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Daily 
Warm-Up
10
Fiction: Fairy Tales/Folklore
Two Fables
The Donkey and His Purchaser
A man who wanted to buy a donkey set out across the 
countryside. Upon arriving at the market, he began to 
peruse the animals offered for sale. When he found one 
that pleased him, he made an arrangement with the 
owner to take the donkey home on trial to see what he 
was like. The man brought the donkey home and put 
him into his stable along with the other donkeys. The 
newcomer took a look around and immediately went 
and chose a place next to the laziest and greediest beast 
in the stable. When the master saw this, he put a halter 
on him at once and led him back to his previous owner.
The man was surprised to see him back so soon and said, 
“What, do you mean to say you have tested him already?” 
“I don’t want to put him through any more tests,” 
replied the master. “I could evaluate what sort of beast 
he is from the companion he chose for himself.”
The Farmer and the Stork
A farmer set some traps in a field, which he had 
recently sown with corn, in order to catch the crows 
that came to pick up the seed. When he returned to 
look at his traps, he found several crows caught.
Among them was a stork, which begged to be let go.
It said, “You shouldn’t harm me, for I am not a crow 
but a stork, as you can easily see by my feathers. I am 
the most honest and harmless of birds.” But the farmer 
replied, “It’s nothing to me what you are. I find you 
among these crows, who ruin my crops, and like them, 
you shall suffer.”
Text Questions
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 1 . Why did the stork suffer?
a. He flew with the crows.
b. He was caught in a trap with the crows.
c. He was eating the farmer’s crops.
d. He was different from the crows.
 2 . What choice did the donkey make?
a. to associate with a lazy, greedy donkey
b. to obey his new master
c. to betray his owner at the market
d. to remain by himself in the stall
 3 . What does the word peruse mean as it is used in the first fable?
a. to read thoroughly
b. to examine in detail
c. to review
d. to analyze
 4 . What is the common theme, or moral, of the two fables?
a. Those who seek to please everybody please nobody.
b. Every man should be content to mind his own business.
c. Pride goes before destruction.
d. A man is known by the company he keeps.
 5 . What is your opinion of the master’s test of the donkey? Did it enable him to judge the donkey’s potential 
usefulness fairly and accurately? Give reasons to support your answer.
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#3658 Daily Warm-Ups: Reading 
98 
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