THE ART OF WHITEWASHING
Gear up
When children take part in daily chores or household activities, they develop many skills like communicating clearly, negotiating, cooperating and working as a team. They develop the feeling of responsibility also.
How do you feel when you are assigned some homesick on your holiday ? Have you ever performed any of the chores shown in the pictures below ?
Now get started!
It was Saturday which was a holiday. There was no school and no homework to do. Tom was in high spirits.
But all joy disappeared when Aunt Polly called him and said, “Look here, Tom! I want you to whitewash the whole fence today. So you’ll not go out to play. Take this bucket of whitewash and this brush and set to work immediately.”
1. Saturday holiday In most western countries they have a five-day week (Monday to Friday). The last day (Saturday) and the first day (Sunday) are called the Weekend. Each Weekend is a holiday, just as in our country each Sunday is a holiday; 2. in high spirits- very cheerful; 3. whitewash-powdered lime or chalk mixed with water, used for painting: 4. fence structure of wooden posts put round a field or garden to mark a boundary or keep animals away: 5. set to begin doing something energetically.
Tom looked at the fence and then at the bucket full of whitewash, Such a big fence and such a lot of whitewash ! Tom felt very sad.
Suddenly a very brilliant idea came to his mind. He took up his brush and started the work silently.
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Soon he saw Ben coming that way. Ben had a nice red apple in his hand. To Tom’s mouth watered but he continued to whitewash.
Ben wanted to make fun of Tom. He walked up to him and said, “Hello, Tom! Have you got to work even on a holiday ?”
“Work!” said Tom. “What do you call work?”
“Why, isn’t that work?”
Tom returned to his whitewashing and replied, “Well, maybe it is; maybe it is not. All I know is that it delights Tom Sawyer.”
Tom carefully swept his brush like an artist. Then he stepped back to study the effect. He
added a touch here and a touch there.
Ben watched every move. He was getting more and more interested. At last he said, “Tom, please let me whitewash a little.”
“No, no !” said Tom. “Aunt Polly is very particular about this fence. It has to be done very carefully. There is hardly one boy in a thousand who can do it the right way.”
“Is that so?” asked Ben in surprise. “Tom, I’ll be very careful. Please let me try just a little.”
Tom said in a voice of sympathy and kindness, “Ben, I would let you try but you don’t know Aunt Polly. She would kill me. Jim wanted to do it but she wouldn’t let him. She wants me and me alone to do it.”
1. make fun of ridicule, laugh at; 2. have got to have to; 3. work physical or mental labor, 4. maybe perhaps; 5. swept (sweep-swept-swept) moved over (the fence); 6. effect – change or result produced by an action; 7. move action, movement; 8. let allow; 9, particular careful, giving close attention to something; 10. just only.
“I’ll be careful, Tom,” begged Ben. “Please let me try. I’ll give you half my apple.”
“No, no, Ben. I am afraid
“I’ll give you all my apple.”
Tom gave Ben the brush and took his apple. Ben set to work in the hot sun. Tom sat down happily on a barrel and ate Ben’s apple.
He kept telling Ben again and again: “Ben, look at that part of the fence. You haven’t done it rightly. Do it again or Aunt Polly will be angry.”
Poor Ben sweated in the sun for a long time.
When Ben was tired out, Tom sold the next chance to Billy for a kite. When Billy got tired, Johnny bought his turn for a pair of marbles. Thus every boy paid some price to get his chance of whitewashing the fence.
By mid-afternoon Tom had run out of his whitewash. The fence received three coats of whitewash and Tom had earned a number of playthings. He got, besides the things already mentioned, twelve marbles, a tin soldier, a toy-dog’s collar, the handle of an old knife and a big old key.
When the whitewashing was finished, Tom went indoors to tell his aunt.
“May I go out to play now ?” asked Tom.
“How much whitewashing have you done?”
“All of it. The fence is quite finished.”
“Finished! Let me see it myself.”
1. sweated-worked so hard that sweat came out of his body; 2. tired out-completely tired; 3. mid-afternoon the middle part of the afternoon (i.e. about 3-4 p.m.); 4. run out of finish; 5. coats -layers; 6, earned got in return; 7. besides in addition to; 8. mentioned written or spoken; 9. collar a leather band put round a dog’s neck; 10. Indoors into the house; 11. quite completely.
The Art Of Whitewashing
Aunt Polly went out to see for herself. She was ver surprised. She could hardly believe her eyes!
“Well, Tom,” she said, “you’ve worked well. Now go and play, but don’t be late home.”
Aunt Polly fetched the be apple from her cupboard and gave it to Tom.
1. hardly almost not: 2. fetched went for and brought
Comprehension Skills
Answer the following questions:
1. How did Tom feel when Aunt Polly asked him to whitewash the fence?
2. Why did Ben want to make fun of Tom ?
3. Why did Ben want to do the whitewashing ?
4. What did Tom do while Ben was whitewashing the fence ?
5. Did Tom let the other boys whitewash the fence ?
6. What playthings did Tom get from the other boys ?
7. What was it that surprised Aunt Polly ?
8. How did Tom’s Aunt reward him for his good work?