Short stories online exercise - Free Printable

The King and the Wiseman

#### Story Summary:
A king ruled a faraway land. He was powerful, strong, fair, and strict. Every Thursday, he held an audience with his citizens to ask them questions about the kingdom. One day, he learned that a wiseman held an audience every Friday, attracting more people than the king's audience. The king became jealous and furious, so he sent soldiers to bring the wiseman to him. When the wiseman stood before the king, the king asked if he could foretell the future. The wiseman replied that he sometimes could but did not know the exact date of his own death. However, he knew he would die three days before the king. The king, impressed by the wiseman's cleverness, decided to protect him instead of executing him. Both the king and the wiseman lived long and happy lives.

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True or False Statements:

1. a. The story happened last week.
False. The story is set "a long time ago," not last week.

2. b. The king was weak and useless.
False. The king was described as powerful, strong, and fair.

3. c. He held a weekly audience.
True. The king held an audience every Thursday.

4. d. Nobody came to his audience.
False. Citizens came to pay their respects and answer the king's questions.

5. e. He asked questions at his audience.
True. The king asked questions about the kingdom during his audience.

6. f. He was told that there was a wiseman.
True. Some men informed the king about the wiseman.

7. g. The wiseman held his audience every month.
False. The wiseman held his audience every Friday.

8. h. The king was jealous of the wiseman.
True. The king became jealous when he learned that the wiseman attracted more people than he did.

9. i. The king sent for the wiseman.
True. The king sent soldiers to bring the wiseman to him.

10. j. The king intended to have lunch with the wiseman.
False. The king ordered the executioner to go have lunch, not to have lunch with the wiseman.

11. k. The wiseman knew the exact date of his death.
False. The wiseman said he did not know the exact date of his death.

12. l. The king gave the wiseman some lunch.
False. The king ordered the executioner to go have lunch, not to give lunch to the wiseman.

13. m. The king sent the executioner away.
True. The king ordered the executioner to go have lunch.

14. n. The king commanded his finest bodyguards to look after the wiseman.
True. The king ordered his best bodyguards to take care of the wiseman.

15. o. The wiseman was very clever.
True. The wiseman used his clever response to save himself from execution.

16. p. They each had a long life.
True. The story concludes that both the king and the wiseman lived long and happy lives.

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Questions and Answers:

1. Where and when did the story take place?
The story took place in a faraway land, a long time ago.

2. What kind of king was he?
The king was powerful, strong, fair, and strict.

3. When did he have his audience?
The king held his audience every Thursday.

4. Who came?
Citizens came to pay their respects and answer the king's questions.

5. Why did he ask questions?
The king asked questions to keep in touch with what was happening in the kingdom.

6. What did people say about the wiseman?
People loved and respected the wiseman and said that he could foretell the future.

7. Why do you think the king was jealous?
The king was jealous because the wiseman's audience attracted more people than the king's audience.

8. Why did the king send for the wiseman?
The king sent for the wiseman because he was jealous and wanted to confront him.

9. Who did the king send to lunch?
The king sent the executioner to have lunch.

10. Why did the king order his best bodyguards to take care of the wiseman?
The king ordered his best bodyguards to take care of the wiseman because he was impressed by the wiseman's clever response and decided to protect him instead of executing him.

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Final Answer:

- True or False Statements:
a. False
b. False
c. True
d. False
e. True
f. True
g. False
h. True
i. True
j. False
k. False
l. False
m. True
n. True
o. True
p. True

- Questions and Answers:
1. In a faraway land, a long time ago.
2. Powerful, strong, fair, and strict.
3. Every Thursday.
4. Citizens.
5. To keep in touch with what was happening in the kingdom.
6. People loved and respected him and said he could foretell the future.
7. Because the wiseman's audience attracted more people than the king's audience.
8. Because he was jealous and wanted to confront him.
9. The executioner.
10. Because he was impressed by the wiseman's clever response and decided to protect him.

Boxed Final Answer:
\boxed{
\text{See above for detailed answers.}
}