Fire in the Stables
by Anna Sewell
Comprehension
A. Write true or false.
1. Black Beauty did not know what time of the night it was when he started feeling uncomfortable. [T]
2. The horses felt safe with the hotel groom so they followed his instructions without any fear. [F]
3. James wrapped a handkerchief around Ginger's eyes. [F]
4. Squire Gordon praised James for his bravery. [T]
B. Answer the questions.
1. Who is Black Beauty?
= Black Beauty is a horse. He is the main character of the story.
2. Where was he going?
= He was going to Oxford. It was a long journey.
3. What happened after Black Beauty started feeling uncomfortable?
= After Black Beauty started feeling uncomfortable, he got up. The air seemed all thick and choking. He heard Ginger coughing and one of the other horses seemed very restless.
4. Who led the two horses out of the burning stables to safety?
= James Howard led the two horses out of the burning stables to safety.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "But I woke up very uncomfortable, though I hardly knew why."
a. Who said this?
= Black Beauty said this.
b. What does uncomfortable mean?
= Uncomfortable means not to breathe normally.
c. Why did the speaker feel uncomfortable?
= The speaker felt uncomfortable because there was a fire in the stable of the hotel.
2. "Then he took the scarf off his neck, and tied it lightly over my eyes, and led me out of the stable."
a. Who is he?
= He is James Howard.
b. On whose eyes did he tie the scarf?
= He tied the scarf on the eyes of Black Beauty.
c. Why did he tie a scarf around his eyes?
= He tied a scarf around his eyes so that he could not feel uncomfortable or scared due to the smoke and flame of the fire.
3. "...Take this horse white I go back for the other."
a. Who said this and to whom?
= James Howard said this to somebody of the stable.
b. Where is the mare?
= The mare is still in the burning stable.
c. Why does he have to go and get her?
= He has to go and get her because the mare was still stuck in the stable and it was burning.
D. Think and answer.
1. What is the difference between James Howard and the hotel groom?
= The hotel groom was in such a hurry and seemed so frightened himself that he frightened Black Beauty more. On the other hand, James Howard was very brave and he tied his scarf over the eyes of the horses so that they do not feel uncomfortable or get scared.
2. What did James do to win the trust of both the horses?
= To win the trust of both the horses, James took the scarf off his neck, and tied it lightly over the eyes of the horses alternatively and took them out of the fire.
3. What saved Ginger's life and how?
= James Howard's bravery saved Ginger's life. James went inside the stable into the fire after he saved Black Beauty's life. Everyone outside was worried about them. Then James came through the smoke leading Ginger with him. She was coughing violently, and he was not able to speak.
About the Author:
Anna Sewell is best known for the classic novel Black Beauty. When she was young, she fell and hurt herself and started travelling in carriages. She became very interested in the way horses were treated. Sewell wrote the book to encourage kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment towards horses. Her only work was Black Beauty, published in 1877.