ICE MAIDEN suggested answers

1. How did the storyteller feel about Mr Mantolini’s frozen sculptures? (1)
He thought they were terrific.

2. What happened to the old sculptures on the first day of every month? (1)
‘Mr Mantolini would throw the old statue out the back into an alley. Where it would melt and trickle away into a damp patch on the ground.’

3. Why did the storyteller refuse to take Mr Mantolini’s cousin to school? (1)
The storyteller hated red hair and Mr Mantolini’s cousin was a redhead.

4.‘I felt guilty and miserable all day.’ What do you think is the reason for this? (1 + 1 – opinion and quote or paraphrase)
The storyteller felt that he had let Mr Mantolini down: ‘He was disappointed in me because we were friends.’

5. Describe the appearance of the ice girl. (4 – Don’t just quote but also paraphrase).
Like a Greek sculpture in a museum.
‘Long tangled hair’
‘Smiling lips’
Sparkling eyes – ‘its eyes sparkled like frozen diamonds.’

6. What were the storyteller’s feelings towards the ice girl? (4: Opinion and quote or paraphrase)
He thought she was fantastic
He thought she was beautiful
She captivated him: ‘It was as if I was hypnotized.’
He was also embarrassed that he had these feelings: “‘Get real,’ I said to myself. ‘What are you doing here? You fool.’”
He treated her as his friend. He told her his secrets and he had a sense that she understood.

7. ‘I dreaded the first day of October.’ Why? (1)
On that day, Mr Mantolini would take the ice maiden and dump her in the alley to be destroyed by the rays of the sun.

8. ‘You can’t throw her out.’ How does Mr Mantolini reply to this? (own words) (1)
He shrugged and said things live and die – it is a natural process.

9. How did the storyteller plan to prevent the ice maiden from melting? (1)
He planned to take her to the butcher and pay him to keep the ice maiden in his freezer.


10.‘It was a long kiss.’ What suffering did this cause to the storyteller? (3 – own words)
His lips stuck to hers – his flesh froze to the ice.
His lips went numb
The pain made his eyes water

11. What happened when the storyteller tried to call for help? (2)
He couldn’t speak. Muffled grunts came out of his nose.
No one came to help – the alley echoed with noise.

12. What did the people at the bus-stop think of the storyteller? (1 – own words)
They thought he was crazy and trying to be funny.

13. What happened to the ice lady after she was submerged in the sea? (1)
She melted.

14. What ‘horrible moment’ did the storyteller remember when he was drowning? (2 – own words)
When he was a child, the school bully, Johnson teased him everyday because he was a redhead.
He wasn’t allowed to hang around with anyone because Johnson didn’t like red hair.
He was called names: ‘carrots’ and ‘ginger.’

15. ‘In a way my hair saved me.’ Why was this so? (1)
His red hair meant that he was easily spotted from shore.

16. What are the storyteller’s feelings abut Mr Mantolini’s cousin? (2)
He thinks she is beautiful
She was fantastic
Appearance – smiling lips, sparkling eyes.
OR – she looked like the ice maiden but was even better!

THANKS TO MISS KIRSTEN LAMB FOR THE SUGGESTED ANSWERS