Farmer Boy

Where had the children's clothing came from?
1. bought at the store in New York City
2. made from cotton grown in their father's fields
3. made from wool from their father's sheep
4. made from deerskin
How far did Almanzo and his siblings have to walk to school each morning?
1. 1 and 1/2 miles through the riverbed
2. 2 and 1/2 miles
3. 1 and 1/2 miles
4. 5 and 1/2 miles up a hill
What was the teacher like?
1. mean and stingy
2. kind and studious
3. gentle and patient
4. abusive and stern
The Wilder children lived on a large farm in northern New York. How many barns did they have on their farm?
1. four
2. five
3. one
4. three
Why wouldn't Almanzo's father allow him to handle the young horses or colts?
1. Almanzo was mean to them
2. Father didn't trust him yet
3. Almanzo was too small
4. Royal was in charge of them
At the dinner table, Father filled the plates for the family. Whose plate did he fill first?
1. his own
2. Mr. Corse's
3. Mother's
4. Almanzo's
What is the name of the group of big boys that enjoy causing trouble at school?
1. Wilder Boys
2. Gangster Boys
3. Hardscrabble Boys
4. Hardknox Boys
What was bedtime?
1. whenever they wanted it to be
2. ten o'clock
3. nine thirty
4. nine o'clock
Mr. Corse said that it was a cold night and Father said that it would be even colder by morning. How cold was it?
1. 40 degrees below zero
2. 20 degrees
3. 50 degrees below zero
4. 0 degrees
What did Mr. Corse pull out from behind the desk?
1. a new set of primers
2. a math test
3. a paddle
4. an ox-whip
After Mr. Corse had sent Bill and John away, what did the other big boys do?
1. ran away
2. sat quietly
3. stayed to learn
4. ganged up on Mr. Corse
Fill in the Blank:
Mr. Ritchie thought it was _____ that the big boys were planning to hurt Mr. Corse.
1. mean
2. awesome
3. horrible
4. funny
On his Birthday, Almanzo turns _____ years old.
1. nine
2. eight
3. ten
4. eleven
Father has a surprise for Almanzo. Where does he say it is?
1. in the Big Barn
2. in the woodshed
3. in the attic
4. in the South Barn
What does "Giddap" mean?
1. start forward
2. turn right
3. turn left
4. to stop
What does "Whoa" mean?
1. turn right
2. to stop
3. turn left
4. start forward
What might happen if Almanzo does not clean the yoke and keep it dry?
1. it would damage the yoke
2. the yoke will not work properly
3. his father will take it away from him
4. the calves might get sores on their necks
Fill in the Blank:
Almanzo is still disappointed that his father will not allow him to break a colt. His father says, "It's a _____ job, son."
1. woman's
2. father's
3. difficult
4. man's
After lunch, Almanzo discovers another present from his parents. What is it?
1. a new sled
2. a pony
3. another calf-yoke
4. ice cream
Where is Mr. Wilder's workroom?
1. in the South Barn
2. in the cellar
3. in the attic
4. in the woodshed
What was Mrs. Wilder doing on Almanzo's birthday?
1. washing clothes at the river
2. cooking a special dinner for him
3. weaving cloth on the loom
4. spring cleaning
How was Mrs. Wilder making gray cloth on the loom?
1. dying the white wool gray
2. bleaching the black wool gray
3. using wool from a gray sheep
4. weaving black wool with white wool
How did Almanzo water the horses?
1. warmed water on the stove
2. carried water from the river
3. took the horses to the river
4. pumped water into the trough
What were the names of the two men that sometimes worked for Mr. Wilder? (choose 2)
1. Lazy John
2. Pierre
3. French Joe
4. Mr. Corse
How thick was the ice on the pond?
1. 15 inches
2. 50 inches
3. 20 inches
4. 10 inches
What happened to Almanzo at the pond?
1. he enjoyed skating on the ice
2. he fell into the cold water
3. he was hit in the head by a block of ice
4. the ice cracked under his feet
Fill in the blank:
The ice house looked like a big _____ built high off the ground on blocks.
1. cage
2. hayloft
3. cellar
4. shed
What is Almanzo's all-time favorite food? He was very excited that Mother had fixed it for dinner after their busy time in the ice-house.
1. fried apples'n'onions
2. headcheese
3. baked beans
4. spareribs
What was special (or horrible, as Almanzo thought) about Saturday?
1. cleaning night
2. cooking lessons
3. bath night
4. homework night
How did the Wilder family keep from freezing while taking their baths?
1. they put the tub on the floor in front of the stove
2. they used boiling water
3. they piled on lots of blankets
4. they used a big bonfire
Why did Almanzo hurry through his bath?
1. Eliza Jane was waiting on him
2. his back was hot, while his front was cold
3. he still had chores to do
4. his front was hot while his back was cold
What is NOT something that Almanzo wore to bed?
1. cap
2. night-shirt
3. socks
4. trousers
What was different about the Wilders' Sunday clothes?
1. were all black and white patterns
2. bought in New York
3. bought from a catalog
4. made of store-bought cloth
Why did Almanzo and Royal have trouble getting into the sleigh?
1. there were too many people
2. the girls' hoopskirts were too big
3. Mother asked them to carry extra blankets
4. they were wet from playing in the snow
How far away from the Wilder farm was Malone?
1. 5 miles
2. 15 miles
3. 10 miles
4. 2 miles
What were church sheds?
1. sheds to stable animals that are rented to the church by the local businesses
2. sheds that are used for churches in small communities
3. rented sheds used by church-goers to stable their animals
4. sheds built by the church and rented to townfolks to raise money
What did Almanzo's Uncle Wesley do?
1. he was a banker
2. he was a storekeeper
3. help Mr. Wilder run the family farm
4. owned and operated the potato-starch mill
According to Almanzo, what was Sunday for? (choose 2 answers)
1. working
2. sitting still
3. going to church
4. playing
Father showed Almanzo how to braid moosewood boughs. What was he making?
1. a strap to use on the threshing floor
2. a whip to use with the calves
3. a belt for his Sunday suit
4. reins to hitch up his calves
What does "Haw" mean?
1. start forward
2. turn left
3. to stop
4. turn right
What does "Gee" mean?
1. to stop
2. turn right
3. start forward
4. turn left
What did Almanzo do when Pierre and Louis came over to play?
1. he let Pierre and Louis work with Star and Bright
2. he hitched the horses up to Father's big bobsled
3. he hitched his calves up to his birthday sled
4. he hitched his calves up to Father's big bobsled
What happened when all three boys climbed on the bobsled?
1. Pierre was hit by a tree branch along the way
2. the calves began running and the sled turned over
3. Louis fell off into a snow drift
4. the sled was too heavy for the calves to pull
What did Almanzo find under the snow on the south slopes?
1. delicious pecans
2. a bucket of sap
3. a baby bird
4. wintergreen berries
What did Mother add to the bottle of wintergreen leaves that Almanzo had brought home?
1. maple syrup
2. milk
3. water
4. whiskey
How much money did Father earn for the potatoes that he sold?
1. 100 dollars
2. 500 dollars
3. 1000 dollars
4. 5 dollars
Why were Royal and Almanzo going through the vegetable-bins?
1. checking to make sure they had found all of the potatoes
2. finding vegetables for Mother's stew
3. looking for more wintergreen berries
4. sorting out the spoiled ones
How did Mother call the men from the field in to dinner?
1. big tin dinner-horn
2. a metal triangle and drumstick
3. she sent the girls to fetch them
4. she carried dinner to them
How can you tell if a horseman is a "good horseman"?
1. he always cares for his horses before he eats or rests
2. he talks to his horses
3. he takes care of his own health before his horses
4. he feeds his horses good grain
In Father's story, what happened to the field that the lazy boy sowed quickly so that he could go swimming?
1. an abundant crop
2. seeds blew away
3. nothing grew
4. weeds took the field
Why doesn't Alice want to be a boy?
1. boys can't wear ribbons
2. boys have to wear pants
3. boys can't learn to cook
4. boys have too many chores
Who had made all of the things that the tin-peddler was selling?
1. Nick, the tin peddler's wife
2. people Mr. Brown met on his journeys
3. a factory in New York City
4. Nick, the tin-peddler
According to Almanzo, what is the most beautiful and fascinating things in the world?
1. sheep
2. puppies
3. oxen
4. horses
Fill in the Blank:
Father told the horse-buyer that his horses were so gentle, that a _____ could drive them.
1. kitten
2. child
3. dummy
4. lady
Fill in the Blank:
Father ask for $225 for each horse, but Almanzo knew that he really wanted _____ each.
1. $200
2. $150
3. $250
4. $300
What did Royal find prowling around outside?
1. a burglar
2. Almanzo playing a joke on him
3. a stray dog
4. the horse-buyer
How did John end up sitting in the river with water over his head?
1. a sheep butted him
2. he jumped in
3. he fell down the bank
4. Almanzo pushed him
What did Father and Lazy John use to cut the wool off the sheep?
1. a large razor
2. a hand saw
3. mother's sewing scissors
4. long shears
What did Almanzo hide in the loft?
1. a sheared sheep
2. the kittens
3. the stray dog
4. an unsheared sheep
Mother still dyed her own wool, but she did not need to card it anymore. Why not?
1. father told her not to
2. a machine did it for her
3. the boys did it for her
4. the girls did it for her
Why didn't Almanzo hurry though the garden work?
1. when he was finished, he would have to go back to school
2. he wanted to make sure everything was done right
3. his mother watched him to make sure he was working hard
4. when he was finished, he would have to clean out the stalls
Almanzo had to take a bath, even though it was not Saturday, because they were going to a celebration. What was the celebration for?
1. his parents wedding anniversary
2. his grandfather's birthday
3. Malone's Settler's Day
4. Independence Day
What did Almanzo see in the corner of the square?
1. two beautiful horses
2. two brass cannons
3. an army of soldiers
4. an enormous pumpkin
"The Square was not really square." What caused it to be three-cornered?
1. the bank
2. the bandstand
3. the railroad
4. the river
After the minister prayed, and the men and boys removed their hats, the band started playing and everyone joined in to sing. What song were they singing?
1. God Bless America
2. The Battle Hymn of the Republic
3. The Star-Spangled Banner
4. America
What did the Congressman read aloud?
1. Declaration of Independence
2. a passage from the Bible
3. Gettysburg Address
4. Constitution of the United States of America
What did Almanzo decide to buy?
1. a piece of pie
2. a new hat
3. a glass of lemonade
4. a baby pig
That summer, Almanzo was getting ready for the County Fair. What did he have to do every morning?
1. feed his pumpkin
2. water the garden
3. hoe the potatoes
4. train his oxen
Why did Almanzo keep his little pig in the shade?
1. the sun would damage the pig's skin
2. pigs do not like sunshine
3. young pigs grow best in the shade
4. so she would not grow as fast
Beauty had a pretty little colt with a white star on his forehead. What did Almanzo name him?
1. Starbright
2. Starlight
3. Sunlight
4. Beautiful Star
What did it mean when they woke up to rain pounding on the roof?
1. they had to plow the fields again
2. they had bring all of the animals into the barns
3. they could go fishing
4. Mother would do the wash that day
What did Almanzo meet behind a cedar tree?
1. a black bear
2. a turkey
3. a swarm of bees
4. Cousin Frank
What is NOT something that Mother made from all the berries they had picked?
1. cakes and cookies
2. jellies and jams
3. pies and puddings
4. preserves
Father and Mother decided they needed a vacation. Where were they going to spend the week?
1. on the seashore
2. at Uncle Andrew's
3. at Lake Chateaugay
4. in New York City
What is NOT an ingredient that the children used to make ice-cream?
1. milk
2. flour
3. egg-whites
4. ice
Fill in the Blank:
Almanzo wanted to go and get _____ to eat up the watermelon rinds.
1. the barnyard cats
2. Lucy, the pig
3. Starlight, the colt
4. Star and Bright, the oxen
What was wrong with Lucy the next morning?
1. Eliza Jane saw the mess that Lucy had made in the front yard
2. she had gotten tangled up in watermelon vines
3. she had a tummy ache from eating too much
4. she couldn't eat or drink because her teeth were stuck together with candy
Fill in the Blank:
Alice and Almanzo decided to sit _____ even though Eliza Jane told them that they should not.
1. with the horses
2. by the pond
3. at the kitchen table
4. in the parlor
When Eliza Jane reminded the children that Mother and Father would be home tomorrow, the children were upset. Select the things that the children still needed to do before their parents returned. (Choose 5)
1. pick the peas and beans
2. weed the garden
3. fix the fence
4. churn the butter
5. whitewashed the henhouse
6. fed the colts
7. clean the house
8. pick the apples
What did Almanzo do that stained the parlor wall?
1. tossed the can of polish at Alice
2. drew a picture of the colts on the wall
3. started a fire in the woodstove with the flue closed
4. threw the blackening-brush at Eliza Jane's head
Almanzo was very worried when Mother showed Mr. & Mrs. Webb into the parlor. He was sure he would be in trouble now. What was the surprise that waited for him there?
1. Royal had re-arranged the pictures on the walls
2. neither his mother nor his father ever noticed the big black splotch on the wall
3. His father told him that he knew about the splotch and that he must re-paper the room
4. the black splotch had disappeared
What was the first event of the Early Harvest on the Wilder farm?
1. haying-time
2. shearing the sheep
3. selling the hogs
4. canning vegetables
The scythes had to be sharpened before they could cut hay. What did they use to sharpen them?
1. a dry grindstone
2. water and a grindstone
3. the hot fire in the stove
4. a rock from the stream
Why did the men and boys put green leaves in the crowns of their hats?
1. to play a trick on the girls
2. to cool off their heads
3. to absorb the sweat
4. they liked the smell of the leaves
The Wilders saved everything from the summer's bounty. What did they do with the apple cores?
1. fed them to Lucy
2. make vinegar
3. used them to plant trees
4. tossed them into the fields
Who brought the Wilder family news of politics, fashions, and prices from New York City?
1. the wheat-buyer
2. the hay-buyer
3. the butter-buyer
4. the shoe cobbler
What did Mother do with her butter money?
1. bought more seed for next spring
2. bought everyone a new outfit
3. paid her tab at the general store
4. put it in the bank
Why did Father have to lift Almanzo's milk-fed pumpkin into the wagon?
1. Almanzo was too rough with the vegetables
2. Father did not trust Almanzo
3. it was too big for Almanzo to lift or roll
4. Almanzo was ill and could not help
What did Almanzo enjoy doing once all the perfect apples had been picked?
1. tricked the girls into picking the rest of them
2. played catch with the leftovers
3. climbed the trees to get the rest
4. shook the trees to make the rest of the apples fall
Why did they have to work quickly to dig up the potatoes and carrots?
1. a storm was rolling in and it worried Father
2. Mother needed to can them before the weather turned
3. Father wanted to sell them while the price was right
4. Mother needed them for other chores in the cellar
What did Father tell Almanzo to do to take the edge off his appetite?
1. roast some carrots
2. eat a raw potato
3. roast potatoes in the ashes
4. go to the house for a snack
What happened the very night after they finished collecting the potatoes?
1. the ground froze
2. an Indian summer came through
3. hail scattered on the fields
4. heavy rains fell
What is NOT something that the Wilders took to show at the County Fair?
1. Eliza Jane's jellies, pickles, & preserves
2. Alice's woolwork embroidery
3. Almanzo's milk-fed pumpkin
4. Father's yearlings
What did the community use the Church building for during the County Fair?
1. a playground
2. a county store
3. an exhibit hall
4. a kitchen and dining-room
Who ran alongside the horse during the horse race?
1. Lazy John
2. an Indian
3. Royal
4. Almanzo
Fill in the Blank:
"And there was Almanzo's pumpkin, the _____ of them all."
1. ugliest
2. most orange
3. largest
4. smallest
The 1st place ribbon at the County Fair was blue. What color was the 2nd place ribbon?
1. red
2. green
3. yellow
4. purple
The Wilder family earned lots of ribbons at that year's County Fair. Which Wilder did NOT earn a ribbon?
1. Almanzo
2. Royal
3. Alice
4. Eliza Jane
Father saved the hide from a beef each year. What was it used for?
1. to make shoes
2. to make coats
3. to burn in the winter
4. to make blankets
Fill in the Blank:
After they finished butchering, Mother was ready to start making _____.
1. cheese
2. clothing
3. candles
4. shoes
What melted into tallow that was used to make candles?
1. lye soap
2. pork fat
3. beef fat
4. headcheese
Royal, Eliza Jane, and Alice were not going to join Almanzo at the local school anymore. Instead, where were they going to go to school?
1. the University
2. they were done with school
3. the Academy
4. Bible College
Mother made special clothes for Royal, Eliza Jane, and Alice. What did she use to make their clothing?
1. cotton
2. wool
3. potato sacks
4. store-bought cloth
What was special about the shoes that Almanzo was getting this year?
1. he was getting moccasins for the first time
2. he was getting boots for the first time
3. it was his very first pair of new shoes
4. he got to chose the color this time
How did the cobbler measure Almanzo for his new shoes?
1. he traced his bare feet on paper
2. he cut the sole out around Almanzo's foot
3. he used a Foot-Measuring Device
4. he used Almanzo's old shoes
Which part of the cow hide did the cobbler use for the soles of the shoes?
1. he used wood instead
2. the thick middle
3. the outer edge
4. the softest leather
What did the cobbler do to his thread before he began sewing?
1. cut it from the leather
2. cut it into small pieces
3. stiffened it with wax
4. dipped it in water
Why did Father go and pick up Alice, Royal, and Eliza Jane from school on Saturday?
1. it was a school holiday
2. Grandmother was coming to visit
3. to be measured for their shoes
4. Mother had more supplies for them
What does Royal want to be when he is finished with school?
1. a storekeeper
2. a lawyer
3. a doctor
4. a farmer
What are Father and Almanzo making?
1. fence posts
2. a new wagon
3. a new shed
4. a bobsled
Where did Almanzo and Father decide to build the little bobsled?
1. Big-Barn Floor
2. North-Barn Floor
3. Horse-Barn Floor
4. South-Barn Floor
What was Almanzo going to use the bobsled for?
1. to haul wood
2. to sled down the hill
3. to take his friends for a ride
4. to haul supplies from town
Why does Father not like the machine threshing?
1. they work too slowly
2. the men who bring the machine are not trustworthy
3. it costs too much money
4. they wastes too much
What did the fanning mill do to the nuts?
1. mixed them with water
2. broke open the shells
3. crushed them into tiny pieces
4. separated them from the leaves
Who helped Father with the threshing while Almanzo had to help his mother prepare for Christmas?
1. Eliza Jane
2. Alice
3. French Joe
4. Royal
The Wilder children did not hang their stockings on the fireplace mantle. Where did they hang them instead?
1. they didn't use stockings
2. on the footboard of their beds
3. in the pantry
4. on the back of a chair
How did the Wilders know that Uncle Wesley's family had arrived for Christmas dinner?
1. Uncle Wesley's children ran to the house
2. the screams and shouts
3. the sleigh bells
4. the children were watching for them
Why did Almanzo yell at Cousin Frank?
1. Frank was bothering Starlight
2. Frank was making fun of Almanzo's sisters
3. Almanzo didn't like Frank
4. Frank told him his new hat was stupid
What happened when Royal found Almanzo and Cousin Frank in the barn?
1. he threw snowballs at them
2. he dumped water on their heads
3. he knocked their heads together
4. he called for Father
What is NOT something that the Wilders had for Christmas dinner?
1. roast goose
2. crackling little pig
3. roasted turkey
4. mashed turnips
What caused Almanzo's bloody nose?
1. Frank's head hit it
2. Royal threw a snowball at his face
3. he fell of the sled
4. the horse kicked him
What happened when Almanzo, Pierre, and Louis tried rolling a log that was bigger on one end?
1. Pierre and Louis were trapped by the falling log
2. French Joe and Lazy John came to help
3. it rolled back and pressed Almanzo into the snow
4. Almanzo rolled off into the river
What happened to Almanzo's oxen and sled when he moved over to let his father's team by?
1. the oxen bolted down the lane
2. they slid into the snowy ditch
3. he didn't move fast enough and crashed into his father's sled
4. his sled overturned in the pond
Almanzo continues to ask his father if he can stay home from school to help. Father says that he can stay home this time. What can he learn at home that he won't learn at school?
1. figuring
2. literacy
3. butchering
4. hay-baling
How much money was in the pocketbook?
1. 1500 dollars
2. 150 dollars
3. 1000 dollars
4. 10 dollars
How much did Almanzo ask the liveryman for each bale of hay?
1. $2.75
2. $2.00
3. $1.75
4. $2.25
Mr. Paddock calls Mr. Thompson a "skinflint" and makes him give Almanzo a larger reward for finding the pocketbook. How much does he say Mr. Thompson should give to Almanzo?
1. 50 dollars
2. 100 dollars
3. 20 dollars
4. 200 dollars
What does Almanzo do with his money?
1. buys a new horse
2. returns it to Mr. Thompson
3. spends it on new fishing gear
4. puts it in the bank
Even as Almanzo was leaving the bank, he was wishing he could spend that money. What did he want to buy?
1. a new loom for his Mother
2. the wagon that Mr. Thompson had wanted
3. another set of oxen
4. a little colt
Father told Almanzo that working for Mr. Paddock would ensure that he always had money in the bank, however, being a farmer would allow him to _____.
1. be independent
2. be rich
3. enjoy life
4. be dependent
What did Almanzo tell Father he really wanted?
1. to be a school teacher
2. to buy a colt and break him
3. to work for Mr. Paddock
4. to work for Mr. Thompson
Father told Almanzo to leave his money in the bank. If he wanted a colt, _____.
1. he had to work to earn one
2. he could wait until he had earned more money
3. Father would give him Starlight
4. Father would buy him one
When Starlight is _____, Almanzo can decide what to do with him.
1. five-years-old
2. two-years-old
3. four-years-old
4. a year old