MURANG'A HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH FORM 2
AUGUST HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT – 2024

1. A. (i) Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow:-
Hush little baby don’t say a word
Papa’s gonna buy you a mocking bird

And if that mocking bird won’t sing,

Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat won’t pull,

Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull fall down,

You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

(a) Classify the song above. Give a reason for your answer. (2 marks)

(b) List the things the person to whom the song is sung is likely to receive.
(5 marks)
(c) Who is possibly singing the song? (2 marks)

(d) For what reasons do the singer sing the song above? Write the lines to
illustrate your reasons. (4 marks)

(e) To whom is the song sung? Give a reason for your answer. (2 marks)

(f) Explain the economic activity of the people from whom the song is sourced.
(2 marks)
(g) Write the line `Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass’ in standard English.
(2 marks)

B. Underline the stressed syllable in the following words. (4 marks)

(i) Re.spect
(ii) Re.view
(iii) Cal.culate
(iv) Dedi.cate
Q. 2 ORAL LITERATURE

Wanjiru was the most beautiful girl in all hills. She had milk-white teeth which made
the men stop and look whenever Wanjiru and other girls of the hills were teasing
each other about their new friends. Many young men came to ask Wanjiru hand in
marriage but Wanjiru would not accept any ugly man. She said that all these young
men were not handsome enough for her.

One day a young man came to court Wanjiru. He was very handsome indeed. And
when Wanjiru heard that he had come to ask for her hand in marriage, she loved
him and was only too ready to accept him. Her parents had no objection because
they also admired this handsome young man. But nobody knew that this handsome
young man was an ogre in disguise.

Marriage preparations went ahead. The young man brought the dowry and was given
Wanjiru to take to his home. He looked very happy to have such a beautiful bride.
Nobody escorted them because the young man said that it was not necessary. He
did not want his identity to be discovered. They were soon home and Wanjiru was
happy to see so many people around. But on a second look she found that these
were not people but ogres. This made her very worried and wondered what her fate
would be. Now when she was told to go inside the hut that had been prepared for
her, she refused, saying that she would sit outside near the entrance because that
is where brides were supposed to sit in her part of the country. Her husband gave
her a stool and told her she would sit where she pleased. “I shall surely be in great
trouble unless I think quickly, for these ogres will certainly want to eat me,” she
thought as she became more worried. All the young people she refused to marry
came to her mind. “It will be a great shame when they learn that I married an ogre
for his beauty”. They would laugh and say that she could even marry a hyena if he
was handsome enough. There was no time to lose. She had to get away from the
ogre’s home. She stood and took the same path that they followed from her home.
And when her husband saw that she was going away, he followed singing.

The cethecethecethece!
Where do you go now?
The cethecethecethece!
Wanjiru come back
Not today but tomorrow I shall eat you.
Wanjiru sang loud and long
People of the nine hills
Who sold me to an ogre?
An ogre that will eat me
And my own father
You sold me to an ogre
An ogre that will eat me,
Listen to the ogre sing!

The ogre sang and the girl sang again. For a long time the two sang and sang until
Wanjiru saw the ogre was very near. She climbed to the top of the tallest tree near
Page 2 of 4
 her path. And when the Ogre saw that he could not get hold of the girl, he stood at
the foot of the tree and continued with this song. Wanjiru sang even more feverishly.
Soon however, her brother heard and recognized Wanjiru’s voice. It was then he
came and pierced through the back of the ogre until he was dead. Then he said to
his sister. “Come down. Let us go home.”

He was very angry, for they had sold Wanjiru in his absence. To be duped by an ogre
into giving away Wanjiru was unforgivable. He scolded his father, “How could you
and your people sell Wanjiru in my absence? I swear by my mother’s clothes that
neither myself nor anybody else will ever sell Wanjiru again. “Only you son who will
have the authority of selling your sister again”, the father responded. And so it was
like that when the time for selling Wanjiru came. The tale ends there.

Questions

1. Identify and illustrate any two features of oral narratives evident in the above
narrative. (2 marks)
2. What made men stop and look at Wanjiru and why wouldn’t she accept any of
them? (2 marks)
3. From the first paragraph, how would you describe the character of Wanjiru?
(2 marks)
4. Many young men came to ask Wanjiru’s hand in marriage but Wanjiru would
not accept any ugly man. (Rewrite this sentence in the passive). (2 marks)
5. Give a proverb that summarizes the moral lesson learnt from this narrative.
(2 marks)
6. What are the functions of the song in this narrative? (2 marks)
7. Give a social activity of people from which this narrative is derived. (2 marks)
8. `I swear by my mother’s clothes that neither myself nor anybody else will ever
sell Wanjiru again’
(Underline the indefinite pronoun in the sentence above) (1 mark)
9. What is Wanjiru’s attitude towards men? (2 marks)
10. Explain the meaning of the following words as used in the narrative. (2 marks)
(i) Court
(ii) Feverishly

11. To which audience is this narrative best suited and why? (2 marks)

Page 3 of 4
Q. 3 GRAMMAR

1. Use the words given in the appropriate form to complete the given
sentence. (3 marks)
(a) The children played ________________ during the party. (merry)

(b) I am _____________________ aware of the case. (full)

(c) Don’t just sit there ________________ help her. (idle)

2. Use an appropriate conjunction to complete the given sentences.

(3 marks)

(a) She was in great pain ______________ did not complain.

(b) Some people leap before they look _____________ they live to regret.

(c) Some people have good books ________________ unfortunately, they never read.

3. Underline the prepositional phrase in each of the following sentences.

(4 marks)
(a) He jumped into the river.
(b) The thief ran across the bridge.
(c) There are three students in the dormitory.
(d) He has worked hard for his final examination.

4. Change the following sentences to active voice. (3 marks)

(a) The best composition was written by Wanja.

(b) The house on the hill has built by Hussein.
(c) Oranges are eaten by the students.

5. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets. (3 marks)

(a) The signs at the police station ___________ (be) barely visible.
(b) Everything but eggs ___________ (was / were) in the same box.
(c) The boats in the fleet _____________ (go / goes) out at eight.

Page 4 of 4