Aesop
Comprehension
A. Choose the correct option.
1. Fable are short stories, usually about animals which talk (behave/talk) like human beings.
2. One mouse suggested that a bell (bell/gong) be hung around the cat's neck.
3. Most of them agreed that it was a good (wise/good) plan.
4. There is another story about a fox who saw juicy grapes (lychees/grapes) growing on a vine and wanted to eat them.
B. Answer the questions.
1. Where and when did Aesop live?
= Aesop lived in Greece over twenty-five hundred years ago.
2. Why did Xanthus ask the men what they could do?
= Xanthus asked the men what they could do because he wanted to buy a slave.
3. What answer did Aesop give when he was asked what he could do?
= When Aesop was asked what he could do, he answered that the others could do so much that there was nothing left for him to do.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "Will you be honest and faithful if I buy you?"
a. Who said this and to whom?
= Xanthus said this to Aesop.
b. Why did he want to buy someone who was honest and faithful?
= He wanted to buy someone who was honest and faithful so that the slave do not run away from his house.
c. What reply did the speaker get?
= Aesop relied to the speaker that he should be honest and faithful whether he buys him or not.
2. "Did you ever hear of a bird in a cage promise to stay in it?"
a. Who said this and to whom?
= Aesop said this to Xanthus.
b. What did he mean by a bird in a cage?
= He meant to himself by a bird in in a cage.
c. Why do you think this question was asked instead of giving an answer?
= I think Aesop asked this question to give the answer of the question of Xanthus in a sarcastic way. He wanted to tell that a caged bird always wants to get out of the cage, in the same way every slave wants to flee from his master's house to get rid of the bondage.
3. "It is not possible to complete this task,"..."but I will show you how to not do it."
a. Who was the speaker?
= Aesop was the speaker.
b. What was the task and who had to perform it?
= The task was to drink up the whole sea. Xanthus had to perform it.
c. How could the task not be done?
= Xanthus said to the man who had dared him that his challenge was to drink up the sea but nothing of the rivers and streams that are flowing into it. He asked the man to stop the flow of those rivers and streams then he will drink the sea only. Obviously the man could not do the same and Xanthus had not to do the task.
D. Think and answer.
1. Why did the two men want a rich master?
= The two men wanted a rich master as they could do many things. Only a rich master could provide them with good food, good clothing and good lodging. To secure a comfortable life the two men wanted a rich master.
2. Why was Xanthus pleased with Aesop's answers and not with the other two men?
= Xanthus was pleased with Aesop's answers because he gave truthful and honest answers. He also proved that he was very intelligent too. Xanthus liked this. On the other hand, the other two men demanded that they could do many things. This was a dishonest answer as no one can do everything or many thing or all the things.
3. Why did Aesop pick up the basket of bread though it was the heaviest of the lot?
= Aesop was very intelligent man. He knew that after some time of the journey, every one will become hungry and they will eat breads and this will make his burden lighter gradually. So, Aesop picked up the basket of bread though it was the heaviest of the lot.
4. Do you think Aesop was happy being a slave to his master? How can you tell?
= Yes, I think Aesop was happy being a slave to his master. He was the favourite slave to his master. Before starting the journey, Xanthus wished to please his favourite slave and gave him the opportunity to choose from the bundles he wished to carry. This proves that he was very dear to his master.