Musletter Junior 2 — J23 Education

Part 2: Simon's Arrival

Read the passage carefully before answering the questions. Click any word to collect it. Click an underlined word to reveal its definition below.

Simon had known Penelope since he was a kitten. When he had been brought to his owner's house, before Meadowville, three years ago, Penelope had already been there. She was a year older than him, but Simon thought she always seemed far more mature.

She never jumped at spiders, or scratched the sofa or yowled to be let into the Big Sister's room. She usually sat, sedately, on the shiny red leather armchair in the living room, on her favourite wool blanket.

Simon, by contrast, could never sit still. He jumped at spiders, gored the sofa regularly and was always desperate to get into the Big Sister's room — what was in there, what could she be hiding?

"Nothing," Penelope would always say, "She doesn't want your fur all over her Labubus."

"What's a Labubu?"

Penelope laughed and assured Simon he didn't want to know. But he did want to know. He was like a coiled spring, always looking for the next thing to smell, scratch or see. Most of the time he was content and when they'd first moved to Meadowville, he'd been very happy. When his cage had clacked open nine months ago, he had sprung into the room, purring and mewling and sprinting everywhere. Penelope, by contrast, had curled up on the chair and fallen asleep.

It all had been so perfect, until Reginald had appeared. It was the second day and Simon had been trying to get onto the kitchen counter to eat the sushi the Little Sister hadn't finished (she was confused as to why the fish was raw).

From his position below, he heard a thud and then a clacking of claws. Then the wet sound of chewing and gulping. Over the edge of the counter, Reginald's face emerged for the first time, sushi rice attached to his whiskers like a strange Christmas decoration.

It was then that Simon knew he'd met his foe.

Word Collector

Click any word in the passage to collect it

Vocabulary

Click an underlined word in the passage above to reveal its definition here.

Section 1: What Happened?

Answer using evidence from the passage. Use full sentences where possible.

1

How long have Simon and Penelope known each other?

(1 mark)
2

Name two things that Simon does which Penelope never does.

(2 marks)
3

Where does Penelope like to sit, and what does she sit on?

(2 marks)
4

How did Simon react when his cage opened on the first day in Meadowville? What did Penelope do?

(2 marks)
5

What was Simon trying to do when he first saw Reginald, and where was Reginald?

(2 marks)

Section Total: _____ / 9

Section 2: Understanding the Characters

Think about what the characters are like and why they behave the way they do.

6

In your own words, describe the difference between Simon and Penelope's personalities.

(3 marks)
7

The writer says Simon "was like a coiled spring." What does this tell us about him?

(2 marks)
8

Why do you think Simon is so desperate to get into the Big Sister's room?

(2 marks)
9

How do you think Simon feels when he sees Reginald for the very first time? Use evidence from the passage to explain.

(3 marks)

Section Total: _____ / 10

Section 3: Writer's Corner

Think about the choices the writer makes and the effect they have on the reader.

10

Find a simile in the passage and copy it out. What does it help you imagine?

(2 marks)
11

The writer uses sound words like "thud," "clacking" and "gulping" to describe Reginald's arrival. Why do you think they chose these words? What effect do they create?

(2 marks)
12

The writer uses the phrase "what was in there, what could she be hiding?" in italics. Why do you think they wrote it this way? Whose voice is it?

(2 marks)
13

The chapter ends with "It was then that Simon knew he'd met his foe." Why is this a good last line? What makes it effective?

(2 marks)

Section Total: _____ / 8

Section 4: Writing Task

Your Challenge

Write a short story about a new arrival — it could be a new pet, a new pupil at school, or a new neighbour — who immediately becomes someone's rival.

You could think about:

What is the new arrival like? How do they look and behave?
How does the main character feel when they first see them?
What happens in the first few moments that makes them enemies?
Can you end on a dramatic last line, like the writer does?

Remember to use: vivid descriptions, a simile, and sound words to bring the scene to life.

Museletter Junior 2