Museletter Junior 1
Simon Versus Reginald
Read the passage carefully before answering the questions. Click any word to collect it. Click an underlined word to reveal its definition below.
It was a very ordinary day on Meadowville Drive. It was raining and the sky was grey. Simon looked out of the window, wistfully. On the lawn, he could see a large, black rat. It was well-known to Simon. Indeed, Simon would have said the rat was his 'arch nemesis'. The rat looked at the window, its black fur clumped into furry spikes.
"Morning Simon," said the rat, gleefully, "Lovely day."
Simon yowled angrily to express his discontent. He had been trying to capture Reginald the Rat for nine months, since his owners moved into Meadowville Drive. Even by rat standards, Reginald was particularly arrogant, always taunting Simon, always staying just out of reach.
Ignoring his rat tormentor, Simon refocussed his eyes to look at himself in his reflection in the window. His round, yellow eyes stared back, like two round yellow saucers. His eyes were drawn to something just to his right (or left as he saw it in his reflection).
"Morning Simon," said Penelope, "Horrible day."
Penelope was the owners' first cat. Simon desperately wanted to impress Penelope, but he was never quite sure why. Penelope had no interest in catching Reginald, nor did she seem to care much whether he succeeded in doing so himself. Nonetheless, it was more for her benefit than his own that Simon persisted with his quest to catch his nemesis.
Leaping gracefully onto the windowsill, Penelope joined him in staring at Reginald, who was entirely unflustered by the foul weather. Reginald beamed back, his front paws raised as if in prayer, eyeing the two cats closely.
'Leave him be,' mewed Penelope. This made Simon more determined to capture him and he fixed his feline gaze more avidly on the offending rodent. This was the week, Simon thought, this was the week he would finally catch that infuriating little quadruped and eat him for his lunch.
Not today though. It was wet and Simon's fur had just been brushed. Simon very much liked to be brushed and hated to get wet. As such, going out did not appeal to him. But soon, very soon, Reginald the Rat would be history.
Vocabulary
Click an underlined word in the passage above to reveal its definition here.
Section 1: What Happened?
Answer using information from the passage.
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1What was the weather like at the start of the story?(1 mark)
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2How long had Simon been trying to catch the rat?(1 mark)
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3What does Simon see when he looks at his own reflection?(2 marks)
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4What did Penelope say to Simon about Reginald?(1 mark)
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5Why did Simon decide not to go outside that day? Give two reasons.(2 marks)
Section 2: Character Analysis
Think about how the characters feel and why they behave the way they do.
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1What does the word 'wistfully' suggest about how Simon is feeling as he looks out of the window?(2 marks)
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2Reginald says 'Lovely day' even though it is raining. What does this tell us about his personality?(2 marks)
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3How does Penelope feel about Reginald? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.(2 marks)
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4How does Simon react when Penelope tells him to 'leave Reginald be'? What does this tell us about his character?(2 marks)
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5Do you think Simon will ever catch Reginald? Explain your answer using the text.(2 marks)
Section 3: Writer's Corner
Explore the techniques the writer uses and the effect they have on the reader.
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1Find an example of a simile in the passage. Write it out and explain what it means.(2 marks)
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2The writer uses the word 'gleefully' to describe how Reginald speaks. What does this adverb tell us about Reginald?(2 marks)
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3The animals can talk to each other. What type of story technique is this? Why might a writer choose it?(2 marks)
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4The writer describes Reginald as Simon's 'arch nemesis'. This is a phrase often used in superhero stories. Why might the writer have used it here?(2 marks)
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5How does the writer build a sense of anticipation about what might happen next? Use evidence from the text.(2 marks)
Section 4: Writing Task
Your Challenge
The next morning, Simon finally goes outside to face Reginald. Write the story of what happens next!
You could think about:
- How does Simon feel as he steps outside?
- What does Reginald do when he sees Simon coming?
- Does Penelope watch from the window — and does she cheer Simon on?
- Does Simon succeed? Or does Reginald escape again?
Remember to use: vivid descriptions, dialogue, adverbs and at least one simile.