The Magic Cup

Paul and John were brothers. They fought all the time because they both wanted to be leaders of the agency they both worked at.

There was a superstition in their town about a magic cup. People said the cup was in a volcano located far away. Anyone who retrieved the cup would have their wish come true. John and Paul both wanted to find it. Then they could become the leader.

They both left to find the cup. Before their trip, their mother said they should work together. They dismissed that idea. Even though their trips originated from the same house, each wanted to travel alone.

They were both miserable during the trip. They had to navigate small boats across shallow rivers and climb difficult slopes. Their journey spanned many days. When they finally got close to the volcano, the ground began to vibrate and the volcano erupted. Ash filled the sky and lava covered everything. John climbed to the top of a hill to keep from getting burned. A few moments later, his brother went up the same hill. They were confined to the hill until the lava cooled down.

They talked about the things they had seen while wandering around the country. They felt more sympathy and affection for each other than ever before. They decided that fate had brought them together.

The next day they left to finish the remainder of the trip together. Everything seemed much easier. When they finally found the cup, they learned that it didn’t make wishes come true. It was only an ordinary cup. But the trip to reach the cup taught them to work together and love each other.

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

1. _____ The trip to find the magic cup was very easy.
   • _____________________________________________________
2. _____ The boys dismissed their mother’s advice before they left for the trip.
   • _____________________________________________________
3. _____ The boys were confined to a hilltop by the lava after the volcano erupted.
   • _____________________________________________________
4. _____ A superstition said that anyone who retrieved the cup would become the leader of the agency.
   • _____________________________________________________
5. _____ The boys had more affection and sympathy for each other after the trip.
   • _____________________________________________________
6. _____ After the volcano erupted, there was ash in the sky and lava on the ground.
   • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

1. Why didn’t the boys travel together?
   • a. Their trips originated from different places.
   • b. They were both miserable.
   • c. They had to navigate boats across shallow rivers.
   • d. They wanted to travel alone.
2. Why were the boys always fighting?
   • a. The cup had special powers.
   • b. They had very little food to eat.
   • c. There was a hole beneath the tree.
   • d. They both wanted to be leaders of the agency.
3. Why did fate bring the boys together?
   • a. To show that stories about the tree weren’t true
   • b. So they could complete the remainder of the trip together
   • c. So they could return home together
   • d. So their trip could span many days
4. What was surprising about the cup?
   • a. It was only an ordinary cup.
   • b. It did not really exist.
   • c. It had their names written on it.
   • d. It was made of gold.