The Silver Brumby

Wild horses From this site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-02/differing-views-on-future-of- snowy-brumbies/2868284

Great Australian Classics Series #2 Blooms Taxonomy Literature Unit By T. Shaw February 2013

About the author Elyne Mitchell was a prolific writer of non-fiction and children’s fiction. She was also a mother, grazier, ski champion, environmentalist and skilled horsewoman. Her 5 broken legs are testimony to her active, adventurous lifestyle in the high country of Australia. Elyne was the daughter of the famous Australian cavalry general of World War One, Sir Harry Chauvel. After marrying Tom Mitchell in the 1930s she went to live a Toowong Hill Station near Corryong at the foothills of the Australain Snowy Mountains. With her husband often away (serving in World war two and as a parliamentarian) Elyne became a capable grazier and horsewoman. In her spare time she began writing. Her most famous book, written to entertain her daughter Indi, was The Silver Brumby, published in 1958 and the first of many entertaining sequels. The high country she describes in her early books no longer exists. Cattle no longer roam the high country and brumbies are not so highly valued. They have been replaced by skiers and eco-tourists but Mitchell’s tales captured the romance and grandeur of the high country and its fauna and flora as well as the skills and dedication of the mountain men who worked the land. Elyne Mitchell died in 2002.

Elyne Mitchell on horseback. Image from: http://jenniferlshelton.com/2010/12/30/elyne- mitchell-1913-2002-woman-of-the-week/

The Book The Silver Brumby was written by Elyne Mitchell for her horse-mad daughter Indi who was constantly complaining that she had no books of interest to read. She devoured the book and millions of other children around the world have also loved the wonderful tales about the mountains, bush, wild brumbies and native animals of the Australian bush. Elyne’s rides through the mountains of the Upper Murray and her love of skiing inspired her writing and became vivid features of her brumby stories. Elyne wrote 13 stories in her brumby series

Setting, Plot and Characters The Brumby stories are set in the Australian high country (Google Kosciusko National Park.)The country is wild and rugged. Elyne Mitchell believed the secret of her books was that children loved to identify with the wildness, freedom and beauty of the countryside described in her books. The characters of the brumby books are the wild horses of the high country. In these stories the horses talk to each other and to other bush creatures yet not in a fantasy world where animals act like humans. This makes these stories quite unique (Like ‘Watership Down’) The plot of the first book tells the story of Thowra, a palomino stallion born in a thunder storm to Bel Bel and the Yarraman the King of the Cascade Brumbies. As Thowra grows and takes his place as his father’s heir a ‘man’ tries to hunt him down and break him but the elusive and majestic Thowra has other ideas. The version of the book read as a serial for this unit is the 2003 edition published by Angus and Robertson which also includes a glossary and Mitchell’s last brumby story written just before her death, Wild Echo Rising. I have found some of the animated adventures on Youtube and the 1992 movie is readily available and a good support to the book.

Activities Remembering (Locating / retrieving knowledge)  Make an illustrated timeline of events from the story.  Complete a crossword and word search based on the story.  Complete a cloze and reading comprehension activity from the book  Make a list of quotations from the story and link them to the character that said it..  Children devise 5 quiz questions after reading several chapters of the story and test each other after the book is completed.  Make a list of ‘facts’ about the story or a list of survival tips for living in the mountains in winter.  List 5 new words you’ve learnt from the story with definition and illustration if appropriate. (Refer glossary activity)  List the other children’s books written about horses and the people who love them. (Get this information from the internet)  What animals are mentioned in the story (other than brumbys) and what impact / influence do they have?  In your sketch pad and using a variety of art material draw what you regard as the pivotal episode from the story.  Write a top 10 facts about the Mount Kosciuzko and the Snowy River.

Understanding (Paraphrasing, categorising, extrapolating)

 Make a cartoon strip of an important episode from the story.  Design a newspaper advertisement offering brumbies for sale  Make an illustrated bookmark based on one of the characters from the story.  Complete a literary socio-gram for major characters from the story  What emotions was ‘the man’ feeling at pivotal points in the story? (You choose 4 major episodes that demonstrate his feelings.  Develop a ‘How to….’ Fact sheet related to the book.  Complete an events and motives chart.  Did any character from the story do something you didn’t like? What was it? What would you have done instead?  Write a set of true or false questions about the story as part of a class quiz. Application (Applying knowledge)  Use the story map (refer worksheets) Label interesting locales from the story.  Make a travel brochure for the high country as if you were a developer trying to sell it to potential customers or as an environmentalist trying to promote the area as an important environmental refuge.  Relate a personal experience similar to an event in the story. (Like the Man have you ever craved something but failed to achieve?)  Design a newspaper front story as if you were a witness to an important event from the story.  Pretend you are the Man and write a letter or send a postcard to a friend from the low lands about life in the mountains or his quest for the silver brumby.  Design a poster for the library to illustrate one of the Brumby stories.  Create a clay model of one of the horses in the story or the old hut.  Create a PowerPoint project about some of the animals mentioned in the book such as wild horses and working dogs (Topical issues related to cattle grazing in the Snowy Mountain National Park can be explored.).  Create a ‘pop up’ book, diorama or mural for an episode of the book. (The interior of the hut or the horse auction )  Create a poster advertising a brumby sale.  Write a persuasive letter explaining why or why not you think catching and breaking in wild horse is cruel or justified  Create a profile for the Man (Character web worksheet attached)

Analyse (Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant, determining points of view and how elements fit and function within a structure)

 Visit a farm or a riding club.  Make a list of conflict situations from the story. Were they resolved? If so, how? If not, why not?  Create a ‘Y Chart’ of an event from the story.  Create a Venn diagram comparing the book to the 1992 movie.  If the man had captured Thowra how might the ending have changed?  Use a graphic organiser of your design to compare 2 characters from the book. Use a literary sociogram to map out the relationships between the characters. On the attached worksheet Link up the characters with colored arrows and on the arrows attach words or phrases describing their relationship.  Create a mind map for the story. (On the worksheet provided write subtopics for the topic and draw as many connecting lines as you like.(some sub-headings could include: friends, enemies, man, environment)Don’t forget to use images and symbols  Explain an event only implied in the book.  Write a ‘How to break a horse’ or ‘how to look after a horse ’fact sheet  Write 5 questions you would ask the author about her life and work.

Evaluation  Write 5 alternative story chapter names  Give the book a rank or rating as part of an alternative book cover.  Pretend you are a librarian or book reviewer. How would you recommend the book to a friend?  What character would you be a friend with and why?  Write a letter to Tim Winton and ask him questions about his book.  Create a list of the top 10 Australian children’s novels or 2 top horse stories. Write a book report for one of them or create a T Chart comparing one of them to The Silver Brumby.

 If the book was being made into a movie what changes would you make? Creative (generating, planning and producing)  Change the ending of the story. (Why did you change it?)  Design a new dust jacket for the book and include a personal review of the book as well as a blurb.  If you included yourself in the story, who would you be? Why?  Make a board game about the story.  Choose a poetry style and write a poem about the book.  Create a short story using 2 characters from the book as an infant reader or record dialogue between characters from the book.  Sell the idea of resuming cattle grazing in the high country. How would you do it?  Create your own Brumby World magazine front cover.  Study Jeannie Baker’s collages from books such as ‘Where the Forest Meets the Sea’. And create one of your own inspired by the story.  Write a sequel or prequel to the story.  Create a crossword using Puzzlemaker. http://www.puzzlemaker.com

 Write a ‘ghost story’ about the Silver Brumby. A book cover from an early edition of The Silver Brumby. From: http://floor-to- ceiling-books.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/silver-brumby-by-elyne-mitchell.html

Wallace Hut amidst twisted snow gums, in late afternoon light. Oldest surviving cattlemen's hut in alpine high country, Victoria, Australia. From: http://www.123rf.com/photo_3863027_wallace-hut-amidst-twisted-snow- gums-in-late-afternoon-light--oldest-surviving-cattlemen-s-hut-in-al.html

High country: A herd of cattle at Dinner Plain, near the Alpine National Parks. Image and story about cattle grazing in the high country from this site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-31/alpine-grazing-trail- announcement/3802440 The Silver Brumby Timeline

The Man put Golden in the stockyard closest to the hut so he could keep an eye on her. He knew Thowra was nearby and he was setting his trap.

The Silver Brumby comic

By: ………………………….………

Silver Brumby

Cause and Effect Chart

Cause Effect

Yarraman is beaten by The

Brolga

The Man sights

Thowra.

Indi found an injured joey

The Man paid

200 pounds

for Golden

Thowra ran

toward the

cliff. The Silver Brumby ‘Y’ Chart

What would you hear?

What would

you see?

What would you feel?

The Silver Brumby

Corryong COURIER th Price 5 p February 5 1958

Black Beauty (Literary Sociogram)

The Silver Brumby Literary Sociogram

Thowra The Man

Yarraman

The Brolga

Golden

Bel Bel

Bel Bel

Image from: http://billiedean.com/holding-the-light-in-a-time-of-chaos-the-importance- of-love

(The Silver Brumby) Enlarge to A3 size (Character Web for the Man) Physical description Personality traits (Would you be friends (Draw a full-length picture with this character? Why/why not/) of the character and label it)

Occupational abilities (Dot points) Portrait of the Man

Relationship to others in the story

Relationships

Echo (The Black Coolie Horse) Golden (The dog) (The bait) The Silver Brumby Mind Map

The Silver Brumby

The Silver Brumby (movie)

Read these quotes from the story and attribute them to the correct character.

Choose from these characters- The Man, Elyne, Indi

Some say that Thowra never I’ve been up all night. It’s the existed. Some say he’s a only chance to write around ghost. But there are always here.

tales of the mighty white stallion. The greatest palomino brumby, king of the Cascade brumbies. Can you hear him yet? When the wind and the trees and the bush creatures tell a story, it gets passed on, one to another. Each adds just a little bit of his own. No one hears it exactly the same, so it changes with the telling. And soon Don’t lose those creamies the story becomes a legend. With Echo! each legend grows and the truth gets hidden.

We’ve been through this Indi. God took a handful of south We’ve interfered with nature winds and blew on it and enough. Time to let him go created a horse. back where he belongs. He’s got to take his chances with all the other animals.

Two hundred!

Darcy said it was unbelievable. This ghost of a horse just heads for the cliff So it’s true, isn’t it? Thowra does and off into space. Rather be exist. And now the Man has Darcy dead than captured. helping. Dad said that Darcy is the best rider and tracker in the whole high country. Blueback Personality traits

Some of the traits in the list below fit Thowra or the man and some do not. Select 4 traits that best describe whichever one you choose and write them on the chart. Then for each trait, list one action in which they exhibit the trait.

Intelligent funny responsible caring determined honest hardworking problem solver confident generous co -operative loyal brave independent impulsive hot-tempered thoughtful wise

Trait Actions that demonstrate the trait.

The Silver Brumby

Design a poster advertising your book. Include a review.

The Silver Brumby

Venn Diagram

The Silver Brumby book

(Enlarge to A3 size) The Silver Brumby movie The Silver Brumby Alternative Book cover

The Silver Brumby Glossary and word study Write definitions Word Definition Grazier Brumby Stockhorse High country Snowgums Lasso Knoll Homestead Corral Commotion Foothills stallion

Write homophones for these words from the story Boulder Scent Rein Herd Paw Fought Won horse Join up the compound words post hills snow men foot gum pack card horse horse stock rail slip yard The Silver Brumby Postcard

WRITING IDEAS and CREATIVE RESPONSES Remembering (How well do you recall what you’ve read or listened too?)  Prepare a thumbnail sketch of characters including both appearance and character. Description- Detailing characteristic features Understanding (How well do you understand what you read and listened too in the story?)  Make a cartoon strip of your favourite scene from the book Recount- tells what happened  Design a newspaper advertisement for a stockman Explanation- makes clear how or why things are as they are.  Ask children to determine what was the most important personal attributes that enabled the man to live his solitary life. Write about it in a letter from the man to a relative or his employer, Discussion- presents information and opinions about more than one side of an issue. Application (Using strategies, concepts, principles and theories in new situations.)

 Design a map of the high country world and Label interesting locales from the story. Description- Detailing characteristic features  Relate a personal experience in a journal or digital portfolio similar to an event in the story. (Chasing an elusive dream) Response- a review or personal response  Write a diary as if you were a character from the book. Describe feelings and emotions as much as events and encounters. (As the man or Indi) Narrative- tells a story.  Write a newspaper story about the record price spent for a horse at the auctions or Thowra plunging to his death. Recount- tells what happened

Analysis (Breaking information down into its component parts)

 Create a Venn diagram comparing the book to a similar story or the movie (There are significant differences)  What would a typical day for the Man or Thowra and his herd be like? (or Laura as a Governess)Create a list of jobs for them to do and provide details about each task. Procedure- tells how to do something  Use a graphic organizer of your design to compare 2 characters from the book. Description- details characteristics and features Evaluation (Judging)

 Write a list of 5 rules for being a lone stockman. Evaluate if they are good rules and why they are necessary rules. Discussion- information and opinions.  Pretend you are a librarian or book reviewer. How would you recommend the book to a friend? Discussion- presents information and opinions about more than one side of an issue.  Write a letter to Elyne Mitchell suggesting some changes to the book or telling her about your preference for the book or the film. Discussion- presents information and opinions about more than one side of an issue.(Note: Elyne Mitchell is dead)  Write a letter to the editor of the Corryong Courier either supporting or opposing allowing cattle into the Kosciusko National Park. Persuasive text Creating (Engaging in original thought)

 Change the ending of the story. Narrative- tells a story  Design a new dust jacket for the book and include a personal review of the book as well as a blurb. (There is no blurb on the original) Response- is a review or a personal response  Choose a poetry style and write a poem about a character from the book.(Consider a limerick)  Create your own ‘Horse World’ magazine front cover. Information report

Stockman’s hut From: http://www.123rf.com/photo_4702663_stockmans-hut-at-davies-plains-in-the- australian-high-country-in-the-early-morning.htm l

Silver Brumby Wordsearch

D M S W Y H S R L S W O N S W T I W F G I U I A T X Y M U G D U N I L G A M L O X C A U K A J H V L R B E G C J T M U S V R E E P D B Q F K M D N K E I R W I S L W Y B M U R B C S I I L O E R G I Y A H X W A R M S E B H S O O N N L I P B O U F H P R T L H L D L I C N H B R O L G A M D D D R X L E C N H Y O T U C P L A E T I K N N O X K Q E T G C Z E N F C P U A I Y A R R A M A N D F A U Y X M Y N K A P Y D W C M R Q J T B O V X M B E S Z D Q C J

BEL BEL BROLGA BRUMBY CLIFF CRACKENBACK DEAD HORSE HUT GOLDEN HORSES MAN SILVER SLIPRAIL SNOW STOCKMAN THOWRA The snow-clad Main Range of the Snowy Mountains on the WILD skyline, as seen from Towong Hill, with the Murray River valley in WILDWIND the middle ground. Photo: Matthew Higgins YARRAMAN From: http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/elyne-mitchells- typewriter Silver Brumby Crossword

Elyne Mitchell's typewriter, with copies of 'Speak to the Earth' (first edition) and 'The Silver Brumby' (latest edition). Photo: Matthew Higgins .From: http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/elyne- mitchells-typewriter

Elyne's study at Towong Hill, where she wrote her books From: http://www.nma.gov.au/collections/highlights/elyne-mitchells-typewriter

Across 3. The Man's job. 5. He wanted to own Thowra 7. Name of The Man's hut 10. Thowra's mother 12. Elyne Mitchell wrote the ...... Brumby

Down 1. Thowra's father. 2. He challenged Yarraman but lost 3. The ...... covered up the grass in winter. 4. ……………………………………….River 6. "I will call you ...... " said Bel Bel because that means wind." 8. The Man bought her to trap Thowra. 9. The brumby herds had their own ...... to live in and were in danger if they wandered too far. 11. Thowra leapt off the ...... and became a legend.

The Silver Brumby Story Map (Draw an illustration and add a caption explaining what happened at these locations from the story)