8th Grade

Look at the picture carefully.

1. What do you see in this picture?

2. What are the details you notice when you look at it closely?

3. How did the artist hide minute details from our eyes at first sight?

The Mysterious Picture

Let’s read a story from The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegel. It narrates an interesting
episode from the life of an artist.

Charles De Coster (1827-’79),
the father of Belgian literature,
was born in Munich. His masterpiece is
The Legend of Tyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme
Goedzak (1867), a 16th-century romance,
which was barely read in Belgium because
it did not meet up to the conventional standards of
Belgian nationalism. But it gained popularity all
over the world. It is considered as one of the
classics in Belgian literature.

1 Tyl, in the course of his wanderings from
court to court, rode to the palace of the
Archduke of Battenburg on his donkey.
His clothes and appearance attracted
everyone’s attention. His cap was set
smartly on his head and the three bright
feathers on it danced in the breeze as he
rode. At the main entrance to the palace,
the Captain of the Guards called out to
him, ‘Hei there! You fellow on the donkey!
We don’t allow any loafers here. You and
your donkey already look like skeletons.’

1. Where do the events narrated in the story take
place?

Ans:- The events of the story took place in the palace of the Archduke of Batt- Orenburg

2. Mention the two central characters you identify
at this point?

Ans:- Tyi Ulenspiegel and the Captain of the Guards are the characters at this point.

2 The Captain of the Guards was a tall,
well-built, red-haired man of about
twenty-five. He was handsomely dressed
in his gold-braided uniform. Tyl looked
at him coolly and then dismounted from
his donkey. He bowed low and said, ‘May
God bless you, Sir Captain! If I look like
a skeleton, it is not my fault. I’m very
hungry. I’ve come here because I’m forced
to. If you will be so good as to give me a
piece of the gold cord that you wear on
your coat, I’ll go and hang myself by the
teeth on that large leg of mutton that I
see hanging in that butcher’s shop.’

3. What do you understand about the character of
Tyl? Is he a serious man or one with sense of
humour? How do you know this?

Ans :- Tyl is person who wanders from court to court. He is a man with a good sense of humor. His appearance and mannerisms make us think so.

3 The Captain was playing a game of chess
with another officer. He looked curiously
at Tyl.
‘Where do you come from?’ he asked.
‘From Flanders,’ replied Tyl.
‘What do you want?’
‘I should like to show His Highness, the
Archduke, one of my paintings. I’m a
painter.’
‘Well, if you are a painter and if you come
from Flanders, you may come in,’ said the
Captain somewhat impressed.
The Captain knew that Flemish painters
and their pictures were in great demand
all over Europe. Tyl was presented to the
Archduke. He saluted the Archduke three
times and stood before him with his head
bowed. 'May your Highness pardon me for

4. Is there a change in the attitude of the Captain?
What is the reason behind it?

Ans:- Yes, because the Captain of the Guards understood that Tyl was a Flemish painter.

my rashness in thinking that one of
my paintings will please your Highness. I
have brought a picture of Our Lady, the
Virgin, in her royal robes. I have painted
it specially so that I might lay it at your
noble feet.’ Tyl paused a few moments for
his words to sink in. Then he continued,
‘You must forgive me, Your Highness, if
I’ve dared to hope that this picture will
please you. Perhaps Your Highness might
wish to offer me the chair of your court
painter who died recently. I can see the
empty velvet chair waiting to be filled.’

5. The language used by Tyl when he speaks to
the Archduke shows his respect for him. Pick out
a few instances which show this.

Ans:- The words, “May, Your Highness pardon me. I might lay it at your noble feet.” shows Tyl’s respect for the Archduke.