Title: The Silver Sword Ian Serraillier
1The Silver SwordIan Serraillier
- Grade 7 English Language Arts
2Location Poland, Germany and Switzerland
3(No Transcript)
4Time 1940s
During World War 2
5Characters
The Balicki Family Joseph (Father,
Headmaster) Margrit (Mother) Ruth (Daughter,
almost 13) Edek (Son, 11 years) Bronia (Daughter,
3 years)
6Chapter 1. The Escape.
- The Balicki family are spilt up during the
invasion of Warsaw in World War 2. - Joseph escapes from a Nazi prison camp in
southern Poland.
7Chapter 2. Journey through the air.
- Joseph escapes across the valley in a cable car.
8Chapter 3. The Hiding Place
- Joseph meets and is cared for by an elderly
Polish couple. - The Nazis came searching but Joseph hid up a
chimney to avoid being shot or captured.
9Chapter 4. The Silver Sword.
- Joseph returns to Warsaw to find it destroyed.
- He meets Mrs Krause.
- Joseph finds the silver sword and gives it to a
young boy.
10Chapter 5 The Goods Train.
- Joseph meets the boy again.
- The boy whose name is Jan introduces himself to
Joseph. - Joseph gives the silver sword to Jan.
- With Jans help Joseph gets on to a goods train.
- New character Jan
11Chapter 6.The Night of the Storm Troopers.
- Margrit is taken away by the Nazis.
- Edek shoots at them and the tire of their van.
- The Nazis return to blow up the house.
- The children escape by running along the rooftops.
12Chapter 7. Winter and Summer Homes
- Ruth, Bronia and Edek make a summer home in the
woods and a winter home in a bombed cellar in
Warsaw. - Edek goes missing.
13Chapter 8. The Newcomer
- The Nazis are under attack from all sides by the
Allies (England, America and the Russians). - Bronia finds a sick boy lying on the street.
They care for him. - A girl finds a wooden box that belongs to the
boy. - He told them his name . It was Jan.
14Other People in Chapter 8
- Marshal Rokossovsky (Russian Army)
- General Bor (Polish Army)
- P.M. Churchill (England)
- Stalin (Russia)
- Yankel (a boy in the street)
- Eva (one of the school children)
15Chapter 9. The Russian Sentry
- Ruth visits the Russian control post.
- She meets Ivan at his sentry post.
- She passes him and requests school supplies from
the lieutenant. - She makes friends with Ivan who visits them.
16Chapter 10. More help from Ivan
- Ivan provides boots for the children on their
long journey to Switzerland - War does strange things to young people
17Chapter 11. The Road to Posen.
- The children travel to Posen on the way to
Switzerland. - They are hoping
- 1. To find Edek,
- 2. To get some food,
- 3. To get a lift.
- Edek who has T.B. has ran away from Warthe Camp.
18Chapter 12. The Hand
- The children get food.
- They are reunited with Edek.
- Jimpy the cock dies in a stampede.
19Chapter 13.Frozen Journey
- The children travel by train towards Berlin.
- Edek tells everybody about his adventure.
- Some did not believe him.
20Chapter 14. City of the Lost
- They reach Berlin at the end of May.
- They go to a camp where they are cared for.
- Jan runs away to go find an escaped chimpanzee.
21Chapter 15. Jan finds a new pal.
- Officer Mark writes a letter to his wife Jane and
daughter Jenny. - He tells her about the state of Berlin.
- Jan and the Balicki children.
- The escaped chimpanzee and its antics.
22Chapter 16 Through the Russian Zone
As they pass through the Russian Zone Edek
tells them many tales of his adventures
23Chapter 17 The Signal
- The children rest to take care of Edek.
- Ruth and Jan get jobs.
- Edek is arrested at the train signal while
following Jan who was stealing food from the
trains.
24Chapter 18 Captain Greenwood
- Ruth defends Edek in court.
- She tells the judge, Captain Greenwood that Jan
was guilty of the crime. - Jan prompted and scolded by Ruth tells the judge
about stopping trains and stealing food. - Jan is sentenced to detention for a week.
25Chapter 19. The Bavarian Farmer
- The children rest in a barn.
- While searching Kurt is struck by turnips thrown
by Jan. - The children eat breakfast and tells of their
journey. - Kurt tells them of the Burgomasters work to send
all refugees Kurt puts them all except Edek
working on the farm back to their own countries
26Chapter 20. The Burgomaster
- The Burgomaster crashes while coming to visit
Kurt. - Edek, who pretends to be German helps to replace
the burst tyre. - Bronia interrupts and speaks in Polish.
27Chapter 21. Orders
- The Burgomaster returns to tell Kurt that the
children are to be collected and sent back to
Poland. - Kurt appeals on behalf of the children and shows
him the Silver Sword. - The Burgomaster is not impressed.
28Chapter 22. The Farmer hits on a plan.
- Using two canoes repaired by Kurt the children
escape. - Jan hides Ludwig (the family pet dog) in his
canoe. - They plan to go as far as the Danube.
29Chapter 23. Dangerous Waters
- The children travel in two canoes along the
Falkenberg River. - They meet dangerous rapids, boulders and rocks.
- A soldier shoots at and attempts to grab Ruth and
Bronias canoe. - The canoes are separated but the children are
reunited.
30Chapter 24. Missing
- The Silver Sword goes missing.
- Edek is seriously ill.
- Jan and Ludwig go missing during the night.
- A lorry driven by Joe Wolski stops and offers
help.
31Chapter 25. Joe Wolski
- Joe Wolski, an American G.I. of Polish parentage
transports the children to the Red Cross camp on
the shore of Lake Constance. - He talks happily to the children and tells them
about the hyena and the bear in the back of the
truck. - They turns out to be Jan and Ludwig.
32Chapter 26. News at last
- The superintendent tells Ruth that he has
received messages from their father and from Kurt
Wolff. - Father is in Appanzell (on the Swiss side of the
lake). - He promised to phone Ruth.
- Kurt forwards the Silver Sword.
33Chapter 27. The Storm
- The children are caught up in a storm.
- Edek is seperated from the family.
- They find a boat and climb aboard.
- Ludwig runs away.
- Jan makes a big decision - the family or Ludwig.
34Chapter 28. The Meeting
- Ruth wakes up in the cabin of a boat.
- She is concerned about the children but meet them
later. - No one understand her except one person who is
her father. - She is reunited with her father and mother.
- Jan tells about all the treasures that he has
lost but still has the Silver Sword. - Jan asks to be adopted by Margrit.
35Chapter 29. The New Beginning
- An account of the families new life 1946-7.
- Margrit and Joseph are in charge of the Polish
House in the International Children's Village. - Bronia drew many pictures of war.
- Edek suffered from TB but studies to become an
engineer. - Jan mends his ways and is often called to care
for sick animals. - Ruth eventually becomes a teacher and marries a
French man. - She is in charge of the French house.