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TheGreyManintheGraveyard"Holdyournoise!"criedaterriblevoice,asamanstartedupfromamongthegravesatthe
sideofthechurchporch."Keepstill,youlittledevil,orI'llcutyourthroat!"
Afearfulman,allincoarsegrey,withagreatirononhisleg.Amanwithnohat,andwith
brokenshoes,andwithanoldragtiedroundhishead.Amanwhohadbeensoakedin
water,andsmotheredinmud,andlamedbystones,andcutbyflints,andstungbynettles,
andtornbybriars;wholimped,andshivered,andglaredandgrowled;andwhoseteeth
chatteredinhisheadasheseizedmebythechin.
"O!Don'tcutmythroat,sir,"Ipleadedinterror."Praydon'tdoit,sir."
"Tellusyourname!"saidtheman."Quick!"
"Pip,sir."
"Oncemore,"saidtheman,staringatme."Giveitmouth!"
"Pip.Pip,sir."
"Showuswhereyoulive,"saidtheman."Pointouttheplace!"
Ipointedtowhereourvillagelay,ontheflatin-shoreamongthealder-treesandpollards,a
mileormorefromthechurch.
Theman,afterlookingatmeforamoment,turnedmeupsidedown,andemptiedmy
pockets.Therewasnothinginthembutapieceofbread.Whenthechurchcametoitself-
forhewassosuddenandstrongthathemadeitgoheadoverheelsbeforeme,andIsaw
thesteepleundermyfeet- whenthechurchcametoitself,Isay,Iwasseatedonahigh
tombstone,trembling,whileheatethebreadravenously.
"Youyoungdog,"saidtheman,lickinghislips,"whatfatcheeksyouha'got."
Ibelievetheywerefat,thoughIwasatthattimeundersizedformyyears,andnotstrong.
"DarnmeifIcouldn'teatem,"saidtheman,withathreateningshakeofhishead,"andifI
han't halfamindto't!”
Iearnestlyexpressedmyhopethathewouldn't,andheldtightertothetombstoneon
whichhehadputme;partly,tokeepmyselfuponit;partly,tokeepmyselffromcrying.
"Nowlookee here!"saidtheman."Where'syourmother?"
"There,sir!"saidI.
Hestarted,madeashortrun,andstoppedandlookedoverhisshoulder.
"There,sir!"Itimidlyexplained."AlsoGeorgiana.That'smymother."
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TheGreyManintheGraveyard"Oh!"saidhe,comingback."Andisthatyourfatheralonger yourmother?"
"Yes,sir,"saidI;"himtoo;lateofthisparish."
"Ha!"hemutteredthen,considering."Whod'ye livewith- supposin'you'rekindlyletto
live,whichIhan't madeupmymindabout?"
"Mysister,sir- Mrs.JoeGargery - wifeofJoeGargery,theblacksmith,sir."
"Blacksmith,eh?"saidhe.Andlookeddownathisleg.
Afterdarklylookingathislegandmeseveraltimes,hecameclosertomytombstone,took
mebybotharms,andtiltedmebackasfarashecouldholdme;sothathiseyeslooked
mostpowerfullydownintomine,andminelookedmosthelplesslyupintohis.
"Nowlookee here,"hesaid,"thequestionbeingwhetheryou'retobelettolive.Youknow
whatafileis?"
"Yes,sir."
"Andyouknowwhatwittles is?"
"Yes,sir."
Aftereachquestionhetiltedmeoveralittlemore,soastogivemeagreatersenseof
helplessnessanddanger.
"Yougetmeafile."Hetiltedmeagain."Andyougetmewittles."Hetiltedmeagain."You
bring'em bothtome."Hetiltedmeagain."OrI'llhaveyourheartandliverout."Hetilted
meagain.
Iwasdreadfullyfrightened,andsogiddythatIclungtohimwithbothhands,andsaid,"If
youwouldkindlypleasetoletmekeepupright,sir,perhapsIshouldn'tbesick,andperhaps
Icouldattendmore."
Hegavemeamosttremendousdipandroll,sothatthechurchjumpedoveritsown
weather-cock.Then,heheldmebythearms,inanuprightpositiononthetopofthestone,
andwentoninthesefearfulterms:
"Youbringme,to-morrowmorningearly,thatfileandthemwittles.Youbringthelottome,
atthatoldBatteryoveryonder.Youdoit,andyouneverdaretosayawordordaretomake
asignconcerningyourhavingseensuchapersonasme,oranypersonsumever,andyou
shallbelettolive.Youfail,oryougofrommywordsinanypartickler,nomatterhowsmall
itis,andyourheartandyourlivershallbetoreout,roastedandate.
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TheGreyManintheGraveyard1.Matchtheunfamiliarvocabularywithitsmoderndayequivalent.
3.Canyouexplainhowtheauthorusesvocabularytomakethemansound‘scary.’
2. “Withagreatirononhisleg”Whatdoesthistellusabouttheman?
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alonger hadn’t
wittles alongside
partickler victuals(food)
han’t particular
TheGreyManintheGraveyard4.WhydoesPiplivewithhissister?
5.InyourownwordssummarisewhatthemansaystoPip.
6. WhatdoyouthinkPipdoesnext?WhatwouldyoudoifyouwerePip?
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