Grade 6 reading comprehension worksheet featuring the story "The Queen Bee," including a narrative about a prince named Wiling and his brothers, followed by four comprehension questions.

Grade 6 Reading Comprehension Worksheet: "The Queen Bee"

Let's go through the story and answer each question with clear explanations.

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Story Summary

This is a fairy tale about three brothers — two older ones and the youngest, Witling. The older brothers are reckless and want to harm animals (ants, ducks, bees), but Witling shows compassion and protects them. They come across a magical castle where they must complete three tasks to save themselves and others. Only Witling succeeds because of his kindness, which earns him help from the creatures he saved.

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Answers to Questions

#### 1. How many times did Witling prevent his brothers and why?

Answer:
Witling prevented his brothers three times.

- First time: When they reached an ant-hill, the brothers wanted to stir it up (disturb the ants), but Witling said, *"I will not suffer them to be disturbed."* He protected the ants.
- Second time: At a lake with ducks swimming, the brothers wanted to cook and kill them, but Witling said, *"I will not suffer them to be killed."* He spared the ducks.
- Third time: At a bee’s nest in a tree, the brothers wanted to make a fire beneath the tree to get honey, which would have killed the bees. Witling said, *"I will not suffer them to be stifled."* He protected the bees.

Why?
Witling was kind-hearted and compassionate. He refused to harm innocent creatures, even when it meant going against his brothers’ desires.

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#### 2. What did happen when they reach the castle?

Answer:
When the brothers reached the castle:
- They were welcomed by a grey-haired man who gave them food and showed them their rooms.
- The next morning, the man brought them to a stone table with three tasks written on it.
- Each brother had to complete one task before sunset or be turned into stone.
- The eldest brother failed the first task (finding 1,000 pearls under moss) and was turned to stone.
- The second brother also failed (only found 200 pearls) and was turned to stone.
- Finally, Witling took his turn and completed all three tasks successfully, thanks to the help of the creatures he had saved earlier.

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#### 3. Did the eldest brothers finish the three tasks?

Answer:
No, the eldest brothers did not finish the three tasks.
- The eldest brother only found 100 pearls out of the required 1,000 and was turned to stone.
- The second brother found 200 pearls and was also turned to stone.
- Neither of them completed the first task, so they couldn’t proceed to the next ones.

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#### 4. How did Witling complete the tasks?

Answer:
Witling completed the tasks because of his kindness and compassion, which earned him help from the creatures he had saved:

1. First Task – Find 1,000 pearls under moss:
- Witling searched but became sad and started to weep.
- Then, the ant-king arrived with 5,000 ants who had been saved by Witling earlier.
- These ants had collected all the pearls and helped him find them.

2. Second Task – Retrieve the key from the bottom of the lake:
- The ducks whose lives Witling saved earlier came to help.
- They swam to the bottom of the lake and brought up the key.

3. Third Task – Choose the youngest princess:
- The three princesses had eaten different sweet things before sleeping: sugar, syrup, and honey.
- The Queen-bee of the bees that Witling saved came and told him which princess had eaten honey.
- Since bees love honey, the queen bee helped him identify the youngest princess.

Because of his mercy, nature and animals repaid him, helping him succeed where his brothers failed.

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✔ Final Thoughts

This story teaches the value of kindness, empathy, and compassion. Witling’s refusal to harm animals ultimately saves him and helps him become king. It shows that good deeds bring rewards, even when they seem small at the time.

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✔ All questions answered based on the text.