Attacked by Pitbulls 

GLOSSARY

 

• Adaptation a written work that has been given a new form

• Mayor the head of a city government

• Founding starting an organisation by one’s own effort

• Ferocious violent, cruel, merciless

• Hospital orderly a hospital worker who helps nursing and medical staff

• Solitary lonely, private

• Inhale breathe in

• Mangy dirty and suffering from a skin disease

• Almond- eyes narrow and oval eyes with pointed ends like almonds

• Wedge- shaped narrowly triangular

• Snap shut close the jaws with sudden jerky movement

• Sidestepped avoided something by stepping to one side

• Severely badly, critically, seriously

• Despair hopelessness

• Intense extreme, deep

• Garden hose a pipe for watering a lawn or garden

• Distracting drawing the attention away from something

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. Who was Johnny Ford?

Ans. Johnny Ford was the first black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama.

 

Q2. Who attacked Johnny Ford?

Ans. The two pit bulls, one brown and the other grey, attacked Johnny Ford.

 

Q3. Who had adopted Johnny Ford?

Ans. Johnny Ford was adopted by his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tennessee when he was a kid.

 

Q4. What did Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tennessee do?

Ans. Uncle Charlie was a hospital orderly and Aunt Tennessee was a maid and cook.

 

Q5. What advice was given by Johnny Ford’s father?

Ans. Johnny Ford’s father’s advice was that you got to keep trying to do more than you thought you ever could.

 

Q6. When did Johnny Ford’s dream to become a mayor begin?

Ans. Johnny Ford’s dream to become a mayor began when he was thirteen years old.

 

Q7. Who became the first (founding) president of the World Conference of Mayors?

Ans. Johnny Ford became the first president of the World Conference of Mayors.

 

Q8. Name the children of Johnny Ford.

Ans. Johnny, Jr., Christopher and Tiffany.

 

Q9. Who rescued Ford from the wild pit bulls?

Ans. Nathaniel Long, a semi -retired farmer, 69 years old, rescued Ford from the wild pit bulls.

 

Q10. For what purpose had Long come in Marable subdivision?

Ans. Long had come to return the garden pipe of Judy Crayton.

 

Q11. Who killed the brown dog?

Ans. Nathaniel Long killed the brown dog.

 

Q12. Who killed the grey dog?

Ans. Johnny Ford killed the grey dog.

 

Q13. How long was the fight between Ford and the pit bulls?

Ans. The fight continued for two and a half hours.

 

SHORTANSWERTYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. Why were the pit bulls in a mood to attack?

Ans. The pit bulls were trained by a drug dealer to kill. They had escaped their keeper two months back. The dogs were on their own now. Being hungry for a long time, they were ready to attack anything.

 

 

Q2. Why did Johnny Ford treasure his morning walk?

Ans. The morning runs gave Johnny Ford the chance to think, plan, pray and strengthen himself to face the tough office work. He was also able to inhale fresh air. So, he treasured his morning runs.

 

 

Q3. What was Ford’s father’s favorite saying?

Ans. Ford’s father’s favourite saying was, “Son, if a thing appears difficult, you are not trying hard enough.” It meant that things are not difficult. Our efforts are lacking. All difficulties can be overcome by stronger and harder efforts.

 

 

Q4. What was Ford’s father’s role in developing the personality of his son?

Ans. Ford’s father’s inspiring advice to ‘try ever harder’ shaped Ford’s achiever personality to a large extent. Johnny Ford was adopted by his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tennessee when he was a kid. Though they were uneducated and lived in a small two-room house, they gave Ford all the chances they never had. They made efforts not only to give him good education but for his personality development made him join the Boy Scouts, Bible classes and summer camps.

 

Q5. How was Johnny Ford finally saved?

Ans. Johnny Ford was alone and unarmed. The two pit bulls sprang at him like panthers. He started using karate kicks on them. But the wild dogs kept coming at him like robots with no feelings. He jumped at a thin dead tree but the tree broke, throwing him into another weak tree. He could see the dogs meant to kill him. He made up his mind to die fighting. He started kicking and beating the dogs. Finally he climbed a large tree and started shouting for help. His cry for help was heard by Nathaniel Long, an old farmer. Long reached the spot in his car. Ford warned him about the wild dogs and told him to get into the car. He asked him if he had a gun. Long took his gun and fired several shots at the dogs. The brown dog died but the grey dog, wounded, escaped into the bushes. Ford went after the dog and killed it. His courage and his father’s advice helped him keep his presence of mind in two and a half hours terrifying fight. It pushed him to try ever harder and save his life.

 

 

Q6. How did the pit bulls look like? Describe their appearance in 30-35 words. Ans. The pit bulls looked dirty and were suffering from a skin disease. They had cold almond eyes, wedge-shaped heads and huge V-shaped jaws which could snap shut with terrible force. They had small, powerful legs. They weighed around 18 kilos and had strong bodies. They looked wild and dangerous.

 

Q7. How did his father’s advice help Ford in his hour of difficulty?

Ans. Ford was suddenly attacked by two wild pit bulls. He was alone and unarmed. It was an unequal battle. The dogs were coming at him like robots with no feelings. They were determined to kill him. In this hour of difficulty, he remembered his father’s motivating advice that to survive in this world, keep trying harder than ever. This advice helped him keep his presence of mind. It pushed him to try ever harder and save his life.

 

Q8. Johnny Ford came out of the struggle a more confident person. How?

Ans. Ford knew that it was not just luck that saved him from the wild dogs. Others might have given up to fear but his father’s motivating advice helped him keep his presence of mind. It pushed him to try ever harder and save his life. It was his father’s upbringing that had made him stronger and more courageous than others. This realization made him a more confident person after the struggle.

 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

 

Q1. Describe Johnny Ford’s fight with the pit bulls in your words.

Ans. Ford was attacked by two wild and hungry dogs when he had gone jogging uphill. He was alone and unarmed. The two strong pit bulls- one brown and the other grey, suddenly sprang at him like panthers. He started using karate kicks on them. But the wild dogs kept coming at him like robots with no feelings. When he was losing hope, he remembered his father’s motivating words that to survive in this world, keep trying harder than ever. Ford ran towards the nearest tree but the dogs overtook him. He jumped at a thin dead tree but the tree broke, throwing him into another weak tree. The tree began to bend towards the angry dogs. He realized these dogs meant to kill him. He made up his mind to die fighting. He started kicking and beating the dogs. Finally he climbed a large tree and started shouting for help. His cry for help was heard by Nathaniel Long, an old farmer. Long drove his car as fast as he could and reached the spot. Ford warned him about the wild dogs and told him to get into the car. He asked him if he had a gun. Long took his gun and fired several shots at the dogs. The brown dog died but the grey dog, wounded, escaped into the bushes. Ford went after the dog and killed it. His courage and his father’s advice helped him keep his presence of mind in two and a half hours long fight. It pushed him to try ever harder and save his life.

 

 

Q2. Write the pen portrait of Johnny Ford in your words.

Ans. Johnny Ford was the first black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama. He was adopted by his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tennessee when he was a kid. Charlie was a hospital orderly and Tennessee was a maid and cook. Though they were uneducated and lived in a small two-room house, they gave Ford all the chances they never had. They made efforts not only to give him good education but for his personality development made him join the Boy Scouts, Bible classes, summer camps. When Johnny was 13, he saw a word ‘mayor’ written on the bronze monument in the Tuskegee’s public park. The black boys were not allowed in the park. This made him think that a mayor must be an important person. It was then that a dream was born. He took a decision to become a mayor one day so that he could let everyone inside the park. His father’s favourite saying that if a thing appears difficult, you are not trying hard enough, was a source of inspiration for him at every step of his life. The push from his papa and mama and his own extra efforts made him the first black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama. Trying harder than ever, he became the first president of the World Conference of Mayors. The active and athletic Ford was fond of jogging in the morning. These morning runs helped him inhale fresh air. They also gave him the chance to think, plan, pray and strengthen himself for the tough office work. His two and a half hours fight with the wild pit bulls gives more insight into his strong character and personality. He was alone and unarmed. The pit bulls sprang at him like panthers. They looked determined to kill him. He also made up his mind to die fighting. His courage and his father’s advice helped him keep his presence of mind and pushed him to try ever harder and save his life. To sum up, Johnny Ford was a go-getter. He was physically and mentally strong. With his father’s ‘try ever harder’ advice, courage, fearlessness and strong presence of mind, he fulfilled all his dreams and saved his life too.

SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ‘ATTACKED BY PIT BULLS’

 

• The story ‘Attacked by Pit Bulls’ is an adaptation of the article published in The Reader’s Digest under the caption ‘Drama in Real Life’ which covers true survival stories of the courageous people. The lesson is a heart-stopping account of a brave fight put up by Johnny Ford, the ever-inspiring mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama when he was attacked by two ferocious pit bulls. He was alone and unarmed. It was sheer courage and the encouraging advice of his father to keep trying harder than ever that he could save his life.

 

• The blacks didn’t have many opportunities at that time. Ford was adopted by his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tennessee when he was a kid. His ‘papa’ Charlie was a hospital orderly and ‘mama’ Tennessee was a maid and cook. Though they were uneducated and lived in a small two-room house, they gave Johnny all the chances they never had. Their efforts made him the first boy in the area to learn his ABC’S, the boy with the shiniest shoes and the sharpest- pressed pants. For his personality development, his papa and mama made him join the Boy Scouts, Bible classes, summer camps.

 

SUMMARY (continued)

 

• When Johnny was 13, he saw a word ‘mayor’ written on the bronze monument in the Tuskegee’s public park. The black boys were not allowed in the park. This made him think that a mayor must be an important person. It was then that a dream was born. He took a decision to become a mayor one day so that he could let everyone inside the park. His papa had taught him to try ever harder. His father’s favourite saying was, “Son, if a thing appears difficult, you aren’t (are not) trying’ (trying) hard enough.”

 

• The push from his papa and mama and his own extra efforts made him the first black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama. Trying harder than ever, he became the founding president of the World Conference of Mayors, an organization with 1,100 mayors from 33 countries.

 

• The lesson tells about his fondness for jogging in the morning as these brief solitary morning runs helped him not only to inhale fresh air but also gave him the chance to think, plan, pray and strengthen himself to face the multiple problems that awaited him at the office.

 

• On that particular morning of October 19, 1988, the tall and athletic 46 years old Ford, headed for a hill which was on the eastern edge of the fashionable Lake Tuskegee neighbourhood. Less than half-way up, he started wishing he had taken an easy route but then he thought of his father’s favourite saying -If a thing ever appears difficult, you are not trying hard enough. And he moved on.

 

• Meanwhile, two wild dogs lay sleeping in the bushes near the top of the hill. They were the pit bulls, trained by a drug dealer to kill. He had used them to guard his property. They had escaped their keeper two months back. They looked mangy (dirty and suffering from a skin disease). The dogs had been hungry for a long time. They were ready to attack anything. They looked ferocious with cold almond eyes, wedge-shaped heads and huge V-shaped jaws which could snap shut with terrible force. Suddenly the sound of the approaching footsteps alerted them. They sprang up on their small, powerful legs.

 

• Ford had reached the top of the hill and was breathing heavily. Suddenly two strong muscled pit bulls- one brown and the other grey, weighing 18-kilos, sprang at him like panthers, bowling him over. He sidestepped but the dogs sprang at him again. He knew karate and started using karate kicks on them. He hit the brown dog on its head and kicked the grey dog, knocking it aside. But the wild dogs kept coming at him like robots with no feelings. They were trying to get at his throat.

 

• Ford had heard that the pit bulls could fight for hours without a single cry of pain even when they have severely injured each other. The taste of blood made the dogs more violent. Their cold, glassy eyes were filled with the determination to kill. Ford felt he was looking into the eyes of death. When he was about to lose hope, he remembered his father’s inspirational words, “Son, to survive in this world you gotta (got to) keep trying to do more than you thought you ever could.” Moving on weak legs, he ran towards the nearest tree but the dogs overtook him. In despair, he leapt at a thin dead pine but the tree broke, throwing him into another weak tree.

 

• The tree started bending until his feet were two meters from the ground. The brown dog bit hard into his right leg. The blood came rushing from the wound. At that moment, he realized these dogs meant to kill him. He was filled with immense anger and started kicking and beating the dogs and screamed that if they wanted to kill him, he would die fighting. Ford made it to a large tree this time. But the grey dog grabbed his right ankle when he was climbing up the tree trunk. He felt intense pain. The dog was hanging in the air. Ford tried to shake the dog loose. His heavy wool socks helped him. He finally managed to reach the safe branch of the tree. The dogs were quite now but they kept a watch on him. His blue sweat pants were soaked with blood and he was still bleeding. He knew he had to do something. He could faint and fall any moment.

• Ford started shouting for help. Suddenly a fear gripped him. What if someone trying to save him gets attacked? It was 9:10. What if he is still here at three when the school gets over and the kids come out to play? What if his wife Tas and three children – Johnny, Jr. 17, Christopher, 12 and Tiffany, 6, come looking for him? He decided to keep shouting for help and fighting with the dogs. He broke the branch of the tree and began hitting the dogs hard with it whenever they leapt at him.

• At about 10:15 Nathaniel Long, a semi-retired farmer of 69, came to Marable subdivision to return the garden hose of Judy Crayton. They were chatting when he heard the faint cry for help. He drove his car as fast as he could to help the person in need. Ford had been fighting with the dogs for two and a half hours now. And then he saw the blue car coming towards him and saw a man get out of the car. He warned him about the wild dogs and told him to get into the car. He asked him if he had a gun. While Ford was distracting the dogs, Long took his gun and fired several shots at the dogs. The brown dog died but the grey dog, wounded, escaped into the bushes. Ford went after the dog and killed it. He thanked long wholeheartedly and said that he was lucky to be alive. Though, he knew it was more than luck. Others might have given up to fear but his father’s advice helped him keep his presence of mind and pushed him to try ever harder and save his life.