A Fable

Question

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:

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Question
Use the story to answer the question.

How do the cat’s motivations advance the plot?

(1 point)
Responses

The cat’s desire to know more than the other animals causes him to withhold the truth and refuse to resolve the plot.
The cat’s desire to know more than the other animals causes him to withhold the truth and refuse to resolve the plot.

The cat’s determination to bring interesting news to the other animals causes him to embellish and lie about something and set the plot in motion.
The cat’s determination to bring interesting news to the other animals causes him to embellish and lie about something and set the plot in motion.

The cat’s determination to be seen a certain way by the other animals causes him to brag about something and set the plot in motion.
The cat’s determination to be seen a certain way by the other animals causes him to brag about something and set the plot in motion.

The cat’s desire to prove he was right and others were wrong causes him to take actions that resolve the plot.

Answer 1

The best response to how the cat’s motivations advance the plot is:

The cat’s determination to bring interesting news to the other animals causes him to embellish and lie about something and set the plot in motion.

This choice reflects the cat's desire to impress the other animals with his knowledge, which leads him to present the painting in an exaggerated and misleading manner. This embellishment ignites the animals' curiosity and excitement, setting the stage for further developments in the story.