The Golden Serpent

1.) In paragraph 5, the author most likely introduces the king as a tall shadow to —

• A. illustrate the physical strength of the king

• B. emphasize how sunny it was outside that day

• C. describe how selfish the king seemed at first

• D. suggest that the king did not have a pure heart

2.) Based on paragraph 65, what can the reader infer about the king?

• F. He wants to make life better for the people he meets in the village.

• G. He feels his people need to do more to help him find the Golden Serpent.

• H. He does not believe anyone from the village has his Golden Serpent.

• J. He does not care about his people since they do not offer him anything.

3.) The author most likely tells the story as a fable because —

• A. it has characters that readers can relate to

• B. it has a central lesson to be learned

• C. it has a mystery that needs to be solved

• D. it has a setting from an important time in history

4.) Why does Pundabi take the king to visit all the unfortunate people in the village?

• F. He wants to acquaint the king with the common people.

• G. He wants to point out how much the people adore the king.

• H. He wants to show the king how his people have so little compared to him.

• J. He wants to prove to the king that the people could not have his gold.

5.) How is the conflict resolved in the selection?

• A. Pundabi locates the Golden Serpent of the king and gives it to him.

• B. The three blind men trick the king and share his fortune with each other

• C. Pundabi fools the king and helps the unfortunate people.

• D. Ali teaches the king a lesson and takes his Golden Serpent from him.

6.) Based on the selection, the reader can infer that the Golden Serpent is symbolic of —

• A. a valuable possession

• B. compassion for others

• C. suffering people feel

• D. wisdom from experience

7.) Which two themes are found in this selection?

• F. Some mysteries can never be solved.

• G. It is important to keep your valuables safe.

• H. Greed can prevent people from seeing the big picture.

• J. Powerful leaders must command respect from their people

• K. Providing help to those in need is a true act of compassion.

8.) Why does the king fail to find the Golden Serpent in this selection?

• A. The golden serpent is invisible

• B. The golden serpent now belongs to a different king.

• C. The golden serpent represents kindness and compassion and the king lacks these qualities.

• D. The golden serpent was kept hidden by Pundabi and Ali.

9.) What is the plot line of “The Golden Serpent”? Label the events in the order in which they happen. The first event will be labeled 1, and the last event will be 4.

• _____ The king returns to the castle and pays Pundabi in gold, who then distributes it to the less fortunate people.

• _____ Pundabi seeks out the king’s mystery by visiting the local people and observing the unfortunate state they are in.

• _____ The king calls upon the wise Pundabi to help him solve an unknown mystery.

• _____ Pundabi brings the king to the village so they can see which one of the villagers took the Golden Serpent.