Problem: CHAPTER I. The Troubles of King Prigio.

{Prince Ricardo and lady tied up: p13.jpg}

"I'm sure I don't know what to do with that boy!" said King Prigio of Pantouflia.

"If _you_ don't know, my dear," said Queen Rosalind, his illustrious consort, "I can't see what is to be done. You are so clever."

The king and queen were sitting in the royal library, of which the shelves were full of the most delightful fairy books in all languages, all equally familiar to King Prigio. The queen could not read most of them herself, but the king used to read them aloud to her. A good many years had passed--seventeen, in fact--since Queen Rosalind was married, but you would not think it to look at her. Her grey eyes were as kind and soft and beautiful, her dark hair as dark, and her pretty colour as like a white rose blushing, as on the day when she was a bride. And she was as fond of the king as when he was only Prince Prigio, and he was as fond of her as on the night when he first met her at the ball.

"No, I don't know what to do with Dick," said the king.

He meant his son, Prince Ricardo, but he called him Dick in private.

"I believe it's the fault of his education," his Majesty went on. "We have not brought him up rightly. These fairy books are at the bottom of his provoking behaviour," and he glanced round the shelves. "Now, when _I_ was a boy, my dear mother tried to prevent me from reading fairy books, because she did not believe in fairies."
1. Where were the king and queen sitting?
2. Was the queen able to read well?
3. Who was Dick?
4. Who did the queen say was clever?
5. How long had passed since the king and queen were married?
6. Did the queen have light hair?
7. Who used to read to her?
8. Did they like each other?
9. What name did Dick usually go by?
10. Were they having trouble with him?
11. What did the king think the problem was?
12. What kind of books were to blame?
13. Who didn't believe in fairies?
14. What was the queen's name?
15. And the king's?
16. Where was he the king of?
17. What color were the queen's eyes?
18. Did she seem mean?
19. What flower did she resemble when she blushed?
20. Where did she meet her husband?
Answer: 1. in the royal library
2. no
3. He meant his son, Prince Ricardo, but he called him Dick in private.
4. the king
5. seventeen years
6. no
7. the king
8. yes
9. Prince Ricardo
10. yes
11. his education
12. fairy books
13. The king's mother
14. Rosalind
15. Prigio
16. Pantouflia
17. grey
18. no
19. white rose
20. at the ball

Problem: Coincidences happen all the time to ordinary people, but the following events are perhaps some of the strangest of them all.

1. In the 19thcentury, the famous writer, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote a book called The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck who were in an open boat for many days before three of them decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the boat Mignonette sank, and only four survivors were left in an open boat for many days. Finally the three older members killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.

2. In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I went to a small restaurant for dinner. When the owner took King Umberto I's order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the resemblance between each other and found many more similarities. Both men were born in the same place, on the same day, of the same year (March 14, 1844, Turin, Italy). On the day that the King married Queen Margherita, the restaurant owner had married a lady named Margherita. The restaurant owner opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto I was crowned King of Italy. On July 29, 1900, King Umberto I was informed that the restaurant owner had died that day in a shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, someone in the crowd killed him!

3. Mark Twain was a popular American author who wrote famous books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."
1. When did Mark die?
2. What were his death and birth significant with?
3. what signified his birth and death?
4. Where was the King born?
5. What was his wife's name?
6. Who was he like?
7. who was he like?
8. What was the name of the boat that sunk?
9. Did anyone survive?
10. how many?
11. who wrote this book?
12. name of book?
13. when was it written?
14. when did the king die?
15. how?
16. did the restaurant owner die as well?
17. name a book written by Mark.
18. who was eaten by his mates?
19. Was Mark expecting to die?
20. when was the king born?
21. what did he go to the restaurant for?
Answer: 1. 1910
2. yes
3. Halley's Comet
4. Turin
5. Margherita
6. King
7. restaurant owner
8. Mignonette
9. yes
10. four
11. Edgar Allan Poe
12. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
13. 19th century
14. 1900
15. someone in the crowd killed him
16. yes
17. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
18. Richard Parker
19. yes
20. 1844
21. for dinner

Problem: Two best friends lived in a small town. They grew up together and did everything together. One boy was named James, and he was a cute, fat kid who was always picked on. And then the other boy was named Alex, and he was handsome and cool. They were opposites, but they didn't care. Alex would always protect James from the bullies because James was weak.

One day, James was being teased by the bullies, Gordon and Johnny, but Alex wasn't there to save him. James didn't know what to do and was scared. But then he remembered all of the times Alex stood up for him. James looked up to Alex and he thought of him as his hero. James wanted to protect himself and not have Alex always come to help. So this time, James got up and was brave. He stood up to Gordon and Johnny and told them that he wasn't scared. The bullies didn't know what to do and then gave up. They went away to look for more fun things to do. Alex saw the whole thing and was proud of James for being brave.

Now James and Alex protect each other and stand up for each other. They still are the best of friends.
1. Who are the best friends?
2. Who was fat?
3. Who protected him?
4. Was he there when James was bullied?
5. Who were the bullies?
6. Did James protect himself?
7. Was Alex proud of James?
8. Because the bullies did what?
9. Does James stand up for Alex now?
10. What is James now?
Answer:
1. James and Alex
2. James
3. Alex
4. no
5. Gordon and Johnny
6. yes
7. yes
8. gave up
9. yes
10. brave