The Littlest Horse in the Herd Cory and his family live on a large ranch where they raise cattle. This working family rides horses to round up, or herd, cattle together. Once they guide the cattle into a group, they use their horses to drive, or move, the cattle back to the ranch. 1 Cory had just turned nine years old. He took the tape measure out of his father s toolbox. Standing up straight against the wall, he marked above his head with a pencil. Then he measured from the mark on the wall to the floor. I m still the shortest person in my class, he sighed. 2 Being tall isn t everything, his mother said. 3 That s easy for a grown-up to say, Cory thought. 4 You ll grow someday, his father said. 5 Someday wasn t soon enough for Cory. He decided to ask his father for advice. Dad, do you know of anything I can do to grow faster? Are there any special foods or exercises that might help? 6 Not that I know of, his father answered. Cory felt like crying. 7 Listen, his father said softly. Tomorrow your brothers and I are riding out to the hills. We re going to round up the cattle. I want you to come with us. You re old enough now. 8 Cory couldn t believe his ears. He had dreamed of going on a roundup someday. But I thought I was still too little to join the roundup, he said. 9 You ll stay next to me, his father said. Be ready at sunrise. 10 Cory had trouble sleeping that night. The next morning he was ready before dawn. At the barn Cory watched his brothers Jed and Lennie. They swung their saddles onto the high, strong backs of their horses. They mounted their horses just as easily. Jed and Page 12
Lennie sat tall in the saddles. Cory wished he could do the things his big brothers could. 11 Then Cory s father walked up, leading a small horse. 12 I m not riding that little thing, am I? Cory asked. 13 Yep, his father said, cinching the saddle on the small horse. He gave the strap an extra pull to make sure that it wasn t loose. 14 Jed and Lennie smiled at each other. Do you think that pony can keep up with our horses? Jed asked. 15 Yep, his father replied. This horse s name is Spunk. The word spunk means a special kind of courage. You ll soon see why I gave him that name. Now let s get going. 16 After half an hour they started climbing the hills. Spunk was keeping up with the bigger horses just fine. After another hour he was ahead of them. 17 They found the cattle in a dry creek full of thick, thorny bushes. Jed s horse didn t like getting scratched. Lennie s horse kept slipping on the rocks. Spunk, however, was perfect for the job. He liked to weave through the bushes, moving in and out like a wild rabbit. He climbed rocky hills like a mountain goat. He could make cattle move faster than the larger horses could. 18 Cory sat proudly on Spunk as they herded the cattle back to the ranch. Cory helped his father put Spunk into a fenced area Page 13
called a corral. As they closed the gate, Cory said, Spunk is amazing. He s better than the big horses. 19 He s the littlest horse in the herd, his father said, but he s learned to do a lot. Being small hasn t bothered him. 20 Suddenly Cory understood what his father was saying. Cory vowed that he would not feel bad about his size anymore. He promised himself to be more like Spunk. 03ER0126N 13 What is Cory s problem in the story? * He wants to be taller than he is. 03ER02311JZ01639-0126N He is afraid that his horse will slip. He cannot go on roundups with his father. He is scratched by the thorny bushes. 14 Why does Cory s father choose Spunk for Cory to ride on the roundup? Spunk can chase the wild rabbits. He does not want Jed or Lennie to ride Spunk. Spunk is the biggest horse that he can find. * He knows that Spunk can teach Cory a lesson. 03ER04309FB01643-0126N Page 14
15 Which of these gives the best summary for the story? Cory s father asks him to go with his brothers on a roundup. At first, Cory thinks he is too small to go. He learns that a roundup is hard work. Cory measures himself against the wall. He learns that he is the shortest boy in his class. He asks his father what he can do to become taller. Cory is finally able to go on a roundup with his father and brothers. His father helps him get the horse ready. Cory must ride the smallest horse. * Cory is upset because he is the smallest boy in his class. His father has him go on the roundup riding the smallest horse. Cory learns from Spunk that being small does not keep a person from being the best he can be. 03ER01309HZ01654-0126N 16 Why does Cory probably have trouble sleeping the night before the roundup? * He is excited about going on the roundup. He does not want to ride on a horse with his father. He is afraid he will get lost. 17 How does Cory feel after he measures how tall he is? Pleased that he has grown Curious about his classmates * Disappointed in his size Certain that he will grow He wants to watch the sunrise. 03ER02311HZ01634-0126N 03ER02311HZ01637-0126N Page 15
18 What lesson does Cory learn from riding Spunk during the roundup? Being tall is scary. * Being the biggest isn t really important. Being the smallest isn t fun. Being tall isn t very common. 19 What is paragraph 17 mainly about? The dry creek is far away. The bushes scratch Jed s horse. * Spunk does good work on the roundup. Lennie s horse keeps slipping on the rocks. 03ER04309FA01656-0126N 03ER01309CZ01632-0126N Page 16
20 The chart shows the order of some events from the story. Cory s father invites him to go on the roundup. Cory s father walks up leading a small horse named Spunk. 21 Which sentence from the story shows that Cory is no longer worried about how tall he is after the roundup? Standing up straight against the wall, he marked above his head with a pencil. I m still the shortest person in my class, he sighed. He s better than the big horses. * He promised himself to be more like Spunk. 03ER04310CZ01657-0126N Cory rides home proudly on Spunk. Which event belongs in the empty box? Cory helps his father put Spunk back into the corral. Cory s brothers saddle their horses for the roundup. Cory complains to his parents about being little. * Cory s horse Spunk does a better job on the roundup than the bigger horses. 03ER03309CZ01640-0126N Page 17
22 The chart below shows information in this story. Moving through the bushes Climbing rocky hills Making cattle move Which idea belongs in the empty box at the top? Things that Cory wants to do when he gets bigger * Things that Spunk does better than the bigger horses Things that Cory s father warns him about on the roundup Things that Spunk can t do because he is little 03ER03309IZ01641-0126N 23 Cory, his father, and his brothers go out to the hills to look for a bigger horse * bring back the cattle hunt for wild rabbits 03ER01307BZ01630-0126N train Spunk to climb 24 How do Cory s feelings change at the end of the story? * He begins to feel better about being small. He decides that he is ready to ride by himself. He wants his brothers to stop growing. He does not like living on a ranch anymore. 03ER02311HZ01638-0126N Page 18