Unit focus: Myths And Legends Text focus: Narrative (970L) … · 2020. 6. 2. · Unit focus: Myths...

STAGE 6Unit focus: Myths And LegendsText focus: Narrative (970L)

CúchulannThousands of years ago on the Emerald Isle, there was an army called the Red Branch Knights. These soldiers were

brave and strong. For many years, they were the bravest and strongest in all of Ireland. They were the envy of all

other kings and the personal army of Conor MacNessa, the king of Ulster. MacNessa trained a group of boys known

as the Macra, who would train in the art of war and batt le each other on the hurling pitch. They all knew that those

who showed promise could one day hope to be promoted to a Red Branch Knight.

Far away from the king’s fort, a young boy named Setanta grew restless. As the king’s nephew, he felt he had a right

to fi ght in his army, but his mother was far too protecti ve. Whenever he pestered her to allow him to join the Macra,

she would come up with a new excuse.

“It’s too far,” she’d wail.

“The boys are too big and strong,” she would howl.

“It is raining, and you’ll catch a cold.”

These arguments conti nued for many months unti l, eventually, she relented and allowed him to leave the family

home and make the long journey to join his uncle’s young army.

It didn’t take the eager boy long to impress with his fi ghti ng and hurling skills; not only was he profi cient with a

sword, but he could also throw the sliotar farther and more accurately than any of the other Macra. He conti nued

to work hard and practi se and, one spring evening, a local blacksmith named Culann invited the king and a small

number of his army to feast at his hall. His majesty caught Setanta a� er training one morning and asked him to join

him at the feast. The young boy’s cheeks burned red, and he could only mumble a reply. For the rest of the day, he

wore a smile like a crescent moon. He was so elated that he organised a hurling match with his friends.

“Setanta, we must get going if we are to make it to the blacksmiths on ti me,” the king bellowed across the fi eld when

the match threatened to eat into the night.

The boy indicated that he would catch up with the king and the others once the match was over and his uncle set

out to meet their host for the evening. It didn’t take long for him to grow ti red of the game, but the knights were

far ahead, and Setanta had to race to beat the darkness that nipped at his heels. When he fi nally arrived at the

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blacksmith’s house, he found that the door was barred; however, he could tell from the noises within the hall that

the feast had already begun.

Unbeknown to Setanta, the king had forgotten that his nephew had been set to join them and had allowed their host

to lock his doors for the night. Even worse, he’d released his great wolf-hound to stalk the grounds. While he knocked

on the door, Setanta heard a deep rumble in the trees behind him. Turning, he found himself face to face with a

snarling mouth filled with yellowing teeth. Without thinking, and before the beast could attack, he hurled his sliotar

as hard as he could. His aim was perfect, and the great dog fell to the ground.

Worrying about the grave trouble he would be in, Setanta looked down at the animal. He turned to see the broad-

shouldered blacksmith fall to his knees and cradle his fallen companion. “Who will guard my house now?” he sobbed.

“I am responsible for the death of this beloved animal,” Setanta began. “I will guard your house until the day I die. I

will be your hound.”

Culann rose to his feet and shook the boy’s hand. “For this service, I shall give you a new name. A brave name. You

shall be called Cúchulann, the hound of Culann.”

True to his word, Cúchulann went on to become one of the greatest warriors in the Red Branch Knights and fought

bravely for Culann until the day he died.

INFERENCE1. Why were other kings jealous of the Red Branch Knights?

2. What do you think Setanta’s relationship with his mother was like? Why?

3. Why did Setanta’s cheeks burn red?

4. Why did Setanta worry about the trouble he would be in?

VIPERS QUESTIONSR Where was the king heading with Setanta?

V Find out what a “sliotar” is.

V Can you use the word “pestered” in the present tense?

R Why couldn’t Setanta enter the hall?

E Explain how killing the dog benefited Setanta.

Answers:

1. They were brave and strong

2. She loved him but they fought a lot - they argued and she was overprotective

3. He was proud and embarrassed to be singled out

4. Because he had killed such a treasure animal

R: The blacksmith

V: A solid wood, leather covered ball used in the game of hurling

V: Any sentence using the word “pesters” or “pestering” in the present tense

R: The door had been locked

E: He went on to become a brave and famous knight



STAGE 6Unit focus: VictoriansText focus: Information Text (980L)

Worst Jobs For KidsEver moaned about having to do your homework? What about cleaning your bedroom, or

hoovering the fl oor? Count yourself lucky you weren’t a child during Queen Victoria’s reign. You

were lucky if you were sent to school back then; most children were sent out to work in some of

the most horrifi c conditi ons you can imagine. You’ve probably heard about chimney sweeps and

fl ower sellers, but there were much worse jobs out there if you were desperate.

Do you love rolling around in the mud? How about scraping through the dirt to fi nd any coins or

lost bits of jewellery? If that sounds good, then a job as a tosher might have been right up your

street. It wasn’t just the muck and fi lth on the street though, you’d spend most of your ti me down

in the sewers rummaging around for anything that the rich folk up above might have dropped into

the drains.

Tiny children have ti ny hands, and they were perfect for fi xing the fi ddly litt le mechanisms on the

enormous looms that factories used to weave fabric. The sound of the shutt les fl ying backwards

and forwards would have caused quite a din; however, they couldn’t stop working just to fi x a

machine. Instead, children would scutt le around underneath the vast wooden machines and try

to ti me their movements perfectly. Quite oft en they would get it wrong. The lucky ones only lost a

fi nger. The unlucky ones? Well, I’m sure you can guess.

It wasn’t just fi xing the looms that children’s dainty digits were perfect for. The rise of the

steam train meant that lots of children were needed to scrape out the cinders and clean the

undercarriage of the engine. Not only did this involve a lot of choking dust and ash, but the cinders

were oft en sti ll red-hot, and many children suff ered horrifi c burns.

Most houses were lit by candles back then, and so matches were needed by the thousands.

Dipping the sti cks in the toxic phosphorus was another job saved for the cursed children. The

horrible chemical would rot their teeth and oft en led to fatal lung disease. Not sure it was worth it

for a penny a day.





Dick Whittington said that the streets of London were paved with

gold. More accurately, they were often paved with filth, particularly

dog droppings. Luckily for the children of the time, they could earn

money by scraping it up and selling it to the tanners - people who

turned the hide of a cow into leather. If they really wanted to earn

some money, they could help the tanners by stamping the poo

into an odorous mix of chemicals (barefoot, of course) and using

it to soak the skins. Unfortunately, many poor children didn’t have

access to a bath afterwards!

So there you have it. There were some pretty vile jobs for luckless lads and lasses in Victorian

times, and we haven’t even mentioned leech collectors, coal miners, rat catchers, navvies (canal

diggers) and grave robbers. No wonder so many children were desperate to go to school!

SUMMARY FOCUS1. What were most children lucky to do?

2. Which features of children made them perfect for many jobs?

3. What did all of the jobs have in common in terms of children’s health?

4. What happened that meant more children were needed in railway stations?

5. Put the jobs in the text in order from worst to best. Give a reason for each one.

VIPERS QUESTIONSV What word tells the reader how loud a noise was?

I What did Dick Whittington mean when he said, “The streets are paved with gold”?

I How do you think the author felt about Victorian children? What tells you this?

R What ingredient did tanners need?

P If you still had to do these jobs, do you think you would moan about school? Give reasons.

Answers:

1. Go to school

2. Their small size and tiny hands

3. They were all dangerous

4. The rise of the steam train

5. Any suitable order so long as appropriate reasons are given

V: Din

I: There was a lot of opportunity in London

I: Feels sorry for them. The use of language, such as luckless or cursed.

R: Dog poo

P: Any suitable prediction with reasons.



Unit focus: Myths And Legends Text focus: Narrative (970L) … · 2020. 6. 2. · Unit focus: Myths...

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