Banner in the Sky

Chapt. 11-15
pp. 139-221

Vocabulary
Match the definition on the right with the terms on the left hand side.
F. glacier

A. a complicated network of paths

C. conquer
B. explorer

B. a person who travels through unfamiliar

areas
C. to overcome or win by force

E. thrust

D. the act of doing work

A. maze

E. to push or shove with force

D. exertion

F. a field of ice, formed in regions

Response Journal
Imagine you are the Citadel. Write your thoughts about the men trying to
conquer you as they reach the Fortress and the shoulder, and finally
emerge above the Needle.
If I were the Citadel, I wouldve been very excited to see men climbing
myself and conquering every ridges and cliffs that I have. For so long I
have been left alone, and the only men that have touched me, or my foot,
are Josef Matt, Old Teo, and Sir Edward Stephenson. I would be very
enthusiastic to see people giving their full efforts in trying to reach my
summit through the Fortress and the shoulder. I would be curious on how
men will feel when they encounter the sharp ledges and overhangs of
mine, and I would see how they would overcome it. I would be very
happy if men have already conquered the Needle because they have
found a way to climb as far as the Needle. If I see men going past the
Needle, then I would be happier because men have already found a
route leading to the summit. I wouldnt have been isolated again like I
have been for hundreds of years, and by the finding of Rudi, Franz, Emil,
and Captain Winter, many tourists, Kurtalers, Brolis, and other people of
Switzerland would climb me.
Comprehension

Answer the following questions in complete sentences, restating when

possible.
1. Do you think Rudi actually encountered his fathers ghost in
the cave? If not, what did he encounter? Explain your
answer.
Rudi didnt actually encounter his fathers ghost in the cave.
Instead, he is simply influenced by his own fear and paranoia.
He, a Kurtaler, was taught that demons and ghosts haunt the
Citadel. When Rudi arrived and stayed in the cave, the fear and
legend that he has heard from long ago is stuck in him. Having
experienced being in the cave in which his father and Sir Edward
died for the first time, Rudi quickly assumed and anticipates the
coming of ghosts from the mountain (especially if he is staying
inside a cave in which a man died 15 years ago). He didnt
encounter anything in the cave; it was merely the result of his
fear that made him believe that there was his fathers ghost in the
cave. However, at the end, we all knew that he was not afraid
again and knew that God and his father would watch over him
while he is sleeping inside the cave.
8

2. How does Captain Winter show himself to be a good leader in

his handling of the two guides on the climb?
Captain Winter often resolves conflicts between Franz and Saxo by
telling them that it was no use to argue. The first example was
when they were at the old hut. Franz and the Kurtalers were
arguing with Saxo about which village is better (Kurtal or Broli).
When they argue that each of their villages should be the first that
climbed the Citadel and reached its summit, Captain Winter quickly
jumped into action and separated them both. Captain Winter told
them that it is no use in arguing which village was better and which
village deserves the Citadel, because at the end, if the men work
together, it would be easier to conquer the Citadel. Captain Winter
said that the Citadel does not need conflicts to conquer it; it needs
teamwork. At the end, Captain Winter made Franz and Saxo shake
hands. The second example is when Captain Winter didnt show
favor to only one guide. He equally respects and hears to both
guides. This is shown when they arrived at the split way in the
Fortress. Captain Winter decided that it is better to go left as Rudi
and Franz says. When they arrived at another path in which they
have to choose left and right, Captain Winter listened to Saxos
suggestion in which the group went left. Captain Winter listened to
the advices of both guides and he didnt listen to just one guide.
This made Franz and Saxo feel appreciated by Captain Winter. The
third example is when Captain Winter risked his life for the sake of
the others when he is climbing the delicate hangings of the Needle,
in which laid below was nothing but empty space of thin air. He
knew that he is the one that has to go first because it is of his
insisting that the group decided to climb the Citadel. Captain Winter
tried the Needle first because if he falls, the others would know the
danger and would go back down. Captain Winter would take any
risk to prevent his teammates from harm, and this proved him to be
a good leader.
3. Why is it important to Rudi to carry the flannel shirt and hiking
stick up the mountain?
For Rudi, the flannel shirt and the hiking stick are the symbol of his
father. Rudi wants to continue his fathers work 15 years ago and
also wants to show that Rudi is doing the climb to achieve his
fathers goal. The flannel shirt and the hiking stick also meant to

Rudi that God and his father would look after him while he is
climbing the mountain. Lastly, the hiking stick and flannel shirt
relates to the books title, Banner in the Sky. Rudi, in the story,
wanted to stick the hiking stick on the summit of the Citadel, hang
the flannel shirt on the stick, and place his and his fathers banner.
He would prove to everyone and his father that he is able to reach
the summit of the Citadel, and that he is doing it for his father. The
banner is also a sign that the Citadel has already been conquered
by man and from the summit, it will be seen from all Switzerland
and even other countries. Overall, the reason why Rudi brought the
flannel shirt and the hiking stick is for him to know that he has
achieved his goal in climbing the Citadel and knowing that he
continued his fathers legacy.
4. What character traits help Rudi get through the eye of the
needle? Explain your reasoning.
First, Rudi was strong willed and strong hearted. Although Franz,
Saxo, and Captain Winter couldnt get through the eye, Rudi still
wanted to climb it himself. He still wanted to try even though he
had seen three expert climbers failed. Inside the eye of the
needle, Rudi still kept going through even though he was stuck
on all sides by stones. Although he panicked at first at the
narrowest point of the eye, Rudi decided to keep moving and his
hard work enabled him to go past through the eye. Second, Rudi
is small and delicate. His thin, sleek body (unlike the strong,
rugged body of the three men) enabled him to go further past the
narrowing tunnel than the other three. He was able to squeeze
past through narrower openings unlike the men. Third, Rudi is
clever. When the ice above the surface of the needle slid past
down the eye as water and made the stones wet, Rudi utilized
this moment to slide his body upward with ease. He also went
further than he could go if the stones are dry. It was also because
of the slippery walls that Rudi was able to go through the
narrowest point of the eye. Rudis cleverness and adaption made
him able to use the surrounding walls to climb past the eye.
9

Cliffhangers
We are going to look back at the endings of Chapters 1, 6, 8, and 10.
Each chapter has an unresolved ending or, as it is popularly known, a
cliffhanger.
You will be divided into four groups. Each group will look up one of the
four endings, describing how each chapter ends and what questions are
left unanswered. Complete the chart below.
Chapter
Ending

What Happens

Question Left
Unanswered

Chapter 1

Rudi heard a voice calling and he searched

for where the voice came from. He
searched every crevasse: three to be exact.
When he called at down the second
crevasse, there was a faint answer. Rudi
looked at the third crevasse.

What is Rudi hearing in the mountains?

Was the voice that Rudi heard a voice of a
man or an animal? What was inside the
third crevasse? What did Rudi do? Where
did the voice come from? What happened
next?

Chapter 6

Why did Captain Winter do such a thing?

After Rudi was very happy of his progress Why wouldnt he take Rudi to the
in training in the Felsberg with Teo and
mountains? Wasnt Captain Winter
longing for Captain Winter to come and
passionate and didnt he trusted Rudi?
take him to the Citadel, Gretchen came intoWhere is Captain Winter going? What is
the Beau Site Hotel. She said that Captain Captain Winter doing? Why is Captain
Winter said goodbye to Rudi and Kurtal, Winter going? What is Rudis and Teos
and he will leave for good.
reaction?

Chapter 8

How was Rudi after being hit by the

Rudi was caught inside an avalanche while avalanche? Did he survive? Where is Rudi
he was trying to follow Captain Winter and going? Did the avalanche carry him far
Saxo to safety. Rudi felt his roped jerking from the group? Where is Rudi going?
agonizingly, and he spun and flew inside What happened to Captain Winter and
the avalanche. The avalanche sent Rudi
Saxo? Did they survive the avalanche? Are
down the mountain slope.
they caught in it too? What happened next?

Chapter 10

Rudi was going eastward towards the blue

Glacier when he met another turning point.
Directly ahead and straight down the Blue
Glacier is leading to the boulder-slopes, the
lower hut, the tree line, the valley, and to
Kurtal. On the other hand, the left side
leads to the upper tributary, the
Bergschrund, icefall, snowslope, and
Why did Rudi turn left? What happens after
ultimately, the Citadel. Rudi stood for a
Rudi turns left? Did he really go to the
while, and instead of going back to Kurtal, Citadel with minimal preparation? Is he
Rudi went left to the direction of the
going to survive the Citadel? How? What
Citadel.
happened next?

10

Banner in the Sky

Chapt. 16-19
pp. 222-285

Vocabulary
Match the definition on the right with the terms on the left hand side.
E. abyss

A. how you look at things

G. admiration

B. happening at the same time

F. buttress

C. straight up and down

A. perspective

D. a gloomy aspect

C. vertical

E. a bottomless gulf

D. scowl

F. a support or prop

B. simultaneous

G. a feeling of high regard

Response Journal
Writers of realistic fiction often write about what they know. James
Ramsey Ullman, for example, was an experienced mountaineer. Write a
brief synopsis of a story you might write that concerns a subject or activity
about which you know a good deal.
My story would be about soccer, as I know soccer in general and have
also played soccer (it has become my favorite sport). I would write a story
about a young soccer player who strives on to be the world best by
improving and showing his best performance in his league. He
continuously strives to be the best and coaches and managers from big
clubs searched and raced to take his interest. He then took a sign into FC
Barcelona and there he began his journey in becoming the worlds best by
beating goal records. At the end, he suffered from a serious leg injury that
stopped his career, and his son continues his legacy in playing soccer.
Comprehension
Answer the following questions in complete sentences, restating when
possible.
1. Why do you think Frau Matt changes her mind about her son

when she learns he is on the mountain?

I think that Frau Matt changes her mind about Rudi because she
finally realized that she couldnt stop Rudi from achieving his
dreams. In one way or another, Rudi would still be the man he is
intended to be; a mountaineer. Frau Matt knows that if she didnt
allow Rudi to go to the mountains, she wouldve blocked the
childs lifelong goal. Frau then let Rudi achieve his goal.

2. Imagine you are Rudi. Would you have made the same choice
between helping Saxo or going for the top? Explain your
answer.
I would help Saxo rather than going for the top. Firstly, I wouldve
felt guilty for leaving an injured man alone on top of a mountain
while I greedily achieve my goal because of that persons failure.
Although I have achieved my lifelong dream, I sacrifice a persons
safety and life and take it as an advantage for me to reach my goal.
I will also be remembered of Teos saying, that I need to be my
fathers son and do what my father would do if he is in the current
moment. Also, the chance of helping Saxo only comes once, and if
I abandoned him, I might not have the chance to meet him again
and help him (he probably would not survive by the time I reached
the summit, went down, and go up again to the place where he
stayed). I can always climb the Citadel later in the future, but I
might not have the chance to help Saxo in the future. Finally, the
secret code of all Kurtal climbers is not to leave a person,
especially if that person is an injured man or an injured Herr, alone.
Franz, Frau, and Captain Winter would not appreciate my decision
and Im sure that they would be very disappointed when I achieve
my goal and despised Saxo who needs help. I personally would
also feel very bad.
3. In what way is the Citadel Rudis mountain, as Captain Winter
says?
The Citadel is called Rudis mountain because Rudi did probably
his noblest act and biggest sacrifice saving Emil Saxo rather than
going for the summit on that mountain. On the Citadel, Rudi have
become the man that his father wanted him to be, and he is now his
fathers son in a way that he did an act that Josef Matt would have
done if he were in that current situation. Rudi have become a true
mountaineer, because he sacrificed his lifelong dream in order for
him to rescue Saxo from dying because of injury. Rudi showed his
unselfishness at the Citadel, and he learned the secret code of the
climbers: to not leave a person or Herr alone on the mountains. Also,
Rudis staff and red flannel shirt was planted on the summit of the
Citadel (it is planted by Captain Winter and Franz), and that showed
that Rudi could always climb the Citadel in the future, and all

Switzerland would see that the Citadel was a conquered mountain.

The Citadel was later called Rudisberg, because aside of the fact
that Rudi became a true mountaineer at that mountain by helping
Saxo instead of reaching for the mountains summit, Rudis staff and
his red flannel shirt was planted on top of the Citadel, in which had
been his goal when he reached the summit of the Citadel.
12

Compare/Contrast
Compare Franz Lerner and Emil Saxo. How are the two guides alike? How are they
different? Complete the Venn diagram.
Franz Lerner:
He is true to the Kurtal climbers code, which is to never leave a Herr alone. Therefore,
he sticks with Captain Winter rather than going for Emil Saxo, because helping an
injured man in the mountains must take precedence over anything else. He also
helped Captain Winter by giving him tea while they were climbing. Even this
surpasses his goal in reaching the summit of the Citadel.
He cares for everyone in the team. He wants everyone to achieve their goals during
the climb to the Citadel. Therefore, he took Rudis staff and red flannel shirt, and
planted it on the top, so that Rudis goal may be fulfilled.
Franz Lerner did not mind lowering Saxo (as a bundle of firewood) down the Citadel,
although Saxo had abandoned the team for his own ambition.
Emil Saxo:
He doesnt care about his Herr, Captain Winter. He does not follow the climbers code.
He cares more about reaching the summit of the Citadel rather than waiting and taking
care of Captain Winter while he is sick. He puts reaching the summit at his utmost
priority. He also does not care about the other members of the team, and only sets his
eye on the summit of the Citadel.
Emil Saxo only cares for his own goal and his pride. He wanted to reach the summit of
the Citadel without any help, especially from Kurtalers. He wants to be honored and to
give honor to Broli alone.
Because of being driven by his ambition to reach the summit, he often underestimates
the problems that lie ahead. For example, he said that it is easy to carry Captain
Winter down after he climbed the Citadel to its summit and descended to the tents,
while in reality it might not be so easy. He also thinks that he can climb the Citadel

alone, although later in the story he needs Rudis help to go down because of an
accident that causes his leg and arm to be injured.
Emil Saxo does not want anyones help when he was injured by the fall, especially
from a man of Kurtal. When Rudi wanted to help him, he at first doesnt want a
Kurtaler to help when he is in need.
Even after Franz and Captain Winter had helped him, he still does not thank them at
the end and still shows his defiance.
Both:
Both Franz and Saxo wanted to reach the Citadels summit.
Franz and Saxo are proud of their villages and they sometimes fight to prove which
village is better. This is also why they strive to reach the summit of the Citadel.
Both are masters at climbing.

FRANZ LERNER

EMIL SAXO

BOTH

13

Plot and Conflict

Think about Rudis conflict with other characters, his
problems as he tries to scale the Citadel, and the conflicts within himself.
Think about how each conflict is resolved and then complete the following
chart.
With his mother: Rudi faced conflicts with Frau Matt because he had
ran away from his house to the Citadel for a long time. His mother,
at first, didnt allow him to become a climber because she was afraid
that Rudi might end like Josef, her husband, who died at the Citadel.
Frau didnt know that Rudi was on the Citadel until Andreas Krickel
accidentally told her about it.
o How its resolved: It is resolved by Frau Matt realizing that it is
no good for her to stop Rudi from becoming the person that he
wants to be. She does not want to stop Rudi from achieving his
goals and therefore she finally allowed (although still a little
worried) Rudi to climb the Citadel.

With Emil Saxo: Rudi insisted to climb with Emil Saxo, but the guide
wouldnt allow him to do so. As a result, Rudi kept insisting and
when he reached Saxos hand, the guide slid down the ridge in an
attempt to shoo Rudi away. This caused Saxo to break his left arm
and injured one of his legs.
o How its resolved: Rudi helped Emil Saxo. At first Rudi thought
that Saxo was able to climb up, and so he told the guides the
routes to climb. But then he realized that it is no good for Saxo
to climb up. Rudi sacrificed his dreams in reaching the summit
of the Citadel in order for him to get Saxo down to the tents.
Saxo, although resisting at first, accepted the help, and was
brought down to the tents. There, Captain Winter and Franz
joined in after they reached the summit, and lowered Saxo
down to the hut. At the end, Saxo saluted Rudi for what he had
done to him.

With himself: Rudi had to make difficult decisions. He was already

wrong in leaving Franz and Captain Winter behind and go for the
summit, and now, after seeing Emil Saxo getting injured by the fall,

Rudi has to either continue his journey up to the summit (which is

not far by now) or help Saxo to go down.
o How its resolved: Rudi decided that it would do no good in
reaching the Citadel while he left the injured Saxo alone. Rudi
decided to sacrifice his dreams in order for him to help Saxo
and get Saxo down to the tents. This was an important
decision for Rudi, because at that point, he learned how to
care for other people and that helping an injured person in the
mountains must take precedence over anything else. Rudi
grew from a boy to a man, and he became his fathers son
because he did what his father would do.

With the Citadel: The sheer height of the Citadel made the climbing
difficult. The air was thin and it was hard for Rudi to breathe.
o How its resolved: Rudi kept climbing towards the summit
although it is difficult for him to do so. He is able to do this
because he is willing to go for the summit, and he also wanted
to race Emil Saxo so that he can reach the summit first. He is
driven by his goal, but then he let his dreams go away in order
to help Saxo.

Rudis Conflicts

How its Resolved

With his mother

and with Emil Saxo

With himself

With the Citadel

(environment)

14

Character Analysis
Pick a character from the book. Draw pictures or write words that relate
to the character (likes, dislikes, things that are important to him/her)
Character Name: Emil Saxo
He likes to climb the Citadel and be the first who conquered it. He wants
Broli to be known as the first conqueror of the Citadel. He wants to
achieve his ambition, and will do anything to reach it.
He doesnt like his ambitions to be delayed. He didnt care for Captain
Winter, Franz, and Rudi. He only cares about the summit of the Citadel.
He also doesnt like to be helped by a Kurtaler, as he is a man from Broli.
It would be a disgrace for him to be helped by his villages enemy.
The things that are important to Emil Saxo are the summit of the Citadel
(because it is his goal) and also his village, Broli. It had also been his
dream to make Broli proud and more superior that Kurtal by being the first
to conquer the Citadel. He wanted to do it for his own pride and for Brolis
victory over Kurtal.