The Tale of the Stonecutter
Andrew Wrestleman
Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:
8) Which is the BEST statement of theme for this passage?
e ago, a stonecutter lived in the countryside. He
Simple home and led a simple life. He lived beside
I mountain. He traveled to the mountain every day
one that he sold to others. Even though the man
ne mountain every day, he never noticed the spirit
on the mountain. The mountain spirit granted
wishes, but the stonecutter never wished for
because he was happy with his life. He did not
more than what he already had.
Hard work and endurance can lead to success, as
A) seen by the stonecutter's transformation in to a
prince.
Cleverness and strategy can lead to success, as seen
B) by the stonecutter's manipulation of the mountain
spirit to do his bidding for him.
Contentment can lead to laziness, as seen by the
C) stonecutter's return to his lowly job of being a
stonecutter after achieving riches and success earlier.
Jealousy and envy can lead to misery, as seen by the
stonecutter's journey from being content with his life
D)
to becoming miserable as a rock that would chopped
up for someone else's profit.
the stonecutter was on the mountain cutting some
a customer. He brought the stone to the customer's
the customer was a rich merchant. His home was
in silk fabric and gold. It had beautiful lamps and
stonecutter looked all around. He thought about
it would be to have a big, beautiful house like this
9) Which statement BEST describes how the plot unfolds in this story?
Large home" the stonecutter
The stonecutter begins the story sad and depressed,