Bellerophon and Pegasus: book club questions by chapter

🦉 Bellerophon and Pegasus · meeting 1 of 3

Read: Part One, “The Sealed Tablet” (pages 1–4, about 4 minutes aloud).
Stop at the end of page 4, and don't read on: the next part is for next time.

1. Why did King Proetus not punish Bellerophon himself?
   The story's answer: The Greeks believed the gods punished anyone who harmed a guest
2. What did the sealed tablet really say?
   The story's answer: Put the man who brings this to death
3. Who have we met so far, and what does each of them want?
   Listen for: Make a list together on the board; keep it for next time and add to it.
4. The part we just read is called "The Sealed Tablet". Why do you think it has that name?
   Listen for: Any answer that points to a moment in the part is a good one; ask for the page.
5. Stop here. What do you think will happen next? Write or draw one guess to check next time.
   Listen for: Keep the guesses in an envelope. Don't say whether a guess is right: the next part will.

🦉 Bellerophon and Pegasus · meeting 2 of 3

Read: Part Two, “The Winged Horse” (pages 5–9, about 5 minutes aloud).
Stop at the end of page 9, and don't read on: the next part is for next time.

1. Why did the seer say Bellerophon must fight the Chimera from above?
   The story's answer: Its flames burned everything near it on the ground
2. How did Bellerophon manage to tame Pegasus?
   The story's answer: He used the golden bridle from Athena
3. Look back at last time's guesses. Which came true, and what surprised you?
   Listen for: Read the guesses out. Nobody was wrong: a guess that missed often shows what the author wanted us to expect.
4. The part we just read is called "The Winged Horse". Why do you think it has that name?
   Listen for: Any answer that points to a moment in the part is a good one; ask for the page.
5. Stop here. What do you think will happen next? Write or draw one guess to check next time.
   Listen for: Keep the guesses in an envelope. Don't say whether a guess is right: the next part will.

🦉 Bellerophon and Pegasus · meeting 3 of 3

Read: Part Three, “The Chimera”; Part Four, “Higher Still” (pages 10–17, about 7 minutes aloud).
Stop at the end of page 17, the end of the story.

1. What does Bellerophon's fall suggest about pride?
   The story's answer: Even a great hero can be brought down by pride
2. Look back at last time's guesses. Which came true, and what surprised you?
   Listen for: Read the guesses out. Nobody was wrong: a guess that missed often shows what the author wanted us to expect.
3. The part we just read is called "Higher Still". Why do you think it has that name?
   Listen for: Any answer that points to a moment in the part is a good one; ask for the page.
4. Now that you know the ending, was it the ending you expected?
   Listen for: Ask what in the earlier parts pointed to it, or pointed the other way.

About the whole story

1. What does this myth explain, or try to explain?
   Listen for: Many myths explain how something came to be: a season, an animal, a name.
2. Was the main character right or wrong? Was the ending fair?
   Listen for: Myths are often hard on people; let the group disagree.
3. If you could ask one character a question, who and what would it be?
   Listen for: A good last question: it shows what puzzled each reader.
4. Who would you give this story to, and why them?
   Listen for: A reader who can name the right person has understood what the story is like.
5. If you could ask the person who first told this story one question, what would it be?
   Listen for: Collect the questions; some have answers on the story's page in the library.