The Boy Who Saved the Town

Marcus lived in a small suburb near the sea. He was a stubborn boy, and he only cared about himself. His father worked as a chemist for an institution and wanted Marcus to get a job there. Instead, the boy delivered milk. Each morning he took dairy products to the grocers.

One day, Marcus was jogging down the street with a gallon of milk to give to a merchant. He didn’t want to be late. He ran down a path beside a large canal. A wall there kept water from coming into the town during high tide. But Marcus saw a small hole in the wall. Marcus knew that if the wall broke, it would be a tragedy for the town.

At first, he hesitated. He had to choose between helping himself and helping the town. There was only one way to save the town. It seemed crazy to him, but it was the only thing he could do. He poked his finger into the hole. This didn’t fix the problem forever, but it did postpone the tragedy.

His finger ached. He felt the chill of the arctic water as it splashed him. There was no one else around. He knew he had to wait until the tide descended. It was very difficult, but Marcus stayed there and saved the town.

Once the tide had descended, Marcus told everyone what happened. A group of people went to the wall. They saw the hole and fixed it. Everyone was very happy with Marcus. The local congress even gave him a gift for saving the town. He was a hero.

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

1. _____ Marcus only postponed the tragedy for a short time.
   • _____________________________________________________
2. _____ The chill of the arctic water made Marcus take his finger out of the wall.
   • _____________________________________________________
3. _____ Marcus worked in an institution with his father.
   • _____________________________________________________
4. _____ In the end, everyone was very angry with Marcus.
   • _____________________________________________________
5. _____ Marcus didn’t want to be late taking the milk to the merchant.
   • _____________________________________________________
6. _____ Marcus ran down a path by a canal.
   • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

1. Why was Marcus jogging down the street with a gallon of milk?
   • a. He liked to run beside a large canal.
   • b. He had to give it to the grocer soon.
   • c. He was a stubborn boy.
   • d. He had to make it home before the tide descended.
2. Why did Marcus hesitate to poke his finger into the wall?
   • a. He didn’t know who to save, himself or the town.
   • b. He didn’t want to get in trouble.
   • c. He didn’t want a gift from congress.
   • d. The arctic water was so cold.
3. What was Marcus’s job?
   • a. He was a chemist.
   • b. He was a grocer in the suburb.
   • c. He did things to help the town.
   • d. He took dairy products to merchants in town.
4. Why did Marcus’s finger ache?
   • a. He was very stubborn.
   • b. The hole was very small.
   • c. The water was very cold.
   • d. He knew he would be in trouble.