Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

READING COMPREHENSION – GUIDED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

YOUR ANSWERS SHOULD BE IN FULL SENTENCES.

Chapter 1 Peggy Sue

Page 1
 Michael disappeared in 1988, why did it take so long for him to tell the
world about what happened? (Kensuke made him promise to say nothing
at all for at least ten years)
Page 2
 Why has Michael finally decided to tell all about what happened? (he’s
had time to think, gone to college, doesn’t want to tell lies any more. He
also wants the world to know about Kensuke as a good person)
 Who lived in his house, before his disappearance? (Mother, Father,
Michael and the dog, Stella (short for Stella Artois))
Page2/3
 What was his early life like, what did he used to do every day? (down the
road to school, off don the rec’ for football after school)
 Why did his Dad call his school the ‘monkey school’? (he said the children
gibbered and screeched and hung upside down on the climbing frame)
Page 3
 Why did his team win so easily when they played on his pitch? (they
knew where it was muddy and the ball would stick and could get the
goals in before the other team realised the ball wouldn’t bounce)
 Why did he do the paper round? (saving up for a mountain bike)
 What was the problem though? (kept spending instead of saving!)
 Why were Sundays special? (went dinghy sailing as a family on the
reservoir)
Page 4
 Where did his parents work? (at the brickworks)
 Why did they like sailing so much? (fresh air, clean air)
 What sort of weather stopped them sailing? (nothing stopped them)
 What was he better at than his parents? (fishing)
Page 5
 Why did Stella find fishing so boring? (nothing to bark at)
 What was the big upset that happened one day? (the brickworks were
going to close, a letter came)
 Why didn’t they go sailing anymore? (upset about losing their jobs, life
wasn’t fun anymore as they were looking for other jobs, even sailing
wasn’t enough to cheer them up)
 What was the big upset that happened to Michael? (Eddie, his best friend
moved down south as his dad got a job down there, the Mudlarks
disbanded)
Page 6
 What happened one Saturday, why was his Mum crying? (Dad had gone,
not for good, he had had an idea)
 What did this idea mean they had to do? (move south)
Page 7
 Why was his father so upset before he left? (he was upset that it was his
son, Michael who was bringing in the only money, had nothing to be
proud about, had lost his place in the household as the breadwinner)
  Why did his Mum not want to go? (because she had been born there)
 Why did his Dad seem so changed when they all met up again? (had
sorted everything out, had a brilliant idea, had made up his mind)
Page 8
 Who is Peggy Sue (a boat)

Page 9
 Why did his Dad make his decision? (knew they all loved sailing, had
some money saved up, decided to do something special, make a new
life)
Page 10
 What did his Dad think they would be thinking? (that they had only been
dinghy sailing on ther reservoir, that he was going loopy,that they’d be
broke)
 How long did they intend to be away? (18 months, as long as the money
lasted)
Page 11
 Who would be the skipper? (Mum) The first Mate? (Dad) The ship’s boy
(Michael) The ship’s cat (Stella)
 How did they intend to train themselves up? (few trips to France, across
to Ireland)
 What about Michael going to school? (they would take books, they would
both teach him and he would teach himself)
Page 12
 What did Gran think about it all? (all doom and gloom – icebergs,
hurricanes, pirates, whales, supertankers, freak waves.
Page 13
 How did the training go? (longer than they thought, not like dinghy
sailing)
 What did Barnacle Bill think about children and animals (that they were a
nuisance)
Page 14
 Who were scared when training at sea? (Michael and his Dad, but not his
Mum)
 Who was the only one to get seasick? (Mum)
 What did he discover about his parents? (that they were friends, that his
Mum had grit, could be a bit of a tyrant if it wasn’t shipshape)
Page 15
 What did he think about his Mum? (he had confidence in her, was proud
of her, thought she was brilliant)
 What did Gran want to do when she came to wave them off (go with
them to see koalas in the wild)
 Who else was there? (Barnacle Bill, Eddie, Eddie’s father)
 What was given to Michael as a lucky mascot? (football)
 What was so special about the lucky mascot? (Eddie had signed it all over
like World Cup stars signing a ball)
 Why did Michael think Stella fell quiet as they sailed past the Isle of
Wight? (she sensed there was no turning back)
Page 15
 And what did Michael realise then? (that it was not a dream, it was real)
Chapter 2 Water, Water Everywhere
Page18
 How did Michael spend most of the time? (soaked to the skin)
 When the sun shone what did they used to do? (haul everything out on
deck and turn Peggy Sue into a giant washing line)
 What was a real luxury? (to be dry)
 Was there much to do for the three of them on board? (heaps – taking in
sail, winching out, taking a turn at the wheel, helping Dad with mending
and fixing, mopping up, brewing up, drying up, washing up)
Page 19
 Who was allowed to be idle? (Stella Artois)
 How did she spend the rough days on board? (curled up on Michael’s bed
in his cabin)
 And the finer and calmer days? (on watch up at the bow, alert for
anything that wasn’t sea)
 What animals did Stella see? (dolphins, porpoises, whales, sharks, turtles)
 What would they all do when they saw sea animals? (Mum would take
videos, photographs, Dad and Michael would fight over the binoculars,
Stella would bark, herding up the creatures)
 Why did they sometimes find her annoying? (smelly wetness, that wet
dog smell that got on everything)
Page 20
 Why did they not regret bringing Stella? (comforted Mum when sea sick,
Michael when terrified by storms)
 What else wold he keep close by him and why? (Eddie’s football, to
remind him of life back on land and what his life was like)
 Why had the football become a lucky charm to him? (because the storms
always blew over in the end, with them still alive and afloat)
 What did Michael hope his parents would forget? (his schoolwork)
Page 21
 Why was there no point appealing to his Dad for help when Mum made
him do his schoolwork? (because Mum was Skipper, no argument)
 Why did it make sense to have only one person in charge on the boat?
(stop arguments that might lead them into doing something dangerous,
time spent arguing could turn a situation into a life-threatening one)
  What subjects did he study? (Maths, Geography, History, Environmental
Studies, Art, Navigation)
Page 22
 What did he feel sometimes, looking up into the night sky? (that they
were the last people on the planet)
 Why? (just them, the dark seas below and millions of stars above)
 What was his English work? (his own version of the ship’s log)
 How often did he have to write in it? ( every few weeks)
 Why did he find it easy to write his log? (had so much to say, just wrote it
down as he spoke to himself)
 What are the first two chapters? (setting the scene, basic information
about himself and his voyage)

Chapter 3 Ship’s Log

Page 25
 Why wouldn’t Michaels’ parents let him take the watch through the
Channel? (it was full of tankers, dozens of them going up and down)
Page 26
 Why had Barnacle Bill warned them about the Bay of Biscay? (because it
would be bad (storms, bad weather)
 How does his Dad react to Mum being a bit snappy? (just winks at
Michael, and they get on with it)
 What do his parents do together? (play chess)
 And who’s winning? (Dad)
 How has Mum reacted? (says she’s not bothered)
Page 27
 What disappeared off the Peggy Sue? (his blue shorts)
 What is Michael sick of already? (baked beans)
 How are they passing Africa? (going down the west coast)
Page 28
 Wwhat will be the problem if they sail off course? (they’ll get stuck in the
Doldrums, where there is no wind)
 Who does Michael take after with tanning? (his Mum, just turns nutty
brown)
 What did M have to write and draw about even though he hadn’t seen it?
(basking shark)
 What do basking sharks eat? (plankton and fish)
Page 29
 What does Stella love to do? (chase the football around the cabin and
pounce on it)
 And the problem? (one day she’ll puncture it)
 Why did they spend so long in Recife? (repairs to the boat)
 Why was Michael so happy after his stay in Recife? He should have been
worried because of the repairs to the boat. (he played football in Brazil!)
 What did he call his side when they played on the beach? (Mudlarks)
Page 30
  Did Stella like the Brazilians? (no, she growled and bared her teeth and
had to be shut in the cabin)
 What were the only English the Brazilians knew? (goal & Manchester
United)
 How did Mum’s photos come out? (well)
Page 31
 Which one did Michael take? (his Dad asleep, sunbathing and Mum about
to pour suntan lotion on his tummy)
 What did they do on Christmas Day? (had crackers and Christmas
Pudding)
 What was Michael given? (a knife)
 Why did he give his parents a coin? (for luck when you get given a knife)
 What did they do while in Rio? (scrub the Peggy Sue down)t
Page 32
 What was so special about the island of St Helena? (where Napoleon was
exiled (explanation if needed))
 What schoolwork did he have to do then? (look him up in the
encyclopaedia and write about him
Page 33
 Why did Stella sulk on the his bunk? (perhaps because no-one gave her
a present)
 Why did the sea feel very empty after they’d seen the other yacht?
(made them realise how far away they were from anywhere and anyone)

 How is Mum doing in chess now? (is ahead by one game 21-20)
 What were they going to do in Africa? (stay for a couple of weeks, go to
see elephants and lions in the wild)
Page 34
 How did his parents behave when they told him about this? (were like a
couple of kids, all laughing and happy)
 Why did Michael think his Mum was having stomach cramps? (all the
baked beans)
 Why was running out of beans a problem for Michael though? (he had to
eat sardines instead)
 What terrible thing happened to Stella when they had left Africa? (she
fell in the water)
 What was Michael doing up on deck? (navigation lessons, taking
bearings with the sextant)
 What was the drill for ‘Man overboard’? (shout and point, sails down,
engine on)
Page 36
 How many times did the boat go by before she was picked up? (4)
 Why did Dad get a huge rollicking from Mum? (for not wearing his safety
harness)
 What was the rule that Mum laid down from now on? (Stella must not go
out on deck again without a safety harness on)
 What did he still dream of? (the elephants, they were slow and
thoughtful)
Page 37
 Who would M see in Australia? (his Uncle John (only a distant uncle))
 How do they behave when they see land? (like they’re the 1st sailors to
see it, hugging and jumping up and ddown)
Page 39
  How long did they stay in Australia? (six weeks)
 Why was he happy to get back on board? (missed Peggy Sue, like he
missed Eddie)
 What animals etc did he see in Australia? (Copperhead snake, possums,
wombats, kangaroos, cockatoos)
Page 40
 What was it like after they left Sydney? (terrible, 1 storm after another,
the rudder cable snapped, Mum was ill)
Page 41
 How did they know where they were? (they didn’t! Mum was too ill to
work it out and M and Dad hadn’t done a good job on working out where
they were)
 Why did he have Eddie’s football with him on watch? (needed the good
luck it seemed to bring)
 How do you think Michael felt? (worried, scared, panicky)
Page 42
 What started everything happening? (Stella was out without her
harness)
 What did M do? (Go forward to try and tempt Stella back with the ball)
Page 43
 What had Stella been barking at? (singing)
 How did he feel on losing his football? (had lost the last link to home
back in England and when Eddie was there and his friend)
 How did he fall in? (was holding Stella, the boat moved awkwardly (tilted
over) and he had his hands full)

Chapter 4 Gibbons and Ghosts

Page 46
 What did Michael think of as he was in the water? (of sharks cruising the
black water)
 Why did he know that there could be no hope? (would be eaten alive or
would drown slowly)
 What was it he glimpsed in the water? (the football)
 Who did he think it was? (Stella)
 How did he use the ball when he’d found it? (as a float)
Page 47
 What happened every time he tried to call for Stella? (no answer;
seawater rushed in every time he opened his mouth)
 Why didn’t he try to swim? (where to? Nowhere to swim to)
 What did he decide to do? (just float)
 What did he expect? (that the Peggy Sue would come back looking for
him)
 Why didn’t he kick too much? (movement would attract the sharks)
  But why did he have to kick? (to keep his chin above the water)
 Why did he keep telling himself he had a chance? (to stop himself
nodding off/ giving up too easily)
 What did he do to keep his mind off the sharks? (sing)
 What was the only one so easy that he could remember all the words/ (10
green bottles)
Page 48
 How did the sound of his own voice help him? (made him feel less alone
in the sea)
 What eventually happened, however hard he tried? (fell asleep)
 What happened next? (somebody grabbed him)
 What did he think was happening? (that the Peggy Sue was back and
somebody had pulled him up on deck)
 Was he dreaming or was it real? This person bending over shaking him?
Page 49
 What woke him? (howling)
 What d’you think it was? (wild animals, monkeys (it turned out to be
gibbons))
 What did he find when he woke up, where wasn’t he? (on the Peggy Sue,
he was lying on sand)
 What does ‘a fearful crescendo of screeching’ mean? (it built up and up,
louder and louder)
 What did he see straightaway? (Stella)
 What did he see once he was standing up? (wide blue sea, cloudless sky,
both empty, no boat, nothing, no-one)
 What did he do? (call again and again for his Mum and Dad)
Page 50
 What was he reduced to? (tears)
 What did he finally realise? (there was no point, he was alone)
 Was Stella worried? (no)
 What did she want to do? (chase and return sticks)
 Why did she charge up the beach barking and barking? (the howling)
 Where had he heard howling like that before? (London Zoo)
Page 51
 What could he see as he looked inland? (a great hill, forest)
 What was his dilemma, what decision did he have to make at that point?
(whether to go inland to look for help and miss help if it came looking for
him, or stay on the beach and miss the chance of finding help inland)
 What did he discover on going off the beach? (a narrow track going
uphill)
Page 51-2
 What did he hear in the forest? (birds, howling)
Page 52
 What bothered him the most about the forest? (eyes)
 Was it a short hike? (no, the path was steep, seemed like a great
expedition)
 What did he see as he stood on the peak and looked out? (nothing, the
sea)
 What would have been the problem if he had seen something? (could not
light a fire/beacon, no matches)
Page 53
 What did he discover about where he was? (that it was an island)
  What was the island shaped like? (an elongated peanut)
 What was the entire island covered in? (forest)
 What did he not see any sign of? (human life)
 ‘Filled with apprehension at the terrifying implication of my dreadful
situation’ – what does that mean? How does he feel about his future and
where he’s ended up? (no way to light a fire, no-one else around, could
he survive? What would happen to him> doomed to die unsaved)
 What did he think though about the view as he stood there? (how
wonderful it was)
 What did he call the island? ( a green jewel)
 Did he feel upset? Miserable? (no)
 Why wasn’t he upset? (at least he was alive and so was Stella, he had
survived)
page 54
 What did he talk about with Stella? (that his parents would come back)
 What did he have to do to ensure being rescued? (stay alive)
 What was the 1st thing he thought was needed to stay alive? (water)
 How did he know there must be some water somewhere? (because the
monkeys needed it too, no water, no monkeys)
 Why did it help to talk things over with Stella? (helped to calm the panic,
helped him to get over the 1st few hours on the island)
 Why didn’t he head straight into the forest to look for water? (too
frightened)
 What did he decided to do 1st? (explore the shoreline)
 Why? (might come across a stream or river flowing out to sea)
page 55
 How did he leap across the rocks? (like a mountain goat)
 What did he discover about the track? (no edible vegetation)
 What was the problem with the coconuts? (trees were impossible to
climb)
 Why? (100-200 feet high)
page 56
 What did he find about the coconuts on the ground? (always cracked
open and empty)
 What did he think was happening as he walked through the forest? (eyes
watching, being followed)
 What did he try \and persuade himself about? (that the gibbons were
harmless)
page 57
 What was he driven to do when he found the rock pools? (taste the
seawater in them)
 What happens if you drink seawater? (go mad)
page 58
 How was Stella at this point? (worn out and very, very thirsty)
 Where did he think it would be good idea to sleep? (under the trees on a
nest of soft dead leaves)
 Did he? (no, too scared, didn’t dare go into the forest/jungle)
 What had started up again? (the howling)
 What else did he hear? (insects, tapping like a woodpecker, frogs)
 What did he call all the noise? (an orchestra of the jungle)
 Did the sounds frighten him? (no, the eyes)
Page 59
  Where did he sleep in the end? (small cave)
 Why wouldn’t Stella let him sleep? (whined because she was hungry and
thirsty)#
 What else didn’t let him sleep? (mosquitoes)
 What did he remember as he lay there? (that it was his birthday)
 What did he remember about his last birthday? (BBQ, Eddie and Matt, the
sausages)
page 60
 What had Stella discovered? (water, real drinking water)
 And where was the water? (in a bowl)
 What else was up there with the water? (, more water, strips of fish, red
bananas)
Page 61
 What did he start looking for? (footprints, some signs that somebody had
been there)
 What state was the fish in? (thin raw strips)
 What did Michael do with the fish? (eat it raw and share it with Stella)
 What did he keep for himself? (bananas)
 Were they like the bananas we eat? (no, much sweeter, juicier, more
delicious)
Page 62
 What did he do once he’d eaten? (stand up and shout ‘Thank you!’)
 Did anybody answer? (no human, but lots of animal noises)
 How did he feel at this point? (exhilarated, elated, ecstatically happy)
 Why was he so happy? (it was obvious that he was not alone on this
island)
 What was the person like? (friendly, because he/she had fed Michael)
 What did he decide to do? (write a message for his friend)
Page 63
 And where did he decide to stay? (on the beach, close to the cave)
 Why? (so that he would be able to see who it was that had helped him)
 Why did he stop exploring and go swimming and playing with Stella? (just
knowing that there was someone to help him was a great relief, it wasn’t
all up to him anymore)
Page 64
 What did they discover on the beach? (shells. Rusted metal, piece of
glass)
 Why was the piece of glass so important? (he realised he could use it to
make fire)
Page 65
 Why did he want to get a fire going? (so that he could sleep by it and it
would keep the flies and animals away)
 Why else? ( a ship could spot the smoke)
 Did he manage to make fire? (yes, after a very long time)
Page 66
 What did Stella bark at? (an orang-utan)
 What did he think? (that there were orang-utans and gibbons on the
island)
 Why did Stella stay by the fire? (wary of the orang-utan in the forest)
 What did he see as he came out of the forest with the final load of wood?
( an orang-utan)
 Was it? (no, it was a man)
Chapter 5 I, Kensuke
Page 69
 What was the man like? Describe him. (old, wore tattered breeches (explain), large
knife, thin, skin in folds, wispy white hair on head and chin)
Page 70
 What made Michael not run away from the man? (noticed Stella greeting him like a
friend)
 What did the man ask him? (if he was American or British)
 Although he was old, what could the old man do? (run/move fast)
 What language did it sound like? (Chinese, Japanese)
Page 71
 What did the man try to explain? (that the fire was no good)
 What did M try to explain? (that his M & D might see it)
 How did Kensuke explain what he wanted M to do? (drew a map in the sand)
 What did he want M to do? (stay in his end of the island and K stay in his end)
Page 72
 What was odd about his writing? (wrote in columns, from right to left)
 What did he see K doing as he walked away? (covering his fire with sand)
 Why did he feel disappointed in Stella? (she was still by the stranger, had evidently
taken to him)
 Was that usual for her to make friends so quickly? (no, had never taken kindly to
strangers)
 What was the writing like? What shapes did he make/use? (ticks, pyramids, crosses,
horizontal lines, slashes, squiggles)
 How did he use his hand on the map he’d drawn? (like a chopper)
Page 73
 What did he do for the rest of the day? (stay in his cave)
 Why? (felt safe there)
 What were his feelings? (frightened, angry, bewildered)
 Why was M so puzzled about what had happened? (he’d been left food and water, and
the this man had made it clear he had to stay in his bit of the island)
 What did he think might be wrong with the man? (out of his head and completely mad)
Page 74
 What thing did he decide? (he had to get off the island)
 What did he wonder about the old man? (how long he’s been on the island, and why he
was there in the 1st place, and why he’d put out his fire)
 So he was marooned on an island with a madman, what else? (a bunch of howling
monkeys and millions of mosquitoes)
 Where did he wish himself? (back home or back on the Peggy Sue)
 What did he realise about the old man? (that he’s seen him somewhere before)
Page 74
 What did he decided to do as he remembered what was in his pocket? (to light a fire
somewhere where the old man wouldn’t discover it)
 What did he think about fishing? (that if he could do it on the reservoir at home, then he
could do it here)
Page 76
 As soon as he awoke, what did he know? (that the old man had been again)
  What did he realise about his relationship with the man? (that they weren’t friends, but
he would keep him alive, so long as he followed the old man’s rules)
Page 77
 Who was allowed to cross the line? (the old man and Stella, no M)
 Did M believe the old man would hurt him? (no, but he was frightened)
Page 77
 What fruit did he find for himself? (prickly shelled fruit – rambutan)
 What was the problem though? (never enough and Stella would not eat it)
 What was the problem with the coconuts he found? (milk and flesh were foul/rotten)
 How did he try to fish? (with a spear, pointed stick)
 Why didn’t he catch any? (too slow)
Page 78
 Why did he often think about going into the old man’s part of the island? (to look for
water)
 What 3 things prevented him? (the old man’s laws, the orang-utan, and fear of what
might also be in the jungle)
 What was he worried about with the orang0-utan? (didn’t know how he would react to M
entering his territory)
 What 3 places did he keep to? (beach, cave, track)
Page 79
 What would he see the old man doing? (spear fishing)
 Who would be with the old man on the beach? (a bunch of orang0utans)
 What did M try to do at night? (stay awake until the old man came)
 What did he do with the fruit he didn’t like very much? (eat it still (had to, to survive))
 Why couldn’t he bring himself to save the red bananas? (too delicious not to eat all at
once)
Page 80
 What was the biggest problem at night? (the mosquitoes)
 What had happened with some of the sores?? (suppurated)
 What does ‘suppurated’ mean? (got infected, full of pus)
 What was the only thing he could do to relieve the itchiness and pain of these sores?
(dunk himself in the sea)
 Why didn’t he stay in the new cave he found? (too smelly, full of bats)
 What did he long for as he lay there crying in the night? (the cool of the sea and the
wind on the hilltop)
 How would he spend most of his day? (sitting on the hilltop looking out to sea, hoping
for the sight of a ship)
 What would he keep doing? (close his eyes tight and pray, then open them)
 What was he hoping for? (his prayers to be answered and to see the Peggy Sue)
Page 81
 What did he heave sever problems with? (sunburn)
 What did he learn a little too late? (to keep his clothes on all the time)
 What did he make for himself? (a hat of palm leaves)
 What helped soothe sunburn? (seawater)
 What would he do at noon and then in the afternoon? (retire to his cave and then go
swimming)
 What was Stella’s best moment of the day? (swimming when M would throw sticks for
her)
 How did M describe that moment of the day? (the highlight of the day)
 What was the only thing that would stop them playing? (darkness)
Page 82
 What did he find outside his cave 1 day? (roll of rush matting and a white sheet)
 What did he realise the old man knew? (the battle he was having with the mosquitoes)
 What did he do with the gift? (took it into the cave, lay down and curled up in it, giggling
with joy)
 How would it help in his fight against the mosquitoes? (would cover his body, not let the
mozzies through)
Page 83
 What did he do on the boundary line? (write his name and ‘thank you’)
 What did he want to heart so much? (another human voice)
 Stella as a companion was good for? (confiding in, cuddling up to, good for a game)
 What had he begun to call his hilltop? (Watch Hill and the other His Hill)
 What did he finally see as he looked up while on the hilltop? (a ship, a supertanker)
Chapter 6 Abunai!
Page 85
 How did Michael behave on seeing the ship? (Went mad, shouted at the top of his voice,
waved frantically)
 Where was the boat? (On the horizon) EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS IF NECESSARY
 Why was there no point in all of this? (He was too far away for anyone on the boat to
see as it was on the horizon)

Page 86
 How long did it take for the ship to disappear out of sight? (All morning)
 What replaced his despair? (Burning anger)
 Why? (If he’d been allowed his fire the ship might had seen his smoke)
 What did he think about the old man at this point? (He was looking after him and
keeping him alive but he was also keeping him prisoner)
 What did he promise himself as the tanker disappeared? (Never to let such a chance go
by again)
 What did he have in his pocket? (the bit of glass)
 What did he determine/decide to do? (Build another fire)
 Where? (Where the man could not see it, not on the beach but up on Watch Hill, behind
the rocks)

Page 87
 What would he not do? (Light it until a ship came)
 What did he reason/think? (That is this one had come then another would come)
 What else did he intend to have other than the glass and firewood? (Paper, then tinder-
dry leaves)
 What would he make sure of? (That he would make sure a blazing inferno of a fire no
one could miss it)
 How did he spend his time now on Watch Hill? (Building the beacon, dragging branches
up)
 What did he make sure he did as he was building his beacon? (Keep out of sight of the
old man)
Page 88
 How long did it take to build the beacon? (several days)
 Who did discover what he was up to in the end? (The orang-utan)
 Was it the same one as the one on the beach? (He couldn’t be sure)
 What didn’t Michael do? (Move)
 What did Michael wonder as the orang-utan left? (That he’d been sent to spy on him,
that he’d go back and tell the old man what he’d seen him doing)

Page 89
 Did the weather stay fine? (No, was a big storm that night)
 Why was sleep impossible during the storm? (Lightening rain and wind, pounding of the
waves)
 How long did it last? (Four days)
 What happened every day though despite the storm? (Hs fish and fruit breakfast was
waiting for him)
 What did Michael and Stella do during the storm? (Stay in the cave and watch)
 What did he think the waves were trying to do? (Batter the island into pieces and suck
them out to sea)
 What did he think about? (The Peggy Sue and his parents. He wondered where they
were)
 What name did he call the storm? (Typhoon)

Page 90
 How did the storm end? (Suddenly)
 What started up where it left off? (The forest symphony- the animal, birds and insect
noises)
 What did the whole island do after the storm? (Steam and drip)
 Why did he go straight up to Watch Hill? (To see if he could see a ship blown off course)
 What did he find out about his beacon? (That it had not collapsed, that it was sodden
but still intact)
 Why would there be no fire for a while? (Needed to dry out)
 Why was it difficult to move and breath that day? (The air was hot and heavy)
 What was he doing when he heard the old man? (floating in the sea, daydreaming)
 What was he shouting? (Danger, stop)

Page 91
 What didn’t he want Michael to do? (Swim)
 Was he angry? (No, more upset than anything)
 Could Michael see any danger in the sea? (No)
 How did the old man get Michael out of the sea? (He waded out and dragged Michael
out)
 What did the old man do as soon as he’d pulled Michael out of the sea and repeated his
instructions? (Walked off into the forest)

Page 92
 What did Michael think about doing? (Disobeying him and running back into the sea)
 Why did he feel the old man was being unfair? (First he’d not let him light a fire, then
he’d banished him to one end of the island, then he wasn’t even allowed to swim)
 But Michael gave in and did as he was told, why? (Because the old man fed and watered
him. Michael needed his help)
 What did Michael do to get rid of his anger and frustration? (Made a model of the old
man in the sand and then jumped up and down on it)
 He had managed to keep his spirits up, but now he felt down, why? (The beacon stayed
damp, there were no boats to see, just an empty sea)
 How did he feel? (Isolated, wretched)
 What did he decide? (Not to go up on to Watch Hill anymore)

Page 93
 What did he do instead? (Stayed in his cave and curled up on the sleeping mat for hours
and hours)
 What was he? (Depressed)
 What couldn’t he do? (Click out to it, he could only think about being miserable)
  What did he begin to think? (That he would die then and his parents wouldn’t ever know
what had happened to him)
 With the weather so humid what did he long to do? (Plunge into the ocean)
 How did he start to feel about the old man? (Began to hate him and got angrier and
angrier)
 What was so good about him growing anger though? (Made him determined to escape
and this renewed his spirits)
 What did he begin to do again, everyday? (Go up Watch Hill)

Page 94
 How long did he sit up there waiting? (Weeks)
 And where was he went he saw the boat? (Coming out of his cave)
 What was strange about the boat? (Had strange red-brown sails)
 How did he react? (Ran shouting and screaming down to the beach)
 Why was that hopeless? (It was too far out to see or hear him)
 What did he have to do? (Light the beacon)
 Just as the fire was starting what happened? (The old man appeared)
 What did he do? (Stamped out the fire, threw the glass away and kicked out the dry
leaves)
 Who was watching? (A group of Orang-utans)

Page 96
 What did Michael expect the old man to do next? (Screech at him.)
 What did he say? (Dameda-forbidden)
 Did the old man understand what Michael was saying to him about wanting to go home?
(Yes, a bit or he wouldn’t have said sorry)
 What did Michael do to retaliate, to defy the old man? (Crossed the boundary line and
then ran into the sea and swam)

Page 97
 What did he shout as he was in the sea? (It’s mine sea as much as yours)
 What happened next? (A jellyfish stung him)
 How many were there? (One big one)
 What colour? (White)
 What happened to Michael? (His muscles went rigid, his legs seemed paralysed and his
arms)
 Why didn’t he care that he was going to drown? (It was so painful he just wanted it to
stop)

Chapter 7 All That Silence Said

Page 99
 What did he smell when he came to? (Vinegar)
 What did he think and why? (That he was home, dad had always brought home fish and
chips on a Friday and soaked his in vinegar)

Page 100
 Where was he? (In a cave, but not his own)
 What happened when he tried to sit up? (Couldn’t, couldn’t move anything except his
eyes)
 What could he do? (Feel the pain)
 What did it feel like? (As if he’d been scalded all over- boiling water spilt over him)
 How did he know Stella was Ok? (She stuck her cold nose in his ear)
  What did he find every time he woke up? (Kensuke sitting beside him.)
 What had his enemy, his captor become? (His saviour)
 What did Kensuke do to help him? (Gave him fruit juice or soup, sponged him down,
held him and sing him to sleep)

Page 101
 When did he first see Kensuke smile? (When he could move his fingers for the first time)
 What was his cave like? (Much bigger than Michael’s, looked like a house more than a
cave)
 Why perhaps did the mosquitoes leave him alone? (Because there was a continuously
smoking fire)

Page 102
 What were on the shelves? (Pots, pans, tins and jars)
 What were on the table? (Paintbrushes, jars, bottles, saucers)
 How did Kensuke sleep? (On his back, wrapped in a sheet)
 What would Kensuke spend many hours everyday doing? (Kneeling at the table
painting)

Page 103
 Why was Michael disappointed though? (Kensuke never showed him what he did)
 What did Kensuke usually do when he’d finished painting? (Wash it all off and start
again)
 What sort of tools were on the workbench? (Saws, hammers, chisels)
 What did Kensuke wear inside the cave? (A kimono)
 Was he a clean and tidy person? (Very much so)
 What would he do every time he came into the cave? (Washed his feet and dried them
before stepping inside)
 What covered the floor? (Mats of woven rushes)
 And the walls? (Lined with bamboo)

Page 104
 Who did Michael occasionally see when Kensuke came back to the cave? (The orang-
utans)
 How would Kensuke stop them coming in? (Just clapped at them)
 What did Michael wish? (That they could talk)
 Why? (1000 things he wanted to know)
 Why didn’t they though? (Still hurt Michael to talk and Kensuke was quite happy with
the silence)
 What was the picture Kensuke finally gave Michael? (A picture of a tree in blossom)

Page 105
 What other pictures id he get shown from then on? (Orang-utans, gibbons, butterflies,
dolphins, birds, fruit)
 Who did Michael think of at night? (His mother and father)
 What did he begin to do with Kensuke as his strength returned? (Go out with him and
watch him spear-fishing)
 In spear-fishing what was Kensuke so good at? (Standing still and striking lightening
fast)

Page 106
 What did Michael compare spearing a fish for the first time to? (Scoring a winning goal
for the Mudlarks)
 What did Kensuke seem to know? (As far as food was concerned- every tree, where all
the fruit grew, what was ripe and what wasn’t, what was worth climbing for)
 How did Kensuke attract the orang-utans? (Just sung and they’d come)
 What was the honey he collected used for? (Sugaring and bottling fruit)
 How did the orang-utans regard Michael and Stella? (Nervously)

Page 107
  What happened with the orang-utans and Michael one evening? (One of the young ones
climbed on to his lap)
 What was his relationship with the orang-utans like from then on? (Used as a climbing
frame, the older ones would reach out and touch him from time to time)
 How did Kensuke find English? (Hard)
 How did the two of them communicate? (Through smiles and nods, signing and pointing,
sometimes even drawing pictures in the sand to help)
 What was Michael trying to find out? What questions did he want answered about
Kensuke? (Why he was there alone on the island, how long had he been there, how had
he got all the equipment, where had he come from)

Page 108
 What happened every time Michael tried to ask Kensuke any of those questions? (Shake
his head and turned away)
 What was Michael not sure about when this happened? (Whether he really did not
understand or did not want to understand)
 What were the days like with Kensuke? (Went like clockwork, everything had a time and
a place)

Page 110
 What did Kensuke use to paint with? (Octopus ink)
 What did Michael learn from Kensuke when they began to draw/paint together? (To love
it, that he had to observe as well)

Page 111
 How did Kensuke teach Michael? (By showing him, not speaking)
 What did Michael notice when he looked at everything that Kensuke had made? (No
nails, no screws, just dowels)
 How were Kensuke’s paintbrushes made? (Kensuke groomed the large female orang-
utan and plucked out the longest and darkest hairs)

Page 112
 Than what would he do with the hairs? (Trim the hairs and dip them in sap)
 What did Kensuke ask Michael to do in exchange for teaching him to paint? (Teach him
to speak English)
 What happened now? (Michael talk all day long and Kensuke would echo everything he
said)

Page 113
 How easy was it for Kensuke to learn? (He remembered words easily)
 What did he still find difficult? (Pronunciation)
 What did Michael get called? (Mica, or Micason)
 Who told his story first? (Michael)

Page 114
 What did Michael teach Kensuke to sing? (Ten green bottles)
 What did it always make Kensuke do when he sang it? (Laugh)
 When Kensuke took Michael fishing for big fish what did Michael discover Kensuke had?
(A boat, an outrigger)
 And what else did Michael find? (His football)
 What could still be made out on the football? (Eddie’s name)