Comprehension
Questions on the Grimms’ fairy tale*. Check answers with, ‘Show Answer.’
1) Read the Story. 2) Answer the comprehension questions.
The Fox and the Cat by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
It happened that the cat met the fox in a forest, and as she thought to herself: ‘He is clever and full of experience, and much esteemed in the world,’ she spoke to him in a friendly way. ‘Good day, dear Mr Fox, how are you? How is all with you? How are you getting on in these hard times?’ The fox, full of all kinds of arrogance, looked at the cat from head to foot, and for a long time did not know whether he would give any answer or not. At last he said: ‘Oh, you wretched beard-cleaner, you piebald fool, you hungry mouse-hunter, what can you be thinking of? Have you the cheek to ask how I am getting on? What have you learnt? How many arts do you understand?’ ‘I understand but one,’ replied the cat, modestly. ‘What art is that?’ asked the fox. ‘When the hounds are following me, I can spring into a tree and save myself.’ ‘Is that all?’ said the fox. ‘I am master of a hundred arts, and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning. You make me sorry for you; come with me, I will teach you how people get away from the hounds.’ Just then came a hunter with four dogs. The cat sprang nimbly up a tree, and sat down at the top of it, where the branches and foliage quite concealed her. ‘Open your sack, Mr Fox, open your sack,’ cried the cat to him, but the dogs had already seized him, and were holding him fast. ‘Ah, Mr Fox,’ cried the cat. ‘You with your hundred arts are left in the lurch! Had you been able to climb like me, you would not have lost your life.’
Comprehension Questions
- At the very beginning of the excerpt, the Author gives an account of the Fox’s popularity, saying that the cat thought the fox was clever and much esteemed in the world. How would you describe the way the fox greeted the cat? a) With Courtesy. b) With arrogance. c) With charm. d) The fox was honest and fair in his approach.
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b) With arrogance. - Was it something the cat had done that had caused the fox to act in this way? a) Yes the cat had a fair number of faults that needed to be pointed out. b) Yes, because the cat was inferior to the fox in many ways. c) The cat was a little too polite and the fox was right to resent this. d) No, the cat had been very polite towards the fox and had done nothing to cause the fox to act in this way.
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d) No, the cat had been very polite towards the fox and had done nothing to cause the fox to act in this way.
- What labels did the fox give the cat?
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Beard-cleaner, piebald fool, and hungry mouse-hunter.
- What reason did the fox give to justify his belittling of the cat? a) Just because he could. b) Because the cat had not learnt or understood and mastered many arts as he had. c) Because these things were true about the cat. d) Because he was better than the cat, and therefore could judge him.
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b) Because the cat had not learnt or understood and mastered many arts as he had. - Sometimes in a story there is an unwritten message or moral that is only made clear in the context of the whole story. If you could make a summary of such a message of the first half of the story, which of the following would it be closest to? a) People need to be willing to receive chastisement because of their inexperience. b) A person who has cunning, cleverness and experience is worth much more than anyone who lacks it. c) Having more knowledge, skill or experience than someone is not grounds to judge them. d) If you lack experience in life, you can soon aspire to be like those who do.
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c) Having more knowledge, skill or experience than someone is not grounds to judge them.
- How many arts did the fox say he was master of? a) Twenty. b) Many. c) Two hundred. d) A hundred.
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d) A hundred.
- The Author stated that the cat had understood only one art. What was that art? a) Being able to escape potential predators by springing up a tree. b) Catching mice. c) Bring able to debate well on any topic. d) Chasing other cats.
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a) Being able to escape potential predators by springing up a tree.
- The cat should have responded to the fox in like manner to defend herself. True or False?
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False - The irony in the next part of the story is that a) Just as the fox had been comparing himself to the cat and belittling the cat on the basis of her only knowing one art whereas he knew many, the cat was able to save herself by that one art, and the fox’s ignorance in that one art brought about his demise. b) Being able to catch mice is not such a bad thing after all. c) Though the cat did not know much, her mastery of one art saved her. d) The fox and the cat had just been standing there quietly talking when, suddenly they were attacked by hounds.
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a) Just as the fox had been comparing himself to the cat and belittling the cat on the basis of her only knowing one art whereas he knew many, the cat was able to save herself by that one art and the fox’s ignorance in that one art brought about his demise. - Which of the following best describes the underlying messages of the whole story? You may choose more than one. a) No matter how much knowledge or mastery one has gained, one should never belittle another. b) Pride comes before a fall. c) One should ensure that one masters the art of climbing trees in case of emergencies. d) Those who have a great deal of knowledge, understanding and experience in the real world should still be sure that they are knowledgeable in the things that really matter.
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a) b) and d)
Sources for the Fairy Tale on this page:
*Source: Grimm J., and Grimm W., Grimms’ Fairy Tales, 1904, The Macmillan company; London, Macmillan & co., ltd., New York.