Introduction
"The Great Stone Face – II" continues the allegorical tale begun in Part I. Having seen two false claimants to the prophecy — the merchant Gathergold and the general Old Blood-and-Thunder — Ernest continues to live his quiet, virtuous life in the valley. In Part II, a third candidate appears: a poet who is celebrated for his beautiful verse. More importantly, Part II delivers the story's central revelation: Ernest himself is the true fulfilment of the prophecy. The themes of the power of aspiration, inner beauty, and the slow, imperceptible growth of wisdom are brought to a moving conclusion.
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Key Concepts and Background
- The Poet: A famous and brilliant poet (referred to simply as "the poet") who visits the valley. He has written beautiful verse about the Great Stone Face itself, and the townspeople believe he must be the great man.
- Ernest as a Teacher: By Part II, Ernest has grown old. He is now respected throughout the valley for his wisdom and kindness. People come to hear him speak in the evenings — he has become an informal teacher and philosopher, though he remains humble.
- The Revelation: The poet — himself a perceptive, sensitive observer — looks at Ernest and suddenly declares that Ernest's face is the true likeness of the Great Stone Face. Ernest is stunned; he has never thought of himself as great.
- Key Themes: True greatness is found in character and virtue, not fame. Greatness can develop quietly and unconsciously. The humility of the truly great.
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Example 1: The Poet as the Third Candidate
When the great poet visits the valley, the townspeople are convinced this cultured, celebrated man must be the fulfilment of the prophecy. But Ernest studies the poet's face closely and, once again, finds it does not quite match the Great Stone Face. The poet is brilliant but his face lacks the serene, complete nobility of the face on the cliff.
Example 2: Ernest and the Poet Meet
Ernest and the poet have a long, meaningful conversation. The poet is surprised by Ernest's wisdom and depth. He recognises that Ernest's words and thoughts are in many ways more profound than his own poems, even though Ernest has never written a line. This encounter reveals that wisdom does not require formal education or artistic talent.
Example 3: What the Poet Represents
Unlike Gathergold (wealth) and Old Blood-and-Thunder (military power), the poet represents intellectual and artistic achievement. He is a more sophisticated idea of greatness than the previous two, but the story suggests that even this form of greatness — celebrated artistic genius — falls short of the deep, lived wisdom Ernest has developed.
Example 4: The Evening Gathering
Ernest regularly gathers with the people of the valley in the evenings to share his thoughts. These informal sessions are described as simple but deeply moving. The Great Stone Face watches over these gatherings from the cliff above, and the people feel its spirit is somehow present in Ernest's words.
Example 5: The Poet's Revelation
As Ernest speaks at one of these evening gatherings, the setting sun illuminates his face. The poet, watching intently, suddenly exclaims: "Behold! Ernest is himself the likeness of the Great Stone Face!" The onlookers see it too. Ernest has become what he always admired.
Example 6: Ernest's Humility
Despite the revelation, Ernest remains humble. He hopes that some wiser and better man than himself will yet appear to truly fulfil the prophecy. This humility — his unwillingness to claim greatness for himself — is precisely what makes him great. True greatness does not claim itself.
Example 7: The Central Moral of the Story
The story's profound conclusion is that we become what we consistently aspire to. Ernest spent his whole life gazing at and internalising the qualities of the Great Stone Face — kindness, wisdom, nobility, benevolence — and without knowing it, he grew into those very qualities. The prophecy was fulfilled not by wealth, power, or fame, but by a lifetime of quiet virtue.
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Common mistakes
- Students sometimes think the poet is the final fulfilment of the prophecy. He is NOT — he is the third false candidate. Ernest is the true fulfilment.
- Ernest's humility at the end is not false modesty — it is the genuine mark of a person who has truly internalised greatness without ego.
- The story is an allegory — read it for its symbolic message, not as a realistic account.
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Summary
In Part II, a celebrated poet visits the valley and is hailed as the great man, but Ernest finds his face does not truly resemble the Great Stone Face. Ernest and the poet have a profound conversation. At an evening gathering, illuminated by the setting sun, the poet recognises that Ernest himself is the true likeness of the Great Stone Face. Ernest, humble as ever, hopes a better man will yet appear. The story concludes with the powerful message that a lifetime of quietly aspiring to noble ideals transforms a person into greatness itself — the prophecy is fulfilled in the most unexpected and beautiful way.