A Strange Story

by O. Henry

In the northern part of Austin there once dwelt an honest family by the name of
Smothers. The family consisted of John Smothers, his wife, himself, their little daughter,
five years of age, and her parents, making six people toward the population of the city
when counted for a special write-up, but only three by actual count.

One night after supper the little girl was seized with a severe colic, and John Smothers
hurried down town to get some medicine. He never came back. The little girl recovered
and in time grew up to womanhood. The mother grieved very much over her husband's
disappearance, and it was nearly three months before she married again, and moved to
San Antonio. The little girl also married in time, and after a few years had rolled
around, she also had a little girl five years of age. She still lived in the same house
where they dwelt when her father had left and never returned.

One night by a remarkable coincidence her little girl was taken with cramp colic on the
anniversary of the disappearance of John Smothers, who would now have been her
grandfather if he had been alive and had a steady job. "I will go downtown and get
some medicine for her," said John Smith (for it was none other than he whom she had
married). "No, no, dear John," cried his wife. "You, too, might disappear forever, and
then forget to come back." So, John Smith did not go, and together they sat by the
bedside of little Pansy (for that was Pansy's name). After a little Pansy seemed to grow
worse, and John Smith again attempted to go for medicine, but his wife would not let
him.

Suddenly the door opened, and an old man, stooped and bent, with long white hair,
entered the room. "Hello, here is grandpa," said Pansy. She had recognized him before
any of the others. The old man drew a bottle of medicine from his pocket and gave
Pansy a spoonful. She got well immediately. "I was a little late," said John Smothers,
"as I waited for a street car."

1. Who is John Smothers?

2. What happened to the little girl?
3. Where did John Smothers go?
4. How was little Pansy cured of her illness?
5. What do you think have happened to John Smother in town?
6. Why did the wife of John Smith doesn’t want him to go to town to get medicine?
 Bruce and Spider
James Baldwin

There was once a king of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce. He had need to be
both brave and wise, for the times in which he lived were wild and rude. The King of
England was at war with him, and had led a great army into Scotland to drive him out
of the land.

Battle after battle had been fought. Six times had Bruce led his brave little army against
his foes; and six times had his men been beaten, and driven into flight. At last his army
was scattered, and he was forced to hide himself in the woods and in lonely places
among the mountains.

One rainy day, Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed, listening to the patter of the
drops on the roof above him. He was tired and sick at heart, and ready to give up all
hope. It seemed to him that there was no use for him to try to do anything more.
As he lay thinking, he saw a spider over his head, making ready to weave her web. He
watched her as she toiled slowly and with great care. Six times she tried to throw her
frail thread from one beam to another, and six times it fell short.

"Poor thing!" said Bruce: "you, too, know what it is to fail."

But the spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure. With still more care, she made
ready to try for the seventh time. Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched
her swing herself out upon the slender line. Would she fail again? No! The thread was
carried safely to the beam, and fastened there.
"I, too, will try a seventh time!" cried Bruce.

He arose and called his men together. He told them of his plans, and sent them out
with messages of cheer to his disheartened people. Soon there was an army of brave
Scotch-men around him. Another battle was fought, and the King of England was glad
to go back into his own country.
I have heard it said, that, after that day, no one by the name of Bruce would ever hurt
a spider. The lesson which the little creature had taught the king was never forgotten.

1. Who was Bruce?

2. How many times had his men beaten into fight?
3. What was the spider doing when Bruce saw it?
4. What was Bruce’s impression on what the spider was doing?
5. What realization did Bruce have upon seeing the spider succeeded for the seventh
time?
6. Why was none in that place ever hurt a spider again?
 The Patient Cat
by Laura Richards

When the spotted cat first found the nest, there was nothing in it, for it was only just
finished. So, she said, “I will wait!” for she was a patient cat, and the summer was
before her. She waited a week, and then she climbed up again to the top of the tree,
and peeped into the nest. There lay two lovely blue eggs, smooth and shining.

The spotted cat said, “Eggs may be good, but young birds are better. I will wait.” So,
she waited; and while she was waiting, she caught mice and rats, and washed herself
and slept, and did all that a spotted cat should do to pass the time away. When another
week had passed, she climbed the tree again and peeped into the nest. This time there
were five eggs. But the spotted cat said again, “Eggs may be good, but young birds are
better. I will wait a little longer!”

So, she waited a little longer and then went up again to look. Ah! there were five tiny
birds, with big eyes and long necks, and yellow beaks wide open. Then the spotted cat
sat down on the branch, and licked her nose and purred, for she was very happy. “It is
worthwhile to be patient!” she said. But when she looked again at the young birds, to
see which one she should take first, she saw that they were very thin, —oh, very, very
thin they were! The spotted cat had never seen anything so thin in her life.

“Now,” she said to herself, “if I were to wait only a few days longer, they would grow
fat. Thin birds may be good, but fat birds are much better. I will wait!” So, she waited;
and she watched the father-bird bringing worms all day long to the nest, and said,
“Aha! they must be fattening fast! they will soon be as fat as I wish them to be. Aha!
what a good thing it is to be patient.”

At last, one day she thought, “Surely, now they must be fat enough! I will not wait
another day. Aha! how good they will be!” So, she climbed up the tree, licking her
chops all the way and thinking of the fat young birds. And when she reached the top
and looked into the nest, it was empty!!

Then the spotted cat sat down on the branch and spoke thus, “Well, of all the horrid,
mean, ungrateful creatures I ever saw, those birds are the horridest, and the meanest,
and the most ungrateful! Mi-a-u-ow!!!!”

1. What kind of a cat is described in the selection?

2. What did the cat find?
3. What did the cat do while waiting for the eggs to become young birds?
4. Why did the cat wait for the eggs to become birds, and thin birds to become fat
birds?
5. What lesson has the cat learned from the selection?
 The Night Came Slowly
by Kate Chopin

I am losing my interest in human beings; in the significance of their lives and their
actions. Someone has said it is better to study one man than ten books. I want neither
books nor men; they make me suffer. Can one of them talk to me like the night – the
Summer night? Like the stars or the caressing wind?

The night came slowly, softly, as I lay out there under the maple tree. It came
creeping, creeping stealthily out of the valley, thinking I did not notice. And the outlines
of trees and foliage nearby blended in one black mass and the night came stealing out
from them, too, and from the east and west, until the only light was in the sky, filtering
through the maple leaves and a star looking down through every cranny. The night is
solemn and it means mystery.

Human shapes flitted by like intangible things. Some stole up like little mice to peep at
me. I did not mind. My whole being was abandoned to the soothing and penetrating
charm of the night.

The katydids began their slumber song: they are at it yet. How wise they are. They do
not chatter like people. They tell me only: “sleep, sleep, sleep.” The wind rippled the
maple leaves like little warm love thrills.

Why do fools cumber the Earth! It was a man’s voice that broke the necromancer’s
spell. A man came to-day with his “Bible Class.” He is detestable with his red cheeks
and bold eyes and coarse manner and speech. What does he know of Christ? Shall I ask
a young fool who was born yesterday and will die tomorrow to tell me things of Christ?
I would rather ask the stars: they have seen him.

1. Does the speaker want books or men? Why?

2. Where does the speaker lay one night?
3. What was the only light the man has when he lay under the maple tree?
4. Describe the night as seen by the speaker in the selection?
5. To where does human shapes compared to in the selection?
6. What realization did the speaker have in the selection?
 The Dog and Bees
by Ambrose Bierce

A dog being very much annoyed by bees, ran quite accidently into an empty barrel lying
on the ground, and looking out at the bung-hole, addressed his tormentors thus:

“Had you been temperate, stinging me only one at a time, you might have got a good
deal of fun out of me. As it is, you have driven me into a secure retreat; for I can snap
you up as fast as you come in through the bung-hole. Learn from this the folly of
intemperate zeal.”

When he had concluded, he awaited a reply. There wasn’t any reply; for the bees had
never gone near the bung-hole; they went in the same way as he did, and made it very
warm for him.

1. What does the dog annoyed of?

2. Where did the dog run accidentally?
3. How did the dog feel when he addressed his tormentors?
4. Did the Bees reply to him? Why?
5. What had happened to the dog?
6. What lesson did the dog learn from the selection?