Classics Retold

The men are seated outside the house of Bathsheba to attend the shearing supper.  She hosts this supper to celebrate the successful completion of sheep shearing. A long table was placed outside on the grass, with one end pushed through a wide open, parlour window.  Bathsheba sits just inside the window, allowing her to head the table and interact with her workers without completely mingling with them.  Following the meal the workers including Jan Coggan and Joseph Poorgrass drink, sing and tell stories.  The gathering acts as a traditional community celebration of pastrol season ending. Into this scene comes farmer Boldwood  to court Bathsheba and eventually moves inside to talk with her privately.  Separation of men to the exterior of the house is a calculated move by Bathsheba to balance her roles as a woman, a mistress and a host in a rigid Victorian society.  By sitting inside at the head of the table while the men are outside, she creates a physic...

Head and front is a phrase meaning the most important, foremost or primary item. Wardrobe is where you keep your dress. It refers to main item in your collection. It is just like standing in front of the wardrobe.  Staring at a packed wardrobe can cause confusion leading to wearing same outfit 3-4 times repeatedly.  Sometimes looking at you in same clothes make you older, signalling a need for style update.  The phrase reflects a time before the advent of industrial revolution, a time when agrarian society was getting into a transformation. An independent farmer like Bathsheba Everdene had limited choice.  The dress she was wearing made the prime item of her wardrobe.

"A rum start" is a British idiom meaning a strange, odd, peculiar or queer beginning.  It is often used to describe a situation that starts in an unexpected or eccentric way.  Rum in this context is an old British slang adjective, dating back to 18th century, that means strange or queer, not referring to alcoholic beverage.  It is used frequently in phrases like "a rum do" meaning a strange affair or occurance.  It is informal and dated British English often used to express bewilderment or mild surprise at how something has begun.  The word rum meaning odd likely originated in the 18th century and is completely separate from the origin of rum meaning alcoholic drink. 

Oh! My Darkness  Why you shy at my doorstep? They put the antidote  To make me comfort It took away the sheen  Of the moonlit on grass,  On leaves, on boughs and On tree tops; on water in Puddle, pool, and ponds; In springs, brooks, and dykes,  In river, rivulets and ocean. I lost the glitters of stars In the moonless night. With 24X7 light around  I lost the light and shadow  And the charm of Night,  Of stars of moonless night.

Allowing 5-year olds to experience boredom is crucial for fostering creativity, independence and emotional regulation.  Boredom forces children to spark their own imagination, develop problems solving skills, and build resilience. It act as a mental reset, allowing their brains to shift into a creative default mode.  Active boredom busters . Active Fun: Build a house with blankets and pillows, have a dance party, do a bug (to annoy, bother, or pester someone persistently) nature hunt, or ride a bike. Creative Projects: Use arts and crafts, build with blocks,  create a fort, or have them design costumes, act out of a story book:  Helpful Tasks: Involve them in cooking, baking or cleaning tasks. Encourage independence:  Instead of immediately offering a  solution, encourage them to find their own ways to play. Reduce screen time: To force the use of imagination. Rotate toys: Keep the toys in storage to keep options. Abuse, neglect or overindulgence do not w...

On the banks of Allan Water is a traditional British folk song and poem telling the tragic tale of a miller's daughter betrayed by a soldier.  It was very popular in the 19th century, and follows her journey from happiness in spring to sorrow and death in winter. In 1916 it was adapted to a silent film.  The miller's daughter was courted by a soldier in the spring; but he deserted her by autmn, leading to her death in winter.  1812 comic opera Rch and Poor by C. E. Horn popularized it. Thomas Hardy in his novel "Far From The Madding Crowd" used it in chapter 23 as sung by Bathsheba Everdene and later a soldier entered her life and changed its course. 

Evening.   Shearing supper.  A long table was set on the grass-plot beside the house.  The end of the table was thrust over the sill of the wide parlour window, and the end being thrust into the room. Miss Everdene sat inside facing down the table. She was thus at the head of the table, without mingling with the men.  Bathsheba was unusually excited.  Her red cheeks and lips contrasting lustrously with the mazy skeins of her shadowy hair. The seat at the bottom of the table was at her request left vacant. They have already begun the meal. She wanted Gabriel to take the seat at the bottom of the table and the duties appertaining to it, which he accepted with great readiness.  Mr Boldwood appeared at the gate, and walked across the green to Bathsheba at the window.  He was late, and he apologized for it. "Gabr iel," said Bathsheba, "will you move again, please, and let Mr Boldwood come there?"  Gabriel moved silently to his original seat. ...