The Whipping Boy

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. What is the profession of Jemmy’s father?

2. What is the name of the royal tutor?

Short Answer

1. Why does Prince Horace become angry when Jemmy doesn’t cry out while being beaten?

2. Why does Prince Horace decide to run away?

Paired Resources

“Did Whipping Boys Really Exist? [Medieval Professions: Whipping Boy]”

• This Kobean History video details the history of the “whipping boy” amid historical examples and myths.
• In addition, this Idiom Origins page explains the origins of the “whipping boy” as a term.
• What do you think inspired the idea of a whipping boy? Why would a royal employ a whipping boy rather than another means of discipline?

“Spanking Worsens a Child’s Behavior”

• This 2021 CNN article reports findings from a recent study, suggesting that spanking is unlikely to improve a child’s behavior, and may actually encourage worse behavior. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing)

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. What is Billy’s full nickname?

2. What object leads Billy and Cutwater to realize that one of the boys must be the prince?

3. What does Billy use as makeshift ink for a ransom note?

Short Answer

1. Describe the appearance and atmosphere of the hut where Billy and Cutwater take the two boys.

2. What is unusual about the items that Prince Horace packed for his journey?

3. How does Prince Horace react to Jemmy’s attempt to trick their captors?

Paired Resource

“7 People Who Pretended to Be Royals”

• This History article describes the phenomenon of non-royal individuals impersonating royalty, often for their own ends. It provides historical context for Billy and Cutwater confusing the identities of the two boys.
• What qualities do you typically associate with someone who holds a position of power? What qualities do you typically associate with someone who does not? Why do you think we form these assumptions, and why can they cause problems?

Chapters 9-12

Reading Check

1. What object does Jemmy want the criminals to send to the castle to verify their claims?

2. Where does Jemmy attempt to hide within the hut?

Short Answer

1. How does Prince Horace disrupt Jemmy’s plan to free them (especially the prince himself)?

2. Why do the criminals believe Prince Horace is refusing to deliver their ransom note to the castle?

3. What does Prince Horace do when the criminals ask him where Jemmy is hiding?

Chapters 13-16

Reading Check

1. Where does Jemmy hide when he flees the hut?

2. Jemmy asks Betsey to direct him toward what landmark?

3. What does Captain Nips transport and sell?

Short Answer

1. How do Jemmy and Prince Horace’s attitudes toward their adventure differ?

2. What does Prince Horace think of Jemmy’s claim that his father will be worried about him?

3. Why does Jemmy keep having misgivings about leaving Prince Horace alone?

Paired Resource

“A History of the Sewers of Paris”

• This article from the Museum of the Sewers of Paris discusses the construction and purpose of an elaborate sewer system in a major European capital.
• Sewers are often framed as unpleasant, but Jemmy longs to return to them. What makes him feel comfortable and safe in this environment?

Chapters 17-20

Reading Check

1. How does Billy react when Petunia charges him?

2. Who informs Prince Horace that the common people detest him?

3. What is the name of the rat-catcher whom Jemmy and Prince Horace encounter in the sewers?

Short Answer

1. How do Jemmy and Prince Horace interact while in the sewers?

2. What bargain does Prince Horace strike with his father when he returns to the castle?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

• This historical novel is set in 16th-century England and features an impoverished boy and a prince trading places and learning about each other’s lives. The experience inspires the prince to become a better ruler.
• Shared topics include trading identities, crossing class barriers, and developing moral responsibility.
• Shared themes include Friendship Overcoming Differences, Wealth Versus Poverty and Transformation Through Adversity.
• The Prince and the Pauper on SuperSummary

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

• This 19th-century novel describes the experience of a wealthy but cruel man changing his ways after seeing events from different perspectives and getting a glimpse of his own past, present, and future.
• Shared topics include a protagonist who is widely disliked but reforms, seeing new perspectives, and using wealth and privilege for good rather than harm.
• Shared themes include Wealth Versus Poverty.
• A Christmas Carol on SuperSummary