Week 7 English Homework

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How does the character of the little dwarf contrast with that of his older brothers?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How does the queen of the bees help the dwarf in choosing the youngest princess?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is the theme of compassion and kindness evident in the story?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What is the significance of the tasks given to the brothers by the old man in the castle?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is the idea of gratitude and giving back shown in the story?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How does the little dwarf’s treatment of animals in the story reflect his character and values?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What is the significance of the three tablets in the castle?

Read the stories below then answer the questions that follow.

The Queen Bee by the Grimm Brothers

Two kings’ sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.’

So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. But the dwarf said, ‘Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall not kill them.’ Next they came to a bees’-nest in a hollow tree, and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, ‘Let the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.’

At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.

He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.

The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: ‘In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king’s daughter; they must all be found: and if one is missing by the set of the sun, he who seeks them will be turned into marble.’

The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.

The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.

At last came the little dwarf’s turn; and he looked in the moss; but it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!—so he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.

The second tablet said: ‘The key of the princess’s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake.’ And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.

The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king’s three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.

Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her father’s death; but his two brothers married the other two sisters.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

The main conflict of the story centres around the dwarf and his brothers’ attempts to break the enchantment on the castle. What does this conflict in the story highlight?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What is one moral lesson of the story?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is wisdom depicted in the story?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What does Anansi’s fear of losing his wisdom tell us?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What does the scattering of wisdom around the world symbolise?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is the theme of generosity relevant to the story?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

Why was Kweku Tsin laughing as Anansi?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

Why was Anansi trying to climb up a tree?

How Wisdom Got Out

Long ago, one old man had all the wisdom in the world. His name was Father Anansi, and in some mysterious way he was related to the trickster spider of the same name. People always came to him with questions like:

“Father Anansi, what should I do to make my son behave better?” and “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my aunty well again?” and: “Father Anansi, what should I do to make my yams grow?”

And he answered 100 other such questions every day.

People paid him well for his wisdom, and he grew rich and his family was never hungry. But Anansi feared that one day somebody would try to steal all his wisdom, and he would no longer possess the thing that brought him respect and wealth. And so one day, he decided to collect together all his wisdom in one big pot and hide it in the forest.

Now his son was called Kweku Tsin, and he was as smart and as tricky as his father. He suspected that Anansi had some secret plot, and he decided to follow him. He walked behind his father and his big pot, until he came to the tallest tree in the forest. Anansi meant to climb to the top of the tree, and hang his pot of wisdom on the highest branch where nobody would see it.

Anansi strapped the pot in front of his body, and then he tried to climb the tree. But try as he might, he could not get beyond the first branch because he fell down to the ground.

“Ouch!”

He stood up and rubbed a bruise on his back. Not one to give up easily, he started to climb again.  This time he reached the second branch before falling back to the ground.

“Ooooh Ouch!”

A third time, Anansi tried to climb the tree, and on this occasion he just managed to grab the third branch before he tumbled back onto the ground.

“Oooh, Oooh, Ouch!”

His son stepped out from behind the bush where he had been hiding and said:

“Father, I have seen you try three times to climb the tree with the pot dangling in front of you. Thank you for this amusing comedy. My sides hurt because I have been laughing so much. But let me tell you how to do this. Put the pot on your back, and then you will find it so much easier to climb the tree.”

And Anansi immediately grew angry and threw the pot down onto the ground:

“What is the point of all this wisdom,” he demanded to know, “if my son knows how to do this simple thing better than I do?”

And as he spoke, all the wisdom flew out of the pot and scattered around the four corners of the world. And that is why there is, despite all appearances to the contrary, so much wisdom in the world. People know how to take care of things, how to make things work, and how to get things done. And all that wisdom is due to the bad temper of Father Anansi who threw down the pot of wisdom in a tantrum.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How does Anansi’s rejection of his son’s advice and subsequent tantrum provide insight into his character and values?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What is the theme of the story?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What does the black book symbolise?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What pushed the pupil to open the black book?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

What is the internal conflict in the story?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is the theme of knowledge without wisdom portrayed in the story?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

Which of the following group of words can NOT be associated with the story?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

How is the theme of temptation tackled in the story?

The Master and His Pupil by Joseph Jacobs

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table which was made fast to the floor; and when he read out of this book, he unlocked it with an iron key, and none but he read from it, for it contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang in their queries, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned, and how tasks might be imposed on them, and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man. 

Now the master had a pupil who was but a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master, but never was he suffering to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out, and then the lad, as curious as could be, hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver, and where was his mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world, and where was the shell which when held to the ear whispered all the words that were being spoken by anyone the master desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper and lead into gold and silver—he looked long and vainly into the mirror; smoke and clouds passed over it, but he saw nothing plain, and the shell to his ear produced only indistinct murmurings, like the breaking of distant seas on an unknown shore. “I can do nothing,” he said; “as I don’t know the right words to utter, and they are locked up in yon book.” 

He looked round, and, see! the book was unfastened; the master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed to it, and unclosed the volume. It was written with red and black ink, and much of it he could not understand; but he put his finger on a line and spelled it through. 

At once the room was darkened, and the house trembled; a clap of thunder rolled through the passage and the old room, and there stood before him a horrible, horrible form, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub, whom he had called up to serve him. “Set me a task!” said he, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. 

The boy only trembled, and his hair stood up.

“Set me a task, or I shall strangle thee!” 

But the lad could not speak. Then the evil spirit stepped towards him, and putting forth his hands touched his throat. The fingers burned his flesh. “Set me a task!” 

“Water yon flower,” cried the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the spirit left the room, but in another instant he returned with a barrel on his back, and poured its contents over the flower; and again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, till the floor of the room was ankle-deep. 

“Enough, enough!” gasped the lad; but the demon heeded him not; the lad didn’t know the words by which to send him away, and still he fetched water. It rose to the boy’s knees and still more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and Beelzebub still kept on bringing barrels full. It rose to his armpits, and he scrambled to the table-top. And now the water in the room stood up to the window and washed against the glass, and swirled around his feet on the table. It still rose; it reached his breast. In vain he cried; the evil spirit would not be dismissed, and to this day he would have been pouring water, and would have drowned all Yorkshire. But the master remembered on his journey that he had not locked his book, and therefore returned, and at the moment when the water was bubbling about the pupil’s chin, rushed into the room and spoke the words which cast Beelzebub back into his fiery home.

Answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the best answer.

Which of the following are lessons which the story wants its readers to learn?

     I. The story can be interpreted to teach its readers to be cautious of the pursuit of knowledge and power without the necessary wisdom to wield it.

     II. The story against the temptation of curiosity urges individuals to consider the consequences of their actions before making dangerous choices.

     III. The story teaches its readers to blindly pursue and seek out knowledge and power because it is with these that we can find peace and happiness.

     IV. The story encourages readers to take risks and act impulsively and without considering the long-term consequences of their actions.