Question

Read the fable. Then, answer the question that follows.

"The Mouse and the Weasel" from Aesop's Fables

A little hungry Mouse found his way one day into a basket of corn. He had to squeeze himself a good deal to get through the narrow opening between the strips of the basket. But the corn was tempting and the Mouse was determined to get it. When at last he had succeeded, he gorged himself to bursting. Indeed he became about three times as big around the middle as he was when he went in.

At last he felt satisfied and dragged himself to the opening to get out again. But the best he could do was to get his head out. So there he sat groaning and moaning, both from the discomfort inside him and his anxiety to escape from the basket.

Just then a Weasel came by. He understood the situation quickly.

"My friend," he said, "I know what you've been doing. You've been stuffing. That's what you get. You will have to stay there till you feel just like you did when you went in. Good night, and good enough for you."

And that was all the sympathy the poor mouse got.

Which two themes are developed in this fable?

A. You should never take more than you truly need.
B. If it appears too good to be true, it probably is.
C. Greediness often leads to trouble.
D. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

A) A and B
B) B and C
C) A and C
D) C and D

Answer 1

The two themes developed in this fable are:

C. Greediness often leads to trouble.

B. If it appears too good to be true, it probably is.

So, the correct answer is:

A) A and B

Step-by-step explanation:

here are explanations for the two themes developed in the fable "The Mouse and the Weasel":

Greediness often leads to trouble (Theme C): This theme is evident in the behavior of the mouse. The mouse, driven by greed, couldn't resist the temptation of gorging on the corn in the basket, even to the point of overindulging. The consequence of this greed was that he became too large to exit the basket. This part of the fable illustrates the idea that being overly greedy can result in negative consequences or trouble.

If it appears too good to be true, it probably is (Theme B): The mouse's initial joy at finding the corn might have seemed like a wonderful stroke of luck. However, the fable teaches that things that seem too good to be true often come with hidden pitfalls. In this case, the mouse's apparent windfall turned into a predicament when he couldn't escape from the basket. This theme serves as a cautionary tale, reminding readers to be cautious and not to be too quick to embrace something that seems too perfect.

So, the fable conveys these lessons about greed and the potential consequences of unrealistic expectations.