Hecules, Gazi Pir, passage

1.      Read the passage below and answer the following questions  A & B:

Hercules was the son of Jupiter ad Alcmena, Eurystheus, the king of Mycenae and his cousin, made him undergo some difficult tasks, which are known in Greek myths as the ‘twelve labours of  Hercules’. The first involved a fight with a lion. The valley of Nemea was being disturbed by a terrible lion and so Eurystheus ordered Hercules to slay the beast and bring him his skin. At first, Hercules tried to fight the lion with his club and arrows but this took him nowhere.

Then Hercules attempted a different tactic: he decided he would use his hands. He thus managed to slay the animal on his own, relying entirely on his immense strength. Victorious, he returned to Mycenae carrying the dead lion on his shoulders, a sight that terrified the king.

His next task was to slay a monster called Hydra that was ravaging the country of Argos. The Hydra had nine heads, of which the middle one was said t be immortal. Our hero struck off its heads with his club, but whenever he knocked off a head, two new ones erupted in its place. Eventually with he help of his devoted servant Iolaus, Hercules succeeded in burning all the heads of the Hydra except the ninth or immortal on, which he decided to bury under a huge rock. In other words, Hercules triumphed again, as he would every time he was given an impossible task by Eurystheus! And this is how he began to acquire the reputation of a hero possessing immense strength throughout the world.

2.      Read the following text and make a flow-chart showing the specialties of Gazi Pir (One is done for you)                                                                                                                     10

According to some myths and legends, Gazi Pir was a Muslim saint who is said to have spread Islam in the parts of Bengal close to the Sunderbans. He was credited with many miracles. For example, he could supposedly calm dangerous animals and make them docile. He is usually depicted in paats or scroll paintings riding a fierce looking Bengal tiger, a snake in his hand, but in no apparent danger. According to some stories, he also fought crocodiles who threatened the people of a region full of canals and creeks, indeed, a kind of watery jungle bordering the bay of Bengal. Because of his alert and vigilant presence, all predatory animals were said to have been kept within bounds. It was also believed that he enabled villagers to live close to forest and jungles and cultivate their lands. Consequently, people of these regions would pray to him for protection. The story of Gazi Pir has been preserved in folk literature as well as art and has been performed in indigenous theatre. In fact, some Gazipaat scrolls are part of the collection of the British Museum.

1.      Being credited with miracles

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