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SYNOPSIS

This story takes place in the interiors of Australia. A drover’s wife lives with her four children in a remote place far away from others. The house is surrounded by empty land with a few bushes. Her husband is away droving and has left the house for months.

One day a snake appears and slithers under the house. As the eldest son, Tommy tries to hit it with a big stick. The drover’s wife tries to tempt the snake out with some milk but is not successful. After a few hours of waiting, she decides to take her children in. The weather is not good and storm is coming. She did not take the children into the house as she is afraid that the snake is hiding in the cracks of the rough slab floor. Then, she decides to take them to the kitchen which has earthen floor. She makes a bed on the kitchen table, gives them supper puts them to bed.

Later, she waits for the snake to appear. Alligator is also with her.

While waiting she sews and reads in turns. She is afraid because a little son of her brother-in law died of a snake bite. However, Alligator stands guard, waiting for the snake. The dog hates snakes and is quite good in killing them. The drover’s wife feels lonely as she has few visitors and misses the social life that she had when she was living in town. To overcome her boredom, she dresses herself and her children, and go for a walk every Sunday afternoon.

Soon it will be daylight. Alligator becomes tense when he senses the snake coming out from the crack. Quickly, the dog tries to jump onto the snake but the snake manages to escape. Alligator tries again and this time, is successful in pulling out the five foot long black brute.

The drover’s wife kills the snake with a stick and throws the mangled snake into the fire. She allows her son and the dog to watch the snake burn. Finally, she feels relieved and cries as the danger has gone.

Seeing his mother in tears, the son promises to stay by her side unlike his drover father.

QUESTIONS

1. What kind of person is Tommy?

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2. What will the drover’s wife do on a Sunday afternoon?

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3. What is the name of the dog?

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4, Why do you think the dog broke itself from its chain?

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5. Why was the fire burning low at one or two o’clock in the morning?

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6. Would you like to have a pet like Alligator? Why?

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7. Where is the drover?

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8. Why does the brother-in-law kill one of the sheep?

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9. Who is the drover’s wife living with?

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10. Where was the snake?

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It must be near daylight now. The room is very close and hot because of the fire. Alligator still watches the wall form time to time. Suddenly, he becomes greatly interested ; he draws himself a few inches near the partition and a thrill runs through his body. The hair on the back of his neck begins to bristle, and the battle-light is in his yellow’s eyes. She knows what this means and lays her hand on the stick. The lower end of one of the partition slabs has a large crack on both sides. An evil pair of small bright, bead-like eyes glisten at one of these holes. The snake – a black one – comes slowly out, about a foot and moves its head up and down. The dog lies still and the woman sits as one fascinated.

Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the questions that follow

a) Why does the room feel hot ?

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b) Why do you think alligator watches the wall from time to time ?

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c) How does the woman know that the snake is coming out ?

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c) How do you think the woman felt when she knew the snake was there?

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“Where is it ?”

“Here ! Gone into the window heap !” yells the eldest boy – a sharp faced, excited urchin of eleven. “Stop there mother ! I’ll have him”

“Tommy, come here, or you’ll be bitten. Come here at once when I tell you!”

The youngster comes reluctantly, carrying a stick bigger than himself. The he yells triumphantly, “There it goes – under the house!” and darts away with the club uplifted. At the same time the big black, yellow-eyed dog-of-all-breeds, who has shown the wildest interest in the proceedings, breaks his chain and his nose reaches the crack in the slabs just at the end of its tail disappears. Almost at the same moment, the boy’s club comes down and skins the aforesaid nose. Alligator takes small notice of this and proceeds to undermine the building; but he subdued, after a struggle and chained up. They cannot afford to lose him.

Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the questions that follow

1. What does “it” refer to ?

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2. What phrase tells you that the boy listen to his mother’s orders ?

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3. Why do you think the dog broke itself from its chain ?

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4. What would you do if you were in the same predicament ?

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