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 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. - no response given

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. - no response given

The cat’s desire to prove he was right and others were wrong causes him to take actions that resolve the plot.
The cat’s desire to prove he was right and others were wrong causes him to take actions that resolve the plot. - no response given

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. - incorrect
Incorrect

Although the cat uses flowery descriptive language, he does not lie; the other animals fail to see what he invites them to look at because they stand in the wrong place, not because it is not there.
Remaining Attempts : 1
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Answer 1

The most suitable response regarding the cat's motivations advancing the plot would be:

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.

This captures the essence of how the cat's motivations lead to the excitement and curiosity among the other animals, setting the stage for the unfolding events in the fable. The cat's need to be admired and seen as knowledgeable causes him to share the information about the beautiful picture, which intrigues the other animals and gets them engaged in the story.