Chapter Four Practice Quiz — My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles Gannett — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter Four
Where does Elmer hide when he first arrives on Wild Island?
Elmer crawls under a wahoo bush at the edge of the jungle to think and plan his next move.
How does Elmer figure out where to find the river?
He reasons that since the river flows into the ocean, he can find it by walking along the beach far enough.
What does the mouse discover while Elmer is sleeping?
The mouse finds Elmer's knapsack and mistakes it for a strange rock, then hurries away to tell someone about it.
How does Elmer avoid being caught by the tortoises?
When a tortoise asks if he is a monkey, Elmer says "Yes" and agrees to every question, including that he is taking his sick grandmother to the doctor.
What three signs of invasion do the wild boars discuss?
Fresh tangerine peels under the wahoo bush, a mouse report of an extraordinary rock that disappeared, and more tangerine peels found where the rock had been.
What lesson does Elmer learn from overhearing the wild boars?
He learns to save all his tangerine peels instead of leaving them behind, since the peels were being used as evidence of an intruder.
What does Elmer find by morning at the end of Chapter 4?
He finally reaches the river where the baby dragon is tied up, but the narrator warns that his troubles are only beginning.
How does the mouse speak in Chapter 4?
The mouse speaks in spoonerisms, mixing up words: "Queer, queer, what a dear little dock! I mean, dear, dear, what a queer little rock!"
What is the second wild boar's attitude toward the invasion evidence?
The second boar dismisses the evidence, saying the peels probably floated over by themselves, mice are unreliable, and he would have seen any invasion himself.
What does the first wild boar's speech reveal about Wild Island's animals?
It reveals the animals are organized and vigilant, conducting formal investigations and monitoring their island for intruders.
How does Elmer show resourcefulness in Chapter 4?
He reasons out geography to find the river, rations his tangerines, travels at night, thinks quickly when confronted by tortoises, and learns to hide his tangerine peels.
What kind of animals mistake Elmer for a monkey?
A pair of tortoises in the dark mistake Elmer for a monkey because they cannot see him clearly at night.
How does Chapter 4 develop the theme of cleverness versus strength?
Elmer survives not through physical power but through quick thinking, logical reasoning, and adaptability when encountering dangerous animals.
How do tangerines function as both help and hindrance in this chapter?
Tangerines nourish Elmer and keep up his energy, but their peels leave a trail of evidence that the island animals use to detect his presence.
What theme does the animals' investigation of the "invasion" reflect?
It reflects themes of territorial protection and suspicion of outsiders, as the animals treat any sign of a stranger as a serious threat to their island.
How does the chapter explore the theme of adaptability?
Elmer continually adjusts his behavior based on new information—sleeping by day, traveling by night, impersonating a monkey, and saving tangerine peels after learning they are evidence.
What is the literary effect of the chapter's final line, "Then his troubles really began"?
It is foreshadowing that creates suspense and a cliffhanger, warning readers that reaching the river is only the start of Elmer's challenges.
How does Ruth Stiles Gannett use dramatic irony in Chapter 4?
Readers know Elmer is a boy, not a monkey or a rock, creating humor and tension as the animals misidentify him and his belongings.
What narrative technique frames the entire story of My Father's Dragon?
The story is told in first-person retrospective narration, with the narrator recounting the adventures of "my father" as a boy, adding warmth and a storytelling feel.
What is a spoonerism and how is it used in this chapter?
A spoonerism is a speech error where parts of words are swapped. The mouse says "dear little dock" instead of "queer little rock," creating humor and characterizing the mouse as flustered.
What does "trundled" mean in the context of the wild boars returning to the jungle?
Trundled means to move slowly and heavily, suggesting the boars walked in a lumbering, unhurried way back into the jungle.
What does "retire" mean when the first boar asks "Shall we retire?"
In this context, retire means to withdraw or go back, as the boars decide to return to the jungle rather than continue their investigation.
Who says "I must smell tumduddy. I mean, I must tell somebody"?
The mouse says this after discovering Elmer's knapsack, mixing up words in another spoonerism as it hurries away.
Who says "I bet you're taking your sick grandmother to the doctor's"?
The second tortoise says this, inadvertently giving Elmer an excuse that he quickly agrees with to avoid further questioning.
What does the second boar say to dismiss the invasion evidence?
The second boar says the peels probably floated over by themselves, mice are unreliable, and "if there had been an invasion, I would have seen it!"