Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

These sentences tell Part One of the story again. Fill in the spaces from the list below. 

1. A poor man and his wife were very …….  
2. Their rich neighbour fell in love with the woman and wanted to ...... her.
3. “If your husband loved you, he would buy wonderful …… for you,” he said.
4. The woman said to her husband, “If you love me, …… me a new dress.”
5. The husband needed a new…… but he bought a new dress for his wife. 

happy   marry   clothes   plough   buy   

These sentences tell the story of Part Two again. Fill in the spaces from the list below.

1. "…… your husband and marry me and I will give you gold jewellery," the neighbour said to the woman. 
2. The woman asked her husband to buy …… for her.
3. Her husband asked his …… to lend him some money. 
4. He bought a …… and some rings and gave them to his wife.
5. Every day, the poor man worked in his brother’s field to pay his ……  

divorce   necklace   debt   brother   jewellery 

These sentences tell the story of Part Three again. Fill in the spaces from the list below.

1. “If your husband loves you, he can make …… for you,” said the rich man. 
2. When the woman said to her husband, "If a man loves a woman, he will make miracles for her," he became very ……
3. He began to …… to God for help. 
4. A wizard gave the poor man two ……
5. “If  you touch a person with the first stick, he will become a ……," said the wizard.

sticks   miracles   pray   donkey   worried

These sentences tell the story of Part Four again. Fill in the spaces from the list below.

1. The poor man's wife was …… because she had listened to the rich neighbour. 
2. She touched him with the magic stick. He …… into a donkey. 
3. After many years, the poor man was …… for the donkey.
4. He touched the donkey with a stick, and a tired, old …… stood there. 
5. "Go home," the poor man said. "Don't look at other men's …… again."

changed   wives   man    sorry   ashamed 

B. What were they feeling?

Finish these sentences with words from the box below.

1. Before the rich neighbour came, the poor man and his wife were very ……
2. When the poor man said to his wife, "You don't need new clothes," she was ……
3. When the poor man came home from the fields, he was tired and ……
4. When the woman asked for jewellery, the poor man was ……
5. When the woman's husband said to her, "You know my enemy," she was ……
6. When the donkey changed back into a man, he was very, very ……

ashamed   angry   sad   happy   tired   hungry   worried 

C. What do you think?

Do you feel sorry for the poor man, who nearly lost his wife, or do you feel more sorry for the rich man, who became a donkey?

Do you think the poor man's wife was foolish, or wicked?

Do you think that the rich man deserved his punishment?

D. Titles

Do you like the title of this story, or can you think of a better one?

Can you think of a title for each part of the story?

Check the answers