McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader, Revised Edition · Lesson XXXIII · Part 4: Riches, eagles and good neighbors
37. The Noblest Revenge
Goal: Your child reads a story and explains what Philip thought was the noblest revenge.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- A notebook or lined paper and a pencil
What's in the book
A story: Philip is angry at the boy who broke his bamboo cane. His friend Stephen tells him about a boy who took revenge on a bee and was stung by the whole hive. Later, Philip helps the boy who wronged him. Definitions and Exercises follow.
The lesson, step by step
Words and meanings
The new words are at the end of the lesson, under Definitions. The small number in front of each word is the paragraph or verse where it is used. Read them together before the lesson. A few of them:
Revenge, return for an injury.
Repent, to feel sorry for.
Contempt, disdain, scorn.
Inflict, to impose, to put on.
Ask your child to find two of these words in the lesson and read the sentence each one is in.
Read it aloud
Your child reads the story aloud. It begins with Stephen meeting the angry Philip:
"Who is that," said Stephen, "on whom you intend to be revenged?"
Talk about it
SayWhat had the farmer's son done to Philip?
SayWhat happened to the boy who tried to get revenge on the bee?
SayWhat did Philip do when the boy fell with his heavy log?
SayWhat is revenge? Is it right to take revenge on those who injure us? How should we treat such persons?
Let your child look back at the page to find answers.
Tell it back
Close the book. Your child tells the story, including Stephen's story about the bee.
Copywork
Your child copies this from the book, slowly and neatly, minding every capital letter and mark of punctuation:
"This," said he, "is the noblest vengeance I could take, in returning good for evil."
Words to learn
Learn: revenge, repent, countenance, induced, assured, contempt, inflict, agony. Spell each aloud, then write it with its meaning.