TIPS IN ANSWERING THE PEARL

1. Read the entire text thoroughly:

To get details of the event
To see detailed flow of the story
To get a clearer picture of the characters
and their actions
2. Analyse :a)
Events that happened
Why they happened
What lessons you learnt from them

b) Analyse:

The actions of the characters

Why they do what they do
How to characterise them eg:
are they caring, strong, determined,
selfish, greedy, responsible?

WHILE- READING ACTIVITY:

Look at the module on questions based
on the pearl.
Answer them in your exercise book.
HAPPY TRYING!

Chapter 1
The Scorpion

Kino woke up at dawn.

The stars were still shining in the sky.
Kino sat outside the door of his hut & listened
to the sound of the waves on the beach.
The waves sounded like music.

Kinos wife, Juana, woke up.

She made corn cakes for breakfast.
She was singing an old song in different ways.
The ancient song, The Song of the Family; it was
very comforting.

Kinos son, Coyotito, was sleeping in a

box hung on ropes from the roof.
Juana washed the baby, fed him and
put him back into the box.

Suddenly she noticed

something moving on
one of the ropes.
It was a SCORPION!!
A sting from a
scorpion could kill.

Kino was
breathing heavily.
Juana was
praying silently.
Kino moved
quietly towards his
son.
Coyotito woke up.
He laughed and shook the rope.
The scorpion fell!!

Kino tried to catch the scorpion with his hand.

It slipped through his fingers and fell onto the
babys shoulder.
The scorpion stung Coyotito.

Coyotito screamed
in pain.

Kino cried out in rage.

He pressed the
scorpion between his
hands.
He stamped it to the
ground.

The Song of the Enemy roared

in his ears.

Juana tried to suck out the poison from

the babys wound.
Coyotito kept screaming in pain.
Kino stood and watched.
There was nothing he could do.

The neighbours heard the babys screams.

They rushed to the hut.
All of them were afraid.
A baby could die easily from the poison of
a scorpion.

Coyotito had stopped screaming.

He was crying softly now.
Juana wanted a doctor to attend to
Coyotito.

Everyone knew that the doctor would never

come to a poor home.
Juana was determined to take Coyotito to the
doctor.
Kino saw the determination in Juanas eyes.

The procession to the doctors house started.

Juana carried Coyotito followed by Kino, Juan
Tomas and his wife, Apolonia.
All their neighbours and their children followed
too.

The doctor lived in a big stone house with big

walls and a cool garden.
Kino sounded the knocker at the gate.
A manservant who was of Kinos race opened
the door.
Kino told him about the scorpion.

The servant refused to speak in their Indian

tongue.
He spoke in Spanish.
He closed the door and went to consult the
doctor.

The doctor was in his bedroom.

He was drinking hot chocolate.
His bedroom was furnished luxuriously.

The servant told the doctor of Kinos

request.
The doctor became angry.
He sent the servant to ask if Kino had
money to pay for the treatment.

The servant went back and spoke to

Kino.
This time he spoke in the Indian
language.
Kino had no money.

He only had eight ugly and worthless

pearls.
The servant told Kino that the doctor
had gone out.

Kino hit the gate with his hand.

He was furious.
The crowd melted tactfully away.

Summary
Kino, his wife, Juana and his son, Coyotito,
wake up in their simple hut at dawn. Suddenly,
a scorpion stings Coyotito. Kino kills it. He and
Juana take the baby to the doctor in the town.
The whole village goes with them.
The doctor refuses to see them because they
have no money to pay him. Kino bangs his
hand angrily on the doctors gate.