Response to Literature
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An Excerpt from
The Land of the Blue Flower by Frances Hodgson
Burnett
Read the story below. Then use the prompt to write a response.
The Land of the Blue Flower was not called by that name until the tall, strong,
beautiful King Amor came down from his castle on the mountain crag and began to
reign.
Only once, when he was a boy of twelve, a strange and painful thing happened
to him. From his kingdom in the plains below there had been sent to him a beautiful
young horse which had been bred for him. Never had so magnificent an animal been born in
the royal stable. When he was brought into the courtyard the boy King's eyes shone with
joy. He spent the greater part of the
morning in exercising and leaping him over barriers. The Ancient One in his tower chamber
heard his shouts of exultation and encouragement. At last the King went out to try him on the
winding mountain road.
When he returned he went at once to the tower chamber to the Ancient One, who, when
he raised his eyes from his great book, looked at him gravely. "Let us climb to the
battlements," the boy said. "We must talk together."
So they went, and when they stood looking out on the world below, the curving
turquoise
sky above them, the eyes of the Ancient One were still more grave. "Tell me, young
King." "Something strange has happened," King Amor answered. "I have felt
something I have not
felt before. I was riding my horse around the field on the plateau and he saw something which
he refused to pass. It was a young leopard watching us from a tree. My horse reared
and snorted. He
would not listen to me, but backed and wheeled around. I tried in vain to persuade
him, and sud- denly, when I saw I could not make him obey me, this strange new
feeling rushed through all my body. I grew hot and knew my face was scarlet, my
heart beat faster and my blood seemed to boil in my veins. I shouted out harsh, ugly
sounds—I forgot that all things are brothers—I lifted my hand and clenched it and
struck my horse again and again. I loved him no longer, I felt that he no longer loved
me. I am hot and wearied and heavy from it still. I feel no more joy. Was it pain I felt? I have
never felt pain and do not know. Was it pain?"
"It was a worse thing," answered the Ancient One. "It was anger. When a man is
overcome by anger he has a poisoned fever. He loses his strength, he loses his power
over himself and over others, he throws away time in which he might have gained the
end he most desires. THERE IS NO TIME FOR ANGER IN THE WORLD."
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respond to this prompt on a separate piece of paper.
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In the story, the Ancient One explains that anger is a poison that takes away a person’s
strength and power. Describe a time that you were poisoned by anger. Compare your own
experience to that of King Amor.
*Hint: Try using words like similarly, unlike, or comparatively and refer to specific examples in
the story.
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Close Reading Checklist
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What is the purpose of this text?
First Reading
What does it say?
□
Read the title and
make a prediction
about the text. What is the main idea?
□
After reading, think about
what the text is mostly
about.
□
Talk to a partner and share
your thoughts and ideas.
Second Reading What evidence in the text
How does the text work? supports the main idea? Record
specific quotes.
□
Highlight the title and/or
headings.
□
Underline the topic sentences.
□
Circle powerful words and
phrases.
□
Draw a next to any
important ideas. What are your thoughts?
□
Put a ? next to confusing parts.
Write your thoughts in the
margin.
Third Reading
What does it mean?
While reading, think about the
following questions:
□
What is the purpose of the □
How does this text connect to other
text? texts?
□
What is the main idea?
□
What evidence supports
the main idea?
□
What are your own thoughts
and opinions?
How does this text
connect to other texts?
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Close Reading Annotations
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Annotations are thinking marks that you use to record your thoughts while you read.
Underline the topic sentences and main idea. Circle powerful words and phrases.
Draw a star next to any important ideas.
Put a question mark next to confusing parts or anything you have a question about. Box
Mark interesting or surprising parts with an exclamation point. Write your thoughts in t
Use annotations to make thinking marks as you read the following passage.
The History of Chocolate
When you think of chocolate, you probably imagine your
favorite candy bar. But, when chocolate was first discovered over
4,000 years ago, it was actually consumed as a bitter-tasting drink
mixed with honey, vanilla, and chili peppers. Chocolate is made from
a bean called cacao, which is grown on trees that are native to
Central and South America. After the beans are picked, they are
allowed to ferment and dry for several weeks before being made into
chocolate.
In the 14th century, the Aztec and Mayan people living in
Mexico and Central America believed that chocolate had mystical
properties. They used chocolate at sacred ceremonies and reserved
chocolate for rulers and priests. In fact, chocolate was so desirable
that cacao beans were used as currency.
cacao beans could be traded for a whole turkey.
For example, in 1545, one cacao bean could buy a large tomato and 100
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Close Reading Annotations
Annotation Guide
Before Reading
Preview the text by looking at it quickly to notice its
title, struc- ture, and things that stand out, like images
and headings.
1 Number the paragraphs and circle the numbers so
that you can reference them later.
While Reading
Underline the topic sentences and main
idea. Circle powerful words and
phrases.
Draw a star next to any important ideas.
Put a question mark next to confusing parts or anything
you have a question about.
Box words you don’t know.
Mark interesting or surprising parts with an
exclamation point. Draw a heart next to your favorite
part(s) of the text.
C When you have a connection, mark it with a C.
E Put an E next to evidence that supports the main idea.
Write your thoughts in the margin.
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Name: Date:
The Story of the Amulet
by E. Nesbit
There were once four children who spent their summer holidays in a white house,
happily situated between a sandpit and a chalkpit. One day they had the good fortune to
find in the sandpit a strange creature. Its eyes were on long horns like snail’s eyes, and it
could move them in and out like telescopes. It had ears like a bat’s ears, and its tubby body
was shaped like a spider’s and covered with thick soft fur−and it had hands and feet like a
monkey’s. It told the children−whose names were Cyril, Robert, Anthea, and Jane−that it
was a Psammead or sand-fairy. (Psammead is pronounced Sammy-ad.) It was old, old, old,
and its birthday was almost at the beginning of everything. And it had been buried in the
sand for thousands of years. But it still kept its fairylikeness, and part of this fairylikeness
was its power to give people whatever they wished for. You know fairies have always been
able to do this. Cyril, Robert, Anthea, and Jane now found their wishes come true; but,
somehow, they never could think of just the right things to wish for, and their wishes
sometimes turned out very oddly indeed. In the end their unwise wishings landed them
in what Robert called
‘a very tight place indeed,’ and the Psammead consented to help them out of it in return for
their promise never never to ask it to grant them any more wishes, and never to tell anyone
about it, because it did not want to be bothered to give wishes to anyone ever
anymore. At the moment of parting Jane said politely, “I wish we were going to see you
again some day.” And the Psammead, touched by this friendly thought, granted the
wish.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
1. What is the author’s purpose? Circle one.
to persuade to inform to entertain
2. What evidence did you find in the text that revealed the author’s purpose?
3. If the Psammead agreed to grant you a wish, what would you wish for?
4. Explain what Robert meant when he said they had landed in “a very tight place.”
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