Story Comprehension Questions: Coyote Travels Inside

After reading the Terry Gardner Four Directions tale called “Coyote Travels Inside,” involve your students in responding to the following comprehension questions either in oral or written form or both.

Click “Coyote Travels Inside” to read a copy of the target story.

Ten Story Comprehension Questions

1. Who recalls the Aesop’s Fable called “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”? If so, what happened in that story?

Students Respond: A boy was sent to tend the sheep. Because he was bored and lonely, he pretended that a wolf had come to attack the sheep. He set off the alarm and everybody in the town came running. He liked all the excitement this created that he did it a second time. Once again, everybody came running to help.

A few days later, a wolf really did come to attack the sheep. He set off the alarm. Since the town folk figured he was telling a lie like he did the other two times, they did not come. Therefore, the wolf killed some of the sheep. In one version of the story, the wolf actually killed the boy as well.

The moral of that story is to not tell lies. If you do this enough, people will get to the point that they won’t believe you about anything even when you are actually telling the truth.

2. In what ways is this story about Coyote similar to the Aesop’s Fable called “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”?

Students Respond: Coyote probably is lonely; however, he pretend to be lonelier than he really is to try to get Eagle, Bear, and Wolf to feel sorry for him. He tries to manipulate Bear into feeling guilty when Bear has nothing to feel guilty about. He is lying to them in order to try to force them into being extra nice to him.

3. Why do you think Coyote picks on Bear the most?

Students Respond: Coyote probably picks on Bear more than he does Eagle and Wolf as they can see that he is lying and being a bully; whereas, Bear keeps falling for his tricks.

4. Why do you think Eagle, Wolf, and Bear keep giving Coyote chance after chance?

Students Respond: Even though they don’t appreciate his nonsense and his bullying ways, there is something about him that they like. They have hope that he can become nicer.

5. What did Coyote do when Bear, Wolf, and Eagle went off to play and have a good time just with each other and not with him?

Students Respond: At first, Coyote continued to howl and moan. He did this until he wore himself out. Then he began to talk out loud. He began to speculate whether the three animals were right about him and that he should just give up trying to fool them.

6. What did Eagle, Bear, and Wolf do to surprise Coyote?

Students Respond: They sang the song called “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” to Coyote.

7. When Coyote expressed his surprise that they were willing to come back, what did they say?

Students Respond: Because Eagle, Wolf, and Bear realized that he is now sorry for bullying then and knows more about how to be a friend to them, they came back to invite him to play.

8. How did Coyote respond to their invitation to play?

Students Respond: He was delighted and gladly joined them.

9. Why is it important not to be a bully?

Students Respond: Accept Reasonable Answers.

10. What are some good ways to be friend to others?

Students Respond: Accept Reasonable Answers.

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OTHER STORIES BY TERRY GARDNER

Four Coyote tales:

1. Coyote meets his master

A. Read-aloud story