9th form "An Important Trait" Test

1. Once a poor woodman went to the wood ____ was on the bank of a deep river.

2. He ____ all day long and got tired.

3. Suddenly his axe slipped from his hand and ____ into the water.

4. "Oh! I have lost my axe", he cried. "I have ____ to earn my living with! What shall I do?"

5. "The river is very deep and I am afraid ____ into it. Who can help me?"

6. Mercury heard the poor ____ cries and appeared before him.

7. "What is the matter, poor woodman?" he asked. "Why are you so sad and ____?"

8. The woodman ____ him his story and Mercury promised to help him.

9. He dived into the river and brought up a golden axe. "Is it ____?" he asked.

10. "No, that is not mine", answered the woodman. Mercury dived ____ and this time brought up a silver axe.

11. "Is it yours? " he asked, and the woodman again answered "no". Mercury dived a third time and this time brought up the axe that ____ from the woodman's hand.

12. "That is my axe", cried the man. "Now I can ____ again".

13. Mercury was so _____ with the woodman's honestythat he made him a present of the other two axes and disappeared before he could even say "thank you".

14. Pleased ____ his good luck the woodman went home.

15. He told his friends all about it and one of them decided ____ his luck.

16. So he went to the same place, dropped his axe into the water and cried: "Oh! I _____ my axe."

17. "I have nothing to earn my living with! What shall I do? ___ can help me?"

18. Mercury appeared as before, and ____ the man's story he dived into the river.

19. Again he brought up a golden axe. "Is it yours?" he asked. "Yes,it is," said the second man. "You ____ me the truth", said Mercury.

20. "That' why you will neither have this axe nor the one that you so ____ dropped into the water".