Please click the Levels of Reading Comprehension if you want to read more....
This web page is designed for the conduct of the experimental research study entitled: "Online Automated Instructional Materials for English 8"
You may have never met a trickster in real life, but they abound in fiction. The following tale is about one shameless trickster who set out to rob a merchant. Was he successful? Read on and find out. Then answer the questions that follow this tale.
The Merchant and the Deaf Mute
by H. A. S. Johnston
A merchant burdened with many goods was once travelling on the road when he met another man.
‘Are your loads too heavy for you?’ asked the stranger.
‘They certainly are’ said the merchant.
‘Let me take half of them then’ said the stranger.
So the merchant set down his burden and divided his goods into two. He gave half of them to the stranger and they went on together until they came to the town. The merchant then said: ‘This is the quarter where I lodge so I’ll take my things now.’
Instead of replying, however, the stranger started gabbling like a deaf mute. The merchant tried to seize his goods but the stranger clung on to them. They struggled together, the merchant saying ‘Let go of my loads’ and the stranger still gabbling in a way that none could understand. Bystanders came up and tried to separate them but the quarrel had got out of hand and so they were marched off to court.
In the court the Alkali, or Judge, asked the merchant for his version of what had happened and the merchant said: “I was returning from a journey when I fell in with this man on the road. He said “It looks as if your load is too heavy for you” and I admitted that it was, so he said “Let me take half”. I therefore gave him half and he carried it for me. We went along talking until we came to the town and then I said “This is the quarter where I lodge so I’ll take my things now’” but at this he started gabbling like a deaf mute. We came to blows and people tried to separate us but it was no good and so they brought us along to you.” The Judge turned to the people in the court and asked them for their opinion.
‘It’s obvious’ they replied. ‘The merchant saw that this poor man was a deaf mute so he tried to trick him. What a thing to do!’
‘Have you a witness?’ the Judge asked the merchant.
‘No’ said the merchant. ‘There were only the two of us.’
‘Then be gone,’ said the Judge. ‘You are lying.’
So the merchant went away and found a lodging in the town and started trading with the rest of his goods. Soon afterwards a friend of his, a very sharp man, found him there and said: ‘Why So-and-so, when you overtook me on the road you had great quantities of goods but now I see that you have very little left. What has happened?’ ‘Stupidity’s at the bottom of it all’ said the merchant and told him the whole story. When he had finished the friend said: ‘Are you quite sure that this man spoke to you at the beginning?’
‘Absolutely certain’ said the merchant.
‘Is he here in the town?’ asked the friend.
‘Yes, he’s here’ said the merchant.
‘Well’ said the friend, ‘I can understand what deaf mutes say so you go and tell the Judge that you have found someone who knows their language.’
The merchant therefore went back to the court with his friend. The Judge laughed at what he had to say but nevertheless he sent for the deaf mute.
When the deaf mute arrived the proceedings began afresh and the Judge ordered the merchant to tell his story again. ‘My story has already been told’ said the merchant, ‘so let the deaf mute now tell his.’
The usher then gave the deaf mute a nudge and he started gabbling as before. After a while the merchant’s friend suddenly shouted ‘Wait’ and the deaf mute was made to stop.
The friend then turned to the Judge and said: ‘Alkali, this man has been abusing you most vilely.’
‘I never’ roared the pretended deaf mute and thereby gave himself away. The Judge had him arrested and flogged and then he restored all the disputed goods to the merchant.
‘Are your loads too heavy for you?’ asked the stranger.
‘They certainly are’ said the merchant.
‘Let me take half of them then’ said the stranger.
So the merchant set down his burden and divided his goods into two. He gave half of them to the stranger and they went on together until they came to the town. The merchant then said: ‘This is the quarter where I lodge so I’ll take my things now.’
Instead of replying, however, the stranger started gabbling like a deaf mute. The merchant tried to seize his goods but the stranger clung on to them. They struggled together, the merchant saying ‘Let go of my loads’ and the stranger still gabbling in a way that none could understand. Bystanders came up and tried to separate them but the quarrel had got out of hand and so they were marched off to court.
In the court the Alkali, or Judge, asked the merchant for his version of what had happened and the merchant said: “I was returning from a journey when I fell in with this man on the road. He said “It looks as if your load is too heavy for you” and I admitted that it was, so he said “Let me take half”. I therefore gave him half and he carried it for me. We went along talking until we came to the town and then I said “This is the quarter where I lodge so I’ll take my things now’” but at this he started gabbling like a deaf mute. We came to blows and people tried to separate us but it was no good and so they brought us along to you.” The Judge turned to the people in the court and asked them for their opinion.
‘It’s obvious’ they replied. ‘The merchant saw that this poor man was a deaf mute so he tried to trick him. What a thing to do!’
‘Have you a witness?’ the Judge asked the merchant.
‘No’ said the merchant. ‘There were only the two of us.’
‘Then be gone,’ said the Judge. ‘You are lying.’
So the merchant went away and found a lodging in the town and started trading with the rest of his goods. Soon afterwards a friend of his, a very sharp man, found him there and said: ‘Why So-and-so, when you overtook me on the road you had great quantities of goods but now I see that you have very little left. What has happened?’ ‘Stupidity’s at the bottom of it all’ said the merchant and told him the whole story. When he had finished the friend said: ‘Are you quite sure that this man spoke to you at the beginning?’
‘Absolutely certain’ said the merchant.
‘Is he here in the town?’ asked the friend.
‘Yes, he’s here’ said the merchant.
‘Well’ said the friend, ‘I can understand what deaf mutes say so you go and tell the Judge that you have found someone who knows their language.’
The merchant therefore went back to the court with his friend. The Judge laughed at what he had to say but nevertheless he sent for the deaf mute.
When the deaf mute arrived the proceedings began afresh and the Judge ordered the merchant to tell his story again. ‘My story has already been told’ said the merchant, ‘so let the deaf mute now tell his.’
The usher then gave the deaf mute a nudge and he started gabbling as before. After a while the merchant’s friend suddenly shouted ‘Wait’ and the deaf mute was made to stop.
The friend then turned to the Judge and said: ‘Alkali, this man has been abusing you most vilely.’
‘I never’ roared the pretended deaf mute and thereby gave himself away. The Judge had him arrested and flogged and then he restored all the disputed goods to the merchant.
Source: The Princeton Review (2001). READING STRATEGIES AND LITERARY ELEMENTS. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.p 59-61