GRADE 10 SECOND TERM SHORT STORIES

THE LATE BUD – AMA ATA AIDOO

1. Which effect does the smell of cooked cocoyam porridge and seasoned beef have on
Yaaba? (2)
2. Why can we say her reaction to the smell of the porridge and beef is ironic? (2)
3. How do the other children’s meals differ from Yaaba’s? (2)
4. Quote one word from p130 (paragraph 1) to prove that the children only receive small
portions of the sweet porridge. (1)
5. Do you think it is fair that Yaaba is not allowed to eat any of the sweet porridge unless
she contributes to household chores? Motivate your answer. (2)
6. Complete the following sentence by writing down one word as answer.
Cooking and dishing up the delicious sweet porridge is the mother’s way of ________ her
children for working hard in the house. (1)
7. Which aspect upsets Yaaba more than not having the privilege to eat some of the
sweet porridge? (1)
8. Why, do you think, doesn’t Yaaba confront her mother about the fact that she isn’t
addressed as lovingly as the other children? (2)
9. On p130 Yaaba overhears her mother’s predicament. Identify her mother’s concern. (2)
10. In which ways will Yaaba be a different parent than her mother one day? (2)
11. How old is Yaaba? (1)
12. Identify Yaaba’s good intention on Christmas morning. (2)
13. Do you agree with Maami that a 10-year-old girl is not a child anymore?
Motivate your answer. (2)
14. What does Maami mean with, “The house cannot hold you.”? (2)
15. When Maami sees Yaaba sleeping, “her heart makes a somersault”.
15.1 Identify the figure of speech in the above quote. (1)
15.2 Explain how the sight makes Maami feel. (1)
16. Why, do you think, doesn’t Yaaba cry or scream when her mother starts hitting her? (1)
17. What is the reason for Maami’s anger? (2)
18. Discuss how Yaaba is injured. (3)
19. Name the three suggestions that are made to wake Yaaba up. (3)
20. Which conclusions are Yaaba able to make in the end? Refer to the passage. (4)
21. Discuss the effectiveness of the title. (1)

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MEMORANDUM
THE LATE BUD – AMA ATA AIDOO

1. It makes her feel good. She leaves what she is playing with (pebbles),  she immediately
jumps up and announces that she is going home.  (2)
2. She isn’t allowed to eat any porridge or beef.   (2)
3. The other children are allowed to eat some of the sweet porridge,  but not Yaaba.  (2)
4. “titbits”  (1)
5. Yes. They contribute to the house by doing chores. The sweet porridge serve as a
reward for their hard work. OR
No. It is not fair that some children are allowed to eat tastier food than others.  (2)
6. rewarding  (1)
7. Her mother never refers to her as “my child” as she does with the other children.  (1)
8. It is against their culture to question elder people’s decisions.  She is also afraid of
her mother’s reaction.  (2)
9. There is no “red earth” to polish the floor with  and Adwoa is not there to run to the pit
to fetch her some.  (2)
10. She will always play with her children  and she will not complain about anything.  (2)
11. She is ten.  (1)
12. She wants to go with her friends to the pit to get some red earth for her mother.  (2)
13. No. A child of ten is still a child and a minor. A young child of ten years cannot take
full responsibility for his/her actions because he/she is still too immature. (any similar
answer)  (2)
14. She means that Yaaba cannot stay in the household any longer  if she is not prepared
to do her share/contribute by doing chores.  (2)
15.1 Personification.  (1)
15.2 She is shocked/did not expect to see Yaaba lying on the floor.  (1)
16. She doesn’t want to satisfy her mother / she knows that her mother expects that she
will cry.  (1)
17. Yaaba fell asleep  before washing herself / and she is still dirty.  (2)
18. She stumbles upon a large bowl of water,  slips on the fluid,  falls and hits her
head on the shelf.  (3)
19. Touching her feet with fire,  squeezing a little ginger juice in her nostrils,  pouring
water into her nose.  (3)
20. Her mother still cares for her:  she is emotional and cries. 
She is still her mother’s child:  her mother finally calls her “my child”  (4)
21. The Late Bud refers to Yaaba, the young girl who is different to her siblings.  (1)

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