Pre-intermediateThe Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

 

 

 

Story

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a Giant who owned a magnificent garden. Every afternoon, after school, the children would rush to the Giant's garden to play. It was a magical place, filled with lush green grass and beautiful flowers that sparkled like stars. Twelve peach trees adorned the garden, blooming with delicate pink and pearl blossoms in spring and bearing juicy fruit in autumn. The birds sang melodiously, and the children felt blissful in this enchanting sanctuary.

 

However, one day, the Giant returned from a seven-year journey to find children playing in his garden. Angered by their presence, he chased them away and declared the garden off-limits to everyone but himself. He built a towering wall around it and posted a stern warning sign, asserting his selfishness.

 

Deprived of their favorite playground, the children were left desolate. They longed for the joy they once found in the Giant's garden, but it remained inaccessible behind the imposing wall. Meanwhile, while spring blossomed everywhere else, the Giant's garden remained trapped in perpetual winter. The trees refused to bloom, and the birds refused to sing, mourning the absence of laughter and play.

 

The selfish Giant's garden became a haven for the cold embrace of snow, frost, hail, and the relentless North Wind. He sat by his window, lamenting the prolonged winter and longing for change.

 

One morning, a beautiful melody drifted into the Giant's room, awakening him to a miraculous sight. Through a hole in the wall, the children had sneaked back into the garden. They perched in the trees, their laughter filling the air, and the trees, delighted by their return, blossomed with renewed vigor.

 

However, in one corner of the garden, a solitary boy stood, too small to climb the frost-covered tree. Touched by compassion, Overwhelmed with gratitude, the child embraced the Giant, melting his selfish heart.

 

Realizing his wrongdoing, the Giant tore down the wall, opening the garden to the children once more. From that day forward, the garden flourished with laughter and play, and the children became the Giant's most precious flowers.

 

Years passed, and the Giant grew old, watching the children play with fondness. One winter morning, he witnessed a miraculous sight: the return of the beloved child he had helped. The child bore marks of love on his hands and feet, and with a divine presence, he invited the Giant to join him in paradise.

 

Overjoyed, the Giant accepted the invitation and passed away peacefully under the blossoming tree, surrounded by the laughter of children and the beauty of nature. And in that moment, the selfish Giant's heart found eternal peace and redemption.

 

 

Words and Idioms

1. Magnificent: (Adjective) Extremely beautiful, elaborate, or impressive.

2. Rush: (Verb) To move or act with great haste or urgency.

3. Lush: (Adjective) Rich and abundant; thriving in health and vigor.

4. Sparkle: (Verb) To emit flashes of light; to shine brightly with small, rapid flashes of light.

5. Adorned: (Verb) Decorated or embellished with ornaments.

6. Delicate: (Adjective) Fragile; easily broken or damaged.

7. Blissful: (Adjective) Extremely happy and contented.

8. Imposing: (Adjective) Grand and impressive in appearance.

9. Desolate: (Adjective) Deserted, without inhabitants; bleak.

10. Perpetual: (Adjective) Continuing or enduring forever; everlasting.

11. Lamenting: (Verb) Expressing grief or sorrow; mourning.

12. Haven: (Noun) A place of safety or refuge; sanctuary.

13. Embrace: (Verb) To hold someone closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection.

14. Compassion: (Noun) Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

15. Overwhelmed: (Adjective) Overpowered or overcome by a strong emotion or force.

16. Gratitude: (Noun) The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

17. Redemption: (Noun) The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.

 

 

Questions

1. What made the Giant angry and led him to chase the children away from his garden?

A) The children were picking his flowers

B) The children were playing in his garden

C) The children were stealing his fruit

D) The children were damaging the trees

 

2. What brought joy and life back to the Giant's garden?

A) A sudden rainfall

B) A hole in the wall

C) A new set of flowers

D) A change in the Giant's heart

 

3. Why did the Giant build a towering wall around his garden?

A) To keep animals out

B) To protect his flowers from the wind

C) To keep the children out and claim the garden for himself

D) To create privacy for himself

 

4. What was the consequence of the Giant's selfishness on his garden?

A) It flourished with laughter and play

B) It remained trapped in perpetual winter

C) It became a sanctuary for birds

D) It attracted more children to play

 

5. What does the solitary boy represent in the story?

A) Hope and renewal

B) Selfishness and greed

C) Innocence and purity

D) Loneliness and isolation

 

6. What does the blooming garden symbolize at the end of the story?

A) Forgiveness and redemption

B) Eternal winter

C) Loss and sadness

D) Summer and warmth

 

Short writing topics:

1. Imagine you are one of the children playing in the Giant's garden. Describe the most magical moment you experienced there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Write a letter from the Giant to the children, apologizing for his selfishness and inviting them back to the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Create a new ending for the story where the Giant doesn't realize his wrongdoing and the garden remains closed off to everyone forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer Keys

1. B) The children were playing in his garden

2. D) A change in the Giant's heart

3. C) To keep the children out and claim the garden for himself

4. B) It remained trapped in perpetual winter

5. A) Hope and renewal

6. A) Forgiveness and redemption

 

Short Writing Sample

1. Playing in the Giant's garden was like stepping into a fairy tale. One magical moment stands out above the rest: as I chased my friends through the flowers, I stumbled upon a hidden glen. There, beneath the dappled sunlight, I discovered a sparkling stream, its waters alive with shimmering fish. Butterflies flitted around me, painting the air with vibrant colors, and the trees whispered secrets of ancient magic. In that enchanted glade, time seemed to pause, and I felt like I was part of a wondrous storybook adventure, where anything was possible and dreams came true.

 

2.Dear Children,

I hope this letter finds you well. I write to you today with a heavy heart, burdened by the weight of my actions. I realize now that I have been selfish, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I regret chasing you away from the garden, for it was meant to be a place of joy and wonder for all. Please accept my heartfelt apology. I invite you back to the garden, where the flowers bloom in anticipation of your return and the laughter of children fills the air once more. Let us put aside past grievances and forge a new path together, one of friendship and shared happiness.

Sincerely,

The Giant

 

3. In a world of his own making, the Giant remained unaware of the consequences of his actions. The garden, once a vibrant sanctuary, became a forgotten corner of the world, hidden behind towering walls of his own creation. The flowers wilted, the trees withered, and the laughter of children faded into memory. Lost in his own solitude, the Giant never realized the beauty he had lost, and the garden remained closed off to everyone forever. It became a symbol of lost opportunities and the price of unchecked selfishness, a solemn reminder whispered through the ages.

 

 

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