The Boy of the Three-Year Nap (Part 1)

Who are the MAIN characters of the story?

• the ujigami

• merchant's daughter and her mom

• Taro and his widowed mother

Where is the setting of the story?

• in a big, busy city

• Nagara, Japan

• Tokyo, Japan

How do you know that Taro's mom is hardworking?

• she sews kimonos all day long

• she pesters Taro for sleeping all the time

Why does Taro ask his mother to make him a black kimono?

• so he can become a priest

• so he can pretend to be an ujigami

• so he can steal food

Which is an example of a simile?

• "he is as lazy as a rich man's cat"

• "fine lad who lives on your street"

• "his eyes were red"

Which among the following best desribes Taro's plan?

• he will haul rice sacks for the merchant

• he will become a priest

• he will trick the merchant into marrying him to his daughter

How did the rich merchant react to the message he received from the ujigami?

• he was sad but he had to follow the ujigami

• he was very excited about marrying his daughter to Taro

• he did not listen to the ujigami

The ujigami says the merchant's daughter will turn into a _________________ if they do not marry her to Taro.

• robot

• clay pot

• sushi

What evidence from the story tells you that Taro and his mother are poor?

• their roof is leaking and the walls have cracks

• they sleep on the floor

• they eat and sleep, sleep and eat

How does Taro feel about his new neighbors (the rice merchant's family) and why?

• jealous because they are rich

• jealous because they are good looking

• mad because they don't like Taro