"Three Wishes" Comprehension Questions

from The Three Wishes

by Ricardo E. Algería

Many years ago, there lived a woodsman and his wife. They were very poor but very happy in their little house in the forest. Poor as they were, they were always ready to share what little they had with anyone who came to their door. They loved each other very much and were quite content with their life together. Each evening, before eating, they gave thanks to God for their happiness.

One day, while the husband was working far off in the woods, an old man came to the little house and said that he had lost his way in the forest and had eaten nothing for many days. The woodsman’s wife had little to eat herself, but, as was her custom, she gave a large portion of it to the old man. After he had eaten everything she gave him, he told the woman that he had been sent to test her and that, as a reward for the kindness she and her husband showed to all who came to their house, they would be granted a special grace. This pleased the woman, and she asked what the special grace was.

The old man answered, “Beginning immediately, any three wishes you or your husband may wish will come true.”

When she heard these words, the woman was overjoyed and exclaimed, “Oh, if my husband were only here to hear what you say!”

The last word had scarcely left her lips when the woodsman appeared in the little house with the ax still in his hands. The first wish had come true.

The woodsman couldn’t understand it at all. How did it happen that he, who had been cutting wood in the forest, found himself here in his house? His wife explained it all as she embraced him. The woodsman just stood there, thinking over what his wife had said. He looked at the old man who stood quietly, too, saying nothing.

Suddenly he realized that his wife, without stopping to think, had used one of the three wishes, and he became very annoyed when he remembered all of the useful things she might have asked for with the first wish. For the first time, he became angry with his wife. The desire for riches had turned his head, and he scolded his wife, shouting at her, among other things, “It doesn’t seem possible that you could be so stupid! You’ve wasted one of our wishes, and now we have only two left! May you grow ears of a donkey!”

He had no sooner said the words than his wife’s ears began to grow, and they continued to grow until they changed into the pointed, furry ears of a donkey!

When the woman put her hand up and felt them, she knew what had happened and began to cry. Her husband was very ashamed and sorry, indeed, for what he had done in his temper, and he went to his wife to comfort her.

The old man, who had stood by silently, now came to them and said, “Until now, you have known happiness together and have never quarreled with each other. Nevertheless, the mere knowledge that you could have riches and power has changed you both. Remember, you have only one wish left. What do you want? Riches? Beautiful clothes? Servants? Power?”

The woodsman tightened his arm about his wife, looked at the old man, and said, “We want only the happiness and joy we knew before my wife grew donkey’s ears.”

No sooner had he said these words than the donkey ears disappeared. The woodsman and his wife fell upon their knees to ask forgiveness for having acted, if only for a moment, out of covetousness and greed. Then they gave thanks for all their happiness.

What is Traditional Literature?

• Stories that have just been made up

• Stories that have been passed down for generations

• Stories that feature real life situations and battles

• Stories that focus on a historical event

Which statement best describes the woodsman and his wife before they get the three wishes?

• Poor and unhappy
• Gracious
• Poor, yet happy
• Rich and happy

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.K.5

Why are the husband and the wife given the three wishes?

• Because they won the lottery
• Because they found the lamp and freed the genie
• Because they had been so generous
• Because they needed the wishes badly

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.K.5

How does the couple use the first two wishes?

• By mistake

• By sitting down and putting a lot of thought into what they need

• They both use the wishes to harm each other

• They use them to help others

Why is the woodsman angry with his wife?

• she didn't go to work with him

• she gave the old man food that belonged to them

• she brought him back from the woods when he didn't want to come home

• she wasted the first wish without thinking

from The Three Wishes

by Ricardo E. Algería

Many years ago, there lived a woodsman and his wife. They were very poor but very happy in their little house in the forest. Poor as they were, they were always ready to share what little they had with anyone who came to their door. They loved each other very much and were quite content with their life together. Each evening, before eating, they gave thanks to God for their happiness.

One day, while the husband was working far off in the woods, an old man came to the little house and said that he had lost his way in the forest and had eaten nothing for many days. The woodsman’s wife had little to eat herself, but, as was her custom, she gave a large portion of it to the old man. After he had eaten everything she gave him, he told the woman that he had been sent to test her and that, as a reward for the kindness she and her husband showed to all who came to their house, they would be granted a special grace. This pleased the woman, and she asked what the special grace was.

The old man answered, “Beginning immediately, any three wishes you or your husband may wish will come true.”

When she heard these words, the woman was overjoyed and exclaimed, “Oh, if my husband were only here to hear what you say!”

The last word had scarcely left her lips when the woodsman appeared in the little house with the ax still in his hands. The first wish had come true.

The woodsman couldn’t understand it at all. How did it happen that he, who had been cutting wood in the forest, found himself here in his house? His wife explained it all as she embraced him. The woodsman just stood there, thinking over what his wife had said. He looked at the old man who stood quietly, too, saying nothing.

Suddenly he realized that his wife, without stopping to think, had used one of the three wishes, and he became very annoyed when he remembered all of the useful things she might have asked for with the first wish. For the first time, he became angry with his wife. The desire for riches had turned his head, and he scolded his wife, shouting at her, among other things, “It doesn’t seem possible that you could be so stupid! You’ve wasted one of our wishes, and now we have only two left! May you grow ears of a donkey!”

He had no sooner said the words than his wife’s ears began to grow, and they continued to grow until they changed into the pointed, furry ears of a donkey!

When the woman put her hand up and felt them, she knew what had happened and began to cry. Her husband was very ashamed and sorry, indeed, for what he had done in his temper, and he went to his wife to comfort her.

The old man, who had stood by silently, now came to them and said, “Until now, you have known happiness together and have never quarreled with each other. Nevertheless, the mere knowledge that you could have riches and power has changed you both. Remember, you have only one wish left. What do you want? Riches? Beautiful clothes? Servants? Power?”

The woodsman tightened his arm about his wife, looked at the old man, and said, “We want only the happiness and joy we knew before my wife grew donkey’s ears.”

No sooner had he said these words than the donkey ears disappeared. The woodsman and his wife fell upon their knees to ask forgiveness for having acted, if only for a moment, out of covetousness and greed. Then they gave thanks for all their happiness.

How does the behavior of the couple change after they receive the wishes?

• They go from being sad to happy

• They become ungrateful for what they have

• They become grateful for what they have

• They solve all of their problems

What does the husband's final wish show?

• That he is sorry for what he has done and just wants his happiness back
• That he only cares about riches and not happiness
• That he wants a child
• That he wants to be rich and happy

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Based on the selection, what can the reader infer about how the old man grants wishes?

• He makes sure that the wish is what the couple really wants before he grants it
• He grants the first thing the couple says without asking if it's what they want
• He grants only wishes that will give the couple happiness
• He only grants wishes that will cause problems between the couple

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

In paragraph 7, what does the narrator mean when he says "the desire for riches turned his head?"

• It means that the woodsman used to be happy with what he had, but now that option for riches presents itself, he only wants riches.
• It means that now the woodsman only sees love and not money and wealth
• It means that the woodsman turned his head to the old man when he asked for a wish
• It means that he turned his head away from his wife

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What stylistic elements are used in this selection?

• Only the Rule of Three
• Only the Magic Helper
• Both the Rule of Three and the Magic Helper
• Neither