Chapter 10. The Great Stone Face–II
Working with the text
Answer the following questions.
Q1. How was Ernest different from others in the valley?
Ans: Ernest was unlike other commoners in the valley. He was a good, simple hearted, noble and thoughtful person. He had been under observation. He did not go with the crowd. He welcomed total strangers as the prophets.
Q2. Why did Ernest think the poet was like the Stone Face?
Ans: The poet wrote wonderful songs. He had celebrated the great stone face in one of his poems. When Ernest read this poem he became convinced that the poet was like the stone face.
Q3. What did the poet himself say about his thoughts and poems?
Ans: The poet confessed that he was not worthy to be compared with the stone face. His match with his thoughts.
Q4. What made the poet proclaim Ernest was the Stone Face?
Ans: The poet heared Ernest’s address to the people. He felt that Ernest’s own life and character were a nobler kind of poetry than he had ever written. He saw white clouds around the stone face and white hair on Ernest’s head. He could not help declaring that Ernest himself was the stone face.
Q5. Write ‘Ernest’ or ‘Poet’, against each statement below
(i) There was a gap between his life and his words.
(ii) His words had the power of truth as they agreed with his thoughts.
(iii) His words were as soothing as a heavenly song but only as useful as a vague dream.
(iv) His thoughts were worthy.
(v) Whatever he said was truth itself.
(vi) His poems were noble.
(vii) His life was nobler than all the poems.
(viii) He lacked faith in his own thoughts.
(ix) His thoughts had power as they agreed with the life he lived.
(x) Greatness lies in truth. Truth is best expressed in one’s actions. He was truthful, therefore he was great.
Ans: (i) Poet
(ii) Ernest
(iii) Poet
(iv) Poet
(v) Ernest
(vi) Ernest
(vii) Poet
(viii) Poet
(ix) Ernest
(x) Ernest
Q6. (i) Who, by common consent, turned out to be like the Great Stone Face?
Ans: Ernest.
(ii) Did Ernest believe that the old prophecy had come true? What did he say about it?
Ans: No, he didn’t believe that the prophecy made by his mother and had come true. As he walked homeward, he still hoped that some man wiser and better than himself, bearing the likeness to the Great Stone Face, would appear.
