NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 9 The Great Stone Face 1

Comprehension check:-

Write ‘ True’ or  ‘ False’ against each of the following statements.

1. The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. ______
2. One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. ______
3. Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. ______
4. Though not very rich , Gathergold was a skillful merchant.  ______
5.  Gathergold died in poverty and neglect.  ______
6. The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general.  _____

Ans.

1. True, they had only to lift their eyes and there it was plain to be seen.
2. True, if the spectator approached too near, he lost the outline of the enormous face.
3. True, ernest  had a loving heart.
4. False, gathergold was a very rich merchant.
5. True, his wealth had disappeared before his death.
6. True, the Great Stone Face asked Ernest not to fear.

Working with the text :-

Answer the following questions :-

Q 1. (i) What was the Great Stone Face ?

Ans. A creation of nature, the Great Stone Face. It was created on the mountainside by enormous rocks. It appeared to be a human face.

(ii) What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it ?

Ans. Young Ernest wished the Great Stone Face could talk as he regarded it. Its demeanour suggested that it must have a pleasant voice.

Q 2. What was the story attributed to the Stone Face ?

Ans. According to the legend, a child would be born nearby at some point in the future. He would rise to become the most outstanding and noble person of his era. His face would resemble the Great Stone Face in its full adulthood.

Q 3. What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for t first time?

Ans. The great man, who resembled the Great Stone Face, supposedly finally appeared, according to a rumour that circulated throughout the valley.

Q 4. (i) Did Ernest see in the Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face ?

Ans. Ernest didn’t notice any resemblance to the Stone Face in Gathergold, though. He sadly turned away and looked up the valley so that Gathergold could see his face.

(ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right ?

Ans. Ernest told the valley a secret. He was disappointed because he saw no similarity between Gathergold and Stone Face. He was told not to be afraid by the Stone Face. He reassured him that the man who resembled him would undoubtedly appear.

Q 5. (i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man ?

Ans. Generally speaking, Thunder advanced from being a regular soldier to the highest position of his life. He had now made his way back to his home valley. He had always resembled the Stone Face, according to his childhood friends. He became their man as a result of this.

(ii) Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude ?

Ans. Ernest was unable to detect any resemblance between General Blood-and-face Thunder’s and the Stone Face. He therefore came to the conclusion that the general was not the person whose face resembled a stone.

Working with Language

1. Look at the following words :

Like   :-     likeness

Punctual  :- punctuality

The words on the left are adjectives and those on the right are their noun forms.

Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -ity to them appropriately.  Check the spelling of new words.

(i) lofty _____ (vi) enormous ____
(ii) able _____ (vii) pleasant ____
(iii) happy ___(viii) dense ____
(iv) near _____ (ix) great _____
(v) noble ____ (x) stable _____

Ans. Elegance, aptitude, joy, proximity, nobility, enormity, pleasantness, density, greatness, and stability.

2. Add – ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.

Hints :- perfectly,  nearly, kindly,  pleasantly,  eagerly

(i) Why did not you turn up at the ‘meeting ? We all were …… waiting for you.

(ii) ……. write your name and address in capital letters.

(iii) I was …… surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

(iv) It is …… believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

(v) He fell over the step and …__broke this arm.

Ans.  (i) Why did not you turn up at the ‘meeting ? We all were eagerly waiting for you.

(ii) Kindly Write your name and address in capital letters.

(iii) I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.

(iv) It is perfectly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.

(v) He fell over the step and nearly broke this arm.

3. Complete each sentence below using the appropriate form of the verbs in brackets.

(i) I ……. (phone)  you when I ……. (get) home from school.

(ii) Hurry up ! Madam …….. (be) annoyed if we …….. (be) late.

(iii) If it ……… (rain) today , we …….. (not) , go to the play.

(iv) When you …….. (see)  Mandal again , you …….  ( not / recognise ) him. He is growing a beard.

(v) We are off today. We …….. (write ) to you after we …….. (be) back.

Ans. (i) I shall phone (phone) you when I get (get) home from school.

(ii) Hurry up ! Madam will be annoyed (be) annoyed if we are (be) late.

(iii) If it rains (rain) today, we shall not (not), go to the play.

(iv) When you see (see)  Mandal again, you will not recognise (not / recognise) him. He is growing a beard.

(v) We are off today. We shall write (write) to you after we are (be) back.

Speaking and writing :-

1 . Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him.

Begin like this : My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen any one who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.

Ans. My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face.  I asked her if she had ever seen any one who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story. In near future a man will be born in the native valley with a total resemblance to the Great Stone Face. That man will be wiser and nobler than any other native of the valley. She told me that this prophecy had been prevailing in the valley for a long time. Her mother had told her that story when she was a little child. So she passed on that story on me.

2. Imagine you are Gathergold. Write briefly the incident of your return to the valley.

Begin like this : My name is Gathergold. I left the valley of the Great Stone Face fifty years ago. I am now going back home. Will the people of the valley welcome me ? Do they know that I am very rich ?

Ans. Gathergold is how I like to be known. It’s been fifty years since I last visited the Great Stone Face Valley. I’m heading back home right now. Will the residents of the valley accept me? Do they understand how wealthy I am? I rode in a carriage pulled by four horses to my hometown valley. They were overjoyed to have me in the valley. They were so enthused that they claimed I resembled the Great Stone Face. They believed that their old prophecy had come true. When I finally visited my birthplace after all these years, I was overwhelmed to find such a warm welcome.