Lesson 13 The Park

The small boy watched the children on the other side of the railing. They were skimming down the slide, landing on the bouncy lawn. They screamed as they almost touched the sky with each upward curve of the swings. They shrieked at each dip of the merry-go-round①. He looked at them, and longed to share their joy.

After several minutes the small boy turned slowly from the fence and walked away. As he walked he recalled his first visit to the park. Without hesitation he had gone through the gates and run to the seesaw. A white boy about his own age had sat down opposite him. As his legs folded to send the seesaw flying up from the grass, the small black boy had felt a hand press his shoulder. He turned to look into the face of the attendant. “Get off!” said the man.

“Why?” asked the boy. “What have I done?”

“The council says that we Negroes must not use the same park as the white people.You must use the park where you live.”

“There’s no park where I live,” said the boy.

The attendant took him to the gate. At the entrance the man pointed to a notice board. “Look, you can read it for yourself: WHITES ONLY.”

Since then the boy had walked past the park many times. And every time he had longed to go inside.

That night during supper a thought came to the boy’s mind. He sat, spoon poised②in the air, shaken by the greatness of the idea. Why not go to the park after dark, after it had closed its gates? I’ll do it, he told himself. I’ll go to the park as soon as we’re finished eating.

Once clear of his own district, the boy broke into a trot③. He passed through the downtown area with its many shop windows. At last he saw in front of him the park with its gates and iron railing.

There was no one in sight. The rails were cold to his touch. He pulled himself up to perch on the top of the fence, then dropped to the lawn below.

He ran from the swings④ to the merry-go-round, from the seesaw to the chute. Up the steps he went to the top. He stood outlined against the sky. He was a bird, an eagle.He flung himself down on his stomach, sliding swiftly. Wheeeeeee!

On the swing, feet astride⑤, hands clutching the chains, he jerked⑥ his body to gain momentum. He crouched⑦ like a runner, then straightened. The swing swept higher, higher, higher.

A light switched on in the little house at the far side of the park. The door opened and he saw a dark figure in the doorway. Then the door was shut and the figure strode over to him. He knew it was the attendant.

He kept on swinging.

The man came to a halt⑧ in front of him. All the attendant’s feelings urged him to leave the boy alone. But he was afraid someone might see them. “Get off! Go home!”he screamed, his voice harsh with the anger he felt at the system that drove him against his own people. “If you don’t get off, I’ll go for the police.”

The boy didn’t answer. He just kept on swinging.

The attendant turned and ran for the gate.

“Mamma, mamma,” the small boy cried. His voice mounted, his screams keeping pace with the swing as it climbed higher, higher.

At the entrance to the park the notice board stood tall, its shadow pointing straight at him.

(597 words)

Ⅰ . How well did you read?

1. [Note the fact.] On his first visit to the park, the boy___________ .

A. climbed over the railing

B. began to play on the seesaw

C. stood outside and watched

2. [Follow the time order.] Which did the attendant do last?

A. He showed the boy the notice board.

B. He touched the boy’s shoulder.

C. He took the boy to the gate.

3. [Read between the lines.] The boy decided to go to the park after dark because he thought___________ .

A. no one would see him

B. more children would be there

C. the notice board would be gone

4. [Note the fact.] To reach the park, the boy passed through ___________.

A. his own district B. the downtown area C. both A and B

5. [Understand the mood.] Playing on the chute made the boy feel like___________ .

A. a breeze B. an eagle C. a runner

6. [Follow the time order.] The last thing the attendant did was___________ .

A. shout at the boy B. run to the gate C. walk over to the swing

7. [Understand the mood.] At the end of the story the boy was___________ .

A. puzzled B. happy C. frightened

Ⅱ. Read for words.

Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined words.

1. They shrieked at each dip of the merry-go-round. (Para. 1)

A. surprised B. satisfied C. screamed

2. The council says that we Negroes must not use the same park as the white people.(Para. 4)

A. attendant

B. doorkeeper

C. group of people who make laws

3. He pulled himself up to perch on the top of the fence, then dropped to the lawn below. (Para. 10)

A. rest B. jump C. climb

4. On the swing, feet astride, hands clutching the chains, he jerked his body to gain momentum. (Para.12)

A. a fall B. drop step C. speed of movement

5. His voice mounted, his screams keeping pace with the swing as it climbed higher,higher. (Para.18)

A. went down B. rose C. struck

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

What do you think happens next? Continue the story where the writer stops.

LANGUAGE BOX