Capo Creations, Box 1411, Haileybury, Ontario, CANADA. POJ 1KO Not to be used or copied in any manner without specific written consent of the publisher All Rights Reserved

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All answers must be in sentence form.

1. In what year was the book Moonfleet first published?
2. Describe the village of Moonfleet. (1)
3. Who is telling the story and why does he live with his aunt? (1)
4. What year does he refer to when he starts relating the story? (2)
5. How many people lived in Moonfleet? (2-3)
6. What is a sexton? (3)
7. What was Ratsey doing when John came upon him in the shed? (3)
8. Who was Magistrate Maskew? (5)
9. Who was David Block and how did he die? (4-5)
10. Who was Elzevir Block? (4-5)
11. How did the Why Not Inn get its name? (7-8)
12. According to Mr. Glennie who was the real Blackbeard? (13)
13. What was Blackbeard’s treasure and how was it obtained?

a. What does the word gunwales mean and how is it pronounced?
b. Find the Low Countries in your atlas?
c. Learn how to play the game of backgammon and teach a friend how to play.
d. What is Ararat milk?
e. Locate some information on Blackbeard in an encyclopedia.
f. Find out about word origins at this comprehensive site.

1. Why might a wreck on Moonfleet beach be considered a godsend? (15-16)
2. What was Elzevir Block’s response upon learning that the village might be flooded? (17)
3. What surprise awaited the few people who attended church on Sunday morning? (18)
4. What did John Trenchard believe to be making the noise under the church? (19)
5. What finally happened to most of the worshippers that morning? (21)
6. How did Mr. Glennie attempt to explain the strange noises? (22)
7. How did Blackbeard specify that his treasure should be spent after his death? (24)
8. Who was John surprised to see in the churchyard? (27)

1. What suddenly occurred while John was seated on the tomb stone? (31)
2. Why did John decide to fetch a candle from his aunt? (32)
3. What do you think John was attempting to reveal when he said, "I never kissed Aunt Jane again"? (34)
4. What had been responsible for the sounds that John had heard coming from beneath the church on Sunday? (39-40)
5. What realization did John come to concerning Ratsey and Elzevir? 40)

Enrichment: Pretend you are a journalist and write an article about the capture of Blackbeard.

1. Whose voice did John first recognize in the vault? (44)
2. Do the villages of Moonfleet,Taunton and Dorchester exist? (Hint: check in your atlas)
3. What house was Master Trenchard always near that gave rise to suspicions on the part of the smugglers that John was spying? (46-47)
4. How does John explain that he was at the house? (47)
5. What does John grab when his hand accidentally penetrates the coffin? (53)
6. What did John find upon opening Colonel John Mohune’s locket? (57)
7. Why do you think the author chooses to end chapter 4 the way he does? (63)

Chapter 5—The Rescue

1. Who was tending to John’s needs? (64)
2. What had actually happened to Cracky Jones? (66-67)
3. How are John Trenchard’s feelings towards Elzevir changing? (68)
4. How did Aunt Jane react when John returned to her house? (69)

1. ‘Twas Colonel John Mohune’s black locket.
2. As he makes his bed, must he lie on’t.
3. There we found thee.
4. Thou wilt have heard.
5. Thou wert lost.

1. Maskew was considered of medium height. Are you taller or shorter than Mr. Maskew? (71)
2. Give at least three reasons why Mr. Maskew was hated by the townspeople of Moonfleet. (72-73)
3. Years ago it was very common for a minister or priest to be the teacher in a small village. Why do you think that might have been?
4. Why did the other students never tease Grace Maskew about her father? (73-74)
5. What is a summing-slate? (74)
6. Why was Mr. Maskew so upset with Parson Glennie? (75-76)
7. Why did John feel badly for laughing at the incident between Maskew and Parson Glennie? (78)
8. Why did Maskew return to the school later in the day? (79)

Enrichment: Discover the legal difference between slander and libel.

1. What was the purpose of the bailiff’s visit to Moonfleet? (81)
2. Explain how the candle was use in the bidding process? (83-84)
3. Were you surprised at the results of the auction? Why or why not?
4. What is a game of hazard? (91) You must do a little research.

1. Why had Maskew been twice to Weymouth? (92)
2. How did Elzevir and the smugglers hope to outsmart Maskew? (93-94)
3. What is meant by "Maskew’s match"? (97)
4. What did Aunt Jane present to him as he was passing her house one day? (100)
5. Who did the smugglers capture and what did everyone expect would happen to him that very evening? (106)

Chapter 9—A Judgement

1. Why was John reluctant to stay behind with Elzevir and Maskew? (107)
2. Why does Elzevir choose to use the candle to decide when Maskew will die? (108)
3. How is Maskew killed? (114)
4. Why does the author select this method to have Maskew meet his death?

1. Why were Elzevir and John willing to attempt such a dangerous escape route?
2. What did John see on the ZigZag that he considered an ill omen? (119)
3. Why was John suspicious of the young farm boy? (130)
4. According to Elzevir, Joseph’s Pit was a safe place to hide. Why? (133)
5. How did John know that they had arrived at a place near the sea? (134)

1. How long would they have to stay in the cave? (135)
2. What is meant by the term ‘high-water mark’? (137)
3. Why did Elzevir feel that he and John would be safe in France despite the fact that both countries were at war with one another? (140)
4. What was the password that Elzevir and John had agreed on? (143)
5. Why did Maskew return to the school later in the day? (79)

1. According to Ratsey how much of a reward was offered for Elzevir and John? (148)
2. Why were the Excise-men on Ratsey’s track? (149)
3. What did John Trenchard resolve to do before he left England? (152)
4. How do we know that Maskew was hated by the townspeople even in death? (152-3)
5. What is the obvious inaccuracy that Ratsey notices in the verses written on the parchment? (158)
6. Why does John not reveal to Ratsey that he has his aunt’s prayerbook? (158)
7. What does John discover when he checks the various Psalms and verses in the prayerbook? (159-160)
8. Where does Elzevir believe the diamond to be buried? (164)

1. What were the three things according to Elzevir that men would risk their lives for? (168-69)
2. What did Elzevir insist was the only reason that he would have killed Maskew? (170)
3. What warning does Grace give concerning the diamond? (177)
4. How will John know in future if Grace is still living in her father’s home? (179)

1. What is a turnkey? (182)
2. How was the Castle at Carisbrooke presently being used? (182)
3. What deal did Elzevir strike with the turnkey? (183)
4. Why was the turnkey so anxious to have Elzevir rather than John descend into the well?
5. What method did Elzevir employ to test the air in the well? (189)

1. What letter of the alphabet does John Trenchard see ‘scored’ (scratched) on a brick? (195)
2. Why did Colonel Mohune (Blackbeard) probably ‘put away’ (kill) one of his servants? (195)
3. How large was the treasure? (197)
4. Why does John refuse to pass the treasure to the turnkey at the top of the well? (198-99)
5. What did the turnkey say that he already knew about Elzevir and John? (200)
6. What was the result of the struggle between Elzevir and the turnkey?
7. What did Trenchard want to do with the treasure? Why? (204)

1. Why did Elzevir decide that they should travel to the Hague in Holland? (208-9)
2. What does Elzevir think John should do with the profits from the jewel? (210)
3. At what value does the jeweller appraise the jewel? (216-17)
4. What does Elzevir do when he hears the jeweller’s appraisal? (217)
5. What does John tell Elzevir he plans to do with the diamond in order to convince Elzevir to return to search for it? (221)
6. What proof does John see that the jeweller has been in the flower bed? (225)
7. What do they see when they peer through the jeweller’s window?

1. What sentence did the judge pass on John and Elzevir? (234)
2. Describe how John was branded? (236)
3. Where were John and Elzevir scheduled to be sent in the tenth year of their captivity? (238)

1. What is meant by the phrase, ‘…and the rest took the motion unkindly’? (241)
2. Why does the jailer throw a key to the prisoners below deck? (243-44)
3. To the amazement of Elzevir and John where has the storm carried their ship? (246)
4. Whom do they expect will be waiting on the beaches? (250)
5. What is the faintest twinkle of light that Elzevir spots in the distance? (250)
6. How do we know that Elzevir is a brave and generous man?

1. Describe how Master Ratsey felt when John revealed to him his identity? (259)
2. What news did Ratsey give him about the survivors? (260)
3. Why had Mr. Aldobrand left his inheritance to John Trenchard of Moonfleet? (272-73)
4. How did John choose to spend the fortune with which he had been endowed? (274-75)
5. Do you think it is appropriate to describe the conclusion of this story as a fairy tale ending? Why or why not?

Created by:
Brian Thornton, Capo Creations, Box 1411, Haileybury, Ontario, CANADA POJ 1KO

Not to be used or copied in any manner without specific written consent of the publisher All Rights Reserved