1. Is it wrong for Tien Pao to take someone across the river when doing so goes against his father's instructions?

Why does he do so?

2. Many of the people in the book must, like Tien Pao and his parents, abandon their homes with only as many possessions as they can carry. If you were in this situation, what would you take with you?

3. Tien Pao sees children starving all around him, such as the ones who are eating grass and dirt. Should he have given them his pet pig to eat? Why or why not? Is a human life more important than the life of an animal?

4. Tien Pao is Chinese and he lives in the 1940s, yet his feelings are similar to those of American children today. Tell whether or not you agree with this statement and why.

5. The old woman who gives...