Summary
Summary:
The story revolves around a giant who realizes his selfishness when he sees that spring does not come to his garden. Feeling remorseful, he goes out to the garden but frightens the children away, returning the garden to winter. However, the little boy does not flee due to his tears. The giant gently picks him up and places him in a tree, which instantly blooms and attracts birds. The boy shows affection to the giant, leading the other children to return, recognizing that he is no longer wicked. The arrival of the children brings spring back to the garden. The giant then breaks down the wall, allowing everyone to see him joyfully playing with the children in what becomes the most beautiful garden in the country.
Questions:
- The giant felt sorry because he realized his selfishness kept spring away.
- The garden became winter again when the other children ran away in fear.
- The little boy didn't run away because he was crying and didn't notice the giant.
- When the giant put the boy up in the tree, it blossomed and attracted singing birds.
- The other children thought the giant was no longer wicked because he showed kindness to the little boy.
- When the children came back, spring returned to the garden.
- The giant's garden was the most beautiful because it was filled with joy and children playing together.
Activity:
Fill in the blanks with the right form of the verbs given in the box:
Yesterday, I met a really tall man in our office lift. He was almost seven feet tall, the tallest man I had ever seen. I was surprised to see such a tall man, and didn't say anything to him, but he looked at me and smiled politely. Then he stretched out his hands and said hello. I also stretched out mine, and we shook hands. When the doors of the lift opened, he got out and went towards the manager's office. Later on, I saw him sitting on the manager's chair. That's when I understood that he was our new manager. What a nice and humble man he is!
Discussion:
Participants should discuss and summarize the moral of the story "The Selfish Giant" in one or two sentences.
Key words: frightened stretch out knock down fling
A Continue reading the story.
The giant felt sorry as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!" he said to himself. “Now I know why the spring would not come here.”
So, he quickly went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the giant coming. The giant quietly came behind him, took him gently in his hands and put him up in the tree. And the tree at once broke into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it. The little boy stretched out his two arms, flung them round the giant's neck and kissed him.
The other children saw this. They saw that the giant was not wicked any longer. So, they came running back. And with them came the spring. "It's your garden now, little children," said the giant. Then he took a huge axe and knocked the wall down. And the people passing by found the giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden in the country.
[adapted from Oscar Wilde]
B Answer these questions.
1 Why did the giant feel sorry?
2 When did the garden become winter again?
3 Why didn't the little boy run away?
4 What happened when the giant put the little boy up in the tree?
5 Why did the other children think that the giant was no longer wicked?
6 What happened when the children came back into the garden?
7 Why was the giant's garden the most beautiful garden in the country?
C Fill in the blanks with the right form of the verbs given in the box.
| smile | open | see | stretch out (2) | surprise | understand | meet |
Yesterday, I …………………… a really tall man in our office lift. He was almost seven feet tall the tallest man I had ever seen. I was …………………… to see such a tall man, and didn't say anything to him, but he looked at me and …………………… politely. Then he …………………… his hands and said hello. I also …………………… mine, and we shook hands. When the doors of the lift ……………………, he got out and went towards the manager's office. Later on, I ………………. him sitting on the manager's chair. That's when I ……………………, that he was our new manager. What a nice and humble man he is!
D Work in pairs to retell the story to each other.
E What do you think is the moral of the story "The Selfish Giant" Discuss in groups and write the moral in one or two sentences.
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