The passage is from the short story "The Drover's Wife" and describes her difficult life alone in the Australian bush with her children. She is anxious because her husband has been gone for six months and one of her nephew recently died from a snake bite. To protect her children from snakes, she makes them sleep on the kitchen table at night. She keeps watch through the night with a stick, ready to defend against any snakes that may enter the house. The family also relies on their dog Alligator to help kill any snakes that appear. The drover's wife demonstrates strength and courage in facing the daily hardships and dangers of living alone in the isolated bush.

1. THE DROVER’S WIFE
1. What or who is Alligator?
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2. Why is the bushwoman alone?
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3. Do you think the bushwomen happy with her life?
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4. In your opinion. What kind of qualities should a woman have in order to be a
drover’s wife?
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5. Why are they made to sleep on the kitchen table?
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6. Explain why the woman’s husband had left her alone in the bush?
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7. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
She is not a coward, but recent events have shattered her nerves. A little son
of her brother-in-law was lately bitten by a snake and died. Besides, she has not
heard from her husband for six months and is anxious about him.
He was a drover and started squatting here when they were married. The
drought ruined him
a) What incident had just happened which make the drovers wife so uneasy?
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b) Describe the life o a drover’s wife.
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c) What kind of person do you think she is?
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d) Explain why the woman’s husband had left her alone in the bush.
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2. e) Other than physical danger, state on form of hardship she suffered in the
bush.
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f) Would you have been able to live like the drover’s wife? Explain why.
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8. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
The drover’s wife makes the children stand together near the dog-
house while she watches for the snake. She gets two small dishes of
milk and sets them down near the wall to tempt it to come out; but an
hour goes by, and it does not show itself
a) What does she make the children stand together near the dog-house?
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b) What does she do with the children an hour later?
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c) What does she do while waiting for the snake to appear?
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d) What kind of mother she is?
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3. 9. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
Alligator springs and his jaws come together with a snap. He
. misses this time, for his nose is large and the snake’s body close down
in the angle formed by the slabs and the floor. He snaps again as the
tail comes around. He has the snake now and tugs it out eighteen
inches. Thus, thus, comes the woman’s club on the ground. Alligators
pulls again. Thud, thud. Alligator pulls some more. He has the snake
put now – a black brute, five feet long. The head rises to dart about, but
the dog has the enemy close to the neck. He is big, heavy dog, but
quick as a terrier. The eldest boy wakes up. Seizes his stick and tries to
get out of bed; but his mother forces him back him back with a grip of
iron. Thud, thud – the snake’s back is broken in several places. Thud,
thud – its head is crushed and Alligator’s nose skinned again.
a) Who/What helped the women to kill the snake?
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b) Describe how Alligator helps the drover’s wife to kill the snake.
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c) Describe the relationship between Alligator and the family.
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d) What is the role of the dog in the family?
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e) How does she react after this incident?
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4. 10. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
It must be near daylight now. The room is nery close and hot
because of the fire. Alligator still watches the wall from time to time.
Suddenly, he becomes greatly interested; he draws himself a few inches
nearer the partition and a thrill runs his body. The hair on the back of his
neck begins to bristle, and the battle-light is in his yellow eyes. She
know what this means and lay her hand on the stick.
a) What does Alligator’s reaction mean?
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b) What is the use of the stick?
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c) If a black poisonous snake entered your house, what would you do? Give a
reason for your answer.
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5. 11. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
Near midnight. The children are asleep and she sits there still,
sewing and reading by turns. From time to time she glances round the
floor and wall-plate and whenever she hears a noise, she reaches for
the stick. The thunderstorm comes on and the wind, rushing through
the cracks in the slab wall, threatens to blow out her candle. She
places it on the sheltered part of the dresser and fixes up a newspaper
to protect it. At every flash of lighting, the cracks between the slabs
gleam like polished silver. The thunder rolls and the rain comes down
in torrents.
a) What was the woman doing?
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b) What kind of life does she lead as a drover’s wife?
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c) What can you infer about the weather in the beginning of the story? Support
your answer with evidence from the short story.
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d) What is the climax of the novel?
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12. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
“Tommy, come here, or you’ll be bitten. Come here at once I tell you!;
The youngster come reluctantly, carrying a stick bigger than himself.
Then he yells triumphantly,
“ There it goes-under the house!” and darts away with club uplifted. At
the same time, the big, black, yellow-eyed dog-of-all-breeds, who has
shown the wildest interest in the proceedings, breaks his chain and his
nose reaches the cracks in the slabs just at the end of its tails disappear.
Almost at the same moment, the boy’s club comes down and skins the
aforesaid nose. Alligators takes small notice of this and proceeds to
undermine the building; but he is subdued, after a struggle and chained
up. They cannot afford to lose him.

6. a) Who is Tommy?
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b) Why is Tommy carrying a stick?
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c) What do you know about Tommy’s character after reading this story? Give
two points, supporting each point with a reference to the short story.
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d) What are the roles of the dog in the family?
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e) Why do you think they cannot afford to lose the dog?
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f) Why is the dog “shown the wildest interest in the proceedings, breaks his
chain and his nose reaches the cracks in the slabs? What is the proceedings?
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g) Which of the characters in this story you most admire. Explain your choice.
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13. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
She brings the children in and makes them get on this
table. There are two boys and two girls – mere babies. She gives
them supper and then, before it gets dark, she goes into the
house and snatches up some pillows and bedclothes-expecting
to see or lay her hand on the snake at any minute.
a) The women finally, decides to make the children sleep on the table in the
kitchen.
i) Explain why she chooses the kitchen instead of the bedroom.
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ii) Why are they made to sleep on the kitchen table.
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7. iii) If you are the women, would you have done the same as her? Give a
reason why.
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14. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
She lifts the mangle reptile on the point of her snake, carries it
to the fire and throws it in; the piles on the wood and watches the
snake burn. The boy and the dog watch too. She lays her hand on the
dog’s head and all the fierce, angry light dies out of his yellow eyes.
The younger children are quieted and presently go to sleep. The boy
stands for a moment in his shirt, watching the fire. Presently he looks
up to her, sees the tears in his eyes and, throwing his arm round the
neck exclaims; Mother, I’ll never go droving.”
And she hugs him to her breast and kisses him; and they sit
thus together while the sickly daylight breaks over the bush.
a) Describe briefly the dog’s role in killing the snake.
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b) Would you like a dog like this? Explain why. (36)
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c) What happened to the snake at the end?
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d) Why has Tommy decided never to go droving?
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e) Do you think he will keep his promise? Give a reason for your answer.
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f) Why do you think the new day is described as the ‘sickly daylight’?
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8. 15. Read the extract from the short story The Drover’s Wife below and answer the
questions that follow.
She makes on the bed on the kitchen, and sits down beside it to
watch all night. She has an eye on the corner and a green sapling club
lain in readiness on the dresser by her side; also her sewing basket and
a copy of the Young’s Ladies Journal. She has brought the dog into
the room.
a) Where is the woman’s husband?
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b) What has caused the woman ‘to watch all night’? Briefly describe what
happens before the incident?
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c) What can you say about the woman knowing that she reads The Young
Ladies’s Journal?
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d) In your opinion, what is the significance of the drover’s wife reading The
Young Ladies’s Journal?
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e) Why did the woman bring the dog in?
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