## Answers to the Exercises for The King's Birthmark

Back to the exercises Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

Part One

The right order for these sentences is 2, 4, 5, 3, 1

In the old days a king ruled Wolayita.

One day, the king went to take a bath.

He looked through the bathroom window and saw the king.

"Listen," he said to his brother. "I know something."

After that, he filled the hole again, and went home.

Part Two

The right order for these sentences is 3, 1, 4, 2, 5

Reeds soon grew up and covered the hole.

One day, many years later, the king decided to give a big feast.

"Let's go down to the river and cut some reeds."

But the flute began to sing too.

"Take this man away!" he cried. "Take him to the gorge and cut off his head!"

Part Three

The right order for these sentences is 3, 2, 4, 1, 5

The elders came to the king. They asked many questions, and spoke to many people.

The servants found the flutes and brought them to the elders.

The elder went to the river. He talked to many people there.

“The musicians didn’t tell your secret. It was the flutes.”

The king learned his lesson.

B. Make complete sentences

1/e Nobody knew about the birthmark and the king was ashamed of it.

2/b He looked in through the bathroom window and saw the king.

3/g The man tried to tell other people the king's secret but no one listened.

4/f He ran to the river and dug a hole in the bank.

5/a So the musicians went down to the river and cut some reeds.

6/h His servants ran forward and caught the poor flute player.

7/d But the second flute player's flute began to sing too and it sang louder than the singer.

8/c He took off his turban and showed his birthmark to the people.

C. Words and their meanings

1. birthmark - a mark that a baby is born with
2. turban – a kind of hat made by a cloth wrapped round the head
3. feast – a big meal with many guests and special food
4. reed – a plant that grows by the water with thick, hollow stems
5. flute – a musical instrument
6. gorge – a deep valley with steep sides