An Artist's story
1 - Main Vocabulary
doctor طبيب Hanging يتعلق
suppose يفترض Sadly بحزن
said قال Certain متأكد
smiling at يبتسم ل desire رغبة
immense man رجل ضخم no longer لم يعد
secretly بسرية mention يذكر
an artist فنان repetition اعادة / تكرار
paint يرسم Remarks ملاحظات
draw يرسم
View منظر طبيعي
Laughed ضحك Severe شديد / قاسي
bitterly بمرارة severely بقسوة / بشدة
uncaring غير مهتم struggle كفاح
public العامة Soul روح ( مبدأ )
the height of his youth فى ريعان شبابه wife زوجة
Interfering متدخل sent back يعيد
Save ينقذ expression تعبير
Suffering معاناة sick مريض
Explain يشرح / يفسر disheartened يائس / محطم القلب
delicately بنعومة advertisements اعلانات
brought up تربي bottles زجاجات
ordinary عادي immensely بطريقة كبيرة
At the age of فى عمر / فى سن foolish أحمق / سخيف
won a prize فاز بجائزة a sample عينة
fact حقيقة Probably من المحتمل
Intended نوى / قصد got lost تاه
Represent تمثل gave up يقلع عن / يترك / يتخلى عن
sunset غروب الشمس skill مهارة
proud فخور stranger غريب
parents والدين carefully بحرص / بعناية
provided مد / زود Carpet سجادة
plenty of كمية وفيرة من take it away اخذه بعيدا
Opportunity فرصة furniture shop محل اثاث
sitting room غرفة المعيشة Hanging تتعلق
An Artist's story
"YOU are the doctor, I suppose," said Augustus Pokewhistle, smiling from his bed at the immense man who had arrived secretly while he slept. "It is kind of you to come, but I don't think you can help me. However, as you are here, I will tell you what is wrong with me. I am an artist. I paint pictures and I draw drawings..."
"But..."
"You are going to tell me that you are not interested in the story of my life," Augustus laughed bitterly. "You are one of the uncaring public, and it is of no importance to you if a clever young man should take to his bed at the height of his youth, never to rise again. But I suppose you have been sent here by some interfering so-called friend of mine to save me from my suffering, and I must therefore explain my illness. And you cannot understand my illness unless I tell you the story of my life
"I was delicately brought up, and it soon became clear that I was not an ordinary boy. At the age of seven I won a prize for a drawing of an animal. We will forget the fact that I had intended my drawing to represent sunset over London. After that my proud parents provided me with plenty of pencils and paper and gave me the opportunity of studying under great painters. At the age of twenty-one I started a business as a painter of people, and painted eleven pictures of my own face. Nobody seemed to want them, and if you go into my sitting room, you will see them hanging sadly on the wall, looking down at the empty chair which I will never sit in again. For I am certain that I shall never rise from this bed..."
"Nobody came to have their pictures painted, and I had no desire to paint any more of myself. Although it may seem impossible, I could no longer get any real pleasure out of it after I had finished the eleventh, and this proves that one can get tired of even the most heavenly beauty...
"But..." "May I mention that there is a certain repetition in your remarks? Let me finish, and then you can say 'but' as often as you like. I turned from painting people to
painting the country. Nine times I painted the view from the back window, and
seven times I painted the view from the front window. But could I sell the seven pictures of the view from the front window, or the nine of the view from the back window? I could not. I only had a bit of money left, and I decided, after a severe struggle with myself, to forget my soul and paint for money. I determined to draw funny pictures for the newspapers. Remember that I was without hope and almost hungry, so do not think of me too severely
"But…..
"I know what you are going to say - if I had had the soul of a true artist, I would have died rather than do such a thing. But remember that my wife and children were crying for bread - or would have been crying for bread if I had had a wife and children. And was it my fault that I hadn't a wife and little children? So I made thirty or forty funny drawings every day and sent them to the papers. I soon found that selling one's soul for money is not so easy as it sounds. Believe it or not, I got no money. I just got my drawings back..."
"But..." '
"You may well ask why they were sent back. I cannot tell you. I tested them on the cat. I had often heard the expression 'funny enough to make a cat laugh', and so I placed them in a line and carried the cat along in front of them. He laughed until he was sick ... in any case he was sick."
"Then I became more and more disheartened. I tried drawing for advertisements. Clothes, pianos, bottles. Immensely tall ladies with foolish smiles. I sent them off by the hundred, and all I received was a sample bottle or two, and a sample card of wool. I rather expected to get a sample tall lady with a foolish smile, but probably she got lost in the post..."
"But..."
"So I gave up the struggle. My heart was broken, and I determined to take to my bed, never to rise again. You cannot help me, doctor. No skill of yours can help me. I feel certain that I shall never rise from this bed .."
"And I feel certain that you will," said the stranger, carefully placing Augustus Poke whistle on the carpet, "because I've come: to take it away. I'm from the furniture shop, and the bed isn't paid for."
Summary
1- Augustus Pokewhistle was a young man, he wasn't a real artist and he was mistaken in his judgment of the big man who visited him .He thought the man was a doctor but he couldn't help him.
2- He told his visitor that he wasn't an ordinary child and he was an artist, He painted pictures and drew drawings. He supposed that his visitor was sent by some interfering so called friend to save him from his suffering.
3- At the age of seven, he won a prize for a drawing of an animal although he intended to represent sunset over London.
4- Being proud of him, his parents encouraged him and provided him with plenty of pencils and paper. They also gave him the chance to study under great painters.
5- At the age of twenty-one, he started his business as a painter of people.
He painted eleven pictures of his own face. He was unable to sell any of his work. They were seen hanging sadly on the wall of his sitting room. His paintings were the source of his real pleasure.
6- Augustus was unsuccessful at painting people, he turned from painting people to painting the country. He painted the view from the back window nine times and seven times from the front window. None of them were sold either.
7- Being penniless, he decided to forget his soul and paint for money. In spite of this, he was still hopeless and hungry. So, he drew funny pictures for newspapers.
8- Augustus made thirty or forty funny drawings everyday. He sent them to the papers but they were not accepted. He believed that selling one's soul for money was not so easy. But he was obliged to do this for money. This showed that he was not a true artist because he had sold his soul. If so, he would have died rather than do such a thing.
9- Augustus was still single. It was better for him not to have a wife and children so as not to keep them hungry. On the contrary he considered himself wrong.
10- Augustus believed that they were funny enough to make a cat laugh. He placed them in a line in front of his cat that laughed until he was sick.
11- Being disheartened (hopeless) he tried drawing for advertisement. He sent them off by the hundred and all he received a sample of bottle or two or a sample card of wool He expected to get tall lady with a foolish smile, but she probably got lost in the post.
12- His heart was broken .He decided not to rise again from his bed and the stranger felt certain that he would.
13- The visitor was not a doctor as Augusts formerly believed. He was a man from the furniture shop coming to take Augustus7 bed as it wasn't paid for.
A) Answer the following questions:
1- What kind of man was Augustus Pokewhistle?
• He was an artist who was unable to sell any of his work.
2- Augusts judged people badly . Give an example.
• He thought his visitor w as a doctor without giving him the chance to introduce himself.
3- What did Augusts decide to do after giving up the struggle?
• He decided to take to his bed, never rise again.
4- Why did Augustus think that his friend had sent him a doctor ?
• To save him from his suffering.
5- What kind of life did the man in his bed lead?
• He lived a very miserable and unbearable life.
6- What did Augusts think of himself as a child? Why?
• He considered himself a gifted boy not an ordinary one because he won a prize for a drawing of an animal at the age of seven.
7- How was Augusts unsuccessful artist since his childhood ?
• He drew an animal although he had intended to represent sunset over London.
8- Who encouraged Augusts and how?
• His parents by providing him with plenty of pencils and paper and giving him the opportunity of studying under great painters.
9- How did he start his career as an artist?
• He started his business as a painter of people and painted eleven pictures of his own face.
10- Why didn't Augusts7 paintings receive any welcome from people?
• No, they didn't. Because he wasn't a real artist who insisted on painting pictures of his own face for thinking highly of himself .
11- What did Augusts decide to do when his business was a failure not a success?
• He turned from painting people to painting the country.
12- What made him change from one kind of painting to another?
Because he was penniless as he had no money left and he couldn't sell any of his drawings .
13- Why did Augusts decide to sell his soul?
• Augusts decided to sell his soul for money as he was hopeless and almost hungry.
14- What did Augusts blame himself for?
• For not having a wife and little children as he was still single.
15- What was Augusts' last trial after drawing for the newspapers?
• He tried drawing for advertisements. All he received was just samples of what was drawn but received no money.
16- Why was the man from the furniture shop certain that Augustus would rise again from his bed?
• Because the bed in which Augusts slept wasn't paid for.
17- Why did Augustus think it was better for him to be single?
• ......so as not to have a wife and children for fear of making them hungry
18- When did Augustus prove he wasn't a true artist ?
• ........when he decided to sell his soul for money.
19- What did Augustus think about his paintings ?
• He thought they were funny enough to make a cat laugh.
20- What bad surprise did Augustus have at the end of the story ?
• He discovered the visitor wasn't a doctor but from the furniture shop and came to take the bed .
21- How far was Augustus penniless ?
• He didn't get any money for his paintings .
• He didn't want to have a wife or children so as not to make them hungry.
• He couldn't pay for the bed he had bought from the furniture shop.
Quotations
B) Read the following quotations and answer the questions :
. "You are the doctor, I suppose."
a) To whom did Augustus say this statement?
Pokewhistle to the visitor.
b) What was that man?
He was a man from the furniture shop.
c) By whom did Augustus think that man was sent?
By some interfering so-called friends.
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2. "It is of no importance to you if a clever young man should take to his bed at the height of his youth, never to rise again."
a) Why did Augustus believe that the visitor would not care for him?
As he was one of the uncaring public.
b) What made Augustus take that decision at the height of his youth?
As he failed to get money out of his work. He became disheartened.
c) When did Augustus rise from bed?
When the visitor placed him on the carpet.
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1-" So, I gave up the struggle. My heart was broken and I determined to take to my bed."
a) Who was the speaker, to whom?
- Augustus to himself.
b) What did the speaker struggle for ?
- Earning his living by selling his drawings.
c) Why did he give up the struggle?
-Because he became more and more hopeless.
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3. "But I suppose you have been sent here by some interfering so called friend of mine to save me from my suffering."
a) What was Augustus suffering from?
He couldn't get any money from his work.
b) What does this quotation show about Augustus's character?
He wasn't a nice person to be a friend.
c) By whom was the visitor really sent to Augustus?
The owner of a furniture shop.
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2- "May I mention that there is a certain repetition in your remarks?
.a) Who was the speaker, to whom?
- Augustus Pokewhistle to the visitor.
b) What did the speaker mean by saying so?
- He meant that he wanted to finish the story of his life first without being interrupted.
c) Did the spoken to give the speaker the chance to speak? Why?
- No, because he was thinking of himself. He wanted to finish his speech first and the others listen.
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3-" Nobody came to have their pictures painted, and I had no desire to paint anymore of myself."
a) Who was the speaker, to whom?
- Augustus Poke Whistle to his visitor.
b) Why couldn't he sell his drawings?
- Because he wasn't a gifted artist insisting on drawing pictures of his own face.
c) Was it possible for him to give up his career? Why?
- No, it was impossible. Because he found real pleasure in doing this.
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4. "At the age of seven, I won a prize for a drawing of an animal."
a) What did Augustus intend that drawing to represent?
The sunset over London.
b) What did Augustus's parents do as a result of his getting the prize?
They gave him an opportunity to study under great painters.
c) To what extent was Augustus a good artist?
In fact ,he wasn't a good artist.
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5. "At the age of twenty-one, I started business as a painter of people".
a) What pictures did he paint at the age of twenty-one?
Pictures of his own face.
b) Where could the visitor see them? why?
On the walls of his setting room as no one wanted to buy them.
c) What did he decide to paint when painting people did not succeed?
Painting the country
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7. "I decided, after a severe struggle with myself, to forget my soul and paint for money."
a) Why did Augustus have a severe struggle with himself?
He thought he was a good artist but unable to earn his living.
b) What did he first do when he decided to paint for money?
He drew funny pictures for newspapers.
c) What was the result of what he did?
He didn't get any money but he got his pictures back.
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8. "I soon found out that selling one's soul for money is not so easy as it sounds"
a) What did Augustus mean by " selling one's soul for money"?
It was against his principle to paint for money as he thought he was a true artist.
b) Why was the matter not so easy as it sounded?
The matter of selling his soul.
c) How did he test his drawings?
He tested them on the cat.
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9. "I tested them in the cat. I had often heard the expression «funny enough to make a cat laugh»".
a) What did Augustus test?
His pictures.
b) Why did he test them?
As no one wanted to buy them.
c) What was the result of the test?
The cat laughed until it was sick.
