Question

How the Rabbit Got Its Short Tail
1Long ago, all the animals lived together on Animal Island. Rabbit was one of the proudest animals, and he liked to show off his very long, furry tail. Fox grew tired of listening to Rabbit boast about his tail and decided to play a trick on him.

2One winter morning, Fox went to the lake where the animals liked to drink. The lake was frozen, so Fox cut a hole in the ice. Then, she tied a fish to her tail and dipped it into the chilly water. When Rabbit arrived at the lake, he wanted to know what was happening.

3“I’m fishing with my tail, Rabbit,” announced Fox, displaying the fish.

4“With my long, beautiful tail, I can certainly catch ten fish!” bragged Rabbit. He cut into the ice and dipped his tail into the water. Overnight the water froze, and Rabbit’s tail became stuck. Fox laughed at Rabbit, who tugged so hard that his long tail popped off!

5And that is why rabbits have short tails.

How are the themes of these two stories similar?
A Both show the dangers of taking risks.
B Both are critical of lying to deceive.
C Both explain how something in nature came to be.
D Both stress the importance of obeying one's parents.

Answer 1

C. Both explain how something in nature came to be.

Explanation: "How the Rabbit Got Its Short Tail" is a "why" story that explains a natural feature (why rabbits have short tails); the other story is similarly an origin tale explaining some aspect of nature.