Grade 8 – Comprehension Passage 1

Read the following passage carefully and answer the following questions:                                 

One hour passed, and another. The sun began to sink behind the trees, and the king at last struck the spade into the ground, and said, "I came to you, wise one, for an answer to my questions. If you can give me none, please say so, and I will go home." "Here comes someone running," said the hermit, "let us see who it is."

The King turned round and saw a bearded man come running out of the forest. The man held his hands pressed against his stomach, and blood was flowing from under them. When he reached the king, he fainted and fell to the ground, moaning feebly. The king and the hermit unfastened the man's clothing. There was a large wound in his stomach. The king washed it as well as he could, and bandaged it with his handkerchief and a towel the hermit had. But the blood would not stop flowing, the king again and again removed the bandage soaked with warm blood and washed and re-bandaged the wound. When at last the blood stopped flowing, the man revived and asked for something to drink. The king brought some fresh water and gave it to him.

Meanwhile the sun had set and it had become cool. So the king, with the hermit's help, carried the wounded man into the hut. The man lay there quietly with his eyes closed. By now, the king was so tired after his walk and the work he had done, that he lay down himself and also fell asleep. When he awoke in the morning, it took him some time to remember where he was and who was the strange bearded  man lying by his side and gazing intently at him. "Forgive me!" said the bearded man in a weak voice, when he saw that the king was awake and was looking at him. "I do not know you, and I've nothing to forgive you for," said the king.

"You do not know me, but I know you. I am that enemy of yours who swore to revenge himself on you because you executed his brother and seized his property. I knew you had gone alone to see the hermit, and I resolved to kill you on your way back. But the day passed and you did not return. So I came out of my ambush to find you. Your bodyguards recognised me and wounded me. I escaped from them but would have bled to death had you not dressed my wound. I wished to kill you but you have saved my life. Now if I live, and if you wish it, I'll serve you all my life."

The king was very glad to have made peace with an enemy so easily, and to have gained him for a friend. He not only forgave him but said he would send his men and his own physician to attend to him. The king then took leave of him and went out of the hut to look for the hermit. Before going away he wished once more to beg for an answer to the questions he had asked. The hermit was outside, on his knees, sowing seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before.

Questions:-

1. Did the king behave as an ordinary person at the hermit's hut? Give reasons from the passage to support your answer. 

2. Pick out a word or a phrase from the passage which states that the bearded man was in pain.    

      3. Give synonyms for the following words from the passage.

a. sodden – ____________

b. recovered – ___________

 4. Summary Writing:

a. In the above passage there are eight significant points about the stranger and why he asked for forgiveness from the king. Write the eight points below in note form. (You do not need to use proper sentence.)

b. Now use your notes to summarize the above points. Use your own words as far as possible and continuous writing (not note form). Write between 80 – 100 words.