4th Grade Assessment – Unit 4: RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4
Justice February 1, 2015
Directions : Read this story. Then answer questions 1 through 5.
Greeting the Sun,
A Maushop Story
retold by Joseph Bruchac
1 Long ago, as the Sun traveled across the sky, one of the first places he came to each morning was the land of the Wampanoag people. He would shine down on them, giving them warmth and light. But instead of thanking him for what he gave them, the Wampanoag people would look up into the sky, squint their eyes, and cover their faces with their hands.
2 “I do not like those little people making faces at me,” said the Sun one day. “I will no longer visit their land. I will stay on the other side of the sky, where the people appreciate me.”
3 So, when the next day came, the Sun did not rise up in the sky. Everything in the land of the Wampanoag people stayed dark and cold. The people became afraid and began to cry out.
4 “Someone help us,” they cried. “Everything is dark. The Sun is missing. The world is going to end.”
5 Maushop, the giant, had been sleeping, but the sound of many frightened voices woke him.
6 “Hunh,” Maushop said. “It is dark.”
7 Maushop stood up from the place where he had been sleeping on the beach, just below the great cliffs at Gay Head. He saw the little fires burning in the village of the Wampanoag people. Walking very carefully, so that he would not step on anyone in the darkness, Maushop went into the village.
8 “Maushop,” the people cried. “You must help us. The Sun did not rise today. How can we survive without the Sun?”
9 “I will go and find the Sun,” Maushop said.
10 Maushop turned and stepped into the ocean. He began to wade toward the east. His legs were so long that it took him only four steps to cross the ocean and four more steps to come to the other side of the world. There Maushop saw the Sun sitting in the middle of the sky and not moving.
11 “Older Brother,” Maushop called up to the Sun, “why are you here? It is long past the time for you to bring the new day to the other side of the world. The people there are in darkness, and they are afraid.”
12 “I am glad to see you, Younger Brother,” said the Sun. “But as for those people on the other side of the world, I am not going there anymore. They never said thank you when I gave them light and warmth. All they did was squint their eyes and make ugly faces. I am going to stay here, where the people appreciate me.”
13 Maushop turned and walked back across the ocean to the land of the Wampanoag people. He told the people what the Sun had said.
14 “If the Sun returns,” the people promised, “we will greet him every morning. We will smile up at him and say thanks to him every day.”
15 Maushop turned and walked back to the other side of the world.
16 “Older Brother,” Maushop said to the Sun, “the people on my side of the world are sorry. They want you to return. They promise that they will greet you with smiles and words of thanks every morning.”
17 “No,” said the Sun. “I do not think they will remember what they promised. I will stay here. I will not move.”
18 Maushop decided that he would have to show the Sun that the people really meant what they said. Maushop went to the spiders.
19 “My friends,” said Maushop, “I need a big net. Will you weave it for me?”
20 “We will do as you ask,” the spiders answered. They wove a huge net that was very strong.
21 Maushop picked up the net and went back to the Sun.
22 “Older Brother,” Maushop said, “I want you to see that the people on the other side of the world meant what they said. You do not have to move. I will move you.”
23 Then Maushop threw that great net over the Sun. He grabbed the ends of the net in his hands, put it over his shoulder, and dragged the Sun back across the sky. Maushop was so strong that the Sun could not resist him.
24 As soon as they reached the land of the Wampanoags, the Sun heard voices calling up to him.
25 “Thank you,” the voices called. “Thank you for bringing us light and warmth. Thank you for the gift
of another day.”
26 The Sun looked down at all of the people. They were not making ugly faces anymore. They were smiling up at him.
27 “Younger Brother,” said the Sun to Maushop, “you were right. The people on this side of the world are happy to see me. From now on, as long as they greet me this way, I will come to their land every day.”