Quick Write #1

Question

Salt of the Earth

by Janet J. Kosky



Salt was once equal in value to that of the most precious metals. Much more than just a flavoring, salt is critical to life. Body cells must have just the right amount of salt to function properly. Before refrigeration, salt was the primary method of preserving food. Prior to the discovery of underground rock salt deposits, salt was obtained by the evaporation of water from surface brine sources. In the second half of the nineteenth century, industrial mining and new drilling techniques made the mining of more and deeper deposits possible, turning the precious mineral into the inexpensive commodity we know today.



1645 Wieliczka, Poland



1 Staszek held his breath as the rope sling he sat in swung out over the dark gaping mouth of the salt mine. Dropping swiftly, he felt his stomach lurch as the cool damp air of the tunnel rushed upward over his head. He’d been swallowed, he thought, like a fly being gulped by a snake. He was glad now that he hadn’t eaten the breakfast offered in the mine canteen, because he felt queasy.



2 He looked back up to the entrance and watched the torchlight grow dimmer as he plunged deeper down the shaft, away from his family and home. His mother had wrapped his lunch in a cloth for him and kissed both cheeks, as he said goodbye without looking in her eyes. The flame in the lantern he was holding flickered and could not penetrate the dense blackness surrounding him. The squeaking of the wooden gears lowering him sounded like the cries of a trapped animal. Just as a bubble of panic quivered in his chest, he breathed in the earthy smell of hay and horse manure. Staszek smiled. If this rope could lower a horse two hundred feet down, surely he would be safe.



3 The horses lived down in the mine day and night and helped drive the winches that moved salt to the surface. At least he would be able to return to daylight and fresh air at the end of each day—unless something bad happened, as it had to his father. He clenched his jaw and tried not to think of the explosion. It was because his father died in that accident that Staszek was allowed to take his place today, even though he was only fifteen years old. Now he would earn the money for his mother and five brothers and sisters—especially for Marianna, his littlest sister, who often cried at night for their father. Even carrying her on his back through the marketplace did not make her smile. Perhaps his mother could spare a coin now and then for something special that would cheer her up.



4 Lights from lanterns below him grew brighter, and faces looking up at him became distinct. A few moments later his feet thudded on the earth. He scrambled out of the harness and went to stand next to Pavel, a stocky red-haired miner who had come to his house the day of the accident. Blackened with soot and smelling of smoke, Pavel told them his father would not be coming home that day—or ever. Now Pavel nodded at Staszek and a lump grew in his throat, but he stood stiff and straight while they waited for the other workers to make their descent into the mine.



5 “First day on the job, eh, Staszek?” A large boy named Adam, not much older than he, nudged him, smirking. It was not a friendly smile. “Don’t let the Warden catch you being lazy, or he’ll teach you a lesson!” Staszek looked straight ahead and tried to hide his anger. Adam often tormented those smaller than he was in the village, and Staszek always tried to avoid him. It would be hard to keep away from him in the mine.



6 The Warden was the ghost of the salt mine who could appear and disappear at will. Sometimes he was a prankster, hiding the miners’ tools; other times he was protective, warning the miners to beware of a coming catastrophe. Pavel had told Staszek’s family that on the day of the disaster, his father had felt a presence beside him during morning prayers, whispering to him not to go into the new tunnel the men were digging. When he opened his eyes, no one was there. Reluctantly, he had gone anyway.



7 Staszek shook away the nagging memory. The explosion of mine gasses had caused massive cave-ins and started a fire that burned for months. Finally, it was safe for the miners to go back to work.



8 The last worker thumped to the ground, and the group of men clanked down one of the passageways into a small chapel carved into the gray salt rock. A statue of a guardian angel that had been sculpted by one of the miners looked down on them benevolently. The men prayed together for a safe day at work, as they did every morning.



9 As the group left the chapel, Adam shoved Staszek against the wall, knocking out his light. Adam turned back to smile at him and sneered, “The Warden was just welcoming you to the mine.” He walked on, laughing to himself. Pavel relit Staszek’s lantern for him.



10 Collecting their tools, the men tramped off in different directions to begin the difficult work of extracting salt rock from the mine. The more experienced workers used hammers to pound wedges into the salt until a block weighing several tons split away from the wall. Others broke the block into smaller pieces and shaped them into cylinders that could be rolled with wooden poles to a loading point. The mine was an anthill of activity. Carpenters built frameworks of timbers to keep the ceilings from collapsing. Coopers made barrels, blacksmiths tended the machines and horses, and operators kept the windlasses working smoothly.



11 Staszek was directed to scrape up the chips and powdery salt rock into a sack, carry it to a wide room, and empty it into barrels. He then helped roll the barrels onto a sledge that horses pulled to a lift that would bring the salt to the top. He was determined to work as hard as his father had. Maybe someday, after many years of labor, he would become a master carver and create scenes of famous kings or saints in the salt.



12 On one of his trips to the loading area, Adam blocked his way. “You know, you’ll be searched at the end of the day to see if you’re hiding any salt. I’ll show you how not to get caught, if you give me half of what you take out,” Adam whispered.



13 Staszek knew how precious salt was. It was essential to preserve meat, butter, fish, and cheese. It was used for curing hides and for making glass and gunpowder. People believed it prevented plague, ulcers, and cancer. But to imply he would steal! Enraged, Staszek fiercely pushed Adam out of his way. “Get lost!” he hissed, meaning it.



14 Staszek’s father had often said with a hint of pride, “My boss is the king.” Even though the mine master managed the operation of the mine, it was by a license from the king, who owned it on behalf of the entire country. Poland relied on the money from the salt trade for much of its revenue. Profits from the mine had rebuilt the glorious Wawel Castle in Krakow and supported the university.



15 “And,” his father would remind Staszek, “only free men work in this mine. We are not prisoners or slaves, like the miners in Russia. If a mistreated serf comes to us, fleeing from his cruel master, we will hide him in the mine.” It had always made Staszek glad that he lived in Poland, and he would never dishonor the king.



16 The rough gray fragments Staszek collected looked nothing like the fine white salt his mother kept in their kitchen for flavoring their food. When the valuable deposit of salt was first discovered during the thirteenth century, water that had seeped into the mine and became saturated with dissolved salt was brought to the top in bags made from ox skins. The brine was then boiled, which left the white grains behind. Some of it was dried in cone-shaped molds, and these “coins” were actually used as money. But by the seventeenth century, the large blocks of salt cut by the miners were hauled to the surface and refined into pure, white grains in a factory above ground.



17 As the morning wore on, Staszek’s shoulders began to ache from lugging the heavy loads. Carrying Marianna, who was lighter than the sack of salt, was easier. Finally a whistle signaled lunchtime. He joined a circle of miners in a large gallery and opened his lunch pouch. He was happy to realize he was hungry, his earlier nervousness whittled away by the work. A stableboy, Tomasz, sat down next to him. He told Staszek how his favorite horse, Kazik, often found his jacket hanging on a peg and would nudge the hard roll that he had brought for his lunch from its pocket. Now he brought two rolls with him every day, and hid one.



18 Just then Adam stormed into the gallery. “Where’s my lunch!” he demanded, red in the face. The miners looked up with blank expressions.



19 “Maybe the Warden was hungry,” Pavel said with mock seriousness. The rest of the men chuckled. “Better look in his favorite hiding places, Adam,” someone suggested.



20 As Adam stomped off down one of the tunnels, Staszek felt content. He could do the work, he’d found his own brand of courage, and he had a friend or two down here in the mine.











Question at position 1
1

Essay
50 points



Question at position 1
Read Passage 1: “The Lion and the Hare” and Passage 2: “Small Mouse, Big Trouble.” Based on the information in these selections, write a response to the following:

Compare and contrast the lion in “The Lion and the Hare” and the mouse in “Small Mouse, Big Trouble.” In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?

Write a well-organized 3– to 5–paragraph Informational Essay that uses specific evidence from the passages to support your answer.

Remember to — 

clearly state your central idea
organize your writing
develop your ideas in detail
use evidence from the selection in your response
use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar 
Write your  response  in the box provided.

Read Passage 1: “The Lion and the Hare” and Passage 2: “Small Mouse, Big Trouble.” Based on the information in these selections, write a response to the following:

Compare and contrast the lion in “The Lion and the Hare” and the mouse in “Small Mouse, Big Trouble.” In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?

Write a well-organized 3– to 5–paragraph Informational Essay that uses specific evidence from the passages to support your answer.

Remember to — 

clearly state your central idea
organize your writing
develop your ideas in detail
use evidence from the selection in your response
use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar 
Write your  response  in the box provided.

Answer 1

Comparing and Contrasting the Lion in “The Lion and the Hare” and the Mouse in “Small Mouse, Big Trouble”

Both the lion in “The Lion and the Hare” and the mouse in “Small Mouse, Big Trouble” serve as significant characters that embody distinct qualities, yet they share certain similarities. While both characters are central to their respective narratives and demonstrate traits that influence the outcomes of their stories, they diverge greatly in their physical attributes, societal roles, and the types of dangers they encounter.

To begin with, the lion and the mouse are similar in that they both represent aspects of cunning and intelligence. In “The Lion and the Hare,” the lion, through cleverness, is able to reject the hare’s attempts to trick him and ultimately ends up outsmarting his adversary. This intelligence reveals the lion’s strategic thinking and confidence, as he navigates his role as a predator. In “Small Mouse, Big Trouble,” the mouse also displays wit. Although small in stature, the mouse’s cleverness allows it to maneuver through dangerous situations, helping it to escape predators and survive despite its size. Both characters, in essence, utilize their intelligence as a means of survival in their respective plots.

However, the differences between the lion and the mouse are stark, particularly in terms of their physical power and societal standing. The lion, often seen as the king of the jungle, is a symbol of strength and authority. Its size and natural prowess grant it a dominant position within the animal kingdom, allowing it to instill fear in others. By contrast, the mouse, characterized by its diminutive size and vulnerability, is often looked down upon in the animal hierarchy. This disparity in physical attributes sets the stage for their respective challenges; the lion faces adversaries who seek to deceive it through trickery, while the mouse contends with larger predators who threaten its very existence.

Moreover, the dangers faced by the lion and the mouse illustrate their contrasting experiences with their environments. The lion primarily confronts challenges stemming from other animals attempting to outwit or undermine its authority, as evidenced by the hare’s cunning tactics. This positions the lion in a more strategic game of intellect against other beings of power. In contrast, the mouse navigates a landscape filled with more immediate physical threats, where survival depends on a quick wit and the ability to evade greater, stronger creatures. This leads to a different kind of narrative tension in “Small Mouse, Big Trouble,” where the mouse’s survival instincts take precedence over cunning maneuvers.

In conclusion, while the lion and the mouse share similarities in their cleverness and importance in their respective stories, they differ fundamentally in physicality and the nature of the challenges they encounter. The lion epitomizes strength, authority, and a battle of wits within a realm of larger competitors, while the mouse represents vulnerability, adaptability, and the fierce instinct for survival against physical threats. These differences and similarities enrich the narratives, creating complex characters that reflect the varied dynamics of the animal kingdom.