Fable and Drama

Use the passage The Jungle Book: Chapter 1

The stage directions, written in italics print, are included to--

• give the actors an idea of what life was really like in a jungle

• help the audience understand the meaning of difficult words

• provide the play's case and crew with information to present the play to an audience

• cue the audience to either applaud or listen silently

Answer explanation

Remember, stage directions are for the actors in a play! It is not for the audience.

Use the passage The Jungle Book: Chapter 1

Which sentence from the script shows the reader that Mowgli is meant to be represented as a small boy?

• Akela: (calling loudly to wolf pack) Who speaks for this man-cub?

• Mowgli sits at center stage, intent on a game with pebbles.

• Baloo: I myself will teach him.

• The Pack: (baying and howling): Let him be accepted.

Answer explanation

A cub is another word for a baby animal (like a bear or lion cub). They are calling him a "man-cub" to show that he is a human child.

Use the passage The Jungle Book: Chapter 1

Why is the introductory paragraph at the beginning of the play important?

Use the passage The Jungle Book: Chapter 1

Which two characters in the play support Mowgli?

• Mowgli and Shere Khan

• Akela and Mowgli

• Akela and Shere Khan

• Baloo and Bagheera

Which line from the play supports the idea that Mowgli will grow to become an important part of the jungle community?

• The boy is mine. Give him to me.

• There is no harm in a man's cub.

• Men and their cubs are wise.

• In time, he may be of a help to the Pack.

Use the passage The Tortoise and the Ducks

The prefix "dis-" helps the reader understand that the word discontented in paragraph 2 means--

• easily pleased

• not pleased

• quickly forgotten

• pleased again

Answer explanation

The prefix "dis-" means not and "content" means pleased.

Use the passage The Tortoise and the Ducks

Write the a short summary of The Tortoise and the Ducks. This should be at least 3 sentences long.

(Hint: Think of something from the beginning, the middle, and the end.

Use the passage The Tortoise and the Ducks

Read this sentence from paragraph 9 in The Tortise and the Ducks.

He was very much astonished at the strange sight and cried: "This must surely be the King of Tortoises!"

Why did the Crow think the Tortoise was the King of the Tortoises?

• Only a king would be carried through the air by servants.

• Tortoises are known to have kings that are unable to fly.

• The Crow thought the Ducks looked strange.

• The Tortoise had told the Crow earlier that he was the king.

Use the passage The Tortoise and the Ducks

Which sentence from the selection states the fable's theme?

• He seized the stick firmly with his mouth.

• The Tortoise and the Ducks A Fable by Aesop

• The Tortoise, you know, carries his house on his back.

• Foolish curiosity and vanity often lead to misfortune.

Use the passage The Tortoise and the Ducks

What is the genre of this passage and how do you know?

Provide your answer in at least three sentences.