Excerpt from The Queen Bee, by the Grimm brothers
Two kings' sons once went out in search of adventures, and fell into a wild, disorderly way of living, so that they
never came home again. The youngest, who was called simpleton, set out to seek his brothers, but when at length
he found them they mocked him for thinking that he with his simplicity could get through the world, when they
two could not make their way, and yet were so much cleverer.
They all three traveled away together, and came to an ant hill. The two elder wanted to destroy it, to see the litt
ants creeping about in their terror, and carrying their eggs away, but simpleton said, leave the creatures in peace,
will not allow you to disturb them
Then they went onwards and came to a lake, on which a great number of ducks were swimming. The two broth
wanted to catch a couple and roast them, but simpleton would not permit it, and said, leave the creatures in peace, I will not suffer you to kill them.
At length they came to a bee's nest, in which there was so much honey that it ran out of the trunk of the tree
where it was.
8. What is one possible reason why Simpleton says "I will not allow you to disturb them" about the ants?
a. He has plans to use the insects in an attempt to gain revenge
b. He recognizes that his brothers view the ants in the same way they view him
c. Because he has suffered so much in his life, he wishes to bring no suffering to others
d. He plans to help others since he can do nothing to help himself
