COMPREHENSION: ADAMU AND HIS FATHER
Adamu’s father advises Adamu to sweep the path leading to their house and pack dry mango leaves around the tree every day. Adamu sweeps and makes the path tidy but he is very tired because he feels that the path is too long for him to sweep every day. So he decides to talk to his father about it.
One Friday evening, just after dinner, Adamu goes to his father. He stands before him and tells him that the path is too long for him to sweep every day. “My son, Adamu”, his father says, “the path is long, I know. But, sweeping the dry leaves every day is in our own interest. So, try and sweep around the tree and pack the dry leaves every day.”
For many days Adamu does the will of his father. The compound is neat and tidy. But he is not happy. So, one day he stops seeping.
On this very day, Adamu is not happy, so the work is not done. The whole compound looks very dirty because dry leaves fill the path and the foot of the tree.
Adamu sees how the whole place is dirty. He remembers his father’s advice, “At least pack the dry leaves every day”. As he is unhappy, he is unwilling to sweep the path. Even though the compound is very untidy, he does not care. He leaves for school after bathing and eating.
As he walks, he kicks some of the dry leaves on the path. He feels very happy. He forgets that is not good to disobey his father. He keeps on moving, kicking some of the leaves joyfully. But there is a snake hiding under some of the leaves. Unluckily, he kicks those leaves. He disturbs the snake. The snake puts its head up and bites his leg. He shouts, falls down in fear and starts crying.
Kind neighbours on hearing his voice, run to the place to help him. They take him to the hospital for treatment. Adamu now knows why his father advised him to pack the dry leaves every day. If only he had done this, the snake bite could have been prevented.
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Adamu thinks of the pains he is suffering and shouts – “Had I known, had I known – Oh! Prevention is better than cure.”