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ESL 4 RC Short Story 5 Boons of Life

Last updated about 5 years ago
29 questions
Note from the author:
ESL 4
A. Read the story description below. Then, write a synonym or definition for the gifts the fairy brings.

In this story, a fairy comes to a man with five gifts for him. These gifts are fame, love, riches, pleasure and death. He is asked to choose the gifts carefully. The man does not choose wisely, and he is left with pain, grief, shame and poverty. Although the ending is not a joyful one, it does effectively teach an important lesson. Read on to find out more.
Write a synonym or definition for the gifts the fairy brings.
0.5

Fame

0.5

Love

0.5

Riches

0.5

Pleasure

0.5

Death

2

A. Match the words from the story to their definitions.

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
poverty
deep sadness caused, especially by someone's death
grief
the physical feeling caused by disease, injury or something that hurts the body
pain
the state of being poor; having little money or few possessions
shame
a feeling of guilt, regret or sadness that you have because you know you have done something wrong
1

A.
The story’s title is The Five Boons of Life. Based on the story description above, what do you think the word “boon” means? Choose the definition that best describes your thoughts.

The Five Boonsof Life, by Mark Twain

CHAPTER I
In the morning of life came a good fairy with her basket, and said:
“Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be careful, choose wisely; oh, choose wisely! For only one of them is valuable.”
The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death. The young man said, eagerly:
“There is no need to consider;” and he chose Pleasure.
He went out into the world and enjoyed the pleasures of youth. But every pleasure was short-lived and disappointing, vain and empty. In the end, he said: “These years I have wasted. If I could choose again, I would choose wisely.”

CHAPTER II
The fairy appeared, and said:
“Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remember–time is flying, and only one of them is precious.”
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not notice the tears in the fairy's eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home. He thought to himself: “One by one they have gone away and left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last. I have seen nothing but loss after loss. For every hour of happiness, I have paid a thousand hours of grief. Curse Love!”

CHAPTER III
“Choose again.” It was the fairy speaking.
“Surely the years have taught you to be wise. Three gifts remain. Only one of them has any worth - remember this, and choose carefully.”
The man reflected long, then chose Fame; and the fairy, sighing, walked away.
Years went by and she came again, and stood behind the man where he sat alone, thinking. And she knew his thought:
“My name filled the world, and everyone knew me, and it seemed well with me for a little while. How little a while it was! Then came envy; then detraction; then hate; then persecution. Then ridicule, which is the beginning of the end. And last of all came pity, which is the funeral of fame. Oh, what miserable fame!”

CHAPTER IV
“Choose yet again.” It was the fairy's voice.
“Two gifts remain. And do not despair. In the beginning, there was only one that was precious, and it is still here.”
“Wealth - which is power! How blind I was!” said the man. “Now, at last, life will be worth the living. I will spend, all my money. All who laugh at me and hate me will crawl in the dirt and will envy me. I will have all luxuries, all joys, all enchantments of the spirit, all happiness of the world. I will buy, buy, buy!”
Three short years went by, and a day came when the man sat shivering in an old attic; and he was thin and pale, and clothed in rags; and he was eating a dry crust of bread and mumbling:
“Curse all the world's gifts, they are all lies! They are not gifts, but only borrowed for a time. Pleasure, Love, Fame, Riches: they are only disguises for lasting realities – Pain, Grief, Shame, Poverty. The fairy spoke the truth; there was only one valuable gift. Now I know how poor and cheap and mean the other gifts were. I compare them to this one a dear and sweet and kind gift. Dreamless and enduring sleep, no more pain and shame and grief to poison the mind and heart. Bring it! I am so tired, I need rest.

CHAPTER V
The fairy came, bringing again four of the gifts, but Death was missing. She said:
“I gave it to a mother's sweet baby, a little child. The child was ignorant, but trusted me, asking me to choose for it. You did not ask me to choose.”
“Oh, miserable me! What is left for me?”
“What not even you have deserved: the cruel insult of Old Age.”
A. As you read, fill out the chart to indicate which gifts the man asks for in each chapter.
0.5

Chapter 1

0.5

Chapter 2

0.5

Chapter 3

0.5

Chapter 4

0.5

Chapter 5

Read Chapter 1. Then, answer the questions.
1

Were the pleasures long lasting or short-lived?

2

1. What do you think the man meant when he said, “there is no need to consider”?

3

Based on the outcome, do you think the man chose quickly or carefully? Why?

A. Read Chapter 2. Then, answer the questions.
1

1. Why is the man sitting by a coffin?

1

1. For every hour of happiness, how many hours of grief did the man receive?

Read Chapter 3. Then, answer the questions.
3

1. In Chapter three, we read about what happens to the man after he chooses the gift of fame:

Then came envy; then detraction; then hate; then persecution. Then ridicule, which is the beginning of the end. And last of all came pity, which is the funeral of fame.

Why do you think that the man says pity “is the funeral of fame”? Explain this in your own words.

Read Chapter 4. Then, answer the questions.
1

Three short years go by, and the man’s life has not turned out well.
Where is he living?

1

What is he wearing?

1

What is he eating?

1

What is the man referring to when he hopes for “dreamless and eternal sleep”?

Read Chapter 5 and then answer the questions.
1

Who receives the last gift?

1

What does the man receive instead?

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
2.5

A. In your own words, write a five-sentence summary of the story.

5

A. Mark Twain effectively presents important themes in this story. Choose which one is the most important to you as a teenager from the list below. Then, write a sentence explaining your opinion.

death is important because it is a part of life
one choice can change your life forever
taking advice: the man ignored the fairy’s advice
temptation can have bad consequences

2.5

A. If you had to place the five boons in order of importance, what would they be? Place the numbers one to five next to the boons so that they are important for you.
1 represents the most important to you.

  1. Fame
  2. Riches
  3. Death
  4. Pleasure
  5. Love
5

Name 5 things that you think are important in life, besides the five boons. Write one sentence for each, explaining your opinion.

3

LINK TO CHAPTER 1
In Chapter 1, you learned about how people become famous today, and how quickly fame can disappear. Write three sentences giving advice about how to deal with fame.