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STAGE

3

A Cup of Kindness:
Stories from Scotland
Retold by Jennifer Bassett

Introduction

This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only
and should not be given to students.

The stories
the pigeon is about a Polish man called Jan Szager
who has come to live in a small Scottish town after the
Second World War. During the war, Jan was taken to a
prison camp because hisgreat-grandfather was
Jewish. His wife and daughter were taken to a
separate camp. Jan survived the war, but his wife and

cold dark house. In the previous autumn, he met a

daughter did not. He has now married a kind Scottish

twenty-year old girl called Andrina and she now comes

woman called Ella.

every afternoon to help him. But one day at the end of

It’s New Year’s Eve and Ellais going out to celebrate,

February, Torvald starts to feel very ill and Andrina

but Jan doesn’t want to join her this year. He has

doesn’t come to his house as usual. After several days,

recently been looking after an ill pigeon. He decides to

he realizes that Andrina has stopped coming.

take the bird out into the dark streets. He remembers

On the last afternoon that Andrinacame to the

his dead family and for a moment he believes that he

house, Torvald talked of how fifty years ago he had

has his daughter again in his hands. But he then

once loved a poor young girl called Sigrid. But the girl

realizes that he is only holding a pigeon and it is now

had become pregnant and he had run away from

dead. He suddenly needs to be back with Ella and

herand gone to sea. Andrina seemed shocked by

rushes home. She understands his deep sadness and

the story.

carefully helps him to bury the pigeon in the garden.

When Torvald later asks others on the island about

donald and the drovers is set on the islands of

Andrina, they have never heard of her. He then gets an

the Outer Hebrides in the 1890s. Twice a year, men

unexpectedletter from Sigrid in Australia, explaining

called drovers come from the mainland to buy cattle at

her years of silence. She tells him that their daughter

the island markets. Two of the islands, South Uist and

had a daughter called Andrina – their grandchild.

Benbecula are separated by a ford – it is only possible

Andrina has often said that she wants to know more

to walk acrossthe ford when the tide is low. When the

about her grandfather and wishes to go to Scotland to

tide comes in, the only safe place is a very small island

care for him in his old age. She is very interested to

between South Uist and Benbecula.

learn more about her grandparents’ love story. But

A ferryman called Donald has a boat for travellers

Sigrid finishes the letter bysaying that this will now

who have missed the low tide. One evening, Donald

never happen as Andrina died suddenly last week, in

agrees to take three drovers across the ford. On the

the first days of spring.

way, Donald asks them to pay six pence each, but they

the Confession takes place in a police interview

only offer him three pence. Donald lets them off the

room. Ian has beenarrested and is being interviewed

boat and rows away. The drovers then realize that

by a detective. Ian explains at great length about the

Donald has left them on the dark, lonely island in the

crime he has committed with his brother Tony and

middle of the ford.

some friends. One day, Ian and Tony pretended to be

Donald rows home and waits for a while. He

officials fromthe Department of Transport. They

decides that he has left the drovers long enough to

stopped a truck, tied up the driver and stole the cargo

teach them a lesson. He then goes back to pick them

of washing machines. But they didn’t realize that the

up. They offer him a lot of money to take them away,

washing machines belonged to a famous drug dealer

but he only accepts his...