Question

why was Franz so sad to hear the recent news?​

Answer 1

Answer: After hearing the announcement, Franz was very sad and he regretted not learning his lessons, and being deprived of the opportunity to learn his own mother tongue. His books suddenly became his 'old friends' whom he could not abandon.

Explanation:

When M. Hamel mounted on the chair and announced that he was there to teach his last French lesson that day, Franz was shocked and surprised. He felt very guilty for deliberately ignoring to learn his native language and he suddenly developed a strange fascination for his language and his school