Self-Assessment: Answers for "Solomon and the Ants"

Respond to these comprehension questions:     

1. What happens in the poem?  A wise king and his soldiers ride with a beautiful queen.  Solomon understands ant language and overhears the king of an anthill say he expects Solomon to crush him.  When Solomon tells the Queen of Sheba, she gives him advice a king and soldier would like most to hear.  Crush the ants.  He and his soldiers ride around the anthill and save the ants' lives.
   
2. Why was the ant king's greeting ironic? Solomon had a reputation for fairness.  The ant, however, thought Solomon would crush him thoughtlessly.
3. What did the Queen of Sheba suggest?  Dying for a powerful person is a happy thing.  A king has a God-given right to expect people to obey and not complain about abuse.  The Queen of Sheba says something like this: "How dare they complain! They should be happy to be crushed under such powerful feet."
4. Why did Solomon ride around the anthill?   Solomon believes the strong are responsible to protect the weak.
   
5. What did the Queen of Sheba learn from this experience? The Queen of Sheba learns that one is wise who cares for the powerless.
   
6. In this case, the theme develops from the last stanza of the poem. There are many possibilities:
   To be a wise ruler, one must consider the weak, not simply listen to the powerful who tell you what you want to hear.
   Justice is found in unexpected places.
   People are happiest when a government respects individuals' right to life.
   Worth is found in wisdom, not power.
   Respect is earned.
   Animals have rights too.
   Kindness is inconvenient.
   To be injured is much better than to injure.
   People with ulterior motives can be kind simply to receive admiration.