| 1. | The book begins with a joke and a story, and jokes and stories -- especially from Crane-man -- continue all through the book. What do you think of Crane-man's sense of humor? How do the jokes and stories help him and Tree-ear face the hard realities of their lives? |
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| 2. | In some ways life in Tree-ear's world is very different from ours in the here and now. What are some of these differences? What are some similarities? Can you imagine Tree-ear or Crane-man or the potter Min living in your neighborhood as modern Americans? What would they be like? What about Kang the potter who invents a new way of decorating pottery? |
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| 3. | Crane-man says that seeing the fox actually changed his life, causing him to stay under the bridge instead of going on to the temple. "Between the fox and you," Crane-man tells Tree-ear, "I was destined never to become a monk!" What does Crane-man mean by "destined"? Is destiny mostly a matter of luck or does it come from qualities in the characters themselves? |
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| 4. | Were you surprised when Tree-ear, too, had an encounter with a fox? How does the fox affect Tree-ear's "destiny"? |
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| 5. | Where does Tree-ear get the courage for his dangerous mission? Is he already brave before the trip or does his courage grow as he goes along? |
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| 6. | Do you think the potter Min is an admirable person? Why or why not? Why does he change in his attitude towards Tree-ear? |
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| 7. | Because of his pride as an artist, Min nearly misses his chance to get the royal commission (pp. 87-89). Crane-man's pride makes it hard for him to take meals in trade for work while Tree-ear will be away (101-102). Yet it's partly pride that makes Min a great artist and that makes the lame Crane-man such a strong person. Then there's Tree-ear, a despised orphan who dares to talk to the royal emissary. How does pride work in our lives, according to the author? |
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| 8. | At the beginning of the story Tree-ear tells how he managed to get some rice from a traveling farmer. How does this brief episode prepare us for the rest of the book? What do you get out of Crane-man's idea that "Scholars read the great words of the world. But you and I must learn to read the world itself"? |
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