Font size
WorksheetsThe Butterfly Lion
Total questions: 77
Worksheet time: 1hrs 16mins
Bertie and Michael are the same person in the book.
True
False
The pudding that Michael absolutely hated at boarding school was...
semolina pudding
selmonela pudding
selomina pudding
selmonia pudding
The horrible boy who bullied young Michael at boarding school was called (a) Beaumont.
How did Michael's English teacher punish him for doing badly in a spelling test?
Made him stand in a corner with a book on his head.
Made him stand in the corner on one leg.
Made him carry heavy books.
Made him write 1000 lines.
At boarding school, punishment for Michael was usually detentions and ...
being caned across the back of the legs.
being hit on the back with a stick.
being smacked on the hands with a stick.
being made to run extra laps of cross country.
Michael ran away from boarding school and found himself at the gates of a large estate. There was a statue of a ___________ at the gates.
lion
butterfly
butterfly lion
An old lady with a large dog called (a) took Michael indoors for some tea.
When Michael was taken inside by the old lady for tea, he noticed that her house was ______________ and covered completely in ______________.
massive, creeper
massive, moss
tiny, creeper
dirty, butterflies
The old lady who took Michael inside her house when he ran away from school, gave him ___________ and ____________.
tea, scones
coffee, scones
tea, pancakes
tea, cake
The old lady gives young Michael some really good advice about the hardships of boarding school. She said:
"There is always some rain before the rainbow"
"There's always sun behind the clouds and the clouds do go in the end"
"There's always a rainbow behind the clouds and it does come out in the end"
"There's always sunshine after the rain, you just have to wait for it"
It is revealed halfway through the book, that the old lady's name is...
(a)
While young Michael is listening to the old lady tell the story of Bertie, he notices ________________ on the hillside.
a lion shape
a butterfly shape
a shape of Africa
a kite shape
The first half of Bertie's childhood was spent in an area called ______________ in _______________.
Timbavati, South Africa
Tibamvati, South Africa
Wiltshire, England
Wiltshire, South Africa
What deadly snake was Bertie warned about in his childhood, that would kill him within ten seconds? It was a ______________ _______________.
(a)
Whilst living in Africa, the ______________ became Bertie's whole world.
waterhole
compound
mother
horses
Bertie wanted to go with his father to guard the cattle because...
he wanted to be out in the veld.
he wanted to spend time with his father.
he wanted to protect the cattle.
he wanted to look for snakes.
Why did Bertie's mom and dad not believe that he had seen a white lion cub at the waterhole?
they said there was no such thing as a white lion.
they said that white lions only lived in North Africa.
they said that there were no lions in their area.
Why did Bertie's dad kill the cub's mother?
she had eaten his cattle.
she had chased Bertie.
she was weak and sick.
she had come into the compound.
Why did Bertie not name his cub?
He said lions are not humans and don't need names.
He said he couldn't think of an appropriate name.
The lion didn't respond to any names he thought of.
He was too lazy to think of a name.
When did Bertie's mom finally believe that the cub was in fact a white lion?
when they had bathed him and cleaned all the mud off him.
when she saw him walking through the compound gate.
when she held him for the first time.
when he grew bigger and remained white.
Why was Bertie's mom so unhappy? (select as many answers as you want)
She was often sick with malaria.
She was homesick for England.
She wanted to live in Johannesburg.
She hated the wildness and loneliness of Africa.
She was often sick with measles.
When Bertie rushed out the compound to rescue his cub, he was saved from being attacked by the hyenas because...
his mom fired a shot to scare them away.
he threw rocks and sticks at them.
the lion cub attacked them.
they were scared of Bertie and ran off.
Bertie's father finally agreed to keep the lion cub because...
(select as many answers as you want)
Bertie's mom said that the cub would be a companion for Bertie.
Bertie's mom reminded him that he would never have brothers and sisters so the cub could be a brother.
Bertie's mom convinced him that they couldn't just throw him back to the hyenas.
Bertie's mom said that they could sell the cub and make lots of money.
Bertie's mom said that the cub would chase the snakes away.
Bertie travelled by (a) to England to his new boarding school.
The name of the Frenchman who bought Bertie's cub was...
Monsieur Merlot
Monsieur le Cirque
Monsieur Merdot
Monsieur Cirque Merlot
The Frenchman liked to buy young lions because...
(select as many answers as you want)
they were easier to train.
they were cheaper to transport.
they were worth more.
they could do more tricks in the circus.
Why did Bertie set his lion free before the Frenchman arrived?
He wanted him to have a chance at freedom.
He wanted him to kill his father's cattle.
He wanted him to die in the veld.
What did the Frenchman call Bertie's Lion?
Le Prince Blanc
Le Cirque Merlot
Le Prince Merlot
Le Prince Magnifique
When the lion left with the Frenchman, what was Bertie's promise to his lion?
He would find him.
He would save him.
He would set him free.
He would kill the Frenchman.
The old lady had grown up and lived in the same house since she was born. The name of this estate was:
Strawbridge
Strawberrybridge
Strawhaven
Bridgehouse
Bertie and Millie had similar childhoods because:
they had both grown up isolated and without friends.
they had both hated their parents.
they had both had lions as pets.
they had both grown up in Africa.
Millie's governess (tutor) when she was a child was called Miss Tulips, however Millie's nickname for her was:
Nolips
Twolips
Lippy
Tulippy
Millie was raised by:
Nanny Mason
Nanny Tulips
Her mother
Her cook
Bertie and Millie first met one _____________ afternoon when her ___________ got stuck in a tree and Bertie had run away from boarding school.
Sunday, kite
Saturday, kite
Sunday, cat
Saturday, cat
Young Bertie and Millie met every Sunday afternoon under the ____________ tree on ____________.
wych elm, Wood Hill
pine, Wood Hill
wych elm, Windy Hill
pine, Strawbridge Hill
Why did young Millie and Bertie not see each other on Sundays during school holidays?
Bertie would go to stay with his aunt and uncle in Salisbury.
Bertie would go back to Africa.
Millie would go with her father on holiday.
Bertie would be locked up at school.
When Bertie and Millie became teenagers, they both left to attend different boarding schools far away from each other.
TRUE
FALSE
What did Bertie hate the most about his high school boarding school?
All the bells.
The food.
The rugby and cross-country.
There were no girls, only boys.
Which World War broke out when Bertie and Millie were in high school?
World War 1
World War 2
The Cold War
The Vietnam War
Millie's father was killed in the war but she found it difficult to be sad because...
she never really knew him.
she hated him.
she was a nasty person.
she didn't believe in grieving for people.
Why did Bertie never write to Millie when he was fighting in the war?
He wanted her to forget about him so that her heart didn't break when he was killed.
He wasn't interested in having a girlfriend while fighting in the war.
There was no way of getting letters from France to England.
He did write to her but the letters never arrived because of the war.
Why did Bertie not want to talk about his time in the war?
(select as many answers as you want).
He had seen terrible things happening.
He wanted to forget the nightmare of what had happened.
He felt that it would be boring to tell everyone the details.
Nobody would understand what had happened.
How old was Bertie when he arrived in France to fight in the war? Write your answer in numbers.
(a)
Bertie was fighting in the front line in __________________.
Northern France.
Northern Italy.
Northern Germany.
Southern France.
On the morning of his ___________ birthday, Bertie was shot in the ___________ by the enemy.
20th, leg
21st, leg
20th, back
21st, arm
The name of the award that Bertie won was called the (a) Cross.
The "V.C." is an award given to soldiers for extreme __________________.
bravery
stupidity
intelligence
strength
Bertie said that the fact that he had won the V.C. was a "load of old codswallop," because...
he believed that he hadn't been brave because he hadn't had time to feel scared.
he hadn't really done anything good for anyone else.
he didn't believe in silly awards like this.
awards are just a bunch of nonsense.
What does the word "codswallop" mean?
nonsense
bravery
courage
irresponsible
Millie thought that the only way she would find Bertie again would be to become a (a) and go and work in France.
How did Millie eventually find Bertie in France?
She read about him in a local magazine.
He came in to her hospital when he had been shot.
She saw him at a café.
She showed everyone his photo and eventually someone told her where to find him.
Why did the French café owner become worried and frightened when Bertie started asking about the circus?
He started roaring like a lion and clawing the air.
He was shouting at the top of his voice with excitement.
He thought Bertie was going to kill Monsieur Merlot.
He didn't understand English and Bertie didn't understand French.
Why did Monsieur Merlot have to close the circus?
(Select as many answers as you want)
The soldiers weren't interested in circuses.
He ran out of money to feed his animals.
He didn't feel like running a circus anymore.
He went to fight in the war.
He was too old.
How did Bertie first realise that his lion was inside the old mill house?
He could smell him.
He could hear him growling.
He could see him lying on the bed.
Monsieur Merlot had to shoot all of his animals because he could not afford to feed them. He never shot Bertie's lion though, because...
the lion was like a son to him.
the lion protected him from danger.
the lion ran away every time he tried to shoot him.
he was planning to sell the lion to make money.
Bertie and Millie arranged for the lion to be transported back to their village in a/an (a) .
Bertie organised the following with his colonel:
a bed for Monsieur Merlot in the hospital and a shed at the hospital for the lion to sleep in.
a house for Monsieur Merlot and plenty of meat for the lion.
food for Monsieur Merlot and the reopening of the circus.
food and plenty of wine for Monsieur Merlot.
Bertie's colonel recognised him because...
Bertie had won the V.C.
Bertie was cheeky.
Bertie was popular.
Bertie and Millie were a couple.
The symbol of Britain is a (a) .
Bertie realised that the only reason he had been able to bring his lion back to England was because...
he had won the V.C.
the lion was the most famous circus lion.
the lion was tame.
England had no choice.
Bertie and Millie brought the lion back to _____________ to live.
Strawbridge
Africa
Timbavati
Nanny Mason adored the White Prince but always washed him because...
she said he smelt.
she said he needed to look completely white all the time.
she loved doing it.
the lion was one of her 'children.'
Millie and Bertie got married but had an argument with the vicar/priest because...
he wouldn't allow the lion into the church.
he said the lion was smelly.
he said that they could only get married on a Sunday.
he said that they were too young to get married.
How many children did Millie and Bertie have together? Write your answer as a number:
(a)
The White Prince really loved kite-flying at Strawbridge because...
he liked to pounce on them and rip them apart.
he loved watching them soar in the sky.
he loved following Millie and Bertie as they flew them.
When Bertie's lion eventually died, where was he buried?
At the bottom of the hill on the estate.
In the Timbavati.
At the top of the hill on the estate.
In the graveyard in the local town.
Millie and Bertie carved a large lion into the side of the hill to remember him. It was white because:
the hill was made of chalk
they painted the rocks white
the butterflies sitting on it were white
It took Bertie and Millie (a) years to finish carving the lion into the hillside. (write you answer using numbers)
The butterflies which settled on the carving of the lion were (a) in colour.
The type of butterflies which settled on the lion carving every day were:
Adonis Blues
Anodis Blues
Andnois Blues
Andonis Blues
The butterflies on the lion carving made it seem as if it was...
alive and breathing
magical
scary/frightening
Where was Bertie buried when he died?
Next to the White Prince at the bottom of the hill.
At the church where they got married.
In the Timbavati.
In France where he had fought so bravely in the war.
How did young Michael get back to school after the old lady had finished telling him the story of Bertie and the lion?
She drove him back in her car.
He climbed over her wall like Bertie had done so many years before him.
He ran back along the main road.
Michael found Bertie's name on a plaque in the school _____________.
chapel
garden
history class
gateway
Michael was completely shocked when his History teacher told him that...
Bertie's wife had died a few months after him.
Bertie was an old boy of the school.
Bertie hadn't in fact won the V.C. for bravery.
Bertie and Millie were living in Africa.
When Michael returned to the old lady's house to try and find her, he found an empty house. When he called out, "Are you there?" a voice behind him at first said:
"We all are."
"Leave immediately!"
"Yes, I am, dear"
"Go away!"
The mysterious voice continued talking to Michael and asked him to...
keep the lion white so that he is not forgotten.
leave the house and never come back.
tell the story of Bertie and his white lion to everyone.
write a book about the White Prince.
