Reader 7

Unit 1 A Secret for Two

1. Who was Pierre Dupin? Where did he work? Answer: Pierre Dupin was a milkman. He worked in the Provincale Milk Company in Montreal. Pierre used a milk wagon to deliver milk to the families for the past fifteen years. The milk wagon was pulled by a large, white horse named Joseph. 2. Was Pierre drawn towards Joseph from the beginning? Answer: Yes, Pierre was immediately drawn towards Joseph, the horse. When he looked into its eyes he could see that there was something special about Joseph. 3. What did Pierre think was special about Joseph? Answer: Pierre thought that Joseph had the kindest eyes and that he was a gentle and faithful horse. Pierre felt that there was a beautiful spirit in him. 4. Did Joseph take time to learn the milk route? Answer: No, Joseph knew the milk route very well within a year. Pierre would boast that he did not have to even use the reins to guide Joseph along the route. 5. What was Pierres daily routine? Answer: Each morning Pierre would arrive at the Provincale Milk Company stables at five o clock. He would then load the wagon and hitch Joseph to it. Then, he would climb into his seat and off they would go. 6. What was Pierres milk route? Answer: Pierre would drive down to Prince Edward Street. The horse would stop at the first house while Pierre quickly got down from his seat and left a bottle of milk at the front door. Then they would skip two houses and stop at the third house. This would continue till the end of the street and then Joseph, without any direction, would turn around and come back along the other side for the rest of the houses. 7. What did Pierre often boast about? Answer: Pierre would often boast that he did not need to direct Joseph to go anywhere. The horse just knew where to go. Pierre said that even a blind man would reach his destination as long as Joseph was there. 8. What happened to Pierre and Joseph over the years? Were they still as energetic as before? Answer: Over the years, Pierre and Joseph grew old together. They were not as quick as they used to be. Pierres mustache had turned completely white. Joseph did not lift his knees as high or raise his head as much as he used to. 9. Who was Jacques? What did he think of Pierres relationship with Joseph? Answer: Jacques was the foreman at the stables. Jacques knew that Pierres relationship with his horse was a special one. He always felt that the two shared a secret that no one else knew.

10. What did Jacques tell the President of the milk company? Answer: Jacques told the President of the Provincale Milk Company that he was worried about Pierre. Jacques said that though Pierre was a good man, he was getting old and maybe he needed to retire and be given a pension. 11. Did the President agree with what Jacques told him? Answer: The President of the company agreed with him. He also knew that Pierre had worked tirelessly for thirty years, and there had never been a complaint against him. He said that Pierre should retire and his salary would be paid to him just the same. 12. What was the change that Jacques noticed when he saw Pierre and Joseph? Answer: Jacques noticed that when Pierre was with Joseph during their morning errands, neither seemed to have aged a bit. But when they returned from their rounds, Pierre would limp down the road like an old man and Joseph would drop his head low and walk back wearily to his stall. 13. What was the dreadful news Jacques had for Pierre one morning? Answer: Jacques had to tell Pierre that Joseph had not woken up that morning. 14. What happened to Pierre when he heard the news? Answer: Pierre was heartbroken but he understood that like him, his horse too had grown old.

Revision/Challenge Question:
15. Have you ever had a close bond with an animal? Write about your experience. Answer: Free response. Guidelines: Begin by writing ting if you have ever had a pet or are fond of animals. Then write how you became close to that animal. Write about the activities or games you played with your pet. Describe how the animal looked and why it was very special to you. 16. It is said that a dog is mans best friend. Why do you think animals and humans sometimes share such a special bond? Answer: Free response. Possible Answer: Some animals and humans share a very close bond. Sometimes this bond is stronger than that between two people . Once an animal decides to be b loyal towards a human, , it stays loyal forever.