During the Revolutionary War, George Washington was a general and the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. His soldiers l
oved and respected him. One very cold morning Washington went out to inspect a camp, which needed to be fortified. He wore a long cape and a hood that half hid his face. Nobody recognized him because his coat and uniform were covered.
Washington came upon a group of soldiers building a wall of logs. The corporal was busy giving orders. "Up with it now! Give it all your might!" he shouted. The men lifted the log, strained, and pulled as hard as they could, but they simply could not raise it high enough.
Once again the corporal shouted to the men, but he offered them no help.
The men struggled, and just as the log was about to sink back, Washington stepped over to them. Washington was strong and helped them put the log on top.
The soldiers thanked the stranger profusely, but the corporal ignored him.
Washington turned to the corporal and sternly told him he should have helped his men.
"Is that so?" answered the man. "Can't you see that I am a corporal?"
Washington threw back his cape showing his uniform. "Well sir, I am your commander-in-chief! Won't you send for me the next time a log is too heavy for your men to lift?" Then Washington turned and walked briskly away.
1. The best title for this story would be _____.
"Building a Log Wall"
"The Commander-in-Chief"
"An Unexpected Act of Kindness"
2. The main idea of this story is that _____.
George Washington was general
the men were lifting logs
George Washington was kind
kindness knows no rank
Answer the following questions in your own words.
If you were one of the soldiers Washington helped, how would you feel?
