Lesson 7: The Euphrates River

B. Find words in the text that have the following meanings.

1. the opposite of deep shallow.
2. the remains of a building ruins.
3. an area that contains water for distribution reservoir.
4. a general word for cotton, wheat, barley and so on crops.

1. Who is Mohammed Khudhair?

Mohammed Khudhair is an Iraqi writer.

2. What moral lessons does the writer want to give in the swing?

War destroys everything. It leads to nothing but death, deprivation and destruction.
It is a severe condemnation of war.
It is a sincere invitation to sustain family life.

3. Do you find it easy to sympathise with the woman? Why?

It is easy to sympathise with the woman because she needs to live with other creatures.

5. Where did the woman in “The Canary” use to hang the canary cage?

The woman used to hang the canary cage on the big nail to the right of the front door.

6. Where was Mohammed Khudhair born?

Mohammed Khudhair was born in Basra.

7. What did the woman in “The Canary” suffer from?

She suffered from loneliness.

8. When did Mohammed Khudhair write “The Swing”?

Mohammed Khudhair wrote “The Swing” after the summer of 1967 war against Israel.

9. How does the story of “The Canary” end?

The story ends with the death of the canary.

10. What does the story of “The Swing” stress on?

The story stresses that war destroys everything. It leads to nothing but death, deprivation and destruction.

11. Could the woman in the Canary have another bird?

No, she couldn’t.

12. What does “The Swing” tell about?

The Swing tells about a soldier, Sattar, who has just returned from the hell of war carrying a message for the family of his friend who was killed in battle.

13. In “The Canary” what were the people carried away by?

They were carried away by the wonderful singing of the canary.

14. What did the canary do to attract the attention of his owner?

He hopped, hopped from one perch to another, tapped against the bars to attract her attention, sip a little water.

15. Was the Canary perfect company to the woman?

Yes, he was.

16. Name two of Mohammed Khudair’s works?

The Black Kingdom and Gardens of Faces.

17. Why did the woman’s heart feel hollow?

Because the canary died.

18. Why did Sattar come to his friend’s house?

Sattar came to his friend’s house to tell Ali’s family that his friend, Ali, was killed in battle.

19. How did the woman in “The Canary” describe her heart after the death of the Canary?

She described her heart as hollow.

20. How did Sattar convey his message to the little girl?

He tried to convince the child that her father is like smoke and she can see him only when she closes her eyes.

21. What was the canary to the woman?

He was perfect company.

22. Where was Katherine Mansfield born?

She was born in New Zealand.

23. Why does Katherine Mansfield remain famous?

She remains famous for her collections of poems and short stories, especially Bliss and The Garden Party.

24. Why was the woman in “The Canary” happy to have the canary?

Because the canary made her forget her loneliness.

25. Will the woman in “The Canary” have another bird?

No, she will not.

26. How old was Mohammed Khudair when he wrote “The Swing”?

He was 25 years old.

27. How did the Canary greet his owner in the morning?

He greeted her with a drowsy little note.

28. In the Canary what did the washerwoman use to say every Monday?

Why didn’t she keep a nice fox terrier?

29. How did the canary sing?

The canary sang wonderfully.

30. How did Sattar describe the child’s father?

Sattar described the child’s father as smoke.

31. What does Mohammed Khudhair think of war?

He thinks that war destroys everything. It leads to nothing but death, deprivation and destruction.

33. When did Katherine Mansfield become famous?

She became famous in 1908 when she moved back to London.

34. How did the woman scold her canary?

She said that he was a regular little actor.

35. Why couldn’t the woman in The Canary take the nail out?

Because she doesn’t want to forget that the cage of her bird was hanging there.

36. When did Mohammed Khudhair achieve fame?

He achieved fame in the Middle East after publishing his two short stories ‘The Swing’ and ‘Melodies on the String of Rubaaba’ in the Beirut Arts magazine.

37. What does Sattar try to tell Haleema?

He tries to tell Haleema that her father was killed in battle.