Once upon a time, there was a small town with a big, old castle in the middle of it. Everyone in the town was very friendly and enjoyed spending time together.

One day, a mysterious black cat appeared in the castle. As soon as people saw it, they were filled with fear. The cat had a long, black tail and a menacing, yellow-eyed stare. It seemed to follow people wherever they went, and no one wanted to cross its path.

No one knew where the cat came from, but it soon became known as the Shadow of the Black Cat. Everyone in the town was afraid of its presence.

One day, a brave young girl named Mary decided to find out what the cat was all about. She found the cat and slowly gained its trust. After some time, Mary was able to get close enough to pet the cat and the cat seemed to enjoy it.

Mary soon realized that the cat wasn’t as scary as everyone thought. It was just a scared and lonely animal that needed a home. Mary decided to bring the cat home and take care of it.

Mary and the cat became great friends and Mary was no longer scared of the Shadow of the Black Cat. Everyone in the town was amazed and learned that animals shouldn’t be feared, but loved.

The cat stayed in Mary’s house for the rest of its life, bringing joy and happiness to everyone in the town. From then on, people no longer feared the Shadow of the Black Cat.

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Vocabulary

1. Fear (noun): a strong feeling of worry or dread about something.
2. Menacing (adjective): threatening or intimidating.
3. Cross (verb): to go from one side to another side.
4. Brave (adjective): courageous and not afraid.
5. Gain (verb): to get or acquire something.
6. Pet (verb): to touch or stroke lovingly.
7. Scared (adjective): feeling fear or anxiety.
8. Lonely (adjective): feeling alone and sad.
9. Amazing (adjective): causing surprise, wonder, or astonishment.
10. Joy (noun): a feeling of great pleasure, happiness, or delight.

Comprehension Questions

1. Who was the brave young girl that decided to find out what the mysterious black cat was all about?
2. What color were the cat’s eyes?
3. What did Mary do once she realized that the cat was not as scary as everyone thought?
4. Why was everyone in the town afraid of the cat?
5. Where did the cat come from?
6. What happened to the cat after Mary took it home?
7. What did the cat bring to the town?
8. How did the cat and Mary become friends?
9. What was the cat’s name?
10. How did the townspeople’s opinion of the cat change after Mary took it home?

Gap Fill Questions

1. The mysterious black cat had a ______ tail and _______ eyes.
2. Everyone in the town was ______ of the cat’s presence.
3. Mary decided to find out what the cat was _____ about.
4. Mary was able to get close enough to _____ the cat.
5. Mary realized that the cat was just a _______ and lonely animal.
6. Mary brought the cat home and _______ care of it.
7. Mary and the cat became great _______.
8. Everyone in the town learned that animals should be _______ and not feared.
9. The cat stayed in Mary’s house for the ______ of its life.
10. From then on, people no longer feared the Shadow of the _____ Cat.

Conversation Questions

1. What do you think of the story?
2. Do you think the protagonist was justified in his actions?
3. What lessons can we learn from this story?
4. What does this story tell us about the power of guilt and shame?
5. What do you think the author was trying to convey through this story?
6. How did the protagonist’s attitude change throughout the story?
7. What do you think the moral of the story is?
8. What do you think about the protagonist’s relationship with the cat?
9. What emotions did you feel while reading this story?
10. What do you think the shadow of the black cat symbolizes?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who was the brave young girl that decided to find out what the mysterious black cat was all about? Mary
2. What color were the cat’s eyes? Yellow
3. What did Mary do once she realized that the cat was not as scary as everyone thought? She decided to bring the cat home and take care of it.
4. Why was everyone in the town afraid of the cat? It had a long, black tail and a menacing, yellow-eyed stare.
5. Where did the cat come from? No one knew.
6. What happened to the cat after Mary took it home? It stayed in Mary’s house for the rest of its life.
7. What did the cat bring to the town? Joy and happiness.
8. How did the cat and Mary become friends? Mary slowly gained its trust and was able to get close enough to pet the cat and the cat seemed to enjoy it.
9. What was the cat’s name? The Shadow of the Black Cat.
10. How did the townspeople’s opinion of the cat change after Mary took it home? They no longer feared the Shadow of the Black Cat.

Gap Fill Question Answers:

1. The mysterious black cat had a long tail and yellow eyes.
2. Everyone in the town was afraid of the cat’s presence.
3. Mary decided to find out what the cat was all about.
4. Mary was able to get close enough to pet the cat.
5. Mary realized that the cat was just a scared and lonely animal.
6. Mary brought the cat home and took care of it.
7. Mary and the cat became great friends.
8. Everyone in the town learned that animals should be loved and not feared.
9. The cat stayed in Mary’s house for the rest of its life.
10. From then on, people no longer feared the Shadow of the Black Cat.