You will find a story below. Please, read the story and answer the questions that follow. Immediately after the story there is a list of vocabulary that might help you understand the story better. When you finish reading and doing the test, you will have to write a a composition expressing your opinion about the story to present in class
Doctor Knowall
by Brothers Grimm
from Grimm's Fairy Tales
This reading comprehension includes difficult vocabulary defined at the end, as well as a reading comprehension quiz to check your understanding.
There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two talers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how well he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and would willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. 'Oh, yes,' said the doctor, 'that is soon managed.' 'What must I do?' asked the peasant. 'In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kind which has a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cart and your two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, and whatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for yourself with the words: "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailed up above your house-door.' The peasant did everything that he had been told to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what had become of the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to his carriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Knowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring back the stolen money. 'Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.' The lord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage, and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman's castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat. 'Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,' said he, and he seated himself with her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that was the first,' meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish. The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: 'That is the first thief,' and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said to his comrade outside: 'The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he said I was the first.' The second did not want to go in at all, but was forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that is the second.' This servant was equally alarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared no better, for the peasant again said: 'Grete, that is the third.' The fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath the cover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish, had no idea what to say, and cried: 'Ah, poor Crabb.' When the lord heard that, he cried: 'There! he knows it; he must also know who has the money!'
On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned to the hall, sat down to the table, and said: 'My lord, now will I search in my book where the gold is hidden.' The fifth servant, however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. But the doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find it immediately he said: 'I know you are there, so you had better come out!' Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him, and full of terror, sprang out, crying: 'That man knows everything!' Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was, but did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money in reward, and became a renowned man.
Vocabulary
peasant - farmer, worker, any non-royal who works the land
oxen - strong animals similar to cows that were used to pull carts
talers - old form of German money
to desire - to want
willingly - to do because you want to do
to inquire - to ask about
to manage - to be possible
cock on the frontispiece - picture of a male chicken (rooster) on the cover of the book
cart - wagon used to carry things and people
whatsoever - anything at all
to pertain - to be related to, to do with something
harnessed to his carriage - attached to his carriage
nobleman - royalty (i.e. king, queen, knight, duke, etc.)
fare - (first sense) food item
fare - (second sense) to do (How did you do = How did you fare?)
to nudge - to push lightly in order to indicate something
therefore - for that reason
a heavy sum - a large amount of money
to denounce - to name a person who did something
to hang a person - to kill someone using a rope put around the neck
to conceal - to hide
to creep - to move slowly and carefully
to spring out - to jump out
renowned - famous
COMPREHENSION QUIZ
1. - What did the peasant called Crabb sell to the doctor?
a. - Some food
b. - Some wood
c. - Some wine
2. - Why did Crabb ask for advice from the doctor?
a. - He felt ill.
b. - He wanted to become a doctor like the doctor.
c. - He wanted to sell his oxen to the doctor.
3. - Which did the doctor NOT recommend in order to become a doctor?
a. - Buying a book
b. - Getting new clothes
c. - Putting up a sign
d. - Getting training as a doctor
4. - Why did the nobleman require Crabb's help?
a. - He felt ill.
b. - His peasants had some problems.
c. - Some money had been stolen from him.
5. - Who did Crabb insist on bringing with him?
a. - His wife
b. - A friend
c. - A servant
6. - What was the first thing they did at the castle?
a. - They sat down to discuss the problem.
b. - They sat down to eat.
c. - They started looking for the thieves.
7. - What did Crabb mean when he said to his wife: "That was the first"?
a. - That was the first thief.
b. - That was the first time he'd seen such wonderful food.
c. - That was the first dish of the meal.
8. - Why was Crabb lucky with the covered, fourth course?
a. - He guessed the food correctly.
b. - His name sounded the same as the food.
c. - The servant whispered the type of food to him.
9. - What did the servants tell Crabb?
a. - That they knew who had stolen the money.
b. - That they had stolen the money.
c. - That he should go home immediately.
10. - What did the servants promise Crabb if he didn't tell the king who had stolen the
money?
a. - That they wouldn't hurt him.
b. - That he would have a share of the money.
c. - That they would accuse Crabb of stealing the money.
11.- How did Crabb know where the money was located?
a.- The servants showed it to him.
b.- The A B C book revealed it to him.
c.- His wife, Grete, had found it.
12.- What mistake did the servant who was listening in the dark make?
a.- He thought Crabb knew he was there.
b.- He thought Crabb had told the king his name.
c.- He lost his nerve.
13.- What three things did Crabb gain from this encounter with the king?
a.- Fame, love, and a reward from the king
b.- Fame, a reward from the king, a reward from the servants
c.- Fame, a new job, a reward from the king
Source: http://esl.about.com/od/intermediatereading/a/rc_grimm2.htm
visited: June 06, 2009.
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