The Great Stone Face -I, Class 8 English, Chapter 9 Notes

Class 8 English Chapter 8 The Great Stone Face -I Notes

Summary

One afternoon, a mother with her little son, Ernest, was sitting at the door of their cottage. They were talking about the Great Stone Face. It was clearly visible in the bright sunshine. Thousands of people lived there. Everybody there, was familiar with the Great Stone Face. It was a work of nature. Some huge rocks jointly looked like the features of a human face from a distance. It also looked alive.

The giant face smiled on Ernest and looked kindly. He wished to hear its pleasant voice. He longed to see a man with such a face in order to love him dearly. The mother reminded Ernest of the prophecy. It was that a child would be born there. He would become the greatest and noblest person of his time. In manhood, his face would bear true likeness to the Great Stone Face. The people had waited for such a person in vain. The little boy hoped to live and see him. The mother strengthened his fancy. Ernest was a helpful and happy child. He grew up to be a mild and quiet youth.

A young man named Gathergold had left the valley many years before. He had become quite a rich man there. He decided to return to his native valley. There was a rumour that Gathergold looked like the Great Stone Face. Gathergold had the face of an old man with yellow skin. The people considered him the image of the Great Stone Face. Ernest gazed up the valley. The Stone Face seemed to reject Gathergold as its likeness.

Ernest had grown to be a young man. Everyday, he would go off by himself and gaze upon the Great Stone Face. He wondered why its likeness was delaying its appearance. By this time Gathergold had become poor and died without establishing his likeness with the Stone Face.

Another son of the valley had joined the army as a soldier many years before. He had become a general by then and came to be known as Blood-and-Thunder on the battlefield. In his old age, he desired to return to his valley. The people considered him as the likeness of the Great Stone Face. On his return, he was welcomed warmly. The gathering mistook him as the greatest man of all time. Ernest failed to recognise any likeness between Blood-and-Thunder and the Great Stone Face. His heart assured him that the real copy had still not come.