The Girl Who Can: The story, retold in our own words

Foundation first: how the story is told

Five tools show why this story is both funny and moving. Every example is from the story.

Quick check. Nana says she has no interest in races, but she irons Adjoa's uniform. Which tool is this? Answer: contrast between words and actions. It shows her pride before she admits it.

Why the story does not tell us what the characters feel. The writer usually shows feelings through actions (washing the uniform, walking to school) rather than naming them. The reader is trusted to understand. This is why exam answers must quote or name the action, not only state the feeling.

1. "They say I was born in Hasodzi"

Adjoa begins like a storyteller speaking to listeners: people say she was born in Hasodzi, a very big village in the Central Region of Ghana. She is seven, and she lives in a small household of three women: herself, Maami (her mother) and Nana (her grandmother). Her father is absent; Nana refers to him scornfully, as a poor choice of husband that Maami made, and such remarks bring Maami close to tears.

2. Grown-ups and their puzzling rules

Adjoa is a sharp observer and asks many questions. She finds the grown-ups confusing. Sometimes when she says something, Nana is shocked and tells her never, never, but NEVER to repeat it. At other times Nana laughs till she cries at what Adjoa has said and repeats it to her friends. Adjoa cannot work out which of her thoughts are forbidden and which are funny, so she learns to keep many of them to herself.

3. The "legs" debate

As far as Adjoa can tell, Nana and Maami have been discussing her legs since the day she was born — it was, she says, the first topic she met when she came into the world. Nana thinks they are too thin and too long. In Nana's view, a girl's legs must be strong and fleshy, able to support hips wide enough for child-bearing, because a woman's main purpose is to marry and have children. Thin legs, she implies, are almost a misfortune — and she half blames Maami (and Maami's choice of husband) for them.

Maami defends her daughter quietly, but she has little power against her mother's strong opinions. Adjoa, for her part, cannot see the problem. Her legs carry her everywhere; they walk and run perfectly well. She wishes she could tell her two favourite people not to worry — that her legs are nothing to fight over. She wonders, too, why legs should be judged only by whether they can carry babies.

4. School: Maami's dream

The other subject on which the two women disagree is school. Maami never went to school and feels her lack of education keenly. She is determined that Adjoa will be educated, so that she does not grow up in ignorance as Maami did. Nana thinks school is largely a waste of time for a girl. Maami wins: Adjoa goes to school.

The school is about five kilometres away, and Adjoa walks there and back every day. Other children complain about the distance; Adjoa does not mind, because for her, simply, school is nice.

5. The secret runner

At school Adjoa has been winning races for a long time, but she has never told anyone at home — it did not seem important. Then she is selected to run for the school in the junior section of the district sports. The news causes a stir at home. Nana can hardly believe it and goes to the school herself to find out whether it is true.

6. Nana changes

Something surprising happens. Nana begins to take care of Adjoa's school uniform every day — washing it and ironing it with a charcoal iron borrowed from a neighbour until it is stiff and shining. She puts on fresh clothes and walks to the school to watch the practice, keeping a little behind the children. She tells Adjoa she has no interest in running races — but her actions show that she is proud. She starts to look at Adjoa's legs in a new way.

7. The cup

At the district sports Adjoa wins her races and is awarded the cup for the best all-round junior athlete. Nana, who had always grumbled about those "useless" thin legs, insists on carrying the gleaming cup home on her back — the way women carry babies and other precious things.

Nana now says that even if Adjoa's thin legs may not be the kind people expect for carrying children, they are clearly good for other things — such as running and winning. Adjoa reflects quietly that this is exactly how she had been feeling and thinking all along. (2027 specimen Q1(xv).) Maami, overwhelmed, says nothing at all — her silence full of joy and relief.

Reading between the lines

The retelling gives the events. These notes give the reasons.

• "They say I was born in Hasodzi." Adjoa does not claim to remember her birth. She repeats what people say, as a storyteller does. This also shows that, in her house, adults decide the facts and she hears them.
• The father who is not there. Nana speaks scornfully about Maami's choice of husband, and the remarks bring Maami close to tears. The father's absence leaves the household to the women and makes the legs argument a sore point for Maami.
• "Never, never, but NEVER." Nana's order is loud and emphatic. In ICSE 2026 Q1(ix), the lines about Nana's many voices, including a special one she uses to shut everyone up, were set to show that she dominates the household. Children, especially girls, are expected to listen and not to speak.
• Why Adjoa is confused. Some remarks make Nana angry and others make her laugh until she cries. The rules seem to change without reason, so Adjoa learns to keep many thoughts to herself. This is the point of ICSE 2026 Improvement Q1(xi): she feels confused.
• The legs debate. For Nana, a woman's body has one purpose, to marry and bear children. She wants strong legs to support wide hips. The story does not mock Nana's worry. It shows that she measures a girl by a standard that leaves out her mind and talents.
• Why Maami cannot win this argument. She is the daughter and the one reminded of her husband. She wins the argument about school, which matters more than legs, but the quarrel about the legs goes on.
• School: Maami's dream. Maami never went to school and feels what she lacks. She wants her daughter to have the education she was denied. Nana thinks school is a waste of time for a girl, since she believes the future is marriage.
• Five kilometres, and "school is nice". Other children complain about the walk. Adjoa does not mind, because she loves school. This shows her character. It may also explain why her running is so strong: she is used to using her legs.
• The secret runner. Adjoa had been winning races without telling anyone. She is modest and does not think it important. It also shows that nobody at home has asked what her legs can do.
• Nana goes to the school herself. She wants to see for herself whether the news is true. She is practical and a little disbelieving, because it contradicts everything she has said about the legs.
• The ironed uniform. The charcoal iron is borrowed and the work is hard. She does it every day until the uniform is stiff and shining. This is pride in action. She says she does not care for races, but her work says otherwise.
• The strange look at the legs. This is the first sign that her view is shifting. She looks at the legs she has criticised as if for the first time.
• The cup carried like a baby. In Nana's world the highest thing a woman can do is to bear and carry a child. By carrying the cup in the same way, she places Adjoa's success on the same level. The symbol makes the change visible without a speech.
• "That's how I was feeling and thinking all along." The adults have changed their minds, but the child never changed hers. Adjoa trusted her own body when everyone doubted it.
• Maami's silence. She says nothing. After years of being silenced, she is speechless for a different reason. It is joy and relief.

Worked examples

Example 1 (full extract question, 16 marks). Read the extract (paraphrased from the story) and answer the questions.

Adjoa says that when she says something, Nana is sometimes shocked and tells her never, never, but NEVER to repeat it. At other times Nana laughs till she cries and repeats the remark to her friends. Adjoa cannot tell which of her thoughts are forbidden and which are funny, so she learns to keep many of them to herself.

(i) Who is Adjoa? Where does she live and with whom? [3] Model answer. Adjoa is a seven-year-old girl and the narrator of the story. She lives in Hasodzi, a big village in the Central Region of Ghana. She lives with her mother, Maami, and her grandmother, Nana.

Why this scores: who (1 mark), where (1 mark) and with whom (1 mark). Name all three, since the examiners' report says marks are lost when details are missed.

(ii) How does Nana react to Adjoa's remarks? Give both reactions. [3] Model answer. Sometimes Nana is shocked. She tells Adjoa never, never, but NEVER to repeat what she has said. At other times she finds the same kind of remark so funny that she laughs until she cries, and she repeats it to her friends.

Why this scores: the first reaction (1 mark), the second reaction (1 mark) and the contrast between them (1 mark). Because the question says "both", a one-sided answer gets only half the marks.

(iii) How does Adjoa feel about this? What does she learn to do? [3] Model answer. Adjoa feels confused, because she cannot tell which remarks will be punished and which will be praised. As a result, she learns to keep many of her thoughts to herself.

Why this scores: the feeling (1 mark, "confused"), its reason (1 mark) and the result (1 mark). This is also the answer to ICSE 2026 Improvement Q1(xi).

(iv) What does this passage show about the way adults treat children, especially girls? [3] Model answer. It shows that adults control what children may say and do not explain why. Nana's rules change from moment to moment, so the child has no way of knowing what is allowed. A girl learns early that her voice is less important than the adults' mood, and so she becomes silent.

Why this scores: the control (1 mark), the unfairness (1 mark) and the effect on the girl (1 mark).

(v) Do you think children should be free to say what they think? Give reasons. [4] Model answer. Yes, I think they should, within limits of politeness. Children often see things clearly, as Adjoa does when she wonders why legs should matter only for child-bearing. If she had been allowed to speak, the family might have understood the matter earlier. Children who are always silenced also lose confidence and may not ask for help when they need it. Listening to them makes a family stronger.

Why this scores: a clear opinion (1 mark), a link to the story (1 mark), two reasons (1 mark) and a balanced conclusion (1 mark).

Example 2 (meaning of the line, 3 marks). At the end, Adjoa thinks, "But that's how I was feeling and thinking all along." What does this tell us about her?

Model answer. It tells us that Adjoa had always believed that her legs were useful for more than child-bearing. While the adults doubted her, she trusted her own body and judgement. She is quietly confident, and the adults have only now caught up with what she knew.

Why this scores: the meaning (1 mark), the trust in herself (1 mark) and a quality of her character (1 mark). It is also ICSE 2027 specimen Q1(xv), where the answer was "(c) her legs were useful for more than child-bearing".

Example 3 (an MCQ with a twist, 1 mark). "Nana has many voices. There is a special one she uses to shut everyone up." What do these lines tell us about Nana? (a) She is a loud, rude woman. (b) She has a strong, powerful voice. (c) She can speak many languages. (d) She dominates the household.

Solution. (d). This was ICSE 2026 Q1(ix). Option (b) is tempting, since it sounds close to the line, but the lines are about power in the family, not the strength of her voice. Nana is the head of the household and uses her voice to silence the others.

Why this scores: reading below the surface. A "voice" is a manner of speaking, not a language or a volume.

Example 4 (character, 100–150 words). Write a short character sketch of Nana.

Model answer. Nana is Adjoa's grandmother and the head of the household. She is traditional: she believes a woman's purpose is to marry and bear children, so she thinks Adjoa's thin legs are a fault. She is strong-willed and commanding, with a special voice she uses to silence everyone. She is sharp-tongued, because she reminds Maami of her poor choice of husband. Yet she is loving and practical: she goes to the school herself to check the news, irons the uniform with a borrowed charcoal iron and walks to the practice to watch. Above all, she is able to change. When Adjoa wins, Nana carries the cup home on her back like a baby and admits that thin legs are good for other things.

Why this scores: five qualities backed by actions from the story, a clear arc from doubt to pride, and a length of about 120 words.

Doubts cleared

Q. Why does Nana say she has no interest in races when she plainly does? Because she is proud and does not want to admit she was wrong. The story lets her actions speak for her.

Q. Is Maami weak? No. She loses the argument about the legs, but she wins the one that matters more: Adjoa goes to school. She is quiet, not weak.

Q. Why is the cup carried "like a baby"? Because, for Nana, carrying a baby is the most honoured thing a woman does. Carrying the cup shows that she now values Adjoa's success in the same way.

Q. Is Adjoa's modesty important? Yes. She wins races for a long time without telling anyone. It shows her character and also shows that her talent has been hidden by the family's focus on her legs.

Q. What is the "problem" Adjoa faces? In ICSE 2026 Improvement Q5, the answer was that she could not tell when to speak and when to keep quiet. Do not confuse this with the "problems" the grown-ups discuss, such as the legs.

Mistakes to avoid

• Writing that Nana always hated the legs. The change is gradual: she checks the news, irons the uniform, walks to the school and looks at the legs in a new way. The examiners want three clues, so name three.
• Confusing the district sports with a school race. The cup is for the best all-round junior athlete at the district sports.
• Mixing the two quarrels. One is about legs and the other about school. In 2026 Q4(iii) the question asked specifically for the second one.
• Saying that Adjoa changes. She stays the same. It is Nana who changes.

Check yourself

1. Name the two subjects on which Nana and Maami disagree.
2. How far does Adjoa walk to school?
3. What does Nana carry on her back at the end?

Answers: 1. Adjoa's legs, and whether she should go to school. 2. About five kilometres. 3. The cup, as women carry babies.