Trivia Bank for Beverly Cleary s The Mouse and the Motorcyle (1965) One 1. Who is staying in Room 215? A: Keith Gridley 2. Who is staying in Room 216? A: Keith s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gridley 3. What does Keith take out of his suitcase - in addition to his cars? A: an apple 4. Keith takes four different vehicles out of his bed to play on the bed in the motel. Can you name all four of them? A: a sedan; an ambulance; a sports car; and a red motorcycle Two 5. Who is also staying in Room 215 w/ Keith? A: a mouse named Ralph 6. Why does Ralph prefer younger children? A: They leave more food on the floor. 7. According to Ralph, who is the worst kind of guest? A: a dog 8. What makes Ralph eager, excited, curious, and impatient all at once? A: Keith and/or his motorcycle 9. What makes Ralph think of highways and speed, distance and danger, and whiskers blown back by the wind? 10. What does Ralph s mother not want him to find (that he might eat)? A: aspirin 11. What is Ralph s mother s biggest fear? A: the owl who lives outside 12. What causes Ralph (and the motorcycle) to fall in the trash can? A: the phone rings
Three 13. When Ralph lands in the waste basket, the first thing he does is check to make sure nothing is broken. What does he check first - the motorcycle or his legs? 14. What does Ralph eat while in the waste basket? A: the apple core 15. Who briefly comes to visit while Ralph is in the waste basket? A: two scout ants Four 16. Who says, Hey, how did you get in here? A: the boy, Keith 17. When he first meets Keith, what part of himself is Ralph not able to keep from quivering? A: his whiskers Use: Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language. 18. What does Keith have to do before he and Ralph can talk? A: He has to take a bath. 19. What allows Ralph to leave the waste basket w/ grace and dignity? A: Keith tips it over on his side so he can walk out. 20. What makes the motorcycle go? A: You have to make the Pb-pb-b-b-b sound. Five 21. What does Keith s mother call the dusty fluff under the bed? A: Dust mice. 22. When Ralph is riding in the hallway, what 3 food smells does he smell from the kitchen? A: cinnamon buns (w/ sticky frosting; turkey stuffing; pancakes (w/ maple syrup) 23. What does Ralph discover is living in Room 211? A: a dog (a terrier) 24. What did Ralph do to anger the terrier in Room 215? A: sticks his tongue out, and waggles his paws from his ears
25. If Ralph were to go outside (to hunt for seeds), what animal should he watch out for? A: the owl 26. Who is the second human being to speak to Ralph (as an equal)? 27. When Keith s mother finally sees Ralph - where does he hide? A: in the sleeve of Keith s pajamas; in the crook of Keith s elbow Six 28. What does Ralph want for breakfast? A: a peanut butter sandwich 29. Who says, You haven t been associating w/ people!? s mother 30. What happened to Uncle Leroy? A: He was caught by an owl at the garbage cans. 31. What kind of shoes does the head housekeeper have? A: Stout, sensible, black oxfords Seven 32. What was the maid doing while Ralph was almost sucked into the vacuum cleaner? A: primping in front of the mirror 33. Which was stronger - the motorcycle or the vacuum cleaner? 34. When Ralph escaped the vacuum cleaner, what did he ride into? A: a laundry bag 35. Who says to Ralph, I know you re in there? A: the terrier in 211 36. How did Ralph escape from the laundry bag? A: He chewed his way thru a series of sheets and towels. 37. What did he leave behind?
Eight 38. After his experience w/ the vacuum cleaner and the laundry bag, what did Keith bring Ralph (and his family) to eat? A: blueberry muffin, and chocolate chip cookie 39. Keith gives Ralph a motorcycle crash helmet. What did he make it out of? A: a ping-pong ball cut in half 40. How did Keith first acquire the motorcycle? A: He bought it w/ his own money. Nine 41. Who says, I guess I don t stop to use my head? A: Both Ralph AND Keith. 42. What happened to Keith the first time he used a bike w/ handbrakes? A: He couldn t stop and crashed into a tree. 43. After Ralph tells Keith he has lost the motorcycle, what breakfast does Keith order for them? A: bacon, and toast w/ jelly Ten 44. What food does Keith save for Ralph to store with his family? A: peanuts 45. The night Keith s stomach doesn t feel very well, what food does Keith bring Ralph s family for dinner? A: peanuts 46. The night Keith has a fever, Ralph leaves his room to find...what? A: an aspirin Eleven 47. What happened to Aunt Adrienne? A: She got locked in a suitcase and was never seen again. 48. What happens to Ralph when he goes into Room 209? A: He gets captured; trapped in a glass. 49. The sisters, Betty and Mary Lou, want to take Ralph to...where? A: Back home to Wichita.
50. What do Betty and Mary Lou do w/ Ralph? A: They drop him out the window onto the vines clinging to the wall. Twelve 51. Where does Ralph finally find an aspirin? A: In a ground floor room, w/ three college age men sleeping inside. 52. Where does Ralph hide when he is on the first floor w/ the aspirin tablet? A: The grandfather clock in the first floor hallway. 53. How does Ralph get from Keith s room back to the first floor to retrieve the aspirin? A: Keith s ambulance! 54. Who says, I know you re down there? A: the terrier in Room 211 Thirteen 55. What does Keith order from room service as he recovers? A: Orange juice; bacon; toast w/ jelly. 56. Who brings Keith s ambulance back? 57. And who brings Keith s motorcycle back? 58. Who says, I don t know any irresponsible mouse. I only know one responsible mouse? A: Keith 59. Who says, I m fast, but I m careful? 60. Who says, You grow a little bit every day? 61. Who says, She has good balance on a rough road? 62. Where does Keith actually live? A: Ohio 63. Where does Ralph hope to hide his family - their new living quarters in the hotel? A: the grandfather clock in the first floor hallway