The Old Man and His Children
Retold by Jean Watson
Kamau sat on his three-legged stool in the shade of the spreading mugumo tree. On its fig -like fruit, mouse -bird and green parrots were quietly feeding. The old man sat very still with his eyes closed. But he was not asleep or even at peace. How could he be at peace when the raised voices of his twin grandsons could be all over the compound?
Kamau sighed at the sound which disturbed him even more than the insects which kept trying to settle on his head and shoulders. At least, he could drive these away with his horsehair fly swat.
It should have been peaceful in the compound, for the women and old folks were inside their huts and the young men had gone hunting. But it was not, for Mwangi and Njoroge were arguing as usual.
“You should help me move the cattle!” shouted Mwangi. “I’m busy!” Njoroge shouted back, as he went on chasing his hoop. “If you help me with the cattle now, I’ll help you with the milking tomorrow morning,” Mwangi called out after him.
“Huh!” snorted Njoroge. “You and your promises! Even if I helped you with the cattle, you’d find a way of getting out of helping me with the milking.”
“I would not!”
“Would!”
“Wouldn’t!”
The argument continued until Mwangi saw that he was getting nowhere and began, noisily and grumpily, to get on with his job. With a great deal of shouting and whistling, he drove the cattle into their new enclosure.
Then he returned to the compound feeling very hot and tired. The sight of Njoroge coolly continuing with his game of hoop-stick was the last straw. Mwangi rushed over to him and kicked the hoop with all his might.
It went spinning madly away and Njoroge shouted and lashed out angrily at his brother. Soon blows and insults were flying to and fro between the two boys.
At this, the twins’ mother rushed out of her hut to pull the boys apart, box their ears and give them a good scolding. As she stalked back her hut, she called out to them, “One more quarrel from you and your father will hear about it!” Silenced at last, the boys stood and glared furiously at each other.
Having heard and seen everything, Kamau now called out, “come, Njoroge! Come, Mwangi! I have a story for you.”
The boys turned and walked slowly across to the tree, their faces still angry and sullen. Njoroge flung himself down beside the old man’s stool and began to draw pictures in the dust with one fast and furious forefinger while Mwangi sat hugging his knees.
Kamau spoke in his quiet old-man’s voice.
“Once there was an old man who had seven sons. They should have been his pride and joy. But they were not. And why? This is because they quarrelled and fought all the time, giving their father no peace.” At his feet, Njoroge’s dust drawing became even more feverish and Mwangi tightened his grip on his legs and pressed his face against them. Avem
“One day,” Kamau continued, “the old man asked his sons
to gather round for he had something to show them. So they sat around their father, wondering what he would show them. But all he had in his hand were seven sticks. As the boys watched, their father tied these firmly together. Then he handed the bundle to his oldest son and said, “Try and break that.”
The oldest son strained with all his might to try and break the sticks. But he couldn’t break even a single one. The same thing happened as each of the other brothers was handed the bundle. The bundle could not be broken and each stick remained intact within it.
Then the father untied the bundle and handed one of the sticks to his oldest son. “Now try and break that,” he said. The oldest son took the stick and broke it easily. The same thing happened as each of the other brothers was handed one of the remaining sticks. By the end, every stick had been broken.
The old man paused before continuing, “Now, do you understand what I have shown you? You could not break the sticks when they were tied together, for then they were strong. But now how easily you broke them when they were separated. for then they were weak!”
Kamau stopped speaking for a moment. He stretched out his arms and gently laid a hand on the head of each of his silent grandsons.
“Njoroge, Mwangi,” he said, “it is the same with people as
with sticks. Our village is strong for we all work together and
live in peace. If we were to fight and quarrel among ourselves, how easily would our enemies defeat us!” Kamau put his hands back in his lap and closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was almost a whisper.
“This old one has told you the tale of another old one. You may find wisdom in it, if you wish. Now go, sons of my son. for I am very tired.”
The boys stood up, their faces no longer angry and sullen but ashamed and thoughtful. Then they walked quietly away. leaving their wise old grandfather to fall peacefully asleep on his three-legged stool in the shade of the spreading mugumo tree.
The Old Man and His Children
Short Story
Retold by Jean Watson
SERIE
Characters
• Kamau: the main character; grandfather of Mwangi and Njoroge
. Mwangi and Njoroge: brothers who are constantly
fighting • Mother of Mwangi and Njoroge
Summary
Grandfather Kamau was trying to sleep when he was disturbed by his two grandsons quarrelling. The two grandsons, Mwangi and Njoroge, were arguing about doing chores. It was Mwangi’s turn to move the cattle. And he told Njoroge to help him, but Njoroge claimed that he was busy. So Mwangi got angry and the two engaged in a fist fight until their mother came and separated them.
She warned them that she would tell their father. After they had become sober, their grandfather, Kamau, gathered them together and told them a story. After the story. Kamau told them that if they fought and quarrelled all the time, their
enemies would defeat them always. But a community that together lives in peace with each other and is strong. And the two boys thought deeply about what their grandfather ha said
Examples of Literary Devices
Point of view: Third person narrative.
Imagery: Note how the following statement appeals to the senses due to use, of descriptive language: Kamau sat on his three-legged stool in the shade of the spreading mugumo tree, On its fig-like fruit, mouse-birds and green parrots were quietly feeding. The old man sat very still with his eyes closed. But he was not asleep or even at peace (p.16).
Mood: The, mood in the following passage from the story conveys anger and frustration: The sight of Njoroge coolly continuing with his game of hoop-stick was the last straw. Mwangi rushed over to him and kicked the hoop with all his might (p.17).
The following conveys calmness, serenity, and rest. “Then they walked quietly away, leaving their wise old grandfather to fall peacefully asleep on his three legged stool in the shade of the spreading mugumo tree (p. 19),
Personification: The sticks are described as having human traits-strength and weakness: You could not break the sticks when they were tied together, for then, they were strong. But how easily you broke them when they were separated, for then, they were weak (p.18). Simile: “It is the same with people as with sticks”
(Page 18). “On its fig-like fruit, mouse-birds and green parrots were quietly feeding (p. 16).
Hyperbole: Observe the exaggeration in the statement: “The sight of Njoroge coolly continuing with his game of hoop-stick was the last straw” (p. 17).
Onomatopoeia: The sound in this sentence is like the noise being described: “Njoroge flung himself down beside the old man’s stool” (p. 17). Note also: “It went spinning madly away and Njoroge shouted and lashed out angrily at his brother” (p. 17).
Symbolism: Kamau as a character represents a man of wisdom. In the story, sticks in a bundle represents strength. (Page 18). Again, in the story, sticks that are separated represents weakness (p. 18).
Oxymoron: The two words in bold in the following sentence appear to be contradictory but are used together: “At this, the twins’ mother rushed out of her hut to pull the boys apart, box their ears and give them a good scolding.
Commentary/Analysis
Theme:
1. Unity is strong; disunity is weak.
2. Together we stand; divided we fall.
3. A strong community is one that has peace but the community that quarrels is weak.
Kamau narrated the story to show. the twins that if they didn’t work out their differences, it would be easy for their enemies to overcome them and make them hate each other. But if they stopped quarrelling and worked together, nothing would be able to separate them and they will achieve success.
Storytelling is an educational methodology for imparting knowledge, especially to the younger generation. Kamau used it successfully when he told the story of the old man and his children. The bundle of sticks symbolized unity and strength. The Old Man and His Children-thus deals with the old belief that together we stand divided we fall. This theme is explored through the anecdote told by Kamau, the old man and the test he put the boys through. age
The writer uses appropriate diction to create the atmosphere of dissention or conflict between Mwangi and Njoroge, as expressed in the statement: Njoroge shouted and lashed out angrily at his brother. Soon blows and insults were flying to and fro between the boys” (p.18).