The owl was once a woman who pretended to be very devout [religious]. During the day she would just sit and mumble her prayers, blinking her eyes. At night, however, she would prowl around and spy on people. With her strident [harsh] voice she would croak the news of what she had seen around the village. For her punishment, god changed her into an owl. The owl flies over the roofs of people’s houses at night, screeching so people fear her as a bringer of evil tidings. Her sharp, sad cry seems to say: “Do not slander [gossip about others], the evil that you see in other people’s homes will one day come to yours.”
—The Owl, a Moroccan fable
What did the woman do wrong?
a.
said her prayers
b.
never did any work
c.
flew on a broom
d.
spied on people and spread gossip