The Crow-Child

Question

by Mary Mapes Dodge

Midway between a certain blue lake and a deep forest there once stood a cottage, called by its owner “The Rookery.”

The forest shut out the sunlight and scowled upon the ground, breaking with shadows every ray that fell, until only a few little pieces lay scattered about. But the broad lake invited all the rays to come and rest upon her, so that sometimes she shone from shore to shore, and the sun winked and blinked above her, as though dazzled by his own reflection. The cottage, which was very small, had sunny windows and dark windows. Only from the roof could you see the mountains beyond, where the light crept up in the morning and down in the evening, turning all the brooks into living silver as it passed.

But something brighter than sunshine used often to look from the cottage into the forest, and something even more gloomy than shadows often glowered from its windows upon the sunny lake. One was the face of little Ruky Lynn; and the other was his sister’s when she felt angry or ill-tempered.

They were orphans, Cora and Ruky, living alone in the cottage with an old uncle. Cora—or “Cor,” as Ruky called her—was nearly sixteen years old, but her brother had seen the forest turn yellow only four times. She was, therefore, almost mother and sister in one. The little fellow was her companion night and day. Together they ate and slept, and—when Cora was not at work in the cottage—together they rambled in the wood, or floated in their little skiff upon the lake.

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Question
Use the story to answer the question.

What does the dream in the story reveal?

(1 point)
Responses

Roky’s magical abilities
Roky’s magical abilities

Roky’s feelings of abandonment
Roky’s feelings of abandonment

Cora’s greatest challenge
Cora’s greatest challenge

Cora’s feelings of guilt
Cora’s feelings of guilt

Answer 1

Based on the excerpt from "The Crow-Child," it does not directly present a dream or provide enough context to definitively answer the question regarding what the dream reveals. However, given the themes of the story and the relationship between Ruky and Cora, one might infer that if a dream were to be considered within the broader narrative, it could potentially relate to Ruky’s feelings of abandonment. This is due to their status as orphans living with an uncle and the close bond they share, hinting at underlying emotions related to their circumstances.

Thus, from the options provided, the most fitting answer seems to be:

Roky’s feelings of abandonment.