Yertle the Turtle: Themes and Events

The story of Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss is about a turtle king named Yertle who is not satisfied with his small kingdom. He builds a throne of turtles to expand his view and rule over more. However, his ambition leads to his downfall when a turtle named Mack, at the bottom of the stack, burps, causing Yertle to fall. The story concludes with Yertle becoming the king of the mud, and the other turtles gaining their freedom.

Who is narrating the story to Colby?

• His friend

• His teacher

• His uncle Ken

• His father

What is Yertle's main complaint about his kingdom?

• It's too small

• It's too noisy

• It's too crowded

• It's too dirty

How does Yertle plan to expand his view?

• By stacking turtles

• By flying

• By climbing a tree

• By building a tower

What new things does Yertle claim to rule over after climbing the turtle stack?

• A car and a plane

• A mountain and a river

• A cow and a mule

• A city and a forest

What does Mack, the turtle at the bottom, complain about?

• The lack of food

• The pain in his back

• The noise from above

• The cold weather

How does Yertle respond to Mack's complaint?

• He helps him

• He tells him to be quiet

• He ignores him

• He apologizes

What does Yertle plan to do to see even further?

• Fly a kite

• Build a telescope

• Climb a mountain

• Stack more turtles

What action does Mack take that leads to the collapse of Yertle's throne?

• He sneezes

• He burps

• He laughs

• He jumps

What is Yertle's final position after the collapse?

• King of the sky

• King of the pond

• King of the mud

• King of the forest

What lesson can be learned from Yertle's story?

• Ignoring others leads to downfall

• Turtles should not stack

• Ambition is always good

• Power should be shared