Al-Mustapha High School–Hara Name _______________________

Grade _____ Date _______________________

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Grandma Spider Steals the Sun

1 When the Earth was first made, there was no light. It was very hard for the

animals and the people in the darkness. Finally, the animals decided to do something

about it.

2 “I have heard there is something called the Sun,” said the Bear. “It is kept on

the other side of the world, but the people there will not share it. Perhaps we can

steal a piece of it.” All the animals agreed that it was a good idea, but who would be

the one to steal the Sun?

3 The Fox was the first to try. He sneaked to the place where the Sun was

kept. He waited until no one was looking. Then he grabbed a piece of it in his mouth

and ran. But the Sun was so hot it burned his mouth and he dropped it. To this day all

foxes have black mouths because the first fox burned his carrying the Sun.

4 The Possum tried next. In those days Possum had a very bushy tail. She crept

up to the place where the Sun was kept, broke off a piece, and hid it in her tail. Then

she began to run, bringing the Sun back to the animals and the people. But the Sun

was so hot it burned off all the hair on her tail and she lost hold of it. To this day all

possums have bare tails because the Sun burned away the hair on that first possum.

5 Then Grandmother Spider tried. Instead of trying to hold the Sun herself,

she wove a bag out of her webbing. She put the piece of the Sun into her bag and

carried it back with her. Now the question was where to put the Sun. Grandmother

Spider told them, “The Sun should be up high in the sky. Then everyone will be able to

see it and benefit from its light.”

6 All the animals agreed, but none of them could reach up high enough. Even if

they carried it to the top of the tallest tree, that would not be high enough for

everyone on the Earth to see the Sun. Then they decided to have one of the birds

carry the Sun up to the top of the sky. Everyone knew the Buzzard could fly the

highest, so he was chosen.

7 Buzzard placed the Sun on top of his head, where his feathers were the

thickest, for the Sun was still very hot, even inside Grandmother Spider’s bag. He

began to fly, up and up toward the top of the sky. As he flew, the Sun grew hotter.

Up and up he went, higher and higher, and the Sun grew hotter and hotter still. Now

the Sun was burning through Grandmother Spider’s bag, but the Buzzard still kept

flying up toward the top of the sky. Up and up he went and the Sun grew hotter. Now

it was burning away the feathers on top of his head, but he continued on. Now all of

his feathers were gone, but he flew higher. Now it was turning the bare skin of his

head all red, but he continued to fly. He flew until he reached the top of the sky, and

there he placed the Sun where it would give light to everyone.

8 Because he carried the Sun to the top of the sky, Buzzard was honored by all

the birds and animals. Though his head is naked and ugly because he was burned

carrying the Sun, he is still the highest flyer of all, and he can be seen circling the

Sun to this day. And because Grandmother Spider brought the Sun in her bag of

webbing, at times the Sun makes rays across the sky that are shaped like the rays in

Grandmother Spider’s web, and it reminds everyone of what Grandmother Spider did

for all the animals and the people.

A. Circle the correct choice. (7.5pts)

1. The genre of the text is

a. Non-Fiction (facts)

b. Fiction (figment of the imagination)

c. Realistic fiction

2. The sub-genre of the text is

a. Personal Narrative

b. Informational text

c. Folktale

3. Who is/ are the main character(s) in this story?

a. grandma spider

b. Buzzard

c. grandma spider and Buzzard

Explain your choice: _____________________________________________________________

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4. You will find this text in the unit

a. Can All Mysteries Be Solved?

b. How Does Helping Others Help Us All?

c. How Does Growing Up Change Us?

5. What character trait best describes grandma spider?

a. curious

b. loyal

c. wise

Explain your choice: _____________________________________________________________

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6. What character trait best describes Buzzard?

a. self- sacrificing

b. adventurous

c. careful

Explain your choice: _____________________________________________________________

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7. Why did the animals want to steal a piece of the Sun?

a) To keep it for themselves

b) To sell it for a profit

c) To share its light with everyone

d) To use it as a source of heat

8. What happened when the Fox tried to steal a piece of the Sun?

a) He successfully brought it back to the animals

b) The Sun burned his mouth, and he dropped it

c) He sold it to the highest bidder

d) The other animals stole it from him

9. Why do all possums have bare tails, according to the story?

a) They naturally have bare tails

b) The Sun burned off the hair on the first possum's tail

c) It's a sign of their courage

d) The other animals shaved their tails as a prank

B. Answer by true or false. Correct the false statement. (4points)

1. The Sun, when placed at the top of the sky, occasionally creates rays shaped like the web

of Grandmother Spider._________________________________________

2. The Fox successfully stole a piece of the Sun and brought it back to the animals.

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3. The Possum's tail was burned by the Sun because she carried it too close to her

body.___________________________________________________________________

4. The Buzzard's head is now ugly and naked because he carried the Sun to the top of the

sky.________________________________________________________________

C. Find the word that best suits each vocabulary word. (2.5 points)

Word Meaning

Sneaked ____ a. Thick and full of hair

Honored ___ b. moved quickly without any noise

Bare tail ___ c. without hair

Webbing ____ d. respected

Bushy ____ e. very thin fabric woven by a spider

D. Answer the following questions using complete sentences. (6 points)

1. Describe how the Possum tried to bring the Sun back and the consequence of her

attempt.

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2. Why was Buzzard chosen to carry the Sun to the top of the sky, and what sacrifices did

Buzzard make during this task?

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3. In your own words, explain the significance of the Sun's placement at the top of the sky.

How does it impact the animals and the people in the story?

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