Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

This story is in three parts. In the first part of the story, Dula is in the forest alone looking for food, because there is a famine and she is very hungry. She meets a woman and goes with her to her house.

Put these sentences in the right order.

1. "I'm looking for fruit and leaves to eat," said Dula, "because I'm very hungry." 
2. "Oh thank you," she said. "You are very kind."
3. They had no tef, or sorghum, or barley, or wheat.
4. "My mother is a demon. Did you see her veil? It covers the eyes in the back of her head."

In the second part of the story, the demon's daughter helps Dula. 

Put these sentences in the right order.

1. "We are demons. We eat people."
2. The demon woman lay down on the other side of the house.
3. Dula waited. At last, the demon woman began to snore.
4. The woman went behind the house to the store room.

In the third part of the story, Dula escapes from the demon woman.

Put these sentences in the right order.

1. "There are logs in the water," Dula answered. "I ran across the logs."
2. "I don't know, Mother," her daughter answered. "I didn't see anything."
3. She told her parents about the demon woman in the forest.
4. Then she saw a fallen tree in the water.

B. Who said these sentences?

Who said these sentences? Was it Dula, the demon woman, the demon's daughter, or Dula's father?

1. "And what are you doing here in the forest?”
2. "Why did you come here?"
3. "She was very kind to me."
4. "We don't have a lot of food in this house."
5. "Who will help me now?"
6. "You are very hungry. Come and eat."
7. "The door is locked."
8. "I am your friend. I want to help you."
9. "There are logs in the water."
10. "Be careful, my dear, and God will keep you safe."

C. Where, what, when

Answer these questions

1. When the famine came, where did the people go to look for food?
2. Dula met a woman in the forest. What was the woman wearing?
3. When Dula went to the demon woman's house, where was the demon woman's daughter?
4. What was at the back of the demon woman's head?
5. Where did Dula lie down to sleep?
6. When Dula left the demon woman's house, where did she run to?
7. What was lying from one side of the river to the other?
8. The demon woman jumped on to something in the river. What was it?

D. What do you think?

Was Dula's father right to warn her about strangers?

Are there ever any times when it is all right to trust a stranger?

E. Dreams and nightmares

A nightmare is a bad dream. Do you ever have nightmares? Do you sometimes dream that someone is chasing you, and you cannot run away?

Tell your nightmares to your friends, and ask them to tell you theirs. Don't get too frightened!

Do you ever have nice dreams? Tell those to your friends too.

Check the answers