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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does David's father do when he is brought home?

2. What does Mrs. Shlemiel do to keep Shlemiel from eating the Hanukkah treat?

3. How long has the snowstorm by David's house lasted?

4. How is the baby injured after the rooster gets out of the house?

5. What does David threaten to do if the devil does not do what David asks?

Short Essay Questions

1. What three things does Mrs. Shlemiel ask of her husband before she leaves for the market?

2. How long has David's father been missing, and why did he leave in the first place?

3. What does David do before releasing the devil's tail from his door?

4. What lie does Mrs. Shlemiel tell her husband, and how does she justify herself?

5. What does David decide to do when both of her parents are missing?

6. How does the story "The Devil's Trick" begin?

7. What is the last gift that Yenta gives Lemel, and what does Lemel do with it?

8. What is the first gift given to Lemel by Yenta, and what does he do with it?

9. Why do Shmelka's daughters refuse to get out of bed one day?

10. How does Lemel lose the silver gulden given to him by Shmelka?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Friendship is a strong theme throughout the book. Where are some places that this theme appears, and how do the characters touched by it react? How do certain friendships change over the course of the book, and what causes these changes?

Essay Topic 2

Despair is a common theme in these stories. Discuss the role of despair in the lives of Singer's characters.

Essay Topic 3

Foolishness is a common folly highlighted in this collection of stories. What are some of the main examples of this, and what message is being sent by this blatant foolishness?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 768 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample