| A | B |
|---|
| Who is the central character in the story? | The protagonist is a very young schoolboy. |
| What is his special mark of devotion to the Virgin Mary? | He sings a hymn to the Blessed Virgin |
| Why do the Jews in the story hate the boy so much? | He sings his song each day passing through the Jewish ghetto of the town. They are insulted by the nature of his song. |
| Describe the grim nature of the boy's murder. | His throat is slit and his body is thrown on a dung heap. |
| What miraculous circumstance attends the finding of the murdered boy? | When his body is found, the boy is still singing and able to communicate |
| How is the abbot able to release the boy's soul? | The Virgin Mary has placed a kernel on the boy's tongue. When the abbot removes it, the boy's soul is released. |
| How do the Catholics interpret the child's amazing singing? | The singing represents a miracle. |
| How does the modern reader account for the treatment of the Jews in this tale? | Medieval Catholics despised and mistreated Jews. |
| Why is it appropriate that this tale should be told by the Prioress? | The Prioress is of an overly sensitive and sentimental nature; the story is very sentimental |
| What happens to the Jews in the tale? | The Jews are tortured and killed. |
