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Marinka and the Dead

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Marinka and the Dead

Read the original story below. Then answer the questions using details from the passage. For the final question, explain your ideas with evidence.

The lantern at the crossroads

Marinka lived with her grandmother in a little wooden house at the edge of a forest. Each evening, Grandma set a loaf of bread on the table and lit a candle in a blue glass jar. Marinka thought the candle made their kitchen feel less lonely. “Tonight, someone will need help finding the Gate,” Grandma said. She handed Marinka a lantern. “Listen carefully. The dead do not always know which way to go.” Marinka had practised the old paths many times, but she still felt a flutter in her stomach whenever the forest grew dark. She wanted to be brave. She also wished that, just once, she could spend an evening telling stories beside the fire instead of waiting for a stranger. A pale figure appeared at the crossroads. It was an elderly baker carrying an empty basket. He looked puzzled, not frightening. “I remember the smell of warm bread,” he said, “but I cannot remember the road home.” Marinka raised her lantern. Its golden light showed a narrow track between the trees. As they walked, the baker told her about a mischievous dog that used to steal rolls from his shop. Marinka laughed. The forest seemed less dark when someone was sharing a story. At the end of the track stood the Gate, bright as moonlight. The baker thanked Marinka and stepped through. For a moment, she felt sad that their conversation was over. Then she noticed a tiny light drifting back along the path: a sign that he had found his way. When Marinka returned home, Grandma had saved her a slice of bread. “You helped him go on,” she said. Marinka sat by the candle. She was still curious about the world beyond the forest, but she understood something new: guiding someone did not mean she had to forget them. Their stories could stay with her.

Read closely

Answer each question about the story.

1.Where does Marinka live with her grandmother?

In a wooden house at the edge of a forest
In a cottage beside the sea
In a busy town
In a house on a mountain

2.What does Marinka carry to help the baker find the path?

3.True or false: The baker remembers the road home as soon as he appears.

TrueFalse

4.Complete the sentence with one word from the story: The baker used to have a mischievous dog that stole from his shop.

5.Match each character or object to its role in the story.

Grandma
The baker
The lantern

Needs help finding the road
Gives Marinka the lantern
Lights the narrow track

6.Find one detail that shows Marinka feels nervous before meeting the baker. What does that detail suggest?

7.Why does the forest seem less dark to Marinka as she walks with the baker?

8.What might the tiny light drifting back along the path represent? Use a detail from the story to explain your idea.

9.At the beginning, Marinka wishes she could spend an evening telling stories by the fire. At the end, she understands that the stories she hears can stay with her. How has her thinking changed?

10.Imagine Marinka writes a diary entry after returning home. Write 3–5 sentences describing how she feels and what she will remember about the baker. Include at least one detail from the story.