adapted from Clever Gretel

Question

by The Brothers Grimm

Gretel's master invited a guest for dinner and asked his cook to prepare two fowls. Gretel said she would see to it and prepared the birds accordingly, and towards evening she set them on a spit before the fire. The fowls roasted and were nearly ready, but the guest had not arrived, so Gretel told her master if the guest did not soon come, she must take the fowls from the fire, and what a shame if they were not eaten while at their juiciest.
The master hurried out to fetch the guest.
The scent of roasting meat wafted past Gretel, who thought one of the wings was burning so she cut it off and ate it, then thought the other must go or Master should observe something missing. So the two wings were eaten and still no master.
"Well, Gretel, enjoy yourself; one fowl has been cut into, eat it up entirely," spoke the cook.
She ate one chicken in great glee, and when it was swallowed down and still her master was not come, Gretel looked at the other and said: "What's right for one is right for the other; a bite would do no harm." She took another bite and the second chicken followed the first.
While she was swallowing, her master came, saying, "Hurry up, Gretel, the guest is coming!"
"Yes, sir, I'm serving," answered Gretel, as her master took a great knife to carve the chickens and sharpened it on the steps. Presently, the guest came and Gretel ran to the door.
"Go away! My master asked you to supper, but his intention is to cut off your two ears; hear how he sharpens the knife!" The guest heard the sharpening and hurried away. Gretel then screamed to her master that he had invited a fine guest!
"What do you mean?"
"He has taken the chickens I was to serve!" cried she.
Her master lamented, "If he had but left me one for my dinner."
Then, with knife in hand, the master ran after the guest, crying: "Just one, just one," meaning leave one chicken, but the guest thought he was to give up one ear and ran with fire burning under him, so to keep both.

4
Read the sentence from the passage.

Then, with knife in hand, the master ran after the guest, crying: "Just one, just one," meaning leave one chicken, but the guest thought he was to give up one ear and ran with fire burning under him, so to keep both.

What does the narrator mean when he says the guest "ran with fire burning under him"?

A.
The guest is so scared that he is running away as fast as he can.
B.
Running fast has caused the guest to become very hot and tired.
C.
The guest is so mad at the master that he is red in the face.
D.
Fire from the roasting chickens has caused the guest's pants to burn.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

A. The guest is so scared that he is running away as fast as he can.

The phrase "ran with fire burning under him" suggests that the guest is in a state of panic or fear, prompting him to flee quickly.