Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

In this story a king had no sons. His only child was a daughter. 

Put the sentences 1, 2 and 3 in the right order.

1. The king looked out of his window and saw the child.
2. "This child is too strong. The other children like him too much," he thought.
3. "Who is this child?" the king thought. "What is he doing here in my palace?"

The king was afraid and asked the wizard about the boy.  The wizard told

the king that the boy would kill the king and take his throne.

  Put the sentences 4, 5 and 6 in the right order.

4. The next morning an old man was walking along the beach. He saw the box and ran up to it.
5. The waves carried the box far, far away, and threw it on a beach.
6. "Catch the boy," he said to them. "Put him in a box and throw the box into the sea."

The old man heard someone crying inside the box.  

Put the sentences 7, 8 and 9 in the right order.

7. "Don't be afraid," the old man said. "I will be your father now."
8. "God has given us a son. We will call him Zeyta Hasebe, because we did not expect him."
9. Quickly, the old man opened the box. He jumped back, very surprised.

After twelve years the king began to travel. One day he came to the house of the old man.  The king realized that the strong young man was the boy he had thrown in a box into the sea.

Put the sentences 10, 11 and 12 in the right order.

10. The king frowned. He looked at Zeyta Hasebe angrily. He did not like him now.
11. "To my guards," he wrote. "Catch this boy and kill him. And bury his body in front of my palace."
12. "He will kill me and take my throne."

B. Who is speaking?

In each sentence, say who is speaking or writing.

1. "To my guards," he wrote. "Catch this boy and kill him.” 
2. "I don't know this language," he said. "I can't read it." 
3. "When can I go to the palace and see the king, Father?" he said every morning.
4. "Our dear son," they said. "We can't keep you here any longer.”
5. "Who are you?" he called out, "and what do you want?" 
6. "What's happening here?" he said. "Why are all these people here?”

C. What were they feeling?

Fill in the missing word that tells us what they were feeling.  You may 

think of another “feeling” word which means the same thing.

1. Every day, the king watched the boy. Slowly he became ……
2. The servants were …… of the king and they obeyed him.
3. Quickly, the old man opened the box. He jumped back, very ……
4. He took the child home to his wife. She was very ……
5. "Bring back my letter! It's from the king!" But the eagle had already gone. Zeyta Hasebe sat down on a rock. He was ……
6. "I obeyed all your instructions and today he married your daughter." When he heard this, the king was very, very ……

D. The King and Zeyta Hasebe

Here are six sentences.  Which three sentences are about the king, and 

which three sentences are about the boy, Zeyta Hasebe?

1. He could run fast and jump high.
2. His eyes were dark with anger.
3. "He is my enemy," he thought.
4. "I don't know this language," he said. "I can' t read it."
5. He rode up to the palace on his white mule.
6. He was just and honest.

E. What do you think?

Why do you think the king was afraid of the boy playing in his courtyard?

Do you think it was right for the king to throw the boy into the sea?

Do you think that the old man was happy that the boy would live in the king’s palace?

Do you think that the king deserved to die?

Check the answers