Read the passage.
adapted from "The World's Reward" by James A. Honey
Once there was a man that had an old dog, so old that the man desired to put him aside. The dog had served him very faithfully from the time he was young. Sadly, ingratitude is the world's reward. Rather than show his dog thanks and kindness, the disloyal man now wanted to dispose of him. The wise old creature, however, figured out what his master wanted to do. So, he chose to just leave.
After he had walked quite a way he met an old bull in the field.
"Would you like to go with me?" asked the dog.
"Where?" was the reply.
"To the land of the aged," said the dog, "where troubles don't disturb you and thanklessness does not destroy the deeds of man."
"Good," said the bull, "I am your companion."
The two now walked on and found a ram. The dog explained the plan to him, and all continued on together, until they afterwards came successively upon a donkey, a cat, a rooster, and a goose. One after the next, these joined their company, and the seven set out on their journey.
Late one night they came to a house and through the open door they saw a table spread with all kinds of nice food of which some robbers were having their fill. It would do no good to ask to join them. Seeing that they were hungry, they must think of something else.
Therefore the donkey climbed up on the bull, the ram on the donkey, and so on from largest animal to smallest, to create a towering creature. At the very same time, they all let out terrible, threatening noises.
The bull began to bellow, the donkey to bray, the dog to bark, the ram to bleat, the cat to mew, the goose to giggle gaggle, and the rooster to crow, all without cessation. The people in the house were frozen in fright, terrified by the nonstop noise and the unreal sight before them. Some of them took to the ropes over the back lower door, some disappeared through the window, and in a few moments the house was empty. The clever old animals had outsmarted the humans.
Then the seven old animals satisfied themselves with the delicious food. But when they had finished, there still remained a great deal of food. It was too much to take with them on their remaining journey. They had to come up with a way to make sure the food did not go to waste. So, by putting their heads together, they contrived a plan to hold their position until the next day after breakfast.
The dog said, "See here, I am accustomed to watch at the front door of my master's house," and thereupon flopped himself down to sleep; the bull said, "I go behind the door," and there he took his position; the ram said, "I will go up on to the loft"; the donkey, "I at the middle door"; the cat, "I in the fireplace"; the goose, "I in the back door"; and the rooster said, "I am going to sleep on the bed."
After a while, the captain of the robbers sent one of his men back to see if these creatures had yet left the house. The man came very cautiously into the neighborhood. He listened and listened, but he heard nothing. He peeped through the window, and saw in the grate just two coals still glimmering. Believing the room to be empty, he started to walk through the front door.
There, the old dog seized him by the leg. The man jumped into the house, but the bull was ready, swept him up with his horns, and tossed him on to the loft. Here the ram received him and pushed him off the loft again. Reaching ground, he made for the middle door, but the donkey set up a terrible braying and at the same time gave him a kick that landed him in the fireplace,
Question 1
Part A
Which statement is a theme of “The World’s Reward”?
Responses
The elderly are often forgotten and unappreciated.
is wise to speak before taking action.
It takes courage to admit defeat.
People and animals have little in common.
Question 2
Part B
Which quotation from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
Responses
“Rather than show his dog thanks and kindness, the disloyal man now wanted to dispose of him.”
“The dog said, ‘See here, I am accustomed to watch at the front door of my master's house...’”
