Sheriff Dan

Dan was the evil sheriff of Oceantown. Dan was as cruel as the devil. He worshipped money. Dan was a millionaire, but he paid his police officers almost nothing. The police were very bitter, but Dan didn’t care. He only cared about his money.

Every person who inhabited Oceantown disliked him. Dan enforced cruel laws. Once, Dan even put his own brother in jail for throwing a coin into a fountain! Sometimes he pointed his gun into the air and pulled the trigger. He didn’t want the bullets to hit anyone. He just wanted to scare people with the loud sound.

Finally, the people of Oceantown decided that they had to get rid of Sheriff Dan. With their understanding, the crowd sought to unify the town. They marched to Dan’s house. He was startled by the sight when he ran to the door. When he opened the door, the crowd jumped on him. They used a rope to tie him to a chair. Dan yelled, “ Get your hands off of me! I’ll put you all in jail for the rest of your lives!”

The crowd didn’t listen. They carried Dan to the harbor and put him aboard a vessel. Dan was so scared that he began to sweat. He begged, “ If you let me go, I will give you all my money!”

The crowd said back, “ Sheriff, we don’t care about your money. We know you will never change. We’re sending you on a voyage to the middle of the ocean.” The boat drifted out of the port, and Dan was never seen again. The people voted for a new sheriff who was kind and fair.

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

1. _____ The sheriff enforced cruel laws.
   • _____________________________________________________
2. _____ Dan pulled the trigger on his gun and shot bullets in the air to scare away criminals.
   • _____________________________________________________
3. _____ With their understanding, the crowd sought to unify the town.
   • _____________________________________________________
4. _____ Dan’s police officers were paid almost nothing.
   • _____________________________________________________
5. _____ Dan was sent on a voyage around the world.
   • _____________________________________________________
6. _____ Every person who inhabited Oceantown worshipped Dan
   • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

1. Where did the crowd take Dan?
   • a. To the streets
   • b. To the harbor
   • c. To Dan’s house
   • d. To the jail
2. At the end of the reading, Dan _______.
   • a. became fair and kind
   • b. drifted into another port
   • c. was never seen again
   • d. made Oceantown happy
3. Why did Dan put his brother in jail?
   • a. He broke a fair law.
   • b. He tied Dan to a chair.
   • c. He startled Dan.
   • d. He tossed a coin in a fountain.
4. According to the reading, why did the crowd send Dan away?
   • a. The police were bitter towards Dan.
   • b. They wanted Dan’s money.
   • c. Dan was a devil to them.
   • d. They hated millionaires.