The Last Bargain Summary Class 8 English Honeydew

Key Points of the Poem

• Morning Encounter with the King: The narrator encounters the King who offers to hire him with power.
• Rejection of Power: The narrator finds the King's offer of power unsatisfactory and the King leaves.
• Mid-day Encounter with the Old Man: The narrator meets an old man who offers to hire him with money.
• Rejection of Wealth: The narrator rejects the old man's offer, finding it unworthy.
• Evening Encounter with the Fair Maid: The narrator meets a fair maid who offers to hire him with a smile.
• Rejection of Superficial Charm: The narrator rejects the fair maid’s offer as her smile fades into tears.
• Final Encounter with the Child: The narrator meets a child playing with shells who offers nothing but companionship.
• Acceptance and Freedom: The narrator accepts the child’s offer, finding true freedom in simplicity and innocence.

Detailed Summary 

“Come and hire me,” I cried, while in the morning

I was walking on the stone-paved road.

Sword in hand the King came in his chariot.

He held my hand and said, “I will hire you with

my power,”

But his power counted for naught, and he went away in

his chariot.

In the heat of the mid-day the houses stood with

shut doors.

I wandered along the crooked lane.

An old man came out with his bag of gold.

He pondered and said, “I will hire you with my money.”

He weighed his coins one by one, but I turned away

It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower.

The fair maid came out and said, “I will hire you with

a smile.”

Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went

back alone into into the dark.

The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke

waywardly.

A child sat playing with shells.

He raised his head and seemed to know me and said,

“I hire you with nothing.”

From henceforward that bargain struck in child’s play

made me a free man.

Summary: The narrative begins with the protagonist walking on a stone-paved road early in the morning, actively seeking employment. This quest symbolizes a deeper search for meaning and purpose in life. As he walks, he encounters various figures who represent different societal values and offers.

The first significant encounter is with the King, who approaches in a chariot, symbolizing authority and power. The King, wielding a sword, extends an offer to hire the protagonist, promising power as compensation. However, the protagonist perceives the emptiness behind the King's power and dismisses the offer. The King’s departure signifies the protagonist's rejection of power and dominance as fulfilling or meaningful.

As the day progresses and the sun reaches its zenith, the protagonist finds himself wandering through a crooked lane lined with houses, all with their doors shut. This setting reflects a sense of isolation and the barriers that wealth can create. Here, he meets an old man who carries a bag of gold, symbolizing wealth and materialism. The old man offers to hire the protagonist in exchange for his money. He meticulously weighs his coins, showcasing the transactional nature of his offer. However, the protagonist turns away, realizing that material wealth cannot provide the fulfillment he seeks. This rejection highlights the superficiality of wealth and its inability to buy genuine happiness or purpose.

As evening falls, the atmosphere changes, becoming more serene and picturesque, with a garden hedge blooming with flowers. In this tranquil setting, the protagonist encounters a fair maid, who represents beauty and charm. She offers to hire the protagonist with a smile, symbolizing superficial attraction and emotional allure. Initially appealing, her smile soon fades and melts into tears, exposing the transient and unreliable nature of superficial beauty and charm. The protagonist’s refusal of her offer underscores his search for something more profound and enduring.

The climax of the narrative occurs as the sun glistens on the sand and the sea waves break in a chaotic manner, creating a backdrop of natural beauty and freedom. In this setting, the protagonist meets a child playing with shells. Unlike the previous encounters, the child offers nothing tangible, no power, wealth, or superficial charm. Instead, the child offers companionship and innocence, symbolizing purity and the essence of life untainted by societal constructs. The protagonist recognizes a kindred spirit in the child and accepts the offer.

This acceptance marks a significant transformation in the protagonist. The child’s offer of ‘nothing’ is, in fact, an offer of everything meaningful – simplicity, innocence, and genuine human connection. By accepting this, the protagonist finds true freedom, liberated from the constraints and false promises of power, wealth, and superficial beauty. This new-found freedom is not tied to material or external validation but is rooted in a profound understanding of life’s true values.

The protagonist’s journey through these encounters reflects a broader human experience. The rejection of power, wealth, and superficial charm in favor of simplicity and innocence highlights a universal truth about the search for meaning and fulfillment. True freedom and happiness, the narrative suggests, are found not in external acquisitions but in the purity of the human spirit and genuine connections.

Theme / Message

The central theme of this narrative is the quest for true freedom and fulfillment. The story explores the emptiness behind societal constructs of power, wealth, and superficial beauty. It suggests that true happiness and liberation come from simplicity, innocence, and genuine human connections rather than external validations and material acquisitions.

List of  Difficult Words with Meaning

Chariot: A two-wheeled vehicle used in ancient times, typically for war or racing.

Pondered: Thought about something carefully before making a decision.

Crooked: Not straight or aligned, having bends and turns.

Aflower: Blooming with flowers, in full bloom.

Waywardly: In a manner that is difficult to control or predict; unpredictably.

Meticulously: Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Superficial: Existing or occurring at or on the surface; not thorough, deep, or complete; lacking depth.