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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "The Spirit Wife," why can the man not touch his wife?

2. What does the princess promise to give birth to in "The Promises of the Three Sisters"?

3. In "Rich Man, Poor Man," what does the rich man do to the poor man?

4. In "The Finn Messenger," what condition is the wife in when her husband leaves for sea?

5. In "Wicked John and the Devil" what does the devil give to John?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the Pueblo Indians come to be?

2. Describe the game of hide and seek that Art plays with the Giant in the story "The King of Ireland's Son."

3. How is the moral of "It Could Always Be Worse" arrived at?

4. What does the man find out about the girl he falls in love with in "A Pretty Girl in the Road"?

5. Why does a light bob between Virgina and Carolina?

6. What rule does Orpheus break in "Orpheus and Eurydice"? What is the result?

7. What happens after the men visit the Chief in "Talk"?

8. How is that everyone has common sense according to "Getting Common Sense"?

9. In "Sister Alionushka, Brother Ivanushka," how does the King find his bride?

10. Why does the girl weep in "The Seal's Skin"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Provide a response to the following question citing examples from Yolen's book to prove your argument: Can prophecies be altered?

Essay Topic 2

Occasionally, the folktales in Yolen's collection contain a moral or lesson. Choose a folktale and discuss what the moral is and how it is effectively demonstrated in the plot.

Essay Topic 3

Choose a complex character interaction in Yolen's collection of folktales. Analyze the relationship between the two characters. Also discuss how the relationship enhances the plot.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 567 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample