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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Rumi advises people to accept help from holy scriptures and then:
(a) Let them go.
(b) Find their inherent flaws.
(c) Re-read the same scriptures a hundred times.
(d) Seek a wise counselor.

2. What happens to King Solomon's crown in one of the poems in Book 2, Chapter 1?
(a) Drops into the ocean.
(b) Is stolen by four thieves.
(c) Is carried away by four birds.
(d) Keeps sliding down his forehead.

3. Themes that run through the love stories found at the beginning of Chapter 2, Book 2, include:
(a) Selflessness and gentle devotion.
(b) Pettiness, indifference, and boredom.
(c) Obsession, temptation, and craziness.
(d) Maturity and wisdom.

4. In the section called "Solomon Poems," Rumi's poetry makes direct references to:
(a) Judaism and Buddhism.
(b) Islam and Christianity.
(c) Hinduism and Christianity.
(d) Buddhism and Islam.

5. In one poem in Book 2, Chapter 1, Rumi uses the image of Jesus Christ riding atop a donkey to explain a lesson about what?
(a) The divine living in the human world.
(b) The lack of pretense when one is self-confident.
(c) The rational mind and the animalistic nature of mankind.
(d) The master becoming the servant.

6. In Book 2, Chapter 3, Ayaz is able to follow orders, but is also able to go beyond being just:
(a) A naive cook.
(b) A crafty spy.
(c) A devoted husband.
(d) A simple follower.

7. Which of the three fish in the fish story in Book 2, Chapter 1, ends up getting caught?
(a) The one of medium intelligence.
(b) The smartest one.
(c) The least intelligent one.
(d) None.

8. The first poem in Book 2, Chapter 3 is about the story of:
(a) Noah's Ark.
(b) Genesis.
(c) The Resurrection.
(d) The Commandments.

9. In Book 2, Chapter 3, through his loyalty, Ayaz goes above and beyond what:
(a) The priest requires.
(b) He wants.
(c) His wife wants.
(d) The king requires.

10. Islam originated with:
(a) Isaac.
(b) Jesus.
(c) Mohammad.
(d) Buddha.

11. What is the greater message of Rumi's musings about candles in Chapter 3 of Book 2?
(a) Everything that is positive has a negative side.
(b) The light of a candle is nothing compared to the radiance of the heart.
(c) One will not need a guide upon arriving at the destination of the inner world.
(d) Sometimes we will need to find our way through the dark.

12. Rumi's poetry gives us a glimpse of what?
(a) The sociological order of his place and time.
(b) The workings of a utopia.
(c) The difference between scholars and peasants.
(d) The effects of male dominance.

13. When the town friend in "Town and Country" finally visits his friend in the country, how do things go?
(a) Extremely well.
(b) Poorly.
(c) So-so.
(d) Better than expected.

14. What happens to the second son who tries to woo a Chinese princess in one of Rumi's poems in Chapter 2, Book 2?
(a) He's killed by someone.
(b) He becomes lost at sea.
(c) He's captured and never seen again.
(d) He falls off the edge of the world.

15. Rumi wrote freely about various religious figures because he was familiar with them and:
(a) Comfortable with their teachings.
(b) Wanted to be diplomatic.
(c) Wanted to point out their flaws.
(d) Needed their teachings to support his images.

Short Answer Questions

1. In one of the love stories of Chapter 2, Book 2, what happens when three sons meet a powerful Chinese princess?

2. In the story of three fish that possess some measure of intelligence, found in Book 2, Chapter 1, who do the fish face?

3. What does the smartest of three fish do in the fish tale in Book 2, Chapter 1?

4. In the poem in Book 2, Chapter 3 where a group is terribly jealous of a particular man, who is this man?

5. Which of the following is NOT a title of one of Rumi's works?

(see the answer keys)

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