Q 01/05

In which Boston park does Louis play his trumpet for the Swan Boat passengers in The Trumpet of the Swan?

A) Boston Common

B) The Public Garden

C) Franklin Park

D) The Arnold Arboretum

Answer · why

B) The Public Garden

The Public Garden's lagoon has been home to the Swan Boats since 1877; in the story Louis swims ahead of them as accompanist and becomes the sensation...

Q 02/05

How are Boston's Swan Boats, Louis's employer in The Trumpet of the Swan, propelled across their pond?

A) Pedalled by the driver

B) Towed by a motor launch

C) Rowed by two oarsmen

D) Pulled by an underwater cable

Answer · why

A) Pedalled by the driver

Pedalled by the driver, who sits inside the swan working a paddle wheel like a bicycle: Robert Paget launched the boats in 1877 and took the swan from...

Q 03/05

Which Stephen Foster song does Louis play to win Serena when she lands at the Philadelphia Zoo?

A) Old Folks at Home

B) Hard Times Come Again No More

C) Beautiful Dreamer

D) Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair

Answer · why

C) Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer was published in March 1864, two months after Foster's death, and the serenade wins Serena over on the spot.

Q 04/05

How does newly hatched Louis greet Sam Beaver, since he cannot chirp like his brothers and sisters?

A) Nibbles Sam's finger

B) Tugs at Sam's shoelace

C) Climbs up onto Sam's knee

D) Flaps both wings

Answer · why

B) Tugs at Sam's shoelace

Tugs at Sam's shoelace is all Louis can manage while the other cygnets each greet the boy with a beep, the first hint of the silence his parents soon ...

Q 05/05

In which US state does Louis's family winter at the Red Rock Lakes refuge in The Trumpet of the Swan?

A) Montana

B) Wyoming

C) Colorado

D) Alaska

Answer · why

A) Montana

Montana's Red Rock Lakes is a real refuge, created by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935 and best known for the work that pulled the trumpeter swan ...