Clearing in the Sky

By Jesse Stuart

 

Jesse Stuart was an American writer and educator, known for his works depicting rural life in Kentucky. Born in 1906, he wrote short stories, novels, and poetry, often highlighting themes of nature, education, and the struggles of Appalachian communities. His most famous work is the novel “Taps for Private Tussie (1943).”

“Clearing in the Sky” explores the themes of perseverance, aging, and the connection to the land. The story follows an elderly man who defies his doctor’s advice by continuing to farm, revealing his deep-rooted determination and love for nature. Through this narrative, Stuart emphasizes the enduring spirit and resilience of rural life.

 

Mcqs from the Text

1. The old man wanted to show his son

(a) his land (b) his car (c) his farm (d) a patch of clearing

2. What was the weather like?

(a) sunny (b) pleasant (c) rainy (d) hot

3. How many years ago the doctor advised the old man to take rest?

(a) 20 (b) 30 (c) 40 (d) 50

4. How many brothers and sisters did Jesse have?

(a) 4 (b) 5 (c) 7 (d) 6

5. What did the old man cut with his pocket knife?

(a) a branch (b) a wisp of alfalfa (c) tomato (d) a sapling

6. Why did the old man hunt the squirrels?

(a) to pet them (b) as a hobby (c) they spoil his crop (d) to cook them for meal

7. What type of special tree was found by the old man?

(a) apple (b) mango (c) coffee (d) tea

8. The clearing on the top was not more than

(a) two acres (b) three acres (c) four acres (d) three-fourths of an acre

9. The land was fenced by________.

(a) the mother (b) the old man (c) the author (d) his brother

10. How many doctors the old man had visited in the last four months?

(a) 4 (b) 8 (c) 7 (d) 5

11. What was the temperature in the shade?

(a) 97 (b) 98 (c) 95 (d) 99

12. What had one of the doctors told the old man?

(a) take exercise (b) eat healthy (c) walk daily (d) not to walk the length of a city block

13. Who threw green hickory shells at them?

(a) the birds (b) children (c) monkeys (d) squirrels

14. The morning wind at the break of the day in ___________ was so good to breathe.

(a) October (b) April (c) March (d) August

15. ______ winds rustled the big leaves of the trees and they fell like yellow raindrops.

(a) October (b)February (c) March (d) September

16. What were the names of their hounds?

(a) Sam & Scout (b) Sam & Rags (c) Sam & Sandy (d) Rags & Scout

17. The ______ at the top of the mountain looked as if the fingers of their long boughs were fondling
the substance of a white cloud.

(a) pines (b) oaks (c) hickories (d) cypress

18. The author had not visited this part of the form in the last ________ years.

(a) 3 (b) 5 (c) 1 (d) 2

19. What is the meaning of sapling?

(a) herb (b) weed (c) a little plant (d) none of these

20. Jesse thought that his father had found a new kind of wild grass, or an ______, or a new kind of tree.

(a) unfamiliar plant (b) unfamiliar herb (c) animal (d) insect

21. How many times did the old man stop to wipe the sweat from his eyes?

(a) twice (b) thrice (c) many times (d) only once

22. The old man fenced the land against

(a) pigs (b) stray cattle (c) thieves (d) none of these

23. He ________ the smell of this wild dirt into his nostrils.

(a) whiffed (b) sniffed (c) puffed (d) drew

24. The old man grew potatoes, ________, and tomatoes in his patch of clearing.

(a) yams (b) turnips (c) pumpkins (d) okra

25. Anything grown in a new land like this has a better __________.

(a) yield (b) flavor (c) shape (d) smell

26. There was not a single ________ in the patch.

(a) herb (b) weed (c) tree (d) blade of grass

27. Stalwart means

(a) big (b) long (c) weak (d) strong

27. _______ times in his life a doctor has told the old man to go home and be with his family.

(a) 20 (b) 10 (c)30 (d) many

28. What is the age of the old man?

(a) 60 (b) 70 (c)80 (d) 90

29. What was the color of his bandana?

(a) blue (b) green (c) yellow (d) red

30. What was the age of the old man and his wife when they cleared the mountain?

(a) 19 & 22 (b) 20 & 24 (c) 26 & 28 (d) 20 & 21

31. The old man plowed the patch of clearing with the help of __________.

(a) horse (b) cattle (c) mule (d) a pair of oxen

32. What was the age of the author when his father made him a wooden plow?

(a) 6 (b) 8 (c)10 (d) 12

33. Where did the author lose his wooden plow?

(a) in the field (b) on the mountain (c) in the corn (d) in a furrow

 

Questions and Answers

 

Q: Why didn’t the old man follow the advice of the doctor?

Ans. He is an active person who cannot sit still. The doctor advised him not to walk a city block but he ignored his advice and walked home five miles across the mountain. He had his own yardstick to measure his health and he did not believe what the doctors told him. He considers his ability to work hard as a yardstick to measure his health condition.

Q: What had the doctors told the old man?

Ans. The doctors had told the old man to go home and spend time with his family. They also forbade him to do any kind of work and enjoy the few days of life that he had left with him.

Q: Where did the old man take his son?

Ans. The old man took his son to the highest point of the mountain. He had cleared a piece of land and grown vegetables there. He wanted to show his son this piece of clearing in the sky which was a testament to his unyielding spirit and never-say-die approach.

Q: Had the son ever been there before?

Ans. The son had been there several times. He remembered his time spent there while climbing to the top. But for the last three years, he had not visited this place.

Q: What were the vegetables the old man grew on his farm?

Ans. The old man grew yams, tomatoes, and potatoes on his farm. He believed that the vegetables grown in land which has never been cultivated before would be richer in taste.

Q: Why did the old man take the steep path?

Ans. The old man had made many paths leading towards the clearing. They were winding but less steep. He made a long winding path when the doctor told him that he did not have many days to live. With the passage of time, he made steeper paths which was an indication that he was getting better. Now that he was feeling healthy, he decided to take the path straight up the point.

Q: Why did the son at the age of six cry?

Ans. The son cried at the age of six because he had lost the wooden plow in the furrows his father had made for him. Seeing him cry, his father made him another wooden plough but he never liked it the way he liked the first one.

Q: What were the feelings of the old man at the age of seventy?

Ans. The old man felt that he had reached the age where his time on earth was borrowed. He tells his son that when a person reaches at this point in his life, he feels nostalgic. He goes to the places and people he knew and loved. The same happened to the old man who came back to this piece of land and decided to cultivate it.

Q: Why had the old man planted his secret garden?

Ans. The old man and his wife cleared most of the mountainous land and cultivated it. He wanted to relive the days he and his wife worked on this land. Moreover, he wanted to cultivate a land which has never been plowed before. He believed that the vegetables grown on such land would be richer in taste.