Franz did not wish to go to school that morning because his teacher M. Hamel was to question them on ‘Participles’. He did not know a word about participles. He was frightened and was to get a scolding for not learning his lesson. So he started very late for school that morning.

While Franz was on his way to school for a moment he thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was pleasant, warm and so bright that day, he thought of enjoying the chirping birds of the nearby edge of the forest. He thought of enjoying the drill of the Prussian soldiers at the back of the sawmill.

All these were a great allurement to his. But he was a child of good basic qualities so he resisted that temptation and hurried off to school.

At the town-hall bulletin-board a blacksmith from the crowd called after him and told him not to go so fast as he would get to his school in plenty of time. But Franz thought the blacksmith was making fun of him so hurried off to his school.

On arriving at school, Franz noted an unusual silence. His teacher M.Hamel was dressed nicely and asked Franz to sit so that he could start his lesson. The teacher made a startling announcement that this would be their last lesson in French as the new teacher would be arriving the following day. He reiterated about an order from Berlin that German was to be taught in schools of Alsace and Lorraine. Franz was overcome with a feeling of remorse and regretted for wasting his time in trivial pursuits. He decided to pay attention to the lesson since school had become very important for him.

Asking Franz about reciting the rules of participles, the teacher told that the villagers had not been able to study and kept their children away from school. There came a sudden change in Franz. He began to realise the real worth of his school as well as of the teacher whom they had all taken for granted all these years. Now M. Hamel became a good teacher for him rather than a boring one. For him, the teacher seemed to be a good gentleman who was leaving the village on that day. Thus, there developed a specific liking to study history and grammar in Franz since on that day M. Hamel put all this heart and soul in teaching.

C-4 Alsace

Prussia

20th Jaunary, 200....

Dear Sunita William,

You are well aware of the current happenings that are taking place here after we have lost the war. But the worst thing that happened is that an order has come from Berlin ‘to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow’. So our French teacher, M. Hamel had his Last French Lesson today because he must leave the country tomorrow. I was totally surprised of ignoring how to write and learn French. It is horrible. From tomorrow we will have to learn German. I was sorry for all that suddenly there came a change in me. The books of grammar and history, that had seemed a great nuisance till today, are my good old friends. M. Hamel points. “If a people are enslaved, holding fast to their language for long, serve them as the key to their prison.”

Oh! you can’t believe how lost I fell for M. Hamel today. I salute him. He is a great patriot who really loves not only French language but France also. Vive La France ! Yours sincerely Franz

Being late for school, Franz was much scared of scolding by his teacher M. Hamel. When he was entering school, he noticed that there was no commotion rather M. Hamel asked the boy politely to go to his place quickly. He was surprised to see his teacher beautifully dressed. But he was all the more astonished on seeing several other dignified people of the village. In a very gentle, generous, grace and sweet voice M. Hamel said : “My children ! This is the last lesson in French, I shall give you. I want you to be attentive” These words had a soothing effect on the boy. The idea of never seeing him again forgot all about his ruler and other facts.

Then Franz was called to recite participles but he got confused. M. Hamel told that he won’t scold him. The students of Alsace had the trouble of putting off learning. So they should reproach themselves about not knowing their language. He even blamed himself as well as the parents for not learning participles. Then M. Hamel taught grammar with rapt attention and all followed him very decently. In between Franz noticed piercing pain on Hamel’s face as if he wanted to fit everything in his mind before leaving. All these facts changed Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school.

Hamel was a very dedicated French Teacher in one of the schools of Alsace. He was a man of perfect discipline. There came an order from Berhin banning the teaching of French. In his last lesson Hamel taught so well that all the students understood word by word. It looked as if he wanted to pour everything in the minds of his students just in one stroke. Then M. Hamel talked that the French language was the most beautiful, clearest and logical language in the world. They must guard it among themselves and never forget it. So enslaved people holding fast to their language works the key to their prison. The village elders who have come to pay their last reverence to the teacher seem to endorse M. Hamel’s views. They feel that they must guard it among themselves and never forget it. They must hold fast to their language, thus the old men of the village, sitting on the back benches, showed their respect for their country and language that more theirs no more. Hence their order of imposing German will not be able to contain their love for their beautiful language.