Available Answers

1. 1.

   Fill in the blanks with words from the poem to complete this summary.

   One day, the mountain and the squirrel have a ______1______. The huge ______2______ calls the tiny ______3______ a ______4______. The squirrel, whose name is ______5______, replies that while it is not as ______6______ as the mountain, the mountain is not even half as ______7______ as the squirrel. To make up a ______8______ and a ______9______, all sorts of things and weather must be taken into consideration. The ______10______ of both the mountain and the squirrel differ greatly. If the squirrel cannot ______11______ the forest on its back, then the mountain cannot ______12______ a tiny nut.

2. 2.

   How many times does the mountain speak in the poem?
3. 3.

   What two things does the squirrel acknowledge the mountain can do?
4. 4.

   How does the squirrel defend itself against the big mountain?
5. 5.

   Choose the correct options.

   1. 'And I think it no disgrace / To occupy my place.' These lines tell us that
      1. wisdom always gets the better of strength.
      2. everything in this world has its own value.
      3. there is nothing that cannot be achieved without hard work.
      4. there is no shame in admitting that we are inferior to someone.
   2. 'All is well and wisely put.' Which one of the four statements best explains this line?
      1. God, in his unlimited wisdom, has made everything as it is for a reason.
      2. Nothing in this world can compete with God, who has made everything.
      3. All will be between the mountain and the squirrel if they appreciate each other's importance.
      4. Too much importance must not be given to our abilities as there is always someone better than we are. 
   3. The squirrel makes its case by trying not to offend the mountain. Which of these lines from the poem are an example of this tactful nature of the squirrel?
      1. 'And I think it no disgrace / To occupy my place.'
      2. 'You are not so small as i / And not half so spry.'
      3. 'I'll not deny you make / A very pretty squirrel track.'
      4. 'But all sorts of things and weather / Must be taken in together.'
6. 6.

   A fable is a short imaginary tale that teaches a moral or a lesson usually by means of animal characters. The story can be in prose or in verse. Would you call this poem a fable? Give reasons for your answer.