A Priceless Gift
Long ago, an honest merchant ____ in Genoa, Italy.
His name was Antonio, ____ he went to different places to support his family by trading.
____ day, he filled his ship with goods and visited a faraway island.
There ____ traded tools for spices and books for nuts.
Thanks to Antonio, the islanders could get what ____ needed.
One ____ Antonio had dinner with the island’s queen at her palace.
When dinner was served, rats appeared, and some servants chased ____ away with sticks.
Antonio was greatly surprised that there were rats ____ the palace.
He asked, “Are there no cats on this ____
The ____ looked puzzled.
“What is a cat?” she asked.
The merchant said to himself, “What ____ islanders here need is not tools or books, but cats.”
He brought two cats from his ship and let them run ____
“What amazing animals!” cried the queen when she ____ all the rats run away.
She gave Antonio a ____ that was filled with jewels.
Back in ____ Antonio told his friends about his good fortune.
Luigi, ____ richest merchant in Genoa, heard the story and was jealous.
“Cats are worthless,” Luigi ____
“I’ll bring the queen what is ____ valuable.
____ sure that the queen will give me more jewels.”
Luigi packed ____ ship with wonderful paintings and other works of art.
He took the gifts to the island.
To get a chance to meet the queen, he told the islanders a lie ____ he was a good friend of Antonio’s.
When the queen ____ about Luigi, she invited him to her palace for dinner.
Before sitting down at the table, Luigi presented the queen with all his gifts, and the queen thanked him again and ____
“I’ll repay you with a priceless gift,” said ____ queen.
Luigi watched the ____ whisper in a servant’s ear.
He became excited ____ hopeful.
He was sure that he would receive more jewels ____ Antonio.
After a while, the servant returned with a ____ and the queen presented it to Luigi.
When Luigi opened the ____ he was speechless.
There was a kitten in the box.
“Antonio gave ____ the priceless cats, and we now have some kittens,” said the queen.
“In return for the wonderful gifts you gave us, we want ____ give you what is most valuable to us.”
Luigi realized that, in the queen’s mind, the kitten was worth ____ more than all the jewels in the world.
He tried to look ____ with the gift.
He knew that was the right thing to ____
Luigi did not return ____ a richer man.
But he was surely a wiser ____