Lesson 7 Christmas in Africa

It was full summer. The blazing① African sun beat down on the kraal. The air was heavy with the smell of blossoms and of wood fires and of cooking meat. In his hut sat Barnard, the ivory② hunter, calculating what day his shipment of ivory would reach the coast. Looking at his calendar, he suddenly realized that today must be Christmas Day.

Christmas! At home across the ocean they’d be eating turkey and mince pies.There would be presents for him; for James, his brother; for his mother... his father.

Funny, thinking like this. They had all died long ago. That was why Barnard didn’t like to think about Christmas.

Near Barnard’s hut sat an old warrior③ thinking of the past and gazing at the horizon. There, much too far away to see, lay Zululand. Over the hills, the valleys, the rivers, he and the other warriors had come. Young warriors leaping, beating their spears against their shields.

The old man looked at the huts of his kraal④. There were the homes of his seven wives—not one of them a Zulu. His children played in the dust. Not Zulus. Only half Zulus.

He looked up when the white man came toward him.

“You are thinking, old one,” Barnard said to his friend.

“Yes, I am thinking of war and of my people and of my sons that have not been born.”

“You have many sons.”

“I have many sons, but they are not Zulus. I am old and sick. I pine for my home for the green hills and rivers.”

“Today I too have thought of my home,” Barnard said. “Because my heart was sore. I came to speak to my friend.”

Just then one of the women came and whispered something to the old man. He looked at Barnard. “A child is born to me,” he said. “A son. It is for this news that I was waiting here.”

“A child,” Barnard said. “Have you a name for him?”

“I have no name. You name him.”

“Call him Christmas,” Barnard said. “That is the name of this day in my land.”

“And what happened on this day that it is named?” asked the old one.

“On this day long ago a child was born. A boy.”

“Tell me the tale.”

Barnard sat down. The tale. How long was it since he had heard the story? Would he remember it?

“A long time ago,” he said, “there were a man and a woman named Joseph and Mary.

She was with child. There was no place for them to stay when they reached the great kraal to which they were traveling, so the woman gave birth among the cattle to a son. He was named Jesus. And the day of his birth was named Christmas. His father was God.”

“What happened to the child?” asked the old one.

“He grew wise and strong and very great.”

“Then that name will I give my son. The name of the day this great king was born.

Christmas shall be my son’s name.”

At home, Barnard thought, they were eating turkey and mince pies. Here it was full summer and a child had been born and named. Because of this, Barnard would never forget Christmas again, for each year the old warrior’s son would have his birthday and there would be a feast to celebrate.

Christmas had come to stay in this African kraal. But he wished he could have told the Christmas story better. It was a finer tale than that—much finer.

(585 words)

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [Note the details.] Barnard found out it was Christmas___________ .

A. by accident B. from the newspaper C. during a trip to the coast

2. [Note the fact.] Barnard’s parents and brother were___________ .

A. in Africa B. dead C. coming to visit

3. [Understand the reason.] Barnard didn’t like to think about Christmas because it made him___________ .

A. wish he had some Christmas presents

B. think about his family

C. worry about his ivory shipment

4. [See the likeness.] Barnard and the old one were alike in that both___________ .

A. had been great warriors

B. had many wives and children

C. felt lonely for their own people

5. [Note the fact.] Barnard said the old one should give his new son the name of ___________.

A. a great warrior in Zululand

B. the day on which Jesus was born

C. the town in which Jesus was born

6. [Judge from details.] The old one’s words show that he___________ .

A. had never heard the Christmas story before

B. agreed with Barnard’s choice of his child’s name C. both A and B

7. [Draw a conclusion.] Barnard probably spent the next Christmas ___________.

A. at a feast for the child’s birthday

B. in England with his family and friends

C. in Zululand with the old one’s people

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.

1. In his hut sat Barnard, the ivory hunter, calculating what day his shipment of ivory would reach the coast. (Para.1)

A. arranging

B. counting up

C. having faith or confidence in

2. Near Barnard’s hut sat an old warrior thinking of the past and gazing at the horizon. (Para. 3)

A. looking with fixed eyes

B. standing still

C. pointing

3. I pine for my home for the green hills and rivers. (Para. 9)

A. have a desire (for something or someone)

B. try to locate or discover

C. work hard

4. Because of this, Barnard would never forget Christmas again, for each year the old warrior’s son would have his birthday and there would be a feast to celebrate.(Para. 23)

A. 团聚 B. 胜利 C. 宴会

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

Suppose you want to explain one of your favorite holidays to someone who had never heard of it. Tell how the holiday began, what it means, and what you do each year on that day.

LANGUAGE BOX