Comparing Themes and Events Across Cultures Practice Test

Story 1 (Korean folktale): A tiger crept near a house, hoping to scare people inside. A baby cried loudly, and the tiger listened at the door. The mother said, “Stop crying, or the tiger will come.” The baby kept crying, so she said, “Then I will give you a dried persimmon.” The baby became quiet, and the tiger thought the persimmon was scarier than him.

Story 2 (Caribbean folktale): Br’er Rabbit was small and often chased by stronger animals. One day he met Br’er Fox, who planned to catch him. Br’er Rabbit begged not to be thrown into a briar patch. Br’er Fox threw him there, but the briars were Br’er Rabbit’s home. Br’er Rabbit escaped by using clever words.

Compare both stories. Which statement best shows a similar theme?

Read Story 1 and Story 2, then compare their theme.

Story 1 (Greek myth): King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. At first, he laughed as flowers and stones became shiny. Soon his food turned to gold, and he could not eat. He felt lonely because he could not safely hug anyone. Midas begged the god to remove the gift. He learned to value people more than riches.

Story 2 (Native American—Chinook tale): A woman refused to share food with a hungry visitor. She thought keeping everything made her important. A spirit changed her into a woodpecker as a lesson. Now she searched for food by pecking trees all day. The villagers remembered what happened and chose to share. The story taught that kindness mattered more than pride.​