Alison Fell (1944

Alison Fell (1944- )
Alison Fell is a contemporary Scottish poet and novelist.
Her poetry has been published in a number of anthologies,
and her secondnovel, The Bad.Box, cameout in L987.Her
short-story, "The Shining Mountain", written as a contemporary fairy-tale, deals with the problem of parents' too
high expectationsput on their children.
23
Anticipation
Words I didn't know
I. Languagework
a) Which qualities, in your opinion, should good parents have? List them
in the order of importance, and discussthem with your partner.
b) Discussthese pictures and try to match their numbers with the words
below.
'A&{
d) Discussthe lives and achievementsof the people in the pictures below
and say what is exceptional, extraordinary or even heroic about them.
R
Nikola Tesla
@
€
€
... Union Jack
... mountainpeak
... rucksack
e
"*o*
Mother Theresa
Mahatma Gandhi
II. Getting into the story
Making predictions (Intensive listening/reading)
... fig
... feather
... atre
c) Which are the words you didn't know? Write them down in the box
and use them in sentencesof your own.
1. Read the beginning of the story to come. While reading, concentrate
on thesequestions:
a) Did Pangma-Lalike her own name?
b) 'Why had her father named her after a mountain?
c) Did Pangma-La'smother wish to make her into a hard person? Give
reasonsfor your opinion.
Once there was a Scottishgirl with a strange name and a father who was
always on television. The girl was called Pangma-La, and of course she was
teased about it. At first she cried. but her father scoldedher.
24
25
The Shining Mountain
"Pangma-La", he said, "I called you after a shining mountain so that you
would stand tall and be proud. Pangma-La", he said, "Scotland has enough
ordinary Morags and Janetsalready."
And he pinned a picture of the Shining Mountain on her wall, and told
her that one day they would climb it together.
For Pangma-La's father was a famous moirntaineer. She would come
home from an ordinary school day and there he would be on the BBC news,
planting the Union Jack on a far, far rm\ntain peak. She would sit on an
ordinarybus, and hear peoplesay,"Now therb'sa hard man, there'sa hero."
So"Pangma-Ladried'her iears and "vowed never to be ordinary and
him.
disappoint
-As
the years passedand Pangma-Lagrew bigger, her father taught her to
balance finely on the high tops of walls, and shin up sheer rocks by toe-and
finger-holds. Her mother shook her head and fussed.
"Pangma-La",she said, "you'll tear your good jumper. Pangma-La",she
said,-gut
"you'll fall and hurt yourself."
her father only laughed aird said, "Let her be, she's tough and hard
as nails", and Pangma-Lawas proud.
At last it was time to set out for the Shining Mountain. Pangma-La and
her father took off in a white plane. Below,them the housesand cars and her
mother waving were small and bright as Smarties.Then the earth disappeared
and they were high in the crystal blue sky where the sun hurts your eyes.
Pangma-La fell asleep and dreamt a bad dream. She was a white swan
flfing high above the Shining Mountain, with no father or mother anywhere'
She was-tired, she wanted to land on the top of the mountain and rest her
wings. But the mountain turned its back on her, sayrng, "Pangma-La, you
cannot land here and you cannot rest. You must fly on until your white wings
freeze and you tumble down to the hard ground."
Pangma-La woke up frightened and wanting her mother, but she said
nothing, for she was afraid her father would be disappointedin her'
2. Read the beginningof the story again, and try to explain the significance
of Pangma-La'sdream.
she was teased people made fun
of her
scolded - blanred
pinned - fixed
./or - because
vowed - promised
solemnly
sftin - clirnb with
hands and le_qs
fussed complaincd
Sntarties - small
multicoloured
sweets
tumble down - fall
down
26
Once there was a Scottish girl with a strangename and
a father who was always on television. The girl was called
Pangma-La,and of course she was teasedabout it. At first
she cried, but her father scolded her.
"Pangma-La", he said,."I called you after a shining
mountain so that you would stand tall and be proud. Pangma-La", he said, "Scotland has enough ordinary Morags and
Janetsalready."
And he pinned a.picture of the Shining Mountain on
her wall, and told her that one day they would climb it 10
together.
For Pangma-La's father was a famous mountaineer.
She would come home from an ordinary school day and
there he would be on the BBC news, planting the Union
Jack on a far, far mountain peak. She would sit on an 15
ordinary bus, and hear people say, "Now there's a hard
man, there's a hero."
So Pangma-Ladried her tears and vowed never to be
ordinary and disappoint him.
As the years passed and Pangma-La grew bigger, her
father taught her to balancefinely on the high tops of walls,
and shin up sheerrocks by toe-and finger-holds.Her mother
shook her head and fussed.
"Pangma-La",she said, "you'll tear your good jumper.
Pangma-La", she said, "you'll fall and hurt yourself."
But her father only laughed and said, "Let her be, she's
tough and hard as nails", and Pangma-Lawas proud.
At last it was time to set out for the Shining Mountain.
Pangma-Laand her father took off in a white plane. Below
them the housesand cars and her mother waving were small
and bright as Smarties.Then the earth disappearedand they
were high in the crystal blue sky where the sun hurts your
eyes.
Pangma-La fell asleep and dreamt a bad dream. She
was a white swan flying high above the Shining Mountain,
with no father or mother anywhere. She was tired, she
wanted to land on the top of the mountain and rest her
wings. But the mountain turned its back on her, saying,
"Pangma-La, you cannot land here and you cannot rest.
You must fly on until your white wings freeze and you
tumble down to the hard ground."
Pangma-La woke up frightened arid wanting her mother, but she said nothing, for she was afraid her father would
be disappointedin her.
When the plane landed, Pangma-"Laand her father set
out for the mountains.The villagers, hearing that the young
girl was called after their shining mountSin, smiled and gave
[er sherbet and figs. But then Pangm5--Laand her father
came to the last village, where the"trees stffied and the
snowsbegan. There Sherpamen crowded round, offering to
their loads at a Price.
carry
-"My
daughter and I do not need p<irters",Pangma-La's
father siiO prooaty. "We are strong and we will climb the
mountain alone."
The Sherpamen were angry.
"The mountain goddesswill send winds to tear at you",
they said, "and spindrift snow to sting your /face' and avalanche to toss and tumble You."
gut Pangma-La's father turned aVay and laughed.
"Only weak men believe in old wives' tales", he said scorn:
firlly.
Above them the mountain rose like a tall white tower.
At fust Pangma-Laclimbed happily, smslling the clear air,
while up ahead her father's feet made deep blue prints in
the snow.
But soon she began to grow weary.
Just then an old Sherpa woman appeared, in a ragged
brown cloak.
"Let me cany your heavy sack, daughter", said the
woman, but Pangma-Lashook her head, for she was afraid
'That night
that her father would be disappointed in her.
under the bright starsshe told him about the Sherpawoman'
but her father looked at her strangely.
"I saw no woman", he said. And he made Pangma-La
promise that she would speak to no one, no matter what
they asked or what help they offered.
On the secondda11Pangma-Laset out boldlv and well.
Then a stron! wind blew up to tear at her, and the going
was hard. She began to feel weak and ill under the weight
of the rucksack, but she would not stop, for her father
would be disappointedin her.
Just then ihe Sherpa woman appeared, and pulled a
handful of swan's feathers from under her ragged cloak.
"Take out your heavy things from the sack, daughter",
she said, "and fill it with this gwqgscpwg. Then you will get
to the top of the mountain, and your father will never tell
the difference."
Pangma-Lathought of her promise, but she had such a
28
slzerbet - kitrd oI
fruit juice
Ioads - things tltey
werc carrylng
tear - pull to picces
avalatrche - snow,
ice ancl rocks
rolling clorrn a
mountain
weary - tired
cloak - long
overcoat rvitl-t
slcevcs
boldll' - with
courage
swan's down hlst, sofi
lcalhers of
' 7 o u n gb i r d s
roar * loud noise
nterciless - without
prty
lungs - organs fttr
breathing
bad sick feeling everywhere in her, that she did what the
woman asked. The Sherpa woman carried the heavy things
under her ragged cloak, and Pangma-La carried a light
rucksack full of swan'sdown,and her father never told the
difference. And at sunset, the woman gave back her heavy
things, and Pangma-Lalay down to sleep.
On the third day she set off with a weary feeling
already in her bones. Spindrift snow blew up to sting-her
face, ind just when she was sure she could go no further,
the Sherpawoman aPPeared.
"Take off your heavy, heavy clothes, daughter, and I
will cover you with swan'sfeathers, and you will get to the
top of the mountain."
And so Pangma-La did, and once again, as the sun
went down, the woman gave her back the heavy clothes,
and her father never told the difference.
On the fourth day the roar of an avalanchethundered
past them, and this time Pangma-La'sfather walked beside
her.
Oh, father, she thought to herself, my boots are too btg
and I can't fill them, and I want to go home to my mother
more than anything in the world. And a tear escapedand ran
down her nose.
"Pangma-La", her father scolded. "Look at the mountain I named you for, is it not beautiful?" P-angma-Lafelt
so ill she could hardly bear to look up at it, so crystal-cold
and mercilessabove her. She hung her head, ashamed.
"Yes, father", she said, and the tear froze to an icicle
on her face.
Her father climbed on and on, and Pangma-La tried
hard to keep up with him. Soon her legs could not go
another step, and a dizzinesstook her, and she fell down in
the snow.
Just then the Sherpa woman appeared, kneeling over
her.
"Give me your heavy, heavy heart, daughter", she said,
"and I will fill you with swan'sdown.Then you will get to
the top of the mountain, and your father will never tell the
difference."
So Pangma-Lagave up her heart, and the luqgs which
panted and hurt, and the bones which weighed_lik" ilol,
ind flew easily to the top of the mountain in all her light
swan's feathers.
But this time when it came to sunsetthe Sherpawoman
did not give back Pangma-La's heavy, heavy heart, and
Pangma-La'sfather stood at the top of the Shining Moun29
100
105
110
115
L25
130
tain, calling wildly for his daughter, but she was nowhere to
be seen.
Then the Sherpawoman appearedin her raggedcloak.
"Here is your Pangma-La", she said, pointing to the
white swan which fluttered beside her. "But now she is mv
'
daughter for ever and always."
Pangma-La'sfather cried out in anger and cursed the
hag for her cruel spell. He raised his ice-axe to s(qike tF
woman down, but just then.a peal of thunder *&k the
mountain and threw him to the ground.
And there in front of him stood no hag, but thq mountain goddessherself, tall and straight, with skin of,darkest
gleaminggold, and eyesyellow and far-seeingas a{snow-leopard. She wore a cloak of slvan's feathers, and blue lightning-fire danced at her finger ends.
"You wanted your daughter to get to'the top of the
mountain", said the goddess,"and I have given you your
heart's desire. You named your daughter after me, to be
strong and light as the gods, and feel no human pain, and
weep no human tears. And I have given you your heart's
desite."
Then Pangma-La's father saw that his daughter had
given her life awayjust to pleasehim, and he cursedhimself
and his heart's desire, and ran to the edge of the mountain
to cast himself off.
But the goddessbarred his wav easily with a bolt of
blue lightning.
"Not so hastv to make an end of it, brave hero", she
said. She brought Pangma-La's heavy sack and heavy
clothes from under her cloak and gave them to him. "First
you must feel the weight of your heavy, heavy burden", she
said. Then she brought out Pangma-La'sheart, and gave it
to him. "And now you must feel the weight of your heavy,
heavy heart", she said.
At this Pangma-La'sfather fell on his knees and for the
first time wept hot tears like any human.
i
The mouirtain goddess,seeingthis, was satisfied.
"You have learned your lesson", she said, and was
gone in a swirl of swan'sfeathers.
Pangma-La'sfather looked down to see his daughter
alive and heavy and human in his arms.
Feeling the wet drops on her face, Pangma-La opened
her eyes. When she saw that her father the hero was crying
she was no longer ashamed,and a great weight lifted from
her. She jumped up and pulled him strongly to his feet.
Then, skidding and sliding, Pangma-La and her father ran
all the way to the bottom of the Shining Mountain, while
30
the snow flew up behind them like sherbet or swan'sfeathers, and never again was Pangma-La afraid that her father
would be disappointedin her.
iag - ugly old
woman
gleaming *
shining
cast off - tllrow off
barred his way stopped his
progress .
hasty - quick, fast
il. Vocabulary review:
Evaluation
Find the opposites of these words and use them in sentencesof your own.
't ,. /
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
I . Discussion
In your opinion:
L. Pangma-La
a) climbed the mountain becauseshe had alwayswanted to be as tough
and as hard as her father
b) followed her father up the mountain only becauseshe wanted to
pleasehim
2. T\e father
a) made his daughterclimb the mountain becausehe knew it was good
for her
b) did it for selfish reasons:to satisfy his own vanity
3. The mountain goddess
a) understoodthe father and the daughter and was kind to both of them
b) was cruel and unkind, and didn't show much understandingfor the
father
4. The hero of this story is
a) the mountain goddess
b) the father
c) the daughter
5. Parents,in general
a) are right when they have great hopes and expectations for their
children's future
b) make a mistake if they do so, and can evenruin their children's lives
6. Heroes
a) are people who perform heroic deeds,like giving their lives for their
ideals
b) can be found among 'ordinarf' people, becausehumans are almost
always heroic in one way or another
sunset
cruel
merciless
tough
to land
heavy
to scold
weak
III. Creative work
a) Choose one of the people photographed on p. 25 or any other person
you admire. Find out more about his or her life and say what you admire
him/her for.
b) Have you ever done anything exceptional, extraordinary or even heroic? Describe it.
c) Retell the story from the father's point of view.
IV.'Grammar points
So and such
Examples: Pangma-La felt so ill she could hardly bear to look up. (Lines
1.13-1,r4)
Pangma-La... had such a feeling everywherein her that she did
what thd woman asked.(Lines 88-89)
Note: We use so with'adjectivesand adverbs.
E.g.: He is so intelligent.
She sings so beautifully.
We use such with adjectivesfollowed by nouns.
E.g.: It's such a lovely day.
They're such good friends.
Practice: Put in so or such in these sentences:
happy with Paul.
L. I was glad to see her
2. T\ey are ..............a nice couple.
3. The concertwas ..............good.It was
32
a pleasure
JJ
to listen to the pianist, and the orchestraplayeid-.... ... '. ' . .. well.
4. We had
was .............. bad we couldn'tgo out, the guestsniade
terrible noise we couldn't sleep, and the food was
poor we had to eat in resta.urants.
boring. And he alwaystells .............' stupid
5 . Peter is
jokes.