiffness and gloss had gone out of his beautiful furry coat. The hair hung down, limp and draggled, or matted with dried blood where Hal’s club had bruised him. His muscles had wasted away to knotty strings, and the flesh pads had disappeared, so that each rib and every bone in his frame were outlined cleanly through the loose hide that was wrinkled in folds of emptiness. It was heart- breaking, only Buck’s heart was unbreakable. The man in the red sweater had proved that.

As it was with Buck, so was it with his mates. They were perambulating skeletons. There were seven all together, including him. In their very great misery they had become insensible to the bite of the lash or the bruise of the club. The pain of the beating was dull and distant, just as the things their eyes saw and their ears heard seemed dull and distant. They were not half living, or quarter living. They were simply so many bags of bones in which sparks of life fluttered faintly. When a halt was made, they dropped down in the traces like dead dogs, and the spark dimmed and paled and seemed to go out. And when the club or whip fell upon them, the spark fluttered feebly up, and they tottered to their feet and staggered on.

There came a day when Billee, the good-natured, fell and could not rise. Hal had traded off his re- volver, so he took the axe and knocked Billee on the head as he lay in the traces, then cut the carcass out of the harness and dragged it to one side. Buck saw, and his mates saw, and they knew that this thing was very close to them. On the next day Koona went, and but five of them remained: Joe, too far gone to be malignant; Pike, crippled and limping, only half conscious and not conscious enough longer to malin- ger; Sol-leks, the one-eyed, still faithful to the toil of trace and trail, and mournful in that he had so little strength with which to pull; Teek, who had not travelled so far that winter and who was now beaten more than the others because he was fresher; and Buck, still at the head of the team, but no longer enforcing discipline or striving to enforce it, blind with weakness half the time and keeping the trail by the loom of it STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—8

and by the dim feel of his feet. It was beautiful spring weather, but neither dogs nor humans were aware of it. Each day the sun rose earlier and set later. It was dawn by three in the morning, and twilight lingered till nine at night. The whole long day was a blaze of sunshine. The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life. This murmur arose from all the land, fraught with the joy of living. It came from the things that lived and moved again, things which had been as dead and which had not moved during the long months of frost. The sap was rising in the pines. The willows and aspens were bursting out in young buds. Shrubs and vines were putting on fresh garbs of green. Crickets sang in the nights, and in the days all manner of creeping, crawling things rustled forth into the sun. Partridges and wood- peckers were booming and knocking in the forest. Squirrels were chattering, birds singing, and overhead honked the wild-fowl driving up from the south in cunning wedges that split the air.

From every hill slope came the trickle of running water, the music of unseen fountains. All things were thawing, bending, snapping. The Yukon was straining to break loose the ice that bound it down. It ate away from beneath; the sun ate from above. Air-holes formed, fissures sprang and spread apart, while thin sections of ice fell through bodily into the river. And amid all this bursting, rending, throbbing of awakening life, underSAMPLE the blazing sun and through the soft-sighing breezes, like wayfarers to death, stag- gered the two men, the woman, and the huskies.

With the dogs falling, Mercedes weeping and riding, Hal swearing innocuously, and Charles’s eyes wistfully watering, they staggered into John Thornton’s camp at the mouth of White River. When they halted, the dogs dropped down as though they had all been struck dead. Mercedes dried her eyes and looked at John Thornton. Charles sat down on a log to rest. He sat down very slowly and painstakingly what of his great stiffness. Hal did the talking. John Thornton was whittling the last touches on an axe-handle he had made from a stick of birch. He whittled and listened, gave monosyllabic replies, and, when it was asked, terse advice. He knew the breed, and he gave his advice in the certainty that it would not be followed.

“They told us up above that the bottom was dropping out of the trail and that the best thing for us to do was to lay over,” Hal said in response to Thornton’s warning to take no more chances on the rotten ice. “They told us we couldn’t make White River, and here we are.” This last with a sneering ring of triumph in it.

“And they told you true,” John Thornton answered. “The bottom’s likely to drop out at any moment. Only fools, with the blind luck of fools, could have made it. I tell you straight, I wouldn’t risk my carcass on that ice for all the gold in Alaska.”

“That’s because you’re not a fool, I suppose,” said Hal. “All the same, we’ll go on to Dawson.” He un- coiled his whip. “Get up there, Buck! Hi! Get up there! Mush on!”

Thornton went on whittling. It was idle, he knew, to get between a fool and his folly; while two or three fools more or less would not alter the scheme of things.

But the team did not get up at the command. It had long since passed into the stage where blows were required to rouse it. The whip flashed out, here and there, on its merciless errands. John Thornton compressed his lips. Sol-leks was the first to crawl to his feet. Teek followed. Joe came next, yelping with pain. Pike made painful efforts. Twice he fell over, when half up, and on the third attempt managed to rise. Buck made no effort. He lay quietly where he had fallen. The lash bit into him again and again, but STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 40—9

he neither whined nor struggled. Several times Thornton started, as though to speak, but changed his mind. A moisture came into his eyes, and, as the whipping continued, he arose and walked irresolutely up and down.

This was the first time Buck had failed, in itself a sufficient reason to drive Hal into a rage. He ex- changed the whip for the customary club. Buck refused to move under the rain of heavier blows which now fell upon him. Like his mates, he barely able to get up, but, unlike them, he had made up his mind not to get up. He had a vague feeling of impending doom. This had been strong upon him when he pulled in to the bank, and it had not departed from him. What of the thin and rotten ice he had felt under his feet all day, it seemed that he sensed disaster close at hand, out there ahead on the ice where his master was trying to drive him. He refused to stir. So greatly had he suffered, and so far gone was he, that the blows did not hurt much. And as they continued to fall upon him, the spark of life within flickered and went down. It was nearly out. He felt strangely numb. As though from a great distance, he was aware that he was being beaten. The last sensations of pain left him. He no longer felt anything, though very faintly he could hear the impact of the club upon his body. But it was no longerSAMPLE his body, it seemed so far away. And then, suddenly, without warning, utter- ing a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club. Hal was hurled backward, as though struck by a failing tree. Mercedes screamed. Charles looked on wistfully, wiped his watery eyes, but did not get up because of his stiffness.

John Thornton stood over Buck, struggling to control himself, too convulsed with rage to speak. “If you strike that dog again, I’ll kill you,” he at last managed to say in a choking voice. “It’s my dog,” Hal replied, wiping the blood from his mouth as he came back. “Get out of my way, or I’ll fix you. I’m going to Dawson.”

Thornton stood between him and Buck, and evinced no intention of getting out of the way. Hal drew his long hunting-knife. Mercedes screamed, cried, laughed, and manifested the chaotic abandonment of hysteria. Thornton rapped Hal’s knuckles with the axe-handle, knocking the knife to the ground. He rapped his knuckles again as he tried to pick it up. Then he stooped, picked it up himself, and with two strokes cut Buck’s traces.

Hal had no fight left in him. Besides, his hands were full with his sister, or his arms, rather; while Buck was too near dead to be of further use in hauling the sled. A few minutes later they pulled out from the bank and down the river. Buck heard them go and raised his head to see, Pike was leading, Sol-leks was at the wheel, and between were Joe and Teek. They were limping and staggering. Mercedes was riding the loaded sled. Hal guided at the gee-pole, and Charles stumbled along in the rear.

As Buck watched them, Thornton knelt beside him and with rough, kindly hands searched for broken bones. By the time his search had disclosed nothing more than many bruises and a state of terrible starvation, the sled was a quarter of a mile away. Dog and man watched it crawling along over the ice. Suddenly, they saw its back end drop down, as into a rut, and the gee-pole, with Hal clinging to it, jerk into the air. Mercedes’s scream came to their ears. They saw Charles turn and make one step to run back, and then a whole section of ice give way and dogs and humans disappear. A yawning hole was all that was to be seen. The bottom had dropped out of the trail.

John Thornton and Buck looked at each other.“You poor devil,” said John Thornton, and Buck licked his hand. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—1

Lesson 41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter Six–For the Love of a Man

Continue Reading The Call of the Wild. You are very nearly done – naturally, there will be an intense assignment upon completion of this book. Are your notes up to the task?

Lesson Wrap-Up: Who could read this chapter without being moved by the love and devotion Buck felt for John Thornton? Great love, whether expressed between a dog and a man, a parent and child, or a man and a woman, opens hearts and connects the reader with the story. Think of a time when you witnessed or experienced great love. What im- pact did that experience have on you? SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—2

Chapter Six For the Love of a Man

When John Thornton froze his feet in the previous December his partners had made him comfort- able and left him to get well, going on themselves up the river to get out a raft of saw-logs for Dawson. He was still limping slightly at the time he rescued Buck, but with the continued warm weather even the slight limp left him. And here, lying by the river bank through the long spring days, watching the running water, listening lazily to the songs of birds and the hum of nature, Buck slowly won back his strength.

A rest comes very good after one has travelled three thousand miles, and it must be confessed that Buck waxed lazy as his wounds healed, his muscles swelled out, and the flesh came back to cover his bones. For that matter, they were all loafing,--Buck, John Thornton, and Skeet and Nig,--waiting for the raft to come that was to carry them down to Dawson. Skeet was a little Irish setter who early made friends with Buck, who, in a dying condition, was unable to resent her first advances. She had the doctor trait which some dogs possess; and as a mother cat washes her kittens, so she washed and cleansed Buck’s wounds. Regularly, eachSAMPLE morning after he had finished his breakfast, she performed her self-appointed task, till he came to look for her ministrations as much as he did for Thornton’s. Nig, equally friendly, though less demonstrative, was a huge black dog, half bloodhound and half deerhound, with eyes that laughed and a boundless good nature.

To Buck’s surprise these dogs manifested no jealousy toward him. They seemed to share the kindliness and largeness of John Thornton. As Buck grew stronger they enticed him into all sorts of ridiculous games, in which Thornton himself could not forbear to join; and in this fashion Buck romped through his convalescence and into a new existence. Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time. This he had never experienced at Judge Miller’s down in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. With the Judge’s sons, hunting and tramping, it had been a working partnership; with the Judge’s grandsons, a sort of pompous guardianship; and with the Judge himself, a stately and dignified friendship. But love that was feverish and burning, that was adoration, that was madness, it had taken John Thornton to arouse.

This man had saved his life, which was something; but, further, he was the ideal master. Other men saw to the welfare of their dogs from a sense of duty and business expediency; he saw to the welfare of his as if they were his own children, because he could not help it. And he saw further. He never forgot a kindly greeting or a cheering word, and to sit down for a long talk with them (“gas” he called it) was as much his delight as theirs. He had a way of taking Buck’s head roughly between his hands, and resting his own head upon Buck’s, of shaking him back and forth, the while calling him ill names that to Buck were love names. Buck knew no greater joy than that rough embrace and the sound of murmured oaths, and at each jerk back and forth it seemed that his heart would be shaken out of his body so great was its ecstasy. And when, released, he sprang to his feet, his mouth laughing, his eyes eloquent, his throat vibrant with unuttered sound, and in that fashion remained without movement, John Thornton would reverently exclaim, “God! you can all but speak!”

Buck had a trick of love expression that was akin to hurt. He would often seize Thornton’s hand in his mouth and close so fiercely that the flesh bore the impress of his teeth for some time afterward. And as Buck understood the oaths to be love words, so the man understood this feigned bite for a caress.

For the most part, however, Buck’s love was expressed in adoration. While he went wild with happi- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—3

ness when Thornton touched him or spoke to him, he did not seek these tokens. Unlike Skeet, who was wont to shove her nose under Thornton’s hand and nudge and nudge till petted, or Nig, who would stalk up and rest his great head on Thornton’s knee, Buck was content to adore at a distance. He would lie by the hour, eager, alert, at Thornton’s feet, looking up into his face, dwelling upon it, studying it, following with keenest interest each fleeting expression, every movement or change of feature. Or, as chance might have it, he would lie farther away, to the side or rear, watching the outlines of the man and the occasional movements of his body. And often, such was the communion in which they lived, the strength of Buck’s gaze would draw John Thornton’s head around, and he would return the gaze, without speech, his heart shining out of his eyes as Buck’s heart shone out.

For a long time after his rescue, Buck did not like Thornton to get out of his sight. From the moment he left the tent to when he entered it again, Buck would follow at his heels. His transient masters since he had come into the Northland had bred in him a fear that no master could be permanent. He was afraid that Thornton would pass out of his life as Perrault and Francois and the Scotch half-breed had passed out. Even in the night, in his dreams, he was haunted by this fear. At such times he would shake off sleep and creep through the chill to the flap of the tent, where he would stand and listen to the sound of his master’s breathing. SAMPLE But in spite of this great love he bore John Thornton, which seemed to bespeak the soft civilizing influence, the strain of the primitive, which the Northland had aroused in him, remained alive and active. Faithfulness and devotion, things born of fire and roof, were his; yet he retained his wildness and wiliness. He was a thing of the wild, come in from the wild to sit by John Thornton’s fire, rather than a dog of the soft Southland stamped with the marks of generations of civilization. Because of his very great love, he could not steal from this man, but from any other man, in any other camp, he did not hesitate an instant; while the cunning with which he stole enabled him to escape detection.

His face and body were scored by the teeth of many dogs, and he fought as fiercely as ever and more shrewdly. Skeet and Nig were too good-natured for quarrelling,--besides, they belonged to John Thorn- ton; but the strange dog, no matter what the breed or valor, swiftly acknowledged Buck’s supremacy or found himself struggling for life with a terrible antagonist. And Buck was merciless. He had learned well the law of club and fang, and he never forewent an advantage or drew back from a foe he had started on the way to Death. He had Lessoned from Spitz, and from the chief fighting dogs of the police and mail, and knew there was no middle course. He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. Mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings made for death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed.

He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn. He linked the past with the present, and the eternity behind him throbbed through him in a mighty rhythm to which he swayed as the tides and seasons swayed. He sat by John Thornton’s fire, a broad-breasted dog, white-fanged and long-furred; but behind him were the shades of all manner of dogs, half-wolves and wild wolves, urgent and prompting, tasting the savor of the meat he ate, thirsting for the water he drank, scenting the wind with him, listening with him and telling him the sounds made by the wild life in the forest, dictating his moods, directing his actions, lying down to sleep with him when he lay down, and dreaming with him and beyond him and becoming themselves the stuff of his dreams.

So peremptorily did these shades beckon him, that each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, myste- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—4

riously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it, and to plunge into the forest, and on and on, he knew not where or why; nor did he wonder where or why, the call sounding imperiously, deep in the forest. But as often as he gained the soft unbroken earth and the green shade, the love for John Thornton drew him back to the fire again.

Thornton alone held him. The rest of mankind was as nothing. Chance travelers might praise or pet him; but he was cold under it all, and from a too demonstrative man he would get up and walk away. When Thornton’s partners, Hans and Pete, arrived on the long-expected raft, Buck refused to notice them till he learned they were close to Thornton; after that he tolerated them in a passive sort of way, accepting favors from them as though he favored them by accepting. They were of the same large type as Thornton, living close to the earth, thinking simply and seeing clearly; and ere they swung the raft into the big eddy by the saw-mill at Dawson, they understood Buck and his ways, and did not insist upon an intimacy such as obtained with Skeet and Nig.

For Thornton, however, his love seemed to grow and grow. He, alone among men, could put a pack upon Buck’s back in the summer travelling. Nothing was too great for Buck to do, when Thornton com- manded. One day (theySAMPLE had grub-staked themselves from the proceeds of the raft and left Dawson for the head-waters of the Tanana) the men and dogs were sitting on the crest of a cliff which fell away, straight down, to naked bed-rock three hundred feet below. John Thornton was sitting near the edge, Buck at his shoulder. A thoughtless whim seized Thornton, and he drew the attention of Hans and Pete to the experiment he had in mind. “Jump, Buck!” he commanded, sweeping his arm out and over the chasm. The next instant he was grappling with Buck on the extreme edge, while Hans and Pete were dragging them back into safety.

“It’s uncanny,” Pete said, after it was over and they had caught their speech.

Thornton shook his head. “No, it is splendid, and it is terrible, too. Do you know, it sometimes makes me afraid.”

“I’m not hankering to be the man that lays hands on you while he’s around,” Pete announced conclu- sively, nodding his head toward Buck.

“Py Jingo!” was Hans’s contribution. “Not mineself either.”

It was at Circle City, ere the year was out, that Pete’s apprehensions were realized. “Black” Burton, a man evil-tempered and malicious, had been picking a quarrel with a tenderfoot at the bar, when Thornton stepped good-naturedly between. Buck, as was his custom, was lying in a corner, head on paws, watching his master’s every action. Burton struck out, without warning, straight from the shoulder. Thornton was sent spinning, and saved himself from falling only by clutching the rail of the bar.

Those who were looking on heard what was neither bark nor yelp, but a something which is best described as a roar, and they saw Buck’s body rise up in the air as he left the floor for Burton’s throat. The man saved his life by instinctively throwing out his arm, but was hurled backward to the floor with Buck on top of him. Buck loosed his teeth from the flesh of the arm and drove in again for the throat. This time the man succeeded only in partly blocking, and his throat was torn open. Then the crowd was upon Buck, and he was driven off; but while a surgeon checked the bleeding, he prowled up and down, growling furiously, attempting to rush in, and being forced back by an array of hostile clubs. A “miners’ meeting,” called on the spot, decided that the dog had sufficient provocation, and Buck was discharged. But his STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—5

reputation was made, and from that day his name spread through every camp in Alaska.

Later on, in the fall of the year, he saved John Thornton’s life in quite another fashion. The three partners were lining a long and narrow poling-boat down a bad stretch of rapids on the Forty-Mile Creek. Hans and Pete moved along the bank, snubbing with a thin Manila rope from tree to tree, while Thornton remained in the boat, helping its descent by means of a pole, and shouting directions to the shore. Buck, on the bank, worried and anxious, kept abreast of the boat, his eyes never off his master.

At a particularly bad spot, where a ledge of barely submerged rocks jutted out into the river, Hans cast off the rope, and, while Thornton poled the boat out into the stream, ran down the bank with the end in his hand to snub the boat when it had cleared the ledge. This it did, and was flying down-stream in a current as swift as a mill-race, when Hans checked it with the rope and checked too suddenly. The boat flirted over and snubbed in to the bank bottom up, while Thornton, flung sheer out of it, was carried down-stream toward the worst part of the rapids, a stretch of wild water in which no swimmer could live.

Buck had sprung in on the instant; and at the end of three hundred yards, amid a mad swirl of water, he overhauled Thornton.SAMPLE When he felt him grasp his tail, Buck headed for the bank, swimming with all his splendid strength. But the progress shoreward was slow; the progress down-stream amazingly rapid. From below came the fatal roaring where the wild current went wilder and was rent in shreds and spray by the rocks which thrust through like the teeth of an enormous comb. The suck of the water as it took the beginning of the last steep pitch was frightful, and Thornton knew that the shore was impossible. He scraped furiously over a rock, bruised across a second, and struck a third with crushing force. He clutched its slippery top with both hands, releasing Buck, and above the roar of the churning water shouted: “Go, Buck! Go!”

Buck could not hold his own, and swept on down-stream, struggling desperately, but unable to win back. When he heard Thornton’s command repeated, he partly reared out of the water, throwing his head high, as though for a last look, then turned obediently toward the bank. He swam powerfully and was dragged ashore by Pete and Hans at the very point where swimming ceased to be possible and destruction began.

They knew that the time a man could cling to a slippery rock in the face of that driving current was a matter of minutes, and they ran as fast as they could up the bank to a point far above where Thornton was hanging on. They attached the line with which they had been snubbing the boat to Buck’s neck and shoulders, being careful that it should neither strangle him nor impede his swimming, and launched him into the stream. He struck out boldly, but not straight enough into the stream. He discovered the mistake too late, when Thornton was abreast of him and a bare half-dozen strokes away while he was being carried helplessly past.

Hans promptly snubbed with the rope, as though Buck were a boat. The rope thus tightening on him in the sweep of the current, he was jerked under the surface, and under the surface he remained till his body struck against the bank and he was hauled out. He was half drowned, and Hans and Pete threw themselves upon him, pounding the breath into him and the water out of him. He staggered to his feet and fell down. The faint sound of Thornton’s voice came to them, and though they could not make out the words of it, they knew that he was in his extremity. His master’s voice acted on Buck like an electric shock, He sprang to his feet and ran up the bank ahead of the men to the point of his previous departure.

Again the rope was attached and he was launched, and again he struck out, but this time straight into STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—6

the stream. He had miscalculated once, but he would not be guilty of it a second time. Hans paid out the rope, permitting no slack, while Pete kept it clear of coils. Buck held on till he was on a line straight above Thornton; then he turned, and with the speed of an express train headed down upon him. Thornton saw him coming, and, as Buck struck him like a battering ram, with the whole force of the current behind him, he reached up and closed with both arms around the shaggy neck. Hans snubbed the rope around the tree, and Buck and Thornton were jerked under the water. Strangling, suffocating, sometimes one uppermost and sometimes the other, dragging over the jagged bottom, smashing against rocks and snags, they veered in to the bank.

Thornton came to, belly downward and being violently propelled back and forth across a drift log by Hans and Pete. His first glance was for Buck, over whose limp and apparently lifeless body Nig was setting up a howl, while Skeet was licking the wet face and closed eyes. Thornton was himself bruised and bat- tered, and he went carefully over Buck’s body, when he had been brought around, finding three broken ribs.

“That settles it,” he announced. “We camp right here.” And camp they did, till Buck’s ribs knitted and he was able to travel. SAMPLE That winter, at Dawson, Buck performed another exploit, not so heroic, perhaps, but one that put his name many notches higher on the totem-pole of Alaskan fame. This exploit was particularly gratify- ing to the three men; for they stood in need of the outfit which it furnished, and were enabled to make a long-desired trip into the virgin East, where miners had not yet appeared. It was brought about by a conversation in the Eldorado Saloon, in which men waxed boastful of their favorite dogs. Buck, because of his record, was the target for these men, and Thornton was driven stoutly to defend him. At the end of half an hour one man stated that his dog could start a sled with five hundred pounds and walk off with it; a second bragged six hundred for his dog; and a third, seven hundred.

“Pooh! pooh!” said John Thornton; “Buck can start a thousand pounds.”

“And break it out? and walk off with it for a hundred yards?” demanded Matthewson, a Bonanza King, he of the seven hundred vaunt.

“And break it out, and walk off with it for a hundred yards,” John Thornton said coolly.

“Well,” Matthewson said, slowly and deliberately, so that all could hear, “I’ve got a thousand dollars that says he can’t. And there it is.” So saying, he slammed a sack of gold dust of the size of a bologna sausage down upon the bar.

Nobody spoke. Thornton’s bluff, if bluff it was, had been called. He could feel a flush of warm blood creeping up his face. His tongue had tricked him. He did not know whether Buck could start a thousand pounds. Half a ton! The enormousness of it appalled him. He had great faith in Buck’s strength and had often thought him capable of starting such a load; but never, as now, had he faced the possibility of it, the eyes of a dozen men fixed upon him, silent and waiting. Further, he had no thousand dollars; nor had Hans or Pete.

“I’ve got a sled standing outside now, with twenty fifty-pound sacks of flour on it,” Matthewson went on with brutal directness; “so don’t let that hinder you.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—7

Thornton did not reply. He did not know what to say. He glanced from face to face in the absent way of a man who has lost the power of thought and is seeking somewhere to find the thing that will start it going again. The face of Jim O’Brien, a Mastodon King and old-time comrade, caught his eyes. It was as a cue to him, seeming to rouse him to do what he would never have dreamed of doing.

“Can you lend me a thousand?” he asked, almost in a whisper.

“Sure,” answered O’Brien, thumping down a plethoric sack by the side of Matthewson’s.

“Though it’s little faith I’m having, John, that the beast can do the trick.”

The Eldorado emptied its occupants into the street to see the test. The tables were deserted, and the dealers and gamekeepers came forth to see the outcome of the wager and to lay odds. Several hundred men, furred and mittened, banked around the sled within easy distance. Matthewson’s sled, loaded with a thousand pounds of flour, had been standing for a couple of hours, and in the intense cold (it was sixty below zero) the runners had frozen fast to the hard-packed snow. Men offered odds of two to one that Buck could not budgeSAMPLE the sled. A quibble arose concerning the phrase “break out.” O’Brien contended it was Thornton’s privilege to knock the runners loose, leaving Buck to “break it out” from a dead standstill. Matthewson insisted that the phrase included breaking the runners from the frozen grip of the snow. A majority of the men who had witnessed the making of the bet decided in his favor, whereat the odds went up to three to one against Buck.

There were no takers. Not a man believed him capable of the feat. Thornton had been hurried into the wager, heavy with doubt; and now that he looked at the sled itself, the concrete fact, with the regular team of ten dogs curled up in the snow before it, the more impossible the task appeared. Matthewson waxed jubilant.

“Three to one!” he proclaimed. “I’ll lay you another thousand at that figure, Thornton. What d’ye say?”

Thornton’s doubt was strong in his face, but his fighting spirit was aroused--the fighting spirit that soars above odds, fails to recognize the impossible, and is deaf to all save the clamor for battle. He called Hans and Pete to him. Their sacks were slim, and with his own the three partners could rake together only two hundred dollars. In the ebb of their fortunes, this sum was their total capital; yet they laid it unhesitatingly against Matthewson’s six hundred.

The team of ten dogs was unhitched, and Buck, with his own harness, was put into the sled. He had caught the contagion of the excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for John Thornton. Murmurs of admiration at his splendid appearance went up. He was in perfect condition, without an ounce of superfluous flesh, and the one hundred and fifty pounds that he weighed were so many pounds of grit and virility. His furry coat shone with the sheen of silk. Down the neck and across the shoulders, his mane, in repose as it was, half bristled and seemed to lift with every movement, as though excess of vigor made each particular hair alive and active. The great breast and heavy forelegs were no more than in proportion with the rest of the body, where the muscles showed in tight rolls underneath the skin. Men felt these muscles and proclaimed them hard as iron, and the odds went down to two to one.

“Gad, sir! Gad, sir!” stuttered a member of the latest dynasty, a king of the Skookum Benches. “I offer you eight hundred for him, sir, before the test, sir; eight hundred just as he stands.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—8

Thornton shook his head and stepped to Buck’s side.

“You must stand off from him,” Matthewson protested. “Free play and plenty of room.”

The crowd fell silent; only could be heard the voices of the gamblers vainly offering two to one. Everybody acknowledged Buck a magnificent animal, but twenty fifty-pound sacks of flour bulked too large in their eyes for them to loosen their pouch-strings.

Thornton knelt down by Buck’s side. He took his head in his two hands and rested cheek on cheek. He did not playfully shake him, as was his wont, or murmur soft love curses; but he whispered in his ear. “As you love me, Buck. As you love me,” was what he whispered. Buck whined with suppressed eagerness.

The crowd was watching curiously. The affair was growing mysterious. It seemed like a conjuration. As Thornton got to his feet, Buck seized his mittened hand between his jaws, pressing in with his teeth and releasing slowly, half-reluctantly. It was the answer, in terms, not of speech, but of love. Thornton stepped well back. SAMPLE “Now, Buck,” he said.

Buck tightened the traces, then slacked them for a matter of several inches. It was the way he had learned.

“Gee!” Thornton’s voice rang out, sharp in the tense silence.

Buck swung to the right, ending the movement in a plunge that took up the slack and with a sudden jerk arrested his one hundred and fifty pounds. The load quivered, and from under the runners arose a crisp crackling.

“Haw!” Thornton commanded.

Buck duplicated the maneuver, this time to the left. The crackling turned into a snapping, the sled pivoting and the runners slipping and grating several inches to the side. The sled was broken out. Men were holding their breaths, intensely unconscious of the fact.

“Now, MUSH!”

Thornton’s command cracked out like a pistol-shot. Buck threw himself forward, tightening the traces with a jarring lunge. His whole body was gathered compactly together in the tremendous effort, the muscles writhing and knotting like live things under the silky fur. His great chest was low to the ground, his head forward and down, while his feet were flying like mad, the claws scarring the hard-packed snow in parallel grooves. The sled swayed and trembled, half-started forward. One of his feet slipped, and one man groaned aloud. Then the sled lurched ahead in what appeared a rapid succession of jerks, though it never really came to a dead stop again ...half an inch...an inch . . . two inches. . . The jerks perceptibly diminished; as the sled gained momentum, he caught them up, till it was moving steadily along.

Men gasped and began to breathe again, unaware that for a moment they had ceased to breathe. Thornton was running behind, encouraging Buck with short, cheery words. The distance had been mea- sured off, and as he neared the pile of firewood which marked the end of the hundred yards, a cheer began STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 41—9

to grow and grow, which burst into a roar as he passed the firewood and halted at command. Every man was tearing himself loose, even Matthewson. Hats and mittens were flying in the air. Men were shaking hands, it did not matter with whom, and bubbling over in a general incoherent babble.

But Thornton fell on his knees beside Buck. Head was against head, and he was shaking him back and forth. Those who hurried up heard him cursing Buck, and he cursed him long and fervently, and softly and lovingly.

“Gad, sir! Gad, sir!” spluttered the Skookum Bench king. “I’ll give you a thousand for him, sir, a thou- sand, sir--twelve hundred, sir.”

Thornton rose to his feet. His eyes were wet. The tears were streaming frankly down his cheeks. “Sir,” he said to the Skookum Bench king, “no, sir. You can go to [heck], sir. It’s the best I can do for you, sir.”

Buck seized Thornton’s hand in his teeth. Thornton shook him back and forth. As though animated by a common impulse,SAMPLE the onlookers drew back to a respectful distance; nor were they again indiscreet enough to interrupt. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—1

Lesson 42 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter 7 – The Sounding of the Call

In this Lesson, you will conclude your reading of The Call of the Wild. Review your notes up to this point – could you understand what was going on in this story just from those notes? Continue writing down important information in your reading log – you will need it for subsequent assignments.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Now that you have completed The Call of the Wild, what do you think the author wanted you to gain, learn, or take away from the experience of reading it? Answering that question helps you to state the theme of this book. What do you think the author wants you to learn or remember from The Call of the Wild? Take a few minutes to consider the book and list some important elements. Important elements could include things you liked, scenes that were especially memorable, or ideas you thought about while reading that were SAMPLEnew to you. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—2

Chapter Seven The Sounding of the Call

When Buck earned sixteen hundred dollars in five minutes for John Thornton, he made it possible for his master to pay off certain debts and to journey with his partners into the East after a fabled lost mine, the history of which was as old as the history of the country. Many men had sought it; few had found it; and more than a few there were who had never returned from the quest. This lost mine was steeped in tragedy and shrouded in mystery. No one knew of the first man. The oldest tradition stopped before it got back to him. From the beginning there had been an ancient and ramshackle cabin. Dying men had sworn to it, and to the mine the site of which it marked, clinching their testimony with nuggets that were unlike any known grade of gold in the Northland.

But no living man had looted this treasure house, and the dead were dead; wherefore John Thornton and Pete and Hans, with Buck and half a dozen other dogs, faced into the East on an unknown trail to achieve where men and dogs as good as themselves had failed. They sledded seventy miles up the Yukon, swung to the left into the Stewart River, passed the Mayo and the McQuestion, and held on until the Stewart itselfSAMPLE became a streamlet, threading the upstanding peaks which marked the backbone of the continent.

John Thornton asked little of man or nature. He was unafraid of the wild. With a handful of salt and a rifle he could plunge into the wilderness and fare wherever he pleased and as long as he pleased. Being in no haste, Indian fashion, he hunted his dinner in the course of the day’s travel; and if he failed to find it, like the Indian, he kept on travelling, secure in the knowledge that sooner or later he would come to it. So, on this great journey into the East, straight meat was the bill of fare, ammunition and tools principally made up the load on the sled, and the time-card was drawn upon the limitless future.

To Buck it was boundless delight, this hunting, fishing, and indefinite wandering through strange places. For weeks at a time they would hold on steadily, day after day; and for weeks upon end they would camp, here and there, the dogs loafing and the men burning holes through frozen muck and gravel and washing countless pans of dirt by the heat of the fire. Sometimes they went hungry, sometimes they feasted riotously, all according to the abundance of game and the fortune of hunting. Summer arrived, and dogs and men packed on their backs, rafted across blue mountain lakes, and descended or ascended unknown rivers in slender boats whipsawed from the standing forest.

The months came and went, and back and forth they twisted through the uncharted vastness, where no men were and yet where men had been if the Lost Cabin were true. They went across divides in sum- mer blizzards, shivered under the midnight sun on naked mountains between the timber line and the eternal snows, dropped into summer valleys amid swarming gnats and flies, and in the shadows of glaciers picked strawberries and flowers as ripe and fair as any the Southland could boast. In the fall of the year they penetrated a weird lake country, sad and silent, where wild-fowl had been, but where then there was no life nor sign of life--only the blowing of chill winds, the forming of ice in sheltered places, and the melancholy rippling of waves on lonely beaches.

And through another winter they wandered on the obliterated trails of men who had gone before. Once, they came upon a path blazed through the forest, an ancient path, and the Lost Cabin seemed very near. But the path began nowhere and ended nowhere, and it remained mystery, as the man who made it and the reason he made it remained mystery. Another time they chanced upon the time-graven wreckage of a hunting lodge, and amid the shreds of rotted blankets John Thornton found a long-barreled flint- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—3

lock. He knew it for a Hudson Bay Company gun of the young days in the Northwest, when such a gun was worth its height in beaver skins packed flat, And that was all--no hint as to the man who in an early day had reared the lodge and left the gun among the blankets.

Spring came on once more, and at the end of all their wandering they found, not the Lost Cabin, but a shallow placer in a broad valley where the gold showed like yellow butter across the bottom of the washing-pan. They sought no farther. Each day they worked earned them thousands of dollars in clean dust and nuggets, and they worked every day. The gold was sacked in moose-hide bags, fifty pounds to the bag, and piled like so much firewood outside the spruce-bough lodge. Like giants they toiled, days flashing on the heels of days like dreams as they heaped the treasure up.

There was nothing for the dogs to do, save the hauling in of meat now and again that Thornton killed, and Buck spent long hours musing by the fire. The vision of the short-legged hairy man came to him more frequently, now that there was little work to be done; and often, blinking by the fire, Buck wandered with him in that other world which he remembered. The salient thing SAMPLEof this other world seemed fear. When he watched the hairy man sleeping by the fire, head between his knees and hands clasped above, Buck saw that he slept restlessly, with many starts and awakenings, at which times he would peer fearfully into the darkness and fling more wood upon the fire. Did they walk by the beach of a sea, where the hairy man gathered shell-fish and ate them as he gathered, it was with eyes that roved everywhere for hidden danger and with legs prepared to run like the wind at its first appearance. Through the forest they crept noiselessly, Buck at the hairy man’s heels; and they were alert and vigilant, the pair of them, ears twitching and moving and nostrils quivering, for the man heard and smelled as keenly as Buck. The hairy man could spring up into the trees and travel ahead as fast as on the ground, swinging by the arms from limb to limb, sometimes a dozen feet apart, letting go and catching, never falling, never missing his grip. In fact, he seemed as much at home among the trees as on the ground; and Buck had memories of nights of vigil spent beneath trees wherein the hairy man roosted, holding on tightly as he slept.

And closely akin to the visions of the hairy man was the call still sounding in the depths of the for- est. It filled him with a great unrest and strange desires. It caused him to feel a vague, sweet gladness, and he was aware of wild yearnings and stirrings for he knew not what. Sometimes he pursued the call into the forest, looking for it as though it were a tangible thing, barking softly or defiantly, as the mood might dictate. He would thrust his nose into the cool wood moss, or into the black soil where long grasses grew, and snort with joy at the fat earth smells; or he would crouch for hours, as if in concealment, behind fungus-covered trunks of fallen trees, wide-eyed and wide-eared to all that moved and sounded about him. It might be, lying thus, that he hoped to surprise this call he could not understand. But he did not know why he did these various things. He was impelled to do them, and did not reason about them at all.

Irresistible impulses seized him. He would be lying in camp, dozing lazily in the heat of the day, when suddenly his head would lift and his ears cock up, intent and listening, and he would spring to his feet and dash away, and on and on, for hours, through the forest aisles and across the open spaces where the [cacti] bunched. He loved to run down dry watercourses, and to creep and spy upon the bird life in the woods. For a day at a time he would lie in the underbrush where he could watch the partridges drumming and strutting up and down. But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listen- ing to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called--called, waking or sleeping, at all times, for him to come. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—4

One night he sprang from sleep with a start, eager-eyed, nostrils quivering and scenting, his mane bristling in recurrent waves. From the forest came the call (or one note of it, for the call was many noted), distinct and definite as never before,--a long-drawn howl, like, yet unlike, any noise made by husky dog. And he knew it, in the old familiar way, as a sound heard before. He sprang through the sleeping camp and in swift silence dashed through the woods. As he drew closer to the cry he went more slowly, with caution in every movement, till he came to an open place among the trees, and looking out saw, erect on haunches, with nose pointed to the sky, a long, lean, timber wolf.

He had made no noise, yet it ceased from its howling and tried to sense his presence. Buck stalked into the open, half crouching, body gathered compactly together, tail straight and stiff, feet falling with unwonted care. Every movement advertised commingled threatening and overture of friendliness. It was the menacing truce that marks the meeting of wild beasts that prey. But the wolf fled at sight of him. He followed, with wild leapings, in a frenzy to overtake. He ran him into a blind channel, in the bed of the creek where a timber jam barred the way. The wolf whirled about, pivoting on his hind legs after the fashion of Joe and of all cornered husky dogs, snarling and bristling, clipping his teeth together in a continuous and rapidSAMPLE succession of snaps. Buck did not attack, but circled him about and hedged him in with friendly advances. The wolf was suspicious and afraid; for Buck made three of him in weight, while his head barely reached Buck’s shoul- der. Watching his chance, he darted away, and the chase was resumed. Time and again he was cornered, and the thing repeated, though he was in poor condition, or Buck could not so easily have overtaken him. He would run till Buck’s head was even with his flank, when he would whirl around at bay, only to dash away again at the first opportunity.

But in the end Buck’s pertinacity was rewarded; for the wolf, finding that no harm was intended, finally sniffed noses with him. Then they became friendly, and played about in the nervous, half-coy way with which fierce beasts belie their fierceness. After some time of this the wolf started off at an easy lope in a manner that plainly showed he was going somewhere. He made it clear to Buck that he was to come, and they ran side by side through the somber twilight, straight up the creek bed, into the gorge from which it issued, and across the bleak divide where it took its rise.

On the opposite slope of the watershed they came down into a level country where were great stretches of forest and many streams, and through these great stretches they ran steadily, hour after hour, the sun rising higher and the day growing warmer. Buck was wildly glad. He knew he was at last answer- ing the call, running by the side of his wood brother toward the place from where the call surely came. Old memories were coming upon him fast, and he was stirring to them as of old he stirred to the reali- ties of which they were the shadows. He had done this thing before, somewhere in that other and dimly remembered world, and he was doing it again, now, running free in the open, the unpacked earth underfoot, the wide sky overhead.

They stopped by a running stream to drink, and, stopping, Buck remembered John Thornton. He sat down. The wolf started on toward the place from where the call surely came, then returned to him, sniffing noses and making actions as though to encourage him. But Buck turned about and started slowly on the back track. For the better part of an hour the wild brother ran by his side, whining softly. Then he sat down, pointed his nose upward, and howled. It was a mournful howl, and as Buck held steadily on his way he heard it grow faint and fainter until it was lost in the distance.

John Thornton was eating dinner when Buck dashed into camp and sprang upon him in a frenzy of STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—5

affection, overturning him, scrambling upon him, licking his face, biting his hand--”playing the general tom-fool,” as John Thornton characterized it, the while he shook Buck back and forth and cursed him lov- ingly.

For two days and nights Buck never left camp, never let Thornton out of his sight. He followed him about at his work, watched him while he ate, saw him into his blankets at night and out of them in the morning. But after two days the call in the forest began to sound more imperiously than ever. Buck’s restlessness came back on him, and he was haunted by recollections of the wild brother, and of the smiling land beyond the divide and the run side by side through the wide forest stretches. Once again he took to wandering in the woods, but the wild brother came no more; and though he listened through long vigils, the mournful howl was never raised.

He began to sleep out at night, staying away from camp for days at a time; and once he crossed the divide at the head of the creek and went down into the land of timber and streams. There he wandered for a week, seeking vainly for fresh sign of the wild brother, killing his meat as he travelled and travelling with the long, easy lope that seems never to tire. He fished for salmon in a broad stream that emptied somewhere into the sea,SAMPLE and by this stream he killed a large black bear, blinded by the mosquitoes while likewise fishing, and raging through the forest helpless and terrible. Even so, it was a hard fight, and it aroused the last latent remnants of Buck’s ferocity. And two days later, when he returned to his kill and found a dozen wolverines quarrelling over the spoil, he scattered them like chaff; and those that fled left two behind who would quarrel no more.

The blood-longing became stronger than ever before. He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survived. Because of all this he became possessed of a great pride in himself, which communicated itself like a contagion to his physical being. It advertised itself in all his movements, was apparent in the play of every muscle, spoke plainly as speech in the way he carried himself, and made his glorious furry coat if anything more glorious. But for the stray brown on his muzzle and above his eyes, and for the splash of white hair that ran midmost down his chest, he might well have been mistaken for a gigantic wolf, larger than the largest of the breed. From his St. Bernard father he had inherited size and weight, but it was his shepherd mother who had given shape to that size and weight. His muzzle was the long wolf muzzle, save that was larger than the muzzle of any wolf; and his head, somewhat broader, was the wolf head on a massive scale.

His cunning was wolf cunning, and wild cunning; his intelligence, shepherd intelligence and St. Bernard intelligence; and all this, plus an experience gained in the fiercest of schools, made him as formidable a creature as any that intelligence roamed the wild. A carnivorous animal living on a straight meat diet, he was in full flower, at the high tide of his life, over spilling with vigor and virility. When Thornton passed a caressing hand along his back, a snapping and crackling followed the hand, each hair discharging its pent magnetism at the contact. Every part, brain and body, nerve tissue and fiber, was keyed to the most exquisite pitch; and between all the parts there was a perfect equilibrium or adjust- ment. To sights and sounds and events which required action, he responded with lightning-like rapidity. Quickly as a husky dog could leap to defend from attack or to attack, he could leap twice as quickly. He saw the movement, or heard sound, and responded in less time than another dog required to compass the mere seeing or hearing. He perceived and determined and responded in the same instant. In point of fact the three actions of perceiving, determining, and responding were sequential; but so infinitesimal were the intervals of time between them that they appeared simultaneous. His muscles were surcharged with vitality, and snapped into play sharply, like steel springs. Life streamed through him in splendid flood, STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—6

glad and rampant, until it seemed that it would burst him asunder in sheer ecstasy and pour forth gener- ously over the world.

“Never was there such a dog,” said John Thornton one day, as the partners watched Buck marching out of camp.

“When he was made, the mould was broke,” said Pete.

“Py jingo! I t’ink so mineself,” Hans affirmed.

They saw him marching out of camp, but they did not see the instant and terrible transformation which took place as soon as he was within the secrecy of the forest. He no longer marched. At once he became a thing of the wild, stealing along softly, cat-footed, a passing shadow that appeared and disap- peared among the shadows. He knew how to take advantage of every cover, to crawl on his belly like a snake, and like a snake to leap and strike. He could take a ptarmigan from its nest, kill a rabbit as it slept, and snap in mid air the little chipmunks fleeing a second too late for the trees. Fish, in open pools, were not too quick for him;SAMPLE nor were beaver, mending their dams, too wary. He killed to eat, not from wanton- ness; but he preferred to eat what he killed himself. So a lurking humor ran through his deeds, and it was his delight to steal upon the squirrels, and, when he all but had them, to let them go, chattering in mortal fear to the treetops.

As the fall of the year came on, the moose appeared in greater abundance, moving slowly down to meet the winter in the lower and less rigorous valleys. Buck had already dragged down a stray part-grown calf; but he wished strongly for larger and more formidable quarry, and he came upon it one day on the divide at the head of the creek. A band of twenty moose had crossed over from the land of streams and timber, and chief among them was a great bull. He was in a savage temper, and, standing over six feet from the ground, was as formidable an antagonist as even Buck could desire. Back and forth the bull tossed his great palmated antlers, branching to fourteen points and embracing seven feet within the tips. His small eyes burned with a vicious and bitter light, while he roared with fury at sight of Buck.

From the bull’s side, just forward of the flank, protruded a feathered arrow-end, which accounted for his savageness. Guided by that instinct which came from the old hunting days of the primordial world, Buck proceeded to cut the bull out from the herd. It was no slight task. He would bark and dance about in front of the bull, just out of reach of the great antlers and of the terrible splay hoofs which could have stamped his life out with a single blow. Unable to turn his back on the fanged danger and go on, the bull would be driven into paroxysms of rage. At such moments he charged Buck, who retreated craftily, luring him on by a simulated inability to escape. But when he was thus separated from his fellows, two or three of the younger bulls would charge back upon Buck and enable the wounded bull to rejoin the herd.

There is a patience of the wild--dogged, tireless, persistent as life itself--that holds motionless for end- less hours the spider in its web, the snake in its coils, the panther in its ambuscade; this patience belongs peculiarly to life when it hunts its living food; and it belonged to Buck as he clung to the flank of the herd, retarding its march, irritating the young bulls, worrying the cows with their half-grown calves, and driving the wounded bull mad with helpless rage. For half a day this continued. Buck multiplied himself, attack- ing from all sides, enveloping the herd in a whirlwind of menace, cutting out his victim as fast as it could rejoin its mates, wearing out the patience of creatures preyed upon, which is a lesser patience than that of creatures preying. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—7

As the day wore along and the sun dropped to its bed in the northwest (the darkness had come back and the fall nights were six hours long), the young bulls retraced their steps more and more reluctantly to the aid of their beset leader. The down-coming winter was harrying them on to the lower levels, and it seemed they could never shake off this tireless creature that held them back. Besides, it was not the life of the herd, or of the young bulls, that was threatened. The life of only one member was demanded, which was a remoter interest than their lives, and in the end they were content to pay the toll.

As twilight fell the old bull stood with lowered head, watching his mates--the cows he had known, the calves he had fathered, the bulls he had mastered--as they shambled on at a rapid pace through the fading light. He could not follow, for before his nose leaped the merciless fanged terror that would not let him go. Three hundredweight more than half a ton he weighed; he had lived a long, strong life, full of fight and struggle, and at the end he faced death at the teeth of a creature whose head did not reach beyond his great knuckled knees.

From then on, night and day, Buck never left his prey, never gave it a moment’s rest, never permitted it to browse the leaves of trees or the shoots of young birch and willow. Nor did he give the wounded bull opportunity to slake hisSAMPLE burning thirst in the slender trickling streams they crossed. Often, in desperation, he burst into long stretches of flight. At such times Buck did not attempt to stay him, but loped easily at his heels, satisfied with the way the game was played, lying down when the moose stood still, attacking him fiercely when he strove to eat or drink.

The great head drooped more and more under its tree of horns, and the shambling trot grew weak and weaker. He took to standing for long periods, with nose to the ground and dejected ears dropped limply; and Buck found more time in which to get water for himself and in which to rest. At such mo- ments, panting with red lolling tongue and with eyes fixed upon the big bull, it appeared to Buck that a change was coming over the face of things. He could feel a new stir in the land. As the moose were coming into the land, other kinds of life were coming in. Forest and stream and air seemed palpitant with their presence. The news of it was borne in upon him, not by sight, or sound, or smell, but by some other and subtler sense. He heard nothing, saw nothing, yet knew that the land was somehow different; that through it strange things were afoot and ranging; and he resolved to investigate after he had finished the business in hand.

At last, at the end of the fourth day, he pulled the great moose down. For a day and a night he re- mained by the kill, eating and sleeping, turn and turn about. Then, rested, refreshed and strong, he turned his face toward camp and John Thornton. He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direc- tion that put man and his magnetic needle to shame.

As he held on he became more and more conscious of the new stir in the land. There was life abroad in it different from the life which had been there throughout the summer. No longer was this fact borne in upon him in some subtle, mysterious way. The birds talked of it, the squirrels chattered about it, the very breeze whispered of it. Several times he stopped and drew in the fresh morning air in great sniffs, reading a message which made him leap on with greater speed. He was oppressed with a sense of calamity happening, if it were not calamity already happened; and as he crossed the last watershed and dropped down into the valley toward camp, he proceeded with greater caution.

Three miles away he came upon a fresh trail that sent his neck hair rippling and bristling, It led straight toward camp and John Thornton. Buck hurried on, swiftly and stealthily, every nerve strain- STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—8

ing and tense, alert to the multitudinous details which told a story--all but the end. His nose gave him a varying description of the passage of the life on the heels of which he was travelling. He remarked the pregnant silence of the forest. The bird life had flitted. The squirrels were in hiding. One only he saw,--a sleek gray fellow, flattened against a gray dead limb so that he seemed a part of it, a woody excrescence upon the wood itself.

As Buck slid along with the obscureness of a gliding shadow, his nose was jerked suddenly to the side as though a positive force had gripped and pulled it. He followed the new scent into a thicket and found Nig. He was lying on his side, dead where he had dragged himself, an arrow protruding, head and feath- ers, from either side of his body.

A hundred yards farther on, Buck came upon one of the sled-dogs Thornton had bought in Dawson. This dog was thrashing about in a death-struggle, directly on the trail, and Buck passed around him with- out stopping. From the camp came the faint sound of many voices, rising and falling in a sing-song chant. Bellying forward to the edge of the clearing, he found Hans, lying on his face, feathered with arrows like a porcupine. At the same instant Buck peered out where the spruce-bough lodge had been and saw what made his hair leap straightSAMPLE up on his neck and shoulders. A gust of overpowering rage swept over him. He did not know that he growled, but he growled aloud with a terrible ferocity. For the last time in his life he allowed passion to usurp cunning and reason, and it was because of his great love for John Thornton that he lost his head.

The Yeehats were dancing about the wreckage of the spruce-bough lodge when they heard a fearful roaring and saw rushing upon them an animal the like of which they had never seen before. It was Buck, a live hurricane of fury, hurling himself upon them in a frenzy to destroy. He sprang at the foremost man (it was the chief of the Yeehats), ripping the throat wide open till the rent jugular spouted a fountain of blood. He did not pause to worry the victim, but ripped in passing, with the next bound tearing wide the throat of a second man. There was no withstanding him. He plunged about in their very midst, tearing, rending, destroying, in constant and terrific motion which defied the arrows they discharged at him. In fact, so inconceivably rapid were his movements, and so closely were the Indians tangled together, that they shot one another with the arrows; and one young hunter, hurling a spear at Buck in mid air, drove it through the chest of another hunter with such force that the point broke through the skin of the back and stood out beyond. Then a panic seized the Yeehats, and they fled in terror to the woods, proclaiming as they fled the advent of the Evil Spirit.

And truly Buck was the Fiend incarnate, raging at their heels and dragging them down like deer as they raced through the trees. It was a fateful day for the Yeehats. They scattered far and wide over the country, and it was not till a week later that the last of the survivors gathered together in a lower valley and counted their losses. As for Buck, wearying of the pursuit, he returned to the desolated camp. He found Pete where he had been killed in his blankets in the first moment of surprise. Thornton’s desper- ate struggle was fresh-written on the earth, and Buck scented every detail of it down to the edge of a deep pool. By the edge, head and fore feet in the water, lay Skeet, faithful to the last. The pool itself, muddy and discolored from the sluice boxes, effectually hid what it contained, and it contained John Thornton; for Buck followed his trace into the water, from which no trace led away.

All day Buck brooded by the pool or roamed restlessly about the camp. Death, as a cessation of move- ment, as a passing out and away from the lives of the living, he knew, and he knew John Thornton was dead. It left a great void in him, somewhat akin to hunger, but a void which ached and ached, and which food could not fill, At times, when he paused to contemplate the carcasses of the Yeehats, he forgot the STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—9

pain of it; and at such times he was aware of a great pride in himself,--a pride greater than any he had yet experienced. He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law of club and fang. He sniffed the bodies curiously. They had died so easily. It was harder to kill a husky dog than them. They were no match at all, were it not for their arrows and spears and clubs. Thenceforward he would be unafraid of them except when they bore in their hands their arrows, spears, and clubs. Night came on, and a full moon rose high over the trees into the sky, lighting the land till it lay bathed in ghostly day. And with the coming of the night, brooding and mourning by the pool, Buck became alive to a stirring of the new life in the forest other than that which the Yeehats had made, He stood up, listen- ing and scenting. From far away drifted a faint, sharp yelp, followed by a chorus of similar sharp yelps. As the moments passed the yelps grew closer and louder. Again Buck knew them as things heard in that other world which persisted in his memory. He walked to the centre of the open space and listened. It was the call, the many-noted call, sounding more luringly and compellingly than ever before. And as never be- fore, he was ready to obey. John Thornton was dead. The last tie was broken. Man and the claims of man no longer bound him.

Hunting their living meat, as the Yeehats were hunting it, on the flanks of the migrating moose, the wolf pack had at last crossedSAMPLE over from the land of streams and timber and invaded Buck’s valley. Into the clearing where the moonlight streamed, they poured in a silvery flood; and in the centre of the clearing stood Buck, motionless as a statue, waiting their coming. They were awed, so still and large he stood, and a moment’s pause fell, till the boldest one leaped straight for him. Like a flash Buck struck, breaking the neck. Then he stood, without movement, as before, the stricken wolf rolling in agony behind him. Three others tried it in sharp succession; and one after the other they drew back, streaming blood from slashed throats or shoulders.

This was sufficient to fling the whole pack forward, pell-mell, crowded together, blocked and con- fused by its eagerness to pull down the prey. Buck’s marvelous quickness and agility stood him in good stead. Pivoting on his hind legs, and snapping and gashing, he was everywhere at once, presenting a front which was apparently unbroken so swiftly did he whirl and guard from side to side. But to prevent them from getting behind him, he was forced back, down past the pool and into the creek bed, till he brought up against a high gravel bank. He worked along to a right angle in the bank which the men had made in the course of mining, and in this angle he came to bay, protected on three sides and with nothing to do but face the front.

And so well did he face it, that at the end of half an hour the wolves drew back discomfited. The tongues of all were out and lolling, the white fangs showing cruelly white in the moonlight. Some were lying down with heads raised and ears pricked forward; others stood on their feet, watching him; and still others were lapping water from the pool. One wolf, long and lean and gray, advanced cautiously, in a friendly manner, and Buck recognized the wild brother with whom he had run for a night and a day. He was whining softly, and, as Buck whined, they touched noses.

Then an old wolf, gaunt and battle-scarred, came forward. Buck writhed his lips into the preliminary of a snarl, but sniffed noses with him, Whereupon the old wolf sat down, pointed nose at the moon, and broke out the long wolf howl. The others sat down and howled. And now the call came to Buck in unmis- takable accents. He, too, sat down and howled. This over, he came out of his angle and the pack crowded around him, sniffing in half-friendly, half-savage manner. The leaders lifted the yelp of the pack and sprang away into the woods. The wolves swung in behind, yelping in chorus. And Buck ran with them, side by side with the wild brother, yelping as he ran. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 42—10

And here may well end the story of Buck. The years were not many when the Yeehats noted a change in the breed of timber wolves; for some were seen with splashes of brown on head and muzzle, and with a rift of white centering down the chest. But more remarkable than this, the Yeehats tell of a Ghost Dog that runs at the head of the pack. They are afraid of this Ghost Dog, for it has cunning greater than they, stealing from their camps in fierce winters, robbing their traps, slaying their dogs, and defying their bravest hunters.

Nay, the tale grows worse. Hunters there are who fail to return to the camp, and hunters there have been whom their tribesmen found with throats slashed cruelly open and with wolf prints about them in the snow greater than the prints of any wolf. Each fall, when the Yeehats follow the movement of the moose, there is a certain valley which they never enter. And women there are who become sad when the word goes over the fire of how the Evil Spirit came to select that valley for an abiding-place.

In the summers there is one visitor, however, to that valley, of which the Yeehats do not know. It is a great, gloriously coated wolf, like, and yet unlike, all other wolves. He crosses alone from the smiling timber land and comes down into an open space among the trees. Here a yellow stream flows from rotted moose-hide sacks andSAMPLE sinks into the ground, with long grasses growing through it and vegetable mould overrunning it and hiding its yellow from the sun; and here he muses for a time, howling once, long and mournfully, ere he departs.

But he is not always alone. When the long winter nights come on and the wolves follow their meat into the lower valleys, he may be seen running at the head of the pack through the pale moonlight or glimmering borealis, leaping gigantic above his fellows, his great throat a-bellow as he sings a song of the younger world, which is the song of the pack. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—1

Lesson 43 Responding to The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Now that the reading of The Call of the Wild is complete, you will respond by analyzing the elements of the story. You will discuss the setting, the characters, and the conflict in the story. Then you will create a story diagram, outlining the rising action, climax, and falling action for The Call of the Wild.

Setting: The setting is where and when the story takes place. In The Call of the Wild the setting moves from location to location. In two or three sentences for each location, identify and describe three different locations from the story. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—2

Characters: The characters in The Call of the Wild are human and canine. Identify Buck, Spitz, Dave, Sol-leks, Francois, Perrault, the man in the red shirt, Hal, Mercedes, Charles, John Thornton, Hans, and Pete. State who the character is and give one or two personality traits for each.

Buck:

Spitz: SAMPLE

Dave:

Sol-leks: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—3

Francois:

Perrault: SAMPLE

the Man in the Red Shirt:

Hal: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—4

Mercedes:

Charles: SAMPLE

John:

Thornton: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—5

Hans:

Pete: SAMPLE

Conflict: The conflict creates the action or plot of the story. It is the problem that the main character is attempting to solve. Conflict can be external or internal. The protago- nist, main character, experiences conflict. The conflict can be against external forces or it can be against internal forces. Buck is the protagonist. Discuss and identify whether the conflict he experiences is internal or external. How did Buck solve the conflicts he faced? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 43—6

Story Diagram: Draw a diagram of the story. To do this you must understand the parts of fiction. The parts of fiction include the conflict, rising action, the crisis, the climax, falling action, and the resolution.

Before you draw your diagram, think about the conflict in the story. The rising action builds from the conflict. It is what happens as the protagonist is trying to solve the problem. The crisis in the story is the turning point. The turning point creates the climax. The climax is the place in the story when the outcome can be predicted. The falling action happens after the climax. The resolution rounds out and concludes the action.

Your diagram should start with the event that gets the story going. Add the main events of the story as they build toward the crisis. The climax is the high point of the story. That should be on top of your diagram. The falling action follows the climax and the resolution is last. A suggested format for the story diagram is using a mountain as a framework. The mountain peak would be the climax. Another format could be a staircase that goes up and then comes down.SAMPLE The highest point of the staircase would be the climax. The Call of the Wild Story Diagram

Lesson Wrap-Up: Your understanding of The Call of the Wild is certainly growing. Your appreciation of it is, also. Why do you think Jack London titled the book as he did? How does that relate to the theme of the book? STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 44—4

Lesson 44 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Worksheet

Your work on The Call of the Wild is coming to an end. Complete the following Work- sheet. It will serve as preparation for the upcoming quiz in Lesson 45.

Lesson Wrap-Up: The Call of the Wild is an engaging piece of literature. You may have noticed that the more thought you give it, the more ways you look at it, the greater your appreciation becomes. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 44—5

The Call of the Wild by Jack London Worksheet

Author:

Main characters:

Setting(s): SAMPLE

How did this story begin?

Point of View - Point of view is extremely important in this story. The story is told in the third person by an omniscient observer. The narrator of the story enters into the minds of several of the characters. How do you think the story may have changed if told by a character in the story?

STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 44—6

Conflict - The conflicts in this story experienced by the main character, Buck, were both in- ternal, with other animals and with men. Tell about these and show by examples from the book, which one was always present in Buck.

SAMPLE What was the turning point in the novel?

Falling Action…explain Buck’s acceptance into the wolf pack.

Resolution: How does Buck’s story end?

What was your favorite part of the story? STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 44—7

If you could change a character, which character would you change and why?

SAMPLE

Would your recommend this book to a friend? What would you tell him or her?

PRINT STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 45—3

Lesson 45 The Call of the Wild by Jack London Quiz

You have read Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and now you will be quizzed on the content. Your teacher will tell you when to begin, and will spend some time in review when you are finished.

Lesson Wrap-Up: You have completed reading a fine novel. The Call of the Wild is a classic story. It has as much appeal now as when it was written. Your analytical powers have improved. Your appreciation of literature is likewise improved. Be proud of your accomplishments and prepare to conquer more challenges in the Lessons ahead. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 45—4

The Call of the Wild by Jack London Quiz

Name______Date ______

For the following multiple choice questions, clearly mark the correct answer by circling the letter next to it or by underlining the entire response. 6TFZPVSEJHJUBMUPPMT

1. How did John Thornton come to own Buck?

a. He rescued him when Hal was beating him

b. He stole Buck

c. He won Buck in a bet 2. What did DaveSAMPLE do when he was taken out of the dog sled because he was sick? a. Lay down and refused to move

b. Ran away

c. Insisted on being put back in the races

3. Where did Buck end up?

a. Delivering supplies with Perrault and Francois

b. Living in the wild

c. Back in California

4. Who went “mad” as a result of the huskies’ attack?

a. Dave

b. Dolly

c. Spitz

5. What effect did Buck’s challenge have on the team?

a. Many of them ran away

b. It made them weak

c. It destroyed their solidarity STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 45—5

6. What was Buck’s job with Francois and Perrault?

a. Rescue dog

b. Sled dog

c. Dog fights

7. Who stole buck from Judge Miller?

a. The Man in the Red Sweater

b. Perrault

c. Manuel the gardener

8. What did BuckSAMPLE begin to dream about? a. A short-legged hairy man

b. The ship he was transported on

c. The aurora borealis

9. What happened to Dave?

a. He got better and rejoined the team.

b. He had to be shot.

c. They carried him on the sled.

10. What is the “yellow metal” talked about in the first paragraph?

a. Uranium

b. Iron ore

c. Gold

11. Who did the Scottish half-breed sell Buck to?

a. Judge Miller

b. John Thornton

c. Hal, Mercedes, and Charles STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 45—6

12. What was the result of Buck killing Spitz?

a. Buck became lead dog.

b. They bought a new lead dog.

c. Sol-leks became lead dog.

13. Which was the first dog Buck saw killed?

a. Dave

b. Curly

c. Spitz

14. What did BuckSAMPLE first learn to do to avoid being hungry? a. Kill wild animals

b. Catch fish in the stream

c. Steal food from the other dogs

15. What Lesson did Buck learn from seeing Curly killed?

a. Kill or be killed

b. The law of the wild

c. Once you were down, you were dead

16. How did Buck save Thornton’s life?

a. Killed food for him to eat

b. Killed a bear that was attacking him

c. Dragged him out of the rapids

17. How did Buck first challenge Spitz’s authority?

a. Took his place as lead sled dog

b. Stole his food

c. Defended Pike when Spitz was trying to discipline him STUDENT MANUAL GRADE 8 LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 45—7

18. How did Buck keep himself warm when he slept?

a. He dug a nest in the snow.

b. He slept in the tent.

c. He slept with the other dogs.

19. In what state did Buck live with Judge Miller?

a. California

b. Nevada

c. Texas

20 What was the team’s job when the Scottish half-breed owned them? a. RescueSAMPLE team b. Mail delivery

c. Deliver supplies to gold miners

PRINT STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 46—1

Lesson 46 Tell Us a Story…Your Story!

You’ve probably read a lot of great books and stories – what made them so great? What was it about the language that caught your attention? How did it make you feel?

In Lesson 46, you will begin writing your own story – a story about you. Like any story, your story will begin at the beginning!

The way you start your story is vital. What kind of story will you write? Remember to write about something you know enough about to put the correct details into the story. Think about who will like to read your story. Who is your audience? Perhaps it would be an in- terested adult, a child, or a peer. It might be people interested in the same things you are interested in sharing. We will take five Lessons to work on this project. Procedure: To get SAMPLEstarted, a look at Jack London’s writing style will help. Read the following excerpt from The Call of the Wild and decide which one of the following techniques did he use?

An action – something happens.

Dialogue or Exclamation – something is said.

A thought or question – someone asks a question or thinks a thought to themselves.

A sound – a description of a noise or a voice, usually onomatopoetic (a word that itself sounds like a sound, like “clang,” “bang,” or “boom.”

“Buck did not read the newspaper, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted dogs, and the dogs they wanted were heavy dogs, with strong muscles by which to toil, and furry coats to protect them from the frost.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 46—2

The author’s technique:

Describe your response to the opening of The Call of the Wild. (What did it make you think or feel?):

SAMPLE Read these sample story beginnings and improve them.

You will read several story openings, and then improve them by adding vivid details and exciting language. Consider the example below.

Example:

“This is the story about what happened when I broke my leg. It was when I was skating for the first time in front of my new friends.”

An Action: I whirled around with legs up in the air and landed on my back with my leg folded under me.

Dialogue: “Watch this trick!” I yelled to my friend when it happened.

A thought or question: Seeing my new friends watch me as I sped off across the ice, I thought, “This will get their attention!”

A sound: Kaboom! Woosh! Crack! There I was sprawled out on the ice.

Now, revise the following story beginning using one or more of the techniques. Put the character in the setting and grab the reader’s attention.

“Last summer fell into the freezing lake when fishing at Lake 15 in Atlanta. It was late; I was alone and could not swim. I was scared.”

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 46—3

Your response:

Try another one: SAMPLE “I was flying in a small plane to New York when the plane started to make a sound and the lights went out. Our plane did not have power.”

Your response

Here is one more. It was written by an eighth grade student: Black Out Chapter 1

“ ‘Captivity: noun, state or period of being captive: the state of being a prisoner or a period of time that somebody is held prisoner…’ I feel this every day as I walk into the double doors of my high school…”

The story ends with:

“…I kept thinking no more blackouts no more blackouts, but it happened anyways. Black.” STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 46—4

Try filling in the space between the beginning and the end with a short, exciting paragraph:

Next you will see B graphic organizer to help get yPu started with your plot, characters and setting.SAMPLE Setting Main Characters

The problem in the story is:

We know because something happens:

The reason for (or consequence of) this action is:

The main characters decide they will:

Finally they take action, and: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 46—5

You may write a realistic story reflecting everyday life or a character study revealing a deep truth. You may write a genre story: science fiction, detective, horror, suspense or wonder. Think about your purpose in writing your story. What point will you want to make? That will be your theme. You may wish to let your theme guide your writing.

Brainstorm and think of what you would like to write about. Then, fill in the
plot organizers pictured above – whichever one you like best. If your first idea doesn’t allow you to fill in the whole organizer, relax: lots of stories don’t work on the first try. Try again until you have an idea that works!

Lesson Wrap-Up: Remember as you begin your story, that it should be about what hap- pens to people. A short story is not necessarily intended to focus on fact or events. Instead it gives an author the power to say something meaningful about life. Using the right words can turn life into an adventure, comedy or tragedy. When you find your story, it will have a theme, or question about life and human nature, expressed in the events of the story. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 47—1

Lesson 47 Tell Us a Story Character Development

Now let’s think about how to develop your character. Read and think about these thoughts.

Character Development A story isn’t much of a story without characters. What would the literary world be without Pippi Longstocking, Captain Nemo, Wilbur the Pig and Charlotte the Spider, Nancy Drew, Ichabod Crane, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Dorothy Gale from Kansas, and count- less others? Think about the books you have read. Who is your favorite character, and what is the title of the book or series in which that character is featured?

A
character is often a combination of several people who an author knows - the author may have borrowedSAMPLE Sue’s looks, Kit’s personality, Tim’s talent, and Kay’s odd habit of wear- ing polka-dot nail polish. Sometimes an author includes something of his or herself in the character. This is smart thinking for beginning (and even advanced) writers. If the character comes totally from the author’s imagination, it may be flat
or too much like the author! It’s not imaginative when an author bases a character on a single real person. Create a character from a mishmash of real people, so no one person recognizes himself.

Choose your characters’ names carefully. The sound of a name can influence the char- acter’s personality and the reader’s attitude regarding the character. If a baby name book is available, thumb through it and discover the variety of names listed. You will find the meanings of names as well, which can be useful in your search for a good name for your character.

Go ahead and choose a name for your character.

Before you begin developing your character, you need to consider these three elements of characterization: consistency, complexity, and individuality. They will help you create a believable and interesting character.

Consistency will make your character believable. All people have traits that define who they are, such as organized, honest, or brainy. It’s the solid foundation of who they are. The character will not stray from his or her consistency without a good reason.

Complexity balances consistency. People also have things about them that are a little difficult to explain. For instance, a normally shy and quiet person may experience a moment of bravery and speak up when it’s important to him. A school bully can show a sensitive side by letting her victim go. These “uncharacteristic” features in a character make a strong statement about what drove them to change for a situation. This shows human nature and makes the character more real.

STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 47—2

Individuality sets your character apart from others, just as it sets a real person apart from the crowd. This is where you can have fun with your creation. This is the element of the unusual. Individuality can be found in a disability, a physical trait, an unusual hobby or career, or musical tastes. A teenager who openly and honestly lives for opera would be said to have individuality. Warning: don’t push the individuality thing into the unbelievable or bizarre. You will have created a caricature, not a character.

Your assignment is to develop characters with three consistencies, three complexities, and three individuality traits. The complexity should be related in some way to the consistency. The individualities can stand on their own. Write several paragraphs that describe your characters. Develop at least two characters in this fashion.

The minor characters do not have to be as well developed. For the minor characters, list two consistencies, one complexity, and two individuality traits. Begin your story. HaveSAMPLE fun! STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 47—3

Major Character 1:

Name:

Description:

SAMPLE

Consistency:

Complexity:

Individuality: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 47—5

Major Character 2:

Name:

Description:

SAMPLE

Consistency:

Complexity:

Individuality: STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 47—6

Minor Character 1:

Consistency:

Complexity:

Individuality:

Minor Character 2: Consistency: SAMPLE

Complexity:

Individuality:

Lesson Wrap-Up: Have a great time thinking about and “giving life” to your characters. Try to decide which character is the protagonist (good guy) and which one is causing conflict (antagonist). This is how your plot comes into existence. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 48—1

Lesson 48 Writing a Story—The First Draft

Continue to work on your story. You should have ideas of how the story will be exciting and draw your reader into the experience. Your characters should be taking form. The plot will probably take shape from the relationship of your characters: either there is conflict within your character, conflict between your character and nature, or conflict with another character. A situation outside of the characters could also provide the develop- ment of the plot. How your characters think about and react to the problem is what gives you a story line.

The action of your plot needs to have a setting. Some stories depend on where the story takes place like in a small town or on a summer vacation. Some revolve around something that is happening and the place is not so important. The Call of the Wild had to take place in the frozen tundraSAMPLE with dogs and dog sleds. STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 48—2

Take a moment to think of your setting, and write about it in the space provided:

What is the first thing you see in this setting? What catches the character’s eye?

What can the character hear? Is it significant? SAMPLE

What does the character smell? Can that sense be used to represent the environment?

Is this setting cold or hot? Dry or humid? Is this setting comfortable, or does it threaten the characters’ very survival?

How do you think someone should feel in this setting? Happy? Sad? Threatened? Why should they feel that way? STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 48—3

Your first try at putting this part together is your rough draft. Now that you have your characters, a plot, and a setting, you can make your first attempt at writing this story. Begin at the beginning, and write through to the end. Don’t worry about making mis- takes or changing this at this stage. Writers almost never get it “right” on the first try – it takes revision and practice. Whether you are typing this story or writing it out longhand, be sure to double-space so that you can write notes and corrections later. Take this time to write…enjoy.

Lesson Wrap-Up: You are now at a most enjoyable part of your story writing assignment. The story begins to almost write itself. It takes on a life of its own, with the characters doing and saying certain things almost by themselves. You, as the writer, are drawn along with the action, not creating it. Of course the phenomenon is an illusion, but when caught up in the writing process, the life of the story becomes real. SAMPLE STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 49—1

Lesson 49 Writing a Story – Proofreading and Editing

Begin by rereading your work to this point. Read it aloud. Have someone else read your story.

Do not be afraid to make changes; move a sentence or a whole paragraph if it does not flow naturally and smoothly. Look at your word choices. What mood do your words cre- ate? Did you mean to have it “feel” like that? If not, look for different words and change the atmosphere for your story.

Do not let your ending “out-of-the-bag” too soon. Keep your readers wondering how the problem will be resolved. A good story draws the readers into it and keeps them reading. Did you use dialogue or is the story all narrative? Does that work for you? Dialogue often makes a story moveSAMPLE more quickly than long, drawn out paragraphs. Take this time to rework your story. If you need input from someone else, your teacher will provide comments and suggestions. The important thing is to spend time and effort on your story to make it a top quality piece of writing.

Lesson Wrap-Up: Keep going on your writing journey! STUDENT MANUAL LANGUAGE ARTS—Lesson 50—1

Lesson 50 Writing a Story – The Finishing Touches

Your story should be roughed in. That means you should have the basic story developed. It may not read like a finished, polished, final product, but it should have sense of com- pleteness. The characters and action should be in place.

Now that you have read and revised your story, you should rewrite it. Look at every paragraph. Rework each one. Make sure your paragraphs are in the correct order. You may wish to strike a part of the story. You may think of something to add. Look at every word to be sure it is the exact word you wish to use to perfectly express your thoughts. Does your story make sense? Is it interesting? Does it progress logically? Is it clear? Work with the story so that it becomes a thing of beauty. Your final copy willSAMPLE be something that makes you proud. Design a cover page for your story.

Lesson Wrap-Up: To create a story that has life is a huge accomplishment. Your characters live in your mind and the imaginations of each person who reads your story. Your story is a gift for all who read it. Savor the experience of being an author.