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Questions and Answers
What was the young lord's decree regarding villagers over seventy-one?
What was the young lord's decree regarding villagers over seventy-one?
- They must leave the village and live elsewhere.
- They must be banished to the mountains to die. (correct)
- They could continue living as long as they worked.
- They would be cared for by the villagers.
How did the villagers feel about the lord's decree?
How did the villagers feel about the lord's decree?
- They were happy to see the older villagers go.
- They were fearful and silent about their displeasure. (correct)
- They were openly rebellious against the lord.
- They were indifferent and accepted it.
What dilemma did the farmer face regarding his mother?
What dilemma did the farmer face regarding his mother?
- He planned to leave the village for a new life.
- He struggled to find ways to avoid taking her to the mountains. (correct)
- He wanted to banish her for her own good.
- He believed she was strong enough to go by herself.
Why was the farmer reluctant to tell his mother about the decree?
Why was the farmer reluctant to tell his mother about the decree?
How did the mother react when she realized the time had come for her to be taken to the mountains?
How did the mother react when she realized the time had come for her to be taken to the mountains?
What change occurred in the village as a result of the lord's decree?
What change occurred in the village as a result of the lord's decree?
What did the young lord believe would make his village the finest in Japan?
What did the young lord believe would make his village the finest in Japan?
What was the mother's physical condition as described in the story?
What was the mother's physical condition as described in the story?
What task did Lord Higa first demand from the villagers to spare them?
What task did Lord Higa first demand from the villagers to spare them?
What was the mother's intention when she was breaking off small twigs?
What was the mother's intention when she was breaking off small twigs?
How did the farmer's mother suggest they create the rope of ash?
How did the farmer's mother suggest they create the rope of ash?
What did the son decide to do instead of leaving his mother in the mountains?
What did the son decide to do instead of leaving his mother in the mountains?
What was the second impossible task that Lord Higa presented to the villagers?
What was the second impossible task that Lord Higa presented to the villagers?
What did the wise men of the village think about the second task?
What did the wise men of the village think about the second task?
What demand did Lord Higa make to spare the village?
What demand did Lord Higa make to spare the village?
How did the wise men respond to Lord Higa’s demand?
How did the wise men respond to Lord Higa’s demand?
How did the farmer's mother propose to complete the second task involving the log?
How did the farmer's mother propose to complete the second task involving the log?
What was the reaction of the young lord when he first heard the farmer's mother’s solution for the rope?
What was the reaction of the young lord when he first heard the farmer's mother’s solution for the rope?
What did the son do to keep his mother hidden?
What did the son do to keep his mother hidden?
What was the son's primary concern while climbing back down the mountain?
What was the son's primary concern while climbing back down the mountain?
What does the mother’s response reveal about her character?
What does the mother’s response reveal about her character?
What did the villagers initially do when they heard of Lord Higa's threat?
What did the villagers initially do when they heard of Lord Higa's threat?
What overall theme is illustrated by the farmer's and his mother’s actions in dealing with Lord Higa's demands?
What overall theme is illustrated by the farmer's and his mother’s actions in dealing with Lord Higa's demands?
What was the reaction of Lord Higa towards the wise men's advice?
What was the reaction of Lord Higa towards the wise men's advice?
What does the young farmer's mother suggest to solve the problem of the drum that sounds without being beaten?
What does the young farmer's mother suggest to solve the problem of the drum that sounds without being beaten?
What was Lord Higa's threat if the young farmer did not succeed in bringing him the drum?
What was Lord Higa's threat if the young farmer did not succeed in bringing him the drum?
How did the villagers initially respond to Lord Higa's demand for a drum that sounds without being beaten?
How did the villagers initially respond to Lord Higa's demand for a drum that sounds without being beaten?
What reaction did the young farmer have after hearing his mother's solution to the drum problem?
What reaction did the young farmer have after hearing his mother's solution to the drum problem?
What did the lord ask the young farmer after hearing the solution to the drum problem?
What did the lord ask the young farmer after hearing the solution to the drum problem?
What did the young farmer admit to the lord regarding his mother's assistance?
What did the young farmer admit to the lord regarding his mother's assistance?
How did the lord react upon learning about the young farmer’s mother helping to solve the problems?
How did the lord react upon learning about the young farmer’s mother helping to solve the problems?
Which of the following best describes the young farmer's character throughout the narrative?
Which of the following best describes the young farmer's character throughout the narrative?
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Study Notes
The Cruel Lord's Decree
- A young lord in Japan banishes anyone over 71 years old to the mountains to die.
- This decree is seen as cruel and unreasonable by the villagers.
- The villagers fear the lord and reluctantly comply, leading to a village without elderly people.
The Farmer and His Mother
- A kind young farmer and his mother live happily together.
- The mother turns 71 and the farmer faces the difficult choice of following the lord's decree and leaving his mother to die.
- He delays taking his mother to the mountains, fearing the lord's punishment, but also struggling with the thought of leaving her alone.
Mother's Wisdom
- The farmer's mother readily accepts her fate and encourages her son to take her to the mountains.
- As they climb, the mother breaks twigs to mark the path back to the village, showing that she still cares for her son.
- This display of love and wisdom prompts the farmer to bring his mother back home, defying the lord's decree.
Hidden from the Lord
- The farmer hides his mother in a secret room in their house for two years.
- This act of defiance is kept secret from the villagers.
Lord Higa's Demands
- Lord Higa, a ruler from a neighboring town, threatens to conquer the village if the lord does not fulfill three impossible tasks.
- The tasks are:
- Creating one thousand ropes of ash
- Threading a silk thread through a curved hole in a log
- Making a drum sound without being beaten.
- The villagers, including their wise men, believe these tasks are impossible.
The Mother's Solutions
- The farmer's mother provides solutions to all three tasks:
- Soaking ropes in salt water and burning them will create ropes of ash.
- An ant will follow a sugar trail through the hole and take the silk thread with it.
- A bumblebee trapped inside a paper drum will buzz and create sound.
The Lord's Gratitude
- The lord, impressed by the farmer's ingenuity, rewards him with gold.
- When the lord inquires about the source of these solutions, the farmer confesses to hiding his mother and her role in saving the village.
The Lord's Transformation
- The lord, instead of punishing the farmer, is moved by his honesty and his mother's wisdom.
- The story suggests that the experience changes the lord's perspective and he may become more compassionate.
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