What lesson does the fable teach?

Copying an answer is not the same as understanding the problem and testing what works. (The young bird succeeds only after studying conditions, purposes, and several possible ties.)

Why does the elder let the young bird pull ties apart?

Testing reveals how different ties behave before they must hold a nest. (The lesson shifts from copying a visible result to examining performance under force.)

What does “forked” mean in the second paragraph?

divided into two branches (A forked branch offers a split shape around which the bird must fasten grass.)

What happens to the new knot during the storm?

it holds (The final paragraph directly reports that the independently designed knot survives.)

The Weaverbird's Borrowed Knot: Level 2 Reading Comprehension Questions

A young weaverbird watched an elder fasten grass around a branch. He copied the final knot and showed it to the flock. “I know the secret now,” he announced.

The elder asked him to begin a nest on a forked branch. The copied knot slipped. On a thin branch, it pinched the grass until it broke. The young bird blamed both branches.

“My knot was an answer,” said the elder, “but you did not borrow my question.” She showed how wind, grass, and branch shape changed each choice. Then she let him test several ties and pull them apart.

The young bird eventually made a knot unlike the one he had copied. He tested it before trusting his own work. It held through a storm. A borrowed answer may decorate the mind, but understanding begins when we learn what the answer must do.

Comprehension questions