Porcupine and the Sky Mirrors by Katherine Davison

Porcupine and the Sky Mirrors by Katherine Davison The Fly by Mai Vo-Dinh Review

1. What happens when the Earth King visits the Sky King one day? What gift is given? The Earth King sees the two huge mirrors that reflect the light. n He asks for them and receives them as a gift. n

2. What does Porcupine accomplish when he later visits the Earth King? How does he do it? He gets back the sky mirrors. n He asks for impossible things; tricks the Earth King into promising him anything; and then asks for what’s in an old trunk, knowing the mirrors are there. n

3. Why does the rich man want to know where the boy’s parents are in “The Fly”? n He wants either to get back the money he’s loaned them or to confiscate their belongings.

4. What does the rich man promise the boy? Who is the witness? The rich man promises to forget the debt if the boy will tell him where his parents are. n The witness is a fly. n

5. Is the Sky King comfortable about the gift he gives his brother? Why or why not? n The Sky King is unhappy about giving the sky mirrors because they are his favorite possessions.

6. Why is it important for the animals in the forest that Porcupine accomplish his goal at the Earth King’s house? Explain. n The sky mirrors are the sun and the moon, and all the plants are dying as a result of their not being in the sky. The animals, too, will die and are counting on Porcupine to get the sky mirrors back.

7. Why does the boy tell a riddle rather than explaining where his parents are? n The story does not tell us why, but we can infer that he is giving himself time to think or that he is planning to trick the usurer.

8. How does the mandarin learn the truth about the rich man’s promise? n The boy tells his story accurately, except for one detail: when he says that the witness, the fly, was on the rich man’s nose, the rich man forgets himself and shouts that it was on the housepole. This tells everyone that he did, indeed, talk with the boy.

9. What is the conflict in “Porcupine and the Sky Mirrors”? n Earth King takes Sky King’s mirrors, robbing the Earth of sunlight and moonlight.

10. How is the conflict resolved? n Porcupine tricks Earth King into giving him the mirrors, which he returns to Sky King.

11. What is the conflict in “The Fly”? n When the usurer demands payment of a loan, the boy tricks him into excusing the loan.

12. How is the conflict resolved? n The boy tricks the usurer to admit in court that he excused the loan, and that a fly was the witness.

13. What lesson is learned in “Porcupine and the Sky Mirrors”? Good manners are important, but good judgment is more important. n It is unjust to take advantage of another. n

14. What lesson is learned in “The Fly”? The greedy are punished. n The just will receive their reward. n Cleverness is more powerful than wealth. n

15. What is a folktale? An anonymous, traditional story passed down orally long before being written down. n Folktales include animal stories, trickster tales, fairy tales, myths, legends, and tall tales. n

16. Describe the conflict of folktales. The conflict often surrounds an event that is unjust or unfair. n The conflict is resolved by righting the wrong. n A feeling of harmony is restored. n Sometimes good characters are rewarded, and bad characters are punished. n

17. embrace n to hug

18. envious n jealous

19. confiscate n to take away from a person or persons as a result of greater power or authority

20. exasperated n angered or greatly annoyed; irritated

21. alight n to come down after flight; land

22. ensue n to come afterward or as a result

23. insistence n the act of taking a stand sticking strongly to it; determination

24. insolent n boldly disrespectful

25. majestic n impressive; grand