Short and Sweet Two Trivia Quiz

Answer: Death

An old man directs them to where they can find Death. Instead they find a treasure and, ironically, Death.

A group of pilgrims are traveling to Canterbury and on the way regale each other with stories. The pardoner is the classic hypocrite of literature who sells pig bones that he claims are from the body of saints. His tale is told with great emphasis on morals and biblical references. Chaucer wrote in middle English thus the spellings and pronunciations are obscure but there are many up-dated versions available.

The 1948 film with Walter Huston and Humphrey Bogart "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is a modern film adaptation of the "The Pardoner's Tale".

Answer: Three wishes

As with many stories involving three wishes, the wishes go awry exposing greed and its consequences. In "The Monkey's Paw" to bring the dead back alive is risky business. "The Monkey's Paw" has influenced many novels, stories, movies, plays, and comics.

I remember my childhood addiction to comic books. EC comics then published "The Haunt of Fear", "The Vault of Horror", and "Tales From the Crypt". Nearly each issue had a tale about the dead being resurrected. After a Congressional investigation, EC voluntarily closed down these as the general public felt these publications "corrupted the morals of youth".

Answer: The Decameron

Decameron roughly means 'ten day event' referring to the time frame during which the young people tell their hundred stories. Most of the stories deal with love--from the erotic to tragedy--but there are also tales of satire, anecdotes, practical jokes, and a bit of moralizing. Boccaccio chose to write it in the Italian vernacular of the time, thus making it more accessible. It is considered a masterpiece of Italian prose and a mirror of the times it represents.

Here is a plot outline of one of the erotic tales:

"A young monk lapses into seducing a young woman and is secretly observed by an elder abbot. However, he knows that he has been seen and so leaves, on pretense of finishing a task, and gives the key to his room to the abbot, who then goes to see the girl for himself and take his own advantage of her. The monk, who hid watching all of this, uses it to balk prosecution. The monk and the abbot quickly rush the woman out of the monastery and often bring her back in."

Answer: The Necklace

Mathilde is a young woman who marries a man beneath her in status and works as an under-paid clerk. She urges her husband to work to increase their station. He manages an invitation to a fancy party but most go into debt to buy her a proper gown. Still, Mathilde complains, that she has no jewels to go with the ball gown. She manages to borrow a suitable necklace from Madame Forestier but she loses it. The couple then go deeply into debt of 36,000 francs to replace the lost one.

The next ten years are difficult as the go into poverty to pay for the necklace. Mathilde meets Madame Forestier by happenstance. She confesses that she lost her necklace but replaced it and now it is paid for.

Madame Forestier is shocked. She tells Mathilde that the necklace was paste--an imitation--worth no more that 500 francs.

Answer: Saki

Saki was noted in his short stories for the witty skewering of Edwardian society with mischievous and macabre stories. Munro was born in Burma to a family with civil service careers. As a young man he was a member of the Indian Police and later a journalist. He was greatly influenced by Omar Khayyám's "Rubáiyát" that was the source of inspiration for his pen name, Saki.

In addition to his short stories, he was known for his oft-quoted one-liners.
In citing his opposition to women's suffrage, he said:"Letting a woman vote is like letting a monkey drive a car. Speaking of which, you know what's also like letting a monkey drive a car? Letting a woman drive a car."

"Never be a pioneer. It's the early Christian that gets the fattest lion."

"The young have aspirations that never come to pass; the old have reminiscences of what never happened."

Answer: Mongoose

The mongoose body chemistry is less vulnerable to the venom of snakes so it has a reputation as a snake fighter. Some parts of Asia have this as a carnival feature but less today with animal rights advocates. In the story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi saves the family from an infestation of snakes.

There are many species of mongoose. Mongooses live in southern Asia, Africa, and southern Europe. They are banned from many counties including the United States as it is not clear how they might damage the ecosystems.

Kipling's works are often framed in Indian settings. He was born in Bombay, India to an English family. His novels, short stories, and poetry are a part of the cumulative experience of his bi-cultural up-bringing.

Answer: Arabian Nights

The "Arabian Nights" consists of many stories, much of which are based on traditional tales. Most of the stories have an Indian and Persian base but were first written in Arabic. Sir Richard Burton worked a popular translation. Many of the characters in the stories have in modern times had a life beyond those writings such as Ali Baba, Aladdin, and Sinbad the Sailor--or the expression "Open Sesame".

Answer: Daniel

The Elders see Susanna naked bathing. They become aroused and demand sex from her but she refuses to be blackmailed. To cover themselves, they accuse her of promiscuity and to be put to death. When Daniel intervenes he destroys the testimony of the Elders and they are themselves executed.

Yes, this is the same Daniel that survived the fiery furnace and the lion's den. Biblical scholars debate if the stories of Daniel were inspired by God for the Bible or are just folk tales passed through ages. The message is clear. Just as Daniel survived, the God of Israel would save all of Israel from oppression.

Answer: Nikolai Gogol

The poor clerk saves his money and makes sacrifices to at last purchase a new stylish coat. His friends and co-workers are so happy for him that they plan a party of celebration. However, the clerk is beaten and robbed of his new overcoat.

Patiently, he pleads for assistance but from all the government offices he is turned away as "we do not deal with trivial complaints"; even when he reaches the top bureaucrat, he finds no sympathy for his cause.

He becomes depressed and ill and eventually dies. But he reappears as ghost. This ghost goes about the city and steals overcoats even from the bureaucrat that last rejected him.

This story and others such as his novel "Dead Souls" made Gogol perceived as a dangerous political writer and found him at odds with his country.

Answer: The Mayor has shot many town citizens

The dentist whispers to him in a calm voice "Now you'll pay for our twenty dead men." The ruthless use of his power has resulted in many deaths. He can not harm the dentist as he vital to both the people and the power structure.