horse to market

To Market

 
 
 

Vocabulary

price set off chestnut (2)
mare stallion along the way
get on waste (2) what a waste
pull foolish nowadays
elders approach my goodness
bridge respect balance (2)
trudge pass by surface (2)
get off place (2) eventually
shout laundry the never of you
shame ashamed encounter
push hang up come across
imagine opposite I feel sorry for
cruel tend (2) under his breath
span breath pick up (2)
gasp spectacle riverbank
twist poor (3) twist and turn
splash proceed

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
“I’m sure we can get a good price for the horse at the market,” said Barney to his wife early one morning.

After saying good-bye, he and his young son set off to town with their chestnut stallion. All three walked.

Some Boys

Along the way they passed by another village. There they saw some boys playing on the side of the road.

“Look at those two,” said one of the boys to his friends. “They’ve got a horse; but they’re both walking. What a waste! How foolish of them.”

Barney then stopped. He put his son on the horse, and they continued down the road.
 
 

 
 
Old Man

Soon the approached a house.

“My goodness! Young people nowadays!” said an old man tending a garden in front of the house as they came nearer.

“They have no respect whatsoever for their elders! You ought to be ashamed of yourself young man,” he said to Barney’s son. “Riding a horse while your poor father trudges along.”

Barney stopped. He told his son to get off the horse. Barney then got on the horse and proceeded to ride it while his son walked beside them.
 
 

 
 
Some Women

Further down the road, they encountered some women hanging up their laundry.

“The nerve of that man!” said a woman. “He’s riding that horse, while his poor boy must walk. SHAME on you!” she shouted at Barney.

And with that, Barney stopped the horse. “Come on up,” Barney said to his son. Barney then pulled him up onto the horse and placed him in front of himself.

They continued towards town.
 
 

 
 
Some Girls

Eventually they come across some girls walking from the opposite direction.
“Look! Can you imagine that? Two people riding a horse!” said the girls. “How cruel! I feel so sorry for that poor horse.”

And so Barney and his son got off the horse. They then picked up their horse and held him in their arms — and proceeded down the road.

“My … you’re …. very …. very … heavy ….,” said Barney under his breath.
 
 
The Bridge

They eventually came to a bridge spanning a river.

“We’re …. almost …. there ….” gasped Barney, as they began to cross it.

Some people fishing on the riverbank noticed them. “Look at that!” said one of them. Everyone laughed at the spectacle.
 
 
Twisting and Turning

At that point the horse began twisting and turning. “Wow! Wow! Easy now, easy!” cried Barney. “Oh …. I’m losing my balancccccceeeeeeee.”

There was a big splash in river below. The horse, Barney, and his son surfaced and swam to the other side of the riverbank.

They emerged from the water all soaked and wet.

*     *     *     *     *     *

Questions

1. Barney went to town to buy foodstuff. True or false? How did they travel in the beginning?

2. Did the boys only play or did they say something to Barney and his son? What did Barney do?

3. How did the old man feel about Barney’s son? Did Barney do anything?

4. The women (who were washing clothes) criticized Barney. Is this right or wrong? What did they say?

5. Were the girls concerned about Barney and his son?

6. What did Barney do in the end? What happened in the end?

7. Is there a moral or lesson to this story? What is the lesson or moral of the story? Give examples in real life.
 
 
A. Do you tend to be a conformist, independent or in the middle in terms of attitudes, beliefs, values, ideals, behaviors? Give examples. What about your community?

B. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

C. Which is “better”? Which is “better for society, government, the economy?

D. Is there a difference among the generations?

E. What will happen in the future?
 
 
 
 

Share Button

 

Comments are closed.