## Answers to the Exercises for The Magic Cow

Back to the exercises Back to the story

A. How much did you understand?

Part 1 The right order of the sentences is 5, 3, 2, 1, 4.

Once upon a time there was a man who had two wives.

The mother died, and the two boys cried for many days.

So the two children went into the forest, and there they found a cow.

The children of the second wife could not understand it.

The older boy didn't want to tell his stepsister about the cow.

Part 2 The right order of the sentences is 3, 5, 1, 4, 2.

So her husband brought the cow from the forest and gave it to his wife.

The woman tried to skin the cow, but the skin refused to come off the meat.

The woman put the meat into the pot and tried to cook it, but the meat refused to cook.

When the meat was cooked, the woman tried to take the pot off the fire, but the pot didn't move.

Then the woman took the meat out of the pot, and ate it.

Part 3 Are these sentences true or false?

1. The two brothers stayed together in the forest.
   False. They lost each other in the forest.
2. The chief's daughter fell in love with the young man.
   True
3. The young man fought for the chief against his enemies.
   True
4. The chief's daughter had smallpox.
   False. The older brother had smallpox.
5. The young man's head grew bigger and bigger.
   False. The chief’s head grew bigger and bigger.

B. Who said these sentences?

1. "My dear children, soon I will die."
   The man’s first wife
2. "If she doesn't give us food, what shall we do?"
   Her children/the brothers
3. "Go away. I haven't got anything for you."
   The stepmother
4. "Why are you never hungry? And why do you go to the forest every day?"
   The children of the second wife
5. "We don't do anything in the forest."
   The brothers
6. "Please, I'll die if I don't have some food."
   The younger brother/the little brother
7. "I know my brothers' secret."
   The brothers’ stepsister
8. "I want the cow that feeds your children."
   The stepmother
9. "Let the pot come off the fire."
   The two brothers
10. "Bring your husbands and your lovers here, so that I can see them all."
    The chief
11. "He is brave and strong."
    The chief’s daughter
12. "Why are you all looking at me?"
    The chief
13. "Look! It's growing! It's getting bigger and bigger!"
    The people
14. "Please let me marry this man."
    The chief’s daughter

C. Find the right word

1. "Our father's second wife hates us."
2. "We're hungry. Let us eat with you."
3. "I know my brothers' secret."
4. "You know that I'm pregnant and our new baby will soon be born."
5. He picked up his knife and cut the cow's throat.
6. Now, there was a war between the villages at that time.
7. "Who is the stranger who comes every night and fights beside me?"
8. So the chief told everyone to come to a meeting.
9. He didn't want his daughter to marry a man with smallpox.
10. At once his head stopped growing and became the right size again.