A Fable

by Mark Twain

Once upon a time an artist who had painted a small and very beautiful picture placed it so that he could see it in the mirror. He said, “This doubles the distance and softens it, and it is twice as lovely as it was before.”

The animals out in the woods heard of this through the housecat, who was greatly admired by them because he was so learned, and so refined and civilized, and so polite and high-bred, and could tell them so much which they didn't know before, and were not certain about afterward. They were much excited about this new piece of gossip, and they asked questions, so as to get at a full understanding of it. They asked what a picture was, and the cat explained.

“It is a flat thing,” he said; “wonderfully flat, marvelously flat, enchantingly flat and elegant. And, oh, so beautiful!”

That excited them almost to a frenzy, and they said they would give the world to see it. Then the bear asked:

1 of 7
Question
Use the story to answer the question.

Which details are essential to include in an objective summary of the story?

Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

a list of every character who appears in the story
a list of every character who appears in the story

a brief explanation of the events that happen during the story
a brief explanation of the events that happen during the story

a comparison that tells how this fable is similar to or different from other fables
a comparison that tells how this fable is similar to or different from other fables

a detailed explanation of the other characters’ points of view on the cat
a detailed explanation of the other characters’ points of view on the cat

a sentence stating the theme of the story
a sentence stating the theme of the story
Remaining Attempts : 3
Skip to navigation