Back to the exercises Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

1.  A rich man had two sons, and he loved the older one best.
   Right
2. When the old man died, the younger son became rich.
   Wrong. The older son became rich.
3. The medicine man told the older brother to kill and eat a cow.
   Wrong. He told the older brother to eat a rooster.
4. The rich man's wife bought a rooster with red feathers.
   Wrong. She took the rooster from her brother-in-law.
5. When the rich man ate the rooster, he became better.
   Right.
6. The rich man thanked his brother for the rooster.
   Wrong. He never thanked his brother.
7. The rich man grew feathers on his face and arms and legs.
   Right.
8. The medicine man told the rich man to go to the elders.
   Right
9. The elders said that the rich man should spit on the keleche.
   Wrong. The elders said that the poor man should spit on the keleche.
10. The poor man forgave his brother, and the curse went.
    Right.

B. Describe the people in the story

1. The rich brother was selfish and ungrateful.
2. The poor brother was kind and generous.
3. The rich brother's wife was frightened of the feathers.
4. The elders gave good advice.

C. Actions and Results

1. 1/e. A man loved his elder son more than his younger son, so he gave his elder son many cows, but he gave his younger son only one red rooster.
2. 2/b. The rich brother became sick, so he went to the medicine man.
3. 3/d. The rich man's wife said to the poor man, "Your brother is sick and needs to eat your rooster," so the poor man gave his rooster to his brother.
4. 4/f. The rich man didn't thank his poor brother, so red feathers began to grow on the him.
5. 5/a. The elders said to the older brother, "If your brother forgives you, and spits on the keleche, your feathers will fall off," so the younger brother spat on the keleche and the curse was removed.
6. 6/c. The rich brother agreed that he had been unfair, so he gave his brother a stable of cows.