Chapter: 14. Three Wise Old Women
A. Fill in the blanks.
One old woman sets out to collect berries. The second wants to pick cherries. The third carried a fan to keep off the sun. The women lose their way because they went so far and so fast. The women are afraid that they will meet a bear. Each time the waves roll in, the women get wet to the skin. A sail is cloth tied to a wooden pole on a ship, to help it move with the wind. B. Answer these questions.
Why were the old women called wise? The poem calls them “wise old women” as an ironic or humorous contrast to their silly and impractical actions, like carrying a fan in winter or climbing a ladder out of fear of a non-existent bear. Where did the old women go? The old women went for a walk on a winter day, became lost, and were then blown by a strong wind out to sea while on their ladder. What kept them from staying on the ground? They were too frightened to stay on the ground because they imagined they might meet a bear. What did the strong wind do? The strong wind blew their ladder right out to sea, causing them to float on it. C. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
But they went so far, and they went so fast, They quite forgot their way at last…
a. Who is referred to as ‘they’ in the lines above?
* ‘They’ refers to the three wise old women.
b. Why did they choose to go fast?
* The poem does not specify why they chose to go fast, only that their rapid pace contributed to them getting lost.
c. Explain the expression: ‘forgot their way at last’.
* This expression means that after walking for a long distance, they no longer knew which direction to go or how to return to their starting point; they were lost. In a leaky ladder instead of a boat, And every time the waves rolled in…
a. Why was the ladder leaky?
* The ladder was “leaky” because it was not designed to hold water; it had open spaces between its rungs and was not a sealed vessel, allowing water to pass through freely.
b. Why is the ladder being compared to a boat?
* The ladder is being compared to a boat because, after being blown into the sea, the women were using it to float on the water, effectively serving as their makeshift vessel.
c. Explain the expression: ‘the waves rolled in’.
* This expression describes the continuous and repetitive motion of ocean waves as they move towards and wash over something, in this case, the ladder with the women on it. 
Answers to textbook exercises