More Wonders in Merlin’s Room - Dulwich College 11+

Source passage

The Wart slept well in the wood where he had laid himself down. At first he only dipped below the surface of sleep, and skimmed along like a salmon, so close to the surface of the water that he imagined himself in the air. He thought himself awake when he was already asleep. He imagined he could see the stars above his face, whirling around on their axis. He could hear rustling coming from the trees above him, and soft wing-beats, and stealthy bellies moving over the grass-blades.

It was nine o'clock when he awoke, ravenous. Hearing a curious faint clanking noise, he decided to investigate. The noise was coming from a clearing, where there stood a snug little dwelling built of stone. There was a well, and the metallic noise which the Wart had heard was caused by a very old gentleman who was drawing water out of it by means of a bucket and chain.

The old gentleman was a fascinating spectacle. He was dressed in a flowing gown with fur edges, and had on a pointed hat like a dunce's cap, a pair of spectacles which sat on the end of his nose, and snowy whiskers. His shoulders were streaked with bird-droppings, among the stars and triangles of his gown, and a large spider was slowly spinning a web on the tip of his hat, as he gazed and slowly blinked at the boy in front of him.

He nodded to the Wart, and walked off towards the cottage. The Wart followed him, offering to carry his bucket, which seemed to please the old gentleman, and waiting while he counted his keys, muttered, and dropped them in the grass. Finally, when they reached the cottage, he climbed up a ladder after his host, and found himself in the most marvellous room he had ever been in.

There was a real phoenix hanging from the rafters, hundreds of brown books in leather bindings, stuffed birds, fossils, boars' tusks and claws of tigers. The Wart feasted his eyes on the extraordinary sight.

Merlin took off his pointed hat, and immediately there was a little scamper in one of the dark corners, and a flap of soft wings, and a young tawny owl was sitting on the top of his head.

'Oh, what a lovely owl!' cried the Wart. But when he went up to it and held out his hand, the owl stood up stiff as a poker, closed its eyes so there was only the smallest slit to peep through, and looked the other way.

'We see so little company,' explained Merlin, 'that Archimedes is a little shy of strangers. Come, Archimedes, I want you to meet a friend of mine.' He took a dead mouse from under his hat, and gave it to the Wart, who offered it rather gingerly to Archimedes. The owl looked closely at the mouse, blinked at the Wart, then hopped onto his outstretched hand. He stood there with an expression of rapture on his face, as if he were saying grace, and then took the morsel as gently as if it were a soap bubble. He held it up in his right foot, as if he were a boy holding a stick of rock. He examined it, and nibbled its tail. He looked round at the company with the tail hanging out of the corner of his mouth, turned his head away, politely swallowed the tail, and began to scratch himself with his left toe.

'Let him alone,' said Merlin. 'For perhaps he does not want to be friends with you until he knows what you are like. With owls, it is never easy-come and easy-go. Now it is time for breakfast!'

The Wart saw that the most perfect breakfast was laid out neatly for two, on the table before the window. There were peaches, melons, strawberries, kidneys and mushrooms on toast, coffee and chocolate.

'Have some mustard,' said Merlin.

The mustard-pot got up and walked over to his plate on thin silver legs that waddled like the owl's. Then it uncurled its handles and one handle lifted its lid with exaggerated courtesy while the other helped him to a generous spoonful.

'Oh, I love the mustard-pot!' cried the Wart. 'Where ever did you get it?'

At this, the pot beamed all over its face and began to strut a bit, but Merlin rapped it on the head with a teaspoon, so that it sat down and shut up at once.

'It's not a bad pot,' he said grudgingly. 'Only it is inclined to give itself airs.'

Writing task

There are 24 marks for this question, of which 8 are awarded for the accuracy of your written English (punctuation, grammar, use of English and spelling), and 16 are awarded for the inventiveness and sophistication of your descriptive writing.

Look again at paragraph 5. Using details from the passage, and your own imagination, continue the description of Merlin's room. Try to describe what we might see, hear, and feel, if we were in the room.

You will be rewarded for:

• Inventive vocabulary
• Appropriate use of similes and metaphors
• Correct use of punctuation, spelling and grammar

(24 marks)