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1.
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The Ant and the Chrysalis
by Aesop
1 An Ant
nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its
time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and this attracted the attention of the Ant, who then
saw for the first time that it was alive.
2 “Poor, pitiable
animal!” cried the Ant disdainfully. “What a sad fate is yours! While I can run here and
there, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, climb the highest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell,
with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail.”
3 The
Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed
that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt
himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful
Butterfly.
4 “Behold in me,” said the Butterfly,”your
much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to
listen.”
5 So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, lifted
along on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.
Story
2
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
By Aesop
1 A
Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to
the vigilance of the shepherd and his
dogs. But one day it found
the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so
it
put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.
2 The
Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was
wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the
Sheep's clothing; so,
leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her,
and
for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying
hearty
meals.
Read the passage from story 1:
“Poor, pitiable animal!” cried
the Ant disdainfully.
The dictionary defines disdainful
as:
dis·dain·ful (ds-dnfl)
adj.
Expressive of disdain;
scornful and contemptuous. See Synonyms at proud.
What does the following passage
show?
“Behold in me,” said the Butterfly,”your much-pitied friend!
Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to
listen.”
a. | That the Ant is not really friendly, or a friend to the Butterfly. | c. | That the Butterfly
is not very nice to the Ant after the Ant was kind to them. | b. | That the Ant is
really kind, and feels sorry for the trapped Chrysalis. | d. | That the Ant is better off climbing trees and
going other places. |
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3.
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Why was the Wolf’s trick so effective?
a. | Because the shepherd was not very smart, and his dogs were even dumber. In fact, the
sheep were stupid too. | c. | Because the shepherd, dogs, and sheep didn’t recognize the
threat because the wolf looked like he belonged. | b. | Because the Lamb could not tell that the Wolf
was not his mother. In fact, he liked the Wolf better than his mother. | d. | Because it is better to accept your enemy into
your group, so you can keep a closer eye on them. |
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