What lesson does the fable teach?

A large freedom can become manageable when a person begins with one small, real choice. (The sparrow remains trapped by the whole-sky decision but leaves when it chooses one nearby branch.)

Why does the sparrow stay even though the gate is open?

Too many uncertain directions make it afraid to choose any one of them. (The sparrow lists possible trees and changing wind, then waits for a perfect direction.)

What does “perch” mean in the first paragraph?

a place where a bird rests or stands (The sparrow stays on the perch inside its cage before flying to a branch.)

Where does the wren land?

just beyond the open gate (The final paragraph places the wren immediately outside the gate, near the first branch.)

The Sparrow and the Open Gate: Level 1 Reading Comprehension Questions

For many months, a sparrow lived in a garden cage. One morning, the keeper forgot to close the gate. Sunlight made a bright square on the floor, but the sparrow stayed on its perch.

“Why do you not leave?” asked a wren outside. “The whole sky is open.”

“That is the trouble,” said the sparrow. “Which tree should I choose? What if the wind turns?” It waited for a perfect direction. By noon, the bright square had moved away.

The wren landed just beyond the gate. “Do not choose the whole sky,” she said. “Choose this branch.” The sparrow hopped to the doorway, then flew the short distance. From that branch, it could see another. Freedom still required choices, but the first choice did not need to contain the entire journey.

Comprehension questions