Tuesday with Tolstoy’s fables (and similes)

The English language has more than its fair share of descriptive and enjoyable similes. They come in all shapes and sizes!

You might know that in a simile, two things are directly compared to one another because they share a common feature. The word as or like is used to link the two words:

As cold as ice = very cold
As cool as a cucumber = cool
As blind as a bat = completely blind
As smooth as silk = very smooth
Like a fish out of water = to feel awkward or uncomfortable because you are not familiar with a situation or because you are different from the people around you.

The Blind Man and the Milk

Did you know that one of the world’s most famous novelists, Leo Tolstoy, had also written a fantastic collection of short stories, tales and fables for children?

'The Blind Man and the Milk' is one of my favourites. Read it and take a good look at all those original similes.

A man born blind asked a seeing Man:"What colour is milk?"The seeing man said: "The colour of milk is the same as that of white paper."The blind man asked: "Well, does that colour rustle in your hands like paper?"The seeing man said: "No, it is as white as white flour."
The blind man asked: "Well, is it as soft and as powdery as flour?"
The Seeing Man said: "No, it is simply as white as a white hare."The blind man asked: "Well, is it as fluffy and soft as a hare?"
The seeing man said: "No, it is as white as snow."The blind man asked: "Well, is it as cold as snow?"
And no matter how many examples the seeing man gave, the blind man was unable to understand what the white colour of milk was like. 

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Remember: while it is important to know the standard similes, don’t hold back from creating your own when you’re describing something to someone. Make sure you’re as clear as possible!

Lesson by Krista

Choose the correct simile:

• 1. Mark and Lucy are twins. They are ___
  
  as alike as two peas in a pod
  as bright as a button
  as happy as a lark
  
  
• 2. That fire-fighter was just fearless! He’s ___
  
  As brave as a lion
  As hungry as a bear
  As mad as a hatter
  
  
• 3. Emily slept for 11 hours last night. No wonder she’s feeling ___ this morning!
  
  As cool as a cucumber
  As fresh as a daisy
  As light as air
  
  
• 4. Today’s lesson wasn’t difficult at all. Most of us thought it was ___.
  
  As hard as nails
  As common as dirt
  As easy as A.B.C
  
  
• 5. Chris and Dan skipped breakfast today. They were ___ by noon!
  
  As mad as a hatter
  As hungry as a wolf
  As pale as death
  
  
• 6. Sharon lost 10 kilos. She’s ___ now!
  
  As quick as lightning
  As cold as ice
  As light as a feather
  
  
• 7. I love her hair. It is long, black and ___.
  
  As pure as snow
  As smooth as silk
  As dry as dust
  
  
• 8. Are you ill? Your face is ___!
  
  As white as a sheet
  As black as coal
  As dead as a doornail