APPEARANCE & REALITY

(A) In folk tales, a common theme is things not being what they appear to be. From Cinderella to the Frog
Prince, a character’s appearance doesn’t necessarily reflect who they are. The extract below is taken from
the folk tale ‘Bearskin’ by the Brothers Grimm, which tells the story of a soldier who makes a pact with the
Devil.

Task 1 – a) Read the extract and answer the questions below:

(10 points total, 1 point each)

[1]“For the next seven years, never wash yourself, nor comb your
beard, nor your hair, nor cut your nails, nor say one paternoster. I
will give you a coat and a cloak, which during this time you must
wear. If you die during these seven years, you are mine; if you
remain alive, you are free, and rich to boot for the rest of your
life”.
The soldier thought of the great extremity in which he now found
himself, and as he so often had gone to meet death, he resolved to
risk it now also, and agreed to the terms. The Devil took off his
green coat, gave it to the soldier, and said, “If you have this coat
on your back and put your hand in the pocket, you will always find
it full of money”. Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said,
“This will be your cloak and your bed also, from now on you will
sleep on it, and in no other bed you will lay, and because of this apparel, you will be called ‘Bearskin’. After
this the Devil vanished.
[2] The soldier put the coat on, felt at once in the pocket, and found that the thing was really true. Then he put
on the bearskin and went forth into the world, and enjoyed himself, refraining from nothing that did him good
and his money harm. During the first year his appearance was passable, but during the second he began to look
like a monster. His hair covered nearly the whole of his face, his beard was like a piece of coarse felt, his
fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if cress had been sown on it, it would have come
up. Whoever saw him, ran away, but as he everywhere gave the poor money to pray that he might not die
during the seven years, and as he paid well for everything he still always found shelter.
[3] In the fourth year, he entered an inn where the landlord would not receive him, and would not even let him
have a place in the stable, because he was afraid that the horses would be scared. But as Bearskin thrust his
hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, the host let him be persuaded and gave him a room in an
outhouse. Bearskin was, however, obliged to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad
name.
[4] As Bearskin was sitting alone in the evening, and wishing from the bottom of his heart that the seven years
were over, he heard a loud lamenting in a neighboring room. He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the
door, and saw an old man weeping bitterly, and wringing his hands. Bearskin went nearer, but the man sprang
to his feet and tried to escape from him. At last when the man perceived that Bearskin’s voice was human he let
himself be prevailed on, and by the kind words Bearskin succeeded so far that the old man revealed the cause of
his grief. His property had dwindled away by degrees, he and his daughters would have to starve, and he was so
poor that he would not pay the innkeeper, and was to be put in prison. “If that is your only trouble,” said
Bearskin, “I have plenty of money.” He caused the innkeeper to be brought there, paid him and put a purse full
of gold into the poor old man’s pocket besides.
[5] When the old man saw himself set free from all his troubles he did not know how to be grateful enough.
“Come with me”, said he to Bearskin; “my daughters are all miracles of beauty; choose one of them for
yourself as a wife. When she hears what that you have done for me, she will not refuse you. You do in truth
look a little strange, but she will soon put you to rights again.” This pleased Bearskin well, and he went. When
the eldest daughter saw him, she was so terribly alarmed at his face that she screamed and ran away. The
second daughter stood still and looked at him from head to foot, but then she said, “How can I accept a husband
who no longer has a human form? The shaven bear that once was here and passed itself off for a man pleased
me far better, for any rate it wore a soldier’s dress and white gloves. If it were nothing but ugliness, I might
used to that.” The youngest daughter, however, said, “Dear father, that must be a good man to have helped you
out of your trouble, so if you have promised him a bride for doing it, your promise must be kept.” It was a pity
that Bearskin’s face was covered with dirt and with hair, for it not they might have seen how delighted he was
when he heard these words. He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half, the other half
he kept it for himself. He wrote his name, however, on her half, and hers on his, and begged her to keep her
piece carefully, and then he took his leave and said, “I must still wander about for three years, and if I do not
return then, you are free, for I will be dead. But pray to God to preserve my life.”

a) Describe the pact Bearskin struck with the Devil.

The pact was that if for the next seven years he never washed himself, nor combed his beard, nor his hair, nor
cut his nails, nor said one paternoster; he would be free and rich to boot for the rest of his life. If he stayed
alive. If he didn’t, the Devil would take him.

b) Do you think Bearskin could survive during the following 7 years? Support your answer
To be honest I don't think he could survive because of medical reasons, because he wouldn’t have any hygiene.

c) Why did people reject Bearskin? Was everyone scared?

Because he looked like a monster, and everyone would run away from him (because they were scared).

d) How did he manage to ask God for protection?

He everywhere gave the poor money to pray that he might not die during the seven years, and as he paid well
for everything he still always found shelter.

e) Why was he moved by the old man in the other room of the shelter?
Because he had a compassionate heart.

f) How did the old man express his gratitude?

By choosing one of them as his wife.

g) How did the old man’s daughters react when they met Bearskin?
The eldest daughter was so terribly alarmed at his face that she screamed and ran away. The second daughter
stood still and looked at him from head to foot and told his father that if he had promised him a bride for doing
it, his promise must be kept. And the younger one was willing to fulfill his father’s wish.

h) Which daughter was willing to fulfill his father’s wish?

The younger one.

i) What deal did he make with her?

He said he must still wander about for three years, and if he did not return then, she was free, for he would be
dead. But pray to God to preserve his life.

j) How do you think the story ends? Write at least six sentences.
Although of realistic opinions, I think he stays alive. He comes back to her and marries her. He becomes a
whole new person; shaved, with short hair, with his nails cut and with a beautiful smile. He becomes rich and
buys a house for him and his wife. He has two little babies and remains with them forever.
b) Read the extract again and find the words whose definitions are provided in the following box
(8 points, 1 point each):

1 beard [Paragraph 1] Hair around a man’s cheeks and chin.

2 cloak [p.1] A loose piece of clothing without sleeves.
3 apparel [p.1] Clothes, outfit.
4 passable [p.2] Acceptable.
5 coarse [p.2] A thick, soft material made of wood or hair that has been pressed flat.
6 inn [p.3] A small hotel and / or pub in the middle of the country.
7 weeping [p.4] Crying.
8 grief [p.4] A strong emotion which expresses the loss of a beloved person.

c) Folk tales are fast-paced and don’t tend to include detailed descriptions. Plan what will happen in the
rest of the story and decide how to tell this in the simplest way possible. Then, write your continuation of
the story. Use at least 100 words. Mention:

● What will happen to Bearskin?

● What will happen to the youngest daughter?
● What will happen to the other two daughters?

3 years later, Bearskin returns with his wife (the younger daughter) and asks her marriage, a real one. They plan
a wedding and invite the whole city. They moved to another town, a rich one as he was now the richest person
in the whole world. Moreover, he comes back to the old man and meets his daughters again. Now that he has
become a whole new person; shaved, with short hair, with his nails cut and with a beautiful smile; they want to
marry him. However, he refuses. Why? Because he says that the first and only thing they looked was his
appearance, like everyone else, but they didn’t even take a minute to talk to him and have the chance to know
him, to meet the real human that was inside of him.
Therefore, he starts a new life with his beautiful wife and beautiful children called Jane and John.

(10 points total)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(B) You don’t only find the theme of appearance and reality in Literature. Have you ever pretended to be
older than you really are or wished that you were somebody else? Read the newspaper article below on
Frederic Bourdin, a 23-year-old Frenchman who managed to convince a family in Texas that he was their
missing teenage son.

THE CHAMELEON CONMAN

[1] When the family of missing Texan teenager Nicholas Barclay

received a phone call saying their son had been found alive, they did
not realize they were about to fall victim to the Chameleon. 23-year-
old French conman Frederic Bourdin managed to convince the
Barclay family that he was their missing son, even though he was
seven years older than Nicholas, his eyes were a different color, his
ears a different shape and he spoke with a French accent.
[2] Bourdin had dyed his brown hair blond and used a pen to fake
the same tattoo that Nicholas Barclay wore on his hand. However, to
explain the other differences in his appearance, he claimed that he
had been kidnapped, taken to Europe and experimented on. For five months he lived with the Barclay family as
their son, attending Nicholas Barclay’s old school and hanging out with his old friends.
[3] It was only when Charlie Parker, a private investigator hired by a TV company to look into the case, began
to raise his suspicions about the true identity of 'Nicholas Barclay' that Frederic Bourdinir deception started to
unravel. Arrested by the FBI, Bourdin was sentenced to six years in prison.
[4] However, this wasn't the first time that Bourdin had pretended to be somebody else. From the age of 16 he
had traveled across Europe, using fake identities to con his way into children's homes, schools and hospitals. To
appear younger than his real, Bourdin used hair removal cream, changed his deep voice even wore a baseball
cap to cover his bald patch. He was successful at taking on these different identities that Interpol dubbed him
the Chameleon.

a) Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F) or not mentioned (NM). Provide evidence
when false ONLY
(5 points total, 1 point each):

a) Even though the Barclays were not sure about their missing son’s identity, they immediately accepted
him in the family.
NM

b) The Chameleon had been subjected to experiments that changed his appearance.
False, he claimed that he had been kidnapped, taken to Europe and experimented on but it wasn’t true.

c) The Chameleon never kept in touch with Nicholas’s friends and acquaintances.
False, he was hanging out with his old friends

d) A member of the Barclay family grew suspicious of the fake Nicholas’s identity and found out that he
was an impostor.
False, it was a private investigator hired by a TV company to look into the case, began to raise his
suspicions about the true identity of 'Nicholas Barclay' that Frederic Bourdinir deception started to unravel.

e) A specialist managed to make the Chameleon younger so he could deceive the Barclays.
NM

b) Answer these questions

(8 points total, 2 points each):

a) Why did the Barclays accept the Chameleon as their child?

Because Bourdin had dyed his brown hair blond and used a pen to fake the same tattoo that Nicholas
Barclay wore on his hand. However, to explain the other differences in his appearance, he claimed that he had
been kidnapped, taken to Europe and experimented on.

b) What do you think was the Chameleon’s main motif to deceive this family?
Maybe he was an orphan and he wanted to have a family.

c) What would you have done if you had been Nicholas’s parent?
I would have made a judgment and made sure he would never do that to other families.

d) What do ‘Bearskin’ and ‘The Chameleon conman’ have in common? Name at least two similarities.
- The two of them were alone
- They have been pretending someone they aren't