IAR: Character POV
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Last updated 9 months ago
2 Nsɛmmisa
Today you will read the excerpt from “Shi’s Special Seed”. Then you will answer questions.
Today you will read the excerpt from “Shi’s Special Seed”. Then you will answer questions.
from Shi’s Special Seed by Christie Chu
1 “Shi, stop singing to the flowers! You have a visitor,” Mui-Mui called. Shi’s little sister loved to tease him about his garden.
2 Shi broke off mid-song and whispered an apology to the flowers. Mud squelched between his toes as he hurried toward the house. Sweet-smelling blossoms and green leaves swayed as he passed. Shi’s mother stepped out into the garden, followed by a finely dressed stranger. Shi bowed politely.
3 “Greetings, Shi,” said the man. “The emperor has heard of your gardening skills. He has sent seeds to one hundred of the best gardeners in China, including some others from your village. Here is yours. Tend it and bring it to the palace in one year. Then the emperor will choose one of you to be the caretaker of his imperial gardens.” He dropped a small black seed into Shi’s palm. “Care for it well.” He bowed and left.
4 “What an honor,” Shi’s mother said, her eyes wide.
5 Shi planted the special seed in his best pot. He placed it in his garden next to his pink peonies, where it would get lots of sun.
6 “Hello, little one,” he murmured. “Ours is not a fine house like the palace, but I hope you like it here.”
7 After a month, no green sprout had pushed through the soil.
8 “Little one, what’s wrong? Do you miss your home?” The pot of dirt did not answer. Shi sang as he watered it, taking care not to pour too much water.
9 Months later, Mui-Mui stared into the pot. “That seed is defective,” she said.
10 Shi took the pot from her. “Don’t worry, little one. You take your time,” Shi said to it. “Mui-Mui is anxious to meet you, just like I am.” He moved the pot to the cool shade and began to sing. Mui-Mui rolled her eyes and stomped away.
11 But the seed did not grow. Shi transferred the seed to a different pot. He tried composts and fertilizers.
12 After more months of waiting, Shi’s stomach started to hurt. Then his head began to pound. He ate little. He couldn’t sleep and often got up in the night to check on the seed. Every day, he dragged himself outside to water his plants, but he was too tired to sing. His healthy garden began to wilt.
13 One day, Mui-Mui took the water pail from Shi’s hands when they began to shake. “I will water the seed while you rest,” she said.
14 Shi grabbed the pail back. “It is my responsibility.”
15 “Shi, take one of your own plants to the emperor. He won’t know it didn’t come from that seed,” Mui-Mui said.
16 “No. Even if he did not know, I would.”
17 “This is a ridiculous contest! You are making yourself sick worrying about that seed. You don’t even sing anymore.” Mui-Mui returned to the house, where their mother stood in the doorway, watching Shi with a furrowed brow.
18 The thought of disappointing the emperor made Shi feel queasy, but he felt worse about seeing his mother and sister distressed.
19 Shi took a deep breath. “It’s OK if you are not ready to grow yet, little one,” Shi said to the seed, still hidden in the dirt. Then he walked through the rest of the garden, apologizing to his plants. “I am sorry I haven’t sung to you lately,” Shi said to his favorite peonies. “I have missed you.” He began to sing softly.
20 Shi woke the next morning without a stomachache. He ate all the congee his mother gave him. When he handed her back the empty bowl, she smiled and her eyes shone with tears. He kissed her on the cheek and went to greet his garden with a song.
21 Still, the special seed did not grow. Mui-Mui tried one more time to convince Shi to bring one of his plants to the emperor instead.
22 “No, Mui-Mui,” he said. “This is the seed he asked me to care for. It is the one I’ll bring back to him. I won’t win, but at least I’ll see the beautiful imperial gardens while I’m there.”
23 Shi walked all day to get to the palace. Along the way, he saw other gardeners from his village carrying full, healthy plants.
24 When Shi stood among the one hundred best gardeners in China holding nothing but a pot of dirt, he couldn’t enjoy the imperial gardens’ beauty. The emperor inspected all the large green plants the other gardeners held. Finally, he approached Shi, who was the only one with an empty pot. Shi bowed, then stared at his feet, dirty from the long walk.
25 “I am sorry, Emperor,” Shi said. His cheeks burned with shame. “I was not able to grow the seed you gave me.”
26 The emperor laughed. “I know you weren’t,” he said. “All of the seeds were boiled. None of them could have grown. You are the only one who brought me back the seed I sent you.”
27 Shi’s head snapped up in surprise.
28 “I already know you are the best gardeners in China,” the emperor said to them all. “My advisors told me of your beautiful gardens. However, I need to trust the people who live and work at the palace. That’s why I had this contest.” The emperor held up Shi’s empty pot. “Shi was honest about his seed. I can trust him to take good care of my beloved gardens.”
In the excerpt from “Shi’s Special Seed,” Shi is determined to grow the seed. How is Mui-Mui’s perspective toward the seed different?
Which sentence from the excerpt best supports the answer to Part A?