Grandmother's Song Chapter Notes | Year 8 English IGCSE (Cambridge) - Class 8 PDF Download

Life in the Village

Mountain Village Festivities

Extract 1

In the heart of Mexico, the story "Grandmother's Song" by Barbara Soros paints a vivid picture of a vibrant and lively landscape. High mountains loom majestically, where hawks soar gracefully, swooping down to the gentle slopes covered with fields of corn. On glistening rocks, iguanas bask under the hot, tropical sun, their stillness contrasting with the chatter of toucans and the nimble movements of ring-tailed cats perched in emerald green trees.

The hills echo with the presence of wildlife—pumas roam freely, grey foxes hunt for chickens, and wolves call to one another under the cover of night. At the foot of these mountains lies a small village, home to a grandmother and her granddaughter. Their lives are deeply intertwined with the rhythms of nature. In spring, they plant corn, tomatoes, and sunflowers, watching with joy as new green shoots emerge from the earth. During summer, they gather milk-white lilies, carrying them in baskets on their backs to sell at the market.

At harvest time, they celebrate the corn festival, decorating tall stalks of maize to give thanks for the year’s bounty. The grandmother stands as a pillar of strength, her tall and proud stature reflecting her deep connection to the land. Her downy cheeks are smooth and plump, stretching across wide cheekbones, and her deep, warm brown eyes hold both sadness and kindness. Her powerful legs and sturdy feet root her to the earth, much like an ancient tree, while her strong arms and graceful hands, with their long, fine fingers, speak of a life of labor and care.

Extract 2
The granddaughter, in contrast to her robust grandmother, is as delicate as the blossoms of a jacaranda tree. Her wide-open eyes shine black and clear, sparkling with curiosity, while her tiny, bow-shaped lips give the impression that she has been eating strawberries all day. She is a child of imagination and exploration, often wandering alone through the fields and forests of their village. Yet, her adventures are tinged with fear—she trembles at the dark shadows, the cries of animals, and anything unfamiliar. 

Even the slightest sound, like the scamper of an ocelot in the treetops, sends her heart fluttering and her stomach churning, her entire being shaking as though she were dry leaves rustling in a sack on a windy afternoon. One day, while playing, she encounters an ordinary armadillo scurrying across her path. To her, it is no mere creature but a terrifying beast, as fearsome as a bear with sharp claws and gnashing teeth. From that moment, every passing shadow seems to morph into this imagined monster, following her home and deepening her fears.

Making Progress

Generational Love

Extract 3

The bond between grandmother and granddaughter grows stronger as the story unfolds. One evening, when the granddaughter returns home trembling, the grandmother hears the creak of the door and rushes to her, scooping her up in a warm embrace. She settles the girl on her wide lap, gently stroking her head and slender back. As she strokes, she sings a soothing song, acknowledging the fear that pulses through her granddaughter’s young heart and bones: “Oh, my little one, I can feel your young heart beating so.

I can feel trembling inside your belly. I can hear fear inside your bones.” She speaks of the world as a frightening place for those who lack trust, vowing to stroke trust into her granddaughter—the same trust passed down from her own grandmother and her grandmother before her. The granddaughter feels her grandmother’s immense warmth seeping into her, and as the sun sets, her trembling eases, and she falls asleep. The next day, a group of children surprises her while she plays by the roadside, running toward her with laughter and shouts, asking for directions to the river.

Instead of fleeing, she points to the left, her finger steady despite the shaking within. That evening, she shares the incident with her grandmother, who smiles and declares, “That’s progress!” Lifting her onto her lap, the grandmother strokes her like a cat and sings again, noting the courage her granddaughter showed by helping the children despite her fear: “The world is a frightening place for those without courage, but today you showed you were brave by pointing the way even though you wanted to run.”

Extract 4
Time passes, and the granddaughter’s growth becomes more evident. One day, in the garden, a young hummingbird falls from its nest, its wing broken. Instead of running away, the granddaughter approaches the tiny creature, whose trembling surpasses her own. She feels its fluttering heart and warm, feathery tummy, holding it with the same tenderness her grandmother has shown her. She carries the bird inside, where her grandmother, skilled in caring for injured animals, helps her create a nest of cloth and straw in a box. 

Together, they feed the bird, nurturing it back to health. The grandmother’s smile lights up her face as she exclaims, “Certainly, this is progress!” While the hummingbird sleeps, she takes her granddaughter onto her lap and sings, “My little one, listen well. I can feel trembling in your belly. I can hear fear inside your bones. 

The world is a frightening place for those who cannot help others. Today you helped a tiny, frightened creature and discovered your gift of healing.” Through the night, she holds her grandchild close, singing of the gift of healing—a gift passed down through generations: “This is my gift that I am stroking into you. It is also a gift of my grandmother and of her grandmother before her.”

Growing Up

Nurturing Strength

Extract 5

The granddaughter’s courage continues to blossom. One afternoon at the market, she witnesses a merchant falsely accusing a boy of stealing. Despite her pounding heart, she steps forward and speaks up: “This boy did not take anything; I have watched him. Please do not scream at him.”

When the merchant snarls and claims he lost ten pesos, she reaches into her pocket and gives him all her spending money to resolve the conflict. Breathless from running home, she recounts the event to her grandmother, who remarks, “Ah, this is real progress!” The grandmother takes her onto her lap, stroking her for a long time and singing, “My little one, listen well.

The world is a frightening place for people without dignity. Today you showed your dignity, when you stood tall between the earth and sky. To that I add the dignity I have been given, the dignity of my grandmother and of her grandmother before h

er.”

Extract 6

As the years pass, the granddaughter undergoes a profound transformation. A strange pride pours through her body, making her feel bigger, stronger, and vibrant. The grandmother’s countless strokes and songs—instilling trust, courage, skill, and dignity—sink deep into her granddaughter’s being, moving through her flesh, muscles, blood, heart, and bones. No one remembers the days when she fled from armadillos. She grows into a strong, confident woman, rich in laughter and delighting in the world around her. 

She becomes trusting and trustworthy, generous and kind. Even as an adult with children of her own, she occasionally rests her head in her grandmother’s lap, understanding the language of her grandmother’s hands. As the old woman’s fingers trace their familiar path, the granddaughter smiles and closes her eyes, forever connected to the love and wisdom passed down through generations.

Climbing the Mountains Alone

Healing in Nature

Extract 7

As time weaves its inevitable changes, the grandmother in "Grandmother's Song" grows old and frail, her once-powerful frame now softened by age. The granddaughter, now a pillar of strength herself, takes on the role of caregiver with tender devotion. Each morning, she arrives at dawn to light the fire and boil water for tea, filling the house with warmth. She prepares meals for her grandmother, ensuring her comfort, and gently washes and brushes her fine, silver hair, a ritual that speaks of deep love. With care, she massages her grandmother’s well-worn feet, rubbing each toe with reverence, and takes her grandmother’s stiff, aged fingers in her hands, massaging them to ease their rigidity.

Though their walks together across the village, through the valley, and into the mountains become less frequent, they are still filled with laughter and song. Whenever the ground is uneven, the granddaughter offers her arm, steadying her grandmother with the same care she once received. One night, a dream visits the granddaughter, vivid and poignant. In it, she sees her grandmother climbing the mountains alone. Eager to join her, the granddaughter is stopped by her grandmother’s gentle gesture—a raised hand and a quiet smile in her eyes, as she says, “I have to go on alone.”

The next morning, the granddaughter arrives as usual, but when she goes to wake her grandmother, she finds her body cold, her face serene and free from worry. Grief strikes her like lightning, sharp and overwhelming. Her heart flutters, her stomach churns, and she trembles from head to toe, as if she were cedar branches caught in a raging storm. The familiar fears of her childhood resurface, and she wonders how she can live without her beloved grandmother. Her heart opens like a river, tears soaking her face and chest as she doubles over in despair, sobs rising from deep within her belly and bones.

Extract 8

In the midst of her grief, the granddaughter hears her grandmother’s voice filling the room, as clear and loving as ever: “My little one, listen well.” She feels strong, warm hands stroking her back, invisible yet more immense than her grandmother’s earthly touch. These hands move with profound tenderness, stroking well-being into her from head to toe, up her front and down her back. They lift her, cradle her, and rock her gently, as if she were an infant once more. Warmth floods her heart, belly, and bones, and just as suddenly as her sobbing began, it ceases. A lightness fills her heart, and strength returns to her limbs. 

Standing now, she strokes her grandmother’s cheeks and forehead, her touch a final act of love for the woman who shaped her life. Time moves forward, and the granddaughter becomes a grandmother many times over. She takes her own children and grandchildren onto her broad lap, cradling them with strong, skillful arms. She laughs and cries with them, sings to them, and strokes them, whispering, “My little ones, listen well. Grandmother’s spirit is all around us. She is in the wind and in the trees. She is in the valleys and the hills. 

She is always there when we are with warm friends, when we taste delicious food, and whenever there is carefree laughter or salty tears are shed. No matter where we are, grandmother is never far away. And whenever we need her, we can simply shut our eyes and feel her holding us so very close.” Through her words and touch, she passes on the love, wisdom, and presence of her grandmother, ensuring her spirit lives on in every generation.

Celebrating Grandparents

The Secret Life of my Grandfather

The story of "Grandmother’s Song" is a celebration of the profound bond between generations, particularly the power of human touch. When the grandmother touches her granddaughter, she imparts not only love but the wisdom of generations past, connecting the present to the ancestral lineage. This act of touch carries the weight of history, imprinting both the past and the future onto the granddaughter. 

The grandmother’s listening is equally significant—she listens beneath the surface, beyond her granddaughter’s fears, reaching into the very bones of her being. This deep, attentive listening allows the granddaughter to feel truly received and respected, fostering a sense of self-awareness and inner strength. Through touch and listening, the grandmother helps her granddaughter grow from a fearful child into a confident woman, passing on values of trust, courage, dignity, and kindness.

 Even after her death, the grandmother’s presence endures, felt in the wind, the trees, the valleys, and the hills, and in moments of joy, connection, and sorrow. The story underscores the enduring nature of love and memory, showing how the lessons and touch of one generation ripple forward, shaping the lives of those to come.

Comparing Texts

Jessie Emily Schofield

The poem "Jessie Emily Schofield" by Judy Williams paints an intimate portrait of a granddaughter caring for her elderly grandmother. The narrator describes the act of washing her grandmother’s hair, a moment that becomes a lens for reflecting on their relationship and the grandmother’s life. The grandmother, now old and frail, walks with a frame, her physical vulnerability likened to that of a "learning child." She turns off her hearing aid and bends over the sink, her long fingers gripping the edge as the narrator pours warm water over her head. 

This act of care prompts the narrator to ponder the grandmother’s inner world—her "deaf head" carrying eighty years of life. The grandmother’s hair, described as soft as "wedding dress silk," contrasts with her past, where a photograph shows her with long, chestnut-colored hair she could sit on. The imagery of her "wet head" feeling as delicate as a "birdskull worn thin by waves of age" underscores her fragility and the passage of time. The poem captures a moment of connection, with the grandmother, the narrator’s "mother’s mother," under her hands, emphasizing the continuity of family and the tenderness of touch.

Folk Tales

The session introduces three folk tales from different cultures, each reflecting the genre’s conventions while showcasing unique cultural contexts:

Princess Kwan-Yin (Chinese folk tale)
​This story centers on Kwan-Yin, the youngest daughter of a king, who is favored to become queen. Despite her father’s wishes, Kwan-Yin aspires to a life of study and service to the poor, rejecting the throne and an arranged marriage. As her father nears death, he insists she marry and assume the crown, setting up a conflict between duty and personal values.

The Orphan Boy and the Mysterious Stone (Nigerian folk tale)
​Ayong Kita, a ten-year-old orphan, becomes chief after his parents’ death but faces rejection from his tribe. Fleeing with nothing, he grows hungry and dreams of his father guiding him to buried treasure. Fear prevents him from acting until an old woman gives him a mysterious stone from a lake, urging him to pursue the treasure, suggesting a journey of courage and discovery.

The Gold-Giving Snake (Indian folk tale)
​Haridatta, a poor farmer, encounters a giant snake and offers it milk, hoping for good fortune. The snake rewards him with a gold coin, a pattern that continues daily. When Haridatta delegates the task to his son, the son’s greed leads him to attempt killing the snake to steal its gold, introducing themes of gratitude and the consequences of greed.

Each tale reflects folk tale conventions, such as simple settings, moral challenges, and lessons about human behavior, while drawing on cultural specifics to enrich their narratives.