Back to the exercises Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

The right order of each set of three sentences is:

3. The two friends needed a donkey to carry heavy things to market.
1. The first man became rich. 
2. The first man wanted his half of the donkey.

5. The two men bought a donkey together.
4. The first man’s father died.
6. The two men went to see the judge.

9. The second man lost his donkey.
7. The elders said both men were wrong.
8. The two men became friends again.

B. Now put all nine sentences in the right order

The right order for all nine sentences is:

3. The two friends needed a donkey to carry heavy things to market.
5. The two men bought a donkey together.
4. The first man’s father died.
1. The first man became rich.
2. The first man wanted his half of the donkey.
6. The two men went to see the judge.
9. The second man lost his donkey.
7. The elders said both men were wrong.
8. The two men became friends again.

C. Are these sentences right or wrong?

1. One week the donkey carried a sack of wheat to market. 
   Wrong. He carried a sack of barley.
2. The two neighbours were happy with the donkey for a long time. 
   Right
3. The first neighbour wanted to feed the donkey meat to his hungry dogs.
   Right
4. The rich man wanted to go to a judge to decide about the donkey.
   Wrong. The poor man wanted to go to the judge. 
5. The rich man decided to knock down his old hut.
   Wrong. He decided to burn down his old hut.
6. The poor man now had to sleep under a tree. 
   Right
7. The poor man had a good crop of barley.
   Wrong. He had a good crop of chick-peas.
8. The rich man wanted to pay for the crop that was eaten.
   Right
9. The poor man wanted to cut open the rich man’s sons.
   Right
10. The rich man gave the poor man all his property.
    Wrong. He gave the poor man half of all his property.

D. What were they feeling?

1. The two neighbours bought a donkey together. They were feeling pleased/happy.
2. The first man’s dogs were feeling hungry.
3. The first man did not want to give money for his half of the donkey. He was feeling angry.
4. The poor man had lost his hut and his donkey. He was feeling unhappy/very unhappy.
5. The rich man was feeling frightened/very frightened that his sons would be cut open and die.
6. At the end of the story the two men were feeling happy.

E. Where? What?  When? How?

Examples of answers: 

1. How did the two neighbours take their goods to market before they had a donkey? They carried them.
2. Where was the market?  Far away
3. What did the first man take when his father died? His property, his fields, his trees, his cows and sheep
4. What did the second man want for his share of the donkey?  Money 
5. When did the rich man decide to build a hut? A few months later
6. When did the rich man’s sons go to the poor man’s fields? Nearly harvest time
7. How long did the elders take to make a decision? A long time
8. How much did the rich man give the poor man? Half of all his property