Consider this line about Daffodil: “She looked out of place, like a flower poking its head up in the cracks of a sidewalk.” This is an example of ___________, and it _____________.

Question

A. humor; helps lighten a tense moment
B. foreshadowing; builds suspense
C. a simile; illustrates the contrast between the new calf and its dirty surroundings
D. personification; hints at an event that will occur later in the story
“So we water it down first, like this,” Glander was saying. “Then we’ll add that chalk, flour, and starch to thicken it again. And that’s how one gallon of milk from the cows becomes several gallons of Pure Country Milk! Now it’s ready to pour into cans and load onto the carts for delivery.”

Delivery! So this is what we’d been feeding Bitsy.

I slipped away and made my way to the nearest barn. I was shaking. Not only were the cows sick from being fed swill, Mr. Glander (following Mr. Johnson’s orders) was watering down the milk. Even worse, the milk was being doctored with other substances—like chalk—to make up for the poor consistency.

Pure Country Milk was a lie.

By the time Mr. Glander came into the barn, I was mucking out a stall as usual. “Good morning, Mr. Glander,” I said. My head was whirling with confused thoughts.

“Get over to the big barn, Daley,” he ordered. “Mullen needs your help.”

Mr. Mullen was waiting for me near Daffodil’s stall. “We got a dead one to sell as meat. Help me haul ’er outta here,” he said shortly.

Daffodil was lying stiff on the ground. I pressed my nails into my palms to keep from crying.

That’s when I made up my mind. I’d never drawn Daffodil while she was alive. But I’d do it now.

On my way home I bought the new issue of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. I stood pressed against a building, away from the crowds rushing past me. I found what I was looking for, and then I made my plan.

“What are you drawing?” Sis asked that evening. She was bouncing Bitsy on her hip to get her to sleep.

“Nothing much,” I said, covering my paper. “Drawing baseball players.” Every boy on Prince Street was excited about the New York Knickerbockers.

“I can always tell when you’re lying,” she said.

I hesitated. But I had to tell someone.

“Sis, that dairy is a bad place. We have to stop feeding Bitsy milk from there. It’s making her sick.”

I opened the notebook. “This shows how crowded the stalls are.” Turning the page, I said, “The cows get sick from eating the swill from the distillery. This is a calf that died today.” I showed her my last drawing. “And this shows men adding flour and chalk to the milk we buy for Bitsy.”

My sister sank into a chair. Tears filled her eyes. “Is this true, Danny?”

“Yes. And lots of poor families like us buy Pure Country Milk,” I said. “Everyone believes they’re feeding their babies good, fresh milk.”

Sis was quiet for a long moment. At last she said, “I’ll talk to Ma about the milk. She can tell our neighbors, at least. But you can’t go back there.”

“I have to! We need the money.” I gathered my drawings. “Besides, I need to find out more.”

Over the next two weeks, I was the perfect stableboy. I kept my head down. I kept my mouth shut.

But I kept my eyes open. And, just like Sis, I did a lot of arithmetic.

I counted the cows packed into each barn and kept a tally of how many died. At night, I bent over my notebook, making sketches and writing down everything I’d learned.

Then, just when I had all the information I needed, I got caught.

One afternoon I went to get a drink of water at the pump. Mr. Glander was standing behind me. As I leaned over, my notebook fell out of my pocket. Mr. Glander picked it up and began turning the pages. His face turned red with rage. “Why, you little scoundrel!”

Without thinking, I snatched the notebook. I began running, slipping and squelching through mud and filth. I ran out of the yard, past the distillery, and down Hudson Street. I ran all the way to the address I had memorized: 19 City Hall Square.

The sign on the door read: FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER.

Answer 1

The line about Daffodil—“She looked out of place, like a flower poking its head up in the cracks of a sidewalk”—is an example of C. a simile; illustrates the contrast between the new calf and its dirty surroundings.

The simile is used to create a vivid image that highlights how Daffodil, as a new calf, stands out against the grim and dirty environment of the dairy, emphasizing her innocence and vulnerability in a harsh setting.