The beauty of nature often speaks to us in ways books cannot. In NCERT class 8 English chapter 9, we meet Ernest, a simple boy living in a valley overlooked by a majestic rock formation known as the Great Stone Face. While many saw it as just a mountain, Ernest saw it as a teacher. The chapter revolves around a legendary prophecy: that one day, a man would be born in the valley who would resemble the Stone Face and become the noblest person of his time.

Students searching for class 8 English chapter 9 question answer resources often struggle to understand why the people of the valley were so quick to believe in "look-alikes" like Mr Gathergold. This story is not just about a mountain; it is about the search for true greatness and the patience to wait for a genuine soul. Whether you need a class 8 English chapter 9 summary or specific short answer questions, this guide provides everything you need to master the chapter.

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What was the Great Stone Face in Chapter 9?

In class 8 English chapter 9 question answer, The Great Stone Face was a work of nature formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some immense rocks. When viewed from a distance, these rocks resembled the features of a human face, kind, wise, and noble. However, if a spectator went too close, the "face" vanished, and only a heap of gigantic rocks remained. The people of the valley believed the face was responsible for the valley's fertility.

The Characters of Class 8 Great Stone Face

The core of the story is the prophecy told to Ernest by his mother. It stated that a child would be born in the valley who would grow up to be the greatest and noblest man of his age, bearing a physical resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

Throughout the chapter, two main characters appear, who the people think fulfil the prophecy:

1. Mr Gathergold: A very wealthy merchant who returned to the valley. People initially thought he was the man, but his "wrinkled shrewdness" and lack of kindness proved otherwise.

2. General Blood-and-Thunder: A famous commander who rose from a soldier to a high position. While his childhood friends saw a resemblance, Ernest found no likeness because the General's face lacked the "mild and kindly" expression of the Stone Face.

Character Sketch of Ernest in Class 8 English Chapter 9 

Unlike the other villagers, Ernest grew up to be a "mild and quiet youth." He didn't just look for a face; he looked for the character behind it. He spent his evenings gazing at the mountain, which became his teacher of kindness and wisdom. Wealth or power could easily fool others, but Ernest's heart assured him that the "man of prophecy" was yet to arrive.

NCERT Solutions for class 8 English chapter-9

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

Question 1.
The Great Stone Face stood near where Ernest and his mother lived. ______
Solution : False

Question 2.
One would clearly distinguish the features of the Stone Face only from a distance. ______
Solution : True

Read More: NCERT Solution for Class 8 English Chapter 1

Question 3.
Ernest loved his mother and helped her in her work. ______
Solution : True

Question 4.
Though not very rich, Gathergold was a skilful merchant. ______
Solution : False

Question 5.
Gathergold died in poverty and neglect. ______

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 2
Solution : True

Question 6.
The Great Stone Face seemed to suggest that Ernest should not fear the general. ______

Solution : False

Working with Text

Question 1.
(i) What was the Great Stone Face?
(ii) What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

Solution :
(i) The Great Stone Face was a work of nature. It was formed on the side of a mountain by some huge rocks. They had been thrown together in such a position so that, when viewed from some distance, they resembled the face of a human face. If the spectator approached too near, the outline of the face would disappear into a heap of gigantic rocks. It was the belief of many people that the valley owed much of its fertility to the kind face of the Great Stone that was continually looking over it.
(ii) Young Ernest gazed at the Great Stone Face. It smiled to him. Ernest wished that it could speak because it looked very kindly. He thought its voice must be pleasant. He would love the man dearly whoever bore such face.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 3

Question 2. What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?
Solution : The story that was attributed to the Stone Face was that at some future day, a child would be born near there, and he would be destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time. His face, in manhood, would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

Question 3. What gave the people of the valley the idea that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time?
Solution : There was a rumor in the valley that the great man, who would look like the Great Stone Face, had appeared at last. a young man, named Gathergold had left the valley. He had grown a rich merchant by the time he became old. He had decided to return to his native valley. He had the living likeness of the Great Stone Face. It made the people of the valley think that the prophecy was about to come true for the first time.

Question 4.
(i) Did Ernest see in Gathergold the likeness of the Stone Face?
(ii) Who did he confide in and how was he proved right?
Solution :
(i) No, Ernest did not see the likeness of the Great Stone Face in Gathergold.
(ii) Ernest confided in his own heart that the Gathergold was not the right person he was waiting for. He was proved right because Gathergold died after sometime. He was then a poor man. All the people, then, said that he had no likeness with the stone face.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 4

Question 5.
(i) What made people believe General Blood-and-Thunder was their man?
(ii) Ernest compared the man’s face with the Stone Face. What did he conclude?
Solution :
(i) General Blood-and-Thunder rose to his present position in defence from a soldier. He desired to return to his native valley. The residents of the valley said that he bore the likeness of the Great Stone Face. His childhood friends also said that the General had always looked like the Great Stone Face. It made people believe ‘General Blood-and-Thunder’ was their man.
(ii) Ernest compared the face of Blood-and-thunder with the Great Stone Face. He could not recognize any similarity between them. His heart assured him that the General was not the right person he was waiting for. So Ernest concluded that the greatest and the noblest man of his time bearing the resemblance to the Great Stone Face had yet to come.

Working with Language

Question 1.
Write the noun forms of the following words by adding -ness or -ity to them appropriately. Check the spelling of the new words.
(i) lofty ______________
(ii) able ______________
(iii) happy ______________
(iv) near ______________
(v) noble ______________
(vi) enormous ______________
(vii) pleasant ______________
(viii) dense ______________
(ix) great ______________
(x) stable ______________
Solution :
(i) loftiness
(ii) ability
(iii) happiness
(iv) nearness
(v) nobility
(vi) enormity
(vii) pleasantly
(viii) density
(ix) greatness
(x) stability

Question 2.
Add -ly to each of the following adjectives, then use them to fill in the blanks.
(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were _______ waiting for you.
(ii) _________ write your name and address in capital letters.
(iii) I was _________ surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
(iv) It is _________ believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
(v) He fell over the step and _________ broke his arm.

Solution :
(i) Why didn’t you turn up at the meeting? We all were eagerly waiting for you.
(ii) Kindly write your name and address in capital letters.
(iii) I was pleasantly surprised to see him at the railway station. I thought he was not coming.
(iv) It is perfectly believable that I am not responsible for this mess.
(v) He fell over the step and nearly broke his arm.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 5

Question 3.
Complete each sentence below using the appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.
(i) I _________ (phone) you when I _________ (get) home from school.
(ii) Hurry up! Madam _________ (be) annoyed if we _________ (be) late.
(iii) If it _________ (rain) today, we _________ (not) go to the play.
(iv) When you _________ (see) Mandal again, you _________ (not/recognise) him. He is growing a beard.
(v) We are off today. We _________ (write) to you after we _________ (be) back.

Solution :
(i) I will phone you when I will get home from school.
(ii) Hurry up! Madam will be annoyed if we are late.
(iii) If it rains today, we will not go to the play.
(iv) When you see Mandal again, you will not recognize him. He is growing a beard.
(v) We are off today. We will write to you after we are back.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 6

Speaking and Writing

Question 1.
Imagine you are Ernest. Narrate the story that his mother told him. Begin like this: My mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. We were looking at the Great Stone Face. I asked her if she had ever seen anyone who looked like the Stone Face. Then she told me this story.
Solution :
On an afternoon, my mother and I were sitting at the door of our cottage. Our eyes looking at The Great Stone Face. Suddenly I asked a after my mom did she saw anybody that resembles the face of Great Stone. After hearing this mom started story related to prophecy of that Great Stone Face. She said that there is a belief that one day a child bearing exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face, in manhood, would take birth nearby and would be destined to be the noblest and the greatest person of his time. Some people believe in the old prophecy and others take it as an idle tale.

Comparison Between Gathergold and Blood-and-Thunder for Class 8 English Chapter 9 Question Answer

Refer to class 8 English chapter 9 question answer for the comparison between the characters of Gathergold and Blood-and-Thunder: 

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 7

Short & Long Answer Questions for Class 8 English Chapter 9

Short Answer Questions

Below are class 8 English chapter 9 short answer questions: 

• What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at the Stone Face?
  Ernest wished that the Stone Face could speak. He felt its look was so kind that its voice must be pleasant, and he hoped to one day meet and love a man with such a face.

• Who was Ernest’s teacher?
  Ernest had no human teachers. The Great Stone Face was his teacher. After his daily work, he would spend hours gazing at it, which enlarged his heart and filled him with deep sympathies.

• What was the Great Stone Face?

The Great Stone Face was a natural rock formation on the side of a mountain. From a distance, the rocks appeared like a human face with kind and noble features.

What did young Ernest wish when he gazed at it?

• Ernest wished that the Great Stone Face could speak. He felt it looked kind and imagined its voice would be gentle and pleasant.

Long Answer Questions

Below are class 8 English chapter 9 long answer questions: 

• How did the people's opinion of Gathergold change over time?
  Initially, everyone believed Gathergold was the image of the Stone Face because of his wealth. However, as his gold melted away before his death, people realised his face was just a "wrinkled shrewdness". "After he died in poverty, it was generally agreed there was no likeness at all.

• Why did Ernest conclude that General Blood-and-Thunder was not the man of the prophecy?
  Ernest compared the General's face with the Great Stone Face side-by-side. While the crowd cheered, Ernest’s heart whispered that the General lacked the gentle and noble quality of the mountain. He concluded the "greatest and noblest man" was still to come.

• What was the story attributed to the Stone Face?

The story said that one day a child would be born in the valley who would grow up to become the greatest and noblest person of his time, and his face would resemble the Great Stone Face.

• Why did people think the prophecy was coming true for the first time?

 People believed this when Gathergold returned to the valley as a rich and famous man, and many thought his face resembled the Great Stone Face.

Class 8 English Chapter 9 Extra Questions and Answers

• How did Ernest’s mother describe the prophecy to him? 

Ernest’s mother told him an old story she had heard from her own mother. She described it as a promise that at some future day, a child would be born near the valley who was destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time, and whose countenance in manhood should bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face.

• What made Ernest different from other boys in the valley? 

While other boys played or were distracted by various ambitions, Ernest was a dutiful and pensive child. He assisted his mother with a willing heart and spent his spare time in quiet contemplation of the Stone Face. He didn't seek wealth or fame but rather a deeper understanding of the kindness he saw in the mountain's features.

Check out: PW School Books!

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Chapter 9 FAQs

What was the prophecy associated with the Stone Face?

The prophecy was that a child born in the valley would become the greatest and noblest man of his time and would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face in adulthood.

Why was Ernest a "pensive" child?

Ernest was pensive (thoughtful) because he spent much of his time reflecting on the lessons of the Great Stone Face. He was dutiful and helpful, but his mind was often focused on the search for the nobleman.

Did the Great Stone Face help the valley?

Yes, the inhabitants believed that the benign (kind) gaze of the Stone Face was responsible for the fertility of the land in the valley.

What happened to Ernest as he grew older in Chapter 9?

Ernest grew into a mild, quiet, and industrious youth. He stayed in his native valley and continued to be a humble person, unlike the ambitious men who left and returned.

Is there a Class 8 English Chapter 9 Question Answer PDF for this?

Yes, most educational platforms provide a PDF version. However, this guide covers the essential extra questions and answers and the summary required for your Honeydew textbook exams.